{2 chic chicks in chicago}

Last weekend I spent (having the time of my life I might add) in Chicago with my dearest friend, Katie. We shopped, we ate, we drank plenty of wine, we chatted, we watched P&P (Pride & Prejudice), we chatted some more, drank some more vino, ate some more yummy food, shopped some more, chatted & laughed...& laughed. To me that is the recipe for a *perfect* weekend. & of course we oohed & awed over her sweet, sweet son...& her husband came home for the last day & we hung out, caught up & also drank lots of wine & chatted & laughed. perfect ending to a perfect weekend.
So...yes, we went shopping down Michigan Ave--phenomenal architecture, which Chicago is famous for, all decked out with gorgeous seasonal trimmings.

The historic Ambassador East hotel was just renovated (& renamed itself to Public Hotel), so we went for a drink in the Pump Room before a fabulous dinner on Saturday. Right before getting ready, we watched part of North by Northwest with Cary Grant.

{all dressed up & ready for a night on the town}

& off to the Ambassador East we went...

{via chicagoist}

Here the characters are having a drink in room 463 (we were tempted to ask for the key to 463 at the concierge, mimicking Cary Grant's move in the movie):

{love that dress!fontanellia}

{the historic pump room recently renovated}

Their 'Library' is pretty amazing too:

{these three photos from the hotel's website}

Katie had a Cary Grant martini & I enjoyed a pump room pisco sour:

{the crowds at the Pump Room}

If you walk downstairs there are old photos of all the famous people who have had a drink there (like Frank Sinatra who popularized the song My Kind of Town (Chicago) with the line "Chicago is the jumpin' Pump Room"):

{looks like a lot of stuff went down in this place--including me & Katie solving all of life's problems}

You really must watch the film if you haven't seen it. I love Cary Grant & the fashion is fantastic, as well as the amazing architecture throughout the movie.

{d*s inspired by north by northwest}

Check out this old advert featuring the Ambassador East: 

{via attic paper}

We then went for dinner at Caffe Spiaggia and had AMAZING Italian food. Katie & I spent a lot of time in Italy together, since we both did MAs at the Courtauld, concentrating on the Italian Renaissance. This was highly appropriate & the biggest surprise--the restaurant has trompe l'oeil copying Mantegna's Camera Picta in Mantua--an artist who both of us have worked on and a place we both visited in 2007 together.

We got a table overlooking Michigan avenue across the historic Drake Hotel. What could be more perfect?:

Thank you Katie for such a fun weekend & for being such a good friend.
until next time (maybe a reunion in Italy?)!!!
xo
L