Chicago

Looking to get away with your sweetie this Valentine's Day, but still want the comforts of home? Breeze into the Windy City, and stay in the lap of luxury at Chicago's James Hotel. The hotel is smack in the middle of the city, close enough to the Magnificent Mile that you can easily step out to grab a bite or see a show — but why would you want to? The James features seasonally rotating art installations; a high-end steakhouse; a cozy bar; and a spa featuring Aveda products and in-room treatments.

Guest rooms are sparsely decorated but still cozy, with dark wood, warm, neutral colors, and clean lines, so you can truly settle in without feeling like you're being subjected to someone else's decor; I especially love the crisp white bathrooms and succulent plants. If you're looking for even more luxury, try one of the hotel's studios or one-bedroom apartments, with wet bars, dining rooms, and living areas, or go really big with a loft penthouse, complete with entertainment systems, Eames lounge chairs, and his-and-hers sinks.

If you do feel like getting out, check out a couple of the hotel's Paul Frank bikes to cruise around the city, or take a customized running tour — yes, running — through the city.

Keep reading to take the full tour!

Since Nate Berkus launched his eponymous talk show in New York this September, he's been spending more and more time on the East Coast and thus put his Chicago apartment on the market. The interior design and TV personality purchased his 3,980-square-foot, 3-bedroom, 4-bath Gold Coast condo for $500,000 in 2003, and has marked up the listing price to $2.65 million. The condo building dates back to 1928 but was renovated in the '40s by renowned architect and interior decorator Samuel Marx (and treated to his signature wood panelling). While Berkus was keen enough to preserve the original, Art Deco, hunter green, St. Charles kitchen cabinetry, he did make some terrific updates of his own, including new hardwood floors, a completely rehabbed master bath with a custom English tub, a reconfigured master suite, two-zone AC, new electrical, and new kitchen backsplash with classic white subway tiles. If that isn't enough to woo you, the property was also featured in Elle Decor in 2008. Check out some more photos below and then head over to Elle Decor for a full tour!

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The holidays are here and there's no better job that captures the Christmas spirit than dressing windows for the season! This week's In Her Shoes crown goes to Meghan Lorenz, a Chicagoan who styles windows for a living.

SavvySugar: What's your style like?

Meghan Lorenz: It's very reminiscent of the things that inspired me as a child. I love iridescence. I love glitter. I like using cardboard and building things. Honestly, my style reminds me of Barbie’s clothes and Care Bears. I’m trying to have it evolve a bit, but it is kind of young. You know I like making pastries and foam installations which is why I like bakery jobs because they are very playful. So my style is very playful and it’s feminine also. I love pinks, I love sea foam green.

SS: How did you get into this?

ML: Originally I was planning on doing costume and set design so I moved out to LA when I was 18. I planned on doing that, and I started working at Fred Segal so I started working more with fashion and I realized that window display would be a great way to incorporate art and fashion. That’s sort of how I got into it and as a kid my favorite movie growing up is Mannequin, and I’ve always enjoyed window display so it kind of made sense.

To find out more about her job and see pictures of her lovely holiday windows, read on!

Talk to any Chicago foodie about desserts, and Mindy Segal's name will inevitably pop up. The pastry chef (and four-time James Beard Award nominee) opened her restaurant, Hot Chocolate, in 2004. And with a name like that, your signature dessert had better be pretty damn good. Fortunately, it is that and much more: rich, thick, and delicious. If you can't make it to the Windy City any time soon, you can bring the dessert to you with Mindy's Hot Chocolate blends ($20). As a former Chicagoan who misses Mindy's creations, I wanted to see if my at-home version could measure up to the restaurant's. To find out, keep reading.

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member Edytaandco, interior designer of Edyta & Co., from the Su Casa group:

One of my lovely clients came to me for help in designing her new Chicago high-rise apartment. Some of her requirements were: fresh, clean lines, modern, not too many colors, soothing, and relaxing. In her bedroom, in particular, she wanted to feel relaxed after a long day at work. Through layers of soft intricate textures and clean lines in the furniture, we were able to create a subtle soothing effect. Soft curves in lamps and bedding, and details in pillows, art, and the headboard all create interest and contrast each other, while feeling warm and welcoming without being overpowering. The clients favorite color purple is the paint in the room. The perfect shade of this tone creates a soothing backdrop while being fresh, soft, and soothing, while adding a kiss of color to the space.

Have you done any decorating lately? Be sure to post your photos and details in the Su Casa group!

With nothing but blueberries on the brain this month, it's only natural that I've been playing with the little guys in my drinks, too. And this weekend, I think I found the best blueberry cocktail to date. Meet the Blueberries Gone Wild.

Despite its muddled preparation, and its Joe Francis-ish moniker, this cocktail is pure and clean. With a blush color and juicy flavor, it's a more herbaceous cosmo, only made with farm-fresh ingredients and a hint of juniper-scented gin. Like the sound of it? Then get the recipe now.

When we arrived in Aspen for the Food & Wine Classic, one of the first things we did was browse the recipes in the Tasting Notes booklet. These were the dishes that the chefs would make during their demos. While some, like Tom Colicchio's homemade lamb sausage, sounded wonderful, others, say Art Smith's egg white fritatta, seemed boring.

I had all but given up on the chef from Chicago when I realized that he would be discussing his dramatic weight loss. Since the doctor recently told my dad he should shed some pounds, I thought I would check out Smith's demo to see what he had to say. The entertaining chef, who has cooked for everyone from the Obamas to Oprah, was an inspiration. To find out how he lost 95 pounds in a little over a year, keep reading.

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member Alrats from the Su Casa group:

We live in a Timber Loft. My husband Sheldon and I love the rustic brick from the original antique store built in 1927. We love modern furniture mixed with a little granny and a space that looks lived in. We have been all over the world and have taken pictures and brought back trinkets to display our love of travel. We have updated the kitchen and bath and would love to show you what we have done.

Be sure share photos of your own home in the Su Casa group!

Think you can apply makeup quickly? Not as fast as Rick DiCecca. This past Friday, the Estée Lauder global makeup stylist set a new Guinness World Record for the most lipstick applications in one hour. The previous record of 180 applications had been set earlier this year in Madrid, but DiCecca broke it with a whopping 303 painted puckers. To find out how he did it, keep reading.

Big news came out of the Lincoln Center last night, and not all of it had to do with this year's James Beard winners. Right before the start of the Beard Foundation Awards, Alinea's Grant Achatz, who was in attendance at the ceremony, tweeted about two upcoming projects.

The first, to be called Next Restaurant, will serve four menus per year from what the website calls "great moments in culinary history — or the future." The second, Aviary, is being described as "a cocktail bar, redefined" and will entail chefs, not bartenders, producing cocktails and food pairings in what's being termed a "drink kitchen."

Both Aviary, which will allow walk-ins, and Next, which will require tickets, are currently on target to open this Fall. Get a better sense of both concepts when you watch the restaurant's trailer, after the jump.