A Naperville home gets an airy makeover on a tight timeline Last year, Elizabeth Prignano of Glow Interior Design in Wheaton was approached by a Naperville couple in need of a complete remodel of their new house. “They found this home of their dreams on a wonderful lot backing up to a beautiful wooded area,” Prignano says. “They loved the location and the bones of the home, but the inside, while very well cared-for, had not been updated in quite a long time.” Built in 1986, the house had all the trademark decor of that era, including honey-oak cabinetry and floral wallpaper at every turn. “Th ..read more

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble stages a world premiere Left to right: Kelli Walker, Lisa Dawn, and Laura Leonardo Ownby star as three sisters in the world premiere of Into the Earth With You. It’s 2017, and Kurt Naebig is in the audience at a Juilliard event where alumni are showcasing scenes from their new works. Three women get up onstage and starting doing a scene about sisters. “I’m laughing because it feels like sisters—they’re mean, they’re loving, they’re funny, they have inside jokes—and I’m just having a grand time watching this,” Naebig says. “It’s hard to find plays with a number of well ..read more

By Kelli Ra Anderson Cicada-geddon is upon us this spring Parts of Illinois will be the envy of entomologists across the globe this spring when they experience a very rare spectacle: the simultaneous emergence of two very large (and very loud) periodical cicada broods. The last time the 17-year Northern Illinois Brood (aka Brood XIII) and the 13-year Great Southern Brood (Brood XIX) were in sync was more than two centuries ago when Thomas Jefferson was president. It’s been a minute. Unique to our part of the world, there are essentially two kinds of cicadas, annual (above) and periodical (rig ..read more

Former NNHS star comes home to swap the playbook from NFL player to fitness coach Director of training Mike Wojciechowski (left) and owner Matt LaCosse Most professional athletes tend to retire long before the typical office worker might. But what seems like an ideal situation—a blank slate ahead at a relatively young age—is frequently cited by former pros as a major downside of retirement; many athletes aren’t quite sure what to do with their driven, competitive selves once they’re no longer into the all-in lifestyle of their chosen sport. But that’s not a problem for former Naperville North ..read more

Naperville bakery has a successful recipe for its employees with special needs From left, Moose & Me Baking Company employees Justin Elder, Sara Brinkman, Christine Pehlke, Michelle Anderson, Joannah Hanel, founder Megan Elder, Jake Lukens, and Ben Borden Wonderfully made treats by wonderfully made people. That’s not just a tagline—it’s an apt description of what you’ll find at Moose & Me Baking Company (3075 Book Rd.), a Naperville nonprofit bakery that employs adults with special needs. “The idea for Moose & Me came after we adopted our daughter, Mila [nicknamed Moose]. She was b ..read more

Treat yourself to some tasty beverages at these local boba shops Sakura milk tea with cherry boba at Pisces CafePisces Cafe LISLE During her undergrad years at Benedictine University, Nicole Kwon often lamented the lack of cafés open past 8 or 9 p.m. So when she and her father, Don Kwon, decided to open a boba tea and coffee shop together in 2020, this space just west of the campus felt right. Constellation paintings decorate the counter and walls, including her and her dad’s signs, Pisces and Sagittarius. “I wanted to put something in the store that was symbolizing us together, so that’s what ..read more

A celebration in the heart of their hometown was just right for these longtime sweethearts Esmeralda Valdovinos and Eisy Cervantes first formed a friendship as sophomores at West Aurora High School. “I like to say he was the naughty boy—he skipped school—and I was the bookworm,” says Valdovinos, 34, who works as a clerical assistant at O’Donnell Elementary School in Aurora. “We were just very opposite. But we didn’t date or anything; we were just friends.” After going their separate ways in 2007, they reconnected via social media in 2013 and started dating. Though their love was always in the ..read more

A refugee experience simulation promotes understanding Simulation modules, clockwise from top left: As they prepare to leave home, families must quickly decide what 10 items to bring and what they must leave behind. Jody May of Exodus World Service describes the perils refugees face when fleeing by sea—hypothermia, dehydration, drowning are all real risks (and precious possessions are often lost to waves and pirates). Participants try to complete forms in an unfamiliar language as they attempt to get through border security. A tent gives families a glimpse of living in a refugee camp where the ..read more

People, places, and scenes around the area   Photos: Adri Boudeman (Dress Up 203); West Suburban Community Pantry; Mark Black (Women’s History Month); Greg Mulvey (NACC); Julie Duffin (Richard Montañez); Jen Banowetz (Fashion Brunch); Jennifer Podkasik (Nikolas Ritchel Foundation ..read more

This sprawling country estate has something for everyone Given its expansive five-acre lot and 12,000 square feet of living space, the estate at 34W226 Country Club Road in Wayne, now on the market for just under $2.4 million, offers plenty of bang for the bucks. Among the features spread throughout the residence are a wood-paneled office, high-end kitchen, 1,500-bottle wine cellar, gym room and sauna, theater room (complete with ticket booth and concession stand), recently renovated primary suite (with a barrel-ceilinged bathroom featuring heated floors, dual vanities, dual showers, and dual ..read more