PLUS: Nobu Hotel Chicago's chic opening; Delicious Chefs' Night with Peggy and Harriet; Losing soulmates; Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens, a sneak peek; Dr. Joaquin honored; They call it Firefly, a sweet retreat in Harbor Country; The TOP Chicago penthouse for sale; Monsters among us; Katie set to perform for Illinois Holocaust Museum's virtual Soiree; Chicago Lighthouse ready for virtual lift-off; Big Shoulders Fund set to honor Beth and Bruce; Bronzeville Art District hosts virtual tour; Pups in pup-kinis, PAWS Chicago's Virtual Beach Party; WINGS Purple Tie Ball with Melissa and Debby; This & That; Fun videos and SOOO much more!
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Congrats to Ravinia Festival on its first virtual Living Room Lawn Party! Typically, we would all be picnicking on the beautiful lawn at Ravinia listening to some of the top musical talents in the world but, sadly, Covid changed all of that. However, kudos to Ravinia and its beautiful, talented hostess, Tony Award-winning actress Kristen Chenoweth, for reimagining the music in such a special new way! The hour long event went off without a hitch and was so entertaining. Viewers enjoyed performances by pianist Kenneth Cole, an award-winning concert performer, who opened the show with Cole Porter songs. During the event's
"pre-party," we learned about Ravinia's Reach+Teach+Play programming, that serves over 85,000 community members from neighborhoods on Chicago's West Side to schools in Waukegan and the Lake County area. RTP initiatives include music education programs for 18,000 public school students; a music discovery program for over 4,500 K-3rd grade children in under resourced Chicago Public Schools; the Sistema Ravinia Orchestra Program (that provides free instruments and ongoing music instruction for kids); guest artists in classrooms; jazz scholar programs and so much more. Chenoweth appeared onscreen wearing jeans and
a simple top in a beautiful apartment with a patio and her beloved pianist,
Michael Orland, by her side. She sang "Till There Was You." (from "The Music Man.") She said, "Not-for-profit Ravinia depends on ticket revenue for more than half of its annual operating budget....We need your support so Ravinia can come roaring back as soon as we can contain the global health crisis that has silenced our summer." Welz Kaufman, Ravinia's president/CEO, introduced a video showing kids in the Sistema Ravinia program, among others. Jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, a Ravinia Steans Music Institute alum, played a piece he wrote called "Blessings" on his piano from his home that was topped with photos of loved ones. Other musical performances were presented by Marquis Hill (a Jazz Scholars alum who played a piece on his trumpet that he learned in the Reach+Teach+Play program); Michelle DeYoung (a Ravinia Steans Institute alum) sang "Liebestod" from "Trisan und Isolde" and award-winning soprano Patricia Racette sang Edith Piaf's "Mon Dieu". Lewis and Hill shared a convo about the lack of music and arts education in the schools now
and how important it was for Ravinia to step up and help close this gap with its much needed programming. Chenoweth closed the show singing on a split screen with Mary Mitchell Campbell, Crystal Monaie Hall and Marisa Rosen. They sang a song titled "Reasons for Hope" written by Campbell and Hall. The lyrics, in part read: "In the blackest night, in the coldest season, we will find the light, we will find the reason to believe." Amen to that. Also, another great pivot for Ravinia, conceived by Nick Pullia (Ravinia's Director of Communications), is Ravinia TV, a recently launched 20-minute weekly variety show/webcast on Ravinia's YouTube channel and Facebook page (every Friday at 7 pm, CDT). See details here! And watch trailer below!
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After a groundbreaking in 2016 that brought Robert De Niro, an investor/owner (and other principals to town), Nobu Hotel Chicago opened its doors on July 1, even welcoming its first guests (from Michigan). Fans and media peeps gathered in front of the hotel at 155 N. Peoria for a ribbon cutting attended by Alderman Walter Burnett Jr., Michael Chin (regional director and GM Nobu Hotel Chicago) and Deputy Mayor Samir Mayekar. Emily Cornelious (NHC director of sales and marketing) welcomed the crowd and introduced the speakers. Mayekar spoke on behalf of Mayor Lightfoot, "To say that we've been hurting as a city is an understatement. Covid 19 has been an economic earthquake and the ripple effects are still
being felt throughout the city. But, for all the damage that has been done to our economy, no industry has been hit quite as hard as hospitality and tourism. This is what makes today so special as it gives us hope that we need as a city. This investment represents a strong vote of confidence in Chicago and our future." Burnett spoke next and congratulated NHC for bringing in "hundreds of jobs." He said he looks forward to the restaurant opening (which hasn't been announced yet) so he can "kick it back with De Niro again." Following a ribbon
cutting, guests moved (socially distanced and masked) to the 11th floor Rooftop at Nobu. There, stunning
views of the city served as a backdrop to the stark, Japanese style decor done in dark shades with furniture to match. Tours were given of the Sake Suite and we got a chance for a sneak peek into a "regular" room. Both were stunning and would make for a helluva stay-cation. My tastes don't typically run to such a minimalist style but here, it was chic, sexy and elegant with every detail attended to, including heated floors in the bathrooms. The rooms have 11-foot ceilings with dramatic multi-paned windows looking out over the West Loop. A Japanese wooden
soaking tub was a wonderful surprise in the Sake Suite, which rents for around $350. The Nobu Suite goes for
around $800 and the Villa rents for $3500 (more or less). There is something for everyone here at every price point! The opening VIP party on the Rooftop included wines from event sponsor Fresh Vine Wine, Danica Patrick's brand new (fabulous) rosé and the always wonderful DJ Akib! Appetizers gave us a sample of what's to come when the restaurant opens and included a mix of Japanese and Peruvian flavors. Small plates will include nori tacos, black cod lettuce cups, and skewered Kushiyaki. Sushi will also be
available with the yellow tail topped with jalapeno being a standout for me. I spoke to Nobu's Corporate Chef Gregorio Stephenson (who many people will remember from his time at Coco Pazzo). He said, "We wanted to make Nobu Hotel Chicago all about the
locals. We used local contractors, artists, architects and designers. We're coming from the outside but we want our clients to feel at home. It's their town and all we want to do is make people happy." I think you've achieved your goal! The brand has a presence on 5 continents including its first at
Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas (which opened in 2013), Manila, Miami Beach, Malibu, London Shoreditch, Palo Alto, Los Cabos, Barcelona and Ibiza Bay. Opening this year, besides the Chicago property, will be outposts in Toronto, Sao Paulo, Atlanta, Warsaw, Riyadh and Tel Aviv. Nobu is a collaboration between De Niro, Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and film producer/entrepreneur Meir Teper. The first Nobu restaurant opened in 1994 in New York. (For more details and reservations, click here!)
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Another successful virtual fundraiser, Chef's Night, was held recently by the Center for Enriched Living (CEL). Hosted by sports commentator Peggy Kusinski on June 29, the hour long event was shown on Facebook Live and YouTube and replaced the nonprofit's normal event that would've taken place in May with over 700 guests.
The physical event would've hosted 40 restaurants and raised over $500,000 for the organization. As Peggy said, "We've made lemonade out of lemons." The event opened with Christine Honeywell singing "Be Our Guest" (from "Beauty & the Beast"). Zach Overstreet, resident mixologist at the Koval Distillery, created a gin smash for viewers made with lemons, herbs and syrup. Harriet Levy, CEL CEO, welcomed guests and explained the work of the nonprofit
which provides support and programming for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She said, "We are 100% privately funded. Our budget is $4 million. When you give, we can do more." And despite the fact that CEL's residents couldn't meet due to Covid, the org pivoted and planned its programming for virtual viewing--7 days a week from morning to night. A touching video showed residents speaking about how CEL has impacted their lives. Micah Montondol, a fireman with the Deerfield Bannockburn Fire Dept., lamented
the fact that his crew wouldn't be cooking up nachos this year at the actual event. We also heard from longtime
volunteers Ellyn and Gary Podolsky who have been volunteering for the past 13 years. They shared their recipe for a colorful veggie and fruit appetizer tray. Rachel Bernstein, a resident born with spina bifada, shared her love of the virtual programming where she learns sign language and Spanish. Her mom Amy said, "It's heartbreaking as a parent to see your child isolated like this. The virtual classes have been a lifeline... It's wonderful
knowing our children can go to a program where the staff is loving, caring, devoted and creative." Chef Tim Minefee
(from Barilla) prepared a penne pasta with pork tenderloin, green onion, poblano peppers, black beans, cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Dan Ripes, current board president, and Joan Cannon, incoming board president, both shared their thoughts on CEL. At the end of the show, Harriet presented Peggy with roses as they both celebrated busting their goal of $51,823 by raising $62,906! (For more info about this wonderful nonprofit, click here!) KUDOS on a job well done!
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A love match made in heaven was the happy situation between much loved author and Service Club president Sherrill Bodine and her dear John Royal Bodine. John passed away on June 28 at age 76 in her arms and, if you were lucky enough to have been around these two, you would've felt the love since it always filled any
room they inhabited. She was his rock and he was hers. During his last days, Sherrill creatively prepared meals with themes from the many trips they had taken together. Their love was a goal everyone hoped to reach. Here is John's obit of a life well lived: John Royal Bodine, 76, passed away on Sunday June 28 in the arms of his loving wife of 56 years. He and his sister were reared in River Forest by parents, Mary Jane and Royal Bodine. John received his BA and Master’s Degree from Purdue
University and had a fellowship to work on his PHD at the University of California Riverside. John was a
Renaissance Man who started his career as a Political Science professor and Crew Coach at the University of West Virginia Charleston, Columbia in New York City and Purdue University. He joined his family’s 115 year old company Bodine Electric in 1983 and moved to the Northshore. He served as President and CEO for 27 years and the last 3 years as Chairman of the Board. He loved traveling with friends and showing his children and grandchildren the world which he did as often as possible. A
beautiful Celebration of Life was held at the picturesque Wilmette Harbor Club where Sherrill and her family were surrounded by love and support. Besides his adored wife, John is survived by daughter Heidi Anderson; sons Alan and Michael Bodine; daughter Kate Huff; fourteen beloved grandchildren and one great -grandchild. Donations in his memory may be made to the Service Club of Chicago at https://theserviceclubofchicago.org/donate/ (RIP dear John)
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Couples who have truly found their soul-mates are rarer than hen's teeth. Cabaret queen Denise Tomasello and her husband Don Conover was another one of those lucky couples, inseparable and completely dedicated to each other. Don lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on June 21, after 18 years of marriage. Here's part of Denise's loving tribute to him: YESTERDAY, I LOST THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. My husband Don Conover passed away from stage 4 pancreatic cancer which he’s been fighting since November 2019. (He was misdiagnosed in September which caused us to lose precious time). I am beyond devastated and heartbroken. I am at a loss for words to try to explain the pain I’m in. I don’t know how I’m going to continue my life without him. Don and I were connected in a way that was beyond romance and beyond friendship.
The relationship we had was a once-in-a-lifetime. A forever connection that could only exist with our true love. Don and I met 18 years ago at Bally’s health club in Des Plaines and these five words changed my life forever, “Don’t drink all the water”,
when I was at the water fountain. I turned around and saw the most charismatic, handsome, masculine man smiling at me. That was the beginning of our incredible love story. For those of you that don’t know my husband’s history… Don was born in Brooklyn and was the youngest of four brothers and a sister. He grew up in a poor Italian neighborhood on Fort Hamilton Parkway and 36th with his Italian mother and grandparents. He lived in a cold water flat with an environment that allowed him to be too hot, too cold and sometimes hungry. Sometimes they had as many as
12 people living in a flat with only 1 bathroom, in conditions where there were rats and roaches. He learned to dress in a particular manner where needs were most important and hand me downs were welcome gifts. His
main entertainment came from his and his siblings thoughts, ideas, actions or gifts that they all shared. Radios, television, telephones and refrigerators were not available during their early years. But that didn’t stop Don, he was always motivated. Despite his rough upbringing, Don’s ingenuity earned him three degrees, all while holding down a job and going to night school. When Don was 40 years old, he moved to Chicago with his family to be the Head of Research and Development at Stepan Chemical. They gave him a small house with a carport and a salary of $40,000, which was millions to him coming from such a poor background. Don said he walked out in the backyard and yelled, “I MADE IT! While Don was at Stepan, he invented the scent for
LEMON PLEDGE without using the lemon peel. This was quite an accomplishment few could ever do. He always laughed and said the bonus from Stepan, for his invention, was a fishing rod. A couple years later he knew he was destined for greater things, so he and two partners opened up Belle Aire Fragrances, a 1200-square-foot facility. Probably the equivalent of a two bedroom apartment. Don poured his heart and soul into every area of the business. Working tirelessly, from creating fragrances to marketing and sales. Well, that facility now consists of two buildings, 22,000-square-feet and 9400-square-feet, located across from one another in Mundelein, which employs 60-70 people. He treated every employee with respect and they admired him for all of his wonderful traits and loved working for him. Recently the company name was changed to Belle Aire
Creations due to Don’s new inventions and patents. They are used in oral care products, which are being used in eight different countries. There are so many products of Don’s fragrances and odor modifiers that you use in your every day lives, from detergents to perfumes. It would be impossible to list. Don owned 80% of this successful company and he did it ALL ON HIS OWN. He was never left a dime, not even a cent. His hard work and motivation allowed him to achieve this huge accomplishment without any help from family. As a little boy he was heartbroken when his father left when he was just 5 years old. He didn’t see much of him and then his father passed away when he was only 15 years old. Don took care of his mother, his sister and even my mother. He loved nothing more than providing for the people he cared for. If I told him a friend was in trouble that he didn’t even know, he was the first to volunteer to send a monetary gift. He required very little for himself. In fact, I had to force him to let me buy him more
designer clothes. He always said he had enough and didn’t need anything. I guess it’s because of his upbringing in Brooklyn, he learned to be appreciative for what he had. His two passions were boxing and gambling. In his late teens he was a boxer. Don took care of his body physically. He worked out 3 times a week 2-1/2 hours each day. Taking every vitamin you can think of. He treated his body like a temple. His other favorite thing to do was gamble. My husband was a big dice player but he was never irresponsible with his finances. Playing dice made him the happiest. When Don and I first met we use to go to Vegas four times a year. Don was so crazy about my mother that he invited her to join us on our very first trip. The two of them had a very special bond. They would gamble together, cook together, and laugh together. Don treated my mother as if she was his own. My mother adored him, he was the son she never had. Don was our hero. When I
first met Don he told me he was my archangel, but he was all that and more. Don was one of the most handsome, powerful, charismatic, witty, funny, smartest men I had ever known. Most of all he was generous with a heart of gold. Don and I had a powerful connection, a fairytale marriage. A relationship that people only dream of. The past 18 years Don wanted to make all my dreams come true. He never denied me anything. 10 years ago he bought me my dream home at the Carlyle. He let me turn it into an Art Deco/Hollywood Regency Palace. It was our second residence and we would spend weekends there. We had so much in common, we were both night people. We loved hanging out at Gibsons and The Drake Hotel, into the wee small hours of the morning.
We lived a simple life in the suburbs, we enjoyed watching television and preparing meals together. We loved each other’s company so much that we only had one television so that we would never be separate. Don was so supportive of me and my career. My husband loved attending my concerts and his eyes would just beam at me my entire show. People would come up to me and tell me how adoring it was watching him watch me. In my business, I’m known as the Queen of Cabaret and, in his business, he is the King of Fragrance. I am still in shock and beyond devastated. I never knew how awful cancer was until I watched him try to fight this cruel and ugly disease. For those of you that don’t know, pancreatic cancer is called the silent killer. There are no symptoms until you are in stage 4 which makes it the hardest cancer to beat or live with. We never knew how horrific chemotherapy would be until my husband went through such a painful experience. He didn’t want to do chemo but he did it for me because he loved me so much. He fought and hardly complained even through the pain. Throughout Don’s life, he had a lot of health issues and had survived quadruple open heart surgery, a new aorta 10 years ago and colon cancer 3 years ago. Then he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November. The doctors were so optimistic that they could prolong his life for a couple more years with treatment. Don being the strong man he is took it like a soldier. He was hopeful until the very end. He was trying a new treatment and decided he no longer wanted to experience the horrific side effects of chemotherapy. After stopping treatment, our only option was to start hospice care 2-1/2 weeks ago, in which we thought we would be able to prolong his life for another 6 months. For those of you who’ve had friends or
relatives in a hospice facility, I’m sure you had a wonderful experience. But hospice at home, is almost next to nothing. They come in two times a week for twenty minutes. I was extremely disappointed in what they had to offer and would not recommend it to anyone. It was a huge disappointment and lack of care. His passing yesterday was totally unexpected. I am still in shock! Unfortunately, his body just couldn’t take it anymore and it started to give out. I am so grateful that God allowed me to be with
Don when he took his last breath. Holding him and saying goodbye was heart wrenching. A feeling I will never forget. I am beyond devastated and hate thinking about
facing my life without him. He was my EVERYTHING. He was my best friend, my soulmate, my protector and now he’s my guardian angel. I have the biggest hole in my heart and I can’t tell you how much I miss him already. I know he’s up in heaven with mine and his family ordering everyone around. Who knows there’s probably a dice table up there too. Rest In Peace my loving husband. You’ll be with me in my heart and soul, every second of every day. I love you more than words could ever express. God took you away from me way too soon. I’ll be looking at the moon but I’ll be seeing you. (Donations in Don's honor can be made to www.PanCan.org (for pancreatic cancer research) or The Service Club of Chicago.) RIP Don, what a grand life you led....
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Huge congrats to Dr. Joaquin C. Brieva on his recent high
honor! On June 17, during the annual resident graduation ceremony (done on Zoom this year) Joaquin was presented with the Northwestern University Department of Dermatology Teacher of the Year award! It's a very special award since it's voted on and presented by the residents. Thanks to proud wife, Jennifer Sutton Brieva, for sharing her love's wonderful achievement!
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You won't want to miss this year's Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens that opens Saturday, July 11 and runs through Sunday, August 9 (benefiting the Angel Harvey Family Health Center of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago). The historic Pullman Estate in Lake Forest has been transformed into a magical wonderland by 33 interior designers and 7 landscape designers. What I loved most was the color, color, color! No all-beige decor for this 11,000-square-foot beauty nestled on magnificent grounds with boxwood that are the genesis of our own Chicago Botanic Garden! The creativity is off the charts with painted floors, ceilings and even book jackets that all coordinate beautifully with each other. Every room, although very
different, somehow flows seamlessly into the next. It's a big rambling 7 bedroom, 8.5 bath home with delightful nooks and crannies, now decorated to a
turn! Paloma Contreras, an award-winning interior decorator, tastemaker and design blogger based in Houston, is the honorary chair of the Showhouse. As mentioned in a previous blog post, many of the items in the designer rooms will be for sale with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. Participating designers include: The ABL Group, Alexandra Kaehler Design, Annie Liddle Design, Cynthia McCullough Interiors, Dovetails Cabinetry, DP Home Design, Edyta & Co. Elizabeth Kreuger Design, Ilene Chase Design, James Thomas, Jen Talbot Design, Joey Leicht Design, Kelly Hurliman Design, Konstant Home, Lori Lennon & Associates,
M&M Interior Design, Mark David Design, Michele Frigon, Nora C. Marra Interiors, North Shore Nest,
Paloma Contreras Design (honorary event chair), Park & Oak, Relativity Textiles, Sarah Vaile Design, Savarie Interiors, Shelley Johnstone Design, Soledad Zitzewitz Interiors, Stephanie Kaslow Interiors, Studio CAK, Studio Gild, Teresa Manns Design and Wendy Labrum Interiors. Landscape designers: Bories and Shearron, Bulley and Andrews, JLC Landscaping, JMR Landscape, Mariani Landscape, Schmechtig Landscapers and Scott Byron & Co. Co-chaired by Jennifer Mower (president of the Lake Forest Infant
Welfare Society of Chicago), Chrissy Davis, Sarah Georgi and Jen Horan, the bi-annual event has raised over $4.5 million for the organization. The colonial-style home, which sits on 3 acres, was originally designed by Frost & Granger in 1906 and completely renovated by architect Stanley Anderson in the late 1920s for investment banker William Allan Pinkerton Pullman, the grand-nephew of George M. Pullman, the developer and manufacturer of Pullman cars. W.A.P. Pullman is also the co-founder of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The home is for sale for $3.5 million (see listing here) To purchase tickets for the Showhouse, click here! (Congrats to CO-OP PR , Whitley Bouma Herbert and Susu Block, for their great work promoting this exciting event, among others!)
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With Covid severely limiting most people's travel plans, we have turned to a longtime love of ours, ROADTRIPS! A few weekends ago, we popped into Lake Geneva for a change of scenery and, recently, we returned to Michigan's Harbor Country for another little adventure. For the first time, we stayed at Firefly Resort (15657 Lakeshore Road, Union Pier, 269-469-0245), a group of cottages built in the 1930s as
a place for city dwellers to escape and relax. It fills the same bill today. The Firefly offers 18 one and two bedroom cottages, all restored, featuring living rooms, kitchenettes and bathrooms. Residents can enjoy outdoor grills, picnic nooks, pretty gardens and
VERY close beach access. A private beach is 900' away and the public beach is a bit closer. We chose the public beach because the stairs down to the private one were pretty hard to navigate (see video here). Now, I must stress that this is definitely NOT luxury lodging--it is true lakeside, cottage living--simple, basic and small. But still such a delightful getaway in a great location. The managers and guests could not have been sweeter. They all made you feel like family AND, one of the best parts, is that certain cottages are PET-FRIENDLY! We had great rag-top weather so this made the short, two day trip even better. We visited all the familiar spots, Drier's Meat Market for liver sausage, Nancy's for ice cream and hot dogs, Brewster's
Italian Cafe for the best pizza and Timothy's (a close spot for
great dining and a bit of whimsy). Timothy's Restaurant, 16409 Red Arrow Hwy, is very close to Firefly and had just opened, albeit cautiously, when we arrived. We sat on a huge patio with gorgeous, landscaped grounds for a backdrop. (Rooney was NOT in my bag by my side, wink, wink). As we enjoyed cocktails, Chuck turned to me and said, "I saw that tree move." I was afraid the beers had gone to his head but, as I watched, a 9-foot pine tree moved slowly 3 feet to the left. I was dumbfounded. We asked our waiter and he told us the story behind the "magical moving tree." On Dec. 31, 2016, owner/chef Timothy Sizer bought the 2.7
acre site on Red Arrow, including the former Wine Sellers building, a large parking lot and wooded backyard. Sizer
quickly began work on restoring the pond and large gardens including night lighting for the tall trees. He said the outdoor dining and tiki bar, along with lawn games like croquet, will be offered shortly. The previous owner came up with the concept of the "moving tree" to delight watchful diners and Timothy decided to keep the tradition alive. It was fun and captured our attention for the rest of the evening! LOL! I'm thinking about renting an RV next......:-)
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Chicago's most magnificent penthouse, at 1500 N. Lake Shore Drive, is for sale for the first time in 45 years! The home was purchased in 1975 by Michael Wilkie, who is board chair of DGI Supply, a company manufacturing industrial products that is part of his DoALL Company founded by his family in 1927. Wilkie is the guy who
famously danced with Princess Diana when she was in Chicago as guest of honor at a gala held at the Field Museum on June 5, 1996. The world press went crazy but Wilkie was not out of line as he had been in contact with the Princess and
told her he would be wearing a flower in his lapel at the gala when he invited her to dance. She was all smiles. But I digress. His penthouse is one of the most spectacular homes I've ever seen. He has decorated the 8,000-square-foot space in Old World style with antiques, malachite-encrusted objets d'art, pricey paintings, marble statuary, taxidermy and more. It was built by famed architect Rosario Candela in 1929 and boasts 6 bedrooms, 6/12 bathrooms, a two-story living room and a 5,200-square-foot lawn with views of the lake from three sides. According to a Wall Street Journal article about the home sale, Wilkie said he's changed little about the grand space except for redoing the kitchen. Compass Real Estate has the listing for $24.5 million. Wilkie said he and wife Teresa plan on relocating to Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida to "avoid Chicago winters."
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Monsters among us......I don't know if I've ever been more disgusted over anything as I have been watching the sickening saga of child molester Jeffrey Epstein. I was sorry he "committed suicide" as I would've loved to see him rot in jail. And now we have his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, being tracked down, finally. If
anything, her sins are even worse to me because she's a woman. She knows how this would affect these young girls and how it would haunt them for the rest of their lives. And she also knew the girls would be more willing with a female doing the procuring. The whole thing is diabolical. I was thrilled when armed agents arrested her and it was quite a production too, 15 vehicles with
spy planes and 24 armed FBI agents stormed the property, named "Tuckedaway", at 4:20 am. They were backed by NY cops, local officers and New Hampshire's gang task force. (Obviously, they weren't taking any chances.) They used bolt cutters to break the lock on the metal gate and found her inside in sweatpants and a top. I hope she gets locked away and the key thrown away and that her "black book" is revealed to all with the names of the other perverts involved. Reportedly, she has a secret stash of the pedophile's sex tapes that could implicate the world's most powerful and she will try to use them to save herself. I pray that all the victims get the justice they deserve.
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I'm so excited to be hosting the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center's Virtual Soiree on Wednesday, September 2 at 7 pm CDT! The event will feature a performance by The Voice finalist, Katie Kadan as well as inspiring stories from Holocaust survivors. The mission of the IHMEC is expressed in its founding principle: Remember the Past, Transform the Future. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference. The
Museum, which is located in Skokie at 9603 Woods Drive, fulfills its mission through the exhibition, preservation and interpretation of its collections and through education programs and initiatives that foster the promotion of human rights and the elimination of genocide. The Museum, a 65,000-square-foot space, opened April 19, 2009 and is a culmination of 30 years of hard work by the local Holocaust survivor community. According to President Emeritus Sam Harris, “We dreamt of creating a place that would not only serve as a memorial to our families that perished and the millions lost, but also where young minds could learn the terrible dangers of prejudice and hatred.” Amen to that! For tickets/more info, please click here!
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The Chicago Lighthouse is charging ahead with its many events, albeit virtually to support people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled and Veterans. Its annual Seeing What's Possible Gala will be held on Saturday, September 12; the fabulous Flair Fashion Show will take place on Friday, October 16 and the House & Garden Walk is scheduled for October 1 to the 10th. To learn more about these events and the nonprofit, click here.
The Big Shoulders Fund's 2020 "Reach for the Stars" Humanitarian Awards Dinner is slated for Friday, October 23 (it was moved from a May date). The event will be held at the Hilton Chicago and honor Beth and Bruce White. These dinners don't happen on an annual basis so each one is critical to the nonprofit's success with funds raised going towards scholarships, academic and enrichment programs, instructional equipment, school improvements, faculty support, operating grants and more. Most recently, the org set a record at its 2018 Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Humanitarian Award Dinner honoring Kimberly Querrey and Lou Simpson by raising $14.1 million. (For tickets, more info, click here!)
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I'm so excited to be co-hosting PAWS Chicago's Red Carpet for its virtual Beach Party on Thursday, July 23 with Phillip Emigh (Tails in the City)! This fun-filled party will
take place at 7 pm with surprise appearances, "arrival" coverage, a beach bod pet competition, PAW-garitas and so much more! A silent auction will include a custom illustration of your pet by
award-winning fashion illustrator Rosemary Fanti. Purchase a Party Pack for only $75 (with a portion of the proceeds donated back to PAWS) that includes four tacos with chips, guac, salsa, street corn and churro bites. A PAW-garita kit, $55, includes everything you need to fuel the fun for 10-12 people! As of today, PAWS has made 1,923 adoptions, with the majority of these happening through their virtual adoption process! Help PAWS continue their No-Kill work by joining us! (To register for FREE (donations encouraged, of course, click here!)
WINGS Program will host its 20th Purple Tie Ball (virtually) this year on Saturday, October 3, to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The event will feature great music, powerful stories from domestic violence survivors,
an auction, a virtual cooking demo and more! For major sponsors, WINGS will also offer in-home dinner parties catered by a local chef. The event will honor Melissa Canning and Debby Jackson. For more info, click here!
I finally ventured out for a little retail therapy and almost wished I hadn't. I know things are different now, and may never return to the normal we knew before, but still.....I had hope in my heart that my little trip to a department store might restore my battered soul. I was never a big shopper, but I've always been a big socializer. I have friends in almost every department of every store around town and was anxious to get out and say hello (masked of course). Sadly, not to be....the stores I visited seemed to have lost their
hearts (for now) and I'm sure many of them have since they probably had to lay off staff, put others on furlough or whatever they needed to do for cost-saving measures. These times make it difficult for anyone to make money especially with looky loos like me who aren't buying anything. One retail loss that I really took to heart was the retirement of long-time Neiman Marcus (Michigan Avenue) personal shopper Cynthia Holbrook. I know she certainly deserves to finally get some rest, she's been in this business for a decade or more but Cynthia was so much more than her title. She was a friend to EVERYONE, a shoulder to lean on, someone to laugh with who just happened to know EVERYTHING there was to know about the fashion world. I'm happy for her but selfishly sad for me. I wish her the best and I know I will run into her somewhere soon. She will be dressed in the latest looks head-to-toe, of course, and I will probably be in sweat pants and a raggedy t-shirt.
Here's to a brighter future, hopefully soon, for us all.
Love, as always,
Candace
P.S. It's gonna be a long year in Kindergarten....
Wonderful newsletter this week! Lovely tribute to Don Conover.
Posted by: Lynne Jordan | July 23, 2020 at 12:03 AM