Alice & Co began, sadly, when I let my just 21 year old sister borrow my neon yellow hand, leather hand bag. What can I say? I'm generous, nice, what her to have fun, feel special, and am a complete idiot. She, of course, returned the bag in a marred and ruined state with black marks all over the once vibrant exterior.

When I try describing exactly where I am from:

about 5 hours South of Chicago; about 2 hours North of St. Louis; near Hannibal, Mo - you know, Mark Twain's books, Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn...

nothing-ness, eyes glaze over, no geographical clue to my references.

Can you remember the name of your first crush? Pretty sure mine was a boy named Kyle in 8th grade. My memories of crushing on him now seem embarrassing and obsessive  in the most ridiculous teenage ways possible. Scribbling his name in combination with mine all over my notebook, like it would summon him into my loving clutches.

My Missouri childhood inspired the newest Mini-State collection, so a blog about the Show Me state seemed fitting. 

The proud owner of divorced parents, I called Soularde, Spanish Lake, Wentzville & Florissant all home at some point.