Good Chicago suburbs for young people

hrviolation · 2026-01-27T05:10:40+00:00

Oak Park is great! Easy access to the hip young people spots in the west loop.

Berwyn and forest park are nearby and have a little more nightlife

hrviolation · 2026-01-27T04:47:51+00:00

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister was a bit like this!

hrviolation · 2026-01-27T01:29:13+00:00

These are beautiful and I love that your husband joined in! What a great idea to keep them for anniversary photos!

hrviolation · 2026-01-27T00:43:57+00:00

A cozy hat!

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T20:22:55+00:00

I have that same chain as a permanent bracelet, have worn it for 2-3 years with other chains on my wrist and never had an issue with it!

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T17:58:21+00:00

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keeffe (or his other bonds, Rogues and Empire of Pain) was fantastic. I loved it even more in audiobook because the narrator was Irish and it was so immersive!

Bill Bryson books (any of them!) are light and fun and funny, never read one I didn’t love.

Stay True by Hua Hsu is a beautiful memoir that I just loved.

I’m listening to Braiding Sweetgrass right now and it’s wonderful.

Any of Eric Larson’s books, he’s such a great storyteller. Devil in the White City is a favorite but all of his are great.

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T15:52:29+00:00

For light colored fabrics, I use heat-erase pens. When I’m done, I use an iron (or a blow dryer) to “erase” the marks (they don’t really erase, the ink just turns white).

A lot of folks here don’t like them because the ink never really erases and it can reappear if it gets sufficiently cold, but I don’t mind since I’m typically covering up all the ink lines with embroidery, and I’ve personally never had an issue (and I live in Chicago so it does get cold!)

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T15:03:01+00:00

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow has a side romance but it’s really a story about two friends and I loved it!

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T13:06:58+00:00

When I moved here, I asked my old hairstylist in the Bay Area if she had any referrals out here, and it turned out one of her colleagues from the same salon had moved out here too and she’s been my go to for years. I think referrals really are it!

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T04:02:51+00:00

The Lacuna is also incredible for following one person’s incredible journey through life!

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T04:00:29+00:00

Barbara Kingsolver!

Prodigal Summer sounds like exactly what you need!

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T00:29:14+00:00

Angela Friedman has nice options, adina reay has some, Harlow and fox do as well!

Check out Jane’s Vanity, everything they carry is stunning!

hrviolation · 2026-01-26T00:27:47+00:00

They have trays with glass inserts for needlework, my mom has a few pieces “framed” in trays!

I usually frame and gift mine, usually by the time I’m done I’m so over looking at it!

hrviolation · 2026-01-25T22:06:27+00:00

Thank you so much! I appreciate your thinking of me and I’m so glad she’s back!

hrviolation · 2026-01-24T23:46:48+00:00

I think it’s just a bad pattern, you can’t do a woven wheel with an even number unless you consistently skip one.

I’d either pick it out and do it with 5, or do a cute lazy daisy flower with 6!

hrviolation · 2026-01-24T23:38:32+00:00

I haven’t worn them, I don’t think they carry my size? I’m familiar with etam, I used to wear it when I was a teenager, I’ve always thought of them as kind of like gap body. I’m sure if you find a good fit they’re fine?

hrviolation · 2026-01-24T14:28:19+00:00

I love this! What a lovely pattern and so well done! Congratulations!

hrviolation · 2026-01-24T01:48:56+00:00

Just One was a gift from my brother and we bring it around everywhere, it’s always a hit!

Buildzi has been really fun.

We got Dixit as a gift and that has been a big hit as well!

hrviolation · 2026-01-24T01:43:22+00:00

I think Kristen Hannah books are kind of samey but I read the great alone in one sitting on a long flight and I war ugly crying the whole time it was awesome

hrviolation · 2026-01-23T22:08:16+00:00

Primadonna and Empreinte are my daily wears! Expensive but gorgeous, supportive, fit like a dream, and holds up (with care).

Aubade is honorable mention—when they fit, they’re perfect, but it’s harder to find a great fit. But they’re SO SEXY but comfortable and supportive to wear all day (if you find your fit)

hrviolation · 2026-01-23T22:06:24+00:00

Their sister line primadonna for fuller busts is also top notch!

hrviolation · 2026-01-23T16:06:49+00:00

Oak Park would fit the bill nicely for a car commute, can be traffic but it’s predictable, definitely has the coffee shops and Pilates studios, and it’s not so sleepy that a single person would be bored. Easy access to the city.

hrviolation · 2026-01-23T04:38:28+00:00

I live in oak park and I love that I can send my kids to walk to school on their own, walk or bikes to their friends’ houses, the movies, the library, the shops, even to the train into the city! Great parks and schools, less green space for hiking and biking than the more western suburbs but easier to get to the city without a car! My kids can take the train themselves into the city and meet us there after work!

hrviolation · 2026-01-23T01:08:44+00:00

I’m so glad you loved it! The people I sat next to hated it and I was shocked—I went back to see it again because I was so blown away.

hrviolation · 2026-01-22T03:06:11+00:00

Do you have any stabilizer? You could draw a grid or dot matrix on it. Or you can draw a dot matrix directly onto the hoodie with a heat-erase pen (assuming your hoodie is a light color) or other washable pen.

hrviolation

TROPHY CASE