Art Institute January 2010

The Art Institute added a Modern Wing. It's pretty darned cool.










(This isn't blurry.)


See?

Christmas Tree 2009

Instead of putting up the big tree this year, we decided to get a cute little four-footer (no lights, unfortunately) at Menards yesterday, so a tree has gone up in our house!




It's not a Christmas tree without this ornament, a gift from my Aunt Rose long ago.


I stole this lighted wire gift box idea from an art display I saw a couple of weeks ago. I've had those boxes forever but wasn't sure what to do with them.


The side table by the window. (Yes, my living room walls are bright blue and mustard. And the couch is red. I like color in my home!)


My husband's stocking. Mine is Tweety Bird.


I think this was my husband's grandmothers. We had a couple in my house growing up too, but I think they are long gone.


My cats love to sleep under the tree every year, but since this one is on a small table they've been denied. So now they are sleeping under the table. I am going to get a large soft tree skirt and put it under for them; I'll take photos of it tonight.

Calendar: December 2009

Winter Wonderland at the Chicago Botanic Garden. That is a replica of the B'nai Temple.

Calendar: November 2009

Ice Rinks

Chicago


Detroit


New York

People and Art

My husband and I spent the weekend downtown, enjoying our beloved city in full Christmas swing. We packed a lot of stuff into two days, trudging through the snow from museum to hotel lobby to outdoor market to museum. It felt like a winter version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, so in that spirit, here are some people looking at the Impressionists.




Boys are always fascinated by girls.




I'm calling this one "Man with Clown".

Christmas Lights: Excessive Edition

This is one of the most overly-decorated houses I've seen. There are lights, giant blow-up creatures, Santas galore, but worst of all, there is just no theme. Unless the theme is "Too Much of Everything".



Um. Is that Pooh and Eeyore behind the tree on the right?



Oh God, it is.



The lighted-wire reindeer seem overwhelmed and frightened.



A polar bear, Snoopy and a seal walk into an igloo...

Tomorrow will be excessive done right. Come back then!

Wacker and Wabash

Can you spot the one major difference between these two shots?


Also available in large.



Also available in large.

Inner Workings

I am continually fascinated by the inner workings of a tropical greenhouse. So much is going on just behind all those palm trees and leaves.

February 6th storm

My dad said he wanted to see how bad it was out here, so here you go! I didn't venture out past my street because it was getting dark and I didn't want to get the camera wet. But it's enough for now.


This is my street. Can you see the street part? Me either.


Pull up a chair and enjoy the sleet!


Already building up on the shovel again!

Garfield Park Conservatory

Note to my dad, the weather junkie: we have at least five inches of snow on the ground, and the storm hasn't completely passed us yet. It's hard to tell how much is out there because the wind has blown it all over. But at least my car will be easier to clean this morning!

To avoid thinking about that, here are some more photos of greenhouses, this time at Garfield Park Conservatory, located in the middle of the west side of Chicago.

The main entrance:



The great hall:



Next week: details, and more flowers!

Oak Park Conservatory

More lushness in the middle of winter. Oak Park was such a sweet little conservatory. So bright and cheery!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!

The temperature dropped 50 degrees in about 5 hours last night -- down to -1 this morning -- accompanied by bone-chilling winds and snow.

So here, have some hothouse flowers. There's a tiny little conservatory in Oak Park, and it's full of them.

A welcome shock of green

Just what I needed to see in the middle of a cold, white winter. Taken at Garfield Park Conservatory, January 2008.