Hugh Hart

American ingenuity is still alive and kicking. Doubters need only have wandered around the Chicago Cultural Center several months ago, when home shopping network QVC came to town. As part...

Here's the gimmick: A gift store on the tony North Shore that sells stuff at: a moderate price. And no attitude to boot. That's what Beverley Zadikoff and Arlene Posner...

Though Europe an Asia have gotten a headstart on telecard mania, America is fast catching up. With some 3,500 different designs officially cataloged, telecards offer collectors a mind-boggling array of...

Think of Tracey McBride as the Martha Stewart of the cheapskate set. Her home won't likely be seen in the pages of the glossy shelter magazines, but that's OK by...

And you thought Cher was just an actress/singer/hair-products endorser. Turns out she's quite the home-furnishings maven as well. The raven-haired celebrity recently introduced Sanctuary, a mail-order catalog that offers surprisingly...

Halloween is a great excuse for chocoholics to throw moderation out the window. But for those four-legged family members joining this year's trick-or-treat outings, it's important to remember that even...

In the crowded field of decorative arts, Georgan Damore's 3-D paintings literally stand alone. The Chicago artist has produced a batch of totally tubular, acrylic-painted columns that offer 360 degrees...

As most cereal junkies in their late 20s know, 1975 goes down in breakfast history as the year Quake took on Quisp--and lost. It was back then that Quaker Oats,...

Set designer Jean Alan knows how to do mainstream, having out-fitted such film productions as "The Untouchables," "The Blues Brothers" and "Midnight Run." Now, she's running her own show with...

Most folks walk away from summer art fairs with a slight tan, achingfeet and, if they're lucky, a pleasant painting or knickknack. Becky Roberts browsed her way into a new...