Tree Replanted

The construction of the fabulous Sunset Hills Recreation Center made it necessary to replant the E J Thias Memorial Tree. Here are some snaps of the trees new location. Stop in the Sunset Hills Recreation Center to see some of E J Thias' Pencil Sketches on display. They also have a piece of my, Nancy Thias Paper Petals Decorative Art in the Lobby.

Product Launch at Highpoint

If you love the watercolors of E J Thias - we a launching a new decorative art line produced by Art Classics at Highpoint in North Carolina this week.

Remembering E J Thias House on Earth Day

Interesting angles and surrounded by trees. E J Thias was an early planner of the city of Sunset Hills, Missouri. Many of the natural wildflowers and trees remain in the area because of E J and others who cared.

E J's Daffodils

There are hundreds of daffodils in E J's garden this Spring. We took a photo of one of the rows. We miss him.

Remembering E J Thias

We have received so many kind words from E J's students, friends and peers that we are going to start posting some of them!

"Snow and Steel" copyright E J Thias

E J Thias' painting of the Arch in snow. He titled it "Snow and Steel". Notice his three children running through the snow. Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the children in some of his paintings are his three children or his three grandchildren. We have to look at the date on the painting. See me (the youngest) running down the hill trying to keep up.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

We are working on many projects to celebrate the body of artwork and life of E J Thias. I will keep you posted.

Egg Nog

Recipe for Egg Nog
from Women's Architectural League St. Louis Cookbook 1950's

8 egg whites
8 egg yolks
8 jiggers of liquor - 2 parts rye whiskey to 1 part Jamaican rum
8 tbs. sugar
1 pint heavy cream
freshly ground nutmeg

Beat egg yolks well and cook with 8 jiggers of liquor. Slowly add sugar. Whip the cream to soft but firm peaks and fold into mixture. When ready to serve, beat the egg whites to firm peaks. Serve the refrigerated mixture in tall glasses topped with generous dollops of egg white, dusted with freshly grated nutmeg. Serve with a spoon. Serves 8.

Bag of Favorite Pencils

Crayola brand pencils were some of his favorite pencil pigments. He chose his pencils for the pigment - so there are a variety of brands - Crayola brand pencils bring out the child in all of us!

Stick with the Plan

One of my fathers best piece of advise was to "stick with the plan". In life, business and design change is necessary and alterations and changes are always needed. As an ENTJ- I find that I have the ability to make some serious long term goals. And the advise that I give to others is to set high goals for yourself and stay on course and to be open and adapt to new ways of doing things. This is what my father taught me and I live by it!

Artists' Boutique in Kirkwood, Missouri

We are preparing for the Artists' Boutique at the Kirkwood Community Center, Kirkwood Missouri this weekend. Among many talented artists, Paper Petals Studio will be exhibiting and selling our stationery and introducing my new custom prints that are available. Doris (my mom) will be selling my fathers pencil sketch prints as well. Take a walk in Kirkwood Park this weekend and stop in the Artists' Boutique.

Modern Castle

Today we spent the day raking leaves and trimming branches at the Thias house in Sunset Hills. I love the steps, pathways and planting boxes that my father built by hand out of Missouri limestone pieces from the creek at the back of the property.

Circles and Lines

Tools that E J Thias used to make circles and lines.

SP1 US Navy World War II

Our family favorite US Navy photos of E J Thias.

Top This

E J Thias participated in Track and Field. He told us stories about how in the 1940's pole vaulters used wooden poles and landed in sand pits. My father even made his own pole. This is one of those stories that it really takes you back in time before fiberglass poles and air cushions were introduced to the sport of track and field. Posted in a photo of E J Thias pole vaulting and two of the numbers that he wore at Cleveland High School track and field events. The photo is labelled E J Thias 1940.

Boyhood Photos

Posting two boyhood photos of E J Thias. My grandmother sent my father into school early - which he never seemed to be too thrilled about. E J is in the second row, second person from the left.

Leroy Pen

Everyone in my family learned how to use the Leroy Pen. I love to fill up the pen with ink and watch the link flow into letters from this hand held contraption of a tool. Because of the computer age the pen is outdated for many. More of E J Thias' tools will be posted on this blog.

Corner Crete

Thias House corner slab of concrete has THIAS and handprints of the E J Thias family, a little weathered, but still readable.

Party like an Architect -Harris Armstrong's Champagne Punch

Architects are very social people. My father had a busy schedule and so many events to go to even in his 80's. He received so many invitations for art shows and events he couldn't go to all of them, but he did go to many.

My mom recently gave me her prized copy of the WAL cookbook from the 1950's. WAL is the Women's Architecture League. I was so excited to receive this. I plan on posting appetizer and cocktail recipes from the book regularly on E J's Blog.

Harris Armstrong's Champagne Punch

3 Bottles of Taylor's Sauterne
4 Bottles of Champagne
1 Bottle of Brandy
2 Bottles of Ginger Ale
2 Bottles of Sparkling Water

Pour over ice. Will fill 2 very large bowls. Makes 79 cups before adding ice.

This was the traditional "Architects' Punch" of the St. Louis Chapter AIA in the 50's.

Decades of Design

An old media kit from St. Louis Magazine was found by me when my mom and I were going through some of my father's papers. I thought this was so cool. While in flux for the last few months, my studio has become a disaster area - because even though I have the additional responsibility of some of my father's projects - I still have many deadlines of my own.

I spent today going through some of my own things and my husband kindly reminded me that I wasn't going to get much done if I kept reading all of the magazines ie: my copies of St. Louis Magazine and AT Home- trying to figure out why I kept so many issues - I realized by paging through each issue why and found something I hadn't noticed before - started reading it- it became hopeless to think I would throw any away- I decided to keep all of them!