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May 2nd, 2008 Let's be honest. Sometimes life is just hard. You envision yourself nailing The Interview and landing The Perfect Job. Wearing business-meets-sexy heels, skirts, and blouses. You picture a corner office—with a view. Your lipstick is perfect. Your hair is, too. You walk with confidence and grace as you receive accolades and praise from your adoring coworkers. You picture finding The Dreamiest of the Dreamy in the tall, dark, and handsome lot. He brings you flowers for no reason and romantically marks your arrival at the airport with a kiss. But for the majority of us, we end up working in a cubicle next to a guy named Bernard who won't stop wheezing. And we swear, if he doesn't stop tapping his pencil, spitting sunflower seeds, or talking in that megaphone voice of his, we might just flip shiz! And we end up dealing with breakup after breakup, all the while depending on our friends and stuffed animals to see us through. And so we stick to our motto: When life gives you lemons, make vodka lemonade! Oh, and go to www.evloveintimates.com to design yourself a pretty pair of panties. Extra: The first reader to forward Chicago Picks to the most friends and CC picks@chicagopicks.com will receive a gift certificate to design a pair of gorgeous Evlove panties for herself! Voila, ma cheries! |
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Chicago Picks: |
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| 1 | Sew Brilliant It’s a brilliant concept: designer handbags, with that designer being … us. Finally, our creativity is put to better use than refrigerator-magnet poetry and inventive date-dodging excuses. 1154 Lill Studio allows our fashion brainstorms free rein. We went to town on the Diana messenger bag and decked it out with Lill Studio’s choice fabrics. (Who doesn’t love a print named Little Black Dress?) We sashayed out the door with our custom accessory ready for pickup in just a few weeks. The modern fabrics mix well and are plentiful to boot, with 150 plus to choose from. Translation: This ain’t your Grandma’s knitting basket. Here’s more good news: Lill can also be your one-stop shop for bridal booty, giving your girls unique swag bags that reflect each of their personalities. Lill even offers workshops with a shop coupon, class materials and refreshments included in the registration price. In a city as stylish as this one, sometimes DIY is the best way to go. Ironic, but still oh-so-awesome. At Lill, our desire for happenin’ handbags is all sewn up. 1154 Lill Studio |
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| 2 | Everything’s Coming Up Roses Just because we’re modern urban gals doesn’t mean we don’t know a thing or two about nature. And we don’t just mean drinking green tea and brown-bagging it—we’ve got the inside track on garden goods and outdoor odds and ends. It’s Sprout Home, and it turns our backyard—even if our backyard is a container plant on the windowsill—beautiful. Sprout’s selection is informed by its hip, contemporary aesthetic—think stainless-steel garden globes, Nola soy candles and anthracite tea light holders. The store, quickly becoming a Damen Avenue must-see, also carries Etra’s line of sleek, perfectly proportioned patio furniture, made from Brazilian ipe wood. Say goodbye to plastic lawn chairs forever! Sprout will even help your girlfriends grow great ideas: gift them with the massive StylePedia or inspire their creativity via a silver foiled Poketo journal. Indoors or out, our homes reflect our sensibilities—that’s why Sprout is the undeniable destination for all things domestic. Because when the sun is shining, even divas like to dig in the dirt! Sprout Home |
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| 3 | Chocoholics Anonymous It's safe to say we've been chocoholics since the womb. Dark, milk, truffles, cake—we'll take it any way you package it. And if it's paired with Johnny Depp in the film Chocolat, even better. Upon discovering Let Them Eat Chocolate, we were as excited as Charlie scoring that final golden ticket. The Lincoln Square gem brings us little tastes of Belgium with an eclectic array of imported, preservative-free pieces. Personal faves include the cappuccino caramel enveloped in sweet white chocolate as well as the creamy homemade peanut butter surrounded by a milk chocolate shell. Although the chocolates play a leading role, the gelato nearly steals the show—the Turkish roast is a coffee lover's dream and the pistachio is as good as any you'd find in Italy. If you’re looking to enjoy your goodies pronto, the shop offers loads of plush couches and chairs for you to relax and appreciate the confectionary delights. And be sure to chat it up with the staff—uber friendly, endlessly knowledgeable, and supportive of our addiction —what more could we ask for? Let Them Eat Chocolate |
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| 1 | Love Your Booty Owner Jenny Dombrowski of Evlove graciously let us design our own panties! We pored over the options. Boy shorts in Laguna Blue with Baby Blue trim? Or Pucci-inspired thong with a sexy-low, barely-there cut? |
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| 2 | A Beautiful Mind Before Joey from NKOTB, Zack from SBTB, or Taylor from Hanson (if you quote us on that one, we'll vehemently deny it), we were in love with drawing. Then, along came boys and kissing and we started forgetting and losing things (priorities, interests, our minds). |
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| 3 | Obi One Admit it. Sometimes your outfits lack a certain oomph. You stick with what you know. Maybe it's the black, gray, and white that has overtaken your closet. And that's great. And that's safe. But we think life is too short to be bland. Mix it up with a little color and a whole lotta funk. Put a belt on that gray tunic! Cinch that middle a bit in your cute, high-waisted jeans this summer. Remember the words of Miz Coco Chanel (“to be irreplaceable, one must always be different”) and take a chance! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Come One, Come All! What: Ladies Who Launch LIVE |
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| 2 | Chocolate & Champagne What: Lumen Lounge Champagne Tastings |
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| 3 | Off to the Races Girls, get dressed to the nines and perhaps bet on number nine as well. It's time for the Kentucky Derby again! Drink the lovely $5 signature Mint Julep and eat the $6 Hot Brown (official Derby sandwich). The winner of the best hat goes home with a $100 gift certificate. May the best dame win. |
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