Posts in Editors Picks
History Museum and Delmar Loop Help Bring Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration to Life

Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a beloved Latinx cultural tradition celebrated this year in St. Louis on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd. During this time, Mexicans build ‘ofrendas,’ altars adorned with marigold flowers, candles, sugar skulls, and the favorite foods and drinks of their deceased loved ones. The purpose is to welcome back the spirits of the departed, bridging the gap between the living and the dead. This year the Missouri History Museum and Delmar Loop are recognizing Día de los Muertos with two separate celebrations that bring the recognition of the Day of the Dead to life. Learn more here.

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Halloween Made Easier for Children with Sensory Issues

Front steps fill with pumpkins, jack-o’-lanterns glow with flickering light, and kids — just like Halloween enthusiasts everywhere — eagerly prepare for the festivities. For many of us, Halloween is a cherished tradition filled with costumes, candy and laughter. Yet for neurodivergent children, Halloween can be challenging. Since the whole world is celebrating, it is important that sensory-challenged children feel included in the holiday. Pathways.org, a resource for parents and healthcare professionals that offers free tools for child development, can help. Learn more.

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Bibliotaph…

Autumn is the perfect time to slow down, build a fire, grab some apple cider and sit down for a good read. Here are some Sophisticated Living recommendations. And since your stoves and ovens will soon be heating up for the holidays, we’ve got some books you may want to pick up to make sure you put your best foot forward during this coming season of mirth. Perhaps you are a bibliotaph yourself. If so, sample of our selections.

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Fall Wedding Food and Venue Choice Reflect Sophisticated Taste Levels for Discriminating Couples

Fall is peak wedding season and for many the most romantic time of year — after all, it’s the day when couples “tie their eternal knot” of love. Everything must be perfect. The dress. The tux. The flowers. The venue. The reception. And the food. Yes, the food. The food at the reception says it all. Discover a stylish wedding venue many of St. Louis’ elite are talking about and recommending.  Discover Vicia, a place that reflects sophisticated taste levels. Read more.

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Fall Into Luxury

It’s autumn in St. Louis. As the days of Fall 2024 dwindle down to the precious few, the leaves are finally transforming. They are unmasking. The cooler nights we are having are changing the fall foliage into vivid reds, yellows, and oranges — the signatures of the season. Seize the season. Wrap yourself in it and savor each luxurious drop of it. Celebrate the season — the time of year where humid-free warm days give way to chilly nights. Wrap yourself in sophisticated splendor this year. Here are a few decadently autumnal ways in which you can.

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Northwestern Mutual Clayton's "Cocktails for a Cure" Fills a $110,000 Glass for Alex’s Lemonade Stand’s Cancer Research

Read here how Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was begun by an 8-year-old little girl raising money at her lemonade stand. Recently, Northwestern Mutual Clayton hosted its annual fundraiser, “Cocktails for a Cure,” The $110,000 raised will be donated to long-time partner Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) to further research for childhood cancer and support families affected by a diagnosis.

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Looking Back on 2024 as Sophisticated Living St. Louis Soon Turns the Page to Year Number 12

Can you believe it?  2024 will soon be a memory and we will turn the page to a new calendar year.  As Sophisticated Living St. Louis soon writes a new chapter as we celebrate the anniversary of 12 years in publication, let’s take a moment to look at each of our 2024 cover stories.

As the year comes to a close soon, as always, Craig and the entire team at Sophisticated Living St. Louis wishes you the best, as for almost 12 years we live up to our motto – bringing you “St. Louis’ Finest.”

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My Story From One Side to The Other

Our owner and publisher, Craig Kaminer, was recently interviewed on the St. Louis Bucket List Show. Watch the full interview here. It’s a good one that explores his career from PR guru where he pitched stories and crafted integrated marketing campaigns for clients ranging from the emerging to the Fortune 100, to being on the other side of the fence where high-profile movers and shakers who cater to the luxury lifestyle. Now, on the precipice of a dozen years of owning the magazine, Sophisticated Living is the #1 pre-eminent source for EVERYTHING luxury in St. Louis and beyond.

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St. Louis is Rich...in History - Discover Our Treasures In a New Book, "Mapping St. Louis"

Have you ever wondered what St. Louis looked like before the Gateway Arch was here? Ever thought about what the landscape was like? The cityscape was quite different. There was no Clayton. There was no Ladue. There was no Chesterfield or Wildwood. While the land existed, these places were a vast wilderness beyond the city borders. Now, you can see St. Louis from its very beginnings by way of maps — rarely seen before in a new coffee table book hot off the presses — Mapping St. Louis. Read more.

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Pocketparks Helps Downtown St. Louis "Putt" Its Best Foot Forward

Pocketparks once again helps Downtown St. Louis “putt” its best foot forward. A local nonprofit known for transforming underused spaces into vibrant community hubs, this month, Pocketparks unveils its sixth park, the Laclede’s Landing Active Art Park and Disc Golf Putting Course. Read here how, in a city of parks, no park is a small park in an unending quest for urban revitalization.

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On Cloud Wine

Perched high above Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Grange Estate is the famed wine region’s newest luxury lodging option. Take a look at one of the newest acquisitions under the Foley Entertainment Group umbrella that stretches from the West Coast of the USA all the way to New Zealand -- the commonality being nature's beauty and good wine. Read more here.

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20th Anniversary of Art of PAWS & People Benefit Helps Pets Stay In Forever Homes with Their Eternal Humans

The elegant 2-story downtown Gatsby Ballroom at The Alverne will soon again fill with benefactors for Art of PAWS & People.  Presented by Purina on October 12, from 7 to 10 p.m., the annual Vivent Health fundraiser features music, abundant hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and an auction of one-of-a-kind art donated by local and national artists.  Proceeds raised at Art of PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) & People provide pet food and veterinary care assistance for Vivent Health’s patients’ pets, as well as comprehensive, integrated HIV prevention, care, and treatment for all those they serve in the St. Louis area. Learn more here.

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A Shore Thing

Travel to the world of third-generation hotelier Valentina De Santis, whose properties on Northern Italy's Lake Como will have you basking in grandeur and enjoying the sweet life. This past spring, the princess of pop, Taylor Swift, dipped her toe into their la dolce vita. When she and Travis Kelce stayed at the De Santis Villa Sola Cabiati, they made it "Insta famous", sharing pics of the exquisitely restored 12-bedroom, 16th-century lakefront villa, which typically rents for $21,000 /night, with their millions of Insta followers. Dip into the uber-luxurious world here.

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Pedal the Cause Cancels Ride, Renews Commitment to End Cancer

Pedal the Cause started as a ride in 2010, and now has evolved into a dynamic community mobilized for change, fueled by hope and united in their commitment to curing cancer. To date, Pedal the Cause has funded 229 cancer research projects – 177 adult and 52 pediatric through the donation of more than $46 million, creating real, tangible impact in the fight against cancer. Although raindrops fell, spirits were high and thousands of much-needed dollars were raised. See for yourself how the region came together for the cause.

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Le Royal Treatment

Welcome to the whimsical and wonderful palace life at the Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris. While just a stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe, the hotel feel worlds away, nestled in a chic residential area. Terrifically theatrical and taking cues from the 1940s and onwards, the Philippe Starck-orchestrated interiors in public spaces and the 149 guestrooms and suites are heavily focused on contemporary art and mirrored surfaces. The mirror has two faces. Take a look at this mirrored, gleaming Parisian gem.

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From Sea to Shining Sea, Kenny Scharf’s Prolific Art Exhibition “Woodz ‘N Thingz” Makes Landfall in St. Louis

Get ready, St. Louis art lovers!  October and November are the months to “fall” in love with renowned artist Kenny Scharf.  Trip the fantastic world of “Woodz ‘N Thingz”, a portfolio exhibition responding to the dire health of the planet.  Walk into Square One Gallery in the Central West End October 18 through November 22nd, and you will discover why the gallery and Lococo Fine Art Publisher teamed up to bring Scharf’s works to you – the art afficionados of our fair burg. Learn more here.

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I Didn't Know I Married a Pop Artist

Top advertising agency designer for Coca-Cola campaigns and other fun stuff, Chuck Middlekauff, threw in the towel in 1992 to take a crack at real art. Now, Chuck's distinctive pop art interpretations of the West, with inspirations from the likes of Andy Warhol, Billy Schenck, Nelson Boren, and Jackson Pollack, have appeared in the finest Western galleries in America. Take a closer look at his work here.

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Time to Drink Up to “America’s Native Spirit”! September is National Bourbon Heritage Month

Each September, whiskey enthusiasts nationwide raise a glass to celebrate bourbon whiskey. September has been deemed Bourbon Heritage Month. Introduced by Kentucky Republican Senator Jim Bunning in 2007, a resolution was passed by the U.S. Senate, declaring September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. Read about how to enjoy the libation considered America's Native Spirit.

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