December 2008
What’s harder than crafting a scene out of nothing in front of a crowd of rowdy strangers? Doing it for 24 hours straight. The Second City (1608 N. Wells St.; 312-337-3992) presents its seventh annual 24-hour improv benefit The Second City That Never Sleeps: Letters to Santa, stocked with enough ensemble members, alumni, and guest artists to guarantee the hilarity will increase as sleep deprivation sets in. The show kicks off 9 p.m. Tuesday the 9th and finishes up 9 p.m. Wednesday the 10th with the added bonus of live-music sets from the local alt-country hero Robbie Fulks (noon Wednesday) and pop icons The Breeders... Read more |
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We can think of no more festive boutique this time of year than Branca, set in a townhouse on Pearson Street. Stop by Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for cider and treats, and feel good knowing that 15 percent of all sales that day will be donated to Children’s Memorial Hospital. Need some gift ideas? Branca’s gorgeously designed new website has a few excellent suggestions. Love the faux croc credit card pouch for $40 (even better with a Branca gift card inside); the faux bois glass hurricane for $175; and the set of four garnet lowball glasses for $120; the striped are $80 for a set.
—JAN PARR
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I went to college in Lake Forest, and used to ride my bike up and down Lake Road, checking out all the estates, daydreaming about getting adopted, hoping to spot Daisy and Jay (or Mr. T. I’d have settled for Mr. T.). Most of the really big places are hidden away behind gates and walls, but one of my favorites was always Bluff’s Edge, a stately red-brick manse near the ravine and the lake, so it was cool to see that Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is opening it up for a veddy, veddy proper tag sale this weekend. There will be English and French antique furniture, Italian carved marble urns, important Oriental carpets, wingback chairs, a big collection of Audubon prints, and even a Steinway piano, all up for grabs on Sat. Dec. 6 and Sun. Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 620 Lake Rd. Oh and should you have an extra $7 million rolling around in the bottom of your Birkin, this Georgian peach of a home is up for sale itself. For more info on that, contact Baird & Warner’s Mona Hellinga at 847-814-1855.
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
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