The Chicago Girl

Nordstrom Rack Today

2008-05-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a shopping tip-off for today:

Tag Sale, Nordstrom Rack
Look for the red dots on select items
throughout the store for extra savings—

take 25-60% off the last marked price.

Also, Keep an eye out for more regular
blog entries in the near future!

Finally, Express Gains Some Momentum

2008-04-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

I usually rush to Express for a few trendy pieces, but their Spring collection left me speeding out of the store. Thankfully, Express British bohemian designer Celia Birtwell brings Express up to speed. My favorite piece is her Volume Sleeve Dress for $128. Still, the problems with mass-designed clothing lines are that everyone has it and it's not all that cheap. On the other hand, if you can wear it and own it, then you can make it your own.

View The Collection

Tuck Ever-Lasting Longer

2008-04-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

Jeanne Calmet holds the record for world's longest lifespan at 122 years
(1875-1997)

Americans seem to be fascinated with the prospect of living a longer life. Perhaps it's because science could bring biblical character's centennial-plus lifespans into a feasible reality.

Barbra Walter's special, "Live To Be 150", which airs tonight explores just that.
I imagine that Barbra Walters will investigate how living a quality life
and a longer life are two interchangeable factors. But the part of the quest of quantity that irks me is the extreme measures people will go to extend their lifespan and the oversight of the quality of life.

For instance, there has been research involving whether an extremely limited diet might prolong a lifespan. There's still no hard evidence it does. (See "Starve Yourself Live Longer.")

And while I am a supporter of emerging science that could make 40 the new 20; I still can't comprehend why outrunning the Reaper for longer makes you more admirable. See Michael Kinsley of The New Yorker's humorous take on the subject: "Mine Is Longer Than Yours."

We should exercise, temper bad habits, and eat well enough to sustain our lifestyle, but even if we have the potential to 150 in the future; we're still a mere speck in the scheme of things. So relax, enjoy and eat that cupcake with the butter-cream frosting. There's no reason to deprive ourselves of a quality life.

A Spring Dress With Flex

2008-03-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

I realized upon recent inspection of my closet that my Spring wardrobe screams less chic and more Salvation Army. I'm one of those keep-them-just-in-case kind of gals, but a series of stretched-out cotton tank tops from middle school just won't cut it anymore. That's the sad truth. It's time to revise. My goal is to add a few versatile and more grown-up pieces like this one from New York & Company to my wardrobe.

$54.95 New York & Co. City Style Colorblock Shift Dress

Stephanie Simek Strikes Again

2008-03-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Just try to make sense of 25-year-old Stephanie Simek’s world. Rererato, the Portland-based art/music space she shares with her man, Adam Keller sounds as wacky and interesting as the exhibits they feature. Take, “Spaghetti: A Rhinestone Studded Suburban Dream.”

But if you can't make it to Portland, you can still experience Simek's equally interesting wearable art here in Chicago (1951 W. Division, www.habitchicago.com. Simek has added a new piece to her collection and it's just as eye-catching as her eyelash necklace. The centerpiece is a delicate pearlized Turbo Cinereus shell filled with a silver powder that sprinkles a dusting on the wearer's chest when tapped.

$95 www.StephanieSimek.com

Shooting The Breeze With Simek

TCG: How do you come up with ideas for your pieces?

SS: I like thinking about materials, all kinds of them and, how to they can be worn. I collect materials and then sometimes later they take the form of jewelry or adornment.

TCG: When did you start designing jewelry? When did your work start catching on?

SS: I started this line in the summer and things have been going pretty good from the start. I think because they are somewhat unusual, they've been getting some attention.

TCG: Would you say you have sort of a cult following for your jewelry?

SS: I'm not sure about that, but I am very pleased that even though I am based in the U.S., more than half of my sales come from other countries.

Simek's Projects:

Hello Baby Bird

Rer-what-oh?

Walgreen's DUDS

2008-03-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Walgreens wants you to done their new duds. The problem is that their "clothing line" really is a dud. The Casual Gear line is cheap, but if Walgreens thinks they're marketing anything other then pajamas, then they've really woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Stick to what you know best Walgreens--condoms and candy.

Clean And Simple Charactures

2008-03-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

The subjects of her art are dreamlike caricatures drawn with clean lines, sprinkled with a touch whimsy and a Japanese anime flair.

Chicago artist Laura George attaches simple themes to each of her drawings. The result is an image that conveys a singular thought and expresses that thought in a clever and upfront manner.

Rebirth: A New Life In Perth?

2008-03-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Is it curiosity, a question of identity or an innate existential desire to wonder what it would be like to be someone else?

What if you gave up your job, friends, hobbies, and home to a stranger and left town with only your wallet and a sense of wanderlust?

One man in Perth is doing just that. After divorcing his wife a year ago, his home that was meant for two started to feel like an itchy wool that had to come off. He’s aching to throw it aside and start new so he’s selling his life on EBay, seriously. The winner is expected to bid roughly $500,000 for everything from his skydiving equipment, car, big screen TV to his job and introduction to his friends.

Bidding takes place on June 22. Check out his website: A Life For Sale.

Lady Inside The Red Diary

2008-03-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Read The Red:

The Red Leather Diary

Release Date: April 8

Born and raised in Chicago, 26-year-old writer, Lily Koppel began her career doing celebrity reporting, going on to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and eventually creating her own beat covering the hidden characters of old New York.

But it was the story that Koppel found in an old diary in the dumpster outside her apartment building that bridged the gap between her reporting and personal life. The diary follows the life of a young woman through 1929 to 1934 whose candid accounts range from sexual curiosity, a love of Baudelaire to horseback riding in Central park.

Koppel immediately identifies with the author in her self-consciousness, love of the arts, and free-spirited nature so much so that she hires a private detective to find the author with the only clue the inscription on the frontispiece being—"This book belongs to …Florence Wolfson."

From there, Koppel and Wolfson begin an unlikely friendship that gives new life and perspective to both.

Raise A Glass To The Winos With Class

2008-03-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

I See Wine In Your Future & Lots Of It
Wine enthusiast heaven

Whether a snob or wine gringo, you can find a Pinot Grigio or learn some vino lingo at The Toast Of The Town at The Field Museum.

Bring your buds (taste buds & your posse) to the May 1 event. Over 500 wines and spirits will be paired (what cute couples) with food from some of the city's hottest restaurants. Tickets are pricey at $95 a pop, but you can save $10/ticket if you're bringing a crowd of over 6.

C'mon, I'm giving you enough notice to start saving. Besides, you really don't need these. They look ridiculous on you.

Please email your events to melissa.a.talon@gmail.com

This Chicago Girl

2008-03-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

This Chicago Girl Went To Market: I have been on the hunt for a grocery tote bag that's trendy and functional. This is it. TT Collections

This Chicago Girl Stayed Home: I need new bedding, desperately. This set from Overstock.com just might make the cut.

This Chicago Girl Went To: Nordstrom Rack gets a new shipment in on tomorrow. It's too early for any decent Spring sales, but now is a good time to scope out what you want to buy.

Got a Beef with TCG? Let's settle it on Mr. Beef Blvd.

In The Trenches

2008-02-28T07:23:00.001-08:00

J. Crew's ruffled trench coat is adorable and if you have $250 to spend on your Spring wardrobe, it's certainly a staple item. I'm going to look for a trench coat for for less money, but I still want one that makes a bold statement on its own.

Keep accessories minimal and pair it with skinny pants, heels, and a big pair of glasses. You'll feel like a chick right out of a 1940s Film Noir.

Defining Her Art

2008-02-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

Artist: Laura Prentice

The Student

The largest defining factor of my overall work is that I am currently an art student. I hope that I will always be a student, learning in one sense of another, but right now, I have classes that me to make tons of art. Sometimes I'm making so much art that I just make a lot of bad art or a lot of mediocre art that doesn't mean anything. I guess at this point I'm still learning and "finding my song" as I like to call it so anything out is good.

Her Passion

I would not really consider myself any "ist" titles. I was born with passion and ability to make art, and I seriously consider art my voice in the world. I have a huge burden for under-served children, ignorant people, the city, and bad Christians.

How it started

I was born making art. My dad is a graphic designer/ illustrator and I used to wake my dad up on Saturdays at 4 a.m. as a preschooler draw pictures with me. My parents were always encouraging my artistic side (probably as soon as they learned how much I sucked at peewee soccer) and that has made a great impact upon my life.

The process

My process usually involves an idea, dilemma, or something that I'm thinking about fairly frequently. The best art that I make comes from an idea mulling in my brain for a few weeks until I can't do anything but make it. In that way I'm tortured. Often, I let the work go where it wants to and over time it evolves into some kind of finished state.

Routine Comforts

2008-02-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

Inertia kept me in bed for those few extra minutes after the alarm sounded this morning. It's during that time that we just want to cocoon ourselves in blankets and call in sick to work. We want to escape routine. We need a break.

But this morning, I was struck by the ordinary. It could be the most ordinary part of a day--flossing, getting dressed, taking the train to work, but you really don't notice the ordinary until it's out of place.

While walking to work this morning, someone caught my attention. She's there every day handing out newspapers in the Pedway. "Good morning everyone, Happy Wednesday." Tomorrow she'll be there handing out newspapers saying, "Good morning everyone, Happy Thursday."

The funny thing is, I have never really taken much notice of her before. I would really only notice her sing-songy voice in its absence. I just figure that so long as I take the same route to work, she'll always be there.

Two weeks ago, I took a seemingly ordinary trip back to Detroit to see my family. I was not expecting to find out about a serious sickness in the family. No one ever expects bad news. No one wants to cope with the possibility of losing someone, but we do expect and take for granted the ordinary. We do expect to call home to talk about our ordinary day.

And when someone we always expect to be there is no longer there, then what? Tomorrow when I wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed, and make my way to work, I'm looking forward to passing by the woman handing out newspapers proclaiming "Happy Thursday."

Apple Of My Eye

2008-02-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Call it a a day to celebrate your love, a Hallmark holiday, Singles Awareness Day, or just plain old Valentine's Day. However you slice it, there's no avoiding red, white, and pink today. But for me, there may be some avoiding of pink. Today I opened my email to receive a message from my boyfriend:

Roses Are Red Violets Are Blue
I Have Pink Eye
No More Dinner For Two

OK, so that didn't happen. It was more like this: Ring, ring ring.

"Hey!"
"Heeey, Happy Valentine's Day."
"You too."
"Yeah, so I have pink eye."
"Seriously, wow that sucks."
"We could still go to dinner."
"I don't know, isn't pink eye really contagious?"
"Yeah, maaaaan. OK, I'll talk to you after you get your special package in the mail."

Here's how I SEE it. We shouldn't be pressured to make Valentine's Day incredible or rush to speed select a date. If you're in a relationship, just make sure your lova knows that you care about them. If you're single, take a long bubble bath, send yourself a Valentine, go out with some friends.

Just know that sometimes Cupid hits you with an arrow in the heart, sometimes the eye. But tomorrow's a new day filled with all new eye-deas and opportunities. And eye for one, can't wait.

New Photographer, New Exposure

2008-01-31T19:29:00.000-08:00

A year ago, Melissa Findlay went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska to take pictures. "It was then that I knew this what I wanted to do, no matter the cost." After moving to Chicago, she began shooting more and more frequently...

Shots of the city

And of people...

She was walking with her camera one day and this guy just asked to have his picture taken.

Hello Dolly

2008-01-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

Tatyana Merenyuk’s designs are, as the name of her line reddoll suggests, reminiscent of the miniature petticoats and frilly doll dresses of her girlhood.

But while she wants to,”make all ladies look like beautiful dolls,” her first concern is making clothes that are flattering, wearable, and comfortable.

Tatyana’s fascination with fashion began as was a child in Kiev, Ukraine. Her mother was a seamstress and fashion icon. Growing up, she made all Tatyana and her sisters’ clothes.

Tatyana’s clothing line blends elements of her childhood with the artistry of movies, costumes, culture, and history. Now living in Chicago, she draws inspiration from people with personal she sees on the street.

“I love Chicago. It’s truly an amazing city with super nice people and unique style.”

On Etsy: reddoll

And oh what a frill! Tatya designs custom-made dresses in addition to her clothing line.

V-Day Overload?

2008-01-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

I know, it's another V-Day item, but I could not resist this bag by MABel. As Chi-Town designer Jessica Miller-Webster says, she "designs all her bags with personality. Who needs clothes?"

She Wears Her Heart On Her Sleeve

2008-01-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

He's got the candle-lit dinner and night full of surprises planned. You've got, well, nothing to wear. Bless Cupid's little heart for Chicago's own Spiderlily Clothing line just in time for Valentine's Day. Spiderlily proposes wearing your heart on your sleeve or neckline for your V-Day soiree. I adore the purple heart shirt. It's just so dainty.

In The Barren Deli Chicagoland, I Miss Steve's

2008-01-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

Steve's Deli

When I first moved from Detroit to Chicago, one of my first questions was: “Where are the good delis?” My question was promptly followed by the answer: “There are none.”

“Really? There must be a few. There are a lot of Jews in Chicago.”

“Nope, no good delis.”

I tried Eppy’s— horrible. The Bagel in Lakeview was decent, but a deli calls for more than decent. It calls for, well, the kind of reaction Meg Ryan had at Katz’s in When Harry Met Sally. Seriously, I’m asking for a damn good corned beef sandwich.

But I’m not expecting a Second Avenue Deli or a Katz’s, I’m asking for well, Steve’s. Steve’s is easily the best deli in Detroit and soon-to-be the best in Chicago.

When my younger sister heard that Steve’s was opening up in Chicago, I was elated. Their website listed the new Chicago location across from the East Bank Club so I decided to check it out one day. Not open. It was a sad day.

Metromix says their target open date is late February to early March, but for Jews, take that target opening date and bump it back at least a month. So until then, I will wait not-so patiently for Steve’s Deli to show Chicago what real Jewish deli food tastes like.

Nature vs. Industry: A Rising Artist's Canvas

2008-01-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

Chicago Painter: Amanda Sears

TCG: Your pieces are all very different, but still have a certain cohesiveness. Is that on purpose?

AS: The building blocks of my work; lace-like patterns, typography, texture are always encouraging me to explore ideas in different ways, but I never really think about the "cohesiveness" of my work. I just paint whatever is currently inspiring me. I suppose I go through phases using certain patterns, colors, or techniques, but I rarely intentionally create them as a series.

TCG: Why are you drawn to the contrast between nature and industry?

AS: I love the raw, edgy feel of industrial design. It's slick and gritty, but there is something that inherently warns you to keep your distance. It can feel dangerous. Nature is this beautiful organic flow; warm, inviting, very alive, but it dies and there's something about decomposition that I find beautiful. I think of industry being this modern, steely, glamorous monster, but if it is not maintained nature will irrevocably take it over or break it down. I don't know if it is so much a contrast between the two that I try to express as much as it is allowing them to live together in a peaceful way.

TCG: How do you think your perception of your own work is different form your audience's perception?

AS: All anyone can ever be completely sure of is their own perception. All I know is where my inspiration might come from and how satisfied I am with the result of that expression. Once my process is finished, the viewer's begins and their perception is all that matters. I think a lot of the art world has lost sight of that and waits for other people to tell them what to think is important.

The Boy Short Of It

2008-01-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

Chi-Town artist Sharon Parmet designed this illustration for TCG blog. And boy oh boy, it doesn't come short.

Art In The Everyday

2008-01-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Artist: Mike Dewar
On Deviant Art

Number 13 more or less grew out of a scrap heap of photos. While going through pictures to find intriguing things to mix, I kept finding small moments within them that seemed worth saving. When I went back through the pile, I found there was a sort of story already formed - a story about those little lost moments spent waiting for the L to take you home, or work, or into the arms of loved ones.

Red Line: One day I went down to the subway to get on the Red Line. The train came, I got on, and sat down. Lost in thought or a song or looking at something interesting, the train started moving. I felt a breeze and thought, "Wow,someone left the window open in the winter! That's a dick move." It took a second or two to realize that the subway's windows don't go down, and that in fact, the window I was sitting next to was nothing more than a gaping hole devoid of glass. I waited until we stopped then stuck my camera out the window. Click. Some people ride that subway several times a day, but who really knows what it looks like between the train and the walls?

Cuckoo For Coq Au Vin

2008-01-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

Chicago's first French specialty store, Coq Au Vin is opening today.

Satiate that craving for saucisson (so zis saison) and cheer up your palate with a free wine and cheese tasting. Coq Au Vin means rooster in wine in French and The Chicago Girl is hoping this hen-picked event will be somewhere where you can feather your nest.

Coq Au Vin Grand Opening

Time: 7:00 pm

Location: 2256 N Elston Ave Chicago 60614 (see map)

Dress code: Casual

Five Ways To Feign Being Cultured

2008-01-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

1) Talk about that incredible Ethiopian restaurant you ate at last night. The wat was to die for.

2) Recount your last trip to Italy (even if you've never been.) Find out the best places to stay on Fodors.com and talk about your stay at The d'Inghilterra. Throw in a few Italian sayings now and then. "Niente di nuovo sotto il sole!" Then follow up with: "That means, there's nothing new under the sun. The Italians in the little villa I stayed in love that saying."

3) Say you play squash, but if anyone asks you for a game say you injured yourself in the British Open. Still, you don't regret that day because you made it to the semi-finals.

4) Your prep school was so prestigious, you're sure they haven't heard of it.

5) Subscribe to a few contemporary art blogs and tell everyone about up-and-coming artists. You own their paintings and they're going to be worth millions.

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