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Monday, November 28, 2011

1st Annual Evanston Turkey Trot was a huge success!

This Thanksgiving Day my husband, son and family friend ran the 1st Annual 5K Turkey Trot while I took photos and cheered them on. More than 1,500 participants showed up to run, walk or cheer. The race was extremely well organized and the race staffers were wonderful.

We're hoping this becomes an annual event as it's a great way to burn a few calories before consuming Thanksgiving Dinner.

Visit www.evanstonflying5k.com or www.mychicagoathlete.com for more information.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Sunday, November 27, 2011

More bad news, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in Evanston is the most delicious deep dish pizza I've ever tasted.

We had the pleasure of hosting our good friends from New York City over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend and gave them the royal Evanston treatment, to include a night of deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's. OMG, that pizza is amazing.

We ordered the deep dish pizza with sausage and onions and it look all my power not to lock myself in the bathroom with the pizza and eat the entire thing, which is not what a good host would do.

Pictured above is the vegetarian, which in comparison to the sausage pizza was a little boring, sorry. Safe to say I will be ordering Malnati's again and again!

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
1850 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201
(847)328-5400

Monday, November 21, 2011

Santa Claus is coming to Evanston!

November 22
Holiday Tree Lighting
Fountain Square, 1560 Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL at 5:30 PM

This annual celebration will feature a visit from Evanston Mayor Elizabeth B. Tisdahl, Rotary International’s Deputy General Secretary, Pete Deberge and Santa Claus, who will arrive at Fountain Square on an Evanston fire truck. Immediately following the tree lighting ceremony there will be a festive warm-up reception with holiday goodies hosted by Rotary International in their CafĂ© International at One Rotary Center, at 1560 Sherman Ave., across from Fountain Square.

In the spirit of holiday giving, warm essentials (socks, long underwear, gloves, hats, etc.) will be accepted at the reception for donation to Hilda's Place, Evanston's emergency housing and support services for the homeless. Hilda's provides more than 12,600 nights of shelter and serves 20,000 meals per year to those in need. For more information, call 847-866-6319 or visit www.evanstondowntown.com.

This event will take place at Fountain Square on Tuesday, November 22 at 5:30 pm.

Information from the City of Evanston website, visit www.cityofevanston.org for more info.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Shop Evanston: NeighborWood cutting boards from urban growth timber

A friend of mine recently sent a list of great holiday shopping ideas and I will share them all with you, starting with NeighborWood. The story for this company is so cool, I'm copy and pasting it from the website for your to read as I will do not justice in the retelling:

NeighborWood: Sustainable wood products from Urban Growth Timber

NeighborWood has your answer, or at least for Chicago and the surrounding areas. These guys not only have a hilarious company name, but the genius idea of partnering with local municipalities, which must constantly clear trees that are in danger of falling. NeighborWood puts the felled timbre to good use, and converts it into a variety of cutting boards, and get this, a grill scraper that customizes its edge to your grill.

It’s great to see that Wilco is now the 2nd best thing to come out of Chicago, behind NeighborWood.

Order a cutting board today at store.myneighborwood.com.

Send your recommendations for good eats, local buys or anything I should know about in Evanston at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Wildlife Sighting: Female Downy Woodpecker

Today we saw a beautiful female Downy Woodpecker on the tree just outside our window, from about 5 feet away. Awesome.One of the funnest elements of moving to a new city has been learning about the locals animals and nature.

As a going away present, a family of birders gave us binoculars for birding in the winter. We'll have to get a field guide for the Illinois area and get birding this winter. Can you recommend any ideal places for birding in the Chicago area?

Info on the Downy Woodpecker
Size & Shape
Downy Woodpeckers are small versions of the classic woodpecker body plan. They have a straight, chisel-like bill, blocky head, wide shoulders, and straight-backed posture as they lean away from tree limbs and onto their tail feathers. The bill tends to look smaller for the bird’s size than in other woodpeckers.

Color Pattern
Downy Woodpeckers give a checkered black-and-white impression. The black upperparts are checked with white on the wings, the head is boldly striped, and the back has a broad white stripe down the center. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head. The outer tail feathers are typically white with a few black spots.

Behavior
Downy Woodpeckers hitch around tree limbs and trunks or drop into tall weeds to feed on galls, moving more acrobatically than larger woodpeckers. Their rising-and-falling flight style is distinctive of many woodpeckers. In spring and summer, Downy Woodpeckers make lots of noise, both with their shrill whinnying call and by drumming on trees.

Habitat
You’ll find Downy Woodpeckers in open woodlands, particularly among deciduous trees, and brushy or weedy edges. They’re also at home in orchards, city parks, backyards and vacant lots.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Friday, November 18, 2011

Evanston Style Watch: Is this the kind of hat I'll have to wear this winter in order to stay warm?

So I was at my favorite bar last night (11.16.11: Bad news, my new favorite bar is 2.5 blocks from my house) and I ran into this cute young mom with some kind of dead raccoon on her head. Silly me, turns out it's a hat and if you don't want your head to freeze into a block of ice and fall off your shoulders this winter, you have to wear this hat.

Now, we all have our fashion insecurities (for instance I don't weather leather or denim, I am not hot or thin enough to pull off those fabrics with confidence) but when it's 20 below, you have to wear some stuff that might not make you look that hot. But this hat? I don't think I can wear this hat no matter how cold it gets.

Good for this girl that she looks this cute in that hat!

Below are several other images from my Evanston Style Watch project where I shoot inspiring or interesting street fashion. As you can tell with 3 images in the slide show, it's a slow project, but I'm determined to track down Evanston's best in street fashion.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

I miss my friends!!!!!!

One thing I didn't expect at all is just how much I miss my friends in El Paso! This is my fourth move in my adult life, I have friends all over the globe, but this move has me all choked up.

I blame Facebook, which keeps the bonds very strong with old friends, via videos and photos, and old-school photo albums are deadly too.

My friend sent me this photo recently and I just had to share it with you as it's so incredibly cute.

I'm logging off now so I can send some emails and postcards to El Paso, I miss my friends...

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Bad news, my new favorite bar is 2.5 blocks from my house

How did I get so lucky? I mean it's not enough that my new city is gorgeous, sits on a massively gorgeous beach, has amazing people but it also has a very cool bar with affordable drinks and delicious organic food?

Last night my neighbor/new friend Magee took me out to Union to introduce me to the joint and it was a fantastic experience. The cider pictured above was $9 and poured 3 6oz. glasses. We ordered the bruschetta which is served with kale and white beans, poured over toasted French bread and doused in garlic - divine. We sat at the bar and received impeccable service, with the bartender cleaning up after our every messy move but not in an invasive way.

Our friend's are visiting from Brooklyn this Thanksgiving weekend and we will definitely be sure to take them here for dinner. There's also a performance venue in the back, SPACE, where I saw The Story Pirates recently and that venue is intimate, dark and great for a show.

See you at Union!

For more information visit www.unionevanston.com.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Evanston Newbie readers weigh in on the Evanston Thrift Stores

As you know I've got a hankering to visit a good Thrift Store most days of the year and my good friend and Evanston Ambassador Jodi "The Fox" Glenn has sent me a list of thrift stores in Evanston to check out. For organizational purposes I'm posting the list here and will post reviews after I find the time to check out the store.

-ORT Resale 915 Chicago Ave (across the street from JL, and right by amazing Greek place called Cross Rhodes – try their Greek chicken & potatoes. You’ll weep.)

-Hit or miss, but people swear by the Unique thrift shop next to Dollar Tree at Dodge & Howard. (You may have heard people refer to it as the “Unique Boutique.”) I have not had luck there, but the Salvation Army shop on Oakton in Skokie is pretty decent.

-There is a delightful little vintage shop on Chicago Ave just around the corner from us – can’t remember the name – but it’s on the east side of the street, south of Hamilton. The owners’ cats hang out at the store. My mom just scored a truly mod yellow dress and chain belt for a 60s party she’s going to on Saturday, and I haunt the place for vintage handkerchiefs (something I always like to give a bride when I do a wedding) and funky purses.

-OOOOH – field trip --- you MUST go to Lost Eras, at 1511 W. Howard Street. Prepare to lose HOURS. We used to rent costumes & props from them years ago when they were in the city. You can buy or rent almost anything there, and just browsing is the most fun. Beware the basement – incredible store of vintage clothing, furnishings and accessories, but you’ve got to duck a lot or you’ll whack your head on things.

-The Unique thrift stores throughout Chicago again are hit or miss but you can find extraordinary things if you’re patient. I ducked into one on the near northwest side when I was early for an appointment, and scored Jacob’s suit and tie for Halloween, which ended up looking truly dapper on him. They also had a really impressive collection of men’s leather coats.

Thank you Jodi! Know of any thrift stores I need to add to the list? Email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Today only: 5% of Whole Foods sales goes to Evanston History Center (go buy Prosecco and cheese)

You know you are always looking to visit Whole Foods for your favorite culinary treats and today you've got the perfect excuse!

From the Evanston History Center website:

The Evanston History Center (EHC) is delighted to announce that Whole Foods Market Evanston South at 1111 Chicago Ave. has chosen us to be the beneficiary of 5% of net sales made at the store on Wednesday November 16, 2011, from 8am to 10pm—ONE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING!

Please use this opportunity to do your holiday shopping–from flowers to beverages to food– at Whole Foods. We hope you will help spread the word!

Stop by EHC’s membership table at the store on November 16th and see the historic artifacts on display. Join us at noon for a talk by Eden Juron Pearlman, Executive Director of the Evanston History Center. Thank you Whole Foods Market Evanston South!

For more information on the Evanston History Center visit www.evanstonhistorycenter.org.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Like a good pizza, Ren delivers haircuts

One of the most important services to establish in your new city is a good hair stylist. During my first several months in Evanston, I found myself approaching great hair and asking the owner who cut it. What I discovered was a pattern, everyone kept saying "Ren cuts my hair."

Ren happens to be a mother at my son's elementary school so you can see why so many people know her! So after 20 women told me Ren cuts both their hair and their children's hair, I decided to try her out.

Once you secure Ren's phone number (which I can email to you directly), call her and she'll find the time to come to you, that's right, like a good pizza, Ren delivers haircuts. As you can see in the photo above, I'm very happy with my haircut and even happier that I didn't have to leave the house to get it done. Need a haircut? Email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I'll get you Ren's number.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Score of the day: $5 Croft and Barrow wool hat

As if my life couldn't get any more awesome right now, I just scored a $5 Croft & Barrow wool hat! Where? The Junior League of Evanston Thrift Store on Chicago Avenue.

Additionally, I picked up a $3 (good as new) Le Sport Sac makeup bag that I will use for my cell phone and charger.

Although I haven't scoured all the thrift stores in Evanston, I have visited this one several times and today was my first major win. I highly recommend you check it out.

Thrift House
920 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 328-5778
e-mail: thrifthouse@sbcglobal.net

Hours
Monday - Friday: 11 am - 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: Closed

Visit www.jle-ns.org for more information on the store. And if you can recommend other thrift stores in Evanston that I need to add to my list, please email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Hello sailor, will you join me for a cocktail?

This photo was taken at the Evanston History Center by yours truly. The center has very cool exhibits and a collection of more than 10,000 clothing items! This Thursday the center is throwing a party focusing on the history and fashion of cocktails. See you there!

November UTB: A History of Cocktails, Cocktail Dresses and the Cocktail Party

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Reception begins at 6:30pm

Presentation begins at 7:00 pm

Admission: $5 (EHC members free)

This is a CPDU eligible program (2 CPDU credits offered)

The cocktail has been in existence for over 200 years, while cocktail parties and cocktail dresses were an invention of the 20th century. Join EHC Costume Curator Janet C. Messmer while she explores the history of cocktails, cocktail parties, and the special clothes designed to be worn while imbibing, including the magnificent Christian Dior cocktail dress which is part of our current exhibit, “A Curious Patchwork of Evanston Treasures.”

A pre-presentation reception, with hors d’oeuvres provided by Whole Foods Market, Evanston South, will begin at 6:30pm.

Janet C. Messmer also serves as head of the costume technology program at DePaul University’s Theatre School.

Reservations are recommended. To make a reservation please call: 847-475-3410 or e-mail jthompson@evanstonhistorycenter.org

Visit evanstonhistorycenter.org for more information.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Evanston Style Watch: Leg warmers in 2011

Although you can't really see the leg warmers on this cute young mom, they are there, over nylon running pants and below her nylon black tennis skirt. Leg warmers in 2011. My subject claims she is not trying to relive her days as an 80's fashionista, but instead protecting a recurring injury, but this is the second time I've seen her in leg warmers (she's my neighbor and the other leg warmers are rainbow).

I haven't seen leg warmers on anyone else in Evanston yet, but it's just getting cold now and people have yet to bust our their survival fashion gear (I plan on wearing my bedspread most of the winter). And how do people stay stylish when it's freezing out? I'm about to find out. Leg warmers was a fun surprise, I haven't seen those in forever.

Below are several other images from my Evanston Style Watch project where I shoot inspiring or interesting street fashion. As you can tell with 3 images in the slide show, it's a slow project, but I'm determined to track down Evanston's best in street fashion.

Friday, November 4, 2011

On keeping your Benjamins local this holiday season, panic shopping and decluttering before the deluge

My family is just coming off of a major decluttering, from globes to old shoes, we got rid of a ton of possessions during our recent move. But we’re faced with another opportunity to declutter and that is the traditional pre-Holiday Ford Family Toy Drive where we touch every toy in the house, make a pile of toys we haven’t played with in months and donate them to a shelter in time for the Holidays. It falls in the vein of the Halloween Candy Fairy which I was just introduced to and it helps your children see outside of themselves, it also helps me do better targeted shopping.

This Holiday season I am going to follow my pattern of hyperlocal shopping where I only buy gifts from small business owners in my city, otherwise known as “keeping my Benjamins local”. I need your direction in terms of stores, museum gift shops and Holiday fairs so that I can get organized and start shopping. And yes, I do start shopping early so that I don’t do what’s referred to as “panic shop” and buy totally inappropriate gifts for people, like the cucumber I bought my mother-in-law last year – TOTALLY inappropriate!

My first stop this year was Becky & Me Toys on Grove Street in Evanston, beckyandmetoys.com. The photo above is of the stash I scored which is predominantly going to be stocking stuffers. The major score is the 4-D Chicago skyline puzzle! We got the New York City 4-D puzzle last year, which was a major hit, but this year’s Chicago version is really going to be special because my boys can actually go visit the buildings they “build”.

The service at Becky & Me was great and they have a special club where if you spend $75 or more, you get discounts and sale notifications via email. And I walked to the store, which is always a major bonus.

What else do I need to check out? When are the Holiday fairs in Evanston? Let me know at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I’ll be sure to help get the word out.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Really, you're living in a town that doesn't have fall? What the H-E double hockey sticks is wrong with you?

It's been 10 years since I've lived where the season of fall takes place and I'm like a crazy convert this fall. How does a crazy fall convert behave? I'm out screaming about the colors, I'm waving to the busloads of Japanese tourists taking photos of the trees on Sheridan Road, I'm explaining to my children how you can learn the type of tree by the shape of the leaf so you'll know what the color will be when the leaves change, I'm wearing a ton of burgundy, etc.

My favorite tree in the fall? The Ginkgo Tree with its rounded-edged leaves and it's boastful yellow blush.

My son wants to know why I love the season so much and I have to say that I love to watch things die a slow, colorful death. And that's what happens all around us in fall, everything dies. And in that same vein, because I'm not a total seasons snob, I love spring too. I love watching everything come to life after a frozen winter.

Everyone keeps telling me to drive to Michigan or Wisconsin to see real fall colors and I'm like "No way am I spending any money on gas when I can walk down the street and see amazing colors right here in Evanston!" The slide show below is a very small representation of just how gorgeous fall is in Evanston.

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Thank you for reading my blog "Evanston Newbie", a project that I am using to chronicle my new life in Evanston. Do you have favorite Evanston bakeries, bike shops, events that you can recommend? Send me an email at thelisadshow@gmail.com and I will post my review on this blog. -Lisa Degliantoni