Rebekah J.'s Profile

Thank goodness for Melanie.

I usually color my hair at home, but when a transition from brown to blonde turned out bright yellow and patchy (I swear I did it once before and it worked then!), I knew I needed some professional help - and FAST.

Beauty Brands got me in for a same-day appointment, and Melanie spent a lot of time just talking with me and explaining the options I had for fixing the mess I'd gotten myself into. She even had a senior stylist come over and make sure that her plan for my hair would be the best way to go. She worked magic with the bleach and then used a toner to turn the bright yellow into a perfect light blonde - EXACTLY what I wanted.

I didn't get a cut so I can't attest to her skills with the shears, but that girl can wield a bleach wand like nobody's business. It won't take another botched at-home color job to get me back there.

My cat is my baby, and when we moved to Maplewood I wondered if we'd have to drive all the way across the city back to her old vet (at another Banfield) or if we'd find someone good enough close to home. I just needed to get her shots updated, so fortunately we didn't have to rush around with an emergency.

I gave this Banfield a shot since we'd had good treatment at the last one, and I was very pleased with the way both I and my cat were treated. The receptionist at the desk was courteous and showed us to a treatment room right away. Everything was clean and tidy - always a good sign.

Even though we were just a walk-in, we didn't have to wait long. Dr. Schwarz was prepared when he came into the room. He knew that my cat had been to another Banfield, so he had already looked up her records and immediately began asking me about whether she was still eating well (she'd had IBS and a bowel obstruction in the past) and discussing her diet. I appreciated that he took the few extra minutes to look up her records rather than asking me to try and remember everything in her medical history.

He was gentle with her and she didn't fuss when he gave her the shots. Even when she shook her head and the oral medication liquid went all over his lab coat, he just smiled and gave her another, never minding the mess.

As we were leaving, I overheard the doctor giving very specific instructions to the volunteer girl about how he expected the room to be cleaned and what supplies to use, and to take extra care looking for droplets of that medicine that may have gotten on the wall. I like to know that any doctor's office cares about cleanliness.

Overall, both the cat and I were pleased with our experience at Banfield with Dr. Schwarz. Still, we hope to not need to go back for a long time.

My friend and I spent about 2 hours in this fine establishment last weekend. She walked out with a better tattoo than she expected and I got an eyebrow piercing I wasn't even seriously considering when we walked in.

My friend had previously consulted with one of the artists about an addition to an existing tattoo, and he quoted her a price. She made a deposit and an appointment. That particular artist was running late for the appointment, so she took a chance and went with another artist.

He worked very closely with her on the design, drawing and erasing over and over till she was absolutely pleased. It came out a lot more complicated than he'd anticipated, but he honored the original price quote AND refreshed some of the slightly faded ink on the original tattoo he was augmenting.

The whole time I was there I was contemplating an eyebrow piercing. The piercer spent some time with me explaining the healing process and different sizes of rings and retainers. There was no pressure though. He was quite patient while I hemmed and hawed and asked all of my Twitter followers for advice.

Twitter said to go for it.

When he offered me $15 off because my friend's appointment was running late, I went for it. He was very professional, used all sterile instruments, gloves and cloths, as expected.

The whole establishment was very clean, actually, and the artists and pierces were very conscientious about fresh gloves, sterile supplies, etc.  I work in a hospital and am picky about those things - and I have to say it was well done.

I was pleased with the service we received, the artist's work and the professionalism of the piercer. This establishment is new to Saint Louis and I think that with the work that they do, they will be around for awhile.

At least, I hope they will for the next time I need to be stabbed repeatedly with an inked needle or get a puncture wound to my face.

I went to Camille's with a friend today and my first impression was "Wow, why is this place so empty?" We were afraid it might not be any good.

The immediate vibe is St. Louis Bread Company Goes to California. Sleek but cozy. The real similarities to Bread Company are all surface: they have sandwiches and salads and you order at one end and get a buzzer and pick up your food when the buzzer goes off.

But the real similarities end there.

The menu is refreshing and varied, and includes the largest selection of wraps I've seen anywhere. Hot, cold, spicy, veggie, you name it, they can probably wrap it in a tortilla for you. After much debate, I chose the Chicken California Wrap (which was fantastic), although I am determined to go back soon and try the Tex Mex Club and Hail Caesar wraps as well.

Camille's also offers a variety of salads (my friend enjoyed the Bangkok Thai salad), hot and cold sandwiches, and flatbread pizzas. The flavor combinations are unique and quite refreshing when I think about how long I've been eating roast beef on Asiago bagels.

Nothing on the menu is over $7.59, and everything comes with chips and salsa. There are a number of flavored teas and smoothies as well as fountain drinks and coffee.

Camille's also does catering, and I'll write a separate review for that when I've tried them for a work meeting.

Oh no, NOTHING is wrong with Camille's just because it's a little empty. The problem is that people obviously haven't tried it yet.

I go to Las Palmas in Maplewood frequently and have never had a bad dining or drinking experience there.

The decor in the bar is sort of like Mexico meets Applebee's - think pinatas AND old license plates and PBR clocks. But the first thing you see when you walk in is the amazing array of tequilas behind the bar - probably at least two dozen. The regular bartenders can be pretty helpful, but the owner knows each and every one. The margaritas are amazing.

For appetizers, The Las Palmas dip is excellent, and Queso Fundido has a nice kick to it. Beware, that one can be a meal in itself.

The dinner menu is vast and offers everything from the obvious tacos and burritos to some fine seafood selections - the snapper with diablo sauce will scorch your mouth and warm your soul. My old standby at Las Palmas is the chimichanga - it's big enough for dinner that night and breakfast the next day. The cilantro rice that accompanies nearly every dish is a fresh change from regular Spanish rice.

Now I'm getting hungry...