Wendy Navratil

A riddle: What buzz-generating topic is silent but speaks a thousand subliminal words? The answer: Gesticulation. Sound vaguely profane? Try "gestures." Now we're talking power. For it is these sometimes...

If anyone doubts whether Madonna, a 44-year-old mother of two, can still bridge the generation gap, an unscientific sidewalk survey last week in Chicago offers some reassurance. "I personally can...

Shows like "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" are training regular guys in the details of looking good, and suddenly, we can't get enough. If anyone has a PhD in...

This Mr. Right may be a touch on the quiet side, but he always manages to say the right thing. A sturdy paper doll of sorts, he can perch on...

Shopping for a bank? A new pair of contact lenses? The sweetest produce at the best price for that summer picnic? The second issue of Chicago Consumers Checkbook, the semiannual...

Does "entry-level Mercedes" strike you as a contradiction in terms? The C Spot Drive Party in Villa Park next weekend wants to convince you otherwise. There, attendees can drive C-Class...

As if Marshall Field's Glamorama hasn't covered the bases of entertainment in years past, this year it's upping the cheekiness, with comedian Tracey Ullman as host and US Weekly magazine...

If it's a bit of Christmas in July that you're after, Chillow's your pillow. When filled with water, a panel within the Chillow sucks in heat so that the exterior...

Instead of oozing its juice throughout the day, imagine a mobile phone that recharges itself as it rides around in your bag hour after hour. Artists/designers Jane Palmer and Marianne...

The orally fixated have yet another tool to treat their choppers to: the AquaSonic WaterJet Oral Care System. It's a toothbrush, tongue brush and oral irrigator all in one. Here's...