The Proposal

The Background
I've never pictured myself the typical bride. If and when I fantasized about the Big Day, I envisioned a kick-ass party with my family and friends—at a Vegas hotel, to be totally honest—but never was I wearing a pouffy white dress, and my hair definitely wasn't curled into ringlets. The groom was a faceless man, about six feet tall, and built like Clooney (who, in reality, is considerably shorter—hey, it's a fantasy). And I was walking down the aisle toward the rabbi to the tune of "Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin.

Without too much psychoanalysis, let's just say I've always wanted the unattainable...

Spring? Ha!

It's cold, snowy, dark, gloomy and depressing out. And yet, it really could be worse. Thanks to Flickr's chaosgurlpink for a reminder of the winter past—with just enough sunshine to help us look to the warm weather ahead of us. True spring weather is just around the corner ... right? ...

On The Market—Kenilworth’s Planes, Trains & Automobiles House

By Dennis Rodkin

List Price: $2,773,000
The Property: The quintessential center-entry Colonial, this Kenilworth house stood in as the warm family home Steve Martin’s weary, irritable character desperately wanted to reach in time for Thanksgiving dinner in the 1987 movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles. “If I had a big life-sized photo of Steve Martin, I would put it in the window every Thanksgiving,” says Jeanie Schneider, who bought the house in 1996 with her husband, Wes. “Every Halloween, children come to the door and ask...

All Over the Map

By Penny Pollack & Jeff Ruby

What, Nothing from Bangladesh?

Miss Asia (434 W Diversey Pkwy.; 773-248-3999), a 70-seat BYO in the remodeled Thai Me Up space, has opened, and it may cover more square miles than any Asian restaurant in Chicago. “The main thing is the Thai cuisine,” says Charoen Amornpheerakul, the co-owner. “But we have Cambodian dishes. Indian dishes, Chinese. Mongolian, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Nepalese. Also Singapore.” Most of Amornpheerakul’s kitchen staff are Thai, but he brought in chefs that specialized in many of the above countries’ foods to train his...

Binth Pillows

I am obsessed with the local screen-printing company Binth, which mainly produces paper products (greeting cards, art prints, notecards) but has recently expanded into pillows. Many of the company’s designs have a sort of Edward Gorey quality to them (but, more upbeat, like if Gorey went to therapy), but they are also surprisingly kid-oriented, featuring birds and bears. The pillows are made in the USA out of organic linen and are great for adults and kiddies alike. Watch for new designs, with mice and bunnies, based on Binth’s “cameo card” collection, out this month. Available at Sprout Home and Grow.

—GINA BAZER

Photos from binth.com

Moserform

Pauline Grace is displaying a new collection from Moserform, by furniture designer Thomas Moser. We’re not big Art-Nouveau fans, but these pieces caught our eye with their elegant restraint. They’re available through designers and architects.

—JAN PARR

Photography copyright MOSERform, from moserform.com

Can Someone Please Explain This?

http://michael-associates.com/HInsdale%20IL_Res2.htm

Serious Stuff

By Barri Leiner

The urban dad, defined: the kind of guy who eschews cute for cool. His ideal accessory? Something with clean lines, bold colors, and pockets that can hold bottles of milk (or beer) Read more

Dining Tidbits

For March 2008: New, Budget Beat, Sleeper, Discovery Read more

Positive Energy

By Kirsten Jerch

The skyrocketing cost of fuel has people scrambling for ways to lower the bills, such as efficient appliances and good conservation habits—or even bargain shopping for power Read more

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