Candid Candace: October 2008

Welcome back to Candid Candace…I’m glad you’re here!

If you weren’t at Kelly Mulqueeny’s fundraiser on Sunday, September 28th, then you really missed a terrific event for a wonderful lady. For those of you who don’t know Kelly, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after being mugged, robbed and shot and though the events leading up to her diagnosis were unfortunate, Kelly saw the attack as a blessing in disguise that helped her to find her cancer early on and take action. This event was organized by Jen Patterson, Kathy Piccone (of Gibson’s fame and a recent TCW cover girl!), Tina Weller, Carol Gipson, Voula Taakallis and Deanna Chavez and the over 500 attendees helped to raise over $45,000 to help offset Kelly’s hospital bills. It seemed like every athlete in the city donated something for her silent auction – even White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen who, upon entering Bon V Nightclub, took off his own beautiful white sport coat and signed it on the spot. This event was covered by news stations and newspapers on both the national and local levels and it was wonderful to witness such a moving experience among friends all united for a common cause: Kelly’s wellbeing. All of your friends are here for you, Kelly – as you’ve sure seen by now – and we all wish you a speedy recovery! If you missed the fundraiser but would still like to donate, visit http://b2b911.org/kellym.html. Photos: Jen Patterson, Kelly Mulqueeny and Kathy Piccone; members of the Chicago Bulls' Luvabulls; White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen; John Johnston; the one and only Peaches; Deanna Chavez; Joshua Herrendorf and Steve Wilkos. For more photos from this event, click HERE.

We’ve all attended lots of black tie parties in most of the area’s venues but I must tell you that the party that Michaela (Michelle) and Dickie Parillo threw at the Peninsula on September 19th was a sight to behold. It was her 50th, his 70th and their 20th wedding anniversary and no expense was spared. Upon entering, a sweeping curtain parted just slightly to let you peek into an enchanted wonderland of flowers so breathtaking, you felt like you’d entered paradise. The crowd was equally elegant and included Brenda and Jack McHugh, Shauna and Barry Montgomery, Rebecca and Charlie Besser, Hedwig and Bobby Golant, Gale and Jay Gottlieb, Bunky Cushing, Jim O’Brien, Shari and Jerry Michaels, Marty Gutilla, Jon and Donna Kleinman, Hana Golub, Mary Ann Murphy, Kathy Brock, Jimmy DeLeo, Tom Leahy and many more…. A highlight of the evening was a personalized performance by their dear friend, Tom Dreesen, (who was leaving the next day to host the David Letterman Show). Then a massive cake was wheeled out and Michaela and Dick were called up to make a wish. Dick’s wish was that someone would pick up the floral bill! It was a magical evening for a loving and popular couple. Photos: Dick and Michaela Parillo; Tom Dreesen; Bruce and Susan McArthur with Judge Anne Burke; Marty Gutilla and Steve Lombardo; Lynn McMahan and Bunky Cushing; Jack McHugh; Barry and Shauna Montgomery with Yale amd Pam Sage. For more photos of this event, click HERE.

Chef Art Smith brought out the stars for the Louis Vuitton party on September 18th to benefit his Common Threads organization. He signed over 150 cookbooks for admiring fans—and not just his signature: this man gave them a whole page!!! His earnestness is always front and center which is why he’s so beloved by ALL of us! Next stop for Art was the Arctic Circle, where he cooked reindeer stew and made wild lingonberry biscuits with the local children. I styled him for this event and was proud I was able to help him look perfect for his close-up. Photos: me, Linda Novick-O'Keefe, Toni Canada, Lynn McMahan and Sheryl Dyer; Art Smith and Jesus Salguiro.

Remember that elusive Playboy cover I was looking for? I found it on the Internet thanks to a heads-up from my Playboy friends, Shanthi and Rob Wilson! At last, here are my two foreign covers; I hope you like them as much as I do! Also, in more Playmate news, my dear friend Patti McGuire Connors has a new passion as a competitive ballroom dancer. As you can see from this photo, she’ll have a whole other group of fans soon…love you Patti! And remember, if you’re in L.A. on November 8th and 9th, don’t miss Glamourcon; Playmates Cynthia Myers and Sondra Theodore (Hef’s former girlfriend) will be there this year! Photos: foreign Playboy covers from 1986; Patti McGuire Connors and her ballroom dancing partner.

On a culinary note, if you haven’t discovered The Counter at 666 W. Diversey Pkwy., then you have missed what GQ magazine calls “one of the best burgers in America.” The Counter’s first location was in Santa Monica, California – where stars like Brad Pitt and Owen Wilson have been spotted – and the Diversey restaurant marks the concept’s first franchised location in Chicago. The Counter specializes in custom burgers and its terrific and extensive menu boasts more than 312,120 possible burger combinations. Watch out McDonald’s: The Counter offers catering services, too. I highly recommend it! Photo: The Counter's Chicago franchisees Ed Casey and Ross Farro with chef Ken Brown.

At 118 years old, the Service Club of Chicago is one of the city’s oldest philanthropic organizations and on Saturday, November 1st, they will be hosting an “Exclusively Elegant Evening” at the Palmer House, located at 17 E. Monroe. The Service Club Ball will be one of the first major events to be held here after their $300 million dollar renovation. I am a co-chair with Cynthia Burns and Sherry Lea Holson and we are thrilled and honored to be involved in this exciting event. We have silent auction offerings that will turn even the veteran party goer’s eye: Among them are four front row seats to Dennis Basso’s fashion show during Fashion Week in Bryant Park (for either February or September) and dinner afterwards with Dennis at a NY hotspot; private dinner with chef Charlie Trotter with wine selections from his own cellar; four tickets to the men’s semis and finals for the U.S. Open; dinner for four in chef Art Smith’s own home with a vintage Rolls Royce limousine and chauffeur; a VIP package for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics; a race car experience with professional driver Nick Mancuso at the members-only Autobahn Country Club and much more. I hope you can all come and join me for this worthy organization’s biggest fundraiser. Tickets are $375 and can be reserved by calling (708) 408-0395. Remember, 100 percent of the money raised goes to local Chicago charities!! Photos: me with my Service Club Ball co-chairs Sherry Lea Holson and Cynthia Burns; Service Club of Chicago logo.

Thanks so much for coming back! Stay tuned for November 3rd when my next “blogazine” will appear!

For the opening weekend of the Joffrey Tower, it rained so hard we were all starting to grow fins. HOWEVER, for the best party of the year – Couture & Cocktails – the clouds parted and the fun began. The décor by Jonathan Ryan of A Perfect Event set the tone perfectly: chic white leather lounge furniture with extravagant arrangements of white hydrangeas topped off with enormous white ostrich plumes highlighted the bank of 28-foot, floor to ceiling windows and steel frame of the Jan Melk studio. The fun food by George Jewell delighted the guests with offerings such as peanut butter and jelly mini sandwiches, pigs in a blanket, grilled cheese sandwiches, sliders, mini pizzas, donut holes, mini root beer floats, sushi and much more. Photos: Chicago Theatre marquee; Joffrey dancers and me; Helen Hall Melchior, George Jewell and me.

The mood was electric as the sounds of Joe Garrido filtered through the two spaces. At 8 p.m., the Black Box Theatre darkened and the crowd fell into a hush. I welcomed the crowd and then the Maria Pinto fashion show began (Maria was just back from Paris, where she co-hosted an Obama fundraiser with actress Natalie Portman). From the first model to the last, every one of the 40 looks wowed the crowd and each design was topped off with the most unusual feather creations you’ve ever seen by Charles Lord, Pinto’s longtime hairdresser. It was more New York than New York! After the applause and whistles died down, I introduced my friend and the opening events chairman Helen Hall Melchior (her black tie event on Friday night was a sellout featuring two world premiere performances by our Joffrey dancers and George Jewell graciously donated the outstanding dinner); we created Couture & Cocktails together three years ago and it just keeps getting better. Then I introduced the auctioneer for the evening, Leslie Hindman. Leslie has the best auction house in town AND the cutest staff. She kept the crowd riveted as 90210 star Ryan Eggold joined her onstage; he is a doll as the photos attest and is as nice as he is cute. He brought with him a signed script from the cast to auction off. Leslie encouraged him to throw in a lunch in L.A. and my dear friends Deb and John Gross bought it for their daughter. Photos: Maria Pinto models; Maria Pinto; the Joffrey's Christopher Conway, me and Jonathan Ryan of A Perfect Event; Christine Ott and Women's Board president Kathleen Klaeser; Laura Wallace, Cindy Burns and Martha Wallace; 90210 star Ryan Eggold and me; Mary Jo Basler with Roger and Sandy Deromedi.

Up next was my debonair friend Greg Hyder from the Peninsula Hotel. He and Maria Zec donated a fantastic package – worth over $11,000 – that included cooking lessons with master chef Curtis Duffy and dinner afterward at Avenues and an overnight stay in the Peninsula Suite where Brad and Angelina and Tom and Katie stayed! The next auction donor was gorgeous Sheryl Dyer from Van Cleef and Arpels, who was wearing Cosmos earrings valued at over $25,000. The lucky bidder was Mike McGrath who bought them for his darling wife, Kristina. The last auction package was donated by my friend, tennis great Jimmy Connors: tickets for two to the men’s semis and finals at Wimbledon with airfare donated by United Airlines. And then we all danced! Everywhere you looked, people were dancing—on the runway, on the dance floor, on top of each other…it was wild and fun. The last people were still there when the furniture was being removed—including me! What a fantastic evening! I wish I could include all of the dancers photos because this is what the Joffrey is all about and why we all work so hard on their behalf. Please support them and attend our fabulous ballets and events; for tickets and event information, visit http://www.joffrey.com. Photos: Kristina and Mike McGrath with Sheryl Dyer; David and Barbara Kipper; John and Deb Gross; Joffrey Chairman Maureen Smith and her niece Amanda Mason; DJ Joe Garrido and me; Joffrey dancer Fabrice Calmels and me; Julie Johnson and Pierre Lockett. For more photos from this event, click HERE.

Rebecca and Charlie Besser recently hosted a wonderful soiree at their gorgeous Gold Coast home in support of Teach for America – a sponsor-a-teacher program for recent college grads of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools to ensure educational equity for all. The Bessers also introduced me to Everlands, a new concept in luxury vacation clubs defined as a global experience club with an emphasis on conservation at their properties around the world. Right now, this experience is offered at over 40 locations including Montana, Alaska, Massachusetts, Arizona, New Zealand, the Bahamas and England. Guests included, Michaela and Dick Parillo, Sheryl Dyer, Honey Skinner, Lynn McMahan, Marty and Jack Higgins and Robin Robinson, among others. Photos: Charlie and Rebecca Besser; Michaela and Dick Parillo; Rebecca Besser, Meredith Marks, Gale Gottlieb and Robin Robinson.

I will tell you one thing: Suzie Glickman and Brenda Sexton know how to throw a party! Their fans – a true legion – will follow them anywhere and since it’s always an exciting experience, we all do! Their latest bash was at the Trump International Hotel and Tower to introduce Chicago’s first spa resort. The invite read “The Spa at Trump Celebrates 53 Fabulous Women” and I was honored to be one of them along with Juanita Jordan, Shauna Montgomery, Nora Daley, Joli Burrell, Leslie Hindman, Stella Foster, Paula Fasseas, Korey Karnes, Amanda Puck, Shelley Farley, Diane Sprenger, Dori Wilson, Susanna Homan, Carrie Hightman, Cheryle Jackson, Desiree Rogers and 36 more fabulous ladies. The party started in the Grand Ballroom where Brenda Sexton introduced the lucky 53. While we all mingled, spa workers sprayed their refreshing and relaxing signature scent throughout the room and afterwards, guests were all invited for a guided spa experience. You are one lucky person to be on THIS guest list! Photos: Chicago Link Productions' Brenda Sexton, me and Suzie Glickman; Donna Grant and Juanita Jordan.

The Michigan Avenue Magazine launch party happened on Saturday, September 20th at the James Hotel. When we arrived, the line was already snaking around the block but it didn’t bother us because all of our friends were waiting in line, too. As we chattered with excitement about the possibilities of TWO fantastic luxury magazines in Chicago, the line moved quickly. Susanna Homan – Michigan Avenue Magazine’s editor-in-chief – greeted everyone in a stunning Prada cocktail dress. When I first entered the door, I was met by Jason Binn, the magazine’s founder, and his group of handsome investors. I was so happy to discover that Chicago’s own Howard Tullman and his Flashpoint Academy students were there capturing all of the celeb interviews. They were easily able to “hunt with the big dogs” and did an outstanding job of covering every aspect of this historic event. Photos: Cindy Crawford; Terrence Howard and Michelle Williams; Michigan Avenue Magazine owners Michael Carr, Randy Read, Brian Greenspun and Jason Binn; Carrie Lannon, Flashpoint's Howard Tullman and me; Michael Kutza, Dori Wilson and Victor Skrebneski.

Cindy Crawford was there as the magazine’s premier cover girl and spent lots of time with the man who discovered her: photographer Victor Skrebneski. She looked gorgeous and was much taller than I anticipated. Handsome actor Terrence Howard was a celeb guest as well and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child sang a song from her latest solo album, “Unexpected.” Even with all of the excitement, it was wayyyy too crowded with over 1,200 VIP attendees. Believe me, I love a crowd but this was a little ridiculous; I can’t imagine who didn’t know everyone in Chicago would turn out for this exciting party! Seen on the scene were the handsome Jim Wetzel and Lance Lawson from Jake, Jonathan Ryan of A Perfect Event and the Joffrey’s Christopher Conway, Rochelle Smith, Dennis Minkel, Loretta and Sven Asmus, Mary Ann Murphy, Gretchen Jordan, Rebecca Besser, Michael Kutza, Dori Wilson, Amanda Puck (who did an amazing PR job), Roxanne Atkins, Hazel Barr and her beautiful granddaughter Maggie with Dr. Mario Lacouture. Not only is our fair city launching another major luxury magazine but we’re launching our children’s futures too by using Flashpoint Academy for the filming so congratulations are in order for BOTH Jason Binn AND Howard Tullman! Photos: Michigan Ave Magazine editor-in-chief Susanna Homan and publisher Dan Uslan; Greg Hyder, me, Bill Zwecker and Jim Smith; me and Dennis Basso's Marcin; Alpana Singh; Maggie Barr and Dr. Mario Lacouture; Jerry and Whitney Lasky. For more photos from this event, click HERE.

I have been very remiss in not mentioning who the photographer is that’s responsible for both of my blog photos: Paul Sherman. He also shot my cover for TCW Magazine. Not only is he fantastic at what he does but he’s also single! And did I say sexy AND loves dogs???!!! Hello single ladies, are you crazy? You have my blessing and congratulations if you can find a man as good as my friend Paul.

Thanks so much for joining me again as I seek out what’s hot around town and beyond. I'd like to express a big THANK YOU to both Flashpoint Academy and Bob Carl Photography for a number of the photos displayed in this blog. Look for my next blog on October 27th which will include Art Smith’s Louis Vuitton Party, Parillo Birthday/Anniversary Party at the Peninsula, Chic Chicago Preview Party, 50th Birthday Party for the Howard Crown Center, Fashion Focus, “Kelly’s Road to Recovery” fundraiser and much, much more! Whew…I’m tired already! We’ll talk soon...:)