Fairy Tales

[image: gathering spriggs, orginal source unlisted]

Ice Bulb's Ice Art

[images: Ice Bulb]

Curb Appeal

This house has it.

[image: gathering spriggs]

Chicago World's Columbian Exposition, 1893

Chicago World's Columbian Exposition, 1893, Reflecting Pool.

Court of Honor (1893)

Another shot of the Court of Honor, including gondola rides (1893)

Even more interesting, the below photos were taken at the Trans-Mississippi Expo in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1898. Doesn't the architectural planning look similar?

(Check out the chairs!)

[images: Smithsonian Instituition]

Turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Un Oeuf is Enough

[images: Merchant no. 4]

Winter by Cajka

[images: Cajka]

Lighting Makes a Room

I suppose the cool skylights don't hurt, either.

Pictured above, Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art's fall fundraiser on Oct. 30. The event garnered 550 people and raised $2.8 at its art auction, making it the most profitable fundraiser in the museum's history.

[image: Tay Kaune via BizBash]

Free People's Vintage Loves

Handpicked vintage items on sale at Free People's Vintage Loves. Aren't the photos sweet?

[images: Free People]

The Stack: Vol. 3

1. There's a new-to-me blog out there (Mali Mo); I can't understand Scandinavian, but I'm loving the pictures!
2. My hometown makes national news.
3. While Jessica Baker makes lovely leaf artwork.
4. A spicy holiday hairdo? Do I dare?
   

[image: Mali Mo]

Pirates of the New Millennium by Vain & Vapid

I'm not really sure what's going on here, but I think I'm intrigued.

[image: Vain & Vapid via Darling Dexter]

Fancy Butter

[image: Southern Living via A Punch of Color]

28 Millimeters, Women are Heroes Project, by JR

Artist JR wants to underline women's "pivotal role and to highlight their dignity by shooting them in their daily lives and posting them on the walls of their country."

"The goal is to reach the limits of art in a closed social and cultural environment and watch the reaction of the local population."

Amazing!

[images and text: 28 mm, Women are Heroes]

Cool Signs in Logan Square

The Gift of Giving

What to get for the person who has everything?

American Red Cross has assembled a Holiday Giving Catalog for the holidays that are sure to warm your heart. You can choose from a variety of price points and receipients. For instance, you can purchase $25 music gift cards for wounded soldiers, emergency water containers for flood victims, blankets, and vaccines for children.

And, of course...

TOMS donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of adorable little slippers you buy. These guilded herringbone women's classics are my current fave. My navy TOMS are perhaps the most comfortable things I have ever put on my feet. Seriously! It's surprising.

[images: American Red Cross, TOMS]

When the Bookworms Come to Party

While green library lamps may not be the most glamorous look for a fundraising gala, it's nice to see how the event organizers of the Chicago Public Library Foundation and the Chicago Public Library's Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner stayed true to their theme; creating a tasteful and cost-efficient tablescape. Having party favors as part of the table decor is a great way to simplify behind-the-scenes planning, and is an instant conversation booster.

Table lamps are a fun way to create an old fashioned, kitschy look. Plus, with this room's massive size, the lamps help establish a more intimate atmosphere among the tables.

[images: BizBash]

The Yoga Dilemma

While biking and running paths are great (and free!) in the warmer months, once the days shorten and the temperatures fall, people are forced to make some uncomfortable decisions regarding their exercise routines and spending. In Chicago, for example, gym and studio memberships can cost you between $25 and $200-plus each month. It's important to exercise and to feel comfortable while you do so, but are these high-end studios really worth the hole in the pocket?

I cashed in my unlimited month of yoga Groupon at CorePower Yoga earlier this month, and have been absolutely floored with the results. I feel healthier and stronger, and look forward to class each day. In addition, CorePower Yoga's new studio Lakeview between the Diversey and Wellington stops, is convenient, spacious and seemingly exclusive. But with a $130 monthly membership, I'm already panicking about my month being over. Choosing between a workout you love and a balanced checkbook just doesn't seem fair!

Have you any thoughts on the matter?

[image: CorePower Yoga]

Converted Apartment Building

Have you ever noticed this apartment building directly south of Wrigley Stadium on Sheffield? I've probably walked past it a hundred times, and never gave it a thought. It's a church! You have to wonder why this church was even converted to apartments in the first place. Was there a fire? Lack of funding? Where are the stained glass windows? And most importantly, is it haunted??

It's always a little spooky when a church is no longer a church. As much as I respect the architects' decision to preserve the original structure (there's nothing more heart breaking than bull-dozing an old building), I'm not sure how I would feel about living in an old house of worship. Maybe I'm being too superstitious.

What do you think? Would you live in a converted church?