Aiding and Abedding
It’s almost August yet it feels like summer just started, with all that less-than-beachy weather and whatnot. Oh well, if life gives you lemons, you can still make a vodka lemonade, and there’s plenty of time to legally still wear your white skinnies. Jayson Home & Garden wants to help pretty-up what’s left of the season by having a storewide plant sale—trees and shrubs are half-off; annuals, herbs, and perennials are reduced by 30 percent; and most of Jayson’s jardinieres (they have some fantastic ceramic and metal ones) will have 30 to 50 percent knocked off, August 1-10. Whose yard, deck, or windowsill couldn’t use a little metaphorical Rogaine thus far into the season? The yard sale also corresponds with the last ten days of Jayson’s “floor and more” sale, in store and online.
Danish Dialing
If you’re still calling it out old school from a landline, you should definitely have a phone that makes a statement even when it’s just chillaxing on your counter or desk. Bang & Olufsen has halved prices on the sleek, limited edition BeoCom 2 ringers that were made to celebrate the company’s 80th year, bringing this sexy light blue version down to $475 and the uber-sexy hand-engraved version down to $675. (Hey—it’s numbered!) This supermodel of a cordless telephone is formed from a single piece of brushed aluminum and quantities are limited. Contact the State Street store at 312-787-6006 for more 411.
Razzle Dazzle Real Estate
I’ve been watching the gut conversion of a handsome apartment building on Glenwood and Catalpa into a 12-unit condo complex for what seems like years now, and recently a sign appeared to promote sales for the project, called The Atwood. It has possibly the best real estate team names ever: Liz LaTour and Kiki Calumet. I so want there to be a roaring twenties Bob Fosse musical with those characters playing street-smart dames who pick up a knack for hawkin’ digs from Velma Kelly and Roxy Hart while slingin’ hash in the big house mess hall. There could be numbers with jazz hands and bowler hats, and lyrics like “I’ll fix you, mister, and your mortgage rate too!” Liz is already a top-seller with the Swake Group of Keller Williams, and Kiki is an accomplished mortgage consultant at A and N Mortgage, so how could this not be HUGE?
Golden Opportunity
The Merchandise Mart is opening its doors and floors (well, five of them) to the public for a summer luxury furnishings sale tomorrow, July 30 till Saturday, from 9-5 on all three days. Dozens of trade-only showrooms on floors 6 and 15-18, from A. Rudin to Zeebah Home will be offering furniture, rugs, lighting, accessories, art, and fabrics at up to 75 percent savings, and you don’t have to have a designer holding your hand, or even a Mart pass. This sleeper sofa from Century (Suite 1700) is marked down to $2,199 from $5,838.
Streetwise Wares
It’s sidewalk sale season, and one of our favorite big ones is coming up this weekend. The Andersonville Sidewalk Sale runs from Friday to Sunday, and it seems like just about every merchant of A’ville is getting in on the action (bone up on some favorites we profiled recently, or see the complete list on the Chamber’s site. I recommend visiting the recently revamped Swedish American Museum shop and stopping by Terry’s Toffee in the Galleria, where, I’ll wager, There Will Be Samples. Spend $20 at participating businesses and enter a raffle to win gift certificates.
Aster Class
Mike Hines, the co-owner and creative director of edgy Epoch florists and event planners, is offering small, hands-on evening classes in flower arranging at his West Side location, 1700 W. Hubbard St. Three are planned for August, including a plan-your-own-wedding lesson on Aug. 12, 6-9 p.m. ($200) and two shorter hand-tying training sessions on Aug. 5 and 19, 6-8 p.m. ($150). Epoch creates arty arrangements for luxe events all over town, including the Diffa doing shown here. Your fee includes the vases and flowers used to create two arrangements (probably not as elaborate as these topsy-turvies, but you still might want to plan a Friday dinner party to show them off).