Navy Pier

Yesterday we went to Navy Pier - it offered some spectacular views of the city. This is speedboat tour - not my cup of tea!

This is the city skyline from Navy Pier.








And this boat was some kind of tour but I was awestruck by the helicopter on the back - it must have been a private yacht or something. It look kind of like a Donald Trump-y sort of thing!

Only 2 more sleeps until Oprah - I found out that the Olympians are being filmed on Wednesday as the first show of the new season so no clue on who we are going to see. We've all bought new clothes for the big day - no beige and no white!

It's Was A Wicked Birthday for Lisa!

Wednesday was Lisa's 40th birthday so we celebrated by going to see Wicked in Chicago - it was amazing! I loved it!

Here's Greg, Emma, Lisa, Tiana, Katy and Wendy outside the theatre.

We decided to walk a couple of blocks from the theatre to find a cab back to the hotel. Here we are on the Michigan Avenue bridge. We ended up walking all the way back to the Omni - it was a wonderful day!

We stopped at ESPN Sports Centre for a drink and some snacks - they have over 160 video games. Here's Emma on a race horse game - what else for a horsey girl like her.

Today, we took a double decker bus all over the city - the architecture in Chicago is wonderful and it is

definitely the cleanest city I've ever been in - even the alley ways are clean.

Greg and Emma went to the hotel pool after dinner tonight - which was at the Melting Pot - a fondue restaurant - and met the Executive Chef of the hotel. After they'd been back about 15 minutes this arrived from the chef. Beer for Greg, bottled water for Emma, red wine for me, 2 boxes of Truffles, smoked almonds, cashews. What a treat! I'm thinking I'm glad my husband is such a nice friendly guy! Oh - and it's possible that the Olympic Gold Medalists might be Oprah's guests for our taping.

The chef told Greg they are expected here on Tuesday so we might have hit the jackpot! Michael Phelps is a possibility!

Tomorrow it's off to Navy Pier.

American Girl Place

Today was the day that Katy and Emma have been waiting for since we left home. Their day at American Girl Place - my mom started them on these dolls. She loved dolls and it looks like 2 of her granddaughters have inherited that love. These dolls are really wonderful - they are beautifully made, with lots of outfits and accessories that give both Emma and Katy hours of fun.
Our first stop was the Hair Salon - yes, there is a hair salon for dolls. They can choose the style for their doll and ribbon colors - both Katy and Emma decided to get the hairdos before they had their pictures taken for the American Girl magazine cover. Each of them received a special copy with their pictures on the front.
Here's Nicki's finished do - just like new!
Here's Emma at lunch in the American Girl Cafe - they provide chairs for the dolls that attach to the table and even little china cups for them to drink from. The girls were in a hurry to leave here to go back to the hotel to play with all their AG stuff - no time to take pictures because the boxes were flying open. Suffice to say that between the two of them w had 4 big bags!

This picture is the same as the first - I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get rid of a picture that I don't want in the post.

The Big Reveal

I have always wanted a Tiffany bracelet so when Greg and I were walking by Tiffany yesterday it seems like the right time to make the big splurge. And....of course, I didn't want the sterling silver one - nooooo! I wanted the 18K gold one - it's so pretty! I just love it. I felt kind of bad spending that kind of money on myself but now that it's on my wrist, I feel soooo much better! Did I mention I went to the Oprah store? Got a present for Sarah (the new married girl knitter)there! Today was spent at American Girl Place with Emma and Katy - they had a blast seeing all the stuff they usually only see in the catalogue up close and personal. Tomorrow is Wicked and Lisa's 40th birthday. Good thing there's not alot of walking tomorrow because right now I don't think I could walk another step.

More Chicago News!

Greg, Emma and I had a wonderful day today - we were off by ourselves because Lisa and her family went to Six Flags - they are theme park junkies - us? not so much! We did some exploring on Michigan Avenue and then took a 1 hour carriage ride around the city. We saw some amazingly beautiful homes in the Gold Coast area of the city, saw the shores of Lake Michigan from Lakeshore Drive. Our horses' name was Prince and our driver was Omar - he told us lots of fun facts - like where the original Playboy Mansion was and he pointed out where the new Trump Tower is in Chicago.










This is it between two buildings - it's not finished at the top yet but the bottom is open for business.









Emma enjoyed a visit to the Hershey store - she came home armed with chocolate bars








Oh and this little bag - well - I bought myself a little treat! Stay tuned for the pictures tomorrow!

Wow!

Here's the intersection where our hotel is - Michigan Avenue also known as the Magnificent Mile because of all the shopping.





This is the view from our room - a roof top pool!








Our girls in the Jonas Bros. get ups! Tiana saved all her babysitting money to buy those Ray Bans just like Joe has.....faint!

After saying goodbye to the girls, Lisa and I were off to Stitches with Greg as our driver. He was a wonderful sport about the whole thing - considering he was really a minority.

Lisa is getting busy shopping! Can you tell she's excited? We were buying cashmere at this booth. Great Yarns from Washington.



Stash Enhancement 101
Indie Dyer DVD and Possum Sock from Cherry Tree Hill in the Birches colorway.

This is a gift for Angela - can't show what it is exactly because that would ruin the surprise. This is for taking excellent care of Pick Up Sticks in our absence.



This is Jojoland Melody and the Swirl Shawl pattern that I've been admiring in all the magazines. Can't wait to get started on it!




This is Kashmir from Prism Yarns - 65% cashmere/35% silk - ridiculously expensive but oh so worthy! Colorway is Meadow.

Some new dpns that I've never seen before from Signature Needleworks - can't wait to try these either - super sharp and super light. The price of these made Greg look twice!

I visited The Fold booth and got two skeins of Socks That Rock - one is the colorway Knitters Without Borders and the other is Seduction - 50% merino/50% tencel. Colorway is Fire On the Mountain.

Also from The Fold are the new baby sweater patterns from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.






This stuff is called Neat Stuff and is trim for a gorgeous sweater that I bought from Great Yarns - this colorway is Storm and is definitely not something I would usually buy BUT the sample got me - it's gorgeous sweater!

Below the yarn are the buttons I bought for the sweater.




This gentlemen was making socks on a World War 1 sock making machine. Apparently, these were given to lots of French and English women with instructions in both languages to knit socks for the soldiers. Very few of the women could figure out how to use them and so packed them in their attics. Now they are being sold for about $2500 as the antiques that they truly are.

Flat Feet from Conjoined Creations - this has been ordered for Pick Up Sticks so I had to try it!

We stopped for lunch after Stitches at Weber's Grill - all the cooking is down on Webers. The chef opened them up for me so I could get a good picture. The food was amazing!


A very good day with stash enhancement that just might rival Clare!

Look Where We Are!

We've arrived safe and sound. Chicago is an amazing city - we are right downtown! We are just unwinding from a long drive - tomorrow is Stitches! Yay! Stay tuned for lots of pictures! Oh by the way - I can't even say the word Oprah without getting goosebumps - I'm so excited!

No Pics!

I got this new camera and I keep leaving it at the shop OR I have the camera but not the cord to connect it to the computer. Urrrr!

Lisa and I are going on an excellent adventure with our families! I personally cannot wait! We are headed to Chicago for just over a week. It was just supposed to be for a week but then on Friday I got tickets to OPRAH! Can you believe it? I was driving, pressing redial on my cell phone for over an hour and finally got through - then on hold for 45 minutes, then some wonderful girl named Dana came on the line and I got tickets! There were no tickets for before we were scheduled to come home but there were tickets for 2 days later - now wouldn't you stay 2 more days to go to an Oprah taping? I'm so excited - no clue who the guest is, no clue about anything except we have to be at the audience entrance on the corner of West Washington and Carpenter at 7 am. Yay!

We have lots planned for this trip - Sunday we are going to Stitches (that was just luck - I had no idea it was on while we are there), Sunday evening our girls are going to see the Jonas Brothers (be still my pre-teen heart!), Monday we are going to Dream in Color to see what happens there and then lunch with Veronica and Nancy. Tuesday, we have a day reserved at American Girl Place for our youngest girls. My mom started them on American Girl dolls so they are taking their dolls to lunch, a play and shopping for more American Girl stuff! Wednesday, we have tickets to Wicked (and it's Lisa's 40th birthday!) That's all the plans for now - I might just rest up after all that to be all refreshed and happy for Oprah. Oprah? Can you believe it? I'm out of my mind with excitement!

I have been knitting - this is the Cosmo Jacket from Misti Alpaca - the Hand Paint Chunky arrived in the shop last week and finally I've managed to finish a sample in a timely manner to show off with the yarn.
Another instalment of Garden Variety was released. The gorgeous Hydrangea (you can buy it by following the link) - here's my selection of beads and yarn - I am using exactly what the designer used. Sea Silk in Seashore and the beads that are listed in the pattern. If you haven't tried her patterns - you must, you must! So satistying to knit!
Rocky continues to grow like a weed and make himself very comfortable in the shop. It's hard to believe that a 3 month old puppy could be so well behaved. This is his favorite spot to lay - we had a hard time moving him when knitters showed up.

New yarn is arriving and tomorrow we are coming into the shop to add more shelving and do some re-organizing. I love when new yarn arrives - there are new colors of Noro Silk Garden - some fabulous Mulberry Silk from Diamond - and lots more on the way