Category Archives: pop culture

Shopgirl

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Ellen Ross

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that shopping bag. Time was when the beautiful violets of Bonwit Teller bloomed everywhere. The Chicago branch of the legendary New York shopping mecca stood proudly at the corners of Pearson Street … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Fashion, pop culture, Shopping | 21 Comments

Eden

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Ellen Ross

In 1978 I was living in Barrington Hills on eleven wooded acres with a husband, a big apricot Standard Poodle named Arno and a baby bump who’s sex and name were yet to be determined. It was paradise- until during … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, pop culture | 12 Comments

I Scream, You Scream

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Ellen Ross

If you’re not from Chicago’s North Shore, you might not immediately recognize this beloved institution. It’s Homer’s Ice Cream Parlor in Wilmette, Illinois. Home of famous, fabulous ice cream. Especially peach ice cream in season. Its eighty years has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, food, Nostalgia, pop culture, Winnetka | 10 Comments

Meet-Cute

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Yes, that’s the great Billy Wilder. Legendary cinema screenwriter, brilliant director, auteur. Although he didn’t invent the “meet-cute,” (when boy meets girl in an adorable way on the big screen) here’s one clever example he came up with for that … Continue reading →

Posted in Dating, Movies, pop culture | 2 Comments

Candyland

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Ellen Ross

In the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter, actress Juliette Binoche spilled the cacao beans. During the filming of the 2000 film Chocolat, she discovered that her co-star, Johnny Depp “actually didn’t like chocolate.” “He was spitting it out after … Continue reading →

Posted in food, Memoir, Nostalgia, pop culture | 16 Comments

Seventeen

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Calling All Girls: If the names “Enid Haupt” and “Colleen Corby” ring a familiar bell, this post should be on your “must read” list. When I was a pre-teen growing up on Chicago’s North Shore, I was rabidly interested in … Continue reading →

Posted in Magazines, Memoir, New Trier High School, Nostalgia, pop culture | 11 Comments

It Happens Every Spring

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Photograph: Fred Nachman Last Sunday, my brother Kenny and I were driving up Lake Shore Drive. It was a very blustery day. Cold and gray. An unpleasant kind of day. And then, all of a sudden, Kenny lit up like … Continue reading →

Posted in baseball, Movies, pop culture, Sports | 23 Comments

Young in Heart

Posted on March 29, 2015 by Ellen Ross

I was driving southbound down Green Bay Road in Hubbard Woods the other day. On my left I saw a large picture window in a building that looked like a charming, life-size doll house. Out of habit, I expected to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Memoir, pop culture, Winnetka | 19 Comments

Bafflegate

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Definition of baffle gate: A gate that permits passage in one direction only. I must confess that since I moved back to Chicago, I don’t ride the subway/El very much. I find it claustrophobic. And I’m not all that keen … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Movies, pop culture | 12 Comments

The Casting Couch

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Ellen Ross

I was watching The Forsyte Saga on Netflix the other night. Not the original with Eric Porter and Kenneth More. The newer one with Damian Lewis as Soames and Gina McKee as Irene. I was struck by the fact that … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Movies, pop culture, Television | 14 Comments