Oct 12 11
Unveiled
Promotions for a one-woman show at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
2011. Client: Multicultural Affairs, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 4-color design for printing on white cardstock, 11″ x 17″ (poster) and 4″ x 6″ (postcard).
Oct 9 11
Dinner Time: Sautéed Shrimp Po’ Boys
This is a quick recipe adapted from the Shrimp Po’ Boy recipe on epicurious.com (Bon Appétit, June 2011). The original recipe requires deep frying the shrimp, but I hate frying (due to the danger of blowing up the apartment + the lingering smell of cooked grease, assuming I haven’t set the apartment on fire). Instead, I sautéed the shrimp in butter and onions: it still has a really great flavor and is a bit indulgent. Toasting the buns in butter is key as well. (Sorry, no photo. These sandwiches were consumed too fast. I’ll get a picture in the second round!)
Sautéed Shrimp Po’ Boys
For shrimp:
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lb. jumbo shrimp (about 42), peeled, deveined
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
For sandwiches:
- 3 Tbsp light mayonnaise
- Juice of 1/2 large lemon (approx. 2 Tbsp)
- 1/4–1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 4–6 large hoagie rolls, split length-wise
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- Dill pickles (optional)
Directions:
- Combine the first seven ingredients (spices) in a small bowl to blend. Place shrimp into a bowl and sprinkle with spice mixture and use hands to coat shrimp evenly. Refrigerate until needed.
- Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and hot sauce in another small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
- Melt 2 tsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter begins to bubble, add diced onion and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tsp of butter to onions and allow to melt while continuing to stir onion. Add shrimp to onions and sauté until shrimp become opaque, about 5–7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tsp–1 Tbsp of butter on a non-stick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. When butter begins to bubble, place hoagie buns open-side down onto griddle and toast until bread is golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
- When bread is toasted, remove from heat and spread each toasted side evenly with mayonnaise mixture. Place 8–10 shrimp on each hoagie roll. Then top with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and dill pickles (if desired). Serve with additional hot sauce and remaining mayonnaise mixture.
Serves 4–6.
Sep 18 11
Renegade Craft Fair: Chicago 2011
One of the great things about living in a large city is the amount of fairs and festivals that take place each year. The Renegade Craft Fair, now in its 9th year in the city of Chicago, is one of my favorite events. It brings together a whole lot of people like me: artists, designers, and crafters who love making stuff and collecting the stuff people make. This is only my second year attending the big summer fair (I’ve also attended the Holiday Fair in the winter), but I was excited to see some familiar faces, as well as artisans I hadn’t seen before. Best of all, my boyfriend came along on Saturday (September 10) and he loved the fair so much that we came back for the second day! We both bought a fair amount of stuff: some things for friends and family, other things for ourselves. Most of the booths we gravitated to where letterpress- and screen-printers, but there were some great painters, photographers, and sculptural artists as well. Below are photos from the fair and some of my favorite vendors (at least the ones I was able to snag business cards from). My repeat favorites (vendors I liked from last year or earlier) are noted with an asterisk (*). Also check out the Renegade Craft Fair site for extensive information on the artists and their products, and TONS of photos. With any luck, I’ll be selling my own stuff at the Renegade Fair in a year or two! 
- Berkley Illustration!: Portland, OR. Illustrations of animals as people!
- Bison Bookbinding*: Bellingham, WA. Letterpress and bookbinding.
- Circa Ceramics*: Chicago, IL. Handmade glazed ceramics.
- circle street*: Appleton, WI. Hand-sewn stationery.
- Clinton Reno*: Columbus, OH. Screen-printed illustrations.
- Crown Vic Productions: Detroit, MI + Chicago, IL. Linoleum block prints.
- Delicious Design League*: Chicago, IL. Design + illustration.
- Dolan Geiman: Chicago, IL. Multimedia art.
- Domestica: Cool handmade stuff!
- EARTH CADETS*: Chicago, IL. Screen-printed fiber goods.
- Ex-Boyfriend Collection: Screen-printed apparel.
- Ex Libris Anonymous*: Portland, OR. Handmade journals from printed books.
- Fourth Is King*: Chicago, IL. Screen-printed t-shirts + stickers.
- Fugscreens Studios*: Chicago, IL. Screen-printing workshop and studio.
- Fuzzy Ink: Raleigh, NC. Screen-printed apparel, posters, + other goodies.
- Gnome Enterprises*: Brooklyn. Screen-printed apparel.
- Hero Design Studio*: Buffalo, NY. Screen-printed designs.
- iamhome*: Cicero, IL. Handmade home decor.
- Jessica Swift*: Atlanta, GA. Stationery and other items with designed patterns.
- Just A Jar Design Press: Marietta, OH. Letterpressed and hand-printed goods.
- Kevin Tong Illustration*: Los Angeles, CA. Illustrations, posters, + paintings.
- Kit Paulson: Chicago, IL. Hand-blown glass sculptures.
- Know Your Flag: Chicago, IL. Screen-printed posters, t-shirts, + designs
- Lucius Art: Chicago, IL. Animal-inspired art and prints.
- Make My Notebook: Denver, CO. Custom-made spiral-bound notebooks with screen-printed covers.
- Methane Studios: Screen-printed design + illustration.
- Mis Nopales Art*: Downey, CA. Mexican-inspired screen-printed posters + apparel.
- Miss Alison*: Chicago, IL. Handmade vinyl accessories.
- mogo*: St. Louis, MO. Modern goods from scratch.
- Ork Posters: Chicago, IL. Screen-printed neighborhood posters.
- peaceful traveler: Screen-printed maps, charts, + diagrams.
- Perpetually Yours: Chicago, IL. Pet-inspired pillows + prints.
- Purple Hippo Stitches: Bloomington, IN. Snarky cross-stitched art.
- rar rar press*: Chicago, IL. Snarky letterpressed stationery.
- Red Hydrant Press*: Grand Rapids, MI. Hand-printed art and apparel.
- Shawnimals: Chicago, IL. Hilarious baby ninjas. ‘Nuff said.
- Slow Industries*: Chicago, IL. Letterpressed goods and studio.
- Spudnik Press Cooperative*: Chicago, IL. Letterpress and printing studio and cooperative.
- Starshaped Press*: Chicago, IL. Letterpressed goods and studio.
- The Social Dept., LLC: Akron, OH. Screen-printed posters + t-shirts
- Tugboat Printshop*: Pittsburgh, PA. Amazing prints from wood-cut illustrations.
- Vahalla Studios*: Kansas City, MO. Screenprinted posters + stationery.
- Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress*: Knoxville, TN. Letterpressed posters + goods
- Yellowlion*: Chicago, IL. Screen-printed designs and patterns.
- Zerobird: Chicago, IL. Chicago-inspired screen-printed goods.
Sep 18 11
MetroMix Chicago: Best Brunches
I really don’t like slide shows on websites like this (just show me everything on one page!). However, since I’m a lover of brunch and these are all places I haven’t tried (at least not for brunch), I thought I should go ahead and post this link. Check out MetroMix Chicago: Best Chicago Brunches for the full slideshow. For the impatient folks like myself, here’s a quick rundown of the list (but the photos really sell the food, so when you find 5 minutes, do check out MetroMix!):
- Prasino, 1846 W. Division St. in Wicker Park
- Francesca’s Forno, 1576 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park
- City Provisions in Ravenswood, 1818 W. Wilson Ave.
- Marmalade in North Center, 1969 W. Montrose Ave.
- Brunch in River North, 644 N. Orleans St.
- Table Fifty-Two in the Gold Coast: 52 W. Elm St.
- Frontier: 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave.
- Davanti Enoteca: 1359 W. Taylor St.
- Chicago Q: 1160 N. Dearborn St.
- Sprout: 1417 W. Fullerton Ave.
- Bangers & Lace in Wicker Park: 1670 W. Division St.
- Little Branch: 1251 S. Prairie Ave.
- Sable Kitchen and Bar: 505 N. State St.
- Sunda: 110 W. Illinois St.
- The Publican: 837 W. Fulton Market
- Owen & Engine: 2700 N. Western Ave.
MetroMix also has a brunch guide with photos and reviews of restaurants throughout Chicago.
Jul 21 11
Nan Je M’ Gade
Poster and postcard designs for an exhibition at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, Illinois.
2011. Client: Multicultural Affairs, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 4-color design for printing on white cardstock, 17″ x 11″ (poster) and 6″ x 4″ (postcard).