About Me

My Clean Little Secret

Aprons

Okay...I have what some might call a little obsession with aprons. I have over 800 and the collection keeps growing. (Actually, I'm down to about 600...a huge box of my aprons went missing during the Las Vegas show. They were never shipped back to me.) It all started innocently enough about ten years ago. I could find them for less than a buck at thrift stores--a cheap collectible for a girl who loves vintage linens and to cook. Now, they consume my basement...hell they consume my whole house. If you are interested in aprons and old linens, I recommend fellow St. Louisan Joyce Cheney's book, Aprons, Icons of the American Home.

More Vintage Shopping

When I get the sewing itch, I check out the fabrics on Repro Depot Fabrics. One of my favorite online shopping places is of course, Ebay's Retro Shop. Other favorite vintage shopping spots include mytypewriter.com where I recently found my exact pink Royal typewriter listed for $450. I bought mine for $20 about 8 years ago on Cherokee Street.

Travel, Food, Pop Culture

Travel

I love to take road trips. For a while it seemed like I visited Memphis at least three times a year. If you go, please do yourself a favor and go to Sunday services at the church of Reverend Al Green. I had blisters on my hands from clapping so hard. And the apocalyptic painting on the back wall, is worth the trip alone. When I can afford it, I stay at the Talbot Heirs. Other travel recommendations (outside of Memphis) include Ironhorse Hotel (for sentimental reason), Road Food, and Roadside Peek.

Food

Cooking soothes me--I absolutely love making dinner for friends. My pies are pretty notoriously good with personal favorites being peach and pecan, but whenever I'm home, I have to make my dad coconut cream. I love listening to The Splendid Table on Saturday afternoons, while prepping for a dinner party. If you want to learn to bake a pie, here are some good places to start: Pie Recipes, Pie Books, and the American Pie Council.

Pop Culture

Davy Rothbart of FOUND Magazine has visited us at Mad Art Gallery a couple of times. I like what he does. Other magazines I enjoy are Kitchen Sink, Budget Living, To Do List Magazine, Bitch Magazine, and every freakin' home decorating magazine I can get my hands on. It really is pathetic.

Art

Inspiration

I love the painters Squeak Carnwath, Mark Rothko, and Milton Avery. Other artists on my favorites list lately include Doris Salcedo, Sylvia Plimack Mangold, and John Copeland. Aw shucks...I could go on and on.

Literature

Along with Thomas Crone and Stefene Russell, I edit 52nd City Magazine. 52nd City is a cooperative venture of St. Louis artists and writers dedicated to developing, incubating, and releasing diverse and experimental works created by local talent. We have produce a quarterly print and web publication that covers a spectrum of art, literature, media, and culture in St. Louis.

My reading habits fall to short stories, essays, and biographies more than novels. I read more magazines than anything else. Some of my favorite writers are David Lee, Lorrie Moore, Nicholson Baker, Sarah Vowell, Grace Paley, and Annie Proulx.