The Chicago Traveler

• If fresh-shucked oysters and pints of Guinness sound like a good time to you, check out the Guinness Oyster Festival in Roscoe Village. There are also vendors of other foods, pints of Harp’s and Smithwick’s available, and live music. (Sept 6)
• Chow down on brats, potato salad, sauerkraut, smoked sausages, and beer at the 88th Annual German-American Festival in Lincoln Square. The 43rd Annual Von Steuben Parade (featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) starts Saturday at 2 p.m. (Sept 5-7)
• You can sample from more than 300 international vintages and watching cooking demos at the Fourth Annual Windy City …read more

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When I was in college, like most students I decorated my dorm room walls with just about everything I could find: flags, newspaper clippings, magazine advertisements, posters from the drama department’s productions, etc. Now we’re all older and in real apartments and houses, and we can afford some nicer things for the walls.
How about the great band posters from Spike Press? Chicago-based designer and illustrator John Solimine creates artistic screen prints for bands like The National, the Cougars, Kim, and festivals like Intonation and musicNOW.
Vintage and colorful, the posters are priced pleasantly enough that you’ll still be able to afford …read more

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• These are the last few days to take part in the Chicago Originals Restaurant Week Celebration. A select number of restaurants offer two- or three-course dinners specially priced at $20.08 in honor of the New Year. For a list of participating businesses, head to http://www.chicagooriginals.com/ (ends Feb 3)
• Brrrr… It’s cold out there, which is perfect weather for Chicago’s newest attraction, Paintings Below Zero. A brilliantly colored ice wall that is nearly 100 feet long (30 m) and over 10 feet tall (3 m) is the largest and perhaps most stunning work from Canadian artist Gordon Halloran. (Feb 1-29)
• …read more

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See that picture? That’s actually my kitchen drawer, full of take-out menus. I actually don’t mind cooking, but I’m not big on grocery shopping, preparation takes forever, and then there’s the clean-up. It’s easier just to call someone else to do most of the work. But most take-out isn’t very good for you.
My Gourmet Kitchen can help. You choose four or more meals from a monthly selection of recipes, cook it up in their kitchen, and then bring it home. That’s it! They’ve already picked out the ingredients and prepped all the food. All that cutting, washing, cleaning, chopping… …read more

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If you’ve got a few holiday wishes, tomorrow may be your night. What could be the best meteor display of the year will reach its peak Thursday night, and there will be plenty of falling stars to wish upon.
The Geminids are an annual meteor shower, named after the constellation of Gemini. The meteors appear to originate from a spot in the sky near the constellation twins. Tomorrow night, any time after 10:00 p.m. until dawn on Friday, look southward for the two bright stars that form the heads of the twins. (Mars, a small red dot in the sky, should …read more

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Spiders? No problem. Speaking in front of large crowds? I’ve got it covered. Small, confined spaces? Uncomfortable, but I can handle it. But I’m a big wuss when it comes to needles. *shiver*
Maybe I could use the help of Rachel Epperson of The Needle Shop. This Jill-of-all-trades has been sewing for 25 years and has worked as a carpenter, decorator, and fashion designer. She can help show you that needles aren’t sew scary. In fact, Rachel will help you create works of art through sewing, knitting, crochet, and upholstery. Whether you’re a novice or a pro, you can enjoy …read more

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Remember pop-up books? As a kid, I was absolutely fascinated by the detailed art and skill as the story entered a new dimension. Characters came to life and fantastical faraway places felt all that much closer.
Tracy Chong, an Urbana-based designer brings back some of that magic for adults with her handmade pop-up cards. From birthdays to anniversaries, from congrats to thanks, she’s created perfect little greetings that stand out from the rest. Check out her eye-popping designs at http://tracychong.etsy.com/
Spread the word; they’re sure to become a popular favorite.

Photo credit: Tracy Chong

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Your elders have always told you to send Thank You cards. But what about cards that say “Get Awesome!”, “Holla!” or “Bite Me”?
Rebecca Ann Rakstad of Rar Rar Press has come up with creative sayings for just about every occasion and prints them out on colorful letterpress postcards. She also makes greeting cards and blank drawing and writing books.
Keep an eye out for this local artist at various arts & crafts fairs, or stop by Rebecca’s site at http://rarrarpress.etsy.com/
And remember to send her a Thank You.

Photo credit: Rar Rar Press

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Got an idea for a creative costume? Not military-related? Maybe you should stop at American Science & Surplus in Jefferson Park, just down the street from Andy’s Deli.
There really is no adequate way of describing American Science. It’s a bit of an oversized junk drawer, with all kinds of odds, ends, doodads, and thingamajigs. The store carries a large collection of old science-fair things (chemistry sets, ant farms, etc) as well as home repair items (paintbrushes, small engines, wrenches, etc). But that doesn’t even begin to describe the kinds of things you can find in the numerous aisles of this …read more

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School has started, and kids have stocked up on pencils, crayons, paper, erasers, and numerous other supplies. But school isn’t just for kids. Even adults’ brains need to be fine-tuned and maintained. If you think you’ve lost one too many brain cells from all those summer martinis, maybe it’s time to take a class at Columbia College.
Now, now… stop that. No, you’re not too old. And I’m not talking about hypothetical situations involving Train A and Train B. I’m talking about exploring and giving substance to all those little creative interests lurking in the back of your mind. If those …read more

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