The Windy City

You think you know someone pretty well, but then you spend two 9-hour bus rides, two nights in a hostel and walk 20 miles with them, and you see a whole other side of that person…the good, the bad, the ugly and the fabulous. For three days in June, the Nashville, Columbus and Detroit Chapters traveled to Chicago for a multi chapter event with the Little Black Dress Club ladies of the Chicago Southland Chapter to explore The Windy City.

For the Nashville sisters, the trip started late Thursday night when they boarded the Megabus for an overnight excursion through Louisville and Indianapolis before the final destination of Chicago. I’m pretty sure that time paused on that trip, and the trip was much longer than 9 hours. If customer service is a high priority for your experience, then Megabus is not for you!

 

Since the trip seemed to be all about new experiences, the Nashville ladies didn’t go for just any regular hotel experience, they took a chance on a hostel experience (not to be confused with a hostile experience) and stayed at Hostelling International Chicago. It was like summer camp all over again with 8 girls stacked in bunk beds in one room. There may or may not have been some falling out of bunk beds, some indiscriminate videos and snoring. We all took the Full Moon Vow again, so we’ll never tell!

Just about every mode of transportation was used when traveling the city, including bus, cab, train and trolley. The ladies quickly discovered that there are many interesting characters that can be encountered when using public transportation, which usually lead to humor more so than fear. Of course, there is usually safety in numbers.

Friday and Saturday included lots of shopping on Michigan Avenue and State Street, including visits to Water Tower Place and Marshall Field & Company, the second largest department store in the world with 12 stories, including the 5 story Tiffany & Co. mosaic-capped ceiling.

 

Our sightseeing adventures included visiting The Cloud Gate (better known as The Bean) and Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, a walk along Lake Michigan to Lincoln Park and the Lincoln Park Zoo, a Chicago Architecture Cruise on the Chicago River, a trip to see Wrigley Field and an evening of ferris wheels (not carousels) and fireworks at Navy Pier. There was also much walking done on the weekend, and by the time the Nashville ladies arrived home Sunday night, they had taken over 47,000 steps, which is about 20 miles. Several of the ladies had well-deserved pedicures and massages the following day.

 

The weekend was not without lots of great food. We dined at Ed Debevics, where the servers are over the top and rude…on purpose. We also shared delicious Chicago-style pizza with the other chapters at Lou Malnati’s in the historic Gold Coast district. Saturday evening we got our Cajun fix at Heaven on Seven where several sampled some of the most delicious grits on earth. Our last meal together in Chicago was at the Grand Lux Cafe and included sharing Mimosas, Bellinis and some very large portions of French Toast.

 

Shortly after brunch on Sunday, the chapters bid farewell to each other and went back to their respective cities. It was a fabulous weekend spent making new friends, experiencing new adventures and capturing great memories. Plans were already discussed for future gatherings of the chapters, and I know I am looking forward to more trips together!

~ Tonya Overstreet
Nashville Chapter Member, LBDC



Here’s what a few others had to say about the Chicago trip with The Little Black Dress Club:

"After the Columbus chapter did Pilates in Millennium Park they went to the bean. Who did they run into but Nashville ladies! Columbus was very into shopping and collectively got 6 pairs of shoes, 5 purses, and too many dresses to count!"
~ Suzy Hicks, Columbus Chapter Co-Director

“I loved seeing Chicago for the first time and what a wonderful group of ladies to do it with. I'm ready for our next LBDC adventure!”
~ Beth Holt, Nashville Chapter Member

"I loved having LBDC members from Nashville, Ohio and Detroit join us in the Windy City for an amazing weekend! LBDC provides us with these unique opportunities to meet fabulous ladies, who we may otherwise never cross paths with. I'm already looking forward to our next road trip."
~ Richelle Schneider, Chicago Southland Chapter Director

"Meeting lots of great new people, sightseeing, EATING and shopping shopping shopping!! What a blast!"
~ Jenny Smith, Columbus Chapter Member

“Spending 4 days with these women really gave me a chance to get to know them all a little bit better. I can't imagine my first trip to Chicago being with anyone else. Laughing, trying new things and making memories; that's what LBDC is all about."
~ Shay Ashcraft, Nashville Chapter Co-Director and National Director

“Seeing my city, the city I was born & raised in, through the eyes of tourists was an incredible event for me. I was amazed at how well all of these ladies were able to navigate our great city of Chicago. This is a testament to what kind of women LBDC women are; independent & fun loving adventurers!! I would love to visit their cities next!!
~ Peg Donnellan, Chicago Southland Chapter Member

"This was a wonderful way to be introduced to the LBDC! It was a great trip!"
~ Renee Jackson, Detroit Metro Chapter Member

LBDC Directors - Chicago, Detroit, Nashville and Columbus

 

The Year In Review

The Little Black Dress Club had a fantastic 2012. New friendships were formed, new experiences were had and this national organization that I have come to love has grown. The LBDC has chapters spanning the US from DC to Arizona, Alabama to California, from Nashville to Ohio and several in between. Here are just a few highlights from a few of our chapters.

Columbus - OH The Columbus ladies gathered at the Columbus Crew Stadium for the annual Buddy Walk. These LBDC members were thrilled to be a part of such a great cause while supporting great families. 

Louisville, KY/Nashville, TN/Chicago, IL/Deep Creek, MD - As one of the very first multi chapter events, members from these cities enjoyed a weekend road trip to Louisville, KY!  The weekend was full of activities such as exploring local caves, BINGO, distillery tours, and martini bars! Some of my favorite perks of LBDC membership are the once-in-a lifetime opportunities, the chance to make new friends, and the fun experiences that I have had. This multi chapter trip offered all of that and more!

Phoenix, Arizona - This past Thanksgiving the Phoenix chapter found a local family in need. The LBDC members were able to deliver a huge basket of goodies and treats to this family to ensure that they had a happy holiday. The mother was overcome with emotion and very grateful to the Little Black Dress Club. 

 

Tracy, California - Tracy Members found themselves making “Thyme for Tea” in Niles.
The ladies enjoyed  a Victorian Tea Service complete with scones, assorted tea sandwiches and pastries and of course pots of tea. This chapter also celebrated the holiday season with a White Elephant gift exchange. After the tea they spent the afternoon shopping at the local antique shops nearby.



And now...

Parties are winding down, vacations are coming to a close and resolutions are being made. A new year has quickly gotten under way. If you are excited about the year ahead, looking for a great new adventure, want to get off the couch and into a social life while making some great girlfriends along the way, join our club!

The LBDC in 2013 is going to be the place to be! Don’t miss out!

Shay Ashcraft
Social Media Director, LBDC

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Have you ever experienced a downward spiral in life and wished that you could just get away from it all, even if only for a few minutes?  That is exactly what Cheryl Strayed did and her memoir, “Wild:  From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” outlines how she was able to “find” herself again after hiking from the Mojave Desert  through California and Oregon to Washington State on the Pacific Crest Trail.   

Cheryl’s life was in shambles.  She was in her mid 20s, had lost her mother to cancer, destroyed her marriage, started using heroin, had no money, and had lost contact with her family.  Her lifestyle had always been one that involved taking risks, but none compared to the risk she took when she hiked 1100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, alone!

When I first started reading this book I will admit, I thought Cheryl was crazy to even attempt this adventure.  She had no hiking experience but decided to embark on this journey after she picked up a book on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail while standing in a check-out line.  Ironically, she never even read the book before starting the hike.  She spoke to a few people at a sporting goods store, bought some equipment, packed her backpack (which she refers to as “Monster” because it is way too heavy) and literally headed out for the trail.  Physically, she was in no way prepared for this journey.  She talks about losing her toenails because her boots are too small, her throbbing feet, and the pure utter exhaustion she felt most evenings.  But, she forged on day by day and eventually grew stronger not only physically but emotionally as well.

I know there is no way I could do what Cheryl Strayed did, but I give her credit for being willing to not only tackle this trail alone, but her own demons as well.  Sometimes from our own darkness emerges something really great and I would recommend that you travel along side Cheryl to learn more about her journey from being lost to found in Wild.

 

Reviewed by: Richelle Schneider, Chicago Southlands Director, LBDC

Welcome, LBDC Chicago Southlands and Richelle Schneider!

The Little Black Dress Club has recently recruited Richelle Schneider to Direct the Chicago Southlands chapter of LBDC! Richelle has been an official LBDC member since 2010. She originally heard about the organization via meetup.

Richelle decided to reach out to our founder, Christine Zellers, about directing the Chicago chapter because she felt a strong need for women to have a way to connect with each other in her area. She wanted to help supply a fun and sophisticated way for women in the Chicago Southlands to socialize and make new friends.

Richelle loves that Chicago offers some of the most amazing restaurants, shopping, culture, music, festivals and sports - go Cubbies! - in the area. There is always something exciting taking place or a new hot spot to try. You can easily find something fun to do. What better way to find and try all these exciting places than with your girlfriends on a Saturday night! Richelle’s philosophy on life is that each new day is a gift, so try to live life to the fullest! She says “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Richelle made a great point when she said “True friendships are definitely a gift and can
help shape who we are and who we are yet to be. Having a good group of friends who you can rely on for advice, support, encouragement or just a fun night out is a must for every woman!” There is no better place in the Chicago Southlands to find true friendships than the LBDC.

In her spare time, Richelle enjoys traveling, shopping, trying new restaurants, biking, hiking, golfing, listening to live music, dancing, and sharing a good glass of wine with friends! She also enjoys adding a little adventure to her life every now and then by trying skydiving, white water rafting, surfing, hiking Chimney Tops in the smoky Mountains and riding in a Nascar at a speed of 150 miles per hour. We can only imagine the fun events that Richelle is going to be planning for her chapter!

Overall, Richelle is very excited to be part of the Little Black Dress Club and is committed to planning fun events and helping the club evolve in the South Suburbs of Chicago.

Welcome to the team, Richelle!

- Shay Ashcraft

Social Media Director, LBDC