Treat

Party planning? Kick up your e-vite style

Ok, so it's too late to use this service for Superbowl, but maybe you have another event coming up or you're hosting an Oscar party (the movies were much better this past year than they have been in years). There are two web sites that I've discovered which are design friendly to plan your next event—Pingg and Mypunchbowl.

These two websites seem to have the best choices in terms of design. Pingg has a variety of fun and lovely designs that are free as well as a Designer Series. Some of my favorite Designers at Pingg are Ashley Mills, Lenny Williams, Stephanie DosReis, and Photographer Larry Vogel.

On the other hand, Mypunchbowl.com is a central stop for complete party planning. The site not only provides you with reasons to celebrate, but you can import your contacts to create a guest list, poll your guests for the best day for the event, manage RSVPs, design and send the invite, and keep track of who's bringing what for pot-luck gatherings!

 

Some of my favorite designers on Pingg: Lenny Williams, Ashley Mills, Stephanie Dosreis, and Larry Vogel.

Party organizing site mypunchbowl.

Sneaky Sunday

Here's the inside scoop on a hot new site to check out for a night, or day, on the town. 

Summer's officially here, and that often means people are taking time off for vacation. There are some of us who globetrot and don't mind looking like a tourist, then there are others who would rather fit into the character of the city while oohing and ahhing in private. If you'd rather not look like a tourist while visiting a new city, then you should check out this new website by a fellow Portfolio Center alum, Sneaky Sunday. This website is like a cross between a Zagat guide and Time Out magazine, but more "boutiquish" and upscale. You'll find sneaky hot spots around town that only natives know about. The services are free, and no one pays to be ranked on the site. Check out an example of some of the videos you will find on the site to inform you of places to check out. The video below is about Tangerine, a Chicago women's clothing boutique.

How are the venues ranked? Sneaky Sunday has over 120 “Sneaky Reps” across the country who choose which venues should be listed, and how they should be ranked. In each city, there is at least one expert who maintains the site for that particular city.  “Sneaky Reps” fit the demographics of the venues which are 24-38 year old business travelers and young professionals who know their city well. 

Have a fab Thursday and a great weekend!

Got a case of the Mondays? Here's how you can change your mood.

I've heard that surrounding yourself around gray helps to stimulate creativity. I guess because the color is so neutral that one's instinct is to want to visualize color, movement, or anything that seems different.

A change in scenery is another way to get the creative juices flowing. If you're like most Americans right now, and your budget is shot because of high gas prices and the climbing price of food, then consider checking out the Mood-factory—a company that creates mood lighting to help improve moods. The 25W bulbs are mercury free and energy, earth, and animal friendly. "Why spend money on lighting?," you ask. "It's not a necessity." Well, in essence, it is a necessity. You have to have a variety of things to help spark your creativity. Afterall, you're a creative, and the show—"show" being whatever creative industry you work in—must go on! The world needs you to create designs and art that will help uplift people and keep businesses competitive, thriving during this economic downturn. It's a part of the cycle of improving the "all American dollar," not only in the US, but worldwide. Quality products are a must to keep these business afloat, thus design is essential right now. These mood lights are an inexpensive way to drastically change the mood of your room—and maybe even your own mood.

What do you think? Was that a good enough excuse to get one? =)

Check below for Mood-factory's simple explanations for how different colors affect your mood. If you don't already have it, you should also check out this Designer favorite: Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color by Leatrice Eisemann.

• Green is associated with growth, fruitfulness, and renewal.
• Red, being the color of blood and fire, brings feelings of warmth, excitement, and passion.
• Hot Pink is a vivacious and fun color, full of pure confidence.
• Blues, referring to the sky and lakes, are associated with spirituality, cleanliness, and tranquility.
• Yellow is the color of sunlight and fruits, and brings feelings of cheer, hope, and vitality.
• Orange, with its reference to fire and sunset, evokes feelings of energy and excitement.
• Purple, which rarely occurs in nature, is linked to spirituality, mysticism, and creativity.

from mood-factory.com

George Washington Carver exhibit

My husband and I visited the Field Museum last weekend to see the George Washington Carver exhibit. If you're in Chicago, you'll have to visit! If you go during February, you can visit for free! It's a fabulous exhibit. There's video footage of Carver at work. They even have a sound recording of him actually speaking! That was fascinating, because I didn't expect his voice to sound the way it did.

As many of you may know, Carver is known for creating hundreds of uses with the peanut, but did you know that he actually started on a path to becoming an artist? Because Carter was stricken with whooping cough at an early age, he wasn't able to do much physical labor, so what he did was learn knitting and embroidery. He also loved playing music and dreamed of being a fine artist. Carver felt that being an artist would be a "great honor" to his people, but he realized that art couldn't help poor black farmers, but agriculture could. So, he changed his path from art to agriculture—thus, finding his purpose. He focused and filled his life with pursuing agriculture. He was driven by the need to help the poor, essentially helping everyone. You know how we now use the term "green"? Well, he was thinking about it even during his time.

It was also interesting that he was such a systemic thinker. He believed that "everything in nature has a purpose, and that nothing can be disturbed or removed without harming the system."

If you don't think you can get to Chicago by July 6, 2008, then you can learn about his life through the Field Museum's George Washington Carver website. If you hadn't noticed, this week's Poetreat and Quote of the Week was by George Washington Carver. I want to leave you with another quote to think about at least until Monday. First I want to say that if you're as passionate as me and want to do everything in an attempt to learn as much as you can and to make the world a better place, think about this quote by Carver:

"'I said to God, Mr. Creator, I would like to know all about the creation of the world.' And God answered, 'Little man, your mind is too small to take it in. Ask something more your size. 'Then I said 'Mr. Creator, I would like to know all about the peanut.'"

I'm curious to know what you think about this quote. If the feeling hits you, drop me a line. Until Monday, have a fabulous weekend!

Derilyn

Mighty Leaf Tea

After going to a holiday party this past weekend, I discovered some really good tea. Mighty Tea is wonderfully aromatic, displays beautifully, and is smooth and really, really good! They come in unique, yet delicious flavors, and they come in a variety of packaging. Go to www.mightyleaf.com to find a selection of teas, teaware, and other tea gifts.

YMIB

I am excited to introduce everyone to YMIB (You Make It Beautiful), an online magazine that recently celebrated its one year anniversary. YMIB promotes an inspirational "holistic, creative, and purposeful" lifestyle for women of color. Find articles and webisodes that include topics on Health and Holistics, Inspiration, Fashion & Beauty, Entertainment, Family, and Creative Living. Network with other women who share these interests in the Network or Forum section of the site, or get inspiration from other women to help you stay the course to becoming a better you. Look for my upcoming interview with YMIB's Editor-in-Chief, Ericka Taylor.

Brown Palace Hotel

On our trip to Denver, my husband and I visited the Brown Palace Hotel—a hotel where  emperors, kings and queens, and nearly every American President has stayed. Here are a couple of images that evoked drama to me. This is great inspiration for when you need to create a dramatic mood in your design. Each has its own definition of drama. My definitions are below, but what do these images "say" to you? Do you think of celebrity icons? Check out more images of the hotel at www.brownpalace.com.

To me, the top image has a confident boldness about it. The middle image was dramatic because it was something colorful and beautiful that I couldn't touch. In a hotel full of beautiful brown tones, the blue transparent ceiling was like walking out of a cave and seeing the sky. The mirror image at the bottom was queenly, it evoked a sense of pretension, which made it feel dramatic.

Thymes

I discovered Thymes in Colorado and was drawn to its elegant packaging design.  It's philosophy is beauty—not superficial beauty, but the beauty of simplicity and kind gestures.

Welcome Back! / American Indian exhibit

Hi everyone! I'm back from vacation, and I've discovered some design that should get your creative juices flowing! For today's post, I want to share some of my images from my vacation in Colorado. I will include other images throughout the coming weeks.

Colorado has a background rich in American Indian history.  Here are some images from the Denver Art Museum. These are from various American Indian groups.

The robe, clothing, and handbags are full of color and rich in texture. To see the beadwork closeup is amazing! There are thousands and thousands of tiny beads handsewn together. I thought that these images were good examples of the variety of design in American Indian culture because we're usually shown more geometric shapes.

Summer vacation

It's time for me to enjoy a bit of summer before it gets away. So, I will be taking
a two week vacation, but will bring back lots of great design treats.
Check back Monday, July 9th for a new and improved Treat!

Carol’s Daughter

It doesn't hurt to follow your passion; Lisa Price, founder of Carol's Daughter, proves that. She started creating products in her Brooklyn home which has now transformed into a bustling business with over 300 products and a team of celebrity investors. Treat yourself to some of these all natural products.

Chicago Week–Friday

This is the close of Chicago Week. I hope that you learned a lot about Chicago, or that you were able to find something that inspires you. Chicago is truly an underestimated city, and we hope that the Olympics will make it known and respected more internationally.

Chicago is known for great restaurants, and part of its reputation may stem from the annual Taste of Chicago, which takes place from June 29 to July 8. Over 70 restaurants join to gives area chefs a chance to show off their culinary talents and gives you a chance to discover who really has the chops.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, then check out Ribfest Chicago. It starts this Saturday, June 9 from noon to 10 p.m. through Sunday, June 10, from noon to 10 p.m. There will be music and a chance to win a vacation to Hawaii.

While you're downtown, there's one museum you'll have to visit, the Art Institute of Chicago. It's one of the most widely recognized art schools and museums in the world. If you visit from May 31–August 31, the admission is free. They also sponsor free evenings on Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the Spring and Winter.

Have a taste of Louisiana at Dixie Kitchen, where you can be warmed by some southern cuisine. I eat pretty healthily on most occasions, but every now and then,  I do have to eat something different.

If you like Indian cuisine, another great place to try is Hema's Kitchen, located in Chicago's Little India. This restaurant was recommended by WWTW's Check Please! and is said to be the best Indian food in Chicago. It's also Zagat rated.

End your night with some great jazz or blues. My husband I have visited  Kingston Mines, which plays mostly Blues music, but I heard Green Dolphin is really good, too.

Well, thanks again everyone for visiting and learning more about Chicago. I hope to hear from you next week!
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Thursday's answer:  The city of Chicago sits on which lake? The answer is (a) Michigan. Thanks for playing! I hope that you enjoyed learning about Chicago. ................................................................................................................................................................

Chicago Boutiques

Today I'll be focusing on an inspirational design team and a few Chicago boutiques. I haven't included any food places, but will include some in tomorrows blog.

AHA Designs
Meet Afiya and Johnene, a mother and daughter fashion design duo who are known for their "sophisticated and global style." They are the Designers behind AHA Designs, LLC. These women are an inspiration. Afiya has a Bachelor of Interior Design degree from Howard University and attended the Esag Design School in Paris. Her mom, a graduate of the University of Colorado, left a corporate career as a Marketing Consultant to go back to school in Interior Design. Look where they are now! They were chosen to design the Merchandise Mart's first Dream Home! They are also the Designers of Beta Boutique.

Paper shops
So you've neglected contacting that friend you've been meaning to write, and you've finally decided to e-mail him/her, but you're thinking...maybe I should hand-write a letter instead! It's more personal. Maybe you aren't thinking that, but you'll want to write that letter after visiting the Paper Source. Those of you who are Designers may already know about Paper Source, but those who don't, you're sure to find something you like. It is a paper addicts heaven! Although Paper Source has become a national chain, it started in Chicago. Paper Source has beautiful letterpress stationery, but for another letterpress treat, LoveLeaf Press is a great paper boutique in Chicago. They also specialize in bookbinding and woodblock typefaces.

1154 LILL Studio
If any of you are as handbag happy as I am, then you'll love 1154 LILL Studio. You can custom design your handbag! Online!  So you'll never have the same handbag as anyone else. The bags even have cute names like Orange Twist, String Me Along, and Aquatic Flowers. Read about Jennifer Velarde's story of how she started 1154 LILL Studio. If you're in Boston or Kansas City, then you're in luck. They've opened two more boutiques.

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Wednesday's answer: (c) 2005. The White Sox beat the Astros 1-0. ................................................................................................................................................................
Thursday’s quiz:
The city of Chicago sits on which lake?
a) Michigan
b) Erie
c) Ontario
d) Superior
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Chicago Week—Museum campus

Get a view of the city while having Sunday brunch at The Signature Room, located on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. It's a little pricey, and the food, well...the food comes second to the view. The view is spectacular! If you can visit, don't forget to go on a clear day, whether it's day or night.

Chicago is known for its museums. So today, we'll be visiting the museum campus. One exhibit I can't wait to explore is the CSI exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. This exhibit provides visitors the opportunity to solve a case based on the evidence that is provided. To experience the interactive exhibit, go to www.csitheexperience.org, where you can purchase tickets and watch videos about the exhibit..

You can either pay $200,000 or more to gain the experience of going out in space, or you can visit the cosmos for much less. Check out the Adler Planetarium where there is a Black Hole exhibit which is said to be "visually stunning." Hmmm...may be able to find some background ideas from that. There's also the Field Museum, which has several exhibits that are interesting.  There's the Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discovery, which will continue until September 3, and the Darwin exhibit starting June 15 and continuing until January 1, 2008. To find out about other exhibits, go the the Field Museum's website. Then there's the online exhibit, Chocolate, which traces the history of chocolate.

So now, we've gone into space at the Adler Planetarium and have escaped the dinosaurs at the Field Museum in just enough time to eat a box of chocolates from the Field Museum's online chocolate exhibit. The only place we haven't been is...the water. Don't worry about that, the museum campus has it covered. See the largest indoor aquarium in the world, the Shedd Aquarium. See sharks, lizzards, and turtles, oh my!

It's dinner time! We can go to Morton's or Wildfire.  Morton's is known for having really good steak. If you don't eat steak, they also have seafood and chicken. Wildfire is pretty good too, but if you're going too try both restaurants, I would try Wildfire before Morton's. Although Wildfire's food is really good, you may not appreciate it if you go to Morton's first.

Well, I hope that everyone has enjoyed their visits to the museum campus, enjoyed some great food, and discovered something interesting. Join me tomorrow where we'll discover even more visual and tasty treats in Chicago.

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Tuesday's answer: False. Save the ketchup for the fries. There's no ketchup on a Chicago-style hot dog.  ................................................................................................................................................................
Wednesday’s quiz:
The Chicago White Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1917 in what year?
a)   1985
b)   2004
c)   2005
d)  2006
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Chicago Week—breakfast and boutiques

 

Hope everyone had fun on Monday! We'll start off Tuesday at my favorite restaurant for breakfast, Walker Bros. The Original Pancake House. Whatever you decide to eat there, you won't go wrong. If you love food with that down-home country flavor, then you'll love "The Pancake House". Cracker Barrel has nothing on "The Pancake House"! The pancakes, eggs, fresh squeezed orange juice, and the incredibly delicious, wonderfully delectable, apple pancake is soooooo good!

You may not be able to make "The Pancake House" pancakes, but you can make some really, really great ones with the help of Michele's syrup. If you live in Chicago, you can find this syrup at Jewel-Osco stores. If you're not in Chicago, then the next time you visit, be sure to pick up a few to take home.

Now that our tummy's are filled with some great food, let's go to the theater! Not a movie theater, but a theater for performing arts. Goodman Theatre, has been a part of Chicago for 82 years. It represents classical to contemporary work of local to international writers and actors.

If theater isn't your thing, then maybe you'd like to tour the beautifully designed homes of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It's amazing that he designed homes from the late 1800s to early 1900s, and they are still contemporary. Take a tour of these homes and witness how Wright was so ahead of his time.

A little shopping is needed. We hit the luxury stores yesterday. So today, we'll have to visit some of Chicago's finest boutiques. For beautiful home decor, you have to check out Zella Brown. I'm sure you'll find something you love. I love the pillows! Although my feet tend to be extremely picky about named brands when it comes to shoes, Heelz has some really cute ones. Francesca's Collections has some really cute clothes. The Tennessee top has my name written all over it! :o) (See the pics below from their website.)

 

We'll end our day by going to Ravinia Park, but first, let's get a Chicago-style hot dog from Portillos. Now, we can enjoy the show! On Friday, June 23, at 7:30 pm, Wynton Marsalis will be performing. Tuesday, August 21st, at 8 pm, will feature Aretha Franklin.

................................................................................................................................................................ Monday's answer: (b) verbose politicians. It is said that Chicago is called the windy city because the city hosted so many political conventions, that it generated many long-winded politicians. ................................................................................................................................................................ Tuesday’s quiz: True or False? A Chicago-style hot dog is made with an all beef hot dog, S. Rosen's poppy seed bun, mustard, ketchup, relish, chopped onions, pickle spear, tomato slices, hot peppers, and a dash of celery salt? ................................................................................................................................................................