Cute Shops in the Chicago 'burbs

One of my favorite things about going out of town is checking out the cute local shops and boutiques. When I visit my sister in Chicago, I always like to see what's new at Vintage Charm.

This darling store is located in the western suburb of LaGrange. It reminds me of a cross between our shop and Anthropologie.Bekah and all the girls working there were so sweet and helpful. I bought a cute baby shower gift and a fabulous necklace for myself.

I mentioned in my last blog about going to Oak Park. Kristin, what took you so long to take me there? Love this part of Chicago! We stopped in Fly-Bird and let me tell you, from the minute we walked in, we were either laughing out loud or hollering at each other "Look at this!" She carries a lot of local artisans.She had the most hilarious cards and I got a little housewarming gift for my baby boy when he moves into his first apartment this fall. (He and his roomie are allowing me to decorate!) Just a hint:

My sister bought some cute folk art and they had some great baby items as well. I will definitely stop back in this great shop. Check out their respective websites at http://vintagecharmlagrange.com/ and http://www.fly-bird.net/. Make sure you take time to support local businesses like these (and of course Vintage Scout).

Frank Lloyd Wright

My sister took me to Oak Park yesterday. What a fun part of Chicago! We decided to detour on our way home and go by a few of Mr. Frank Lloyd Wright's houses. Although I am not a huge fan of this architect, I can appreciate his genius and definitely took away some inspiration. The statue below is perched on his studio. I think it says a lot about FLW. I seriously want to get inside this man's head. That is the architect himself. Some of his works are such a curious combination of Tudor and where he was headed- pure Prarie Style. Next door to the house (the right side of the photo below) is a serious Victorian manse. I wonder what he was trying to say? Not very subtle, was he? This was his first commission in 1895 and in 1922 a fire destroyed a big portion of it. Mr. Wright immediately returned to town to redesign and rebuild it. Already the perfectionist- couldn't even let anyone else touch his work. At this house we actually saw the owner outside. I guess a lot of the residents of these homes are elderly. One of the houses also had a wheelchair lift on it. What does the future hold for them with the real estate market like it is and the cost of upkeep and maintenance?

This house was really remarkable. The turret is all very narrow wood plank siding. What a beautiful work.

It was fun revisiting that portion of my History of Architecture class. FLW was one of those geniuses that you just try to imagine what is going on in his brain and the drama that constantly surrounded him. The inspiration I took away was more about design process. Really looking at what are you trying to say with your work; where are you going in with your ideas- I know, sometimes us designers are a little wacky.

Hair trumps all!

Sorry Scout fans, its been a while since our last blog, but I've been on a vacation. Now I'm back and reinvigorated and inspired. It's a crazy week here at the Studio and one of the reasons is that the Scouts have an unofficial rule that any beauty-inspired appointment gets priority on the schedule. Now we all know how high maintenance designers can be, right? So you can imagine after one Scout returns from a cruise, another from the beach, and one hobbling around with a stress fracture, there's got to be some upkeep involved in that. We thought we'd share the experience with you. Scout Dana: When it comes to my hair appointment, almost nothing else matters. I go to Mindi at Vanity Hair Studio in Oakwood. My hair is very difficult to cut because it is very curly and twice as thick as a normal human. Mindi has figured out a new way to cut my hair and I love it. First she colors, blow dries and then straightens! She cuts it after it is completely straight (which is no small feat). Then comes my favorite part….”the debulking” as I call it. I walk in there w/crazy curly hair and walk out a different person, literally. It’s so fun to freak people out! Check out the before and after….

Scout Jean: The Scouts have an image to maintain, so treating ourselves to facials and pedicures isn't a frivolity, it's a necessity. When one of the Scouts posts a facial appointment on the calendar, we all adjust our schedules to allow it. How could we possibly face (pun intended) each work day without the luminous complexions we acquire through the skillfully trained hands of our aesthetician, Christine Price, owner of LaDeDa le salon in Oakwood, OH. Christine received her training in Paris and it shows. French women spend far more time caring for their skin than putting on makeup. It makes perfect sense; the better your skin looks, the less makeup you need. Somehow we think our design projects look a little more polished in the glow of our freshly scrubbed cheeks too. But seriously, when you feel good about yourself, it shows in everything you do. Merci beaucoup Christine!

Scout Debbie: There's probably not much I'd rather do than spend a few hours at Square One Salon downtown getting my hair done. I've been a regular since I've moved to Dayton and highly recommend it. Square One is an Aveda concept salon and owners Brent, Josh, and Doug are model business owners. From catering to their clients to giving back to the community, I look to them for inspiration! Anyway, my master stylist, Alan, is amazing. Jean, Robin, and I all look to him to keep our split ends and roots in check.

We're in Victoria!

Check us out in the current issue of Victoria Magazine. Our Fisher Chair is featured as well as a little blurb about the Studio.

Before and After- The Barrel Ceiling

One of the most asked questions at the Show House was about the "before" in the Sitting Room. Since the house had at one time been converted to apartments, this was one of the kitchenettes.The barrel ceiling had been drywalled in to create soffits for the cabinets and the lovely folding doors.At least they had left an idea that the ceiling existed. Something else was hid behind the cabinetry on the left- stay tuned.The current homeowner did much of the renovation work himself. He was able to remove the soffit without much damage to the plaster.Enter our magical team of finish experts! After coordinating with the girls at Surface Fusion and the homeowners to find a finish that worked with our design, we came up with a gorgeous Italian plaster the color of the sky on a beautiful day. New light fixtures helped as well. The cabinets were also hiding a small fireplace which the homeowner re-did using marble tiles leftover from the new shower and installing an electric insert. The mantle was found at a local architectural salvage store. A pretty dramatic before and after- wouldn't you say? I think the current homeowners will really enjoy this space. Do you have any renovation projects where something you didn't know was there was uncovered? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Happy 4th of July

Here's to Life, Liberty, and today especially, The Pursuit of Happiness! How will you be celebrating Independence Day? One of the Scouts is on a cruise (the lucky red headed one) and the others will be poolside back here in Ohio. It's all family, friends, food, and fun! But don't think for one minute though, that the Scouts aren't mighty thankful for their independence and right to be women business owners! If you don't know, all the Scouts hubbies are retired from the Air Force, so we are aware first-hand of the sacrifice that our brave men and women out there are making. Take some time today to breathe in that lovely freedom and think of them as you celebrate this wonderful all-American day.