Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
OK, so for the second year in a row, I’ve made goodie bags for my son’s birthday parties using brown paper lunch bags. They didn’t turn out nearly as cute as I fancied them to be when I was making them. But, I still like them.
Too bad they didn’t quote me correctly. The sentiment is there, but this isn’t exactly what I said. How do I know? They asked for my answers via e-mail. And I saved that e-mail.
I made these goodie bags for my son’s 4th birthday party. I filled brown paper lunchbags with Lightening McQueen notebads, pencils, a few small toys and packets of Korean cookie sticks. I folded the top part of the bag over, punched two holes into it and then tied crazy straws to the top with colorful ribbons. To make it easier for each child to find his or her own treat bag, I attached each guest’s photo on the front.
As we head into the tail end of 2008, some of us are hitting panic mode. Visitors will be stopping by for holiday meals. Guests may be staying for long weekends. And it seems like it will take years, much less a couple months, before we can get our house in tip-top shape. Have no fear. With the guidance of some experts, we’re here to help you get your house in order, from the outside in. We’ll tackle simple and cost-effective ways to tidy up your home’s curb appeal, organize your most cluttered rooms and also offer a few do-it-yourself design tips that will have guests remarking on your good taste.
You’ve heard of an interior designer. And you may have even hired a remodeler. But until recently, a redesigner was just a word that most of us didn’t realize existed. Thanks to home design shows such as HGTV’s “Decorating Cents,” savvy homeowners are learning that redesigning — or utilizing pieces that already exist in a home — can rejuvenate a house for very little cost and, in some cases, no cost. It just takes a little imagination to think outside of the box — and maybe a friend or two to help move the furniture around.
Decorating your home in 2006 will be a cinch, according to experts. Just remember to stay away from matchy-matchy sets and concentrate instead on bringing out your home’s individuality. This doesn’t mean you can’t have the same furniture your neighbors have. You can. But you may want to present it differently — accenting a warm chocolate brown sofa with a vibrant red pillow. Or if you can’t stand clutter, opt for dramatic wall colors instead of home accents.
Who needs Main Street when you’ve got Third Street? Stretching along six blocks of downtown Geneva — and located 40 miles west of Chicago — the Third Street District offers quite the array for folks looking for a way to spend a lazy day. Full of antique shops, restaurants, confectionaries, boutiques and cafes, Geneva is both quaint and cosmopolitan. It’s the city’s quaint quotient that lured filmmakers to shoot part of Tom Hanks’ “Road to Perdition” here. (Drive along State Street and you may recognize some of the buildings.) So park your car, pull on your warm winter gear and take some time to stroll down Third Street.
There’s nothing like an old fashioned bookstore. Sure, the warehouse-sized chains have tons of material to offer, but where’s the love there? At the 30-year-old Town House Books, the staff is knowledgeable and the setting is oh-so cozy and inviting … especially since you can smell the delicious dishes being cooked up at the store’s cafe. Weather permitting, you may sit outside with a book or newspaper while you enjoy a cup of herbal tea or coffee. But if you have the time, plan on getting lunch there. The soups are homemade, the salads are delectable and the hummus platter is generous enough to share with a friend.
Spearheaded by George Harrison, the Concert for Bangladesh was attended by more than 40,000 fans. The lineup at Madison Square Garden was a who’s who of the era’s most popular rock musicians: Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Badfinger, Leon Russell, Billy Preston and Ravi Shankar. The concert, along with sales from the live album, raised more than $10 million for the nation’s starving refugees.
It’s three days before Christmas and we know there are more than a few of you who haven’t gotten a present yet for your significant other. Don’t freak out. After all, it’s not that they’re the last people on your list, but rather you’ve saved the best to shop for last. Yeah, that’s it. Have no fear. Whether money is no object or you’re working within a budget, we’ve got some ideas that will dazzle your loved ones. Feel free to improvise, but these tips hopefully will get you in the mood to shop. You may pick up some things at local stores. Others may require a little online shopping, which means it may not be delivered in time for Christmas — so give the recipient a card to let him or her know what will be arriving in the mail.
There are two types of holiday card recipients — those who display them well into the new year, and those who throw them away the second after they’ve opened the envelope. If you don’t want your card to fall into the latter category, try sending something a little different this year: cards you’ve made yourself.
Thanksgiving is over. You’d think we’d be relieved the big day is past us, but some of us can’t get beyond the fact it’s just that much closer now to Hanukkah and Christmas. OK. Take a deep breath and relax. We’ll get through this together. “In today’s world we’re all running around all the time, so it’s difficult for many people to slow down at all,” says Kathleen Galvin, a Northwestern University professor who specializes in family communications.
While her friends would dream of having their daddies build them the perfect dollhouse, Tina Hanson was figuring out ways to make her own. Armed with a hammer and nails, she would build little sheds next to her family’s house. Flash forward about 30 years. Hanson, now 40, has done enough work on her Skokie home to make Bob Vila jealous. “Instead of going in the business finance world, I wish I’d had the foresight to have studied architecture in college,” says Hanson, who works as a bookkeeper for a local travel agency. “I think I would’ve been pretty good at building houses. I do all right repairing them.”
Divorce attorney to the stars Raoul Felder once said a celebrity who doesn’t draw up a prenuptial agreement needs a psychiatrist, not a lawyer. After all, if your net worth was $32 million, would you marry a guy whose car was repossessed? OK, but say you’re Britney Spears and you really, really want to marry backup dancer Kevin Federline and think this love will last 4-ever!
It’s not enough these days to have a cool million in the bank and a house in the Hamptons. Now you need that something extra to make your neighbors really take notice. Not sure what to start acquiring first? Here are a few hints to help you get started: Hummer: Yes, we know they’re not the most stylish of cars, but everyone who’s anyone is all about this vehicle. Off-road or not, the ride isn’t as smooth as, say, a Mercedes. But dahling, luxury cars are so last year. And if you can pay to fill the tank, you’ve got even more cred.
That Bicycling Magazine picked Chicago as the best big cycling city in the United States isn’t surprising to us. Chicagoans have been taking advantage of the more than 125 miles of new or improved bikeways for years. More than 100 million Americans own a bicycle, and the number of people biking is growing at a rapid pace. “With Mayor [Richard M.] Daley’s help, cycling has really exploded in the last 10 years in Chicago,” says Theresa Cowen, coordinator for the city’s Bike Chicago program. “Chicago actually is one of the most bike-friendly places. Besides all our bike lanes and paths, we have more bike racks than any other city in the country — 9,400.”
Madonna’s been striking quite the twisted pose during her live shows. It’s not ours to ask why Madge would want to do this to herself. However, we couldn’t help wondering whether it would be easy — or wise — to emulate the Material Mom’s contortions in our own workouts. After talking with experts, the answer, in a word, would be no.
It’s June. So chances are you’re invited to a wedding, will be attending a wedding or are in a wedding. It’s a confusing time for all of us, especially if we’re not sure we’re even invited. To help make this a less trying time all around, we’ve come up with some do’s and don’ts to help keep this joyous occasion relatively stress-free.
It’s a sad time for all of us: No Martha Stewart to guide us through spring by telling us when to plant our seeds, how to fold those unruly fitted sheets or which salads work best for a light al fresco supper. Still, we must go on. Now that the sun has passed through the vernal equinox, spring is officially here. And boy, are we ever ready for it.
With her sallow complexion, sagging jowls and bloated body, the woman onscreen in “Monster” isn’t recognizable as Charlize Theron. Best known for her killer legs and babydoll face, the 28-year-old actress was an unlikely candidate to portray real-life serial killer Aileen Wournos. But when you look at side-by-side photos of the two, the likeness is uncanny.