From the rise of Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) in West Germany to underground punk and rock scenes in the GDR, young people on both sides of the Wall used sound and style to express individuality, resistance, humor, and hope.

This exhibition explores how the 1980s became one of the most culturally transformative decades in modern German history.

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

You bring the project, we provide the tools and assistance to get it done!

Idea Box's monthly Mending Clinics offer the space, tools, advice, and motivation to finish those annoying little sewing and repair projects that never seem to get done.

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to go find or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students at all levels of experience.

Are all those little repairs sitting in the corner staring you down? We're here to help! Bring a beverage (or just yourself and your mending) and join us for an early evening stitch-n-b*tch one Saturday a month. And, bonus-- as soon as you fix it, you can wear it out to wherever you're going next!

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to locate before you start or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students ages 21+ at all levels of experience.

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

Bringing your imagination into reality is learning the power of your awareness and feelings in manifesting the life you want to live and the you you want to become.

Learning how to move  from your present state  of beliefs into the desired state of your future, Now. Explore manifesting in this active, experiential workshop. Come away with new tools and a new perspective. With with master teacher, practitioner of NLP and Energy Healing, personal health & wellness coach Lillian Irene Lovas

Calling all scrapbookers, junk journalers, collagers, and craft enthusiasts, this one’s for you! Join me at bon femmes studio on Saturday, June 13, from 12–2 PM for an afternoon of creativity, community, and (of course) a lot of yapping.

What’s in store:

📒 Craft & Create: Bring your scrapbook, journal, or collage project to work on a few pages in good company. We’ll have a table full of fun materials: patterned paper, washi tape, stickers, and all sorts of bits and bobs to spark your imagination.

💬 Yap & Connect: The best part? Getting to chat with fellow crafters! Share ideas, swap supplies, or just enjoy some cozy conversation while you create.

🍹 Snacks & Sips: I’ll have beverages and light snacks to keep the vibes high and the creativity flowing.

🎨 Show & Tell: Wrap up the afternoon with a little show-and-tell because your creations deserve to be seen!

📍 Where: bon femmes studio, 4919 N Damen Ave
📅 When: Saturday, June 13 | 12 - 2 PM

This isn’t a workshop, it’s a chill, creative hangout for anyone who loves crafting and community. Bring your supplies, bring your bestie, and come make some magic (and new friends) at Scrap & Yap! 🧷

Due to the limited capacity of events, refunds for store credit are only available for cancellations made at least one week in advance. I appreciate your understanding!

This Saturday September 9, Buenos Aires native Damián Rivero and Argentine virtuso guitarist Guillermo Sebastián Paolisso will be playing some original music with a hint of Argentine Folklore and a mix of Astór Piazzolla and tango.

Damián Rivero belongs to a large family of musicians, including his grandfather Edmundo Rivero, one of the most popular Tango singers of all time. With his first band C-Men, he played at the most popular underground venues and festivals in Argentina.

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

Join us for our 2nd quarter breakfast, where members will hear directly from county and state legislators on key policy issues and legislation impacting small businesses. The discussion will feature local representatives from the Illinois General Assembly, offering updates and insights from the latest legislative sessions in Springfield and beyond. Attendees will also have the opportunity to submit questions in advance, and neighboring chambers have been invited to participate to help broaden the conversation across the business community.

Invited guests include:
State Senator Mike Simmons
State Representative Ann Williams

Tibetan Singing bowls are made of seven metals: Sun-gold, Moon-silver, Venus-copper, Mars-iron, Jupiter-tin, Saturn-lead, and Mercury-zinc  All the metals used have a specific purpose and resonance.  Sound healing with singing bowls provide chakra cleansing, deep relaxation, and spiritual connection, creating a totally peaceful environment in and around you.

During this session, Individual Tibetan Bowls are placed on and around your body as you relax on the floor with a group.  After this experience each participant will be given a crown to root chakra resonance, while standing in a 21 inch bowl,  capped with a 13.5 inch bowl.

Facilitated by Lillian Irene Lovas.  Lillian's mission is to energetically empower you to live your ideal, abundant, health-filled and stress-free life; becoming fully optimized in every area of your life. Lillian is a student and practitioner of Western and Eastern modalities of healing and thinking since the 1970's. Her healings, readings and classes have provided profound results. 

Lillian's Credentials Include: B.S in Nutrition & research, a fellowship in preventive medicine and nutrition at Northwestern Univ. Certifications in Akashic Records, NLP Health and Wellness, Chinese Energetic Method, 4 Yoga teachers' trainings, Yoga Nidra, Reiki, Herbology, Holo-Body, 10X, Crystal therapy, Ayurvedic Methods, and Vedic Astrology

Wear comfortable clothes; bring your own yoga mat.   Floor covering provided.

REGISTER HERE!

Would you like your very own personalized necklace? If the answer is yes, you obviously have to join us at the bon femmes studio on Tuesday, June 23rd, for a unique jewelry-making experience with Hazelry. At this necklace stamping workshop, you’ll learn how to use metal stamps to engrave a bespoke jewelry piece that’s personal, timeless, and made to last.

What's in store: 

✨ Design & Stamp: Learn metal stamping techniques to create your own personalized necklace. Emma will guide you through selecting letters, symbols, and designs, then show you how to stamp them perfectly onto your metal pendant. All necklaces are tarnish-free and hypoallergenic; gold-filled, sterling silver, or stainless steel. 

✨ Make It Yours: Choose your metal base now, layout your custom message or design, and stamp each letter with precision. Walk away with a one-of-a-kind piece that reflects your style and personality.

✨ Relax & Connect: Enjoy beverages and light snacks while you work alongside fellow jewelry enthusiasts. Share inspiration, ask questions, and yap about your goodies in cozy bon femmes studio

📅 When: Tuesday, June 23rd
⏰ Time: 6–8 PM
📍 Where: bon femmes studio, 4919 N Damen Ave

Due to the limited capacity of workshops, refunds for store credit are only available for cancellations made at least one week in advance. I appreciate your understanding!

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

Join us at Bon Femmes on Friday, June 26th, 2026, for the Summertime Edition Book Swap, a cozy evening dedicated to refreshing your bookshelf and discovering new reads for the season ahead.

📍 Where: Bon Femmes Shop, 4917 N Damen Ave
⏰ When: Friday, June 26th, 6–8 PM

📖 Bring 2 Books: Whether they’ve been sitting on your shelf for ages or just weren’t your vibe, bring a book to swap with fellow book lovers.

🔄 Swap & Discover: Make room for fresh stories and unexpected finds. Spring is the perfect time to try something new.

Limit of 2 books per person.

☕ Sip & Chat: Enjoy beverages while chatting about books you loved, disliked, or could not put down.

Come for the books, stay for the conversation, and leave with a lighter shelf and a stack of new reads ready for your next vacation. 🌼📖

Due to the limited capacity of events, refunds for store credit are only available for cancellations made at least one week in advance. I appreciate your understanding!

Join us at the bon femmes studio on Sunday, June 28th from 12–2 PM for an afternoon of color, texture, and creativity at our Mosaic Paper Collage Workshop!

In this workshop, we’ll be creating mosaic collages, a style of collage art made by arranging small cut pieces of paper, fabric, textures, and imagery together to form one larger, cohesive design. Think of it like piecing together a tiny world from beautiful little fragments. The end result is layered, abstract, and colorful masterpiece.

What to Expect:
✂️ Create Your Own Mosaic Collage: There will be plenty of paper scraps and magazines for you to cut, arrange, and piece together into your own masterpiece.
🧃 Snacks & Bevvies: As always, there will be snacks, beverages, and the cozy Bon Femmes vibes we all know and love.
💌 No Experience Needed: This workshop is beginner-friendly and all about having fun and creating freely.

📅 When: Sunday, June 28th
⏰ Time: 12 to 2 PM
📍 Where: bon femmes studio, 4919 N Damen Ave

Come spend a relaxing afternoon cutting, gluing, layering, and chatting with fellow creatives while making something beautiful.

Due to the limited capacity of events, refunds for store credit are only available for cancellations made at least one week in advance. I appreciate your understanding!

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

Are all those little repairs sitting in the corner staring you down? We're here to help! Bring a beverage (or just yourself and your mending) and join us for an early evening stitch-n-b*tch one Saturday a month. And, bonus-- as soon as you fix it, you can wear it out to wherever you're going next!

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to locate before you start or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students ages 21+ at all levels of experience.

You bring the project, we provide the tools and assistance to get it done!

Idea Box's monthly Mending Clinics offer the space, tools, advice, and motivation to finish those annoying little sewing and repair projects that never seem to get done.

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to go find or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students at all levels of experience.

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

This Saturday September 9, Buenos Aires native Damián Rivero and Argentine virtuso guitarist Guillermo Sebastián Paolisso will be playing some original music with a hint of Argentine Folklore and a mix of Astór Piazzolla and tango.

Damián Rivero belongs to a large family of musicians, including his grandfather Edmundo Rivero, one of the most popular Tango singers of all time. With his first band C-Men, he played at the most popular underground venues and festivals in Argentina.

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

Friday 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in Chicago, Saturday overnight Retreat until Sunday at AVBB River House Retreat Center in Kankakee, IL 90 minutes from Chicago

Whether your interest is for your personal transformation, for integrating this modality into your current profession or to become a Certified Chakra Analyst & Healer, Blanche Blacke's Chakra Healers Training lifts the veils of soul forgetfulness, inspires, rejuvenates and transforms your life.

Begin with

Introduction class, Chakra Healing 101

7 Chakra Power Weekend 

Ignite your personal transformation during this dynamic intensive.

Chakra Analysis & Healing Yourself Weekend  

Continue on to Learn how to give yourself a complete Chakra Analysis and Healing sessio and more!

Chakra Analysis & Healing for Others Weekend can easily integrate into your current healing profession or you can perform all the requirements necessary to become Certified as a Chakra Analyst & Healer during the Initiation & Certification Weekend.

Engage in a slow meditative journey designed to facilitate introspection and self-compassion as you explore physical and emotional sensations that arise in response to slowing down. In this mindful restorative class you will be guided in the use of props to soften into awareness, curiosity, and nurturing care as you explore foundational poses through a brief gentile flow followed by long holding, propped up, postures intended to release stress and invite your nervous system to calm and rebalance. Elements of restorative yoga and yin yoga will be blended to offer elements of tension and emotional release as well as deep relaxation, bringing the body and mind into a state of healing.

Are all those little repairs sitting in the corner staring you down? We're here to help! Bring a beverage (or just yourself and your mending) and join us for an early evening stitch-n-b*tch one Saturday a month. And, bonus-- as soon as you fix it, you can wear it out to wherever you're going next!

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to locate before you start or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students ages 21+ at all levels of experience.

You bring the project, we provide the tools and assistance to get it done!

Idea Box's monthly Mending Clinics offer the space, tools, advice, and motivation to finish those annoying little sewing and repair projects that never seem to get done.

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to go find or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students at all levels of experience.

This Saturday September 9, Buenos Aires native Damián Rivero and Argentine virtuso guitarist Guillermo Sebastián Paolisso will be playing some original music with a hint of Argentine Folklore and a mix of Astór Piazzolla and tango.

Damián Rivero belongs to a large family of musicians, including his grandfather Edmundo Rivero, one of the most popular Tango singers of all time. With his first band C-Men, he played at the most popular underground venues and festivals in Argentina.

You bring the project, we provide the tools and assistance to get it done!

Idea Box's monthly Mending Clinics offer the space, tools, advice, and motivation to finish those annoying little sewing and repair projects that never seem to get done.

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to go find or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students at all levels of experience.

Are all those little repairs sitting in the corner staring you down? We're here to help! Bring a beverage (or just yourself and your mending) and join us for an early evening stitch-n-b*tch one Saturday a month. And, bonus-- as soon as you fix it, you can wear it out to wherever you're going next!

We provide:

• Tables you don't have to clean off before you use them
• Pins & Needles you don't have to locate before you start or clean out of your carpet when you're done.
• Black, white, and tan thread (please BYO thread if you need a specific color match)
• Sewing machines
• Professional textile artists to advise, consult, and help you figure out how to un-jam the sewing machines.
• Scrap fabrics and trims
• Iron and board
• Jewelry pliers, jump rings, really good lighting, and someone else to help you hold the thing while you do the other thing.
• Necklace clasps

Also available for a nominal fee:
These are items that usually have to be purchased in packs or multi-project quantities. We sell them at a per-item price so that you don't have to buy a $7 pack of snaps when all you need is a single $1 snap.

• Buttons
• Snaps
• Fusible interfacing

This event is open to students ages 21+ at all levels of experience.