Fashionable Friday: Chicago is My Kind Of Town

So… I had so much fun in Atlanta that, knowing that the Chicago Pen Show is just a week away, I have decided that I MUST GO TO CHICAGO! As a native Chicagoan, the opportunity to go to a pen show AND eat an Italian Beef was too much lure for one person to withstand.

I have to give a great big shout out to Lisa at Vanness Pens who has kindly welcomed me as a helper at the Vanness booth for the weekend. If you need ink this weekend, come to the Vanness table for Bung Box, Callifolio, Akkerman and many more plus the 300-strong ink testing station. Bring lots of paper or buy some while you’re there.

So, in honor of my hometown pride, I bring you a Fashionable Friday decked out in Vienna Beef, red-6-pointed-stars-and-sky-blue-stripes, and original Frango mints. Locals will know what I mean and folks visiting Chicago for the first time for the pen show, take note!

Chicago Flag Enamel Pin $11.95 (via Paper Source)

Sailor 1911 Standard Fountain Pen – Anderson Pens Special Edition, Slate Blue $200 (via Anderson Pens)

Akkerman Chi(na)Town Red (60ml Bottle) $29 (via Anderson Pens)

Diamine Aqua Blue Ink (80ml bottle) $15 (via Pen Boutique)

Chicago Tea Towel $24 (via Tammy Smith Designs)

“I (star) Chi” Pin $1.50 (via Gaper’s Block)

Fisher Space Pen Bullet Ballpoint Pen in Red Cherry $23 (via JetPens)

Delta Unica White Fine Point Fountain Pen $75.95 (via Goldspot Pens)

Kaweco Sport Skyline fountain pen mint €18,95 (via Fontoplumo)

“Ode to Chicago Style Hot Dogs” poster $20 (via Star Shaped Press)

Diamine 150th Anniversary Carnival Ink (40 ml Bottle) $18.50 (via JetPens)

“Don’t Call It Willis” Pin $1.75 (via Gaper’s Block)

“Don’t Call It Macy’s” Pin $1.75 (via Gaper’s Block)

Filofax Original Pillar Box Red A5 Organizer $111 (via Goldspot Pens)

Monteverde One Touch Stylus Tool Rollerball Pen $36 (via Pen Chalet)

Chicago My Kind of Town Card $4 (via The Found)

Trusco Medium Trunk Tool Box $15 (via Fresh Stock Japan)

Lincoln Park After Dark Nail Polish (via OPI)

Finally, things to know about Chicagoans:

• We love to give directions. It proves we know our city, burb or hamlet.
• Most Chicagoan prefer thin crust pizza. We feed tourists the deep dish stuff to see if you’ll eat it.
• Chicagoans tend to sound gruff and in a hurry but most are teddy bears underneath.
• We have a thing about how we eat hot dogs. If you don’t want to eat them full-on Chicag-style and don’t want the hairy eyeball when you ask for ketchup on it, order something else.
• City cops wear leather but don’t call them leather daddies.