Downtown Dates & Death in the Afternoon

Happy Sunday, loves! Last weekend I met up with my friends Abby and Andrea for brunch at Death in the Afternoon. I've been waiting for a long time to finally make it to this hot spot - it's especially known for its take on ramen. Now, when I say I'm a fan of ramen, I have to admit that I totally grew up eating the instant ramen that comes in those delectable dehydrated blocks of noodles. This means that I was probably a little too excited to finally get my paws on a bowl of the fancy stuff!

Death in the Afternoon is a hip joint in downtown Saint Louis, built almost entirely out of windows. It offers a great view of Citygarden, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of my experience. Our server was friendly, attentive, and polite, and took our questions about the food's ingredients in stride. Andrea and Abby both ordered the turnip miso ramen, and I ordered the chicken ramen. Holy moly, they were both so tasty. I'd love a bowl to myself of the turnip miso ramen next time. My few spoonfuls stolen from Andrea's order told me the broth was just the right amount of spicy for a wuss like me!

After we ate ourselves silly and I downed a fabulously tasty and decorative Bloody Mary, we bopped around Citygarden and the streets of downtown on this unusually warm winter day.

Citygarden has all sorts of public art for both visual and interactive enjoyment. One of my favorite pieces in the bunch is an unassuming pad in the ground. Dance Chimes, designed by Alfons Van Leggelo, is tuned to a form of scale familiar in folk melodies from across the world. I always stop to stomp on it whenever I am nearby. Andrea and I had a little too much fun making a complete and utter ruckus.

Our weather this winter has been absolutely batty. The day we romped around after brunch was about 70 degrees, and now it's back to appropriate wintertime temperatures already. It's hard to dress for wacky weather like this, but I've been loving layering this poncho-style sweater over just about everything. Leggings, jeans, you name it! It keeps me just warm enough and I'm a big fan of the comfy-chic vibes.

Over a month later, I still adore my fiery hair all thanks to Stephanie at Nova Salon. I had the color refreshed just hours before these photos were snapped, so I'm glad I was able to capture the cut and color in its most new form! Honestly, if you're in need of a new stylist, chase down Stephanie. She's magical.

Photos by Abby Gillardi.