Drink it
Up your Irish street-cred by drinking your whiskeys and stouts out of the proper vessels. We asked Amy Bashook, bartender at the North Side pub Johnny O’Hagan’s, to fill us in on which barware belongs with which kind of Irish spirit.
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* For stouts, such as Guinness: 20- or 24-ounce stout glass. Many bars around town get their stout glasses from Guinness distributors.
* For whiskeys, such as Jameson and Bushmills, fill up a small, squat, approximately 6-ounce rocks glass — also known as an Old-Fashioned glass. Or, says Amy, “if all you want is a shot, then put it in a shot glass.”
* For Irish coffees, only a clear glass mug with a handle and stem will do.
You can find all of this barware at home department stores, but if you want to be really authentic (and fancy), check out Ireland glassmakers Tipperary Crystal (tipperarycrystal.com) and Waterford (water ford.com).
— Shaila Wunderlich
Buy it
Got a high ceiling or an inaccessible spot where it’s a pain in the neck to change a light bulb? How would you like to do that once every 35 years? And use 90 percent less electricity than an incandescent bulb — saving on power plant emissions that contribute to climate change?
That’s the promise of the 40-watt Pharox LED light bulb, which screws into a regular light bulb socket. It’s about as efficient as a compact fluorescent light bulb, but because it lasts so long and contains no toxic mercury, it should reduce waste in the long run.
It’s $59 (plus shipping and handling), but if it really lasts 35 years as the manufacturer claims, that’s $1.69 a year, minus the savings on electricity. The light of the Pharox bulb is cool, with a bluish cast. It doesn’t flicker when you turn it on, but it does glow eerily for several seconds after you turn it off.
The Pharox bulb does not work with a dimmer switch or a timer — an important fact that is not stated on the box. So beware.
Cost: $59 plus shipping and handling;upscale lighting.com.
— Beth Botts
Shop it
At Urbanest, a shop in Andersonville whose specialty is popularly priced Asian modern furniture, all full-price rugs, draperies and drapery hardware are 10 percent off through March 31. Sisal rugs are 50 percent off, while supplies last.
5228 N. Clark St., 773-271-1000, urbanestliving.com
— Karen Klages
Price it
Got a baseball signed by the 1961 World Champion New York Yankees? A 1966 “Batman” movie poster? And you’re wondering what they might be worth? Mastro Auctions, a Burr Ridge-based auction house specializing in sports and Americana collectibles, can help you out. On the second Monday of every month (which would be Monday [March 10]), the auction house is opening its doors for free appraisals and consignment opportunities. Called “Consignment Monday,” the free three-hour event allows individuals to bring in their items and meet with an appraiser from Mastro. Appraisals are limited to two items a person. Large items are best handled via photograph. And gemstone jewelry, furniture and stamps are not items that Mastro currently handles.
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.; no appointment necessary. 7900 S. Madison St., Burr Ridge, 630-472-1200.
— K.K.
Attend it
Get free cleaning and organizing tips Thursday [March 13] as part of “The Real Dirt on Being Clean and Organized” workshop at Park Ridge’s Interior Vision Designs. Amber Kostelny-Cussen, owner of professional organizing service Amber’s Organizing, will lead the get-organized portion of the evening, sharing tips on setting up disciplined organizing systems, as well as when it’s smarter “to just let things go.” Interior Vision Designs owner Hilary Sopata brings the cleaning lessons, with a focus on cleaning green. Currently in the process of writing a book on green design and earning her LEED certification, Sopata has become something of an expert on the subject. Look for her to share advice on how to spot healthy, environmentally gentle cleaning products, and how to stretch your dollar by using cleaners for more than one task.
Admission is free, but reservations are required. 520 Devon Ave., Park Ridge. Reserve through Melissa, 847-825-0450.
— S.W.
Read it
The right combination of color, texture and paint can work wonders on your walls. It can turn an ordinary, plain wall into a canvas with visual effects and patterns. “Paint Style: The New Approach to Decorative Paint Finishes” (Benjamin Moore Paints, $26.95, paperback) is filled with inspiration and step-by-step instructions.
With projects by professional interior designers and architects, and more than 180 color photos, the guide shows readers how to create tonal effects, faux appearances, patterns and textural looks. Other techniques covered include mottling, color washing and stenciling. In addition to photos and instructions for each technique, effects such as layering show readers how to personalize different schemes.
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— Martha Phifer, Tribune newspapers
Tell it
We want to hear about your upcoming house and garden walks. We’ll feature house walk listings on April 28 and garden walks May 11. The deadline for sending house walks information is March 28; for garden walks, April 4. Please e-mail or mail typed information (event, time, date, place, organization, admission fee, phone number for the public to call as well as the name and daytime phone number of a person we can contact). Please put “Garden walks” or “House walks” in the subject line of your e-mail or on your envelope.
Send e-mail to:
home&[email protected]
Or mail to:
Home&Garden
baiduhai
435 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611