-
celebrate the holidays chicago style
Update for 2020: This post is originally from December 2019. Most links will bring you to online options for this year. Hopefully things will resume next year. Is it just me or does it seem like we are going to skip Thanksgiving this year and go straight to celebrating the holidays? I saw my first Christmas commercial the day after Halloween (thanks, Target). *sigh* If you can’t beat ’em … I’m heading out of town next week to celebrate Thanksgiving and wanted to get this posted because some items are happening this weekend. Here are some ideas to help you ease into celebrating the holidays Chicago style. No rush, when…
-
chicago winter survival guide
This content uses referral links and contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. So, you find yourself living in Chicago in the winter? I’m so sorry, but here’s the good news. You have automatically earned the right to hibernate. That’s right. How do you think we make it through a busy, action-packed summer? Ha! Because we have conserved our energy by hibernating all winter. Here is your Chicago winter survival guide with tips from a Chicago native if you are new to this long, sometimes unbearable & brutal season. And if you are a local,…
-
sofa (sculptural objects functional art & design) show 2019
This content uses referral links and contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. In order to prepare for the chillier weather here in Chicago, I switch my summer clothes for sweaters and boots and attend indoor activities. One of my favorite things to do in the Fall is head over to Navy Pier and check out the SOFA (sculptural objects functional art and design) show. Since 1993 this art exhibition has showcased one-of-a-kind, three-dimensional art that ranges from metal sculpture to mindblowing glass pieces and everything in between. There is also an educational aspect with demonstrations,…
-
ohc – open house chicago 2019
Here is your reminder that Open House Chicago (OHC) 2019 is taking place this upcoming weekend Saturday, October 19 & Sunday, October 20. It’s a free, public festival that offers behind-the-scenes access to more than 300 buildings across Chicago. Remember that not all places are open both days and some are only available to members so I recommend checking out the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) website to form your plan. To make it more manageable they are listed by neighborhood I suggest that you focus on a couple to cover per day. Here are my pics from last year’s OHC 2018. I stuck close to home and covered Uptown, Edgewater…
-
Randolph St Market
This content uses referral links and contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Attention all you city dwellers! Want to go to a really cool, vintage flea market without having to trek out to the boonies? Well, you are in luck. Just head on over to the Randolph St Market located in the West Loop. I went on a beautiful, chilly, fall day last year and it was laid out both inside (Plumbers Hall – 1341 W Randolph) & outside. I took the Metra to Ogilvie and met my friends coming in from the suburbs. If…
-
my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti – day 1, Papeete
I can’t believe it has almost been a year since my trip to Tahiti. This post is the first in a series of 10 (one for each day) where I’m reliving this amazing adventure to share with you on my blog and since travel has come to a grinding halt (like everything else) to express how grateful I am to have experienced this as well as meeting some amazing people. I planned to go to London (early August 2020) for a wedding of one of the people I met on this trip but sadly she had to postpone it for a year. We also planned a reunion in Chicago this…
-
buckingham fountain
Buckingham Fountain brings back wonderful childhood memories for me. We used to pile in the station wagon and drive downtown on Sundays to see the fountain, of course, after our Rainbow cones. What is a Rainbow cone, you ask? Only the best ice cream ever. Lol… ask anyone from the southwest side of Chicago (Beverly). Luckily you don’t have to go all the way to the southside. You can get one at the Navy Pier location. And new this year, they have an ice cream truck that visits different suburbs during the summer! You can find out where exactly by following them on social media. You’re welcome! history Back to…
-
Summer in Chicago – my must go/see/do list
It’s still summer in Chicago, but not for very long. Here’s my Summer in Chicago must go/see/do list to help you figure out what to do. I’ll let you in on a secret, us locals hibernate most of the winter and save up our energy to go non-stop in the summer! What are you waiting for? Get out there & explore this big, beautiful city! Go on an Architectural River Cruise. There are many options to choose from however, this link may help narrow it down. Walk through Millennium Park which includes Cloudgate (aka the Bean), the Lurie Gardens and Crown Fountain. And don’t forget kid-focused Maggie Daley Park right…
-
wndr museum
Recently a friend and I went to check out the wndr museum located in the West Loop in Chicago. We went to Chapter One of this new experiential museum which had a variety of exhibits and I must say, very different from the typical museum I’ve ever encountered. It was truly an amazing experience that engaged all of your senses. For example, as we entered, we gave a poet a word and they created a poem for us to pick up on our way out. And I just loved the ginormous chalkboard with interesting pictures & clever quotes. Another favorite was a room where you walk amongst the clouds. There…
-
amplified: Chicago blues at CHM & Mavis Staples at ‘OUT OF SPACE’
Last summer, in late July, my sister & I went to see Mavis Staples in concert. She played the Canal Shores Golf Course in celebration of SPACE’s Tenth Anniversary (OUT OF SPACE) in Evanston. If you haven’t seen a show at SPACE yet, I highly recommend it. It’s an intimate venue in Evanston that showcases really great musical talent. Make it an evening by grabbing some dinner & drinks before the show at Union Pizzeria. To get us in the mood, we first went to check out the exhibit Amplified: Chicago Blues at the Chicago History Museum (CHM) in Old Town. We took the cta brown line to Sedgwick stop…
