Inspired Scarfs From Chicago's Felt Inspired

I've been awfully bored with the scarf selection that I've seen in stores this season. 

Felt Inspired's Etsy shop quickly ameliorated that boredom.

                        Felt Inspired's Shop

 

Hello Photo

This one is dedicated to the camera shy.

Photo retouching costs a lot less than you think.  Less than a cup of Starbucks.   For $3.50, PhotoHand can whiten your teeth, remove glare, adjust color, improve your complexion, and get rid of blemishes.  Plus, PhotoHand is offering 20% off for the holidays.

Just tread lightly when giving someone a retouched photo as a gift.  "Happy Holidays, you looked great in this photo after I got it retouched to make you 20 lbs lighter." Ouch. 

Integrating Summer Pieces Into Your Winter Wardrobe

You can wear your clothes year round.  Last night, I was looking to wear something that I haven't worn in a long time.  I ended up choosing this sheer striped top, which I'd ordinarily wear in the summer with more color--a chunky green necklace, perhaps something white on bottom.  For winter wear, I paired it with a black skirt, tucked and belted.  Then I put on wool black tights and black booties.  For the cold walk, I put on a black pea coat, scarf, and black brimmed knit hat, scarf and I was off. 

Faux Less

Bags Faux Less From Accessory Bug

Lindsay Lohan and "faux pas" often go hand in hand.  Fortunately, this time, the only faux I'm featuring is the leather in LiLo's look-alike bag.  The bag is certainly the star of her ensemble.  Make a much more affordable verision yours.

I'm also loving the Grey Basketweave Woven Faux Leather Clutch for $39.99.  It would be great for the outfit I'm putting together tonight for a birthday party.

For holiday gifts for your stylish friends or a treat for yourself, check out Accessory Bug's sale.  Enter holiday20 for an additional 20% off your purchase.  Offer ends January 31.

Belle Of The Bawd

Owen Kalt is the lyricist of a new musical in Chicago, "Belle Barth: If I embarrass You, Tell Your Friends."  He talks with The Chicago Girl about the show, the inspiration, Ms. Belle Barth, and a practical joke that made him question the show's composer.  

CG: Tell me about the musical.

OK: I had never heard of Belle Barth before playwright Joanne Koch asked me to work on this project.  Belle was a famous standup comic in the 1950s and 60s--famous for her bawdy jokes. Our show tells her story with music, humor, and even some poignancy.

CG: What do you like best about the show?

OK: One thing that appealed to me about the project is that Belle was a rebel.  Very few women were breaking social codes by telling dirty jokes in public at the time.  Belle paved the way for performers like Bette Midler, Margaret Cho, Sarah Silverman, and Lisa Lampanelli.  In fact, Bette Midler likes to quote her.  If someone heckles her during a concert, Midler likes to respond, "As Belle Barth used to say, 'Shut your hole, honey.  Mine's making money!"

CG: Who should see the show?

OK: Our show is packed to the gills with laugh-out-loud dirty jokes.  It's a great show to see on a date because even people who don't ordinarily enjoy musical theater will have a great time being bombarded by raunchy jokes.

CG: Tell me about your process.

OK: This was my third time working with composed Ilya Levinson, who was raised in Russia.  Ilya likes for me to write the lyrics first, and then he creates a melody.  He played a good prank on me while we were writing this show.  I gave him the lyrics to a song called "Dirty Little Secrets."  A few days later, he told me he had written the melody, and then he sang my lyrics to the tune of "Some Enchanted Evening."  I was stunned and tried to tell him that his melody wasn't original--that it was from South Pacific.  He started laughing and I realized it was a gag.

 

For more information: Theo Ubique Theatre Co.

See, Explore, Eat

See I'm looking forward to seeing Slumdog Millionaire tonight.  I've heard good things, so I'll let you know what my thoughts are.

Explore Obama-mania has made Hyde Park the place to be.  I still haven't explored the neighborhood.  I'm wondering, where are your favorite digs?

Eat I'm embarrassed to say that I devoured this apple cake like a ravenous dog.  It's incredibly easy to make. I recommend following the reviewers' instructions on how to spice it up.  I doctored the recipe by adding nutmeg and cloves to the crust mix. Then topping it off with a cinnamon-sugar oat mix. Just try to eat it like a lady.  Mmm Swedish Apple Pie...

Nore-bang For Your Buck

I had the pleasure of nore-banging at my cousin's birthday party.  It's not what you think. Well, you decide. Norebang is a Korean style karaoke where you rent out a private room for your party. Our norebang spot was at Lincoln Karaoke in Lincoln Square.  And it was a trip. 

Entering Lincoln Karaoke, I wondered if I had mistakenly dropped by somebody's apartment. Walking further in, I saw a bar, doors marked with numbers, and heard "If You Wanna Be My Lover" as someone walked out one of the doors.

I found out that we were in door #9. The party guests were singing along with karaoke on a flat screen TV with a video behind it of some city scene.  It wasn't long before the party-goers flipped the background on the karaoke screen to a porn background to shock the newcomers. They succeeded. The owner had earlier asked if everyone was 19 and turned on the background. Let's just say that Lincoln Karaoke put the bang in norebang.

Lincoln Karaoke

Consumers Riding Out The Recession In Style

The recession has hit and I've seen a slew of articles about fashion on a budget.  But have you cut back on the amount of money you spend on shopping?  

If you're already a consumer of designer goods, have you paused purchasing luxury items?  If search habits are any indicator, if you were into high-end goods before, odds are, you're still seeking out your beloved Burberry and going after the latest Gucci. 

Using Google Trends, I analyzed searches for various designers, including Marc Jacobs, 7 Jeans, Coach, and Manolo Blahnik.  I also compared a few stores that sell cheaper budget clothing like Forever 21 and Old Navy with retailers like Neiman Marcus and Saks. 

In general, the trend was that search volume for all of these retailers remained about the same. The only store that showed steady an upward trend was Forever 21.  I would imagine that H&M would be about the same if you could shop online in the U.S.  The Forever 21 trend is to buy more clothes for less money, even though the quality of the clothes are inferior.  Still, Forever 21 is still outpaced by GAP brand.  

So while recession fear is out there, it seems that consumers are still riding out the recession in style.

http://www.google.com/trends?q=forever+21

November Is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

I'm going to try to start keeping up the blog again.

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month and I'm working on getting the word out about an event that PanCan and the Young Professionals of Chicago are putting to benefit pancreatic cancer research.  You get to network and get two free drinks, all while contributing to research for a type of cancer that is grossly underfunded.

Here are all the details:

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network presents The Metropolitan Club Event:

Join us to learn about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the efforts that are being made to help fightthe 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

 

The Sears Tower - 67th  Floor 233 S. Wacker

$25 inclusive in advance, $35 at the door

2 complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres

RSPV to Jessica Otis: jotis@pancanvolunteer.org

Nordstrom Rack Today

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

Art In The Everyday

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

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

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.

Global Index Directory
Clarib Web Directory

Q & A With Chicago Artist Katie Cooper

View Katie Cooper's artwork

The Chicago Girl: I was looking at the painting "ceci c'est pas la realite." Is Magritte your favorite artist and why? From where do you draw your inspiration?
Katie Cooper: I do adore Magritte. He is not necessarily my favorite artist, but is one who had made a huge impact on me. It was through getting to know Magritte that I fully realized that art can, and should be so much more, than "something to look nice, above a couch." Artwork is supposed to have purpose. It is supposed to raise questions. Magritte helped to make this clear to me.

TCG: How would you describe your style?
KC: My personal style could be described as a mishmash of humor, realism, surrealism, and consumerism.

TCG: Do you think about the meaning behind what you want to paint?
KC: I am interested in those things that we, as consumers, can't get enough of. I like to take this idea, and blow it up to a sort of grand scale. I take things that we use and see everyday, and blow them up in a sort of masterful style. These things then become almost holy.

TCG: What is your process?
KC: Once an idea, or an image has stuck with me for a few weeks, I go to my stretched canvas, and begin sketching in thin layers, with oil paint. Many, many layers later, I have a piece worthy of heightening the "Wal-Mart" experience to that of a holy and ritualistic one.

Hip Hip Beret

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Zannoah Chodosh creates custom-made knit-wear. She says she can custom make just about anything. I wonder how she'd respond to my request for a full-body knit suit. It's cold out there! But hey, if not, I'll take one of her berets. Find her clothing at The Silver Room in Wicker Park or contact her though Myspace.

Thank You Artists

Thanks for reading.
I'm happy to announce 1) my move to a .com 2) a substantial increase in readership and 3) that I've been getting an incredible response from artists eager to share their work on The Chicago Girl blog. I'm trying to interview and post as many artists as I can so stayed tuned and keep submitting your work. If you're a Chicago artist, designer, performer, what have you, contact me and let's get you noticed!

Best,

Melissa
a.k.a. The Chicago Girl

Gawker Artist Page

Set To Swing

Click For Chicago Culture

Goldstar is an online email service that posts events at half price.

I found this 4-session swing class for $30. They even give user ratings so you can decide whether to spend half price or not at all. That's not too shabby. I'm paying $50 for a 4-session salsa class right now.

Painting In Reverse

Artist: Meg Shea

This Chicago artist paints in reverse.\siht ogacihc tsitra stniap ni esreveR

Here's how it works. She starts sketching what she wants to paint, keeping in mind that the viewer will see a mirror image. She hones in on the details like the reflection in the pupil of the eye. Then she paints the colors in layers as they dry and overlays the white of the eye. It's a time consuming process, but it makes the colors pop.

Five, Six, Pick Up Sticks

I love local artist,

Gisela Insuaste's

installations. This one reminds me of a giant game of pick-up sticks.

Chicago Mosaic Art: Piecing Together The Parts

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I interviewed Chicago mosaic artist Valerie Fuqua to find out about how she puts the pieces together.

Why mosaics?

Mosaics allow me to take something broken and form a new whole. It's an incredibly therapeutic art form. I love combining the old with the new, creating a marriage of sorts and giving items a second life. Glass can range from chunky and fierce to delicate and wispy. I never tire of the rich textures and reflective qualities of my tesserae.

What do you like about doing commissions?
Commissions help me grow as an artist. Whether it's incorporating a broken piece of heirloom china into a mosaic or matching colors in upholstery, it's always an exciting challenge. Some of my commissions have involved building a mosaic around a treasured family keepsake or found object. It means the world to me to be entrusted with something so close to someone's heart.

Sundance: Warm Up To Short Films At Home In Chicago

From the movie Scaredycat

You have to appreciate the ingenuity of Sundance films and now you can appreciate them free and from home. So cut that trip to Utah short and watch this year's short flicks in the Windy City: Sundance movies.

The Chicago Girl wants to know--what's your favorite Sundance film?