A Look Inside Dolce & Gabbana’s New Oak Street Location

Chicago’s Oak Street has been gifted with yet another precious gem—Dolce & Gabbana. The luxurious new store radiates opulence and Italian elegance. We were thrilled to receive an exclusive glimpse of the new boutique!

The second we walked in we felt like we were in sunny Milan, not gloomy Chicago. Every little detail in the store radiates luxury and encompasses the Italian brand’s authenticity. The stones used to lay the boutique’s floor were brought all the way from the glamorous Italian island of Sicily and the opulent burgundy velvet, which is unique to their boutiques, is prevalent throughout the store.

The boutique features the newest runway pieces that are feminine with a unique Dolce & Gabbana twist, as well as “oh –so-gorgeous” jewelry and accessories. We wanted it all! As the saying goes: the best things in life are free, and the second best are very expensive.

Our preview ended with even more exciting news. Have you ever looked at the Dolce & Gabbana campaigns that feature beautiful Italian families and wondered how amazing it would be if you could be in it? Well dreams do come true!

This year Dolce & Gabbana is hosting the #DGFamily project to demonstrate their belief in the values of a strong family. All you have to do is go on their website, submit your family photo, and voila, you are part of the D&G family.

By Eva Zakarauskaite

The Midnight Circus

Midnight. The start of a brand new day where anything can happen. It's the perfect name for the magical Midnight Circus in the Parks I saw for the first time this weekend.

I found out about the Midnight Circus from a friend who raved that it is a must-do activity for kids. The circus performs in different parks every weekend through October 27. Ticket sales from the circus go towards improving the participating parks.

The Circus has entertained over 30,000 people and has raised over $250,000 for local parks since they partnered with The Chicago Park District in 2007.

This is no big top circus, but it is just as thrilling. The 200 person tent feels small and intimate. The kids are able to sit on the grass right next to the ring. It was a parents' dream come true. The venue was safe and every child got a front row seat.

The kids snacked on popcorn, ring pops and hot dogs as the acrobats, aerialists and dancers performed. The two hour show kept them captivated the entire time. We even bought adorable red clown noses for the kids.

After the show was over we agreed one two things. We would come back to see the circus next year and no recreating the acrobatics at home.

By Monika Dixon

Photos via Midnight Circus in the Parks Facebook

A Fall Utopia at Goebbert's

This weekend I did something I never thought I'd do—ride a camel and have a giraffe eat from my palm!

No, I didn't fly to the Middle Eastern Desert. My family and I made a trip to Goebbert's Farm in South Barrington. We can't seem to get enough of pumpkin patches and apple picking after our trip to County Line Orchard. 

Even if you've never been to Goebbert's you will probably recognize it in photos. In 1979, they had a 15 foot tall fiberglass pumpkin called Happy Jack made. Happy Jack sits on top of the farm's silo, which has become a recognizable landmark on the farm.

There are 50 different types of animals at Goebbert's in their Animal Land. The kids were thrilled to be able to get up close to giraffes, kangaroos and zebras. You can even take photos with the baby kangaroos on weekends. 

Another hilarious sight to behold is the pig races. Each pig is given a name like Kermit the Hog or Miss Piggy and the victor gets an Oreo cookie.

After visiting all the animals you have to grab some of Goebbert's apple cider doughnuts in their Red Barn Cafe and Bakery. They are worth every calorie. Try them for yourself and you'll see why you can't have just one.

After a doughnut break, we conquered the corn maze and haunted house. A wagon ride though a corn stalk trail was a relaxing way to end the day. If only it could've driven us home!

By Monika Dixon

Family Fun at County Line Orchard

The start of fall is always an exciting time of year for my family. Every year to welcome in the new season, we make the one hour drive from Chicago to County Line Orchard in Hobard, Indiana for a day of apple picking and family fun.

Our first stop when we arrived was to jump on the tractor that takes visitors around the apple orchards. The tractor stops at each orchard, letting people get off to go pick their favorite variety of apples. Once our bags were overflowing we hopped back on the tractor to conquer the corn maze.

After running through a maze you need to refuel and their gift shop was the perfect place to eat an autumnal feast. Between the corn, caramel apples, cider and fresh baked goods, the place smelled like a fall paradise.

There is so much more to do at County Line than just pick apples. You can tell they designed the orchard to be family friendly just by the amount of activities there are for kids. A must-do is a ride on Moo Choo, a tractor that pulls barrel cars around the farm.

Peter the Dinosaur is also a hit with the younger crowd. Peter is a friendly dinosaur that entertains kids with his pumpkin eating antics. The kids also loved the mini farm. They got to play with kid-sized tools and pretend like they were working on an actual farm. After played pretend, we took the kids through the mini farm petting zoo then called it a day.

Driving through the Indiana country back to the city was peaceful and relaxing, especially with the kids passed out in the back seat! If you're looking for an easy day trip with the family or a great fall date spot you must visit County Line Orchard. The kids are already begging to go back!

By Monika Dixon

What We're Loving - Tom Ford

When Tom Ford comes to your city, you know you've got some major fashion cred! We were so giddy about the infamously chic designer making our city its newest home that we had to be one of the first to visit. Wasting no time, we headed over to 66 East Oak Street early Friday to witness the opening day of this fashion mecca. And let us tell, it did not disappoint. Every decor detail - from the lighting to the marble floors - was flawless. And the merchandise...where do we even begin? The icing on the (very stylish) cake was a second-floor surprise that only an elite few shoppers will ever get to experience. We'd love to say more, but Tom Ford himself (we wish!) swore us to secrecy!

By Emily Cleary, MDPR Social Media Director 

What We're Loving - Maude's Liquor Bar

Randolph Street, the West Loop strip that's host to many of Chicago's most regarded restaurants, has been home to Maude's Liquor Bar for a couple years now. But somehow, we find ourselves loving it more with each additional visit. The two-story, 'rustic, rough Frenchy divey bar' is highly recommended for it's food as well as it's speciality cocktails. On the ground level drinks are served in simple mason jars, but when you head up one floor, expect to find more labor-intensive concoctions that are an attraction in their own right. From the signature 'Maude's Punch' to the absinthe-containing 'Sazerac', the cocktails are carefully crafted masterpieces. So when you're tired of the typical cosmo or glass of Chardonnay, a visit to Maude's ensures a re-awakened appreciation for fine mixology, and not to mention, delicious French-inspired cuisine.

 

By Emily Cleary, MDPR Social Media Director

What We're Loving - Brioni

We were so excited to hear that Brioni was making its entrance to the Gold Coast shopping district that we couldn't miss the opportunity for a quick look at it ourselves. The design of the 2,300 square foot space on Walton and Rush, right around the corner from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, is simply stunning. The traditional Brioni travertine floors, velvet paneling and bronzed brass perfectly reflect the style and elegance of this high end Italian menswear brand. We can't wait to see what the impact it will have on Chicago's fashion scene!

 

Welcome to MDPR INSIDER!

Through social media campaigns, event planning and other integrated marketing communications, the MDPR team works eagerly to provide clients the most creative and individualized public relations strategies. Please join us in debuting our new blog, MDPR Insider, where we aim to provide readers a glimpse inside the exhilarating world of public relations and give our clients, followers, friends, collaborators and supporters an outlet to view our work and share our inspirations for this exciting industry. 

Each day we will compose a blog post covering a different subject from a comprehensive list, encompassing everything from public relations and social media trends to the hottest fashions and tips for a healthy lifestyle.

Discover useful tips to help jumpstart your week with our Monday posts about social media and public relations news as well as blogging and graphic design advice. We will also discuss some of our favorite photography and design apps that we use everyday to create aesthetically pleasing graphics and collages for our clients.

Tuesday posts will cover topics dealing with health, fitness and nutrition. Each week, we will provide posts ranging from discussions on our favorite healthy recipes and tips to enhance your workouts and overall health to content on the best restaurants and places to workout in Chicago. We will also have information about farmer's markets and other wellness events in the area.

Celebrate the middle of the week by starting to organize your weekend plans with our Wednesday posts about what's happening in the Chicago area. The posts will include the most anticipated events and other activities we love participating in when we are out of the office. We will also have a section on the complicated, yet crucial rules of social etiquette, so you can be sure to impress at your next social gathering.

 

Learn how you can market your business with social media and public relations advice from our Thursday posts where we will offer suggestions on small changes you can make to increase brand awareness. We will also include informative articles written by other professionals who are knowledgeable about promoting businesses and organizations.

Indulge yourself at the end of the week and get ready for a night out with some light reading on the most popular fashion and beauty trends. On Friday, we will talk about how to create a flawless look using some of our favorite products and beauty tips directly from the experts. We will also cover the hottest fashions from local boutiques and stores, brands and collections that we love, including an "outfit of the day" and our wish list.   

We have been anxiously anticipating the launch of MDPR Insider and hope that you have found the content fun, enlightening and informative. We thank you for visiting and are looking forward to your return for future posts.  

By Rebecca Taylor, MDPR Team Member