VISIT: ST. LOUIS

Last weekend I took a few vacation days to head out to St. Louis, Mo. I've heard through many a folk that St. Louis is similar to my beloved Cincinnati. Truth. Both cities sit on a river at the state line (the history nerd in me says that means they were very dependent on river trading etc back in their early days). Both cities love their beer & breweries. There are many other striking similarities that aren't really important to my quick travel guide.

Anyway, I wanted to pull together a quick list of things you might do if you are ever visiting STL!

1. The Budweiser Brewery Tour: I was staying in Soulard (a neighborhood just a mile or two away from downtown filled with young people & a lot of bars) which is home to the Anheuser Busch Brewery. We were so close that every morning I woke up to the smell of hops & yeast! We went on the free Budweiser Tour (which I think runs every hour). It was so fun & informative & included a free drink at the end. 

2. Ballpark Village: Just behind the ballpark downtown St. Louis has built an amazing hub of indoor bars, restaurants & entertainment (similar to The Banks in Cincy... but indoors). There is live music every weekend, huge tv's (think Fountain Square) to watch away games & plenty of space to grab a drink with friends. 

3. Soulard Coffee Garden: After a night of beverages in the bars of Soulard, nothing sounds better than breakfast, am I right? Soulard Coffee Garden hit the spot.  It's a local treasure with quick service & a homey atmosphere. There were so many breakfast options I had a hard time choosing. Oh, & the mimosas come with your own mini  bottle of champagne. 

4. Mardi Gras: The source of our trip was the St. Louis Mardi Gras. I've heard claims that, outside of New Orleans, St. Louis' Mardi Gras is the biggest in the USA. We braved the cold to catch the end of the parade, racked up an enormous number of beads & then joined the party in the streets. Soulard is cool because there are no open container laws (that is a difference from Cincinnati). There were thousands of party-goers lining the streets & bars. You have to go at least once!

Other places we ran out of time for:

5. SLU: We drove through the campus, but I would love to spend more time here on another visit.

6. Gateway Arch: St. Louis is probably best known to outsiders for it's Gateway Arch on the river. Apparently you can go inside, ride to the top & have a phenomenal view of the city. Next time. 

When I was little we used to watch Meet me in St. Louis (Meet me at the fair) all the time. It was fun to see what all the fuss is about ;D

FAT TUESDAY

A) Image: Holtman's Donut Shop

B) Image: Southern Comfort's Easy King Cake

C) Image: Cupcakes & Cashmere's Mac n' Cheese Bites

D) Graeter's (duh)

Today is Fat Tuesday.. a day of over indulgences. I wanted so badly to make you a King Cake, specifically the one above, but the snow kept me inside without any ingredients. The next best thing I could do was gather all these indulgent recipes & treats to one place & inspire you to host a Fat Tuesday party. Cincinnati style. 

Click the images above or the links below & start prepping during your lunch break.  Wishing you each a happy Mardi Gras!!

A. Holtman's Donuts 
B. Southern Bite's Quick & Easy Mardi Gras King Cake
C. Cupcakes & Cashmere's Mac Bites
D. Graeter's French Pot Ice Cream
 

LESSONS FROM: CANTEEN BAKERY

Sometimes being a twenty something is hard. Rent (even though it’s for your dream apartment) causes a big dent in your paycheck; learning to cook is a real adventure & work takes up almost all your time. But being a twenty something is also incredible. You get to learn who you really are & how to pursue your dreams &, best yet, who will help you achieve them.

One of my hopes for Ida Street is to help inspire you. One way I hope to do that is by introducing you to a few of our peers pursuing & achieving their creative dreams. & with that,  I’d like to welcome  you to a new Ida Street feature: Lessons from a dreamer.

Q: What would your advice be to other twenty somethings trying to figure it all out? 

"You won't ever figure it all out. If you have a passion, you have that passion for a reason & you need to chase it."

"The best things in life come in their most organic form. People, nature, food. Canteen uses organic ingredients to create homemade sweets that are beautifully made to show off the humble beauty of each creation." 

Meet Angie Phillips. She’s the 22 year old founder of Canteen Bakery, a small batch bakery specializing in organic sweets. Canteen is Angie’s dream.

Angie has two part time jobs right now. One at Maribelle’s in Oakley.. (I have to do a blog post on this place soon. It sounds so wonderful!) & one at Branch HIll Coffee. But her real priority is Canteen. 

When did you realize there was going to be a Canteen Bakery?
Oh,  I always knew. I think I like the control factor of being your own boss. I studied entrepreneurship in college to kind of get the business side of things. 

How did you choose the name? 
[Laughs] Well I wish I had a better story! Basically this [points to her nalgene canteen style water bottle] is with me wherever I am. I don’t go anywhere without it. In a weird way, it has become kind of a security blanket. One day I got all philosophical & started thinking about how amazing this privilege is. This canteen is a promise of never being thirsty. & then I just connected the dots. 

How long have you been baking? 
For as long as I can remember! Even as a little kid, I remember baking. It kind of was like: I’m in the kitchen, that means I should create something. & I just started baking.  Do you remember the first thing you baked?  Hmm, well I remember baking my sister a birthday cake. Fondant was really in back then [smiles] & I made my sister a cheeseburger cake. It was horrible!

What about weddings? You said you are doing a few weddings this fall, have you done any yet?
I made my first wedding cake for my brother’s wedding when I was sixteen. Actually, my sister in law says she discovered me [laughs]. Because she trusted me at sixteen to make her wedding cake.  Oh my gosh! What did you make? Oh it was a simple vanilla bean. It was such a beautiful & very simple wedding. So vanilla bean was perfect.

You have a very whimsical & beautiful, simple look to your baked goods. Is that something you intend, or just how it ends ups? Thank you! I would say that’s just my style. I  follow a lot of baking blogs & really look at other people’s design to find what my own style is. I follow a lot of bakers on Instagram. There’s this girl here in Cincinnati, Brown Bear.. Oh Brown Bear! Yes! I love Brown Bear! Oh you know her! I love her style. She’s amazing. But anyway over the years I have kind of just developed my own style.

A little other information on Canteen Bakery: 10% of sales go to charity. Angie uses customer input to rotate the charity every month. Canteen  currently fulfills orders in Cincinnati. Up next, she's hoping to open a store front. 

Where? 
(Smiles) Wherever the wind takes me.

Isn’t she amazing? We talked for an hour: about life as a twenty something, about following our dreams, about how we both love sweets & yes, she definitely likes to eat the things she creates. When we left, our coffee long cold & my arms filled with scones, (Angie brought me a batch of vanilla bean spelt scones which absolutely  tasted as wonderful as they look) I couldn’t help but feel inspired by her story. 

The biggest lesson she taught me: everyone has a purpose. & if you know it, or you think you know it, then it's your duty to pursue it. 

HIS VALENTINE'S GIFT GUIDE

a | $85

d | $18.50

 b | $30

e | $109

c | $12

F | $5 

g | $35

H | $20

I love Valentine's Day. So much. I always dress up in bright pink (or red) & spend the entire day telling people how much I love them. & usually, there are baked goods. 

& precisely because I love Valentine's so much,  I thought it would be really fun to help brainstorm gifts for the fellas in your life. (It was fun.) (Really, really fun.)  All the photos are hyperlinks, but I've also pasted them below. Because, you know. Convenience. 

a | Canvas & Tweed Backpack via Penguin: $85 >>> Because he's too old for ugly backpacks & weekend road trips don't require a lot of clothes. Also, so cute. You can borrow it. 
b | Bodum Travel Press: $30 >>> I mean I know I love coffee more than the average person. But this. This is amazing. A travel mug & a french press IN ONE. & it's dishwasher safe?!   Also, perfect for romantic road trips. I bet.
c | Human Heart Vintage Illustration iPhone Case via Etsy: $12 >>> Because medical illustration hearts are more manly <3
d | XO Boxers via J.Crew: $18.50 >>> I mean. I will probably buy these for myself. So adorable.
e | Bean Boots by L.L. Bean: $109 >>> Because now you can go on an adventure. Also, it's still winter here in Cincy people... Keep his toes warm.
F | 64 oz Growler/Howler via MadTree: $5 >>> I would probably add the beer too, but  is there a more awesome addition to his bar? #shoplocal
g | legen-dary cufflinks via Etsy: $35 >>> Woah, is that Barney Stinson? This one definitely warrants a high five. 
H | Sabertooth Tiger Tee Shirt via Rhinegeist: $20 >>> He probably already has the original Rhinegeist tee & this one has a massive saber toothed tiger on it. #shoplocal

& if none of these strike your fancy, the homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie is always a winner in my book ;D 

MT ADAMS: INSIDE THE STUDIO

Six & a half months ago I moved into an apartment entirely on my own.  It's a 450 square foot box that I've lovingly referred to throughout this blog as The Studio. I know I've shown you little corners of it.. but  I think it's high time I invited you inside  :D Welcome to my cheerful little world!

This is The Studio. My studio. This is where I write to you guys almost every single night &  where I binge watch Netflix like it's nobody's business. This is where I'm learning to cook & budget & figure out who I am & how to succeed. This little ole box is what inspired the rebranding of the blog to Ida Street.  I love this little studio.

They say everyone should try to live alone for a little while they are young.  I think it just encourages dangerous habits. (Who else ate half a pint of ice cream for dinner tonight? Nobody even knew!  Until I just told all of you....). 

I'm kidding (not about the ice cream). Living alone is a really big rite of passage. You learn how to survive when the electricity goes out every week for a month. You find out that 55 degrees is a pretty acceptable temperature to live in -- mostly because its the one you can afford. & cooking actually isn't so scary. & crock pots are a girl's best friend. 

But mostly, when you live alone, you learn about yourself. & that's some pretty good company.  Anyway!! Sorry to get all sentimental on you guys! I just really love this studio. Want a quick tour?

Remember way back when I told you about Building the Corner Coffee Bar? It's still here. & I still love it. This is where I sit when I'm working from home. A perfect little place to work & look up to people watch the inhabitants of Mt. Adams.

With less space in the studio I had to get creative about surfaces. Purses went on the wall. Hats went onto hooks. & pictures went onto the fridge. (Here's that post on Instagram Fridge Magnets.... that was one of the first things I did here!)   & don't worry guys -- my drafting table did fit. I made sure of it.

One thing I didn't realize until I lived alone is how your space unconsciously becomes... well you. 

It's where your life unfolds & where you can be you. The un-make-upped, unassuming, un guarded self. I love that. It's how a 450 square foot box can become your home. 

Photography: Mintwood Photo Co.

P.S. I've had this post in the works for a long time. Since July. While my slightly messy morning routine definitely delayed the process (it's not true that a small space is easier to keep clean!!), the real push to publish came from Urban Compass. They're a real estate platform focused on connecting individuals with the neighborhoods, apartments & homes  that best fit their personality. Thank you for asking me to share my Starter Story & finally invite you all inside the studio. I'd love to hear about your first homes in the comments :D