Kristen Short

Whoop!

Queen AB (Annabelle hydrangea) is putting on a show. So fluffy.

And the day lilies are soaring, literally. They can get as tall as 6 feet. 🫨

Condo courtyard garden is getting a glow up. ⚡️Hello, lightning bugs! ⚡️

Team Sweet Tooth reporting for duty.

This place in Logan Square (Katherine Anne Confections) has the best caramels. Ditto the truffles—Fat Elvis!

Cevapi (pronounced chuh-va-pee) is the national dish of the Balkans so giving this a go for my one new thing. 🎉

Ran an errand in the city so stopped here (Cafe Libra).

Day of PTO and I made it to the Cleve Carney Museum in Glen Ellyn. #Hokusai2025 exceeded my expectations. (Admission just $12 on Tues/Wed after 2p.)

Hokusai and Hiroshige prints from the 1800s, an immersive Manga room, artwork by Rich Lo, and an interactive build your own woodblock print station!

💟 The color purple. 💟

A museum dedicated to the cutting and polishing of minerals, gem stones, and fossils? Into it!

This weekend’s one new thing is the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Oak Brook. (Used to be located in Elmhurst, but they moved to this location in 2019.)

Last week’s one new thing: The Design Museum of Chicago on Randolph.

This museum is free and currently exhibiting student work. Never been here before but wow Chicago public schools have some very gifted artists—they range from 7 to 18 years old.

Here are some of my favorites. ❤️

Agree! Low is one of my favorite bands. I like most genres. Currently appreciating Etta James. 🙌

Me too! Mimi Parker’s performance on Laser Beam is exquisite.

One new thing (for this week): Oak Park’s Grape Leaves.

The mint tea is sweeter than I expected but the kefta kabob and grilled vegetables—whoa. I’ll be coming back for this.

Small space, small budget. Like really small.

Found some inexpensive plant stands, repurposed all my mismatching pots, and got part of the PS (plant situation) on the back deck for summering.

Prob will still move some stuff around, but back deck spiffaroo project is almost a wrap. 🥳

One new experience a week.

Could be a museum or restaurant, but it has to be something I’ve never tried before.

(That was my 2025 New Year’s resolution, and I’m just getting to it.)

First up: Santa Masa Tamaleria in the Dunning neighborhood of Chicago. This is the pozole verde. So, so good.

April showers bring April flowers? 🤷‍♀️

The tulips made their arrival last week in Oak Park, and they seem to love the cooler temps.

Also, pollen has entered the chat. 🤧

Hot dog! I restarted my plant collection and found this beauty—the Mandarin Spider Plant.

The stems/petioles are ridiculously gorgeous. An orange cream color. 🧡

🍀 Adding to my beanie collection. Because Chicago (my old hometown). And b/c Saint Patrick’s Day! 🍀

Everyone’s a little bit Irish on St. Paddy’s, amirite?

Downtown Chicago, aren’t you pretty?

Here for a work conference and the view is quite nice. 😍

Perhaps in a month the parks lining Lake Michigan will be green and bursting with flowers. Bring on Spring.

Downtown Chicago, aren’t you pretty?

Here for a work conference and the view is quite nice. 😍

Perhaps in a month the parks lining Lake Michigan will be green and bursting with flowers. Bring on Spring.

Digging into White Lotus S3E3 and appreciated @profgalloway.com’s VO work! Cool surprise. And great scene w/Jason Isaacs. Well done! 👏

Rx for an overcast winter day. Filling the plant/flower tank!

🐻⬇️

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❄️ The quiet and healing properties of snow and winter. This park district down the street from my condo is one of my favorite things about Oak Park. The English country house (Cheney Mansion) in the middle of the park is pretty in all seasons. ❄️

Oh thank you! Cool BTW to hear from a fellow OPer 😊

100%! They have a ponderosa lemon tree that is super cool. Also lots of interesting cacti.

Got my plant fix and a dash of steam (holy sweatiness 💦) at the Oak Park Conservatory. Lots of coral and orange colors to appreciate.

Aaaaaaaand a few more photos from the Klairmont Kollections:

1. 1932 Dusenberg Dual Cowl Phaeton (from Auburn, Indiana)
2. 1947 Tatra T87 (Czechoslovakian manufacturer)
3. 1951 Muntz Jet (only 394 Jets made)

Ok, the Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum is off the hook. 100,000 SF of vintage cars 😍 in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.

They currently have the Richard Driehaus automobile collection on display. This is the 1941 Lincoln-Zephyr Sedan.

Lincoln Park Conservatory for the poinsettia W.

Me too! The Focus Group pod is one of my favorites. So good