chicago

As children, sisters, Kathryn and Laura Pekarik, shared a passion for baking.  Always thinking they would eventually start some kind of business their idea was put on hold when Kathryn was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma cancer in May 2010.

I moved to Illinois from New Jersey a month ago with big plans of starting my young life in Chicago. Almost every day a Chi-town veteran asks me one question, why Chi? You would think that having been so close to New York City I would get sucked into its gravitational pull, but no, I found asweet escape from those filthy streets. Coming from the NYC area few peoplerealize how delightfully overrated NYC truly is. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking my tri-state, but I certainly had a few clear reasons to leave the city that never sleeps for its Midwestern equivalent. Here are my top ten reasons to move to Chicago!

Celebrate “The King” and what would have been his 77^th birthday on Sunday, January 8^th with Elvis Fest 2012! Elvis Presley was the top hunk back then and he still is to many today. Girls wanted him and guys wanted to be him! Honor who he was, what he did, and how he made people feel with his music by partaking in this event at The Original Mother’s.

As many of us begin to complain about this brutal breeze that our Chicago winter has to offer, we begin to think of INDOOR activities that will take the place of what we would rather be doing OUTDOORS! But, have no fear because I have the answer (laughter is promised too!) Starting January 5^th and running through January 15^th, The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival is here for the 11^th year in a row at Stage 773!

The Art Museums planned multi-million dollar purchase of a fine Leonardo Da Vinci classic has come to a bloody halt. The museum curator has just been murdered, and it’s up to you and your team of investigators to discover who done it! All you have to do is crack the code left in the curator’s appointment calendar to discover what drove his murderer to commit such a dastardly crime. Shocking secrets will be revealed as you and your mystery team discover clues that uncover the murderer and his motives.

Join the fashion elite at the Chicago History Museum from now to mid-April and check out Chicago native Charles James Genius Deconstructed exhibit! Imagine yourself in these vintage gowns and take notice to the fine architecture and craftsmanship brought to you by Charles James.Born in 1906 James has astounded the fashion world by creating incredibly crafty and perfectly detailed garments. A young James taught himself everything he knows about creating garments, from fitting hats to glamorous gowns. With extreme ingenuity and the eye for fashion, James opened his first hat shop in Chicago at the age of 19. His garments are often adorned with ribbed corsets and fancy collars, and more often than not cascade down and outward. James has always had high profile celebrities like Coco Chanel pining after his creations. Marisa Tomei recently rocked out in a vintage gothic Charles James piece earlier this year at the Oscars, and Angelina Jolie wore an elegant gray tight fitted James dress in the Tourist shortly after.

Chicago Mixtape is a project that Casey Meehan started in February 2011. Every single Monday morning through Chicagomixtape.com, Casey sends out an email blast of free high-quality music from local musicians to all of his subscribers. The first track includes a personal message to all the listeners from the creators of the mixtape: Casey Meehan and Marisa Ruiz, who works for 24/7 Chicago & brokehipster.com. They candidly explain that the purpose behind creating this best of the best compilation is to promote talent coming out of Chicago!

This chilly Shelter Shiver fundraising event put on by ALIVE Rescue is sure to wake you up and send goosebumps all over your body! Join this organization in helping to raise money with other Chicagoans who love animals just as much as they do! ALIVE Rescue is a place where homeless animals can go and get proper care from great people. ALIVE strives to take on the responsibility to “save, rehabilitate and place abandoned, abused stray animals.”

On December 4, 1956, the world brought together four legends – Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins & Johnny Lee Lewis - in a small storefront studio called Sun Records in Memphis. For this one night, the quartet reminisced and recorded an impromptu music session with the one who discovered them all, Sam Philips – the “Father of Rock-n-Roll” and owner of Sun Records.

‘Tis the season for holiday parties and sippin’ on spirits - but it is also a great time to give to those in need during this Holiday Season. Here is your chance to combine the two! From December 13-18 at Marigold, a unique Indian restaurant in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, they will donate 25% of its sales from customers who take one of two simple steps to show that they are supporters of Care For Real.