I'M BLOWING INTO CHICAGO APRIL 18th FOR THE BOTANIC GARDEN ANTIQUES AND GARDEN FAIR

Photos courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden

All this chatter about spring really has me excited for it. One way I can force it's arrival is by surrounding myself with as many flowers and greenery as I can. The opportunity to do just that is on my horizon, as I head to Chicago April 18th for the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Show. I have been asked, along with other bloggers I adore and always learn from-- Peak of Chic's Jennifer Boles and EEE's Emily Evans Eerdmans-- to participate in Living with Color: Style Bloggers’ Musings on Super-Chic Living panel, moderated by the one and only Julia Reed. Girl power will be in the house, and so will Honorary Chair Michael S. Smith talking on his new May 2013 book, Building Beauty, and Charlottesville, Va-based classical landscape designer Charles Stick. A pretty stellar line up to be sure, so I am looking forward to learning from the greats. But lest we forget the shopping to be had, as antique dealers, garden statuary and home accessories fill the rows of aisles with garden-themed ephemera old and new.

The lectures will occur at the Alsdorf Auditorium in the Regenstein Center:

Friday April 19th:

11am- "Building Beauty", Michael S. Smith

Saturday April 20th:

11am- "Looking at Gardens", Charles Stick

2pm- "Blogger Style Panel Living with Color: Style Bloggers’ Musings on Super-Chic Living" with The Peak of Chic’s Jennifer Boles, Stylebeat’s Marisa Marcantonio, and design historian Emily Evans Eerdmans. The moderator of this discussion will be the delightful Julia Reed,  contributing editor at Garden and Gun and Elle Decor and the Wall Street Journal in addition to author of four books, including the upcoming "But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria: Adventures in Eating, Drinking, and Making Merry." The dialogue is sure to inspire your design senses as each of these women discusses her unique viewpoint on living and entertaining with style, including favorite finds for the home

Sunday April 21st:
11am- "From The Ground Up" by The Organic Gardener Ltd. founder and consultant Jeanne Pinsof Nolan 

For tickets and to learn more, click here. If you find yourself in Chi Town or a neighboring suburb, I hope  you will come for the weekend, to hear, learn and see everything the stunning Botanic Garden has to offer for this, the 13th year of the Antiques and Garden Fair. Just think, maybe spring will be here by then. Looking forward to seeing your friendly face in the audience!

STYLISH SPONSOR WELCOME: SHELLKARE CAFTANS

 Photos courtesy of Shellkare

 Karen Solomon, Elissa Kovas and interior designer Shelley Johnstone Paschke make up Shellkare

When festive, fun or formal is the dress code, Shellkare embroidered silk and cottan caftans, shirts and dresses will become your go-to source. Started by three friends in a Chicago suburb, Shellkare creates floaty and flirty designs that will outfit the wearer from tropical to winter climes in style. These North Shore moms have oodles of style and wanted to create a line that could translate from day to night while taking advantage of the best materials and beautiful embroidery. The name is a creative merger of theirs. Made in Hong Kong and embroidered in India, they have kept their assortment tightly edited, adding pieces as the need for particular looks arise. Their first design was in linen, and the initial neckline detailing was inspired by architectural details found on historic buildings interior designer Johnstone had seen in Paris. The pieces travel well, suiting just about any occasion stylishly. Check out their website for current trunk shows and retailers, and reach out if you want to do a trunk show or carry their collection.  Pair with favorite white jeans and jewelry, and an individualized look is born.

MAKE A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE:

 Keep cool in the Kate linen caftan with fresh contrasting pale blue and red embroidery and coral beading

 In the palest lilac, the Kate linen short caftan with embroidery and semi-precious stones can go from cocktails to dinner in a tropical locale

With dark fabric and red embroidered neckline, the Kate linen caftan has beautiful contrast

HEAD TURNING TOPS

Nicole, a long-sleeve printed and embroidered top available with different bead colors

 Audrey printed silk jeweled short caftan with semi-precious stone and gold embroidery detail

Nadia, a long-sleeve stretch linen top with brass beading detail

Natalie, a short sleeve top with emboirdery in silk/cotton voile

Sabrina tie-front top in flax stretch linen with elaborate gold embroidery

BEACHY

New for resort, Majorca tunic in terry with brightly embroidered two-tone rectangular motif at sleeve and neckline

A longer version for beach days

COFFEE TO COCKTAILS

Full sleeves and v neckline make the Avery pleated silk blouse in emerald green a holiday showstopper

With 3/4 length kimono sleeves and longer body, the Karen blouse moves well

Elissa kimono blouse runs longer with a belt and draped neckline in a loden green silk

A party perfect top, the sleeveless Blair blouse with beaded neckline has deco detailing

For big nights out, the Alexa drape front dress in the darkest navy resists wrinkles making it a perfect travel companion

TOTAL TRANSPARENCY: INVISIBLE FURNITURE FROM PAGODA RED

Made in Beijing, July Zhou takes traditional Chinese Ming furniture forms and reinvents them in crystal clear lucite. The handmade, highly- detailed pieces glow with a lacquer like luster. Adding a piece to any interior brings a modernist sensibility and a dash of cool factor. The pieces have just launched at Betsy Nathan's Chicago-based Pagoda Red booth at 1st Dibs on the 10th floor of  The New York Design Center. Her Chicago store is a must-visit destination, so I am sure this will be too.

Photos courtesy Pagoda Red

Summer Palace Altar Table

Pair of Blue and White Invisible Chairs 

Summer Palace Low Table 

Summer Palace Square Table

Forever Roundback Chair

Invisible Stool

The Mirage Stool has color on the underside of the lucite that gives it a glowing red presence