Milk Handmade – Francois et Moi

Andersonville Delight

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 03:46:30 +0000

When I asked my Chicago-native colleagues where we could find, for example, the local, avant-garde furniture-maker’s shop, or the one-off, home curiosities or vintage shop, I was told we had to visit Andersonville, a Swedish neighborhood on the Northside of Chicago with a growing reputation for small, soulful home boutiques. So on Saturday morning after brunch at The Bongo Room, we headed North on Clark Street to explore the neighborhood, and here’s what we found! Our first stop as we headed North on Clark was Foursided, a curiosities shop that I’d compare to Patina here in Minneapolis, only with more vintage gems mixed in. Everything from vintage maps and medical charts to greeting cards to local lithographs and art framing services, we thoroughly enjoyed the mix. Foursided. 5061 N. Clark St. Hallie Borden’s women’s clothing and accessories boutique, Milk Handmade, is an independent designer collective with friendly staff and reasonable boutique prices. Remember my ‘Midwest is Best’ tee that I found at Milk?! I love it not only for the hand screen-printed design, but also because I’m supporting the cause of the local creative community. Milk Handmade. 5137 N. Clark. Brimfield had me engaged from the moment I laid eyes on their store windows. The […]

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Chicagoland Treasures

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:01:24 +0000

We had an incredible weekend exploring Chicago! Here’s a snapshot of the loot we picked up along the way: ‘Midwest is Best’ Tee: I came across this crazy soft, hand-screen printed tee by Megan Lee Designs at Milk Handmade, and as a proud Minneapolite, I loved the tee’s sentiment immediately. Milk Handmade is an approachable women’s clothing boutique nestled amongst the Andersonville home shops and was voted “Best New Boutique” by TimeOut Chicago in 2012. Milk Handmade. 5137 N. Clark. Rustic Chalk Pencil: Ken and I picked up this bark-wrapped chalk pencil at Brimfield, a fantastically curated vintage home shop where Mad Men meets Teddy Roosevelt’s Hunting Lodge. Think Pendleton Woolen Blankets, stuffed deer heads donning tartan scarves, and Don Draper approved bar ware. Brimfield. 5219 N. Clark. Public Hotel Notepad: We stayed at Public and enjoyed every minute of it. More on our experience later this week! PUBLIC Chicago. 1301 N. State Pkwy. Jimmy Bar!: Have you guys tried Jimmy Bars? They’re Chicago-made, gluten-free, dairy free and natural bars that pack a protein punch to keep you full and energized when you’re, say, exploring the City of Chicago and walking for hours on end. The Peanut Butter Clutter is loaded with simple, honest […]

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