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Hello Friends!   Well as you know, yesterday we celebrated Memorial Day.  For me, Memorial Day has always been important because it’s the official day we celebrate our great country and the sacrifices so many service members have made to ensure we enjoy true freedom, unparrelled opportunity, and the right to pursue happiness.  “The pursuit of happiness” is a phrase we hear and recite often, but have you ever really thought about what it means?  Happiness is not a guarantee but we do have the option, the choice to pursue it.  

I figured out about half way through college that design and creating in general made me happy.  And I feel so lucky, so blessed, so incredibly underserving that as a person who lives in the United States of America, I have been able to start a business, and make a living doing something that brings me great happiness.  It has not come without great pursuit though.



Photo found here


First, I had to go on a journey to figure out what I was passionate about.  I thought about and tried a number of creative careers (graphic design, photography, jewelry making, ect)  and not so creative careers (personal trainer, writer for a magazine (thanks to the movie “How to Lose a Guy In Ten Days”) and coaching) before I realized that I really loved bringing an entire room together and creating those “wow” factors that people haven’t seen before.  Once I pursued and managed to nail down what my passion was a whole new pursuit began. . .  figuring out how to turn this passion into a business.  Through a lot of trial and error and even more perseverance, we’ve managed to grow a business that provides for our family.  To learn more about the steps we took to get our business going and tips you could try for yourself, read this post.  The point today was to remind you that we are not promised happiness, only the pursuit of it.  But here’s the thing. . . I am confident with a real passion, unwavering perseverance, and a little creativity, I truly believe happiness is within reach for all of us here in the good ol’ U- S of A!  From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all the service members who continue to make this country a place where the American dream is still possible!

The whole place is configured from salvaged pieces of metal, wood, and other random materials.  When you pull up in the parking lot you see this. . .





and immediately know that this is no stuffy, keep quite, don’t touch “museum!” No, this is a creative playground!  A place where you can exercise your body and your mind!


That oversized slinky to the right (in the photo below) is not just for visual appeal, kids are actually encouraged to climb and explore obstacles like this all over the building!



Lobby found here


A few more steps into the building and you are met with these amazing textures and installations.  See that wall to the left?  It’s created from buffet food pans!  Doesn’t that look awesome!?  

Of course the ceiling had me at hello and I was instantly drawn in by the massive amounts of glowing and   flowing strips of fabric.  Yes, those are simply thousands of fabric strips.





All throughout this massive building there were tunnels, caves, kid-sized staircases, hidden alcoves, and so, so much more.











There’s even a 10 story swirly, twirly slide!





I love this photo (below) because it captures all the textures, colors, shapes, and the amazing architecture of the space.



photo found here


Half of the fun is outside, where you find this village of chutes, slides, tunnels, and tubes.  It reminds me of a futuristic “Never, Never Land where kids never grow up and adults remember the joy of adventure and play.



Photo found here








This guy got stuck (for a second) on his way through this tube.  You can see how much joy it’s bringing his wife.  🙂 Haha





Of course it’s much easier for shorter people like me.





Oh and a few major tips here- We recommend taking knee pads and athletic shoes if you’re serious about having fun.  And leave your phones at home!  I imagine many I-phones have bitten the dust when they fell out of pockets and down three stories to their doom.  🙂


The “museum” also boasts a roof top playground complete with ferris wheel, a school bus suspended over the side of the building, and this fun rope swing.





And see the dome above the rope? Well you can climb up there and enjoy a bird’s eye view if you like.





There is also an area for less active visitors.  We admittedly didn’t spend much time there, so I’m not sure of all the activities that were available, but it certainly looked like this craft table got a ton of use! 🙂








There was also plenty of inspiration that you could translate into home design as well.  This wall made from glass bowls was clever and a major attention grabber.





And how about a wall of old stamps?  I love that it’s full of history and interest!





Here’s another wall of glass- this one’s made from coke bottles.





And I’m not sure about how you would find or incorporate this massive fan blade into your home, but I was enamored by it.





I found this wall of mixed metal panels inspiring as well.  A lot of the things we saw at The City Museum served as a major catalyst to get creative juices going.





Below, they used these gears to tile a column.  I love the idea of using unconventional objects as tile. The possibilities are endless, just a little creativity needed! 🙂





So, that concludes our far from exhaustive tour of The City Museum in St. Louis.  There were so many things about the environment that a camera lens just couldn’t capture.  In our opinion, it’s a must see if you’re ever in the area!


‘Til tomorrow!