I was on the fabulous style blog, style/SWOON, the other day and she posted about the beautiful world of Sloan Hall, an incredible gift shop in San Antonio, TX.  I whole heartedly agree with Ms. style/SWOON…”really good gift shops should be coveted and rewarded”.  I do covet my favorites and love to reward whenever I can  Hazel on Montrose is still my #1 in Chicago, but my other #1 is Lill Street Art Center (and how nice, just one block from Hazel!).  For all you lovers of ceramic work, paintings, drawings, jewelry, textiles, prints, etchings, glass & digital media (phew!), Lill St is it.   Lill Street is this super cool combo of art classes and gallery all set in this great, warm, inviting space.  Check them out this weekend for their faculty exhibition.  I snuck a few pics while they were setting up the show…..

LOOK at that VASE!!

WOW. How do they do that??

in the gift shop….great gifts…..

I love looking at their wall of mugs. I want to take them all home! All beautiful even on the inside.

just as many fabulous books to choose from

My favorites are the ceramics and pottery….

I can picture my Cheerios already

It gets better…there’s an extra yummy cafe too, The First Slice.

A big slice of chocolate crunch pie please!

There's a peek into the wheel throwing rooms through the windows of the cafe

Lill Street Art Center is located at 4401 N Ravenswood Ave Chicago 60640

We were recently in famed retail institution, Robin Richman.  Robin Richman is this fantastic one-of-a-kind boutique in bucktown that’s known in the city for it’s incredible & irresistible assortment.  I am always amazed by her eye.  Everywhere you look there is something to draw you in.  I was particularly taken with a line by local artist, Ryan Davies.  Love the unique natural elements that he creatively sculpts into necklaces, rings & earrings.

petrified wood earrings. Must be light as a feather!

Silver Cast Gemmy Calcite Mounted with a Myrtlewood Strap Handle

Carved Myrtlewood Ring, “Black Hole”

We love Robin Richman…..such a great store to visit!!

The Robin Richman "sign", a hanging metal wire sculpture by Lucy Slivinski

the most perfect minaudieres.

Our May Cover Story is shot and should be up soon  This one came down to the wire!  I mean, the wire!  Brandon and I were getting looks together the morning of the shoot with a start time of 9am.  Thanks to the talented crew and the amazing location, all went off without a hitch and the story is beautiful.  This shoot we had a couple of inspirations…this great jewelry ad from Tous.  Oooo la la!

and this FANTASTIC dress from Les Prairies de Paris….

That dress lead us to the gorgeous Rose…..and Voila!  Karl’s take of Rose + Tous ad…..

Thank you Karl!! Cover-Story-Rose would not be Cover-Story-Rose without you!!

The talented crew...photographer extraordinaire, hair stylist extraordinaire and stylist extraordinaire. This is one of my favorite shots....on the white couch :)

OK, threw this one in. Me, behing-the-scenes the day before in our studio for another shoot. Studio shoots are a little nutty in our small space....clothes, makeup, a good handful of people and even sometimes a dog!

Many thanks to our friends, Lisa & Joel.  Their home (aka…amazing location) was absolutely perfect for this shoot.  Here are just a few detail shots of the location…..

4' metal wall hanging

a pair of ceiling lights in the living area

ceiling above the kitchen & dining area

Or a set, at least. I say it all the time, but I really love anything theatrical. I love dance, I love drama, I love comedy, I die for a good musical, I love GLEE (this week’s episode?? Um… Best. Episode. Ever. Madonna? The Like A Virgin number?? Loves it!)

And to bring it back to fashion, LOVE this ed from the latest Numéro, #112. Plateau 7 by Luciana Val and Franco Musso, featuring model Rasa Zukauskaite…

The prop styling and art direction seriously blows my mind. Like, whoa. And the filters and the framing. Just genius all around, start to finish, head to toe. One of the few times recently that I have picked up a magazine and something actually spoke to me. Thank you, Numéro.

images via Fashion Copious

I was cleaning up my iPhoto and came across all these great shots my daughter, Kit, snapped while we were in NYC.  I marvel at a kid’s eye…especially this one.  She’s one that also takes to being in front of the camera, but says she’d rather be behind.  My dad took great and many pictures of the family with his Pentax film camera.  Thinking of all those albums filled w/film printed pictures…I’m shocked.  My first experience with his camera produced a whole roll of blank images…total excitement to total dud.  Wow, how’d he do that??  I still have my polaroid and now a Nikon D40 (thank you Karl Rothenberger for all your tips!!!). Before the Nikon, Kit was snapping away with my phone.  There’s certainly an affinity there from generation to generation (albeit a little weak…like connect-the-dots) but innately there….OR could just be the asian in us  Here’s just a small sampling of shots of NYC showrooms (Findings, Sonia Rykiel & Olarte Foussard) & the Rachel Comey show….photography by Kit.

Funny, but the word “fresh” has been taunting (and haunting) me a little for the past few months. So I find it ironic that it seems to me to be the perfect title for this post.

On Monday, Arlene and I shot our cover story for May with the fantastic Karl Rothenberger and an adorable model from Factor, Rose. 

the lovely Rose, wearing Rachel Comey skort and blouse and N.D.C. boots

Rose’s mother told us that Rose wants to straighten her hair. Can you imagine???? You should of seen — and heard — the reaction in the room when that came out! Apart from her disappointment with her curly lot in life, this young model (she’s a mere 14 years old) takes her modeling very seriously. We asked her who her favorite model is and she said Karlie Kloss. Which is even more ironic because Karl just showed us this Karlie Kloss story from Vogue UK, shot by Alasdair McLellan, as inspiration for an upcoming summer cover story (to be shot in NYC, stay tuned!)…

{I swear I sat on a floor just like that in a room just like that and watched Richard Nixon’s resignation speech on a TV set just like that. Classic Americana.}

Born in the USA images via Fashion Gone Rogue.

What a fun and too too short time at Intermix.  There’s never enough time for friends and jewelry! This collection was Jill through and through with her beads, stacking bracelets and diamonds thrown in here and there.  Brandon and I are definitely planning to visit her studio.  Here’s just a few favorites from show…..

I'd love to pile all these on all together!! Very Jill Alberts....brass chain with aquamarine colored pendant.

here's the one I fell in love with and brought home with me :)

A favorite sign of mine in my neighborhood.  The window at Julius Meinl on Irving Park Rd.  Have a great weekend!

Hi everyone!  We’ll be heading to Intermix in Bucktown this evening to check out one of our favorite local jewelry designers, Ms Jill Alberts.  We’re weak in the knees already!  This extra special showing is from her amazing diamond and gem collection procured from India.  We’d love to see you there!

Intermix

1633 Damen

Chicago, IL 60622

Fabulous fine jewelry, champagne, a great store, fashion & fun

5 to 8pm, Thursday, April 8

As fate would have it, fellow Chicagoans were skipping with happiness to sunshine & over 70 degree weather, while my family & I found ourselves in snow up to our knees in Utah.  BUT we all agreed, we’d happily do it all over again and it was the perfect place (cold & all) for our much needed family down time.

Park City, Utah. CHARMING home of the 2002 Winter Olympics AND The Sundance Film Festival.

loved the bridges and chair lifts that ran through the town.

You can't have a charming little town without a trolley! Voila! Trolley!

My daughter, Kit, before ski lessons.....

After ski lessons......

I've always loved the ski/snowboard fashion mantra....the more color, the better!

It was fun seeing a couple of skirts up on the mountain...

and a couple clowns!

fashion up on the slopes is also all about the gear.

I'm not a boader, but a definite fan. Maybe next season :)

My son, Simon, taking a break after a few runs.

“]

Big shout out to Simon's buddy, AJ and his family for the invite out to Utah :

Park City Mountain Resort...till next season!