Took a lazy walk through Lakeview to get an old find framed at Four Sided and there, standing before me on the way out the door, stood a six-foot lighted marquee screaming my favorite word of all time…VINTAGE. It called me right in off the street to see what was hiding inside. Low and behold, I’d found Haystack Vintage (2934 N. Broadway, 773.549.1225). It is the cleverest of new shops around, boasting everything old (save for a few hip new T-shirts). The shop is tricked out in retro chairs, old books, drinking glasses, and side tables, as well as cool jewelry, clothing, and, when I was there, a banana-seat Schwinn. A gem from Phil Tadros (who owns several coffee shops in town) along with his former employees/investors John Mokate and Erin Liston. Scoop up what you find because the well-priced offerings change weekly.
– Barri Leiner
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Sarah Drake just has it together. The local graphic designer creates beautiful, understated wedding invitations, complete with details like matching envelope liners and custom stamps (love the concept of the custom stamp; wish I was that motivated with my postage). Recently, Drake launched a line of letterpress-printed personalized stationery called Couture Correspondence (shown above). She also has a lovely blog in which she shares her inspirations.
—Gina Bazer
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Red Alert
Squashing a gigantic inflatable ball into tight spaces sounds a little like one of those Olympic events that didn’t score much NBC airtime (half-lightweight judo gets no respect). But artist Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project—a public art installation in which a 15-foot vinyl ball makes its way across the city, stopping at...
List Price: $2.45 million
The Property: Prominent on its hilltop site and looking like a hen among chicks, this Arts and Crafts–style mansion is surrounded by the ranch houses and other smaller homes that now occupy all but two acres of its original 300 acres of...
Sign up for the Roche Bobois eco-newsletter, with green tips and trend reports, and you could win this special version of their swanky Maurizio Manzoni Nuage swivel chair, upholstered in bamboo fabric. RB has partnered with American Forests Global ReLEAF (get it?) Program and promises to plant a tree for every person that registers. Hurry up and click though, the drawing will be held on Friday, August 29.
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
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