Community Blog

Guess what today is? It’s #Caberbet Day! A day that is being celebrated on a wide variety of social media outlets worldwide, starting with Australia and moving west lasting 24 hours. According to Wine Business more than 50 wineries, 600 wine drinkers and 100 restaurants around the world will gather for what is hoped to be the largest online wine tasting held to date. Are you getting involved?

So, what are you going to do to celebrate? How about heading to Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar for a few glasses of Cabernet with an arranged cheese board. There open until 1:00 a.m. and the kitchen is open all night! If you want to relax at home on Cabernet Day then visit Saint Louis Cellars for a nice bottle of Cabernet for the night. Plus, all their wines are $20 or less!

Get a few neighbors from around Kings Landing and enjoy a night of celebrating Cabernet Day! Happy #Cabernet Day!

Written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr. and directed by Tony Scott in 1986 this film has become a staple of Americana cinema and pop culture since its release. With memorable characters–Iceman, Goose and Maverick–the film generated memorable quotes alike, some of which I had no idea where they were from. Here are a select few from the movie that sparked the solo career of Kenny Loggins with the song “Danger Zone.”

“I feel the need…the NEED FOR SPEED!”

“That’s right! Ice… man. I am dangerous.”

If you don’t know what movie talking about yet you must have been born in the 90s and are making me feel old. But, here’s your chance to see the classic 80s film for the first time and for everyone else to relive the time that was 1986. This Friday, September 3rd is the last show at Union Station’s Twilight Under the Stars Free Movie Series and they will be showing Top Gun!

The showing starts around 8:45 p.m. and is FREE, so grab a few buddies and head down to Union Station in St. Louis for a bit of nostalgia. In case of rain the movie will be shown inside the Union Station Mall, so either way you’ll see the film! Any of you residents of Kings Landing planning on going?

Photo courtesy of jenny818

Almost like the Lupe Fiasco song “Hip Hop Saved My Life,” I’d like to broaden that statement a bit and say Music is what has saved my life. Not in the sense that I was on the verge of a downward spiral to nothingness, just that music has always been there for me. It seems like there is always a song that’s just right for the occasion, whatever it may be.

It doesn’t matter what the genre, I listen to it all. I like music. Period. And I like to listen to all types of music no matter what labels are thrown across it. But, I can honestly say that some of the best music out there is music that is not mainstream. And at times it can be rather tough to get that music.

Yeah you’re going to have your favorites that you hear on the radio and are a staple in your music rotation, but sometimes you have to branch out and listen to new artists. And that’s where this post comes to a head. I subscribe to a website that sends out two FREE songs a day called RCRD LBL. The songs may be by artists you’ve heard of, in fact I was sent Lupe Fiasco’s new song a couple days ago. Or they may be from some indie band out of Iowa. You never know!

I look forward to my two songs daily and I just wanted to share this delightful tool for music expansion with you too. I hope it saves your life as well! So, who at Kings Landing is going to sign up for RCRD LBL?

2 days. 2 stages. 18 bands will perform at this inaugural musical event! The first ever LOUFest will take place this weekend, Saturday, August 28th & Sunday, August 29th at Forest Park for all those that feel like jamming this weekend. Tickets are just $64 for a two-day pass and $38 if you decide to attend just Saturday or Sunday; I wouldn’t advise that because you might miss a few of these performers:

• Bottle Rockets
• Lucero
• Airborne Toxic Event
• She & Him
• Fruit Bats
• Kim Massie

And that’s only 6 performers, so that means there are 12 more performers (yay! I can do simple math) that you might miss if you decide not to attend one of the days or not attend at all! That would be tragic. If you have kids or are just feeling a bit childish this weekend you can always visit Kid Village where there will be kiddie music, magic and other fun activities!

And no worries everyone, if you get hungry there will be plenty of food to grub on! Drunken Fish, KOTA, LoRusso’s Cucina, Pi Pizzeria and a few others will be on hand to satiate your hunger! Will you make time for all the music, food and fun Kings Landing? LOUFest is rain or shine, so there goes that excuse.

You can lead a dog in the park, but sometimes Rover leads you. Let’s face it; dogs do not come with instruction manuals for guidance and training. And finding the right way to train and lead your dog can be frustrating to the point of grinding your teeth.

Lucky for you PETCO and Borders Bookstore have teamed up and are providing a six-week puppy training course for doggies with less than perfect behavior. The training is focused primarily on chewing, digging, socialization and basic obedience commands. Perfect for residents living in Kings Landing where pets might need a little extra attention for confined spaces.

Training begins on September 21st at 6:30 p.m. Borders, the primary location for training, is located at the corner of North New Ballas Road and Olive Boulevard. Just a two minute walk from home for those adventurous to walk with a scampering canine. If not, parking is available at the Borders located at 11745 Olive Boulevard. Bring plenty of treats for rewards. For more information, call Borders at (314) 432-3575.

Guest blogged by Lisa Breslin

Photo courtesy of trazomfreak

Photography and botany lovers alike will adore and appreciate the fine artwork of Henry Domke. Henry Domke, a former art school student turned physician, took his love of nature and photography to unite both into healing art. Domke has provided healing art in hospitals around the US with serene pictures of coastal landscapes, mountainous terrain and seashells.

After leaving medicine in 2007, Domke pursues art full-time now exploring coast-to-coast beauty.

Today I try to find beauty in the ordinary and create images that inspire and heal.

–Henry Domke

Through August 27th, you can view the artwork of Henry Domke at The Missouri Botanical Garden. The exhibit is located in Monsanto Hall in the upper level of Ridgway Visitors Center. Residents of Kings Landing Apartments are located just 30 minutes away from The Missouri Botanical Garden. Residents interested in attending this event can find more information at www.mobot.org or call (314) 577-5100.

Go. Get Inspired.

Image by Oldtasty via Flickr

Guest blogged by Lisa Breslin

It’s Thursday and tomorrow is Friday. You knew that, right? Well, Friday brings two things: the weekend and new movies! I love Tuesdays for the new music that is released because it helps me get through the remainder of the week, but watching movies are that more enjoyable because it IS the weekend.

So, what do we have in store for this weekend? A story about a teenager literally fighting for love, a middle-aged women on an “excursion” to find herself and a shoot ‘em up, riot fest. Sounds like one heck of a weekend! I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that we will be highly entertained this weekend. Or you can just see Inception again. Here are the quick synopses of the films to help you make up your mind.

To be short and sweet, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, is about a kid who must defeat his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes in order to win her heart.

Julia Roberts stars in this feel good flick about a seemingly happily married woman who after a painful divorce, takes off on a round-the-world journey. “Let yourself go!” and go see Eat Pray Love.

Directed by Sly Stallone, The Expendables is about a team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator. Very simple, but full of gunfire and explosions–if that’s your kind of thing.

Get your tickets for AMC Creve Coeur 12 for whichever one it is you want to see–they’re all playing there!

Photo courtesy of popculturegeek

The 2010 NFL season is right around the corner. Literally. You can actually stick your head around the corner and see all the 32 teams coming down the hallway. I did it yesterday. And the St. Louis Rams are looking for a little redemption this season after a dismal 2009 campaign going 1-15. “Everything happens for a reason,” and the Rams used their number one pick to select a solid quarterback in Sam Bradford.

Bradford will be in St. Louis for at least the next six seasons deeming he does well during that tenure, so this could turn into another beautiful “Kurt Warner” relationship for years to come. And Bradford has all the tools as well as history for him to step right in to the starting job. As a red shirt freshman at Oklahoma, Sam stepped right in and set an NCAA record for touchdown passes in a season by a freshman with 36. Do you think Bradford should start over A. J. Feeley come September 12th?

You may need a little more evidence before you can make up your mind, so get your tickets now and go see the Rams take on the Minnesota Vikings at Edward Jones Dome this Saturday, August 14th at 7:00 p.m. You’ll get to see a Brett Favre-free Vikings team, but that doesn’t mean Adrian Peterson won’t be present.

Kings Landing, be sure to come back and tell us if you think Sam Bradford should be the starting quarterback come Opening Day!

Image via Wikipedia

New poll up everyone! Will the Cardinals be able to hold off the Reds to win the National League Central? Let Kings Landing know what you think!

Photo courtesy of m. o’leary

Summertime can sometimes mean misery. I hate to put it that way, but it’s the truth! But, with that misery comes elation when you can go jump in the pool in the middle of the hottest day of the year or take a trip to Hurricane Harbor. What’s the next best thing if you can’t make it to water?

Ice cream, of course. Or better yet gelato! If you’re not too familiar with the cool treat, gelato is an Italian variant of ice cream. The main difference being the butterfat content is lower in gelato (about 6% to ice cream’s 14%) and this makes it  smoother and much denser than traditional U.S. style ice cream. It’s good!

And there’s a gelateria right in your backyard (St. Louis) called Gelato di Riso that serves some of the best I’ve ever tasted! Most gelaterias offer very exotic and unique flavors, but this place has flavors that are pretty much out of this world. Take these for example: Frutti di Bosco (Fruits of the Forest), Bacio (Chocolate Hazelnut) and Espresso Chip. Okay, the latter isn’t that exotic, but it’s still really good.

They have two locations, one on Maryland Ave and the other on Wilson (at Marconi), so stop in at either one whenever it’s uncomfortably hot (which is any day this month) and Gelato di Riso will make you feel better. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.

Image via Wikipedia

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