A fun & festive evening with friends at the Chicago Botanic Garden for LIGHTSCAPE… and amazing collection of holiday lights & art installations! I’ve been to the gardens many, many times… but this was my very first time going for their holiday light show… and I was BLOWN AWAY!!! Stunning lights, colors, holiday music & photo-ops everywhere you turn! Scroll down through the photos to follow my “journey” through the holiday gardens of LIGHTSCAPE.

Last night was another night of theater… and somehow the Cadillac Palace Theater never fails to amaze me. Such beautiful architecture with craftsmanship like they just don’t make anymore!

Wispy clouds & colorful contrails crossing the sky this morning.
Quiet with a slight breezy chill in the air.

On the train headed towards the Merchandise Mart for the ONE OF A KIND SHOW! I’ll be helping my talented friend & metalsmith Sarah Chapman in Booth 2118. Be sure to stop by to see her amazing jewelry… or just to say “Hi!”

Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city. Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty. How can you lose? The lights are much brighter there… you can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares… and go DOWNTOWN.

Beautiful view of the City skyline looking over South Pond after a fun night at ZOOLIGHTS.

Another morning of perfectly clear skies. A nice orange ombre’ as the sun slowly crested the horizon. A bit chillier than yesterday, but it’s supposed to warm up this afternoon.

Another beautiful morning with a few wispy clouds blowing though the city. It started with a low & kinda uneventful layer low on the horizon… but luckily, the clouds spread & opened up to catch the colors as the sun came up.

Another early start for another beautiful sunrise bike ride. Some people have asked “what time I start to ride”… and it kinda depends on the season & when the actual sunrise is… as the “pretty part” where the colors all change is about a half hour before the sun actual crests the horizon. Currently, because the sunrise is so late… I’m heading out when it is still pitch black about 5:45am. As you can see the dark skyline shots that were taken this morning just past my turn-around point about 10 miles in. Then I pedal towards home hoping to catch the “actual” sunrise before I get there. I’m one of the few people who actually look forward to the Fall time change… as it effectively gives me another hour in my morning before I need to head-off to work! More time to play along the lake & enjoy the sunrise!!! Sure, it’s early… but look at this!!!

As part of my morning bike ride, I went down to cheer on the Chicago Marathon runners! After doing it last year, I know how much better the cheering crowd can make make their day. So I was there watching… impressed by the wheelchair racers coming through first… intrigued by the Elite runners who flew by in no-time flat… impressed by the first couple waves of fast runners who oddly seem to “enjoy” running (not jogging) while gliding by quickly & effortlessly… and then “my peeps”… the ones in the later Race Corrals like M & N. The ones who you can tell are NOT full-time runners, but excited to tackle the day & have a great time! They’re going to have a LONG day out in the breeze & chilly weather… but they’re also going to have a great time going through so many of Chicago’s great neighborhoods! Just keep moving forward… and HAVE FUN TODAY!!!

We had beautiful blue skies today… warm temps & not a cloud in the sky! Just a little hazy day lingering downtown. I kept trying to stay focused to get some work done… but instead, my bike won out again! That’s why I’m in the studio tonight!!!