Street Smarts: A Learning Process

New hammock, meet my favorite hammocking trees in the...

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:48:24 -0500

New hammock, meet my favorite hammocking trees in the neighborhood. You’ll be seeing a lot of each other this summer.

New favorite. HUGE patio (with food service coming soon),...

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:06:42 -0500

New favorite. HUGE patio (with food service coming soon), delicious eats, cocktails done right & fantastic company. Communal tables have their perks…the strangers I sat with became friends over the course of our meal-we swapped stories, food & laughs. (at Parson’s Chicken & Fish)

SAM FRANCIS Blue Stone, 1960-61

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:41:36 -0500

SAM FRANCIS

Blue Stone, 1960-61

Jam of the day: Warm Water | Banks [produced by Totally Enormous...

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:45 -0500

Jam of the day:

Warm Water | Banks
[produced by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs]

I love spending my Saturday morning at the Green City Market. I...

Sat, 11 May 2013 11:10:03 -0500

I love spending my Saturday morning at the Green City Market. I enjoyed a beet salad from market newcomer The Honest Meal Project & a maple pecan scone from Hoosier Mama Pie Company while perusing the offerings this morning. And how could I not bring home some purple passion asparagus? Goodness abounds.

quarterlifecoe: ngun: lickypickystickyme: If grandmothers...

Thu, 09 May 2013 23:59:00 -0500

quarterlifecoe:

ngun:

lickypickystickyme:

If grandmothers around the world had a rallying cry, it would probably sound something like “You need to eat!”

Photographer Gabriele Galimberti’s grandmother said something similar to him before one of his many globetrotting work trips. To ensure he had at least one good meal, she prepared for him a dish of ravioli before he departed on one of his adventures.

“In that occasion I said to my grandma ‘You know, Grandma, there are many other grandmas around the world and most of them are really good cooks,” Galimberti wrote via email. “I’m going to meet them and ask them to cook for me so I can show you that you don’t have to be worried for me and the food that I will eat!’ This is the way my project was born!”

The project, “Delicatessen With Love”, took Galimberti to 58 countries where he photographed grandmothers with both the ingredients and finished signature dishes.

He acted as photographer and stylist during each shoot with the grandmothers, taking a portrait of both the women and the food they made for him.

From top to bottom:

Inara Runtule, 68, Kekava, Latvia. Silke (herring with potatoes and cottage cheese).

Grace Estibero, 82, Mumbai, India. Chicken vindaloo.

Susann Soresen, 81, Homer, Alaska. Moose steak.

Serette Charles, 63, Saint-Jean du Sud, Haiti. Lambi in creole sauce.

The photographer’s grandmother Marisa Batini, 80, Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. Swiss chard and ricotta Ravioli with meat sauce.

Normita Sambu Arap, 65, Oltepessi (Masaai Mara), Kenya. Mboga and orgali (white corn polenta with vegetables and goat).

Julia Enaigua, 71, La Paz, Bolivia. Queso Humacha (vegetables and fresh cheese soup).

Fifi Makhmer, 62, Cairo, Egypt. Kuoshry (pasta, rice and legumes pie).

Isolina Perez De Vargas, 83, Mendoza, Argentina. Asado criollo (mixed meats barbecue).

Bisrat Melake, 60, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Enjera with curry and vegetables.

This is a project after my own heart.

Love this.

Ion Hotel | Arnessysla, IcelandPerched on the slopes of Mount Hengill, near Iceland’s...

Fri, 03 May 2013 17:07:26 -0500

Ion Hotel | Arnessysla, Iceland
Perched on the slopes of Mount Hengill, near Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park and only an hour’s drive from Reykjavik.

My childhood girlfriends have been tossing around ideas for future trips and Iceland is on the list. This beautiful hotel makes a tempting argument…

erehwyna: project love ocean park pool | padraic cassidy |...

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:34:10 -0500

erehwyna:

project love

ocean park pool | padraic cassidy | santa monica. ca

via dwell

Yesterday we had the nicest temp day of 2013 in Chicago, so naturally it called for seeking out a...

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:41:00 -0500

Yesterday we had the nicest temp day of 2013 in Chicago, so naturally it called for seeking out a lunch option that was a bit further away from our office than normal in order to extend our mid-day sun exposure as long as possible. Without a question, my co-worker Autumn and I decided to head to Grahamwich, one of my favorite spots (Graham Elliot’s waldorf chicken sandwich is the best I’ve ever had, hands down). During previous visits I’ve admired the magical courtyard garden that lies beyond the communal table in the back of the restaurant, but yesterday was the first time I actually headed outside to enjoy my meal (and good conversation) among the lush grounds. This is what I call a little mid-week slice of heaven.

This past weekend was wonderful and Spring has FINALLY arrived...

Wed, 01 May 2013 17:10:00 -0500

This past weekend was wonderful and Spring has FINALLY arrived in Chicago! Although our fantastic Friday night dinner at NEXT had me rolling in the door around 3am on Saturday, I was unable to sleep in, and chose to embrace the beautiful day with an early start. A lakefront walk (bare arms! sunglasses needed!), followed by a free yoga class at Lululemon Rush & Walton. I took a bike ride up to Lakeview to meet some girlfriends for a BYOB brunch at Bistro Dre (right next to my favorite Chicago coffee/bike shop - Heritage General). This was our first time at the restaurant but won’t be our last - a few words: great service, they don’t rush you, 10% off your check if you pay in cash, and chicken & waffles on the menu. We were all sold. When we could no longer bear enjoying our mimosas indoors, we ventured out to the nearby home of one girl from our group to play bags in the street (and sun) all afternoon. If this isn’t a sign of summer in Chicago, I don’t know what is. I attended a dinner party at the home of two other girlfriends and we ended the night seeing friends Ballroom Boxer in concert.

Sunday began with my favorite way to start a weekend day - grapefruit, espresso, and some reading on my kindle (currently: Lean In). A sunny walk to Church in LP followed by brunch with one of my dear friends Maggie at Floriole, a favorite. Post brunch I made a surprise visit to the home of a few friends who live right near Floriole, and I’m so glad I did! It was there where I met the adorable golden doodle pup Marvin, pictured above (11 weeks old), who they were house sitting for the day for one of their sisters. I spent the afternoon playing with Marvin and he melted my heart. The beautiful weather called for a late afternoon bike ride to Oak Street Beach for more reading (though the crazy afternoon fog forced me to keep on my pants and shirt in lieu of a tan). I attended a detoxifying FREE Bikram Yoga class at Bikram Yoga River North with my friend Jess. A pit stop at The Goddess & Grocer to pick up a pint of Jeni’s Wildberry Lavender (I blame my sister Danielle and her previous residency in Columbus, OH for the Jeni’s addiction). And all good Sundays end with a new episode of Mad Men.

What a perfect way to kick-off the warm weather season in Chicago!

I’m proud to announce that the New Arts Forum raised over...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:52:00 -0500

I’m proud to announce that the New Arts Forum raised over $5,000 for Urban Gateway’s arts programming in Chicago schools during ArtSEE last Thursday. It’s been a joy to head up the NAF events team over the past year, which has afforded me the opportunity to interact with the stellar leadership team at Urban Gateways, the creative and collaborative group of young professionals within the New Arts Forum, as well as network with other individuals are passionate about arts education.

We’re already switching gears to our next event: Rock for Arts - a benefit concert taking place at Reggie’s Rock Club on Saturday May 18th. Check out the details here, it’s sure to be a great evening of music!

Tonight’s plans: NEXT - The Hunt. Beyond excited for this...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:39 -0500

Tonight’s plans: NEXT - The Hunt. Beyond excited for this menu + some very good company this evening. Happy Friday!

really-shit: Introducing the Palms House!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:07:44 -0500

really-shit:

Introducing the Palms House!

Today was a great one. The first highlight was an impromptu...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:58:10 -0500

Today was a great one. The first highlight was an impromptu lunch date with @kath88 at Protein Bar. Now that we work in the same neighborhood this needs to happen more frequently. I had a great conversation with my boss at Starbucks this afternoon. This evening I helped put on fundraising event for Urban Gateways at a beautiful gallery in River North. Everything ran so smoothly - stellar performances from our artists, a great turnout, and everyone looked like they were truly enjoying themselves. Thank you @kateklug for coming to support me! I was really proud of myself. It’s fun to see all your hard work come to life. The leadership team is a sweet community of creatives and I’m grateful to be a part of it. The weather was too perfect post-event to not walk home. A slow pace (a mile in heels), but sometimes slowing it down is just what you need. Quiet streets, few people out and about, just me and my thoughts. I contemplated putting on running shoes and heading out to the lakefront path, but that will have to wait for the morning. I’m spent, but like I said, it was a good day.

Tonight the New Arts Forum is hosting a fundraiser for the...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:37:46 -0500

Tonight the New Arts Forum is hosting a fundraiser for the non-profit arts education organization Urban Gateways. I’ve put a lot of effort into planning this event and am excited that the evening has finally arrived. ArtSEE will feature live dance, percussion and spoken word performances by Urban Gateways artists, as well as a silent auction, student artwork raffle, food, and drink amidst the amazing printmaking and photography exhibits on display in the gallery. All proceeds from the event will go towards Urban Gateways’ arts education programs for youth in under-resourced schools in Chicago.

If you’re in Chicago and looking for something fun to do tonight, I encourage you to join us! We’ll be selling tickets for $30 at the door.

Zach Braff lauched a Kickstarter campaign yesterday to raise...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:38:42 -0500

Zach Braff lauched a Kickstarter campaign yesterday to raise funds for his next movie - “Wish I Was Here.” When I found out about this yesterday, I immediately jumped in on the backer action as I’m a huge fan of his work and am excited about this next project. I have to say, his backer benefits are pretty appealing. I’m continually wowed by the power of turning creative ideas into a reality through crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Movie lovers and Zach’s fan base have been quick to rally behind this new movie idea - he’s already raised $1.5 million in a matter of 1.5 days.

Watch his fundraising video to learn more and head over to Kickstarter to donate and help Zach make his next movie without any compromises.

These attractive fixed gear bikes by Pure Fix Cycles are for...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:38:23 -0500

These attractive fixed gear bikes by Pure Fix Cycles are for sale on Fab.com today.

A cafe in Zurich creates The Velokafi: a docking station for cyclists. My kind of invention.

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:00:32 -0500

A cafe in Zurich creates The Velokafi: a docking station for cyclists. My kind of invention.

Newest music obsession: Song For Zula by Phosphorescent (THANK...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:41:00 -0500

Newest music obsession: Song For Zula by Phosphorescent (THANK YOU Erin for sharing this rec! On replay today). Chicagoans - catch Phosphorescent at Pitchfork Music Festival on Saturday July 20th.

And while wer’e on the topic of summer shows in Chicago…a few bands have been announced for Millennium Park’s annual Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays FREE concert series at Pritzker Pavilion I’m particularly excited about Glen Hansard on June 10th and Dawes on July 8th.

It’s a damn fine day for a bike ride. #BikeChi

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:12:19 -0500

It’s a damn fine day for a bike ride. #BikeChi