The Late-Summer Scene at the Missouri Botanical Garden...

Paul Cezanne said "Art is a harmony parallel to nature." One of my favorite aspects of the Missouri Botanical Garden is the beautiful relationship and play between the landscape and art installations in every nook and cranny of this city gem.  

While every season in the garden is lovely and special in its own way, the full maturity of late-summer provides a magnificent backdrop for the sculptures with lush volume and spectacular color.  

Steve and I snuck away for a long-overdue morning stroll this week.  A peek...

A weekend in Memphis including a tour of the eccentric Graceland.

Last weekend, Steve and I snuck away for Valentine's Day fun in Memphis...

We stayed in a lovely Downtown hotel on the National Register of Historic Places with original art deco touches around every corner...

We toured some of the city's most famous historic spots including Sun Studio...

and Elmwood Cemetery...

We enjoyed unseasonably warm 65 degree weather over long walks on the picturesque Mississippi Riverfront...

We indulged in romantic dinners...

We danced to amazing blues music on the rowdy Beale Street...

We fell in love with GORGEOUS historical architecture...

... and we enjoyed all of the goodies that Memphis is famous for, including the Duck March at the Peabody...

That all being said, NO trip to Memphis is complete without a visit to...

Simpy, you have to do it at least once in your life.  

While I had previously visited the Graceland Estate, Steve had never been so a tour was in order.  The Colonial Revival mansion is over 17,000 square feet of perfectly-preserved Elvis Presley eccentricities.  There are truly no words to describe the Graceland time-capsule.  

A peek at our visit...

If seeking a fun weekend getaway from St. Louis, Memphis is a GREAT option.  Just 4 hours on I-55 South, the city overflows with history, music, food, and fun!  

Design Eye Candy: Vintage Vitrolite

I declared my adoration for vintage pigmented Vitrolite long ago in this blog post. This weekend, however, I hit the art deco jackpot in THIS University City home! All 3 bathrooms in this property have the original Vitrolite not only in tact, but in mint condition.

While the property was not a match for my client, the gorgeous historic bathrooms were worth a little blog shoutout.  So special.

Design Eye Candy: Vitrolite bathroom

Some aspects of my job stop me in my tracks (for good and bad reasons). Regardless, this was the case over the weekend. I had to stop, enjoy, and photograph =).

The bathroom of the South City brick bungalow that one of my Buyers contracted over the weekend is so deliciously deco, that I had to share. The original pigmented Vitrolite Glass wall tile is in absolute MINT condition with no cracks, chips, or settling.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

Though pairing it with the mint condition original floor tile, built-in fixtures, and pedestal sink proves that some looks are timeless. Period. People say that everything that is old becomes new again eventually. This classic Art Deco bathroom design proves that statement.

An original bathroom as complete, pristine, and stylish as this one is a rarity. I had to share, as I find it breathtaking.