Refresh with Purpose

I haven't met too many people..ok women...who don't enjoy refreshing their wardrobe. Especially in the Fall. It seems that Fall lights a fire within us that smolders until we deal with it...and to deal with it, we must find incredible articles of clothing and accessories that imbibe our wardrobe with that je ne sais quoi we are striving for...

For some of us...ehem....me.... this fire must be dealt with through good deals. It's not just about the item, but about the good deal..

So, where is a better place to search then local consignment stores? There isn't a better place, actually.

Yesterday I searched out 2 stores I had heard of through the grapevine:

The ScholarShop: An upscale consignment store that supports The Scholarship Fund of St. Louis.


Upon arrival, the ScholarShop was very busy---mostly with middle age and older women digging through a more mature gathering of clothes. I was not to be discouraged, however. I jumped right in only to find....

She's vogueing...ha

This! Fantastic, slick, chic, lemon yellow leather skirt. YES! The sad part is that I decided not to get it.

The sweet part is that I'm going back to get it...and at 20 buck-a-roos it's a sweet deal. (Feel free to send up a little prayer that I'm not too late...surely everyone is clamoring for a lemon yellow leather skirt...)

If you are a digger, there is an absolute possibility that you will find something here. And if you would like to donate, The ScholarShop  will send you an itemized list of deductibles at the end of the year.

The 2nd consignment store I visited was: [Re]Fresh, A Fashion Coalition


Now, [Re]Fresh is a little more youthful and modern in set-up and style. They even have a DJ area!

It was an Urban Outfitters-esq consignment shop. Though some items seemed to be overpriced...some were underpriced as well. I found a Nanette Lepore dress for $18!

If you have pre-teen to young adult people in your life...this is a great place to check out. The entire upstairs is mostly party dresses ranging from short and conservative to long and bedazzled.

All of this store's proceeds support the work of the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition. They even have special event days during which foster children/families can come shop and get 90% off every item.

[Re]Fresh also offers a special service to it's patrons: Free Fashion Workshops! You or your child can learn how to get a look for less. Very cool...

I hope this post encourages you to check out your local consignment and thrift stores. It is a great thing to refresh your wardrobe with purpose.

The ScholarShop

8211 Clayton Road

St. Louis, MO 63117

(Another location in Webster Groves)

314.725.3456

Donation Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5pm

[Re]Fresh

1710 S. Brentwood Blvd

St. Louis, MO 63144

314.881.0331

Open: Thurs-Sat 11-8pm

Sun 11-5pm

Nom Nom Thursday: The Block

So every Tuesday is Red's and my date night. It's his day off from work so we are usually pretty relaxed when it comes to dinner time---hence the reason we now go out for dinner each Tuesday..

As I think I have mentioned before, Red and I love to eat...and not only that, but we love to try new foods and new places. We actually have a little notebook we write reviews of restaurants in...and well, have lists of places we want to try:

This week we got to check one such restaurant off our list: The Block in Webster Groves, MO...el suburb de St. Louis.

No it isn't a Mexican restaurant--don't be confused: el and de are used all the time in my English language. Get with it.

The Block actually marry's a few good ideas. It is a restaurant. bar, and butcher, all in one. You can try a local brew, eat delicious food, and then, if you like it, buy that cut of meat (among others) to take home with you. It's a novel idea actually.

Set in the lovely and quaint Webster Groves, The Block offers locally sourced food in a comforting and delicious style... Por ejemplo...

We started out with shrimp and grits for our appetizer. Not any ole' shrimp and grits, but crispy fried shrimp with herb cheddar grits and honey barbeque:

Yum. The only complaint was that there wasn't more.

For our entrees, Red got the pulled pork sandwich with fries and pickled veggies...and I got the pork chop (that was so tender and delicious it could have been steak) with potato and bacon hash and apple slaw.

Yes--I know it's glamorous and delicious looking. No worries, it tasted just as good.

It was a great evening. Red and I sat al fresco eating and talking while enjoying all the people going by taking advantage of the perfect night. I recommend The Block---good food with out being too froo froo...kid friendly...relatively well priced... Check out their menu here.

Besides, if you want to make a night of it...you can wander through the local record shops and boutiques. Who says no to that?

The Block

146 West Lockwood Ave

Webster Groves, MO 63119

Open for Dinner

314.918.7900