It may be spring but it sure doesn’t look or feel like it here in Chicago. But at least our spring events are beginning to bloom this April weekend despite the dreariness around here!

Add some bloom to your weekend at one or both of these shows:

The Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 N. Stockton Dr.) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood is hosting its Spring Flower Show: Pillars of Spring now through May 8^th.  Visitors will get some inspiration for planting vertically especially if you live in an urban area where there are no yards to grow plants and only have limited space like a balcony. This year’s show covers over a dozen free standing pillars with flowers like fuchsias, geraniums, nemesias, snapdragons and more. Also, azaleas and camellias will fill the room with beauty and elegance for added visions of spring!

The Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.) in the East Garfield Park neighborhood is hosting its Spring Flower Show: Knock Knock now through May 8^th. This year’s show features an array of tulips, hydrangeas, daffodils, and hyacinth. Plus, you’ll find vintage doors from the Rebuilding Exchange hanging throughout the display with an abundance of knock knock jokes throughout the show house! Warm weather may seem like a distant memory but this fun, playful spring flower show will definitely bring a reprieve from the long Chicago winter!

Thriftkindl Vintage Spring Market is back and being hosted by various Chicagoland vintage resellers at the beautiful Wildwood Studio Chicago (2138 W. Roscoe St.) in the Roscoe Village neighborhood this Saturday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. On hand will be mid-century home décor for sale, colored vintage glassware including Viking swung vases in every color, Fenton fairy lights, vintage clothing, handmade artisan candles in vintage vessels, as well as lots of vintage treasures at affordable price points! It’s the best secondhand shopping day you’ll have and it’s all under one roof!!

The Pozole Cook Off returns for its 4^th annual, two-day event celebrating community with 20+ pozoles, prizes and beer this Saturday and Sunday (1 p.m. – 5 p.m.) at the Lo Rez Brewery & Taproom (2101 S. Carpenter St.) in the Pilsen neighborhood. Come cast your vote for the People’s Choice Pozole Cook Off Winner. First place receives the Pozole Trophy and Private Tour & Tasting. Second place receives a four pack of Lo Rez beer to go. Third place receives a round of beer for the winner and 3 friends. May the BEST pozole win!

Immerse yourself in a dazzling cat-themed world like you’ve never seen before at POP Cats this Saturday (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.) at Artifact Events (4325 N. Ravenswood Ave.) in the Ravenswood neighborhood. This fun-packed experience is fueled by the spirit of cats, pop, and art!  They will unveil six colorful cat playgrounds, a cat art exhibition, music, photo ops, brands, cat adoptions and much more. Plus, a portion of the profits will benefit participant cat organizations! Meow!

With Easter around the corner, the Norwood Park Egg Hunt will be blooming this Saturday (10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) at 5900 N. Nina Avenue on the school grounds.  This year’s hunt is going from 6,000 eggs to 10,000 eggs along with a mini donut truck, face painting, balloon twisting, live music and pictures with the Bunny which will be $15 per picture. It’s an Epic Eggstravaganza not to be missed!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

For nearly 70 years, North Side customers eager to get their nosh on have relied on The Bagel, a venerable Lakeview institution, for fresh lox, bagels and unusual creations featuring cured meats, fresh vegetables, fresh cheeses and freshly baked bread. 

Chef Danny Wolf and his family continues the tradition of home-style cooking and hospitality established by their parents and grandparents. And, according to The Bagel’s patrons, they have mastered the art of ‘building’ a sandwich. 

As Bon Appétit Magazine opined about building a perfect sandwich: “What makes it sing? Architecture. The balance of flavors and textures that make each bite harmonious. The care for logistics that keeps a tomato from sliding out. There’s a reason it’s called “building” a sandwich.”

The proof can be seen in The Bagel’s Reuben Sandwich, with sliced, lean corned beef and sauerkraut piled high and topped with melted Swiss cheese on grilled rye, served with Thousand Island dressing, coleslaw and your choice of side. Or, Grilled Salami and Cheese on rye bread with coleslaw and your choice of side. For something completely different, try one of their Hot Open-faced sandwiches, like their Brisket of Beef, served on white bread with mashed potatoes and gravy. Danny’s Five Star Deluxe combines turkey, salami, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and thousand island dressing; served on rye with your choice of side and coleslaw. Barb’s Bonanza has corned beef and chopped liver, served on rye with your choice of side and coleslaw. Among your choices: French fried potatoes, fresh fruit, pasta avocado salad potato salad, and potato pancake, made to order and served with sour cream or apple sauce. 

While their sandwiches often reach lofty levels of goodness, the large menu offers so many other worthy combinations for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their Hoppel-Poppel Omelette pairs diced frankfurter or salami, potato, green pepper and onion. Or, Broiled Kippers (smoked herring) with eggs. Chopped Liver is served with raw onion and a tomato slice. 

Fish delicacies are served with dairy-fresh cream cheese, sliced red tomatoes, raw onion, cucumber, green pepper, black olives and your choice of bagel. The Lox Spread pairs cream cheese, blended with smoked salmon and onions, served with tomato slice and a bagel. Or, try their Smoked Whitefish Salad Platter, served with sliced red tomato, raw onion, cucumber, green pepper, black olives and your choice of bagel, sans cream cheese.

Savory Specials include Chicken in the Pot, which is one-half of a tender spring chicken, served in golden chicken broth with matzo ball, kreplach, noodles, rice, cooked carrot and boiled potato.

Google reviewers were often rapturous. 

“Excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner deli/ bakery/full menu restaurant,” wrote one. “First class staff, and owner take care of each customer like they’re the only customer.  Monday special is wild caught salmon.  Thursday is BBQ chicken…vegetable soup is a meal in itself.  My favorite sandwiches are the chicken salad,  and the pastrami. Can’t go wrong here!”

Another said, “Wonderful deli food, good service, reasonable prices, free parking. I ordered a half pastrami sandwich on rye with a bowl of sweet and sour cabbage soup. They know how to please. I left with a smile.”

The Bagel is located at 3107 N. Broadway. They’re open daily from 8am-9pm, and their free parking lot is on Barry. While reservations aren’t mentioned, you can find out more by clicking here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

An odd-shaped living room can be a decorating nightmare. Whether you’ve got harsh angles, recessed walls, or columns in the middle of the room, it can be tough to arrange furniture, decorate, and create a functional space.

But rather than seeing these weird features as obstacles, look at them as opportunities to get creative and decorate with some flamboyance.

Here are some ways to get around your irregular-shaped living room to create an awesome space that’s both functional and stylish.

Break the Room Down Into Segments

Living rooms with unorthodox layouts can be tackled by separating them into different segments, if the space permits. Then you can arrange specific furniture pieces and décor in these different areas to suit various tasks.

For example, one section could be reserved for a sofa and television, while another space can be dedicated to an office/study area. Or, you might choose to create a reading area with a chaise, small table and bookshelf.

If the room allows for different functions, then make use of this space accordingly so even the most bizarre spots can be functional without leaving them bare.

Arrange Around a Focal Point

Take the attention away from peculiar spots in the living room by creating a focal point. You can literally make this central point whatever you wish, whether it’s a large coffee table, fireplace, chandelier, wall art, or an area rug.

Once you’ve decided what you want your focal point to be, decorate around it. Just make sure that it’s placed in an easily visible spot. Going this route will draw attention to the center of the space, rather than showcase its unusual edges and corners.

Use Rounded Furniture Pieces For Harsh Angles

Sometimes you wonder what was going through the minds of the architects and builders when they designed and built a home with rooms that feature corners and edges with no rhyme or reason. Whatever the case may be, it’s now up to you to work around it.

And when it comes to harsh corners and angles, one of the best ways to tackle this issue is to place furniture pieces with rounded edges to soften the area. Pieces with equally sharp edges will only accentuate the severity of the angled walls and corners. The opposite is true with round furniture; these pieces work to soften the angles and take the focus off of them.

Be Consistent With Repeated Elements

If you’re going to have elements in the space that will be repeated, such as molding or window treatments, make sure to keep them consistent throughout the room. This will help to take the attention off the irregular shape of the room and make it appear more conventional.

All the trim should be consistent, and every window covering should be the same. While this might not sound like a lot of fun, it can be really effective at normalizing the layout of the room.

Give Purpose to Tight Corners

What are you supposed to do with a corner that’s less than 90 degrees? Simple. Transform it into a space of its own by placing items such as reading chairs, potted plants, tall vases, or small accent tables. While you might not necessarily hang out in that corner much, adding elements such as these can breathe life into the corner and give it some purpose.

Create Balance With Free-Standing Shelves

Rooms that have strange layouts can often appear off kilter. Your job is to bring back a sense of balance in the room, which can effectively be done by placing a free-standing bookshelf wherever the space calls for it. By including a shelving unit that can be accessed from all sides, it can make the room appear more symmetrical.

Make Odd Walls or Columns a Feature

Lots of older homes tend to comes with a random column in the middle of the room, or an unexpected wall protruding from the perimeter. If you’re faced with one of these traits, use them to your advantage and make them features in the room.

You might want to paint the wall or column a different color than the rest of the walls in the space, or use it as an area where you hang all your collective art pieces. Turning it into a feature is a much better option than trying to camouflage it in some way, which can actually make it stand out even more.

An oddball living room definitely makes it more challenging to outfit, but you’re really only limited to your imagination when it comes to making it work. In fact, an unusually shaped room can even turn out to be the most memorable part of your home if it’s used properly.

Spring has sprung, and with it, new opportunities for fun in Chicago. Don’t miss any of Chicago’s awesome opportunities to come out and enjoy all that our unique communities offer this week!

Take the kids to see the Stahl Family Theater’s latest production, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ premiering Wednesday, March 23, through May 6. Located at 5900 W. Belmont, in the Belmont-Central neighborhood, the one-hour musical tells the story of a new student, who “isn’t quite like the other ducklings on her first day at Lucky Ducky School.” The musical also provides age-appropriate lessons about uniqueness, bullying and becoming “up standers” rather than bystanders, featuring a script by Jesus Perez, with original songs composed by Paige Coffman. For tickets and information, click here.

For a relaxing 90 minutes in a busy, stressful world, Lincoln Square’s Bloom Yoga Studio, 4663 N. Rockwell, presents Playful Yoga at the Wall on Thursday, March 24, from 6:30pm-8pm. The instructor prominently features wall work in standing, back bending and inverted shapes. Cost is $35, unless a Studio Member, where the rate is $25. For more information, click here.

Welcome to…. ‘Jurassic Park!’ The Steven Spielberg-directed 1993 classic featured an amazing score by Oscar winner John Williams. On Friday, March 25 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, March 26 at 3pm, relive the movie on the big screen at Orchestra Hall, 220 S. Michigan Avenue. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra recreates Williams’ haunting orchestral score. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, the adventure pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle for survival. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Richard Kaufman in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Tickets start at $85. For tickets and information, click here.

At the James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph Street, and Spiegeltent ZaZou – Cambria Hotel – 32 W. Randolph Street, the cast of Teatro Zinanni invites you to experience “the finest fine diner in the Chicago Loop.” According to Broadway in Chicago, the chef-Madame Z (Chicago’s own Bethany Thomas) and head waiter, Doily (Kevin Kent), have assembled a hardworking restaurant crew of unemployed circus artists from around the world. An old friend comes roaring up on his motorcycle, ready to bring their dreams to life. What will they wish for? Included in this theatrical production is a multi-course gourmet feast, including vegan options. NOTE: Ticket price does not include the $10 per person hospitality fee, beverages, or additional menu items and additional gratuity. A treat for all the senses! For tickets, click here.

Chicago Restaurant Week is in full swing, and at Eataly, 43 E. Ohio Street, is celebrating at their Vino & Food Festa. On Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26, you can enjoy unlimited tastings of more than 25 regional Italian wines, salumi, formaggi, and chef-curated bites. And… each ticket includes one bottle of prosecco to-go! The festa is taking place in three of Eataly’s private event spaces: La Scuola, Il Salone, and La Birreria. For tickets and information, click here.

Art lovers are invited to Ravenswood’s Cornelia Art Building, 1800 W. Cornelia Avenue, on Friday March 25 from 6pm to 10pm, and Saturday March 26, 11am to 3pm, to their first Open House of the new year!

The building has undergone extensive remodeling and welcomed many new artists. With one-of-a-kind artwork and special artisan-made gifts by the building artists, the event offers something for the whole family. Featuring the works of Nelson Armour (photography), Judy Zeddies (printmaking), and Tiphanie Spencer (painting and drawing). Many, many more! For more information, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

Spring is almost here in Chicagoland. Of course, that means temperatures one day can be a balmy 65-70 and the next it is 35 with driving rain. But, planting time is just around the corner, so it’s time to plan the flower and vegetable gardens!

 While you are planning, consider what we call “Companion Gardening,” placing plants together that can be beneficial to each other. 

Many of our vegetable plants need pollinators like bees, lacewings, and hoverflies, to propagate. Placing a scented flower near these plants will attract these pollinators and ensure success. Common Marigolds (Calendula) are wonderful for tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. Sow marigold seeds in-between the vegetables. They look great too! French Marigolds (Tagetes) will deter whiteflies on tomatoes. 

Aphids are nasty bugs that can wreak havoc on your vegetables. Herbs like chervil and coriander repel aphids while providing flavor in your cooking. Chives will also keep aphids away from your tomatoes while adding mild onion flavor to your dishes. Dill left to flower will attract aphid eating insects like hoverflies and wasps. Another delicious herb Thyme has a strong scent and will deter black flies that love to munch on bean plants. 

Lavender plants are so fragrant and beautiful. They are wonderful for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Lavender can also be used for making sachets and even tea that can help with sleep. It’s always good to plant flowers that attract butterflies. We can all do our part to keep butterflies propagating. 

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago