I love the John Hancock building. I love its location at the north end of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile (that’s the famous shopping area on Michigan Avenue). I love its structural expressionist style and the architects’ use of X-bracing on the exterior so that the building could be taller with wide open floor plans. I love the restaurants and shopping at the base. The Signature Room on the 95th floor is where my family has celebrated some of our most special occasions. And of course, I love the Observatory. Located on the 94th floor, the John Hancock Observatory (JHO) provides Chicago’s best lake view and on a clear day you can…
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Lenny Kravitz In Chicago: A Summary In Tweets, Pics, And, Of Course, A Few Words…
It seems like months ago when I first wrote about the Lenny Kravitz concert in Chicago for which I, at the time, only hoped our family would be able to procure tickets, but it’s been less than a month. In that time, my sister and J got the tickets for us (two in the fifteenth row on the floor and three on the second row of the front balcony) while Jim and I were on our cruise by setting up an elaborate “Lenny Ticket Headquarters” which was made up of several computers, with phones on standby. They worked really, really hard to get those tickets. After they got the tickets,…
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Come And See Me At Elevenzees!
Mark your calendar, Chicago-area readers! I am super-excited to announce that I’ll be signing copies of Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go: Nearly 200 Ways to Enjoy Chicagoland With Tweens and Teens on Saturday January 14, from 12-3. Where? Good question. I’ll be at Elevenzees, which is a fabulous boutique on the corner of Division and Wolcott in the trendy Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. I fell in love with Elevenzees the first time I walked in the door. It’s a great place to pick up a special gift for any special someone, and it’s just a beautiful shop. (It’s surrounded by other fantastic boutiques, too, so…
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I Tried To Do A Wordless Wednesday Post, But Couldn’t.
“Wordless” is difficult for me. I like to write and I like to talk. I do, however, have the ability to keep it short. Sort of. I’ve been wanting to post this picture for several months now. I snapped it on the north side of the Chicago River near Michigan Avenue, in the shadow of both the Trump International Hotel & Tower and the Wrigley Building. Those lily pads were peacefully floating around–not in the river, of course–in a little pond structure just steps away from Michigan and Wacker, one of the most bustling intersections in the city. I was amazed at the juxtaposition. Sadly, the picture doesn’t really go…
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When Any Seat Is A Great Seat At A Chicago Blackhawks Game
I recently had the good fortune to be a guest of General Motors’ Driving the Midwest at a year-end celebration of their “Our Town, Our Heroes” program, which spotlights Illinois folks who donate their time and resources to people and causes in need and “drive positive change in the community”. The event happened to take place in a Penthouse-level suite at United Center during a Chicago Blackhawks game. Much like the time I got invited to watch a Cubs game from a rooftop, watching a (2010 Stanley Cup Champions) Blackhawks game from the eighth floor in total luxury was something I have never before experienced, and appreciated from the depths…
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Chicago Elevated’s Holiday Pedway Extravaganza: Too Fun!
Yesterday I hopped on the train with my friend Amy so that we could enjoy two great holiday activities in Chicago, the Chicago Elevated Holiday Pedway Extravaganza and the Christkindlmarket. I have been on a “regular” (non-holiday) tour of the pedway with Margaret before, but when she came up with the idea of a tour during which her guests could see some of the best holiday decorations in the city without setting foot outside, I was all in. For those of you who think I’m talking about a Segway tour, which is something Margaret gets all the time, let me clarify. The Pedway is a series of underground tunnels (like…
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It’s Greek To Me
I was thrilled to have some time today, before and after I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the brand-new National Hellenic Museum (which I wrote up, here), to take a photowalk around the Greektown area of Chicago. Other than going there only to eat at Greek Islands (yum), I hadn’t taken any time to enjoy the neighborhood until today. Here are some of the pictures I took, for your enjoyment. (Okay, and for mine, too.) Kind of makes you want to visit, right? Want to make this a long-term commitment? Please subscribe to my feed by clicking here.
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Chicago’s National Hellenic Museum Officially Opens!
I’m not Greek (but what a funny reveal that would be, after having blogged for more than four years, don’t you think?), but I have been an avid fan of Greek Mythology (did you know THAT?) since I picked up D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths in fifth grade and–unrelated–when my family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee for a few years, I became very good friends with an eighth-grade classmate who was (and is) Greek. After I met him, my family attended his church’s annual Greek Festival. I adored this event. It was full of food, dancing, and music. My friend occasionally did some of the Greek dance performances, and I thought…
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Hanukkah Gift Idea (If You’re Shopping For Me)
Every single time I walk by Atlas Galleries on Michigan Avenue, this painting stares at me, begging me to buy it and bring it home. It is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. The name of it is “The Windy City” and the artist who created it is J. Scott Nicol. If you have an extra $1,299 taking up space in your wallet, please consider giving this masterpiece an excellent new home…with me. Want to make this a long-term commitment? Please subscribe to my feed by clicking here.
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Listen To Me: I Have An Announcement! (Then, Listen To Your Mother!)
I am beyond excited to FINALLY be able to talk about this online, after six days of knowing about it. Six days that seem like six years, that is! I, along with my friend Tracey of Just Another Mommy Blog, will be bringing the “Listen To Your Mother” show to Chicago in 2012! What IS the “Listen To Your Mother” show, you ask? It’s a showcase of local writers who read, for a live audience, one “performance” only, their words about motherhood. The first show, in Madison, Wisconsin on Mother’s Day in 2010 was conceived (get it?) and produced by Ann Imig, who is now the National Director. This year,…