—Vanille macarons (VanillePatisserie.com): Since its launch in 2002, Chicago French patisserie Vanille has been known for its macarons—and anyone with a sweet tooth will appreciate these desserts. Macarons are available in flavors such as caramel, vanilla, chocolate, raspberry, pistachio, coconut, coffee, red velvet, hazelnut, nutella, casis, mango passion, rose, lavender and green tea.
—Michael Hill jewelry (MichaelHill.com): The eyes of the man or woman in your life will sparkle upon getting one of these items. The cultured freshwater pearl boxed set is simply classic, while men will appreciate something like the bracelet in black PVD and rose plated stainless steel.
—Princeton University Press books (press.princeton.edu): The press has a varied assortment of books. Examples include Big Pacific, a companion book to the five-part series on PBS that gives an inside look at the unique sea creatures and ecosystems of the Pacific Ocean; and William Blake and the Age of Aquarius, an intriguing look at how Blake’s vision influenced artists of the Beat generation and 1960s counterculture.
—Venice Pride Flag lifeguard tower replica (venicepride.org): This is unique: Venice Pride is releasing this replica, inspired by the now iconic real-life tower in Venice Beach, California, that artist Patrick Marston created. In addition, all proceeds support Venice Pride initiatives like Camp Lightbulb: Venice Beach 2018—a week-long summer-camp experience for LGBTQ youth 14 to 18.
—By Andrew Davis
(Andrew@WindyCityTimes.com and @azygous60610)