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March 13th, 2009
Simplicity. A wine and chocolate tasting at Trader Joe’s. Post-work cocktails and heart-to-hearts with the BFF. Champagne Sundays when the rain will not stop as we watch movies with our go-to pals. Simplicity—as in one very happy grandmother after formally becoming an octogenarian while surrounded by hordes of loved ones and friends from over the decades. Thankful. Texts from friends telling of wild, adventurous nights. Invitations to seek mischief on a Chicago evening. Meeting local Chicago retailers and tastemakers who are passionate about following their hearts. It makes us appreciate a day. |
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Chicago Picks: |
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| 1 | 32 Flavors (and Then Some) At Personal Privilege in Wicker Park, we made out like bandits. They have a fantastic closet of funky/stylish clothing, and they even offer a little vino to sip. (How did they know we were foodies who like a little drinksy?) With brands like Modatattoo and Christian Audigier, the racks of dresses and tops were downright sexy. And since we like candy—and we like to be eye candy—we couldn’t resist. The Ed Hardy blue hoodie caught our eye immediately—and it paired perfectly with a slimming pair of Laguna Beach Jeans. Besides their fabulous selection of clothing, Personal Privilege offers free alterations, 15% off for Wicker Park residents, and 15% off for X-Sport members. |
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| 2 | Spring Pit-stop Jerry Springer said it best: “It’s just a show. It’s not the end of Western Civilization. It’s chewing gum.” Exactly how we feel about the last dwindling days of these winter shenanigans. Curtain call on this banal weather, please! As the sunny days get more plentiful, we think our winter duds are starting to cramp our style. Time to make easy updates at Pitaya—with their plethora of colorful, fun, and even a bit hippie-chic unique (and most important—inexpensive) clothing selection. A bright yellow dress and green sparkly bangle bracelet caught our eye (and conveniently matched both our eyes and our hair) and we were sold on the spot. Plus the prices really can’t be beat. And they are currently holding a buy one, get one half off sale—so obvs that snappy yellow dress (and the pink one, and the purple one, and the yellow bracelet) are now ours to be had! Until next time, take care of yourself (and each other) at this gem of a store in Wicker Park! Pitaya |
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| 3 | The Jet Set Lifestyle Who says everyone can’t live like royalty for a day? Who said you have to travel to France to shop Paris? Named after a Greek goddess whose cup overfloweth, you will immediately feel like a goddess yourself walking into Koros, tucked away in a gallery space in the West Loop. Warm and inviting, all of your senses will be intrigued—the fitting rooms even have fluffy robes in them—and while you browse, sip on a cool glass of bubbly. You can even treat yourself to private shopping days, personal styling consultations and home deliveries. Each shoe, bag, accessory and item of clothing is handpicked by the shop’s owner, Kristen Skordilis, who globe trots near and far to find fantastic and stylish pieces from designers such as Jarbo, American Vintage, and Transit, to name a few. She makes it easy for us to sit back, enjoy the important things, and say “c’est la vie!” If all shopping was like this, we would definitely quit our day job. Oh, wait… shopping is our day job. Koros |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Read My Lips When we were in middle school, a mood ring was pretty much the coolest accessory a girl could rock. We had several, and we lived and died by the wisdom of the mood ring—convinced that it always told the truth. So we were delighted to stumble upon the Mood Swing lip gloss from Too Faced. Ranging from clear to deep fuchsia, it gives us a more “grown up” chance to wear our emotions on our sleeve—er, lips. |
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| 2 | You’ve Got Mail |
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| 3 | La Crème of La Crop We’ve been cursed with a bathtub roughly the size of a Dixie cup, so long luxurious soaks are pretty much a pipe dream. But the heavenly scented goodies we found at La Crème Beauty just might have what it takes to get us to pile our naked selves into that 1950s monstrosity. We nearly flipped our shower cap for the exotic Himalayan Cedarwood bath foam by Abahna. Not only does it smell like a dream, but it leaves skin ultra-soft and moisturized. |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Inner Artiste One of our favorite perfectly normal voyeuristic activities? Artsy-people watching. Check out local artists’ work and opt for a stimulating Friday night. Spot historic architecture and wander a random assortment of hot art, as well as art in progress. Browse Pilsen’s contiguous blocks of lofts, studios, and fab retail spaces—and fall in love with this avant garde art district! What: 2nd Fridays Gallery Night in Pilsen East |
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| 2 | Candy is For Babies Jewelry from a girl raised partly at the Merch Mart? Um, she knows a thing or too. And when Erin Gallagher turned her jewelry-making hobby into a full fledged business, the big wigs came calling. Don’t miss this sale or her dazzling pendants. Or create your own custom pieces on her website or in-store. The prices are ultra reasonable! What: 20% off Erin Gallagher Jewelry |
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| 3 | Emerald Enchantment Enjoy a decadent evening of vamped vintage designs, musical delights, and visual art at this one-of-a-kind event hosted by Minx Parlor and Indigo Studio. Enjoy a Cuban Essence Orchestra, Afro-Cuban Rhythms, a Hip Hop performance, and fashion show! True creativity comes to fruition at this lovely event to remember, in the heart of the art gallery district. |
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