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September 19th, 2008
Lately, we’ve become accustomed to The Lemony Snicket Effect (as in A Series of Unfortunate Incidents). Between us and our friends we’ve experienced food poisoning, mugging, stolen wallet, stolen phone, robbing, loss of job, car theft, car towed, car booted, and car broken into. Not to mention a nasty cold that circulated between three of us and brought the blinds down and the bed covers up for at least a week (cumulatively). That’s why we make sure to laugh at least three times a day. Shop online once a week (best time to buy white pants—screw the N.W.A.L.D. rule)! Buy flowers. Tip graciously. Spoil others. Love our amazing Chicago teams. Love antibacterial hand soap, handwritten notes, Colin Firth, the Coco Chanel made-for-tv movie, and Mamma Mia! the movie (despite the, ahem, reviews). Treat yourself well this week by joining Treat Beauty’s mailing list (www.treatbeauty.com). The first five readers to do so will win Treat's anti-aging body cream made with nature's strongest antioxidants. (Check out the Pomegranate CoffeeBerry Organic Sweet Cream below!) |
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Chicago Picks: |
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| 1 | Sweet Treats There are days… and then there are days that only sugar can cure. One of our favorite decadences when those days hit? Cupcakes. There’s something about the perfectly rounded, miniature works of art that make everything dreamy. Now we’ve seen a lot of cupcakes in our day, some better than others. One thing we’ve learned is never to judge a cupcake by its cover. Luckily at Swirlz Cupcakes, we don’t have to choose between good looking and good tasting. Their cupcakes are beautiful and delicious. We might even have to say they are the best we’ve ever had. The red velvet reminds us of summers in the South, rich and moist, and the mint chocolate chip has spoiled the ice cream flavor for us for good. If you’re worried about your diet, there are several reduced-sugar cupcakes to choose from, and Swirlz even offers gluten-free and mini cupcakes for a smaller-sized treat. We know where we’ll go the next time we get the craving for some sugary, icing-topped goodness! No matter what kind of day we’re having. Swirlz Cupcakes |
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| 2 | A Starry Night We're a little mercurial. Sometimes we are sorta quiet and sometimes we buzz around loudly like mosquitoes next to a bug-zapper. We just get giddy when we’re excited about something (though we’re not sure that bugs are actually excited by zappers—maybe they’re just a bit chatty over their impending doom). Generally though, we happily announce our excitement to the entire world. And in the case of the Hotel Allegro (a Kimpton boutique hotel), we wanna shout: vintage, glam, modern, minimalist, clean, classy, fresh, with a certain je ne sais quoi! Plus there’s just something special about boutique hotels. They stick to a certain standard of eclectic excellence, one that creates a dazzling experience and ensures that every guest receives red-carpet treatment. And the historic Hotel Allegro just unveiled a $40 million renovation, revealing 1940s-style lounge chairs, faux-croc wall coverings and hot pink paisley area rugs. Without a doubt, Hotel Allegro is a site to be seen. And to be seen! Hotel Allegro |
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| 3 | Nice Chops Ninety-five percent of the time we're career-minded, goal-oriented, all-around kick-toosh members of society. A small 2.5% of the time, we're celebrating our mature, responsible lifestyle by getting immaturely, irresponsibly tipsy. And the other 2.5% we're in bed, watching eight hours of VH1, absolutely swearing we'll never drink vodka again. During those, ahem, recovery periods, we cling to the promise of a satisfying meal and suddenly there's light at the end of the tunnel. And so we muster the energy and journey to hangover heaven, also known as Choppers. The burger joint is everything you could possibly want in an alcohol antidote and so much more. The shakes are thick and available in classic ol' faithful flavors or adventurous, surprisingly delicious pairings like apple cinnamon and pb&j. The steak fries are perfectly crisp and come with a dipping cheese sauce that's seriously celestial. Tack on the convenient parking lot and lightening speed service, any boozy Suzy would agree that Choppers is one haven that's certainly earned its chops! Choppers1659 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622 773.227.7800 |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | An Incredible Treat We are Treat Beauty addicts. They just work (recently, we rocked the Black Cherry Lip Stain to our best friend’s wedding and received a Gwen Stefani goddess comparison—booyah!) |
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| 2 | Honeymoon A-Go-Go Local designer Maritza Buelvas just made our heads spin. She offered up her chic travel tote—designed to take honeymoon essentials from the plane to the beach. It’s completely reversible and comes with a detachable mini-purse inside. |
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| 3 | Paint Makes it Pretty What do you get when you cross an old TV set, a window frame, and vintage luggage? We have no idea. But Brett Whitacre does. |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Fashion Is In The Air Join StyleChicago.com for a "Toast to Chicago Fashion"—it’s a sneak preview of what’s to come at this year’s Fashion Focus Chicago 2008. Sip champagne and nibble hors d’oeuvres at the always elegant Pops for Champagne. Snatch up a fully loaded goodie bag and drink from Christian Lacroix-designed Evian water bottles. Get your ticket today! |
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| 2 | Dress for a Caper We like to think of ourselves as modern day renegades, sort of like digital Renaissance women. So clearly we love Bonnie & Clyde’s and their collection of rare art, literature, jewelry, and men’s and women’s fashion. Check out their sale on Union jeans, as they prepare the store for more incoming denim! |
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| 3 | Chicago Oktoberfest is Best One of our gal pals smartly snapped up cheap airfare to Germany over the summer for her and her guy. So while they're partying at a genuine Oktoberfest, we will be with them in spirit at the Chicago version of the very same name. Celebrate outdoors (while you still can!) with live music, food, and drinks! What: Oktoberfest by Berghoff Restaurant |
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Be sure to visit www.chicagopicks.com and check out past issues in our archives. If you like what you see, forward to a friend and encourage them to check out www.chicagopicks.com and subscribe for free! It's easy--there's a box in the upper left to enter your email address. If you would like to make a suggestion, please email us at contribute@chicagopicks.com. Share your favorite ideas for Picks, tell us about terrific products or services, announce a sale or event, or let us know what you think of Chicago Picks! Website and weekly issues maintained by Studio Ridge.com. |
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