A Vision in Red (or White. Or Rosé.)
Finding a hostess gift just got a whole lot easier. Although A.Vision  (910 N. Damen Ave.; 773-227-5700, avisionchicago.com) has been in its current location as a wedding and corporate event planning company for more than two years, it just opened a retail store within the space. The shop carries bottles of wine and flowers by the stem; it also does floral arrangements and offers delivery of wine/flower pairings. “If you’re heading out to a party or just going home, you can grab a bottle of wine, a couple of stems, and you’re out the door,” says retail manager Kerry Abdow. “It’s the grab and go philosophy.” The store carries about 33 different bottles at any given time-reds, whites, rosés, champagnes, and even sake (all from earth-friendly vintners), priced from $10 to $45. The stems mostly range $1 to $10, for miniature roses, calla lilies, Gerber daisies, and a beautiful purple-bloomed artichoke. You can buy the items individually or take the expert’s recommendations. “We have a pairing for every single wine, and a wine pairing for every single flower,” Abdow says. “If the flowers have a scent, we pair it with the same scent component in the wine. Otherwise it’s kind of an emotional thing.” The store is closed Mondays, and offers a tasting of the week’s featured wine on Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. 

Top Sales This Week
If ever you had a hankering for vintage couture, this is the time to check it out. Women’s couture resale store The Daisy Shop (67 E. Oak St., 6th floor; 312-943-8880) hosts a sale from July 5th through August 31st, with discounts on more than 1,600 items (all in pristine condition). Take 40 percent off clothing from brands like Chanel, Gucci, Prada, and Hermes; and take 20 percent off accessories.

Edgy newcomer Gamma Player (2035 W. Division St.; 773-235-0755) offers 30 percent off its entire collection from July 3rd through 22nd, including a laser-cut black skirt marked from $670 to $469 and a jersey dress from the Cypriot designer Hussein Chalayan discounted from $315 to $220.

The Best of the Rest

  • Take advantage of the progressive summer sale going on now at Flirt (3449 N. Southport Ave.; 773-935-4789), where the more items you buy, the bigger the discounts. Buy one item, get 25 percent off; buy two, get 35 percent off (and so on, you get the idea).  When you buy nine or more items, you’ll get 65 percent off.
  • The Chicago Premium Outlets (1650 Premium Outlets Blvd., Aurora; 630-585-2200) host a huge summer sale through July 4th. Get 25 percent off all apparel at Adidas, up to 30 to 70 percent off at BCBG Max Azria, and 40 to 60 percent off spring/summer merchandise at Giorgio Armani, just to name a few.
  • Portage Park boutique Elemental Gifts (3980 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-777-4438) hosts a trunk show featuring handmade jewelry from Chicago designer Valencia Bey on July 7th from 1 to 8 p.m. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to Children’s Organ Transplant Association.
  • Receive a free clutch or wallet with the purchase of handbag or messenger bag at Zola Jones Designs (1944 W. Montrose Ave.; 773-848-3257) from July 5th through 7th.
  • Griffins & Gargoyles (2140 W. Lawrence Ave.; 773-769-1255) offers 10 to 30 percent off its entire selection of antique and reproduction furniture like armoires (marked down from $2,100 to $1,850), bookcases (was $600, now $525), mirrors (marked down from $145 to $110) and tables from July 7th through the end of the month. (Delivery available on all purchases.)
  • Do you like Wilco enough to dress like them? Guise (2217 N. Halsted St.; 773-929-6101) offers 25 percent off the clothing the band members are wearing in a promotional photo for Wilco’s sixth album, Sky Blue Sky, which the band bought at the store. Specifically, the items are jeans by Jean Shop ($245) and Nudie Jeans Co. ($265), and a Duckie Brown suit ($795).
  • Red Dog House (2031 N. Damen Ave.; 773-227-7341) offers 20 percent off any red item in the store on July 4th. And, from July 3rd through August 11th, the store offers 20 percent off “pet cooling items” anytime the temperature reaches more than 100 degrees.
  • Take 20 percent off all whites at Bedside Manor Ltd. (2056 N. Halsted St., 773-404-2020; 38 S. Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, 630-655-0497; 929 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, 847-441-0969; 192 E. Westminster, Lake Forest, 847-295-8370) through July 15th.
  • The Chicago Art Source Gallery (1871 N. Clybourn Ave.; 773-248-3100) at Jayson Home & Garden hosts an exhibit called “Under 5 Feet: A Group Show Curated with Kids in Mind,” of original artwork suitable for children’s rooms that isn’t just cartoons and zoo animals (like the adorable portraits of hand puppets). The show runs through July 14th.