Next time you’re in Chicago, check out Elements. This three-story emporium is a one stop shop for creative design. Elements has plenty of groovy things for the home, covering the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen as well as accessories like luggage from the always stylish brand Mandarina Duck (one of my favourites, although very pricey, brands). If you can’t make it to the store, just shop online. We like this set of four coral napkin rings ($70) which is so very Palm Beach, as well as Moroccan-inspired melamine dishes for $10. At the top of the price range is a Ted Muehling porcelain white branch candlestick ($1,630) and an Iraj Moini Necklace made with strands of citrine, emerald, and lapis necklace for $3,400.

It's a fact of life that no woman can own enough shoes- and if you're feeling blue or just need to perk up an old outfit, there's nothing better than a new pair of heels to do the trick.  In Chicago, local fashionistas are raving about the new boutique Perchance, which opened last month in Lake View. Perchance has an elegant boudoir look and stocks shoes by Stuart Weitzman, Cole Haan and Donald J. Pliner as well as up and coming designers like Anyi Lu. The shop is the brainchild of recent Kellogg MBA grad Mary Liz Lehman, whose inspiration for the store's name came from the Shakespeare's Hamlet (“To sleep, to sleep, perchance to dream”). In addition to the sexy shoe selection, Perchance also sells a collection of women's clothing and accessories. Perchance, 3512 N Southport Ave at Cornelia Ave, Chicago, Phone: (773) 244-1300.

We love Nanette Lepore for her girly boho designs, and the blonde Ohio-born designer has just gone back to her roots by opening her first Midwestern store. Ok it's not in Cleveland but it is in Chicago. Her Buckstown boutique is ultra feminine, and is done up with chandeliers and Lucite shelving. Chicago fashionistas might remember the location when it was the former Jolie Joli, and Lepore's boutique is stocked with sequin shift dresses, cocktail dressed, and stylish trench coats. And in case you can't make it to the store, shop directly from her website. Nanette Lepore, 1623 North Damen Avenue, Chicago Phone: (773) 489-4500.

If you're in search of a pair of long, glamorous earrings and a matching necklace (or two) check out Erin Gallagher's boutique. This Chicago-based jewellery designer has finally opened her own eponymous store (although her lovely jewellery is sold all over Illinois). Her look is feminine and sexy, with both chunky and delicate pieces. We like the look of Salma (left, for $62.50) and Maureen, her hammered gold stackable rings, and the delicate Isabella-Green bracelet, with gold circles and a green amethyst, for $135. With prices like these, you can stock up without feeling too guilty. Erin Gallagher, 1017 West Lake Street, between Morgan and Carpenter Streets, Chicago (312) 492-7548.

Since every designer seems to be pushing the whole minimalist, sleek, pared down look, its nice to see someone who does not believe that ”˜less is more,' and has gone completely over the top. The new La Pomme Rouge in Chicago is anything but minimalist. The theme of the restaurant is loosely based around decadence and temptation, and the look is sensuous and luxurious, with lots of velvet and antiques. Cocktails are a reasonable $10- I was intrigued by the claret lemonade. On the menu you'll find lots of caviar, charcuterie and traditional roasted meats. Desserts include an Asian pear tarte tartin, with ginger tapioca and a lime tequila sorbet. So go ahead, let yourself be tempted. Pomme Rouge, 108 W. Kinzie Street, Chicago, Phone: (312) 245-9555.

Expectant mums in Chicago have a new place to buy all their stylish maternity clothes. Preggers is the brainchild of Ann Zipser, who founded the store in Michigan with her two, twenty-something daughters. Their thinking was that if women were fashionable pre-pregnancy, why would they want to compromise on their maternity clothes? (Amen to that) Preggers stocks maternity clothes from Citizens of Humanity and Japanese Weekend, as well as a range of diaper bags and children's clothes. They also sell furniture, bedding and décor to kit out nurseries. Preggers, 900 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, Phone: (312) 943-MAMA.

If you happen to be in the Windy City and want um, something better than windblown hair, head to the newly opened Salon U. The design is as sleek as chic as the perfect blow dry, with polished cement floors and a stainless steel colour bar. The salon was launched by local hair guru Duschan Musikovski, and little touches include video iPods and hair dryers dangling from the ceiling. Salon U's stylists use Kérastase and Bumble & Bumble products (my favourites!) and there's also plenty of free parking. Prices for a haircut and style start at $51. And best of all, its all about you. Salon U, 2535 North Lincoln Avenue, at Lill Avenue, Chicago Phone: (773) 327-2622.

The first thing I noticed in the lobby of The James Chicago was Joel Ross's art installation Room 28 (1997).  At initial glance, it looked like just a stack of colourful suitcases.  Then I noticed that some of the suitcases were open, and were filled with raw materials like coils and foam. I learned that the contents of the suitcases are motel room furnishings, which the artist disassembled one night in Texas. Apparently, he'd carried them back to his van the morning after, two suitcases at a time.