Be it ever so humble...

Life in Chicago has been rather exciting. So far I've successfully navigated an Irish couple to the Sears Tower, caught up on the latest issues of CS, visited a green river and had Guinness poured in my eye on Saint Patrick's Day, not to mention I've eaten WAY too many Fox and Obel cupcakes. All and all it's been a delightful move, if a little harried.

I might still be living out of a suitcase, but that hasn’t stopped me from fantasizing about my yet to be found new apartment. After flipping through the latest issue of Domino, I can’t wait to decorate! I’m curious about grey painted walls (are they everywhere now?) and am ready to embrace pattern and reupholster vintage furniture. So before I go all Kelly Wearstler on you, are there any great Chicago home stores that I need to check out?

I know normally I come here with recommendations, but today I figure I'll shake things up a bit. If you know of anything fabulous and preferably fabu-less (remember I'm a writer) please let me know.

Let There Be Light When The Price Is Right

Call it some kind of pre-Valentine's return to romance, but lately I've been in the mood for chandeliers. They seem so elegant and statement-y, while still remaining a little quirky. While I'm all about adding a little pizazz to my home, I'm not interested in one of those grand entrance Phantom of the Opera chandeliers. I just want a cute extra for a reading nook or dining room. That's why I was so excited to find the "Chandeliers Under $300!!!" section on the Gallery 84 website. They offer a variety of options in style, color, and size and all of them are just the right price.

Pick Your Nose this Holiday Season

Let's be honest. The holidays are fast approaching and with them comes a complete loss of time. Between holiday shopping, cookie baking, present wrapping and party planning, you barely have time to sit and think, much less clean. Instead of busting out the crystal this holiday season and commiting yourself to hours of dishwashing, why not use the Pick Your Nose Paper cup? Found on http://store.heliotropehome.com/piyonocu.html, these cups are a welcome break from the token red plastic cups of your college years and also a great cheap laugh. Not to mention, at $8.00 for 24 noses, it's the cheapest nose job you'll ever have.

The Hunt for the Perfect Wine Glasses

Chardonnay, Burgundy, Bordeaux; wine glasses have expanded past the basic red or white variety. If they make wine, someone’s going to make a glass for it. And while I’m all about drinking a French Burgundy out of a Riedel Burgundy glass, sometimes aesthetics win out. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful wine glasses featured on the cover of the Food and Wine October 2006 issue, and insofar have been unable to locate them. I’ve searched the internet far and wide for a wine glass that has a delicate stem that meets a flat bottom and proceeds to curve in instead of straight up. While not quite as delicate, the search did lead me to the iittala Essence Red Wine glasses. Available at http://www.finnstyle.com/essenceredwine.html, these elegant glasses are dishwasher safe and a little different from what you’d find in most cupboards. I also ran across the Rosenthal TAC 02 11-1/4-Inch Bordeaux Wine Glasses, available on amazon.com. I’ve noticed these glasses popping up at a variety of restaurants lately. Perhaps the most affordable and substantial glasses I came across were the Lira wine glasses at www.cb2.com. At $3.50-3.95 per glass, I could afford to use these while still on the trek for the perfect Food and Wine glasses.

Shine Eternally

I've never been one to like knick-knacks, so imagine my surprise and delight at discovering these quotable matchboxes. Call it my love of all things literary, but I can’t help thinking what fun additions to holiday hostess gifts these would make. They’re elegant, yet cheeky and at $11.95 for a pack of four, they're completely necessary.

Available at http://www.fridgedoor.com/quma.html