Shopping, Eating...and Filming...in Chicago!Nick Verreos Loves Shopping...and Macy's!

Happy Labor Day Weekend Kids! Labor Day is about relaxing , traveling, maybe spending time with friends and family...unfortunately for me (and my NIKOLAKI partner, David Paul) we are "sequestered" at our L.A. Nikolaki Studio working on our upcoming Spring 2011 Collection (soon I will post Details on the "When and Where" of our show for Style Week Orange County!) But...I figured this would be a great time to post some photos from my trip last week to Chicago! (see how I tie-in the "traveling" part of Labor Day Weekend??).

Brian Entringer--a friend who met me for breakfast while I was in Chicago--and I pose in front of The Peninsula Hotel Chicago Lion Statues

I flew to the "Windy City" (it was GA-GA-GORGEOUS!! And not windy...or raining..or humid) to shoot my "Fashion Makeover" segments for the four AMAZING ladies of the MSN.com Web-show "The Victory Project". I spent about a week there--I will post my Recap with photos of the "Makeovers" soon!--during my stay in Chicago, I was lucky enough to stay at the beautiful Peninsula Hotel.

The Peninsula Hotel Chicago Bathtub in my room...which I didn't get to use :(

Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time in my fabulously appointed room since I spent most of my time shopping for the ladies to get just the right looks as well as filming. I shopped at Macy's Water Tower Place for TEN HOURS!
Jennifer Castaneda, a Producer on "The Victory Project"( and a doppelganger for Vanessa Hudgens!) "holds" my jewelry, Macy's Chicago Water Tower Place

I host a lot of Fashion Director Events for Macy's across the country so you know I love me some Macy's. But let me tell you, the sales associates at this particular store were AMAZING! Nick "hearts" them!

Posing and Filming: Nick Verreos with Producers Jennifer Castaneda and Erin Nikaido, Cinnamon Boutique Chicago, MSN.com The Victory Project

We also shopped--and actually filmed my segments at two very chic Chicago boutiques, including Cinnamon in Roscoe Village, as well as Perchance, in the Southport Corridor shopping district.

Nick Verreos holds a very special Red Peanut Mole Cake, Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill Restaurant Chicago

After all the shopping and hours and hours of filming, there was nothing else but to go to sleep! But first: One night I had the pleasure of having a late-night dinner with my clients at the very-sought after Frontera Grill and Topolobampo Restaurant. Somehow, they procured a reservation--at like 9:30 pm!--and as tired as I was, I decided I also needed to eat! After the dinner (Owner Rick Bayless was THERE! Eating at a nearby counter kids!), I was about to get up and leave, when THE Frontera Grill Pastry Chef, Melissa Novak and one of the executive waiters Paco Zamora, came and brought me--yes, ME! A succulent Red Peanut Mole Cake! It's NOT on the Menu, they reassured me--and it was OUT of this WORLD!!!!!

Finally, speaking of food, on my last night--after filming for fourteen hours, I came back to my Peninsula Hotel and ordered in. I decided to just get "The Burger"--a $50 Peninsula Burger (see photo above)-- Yep, $50!! That's what the total came out to...but HUNEY...it was SOOOOOOO worth it! Between that Burger (sorry Vegetarians!) and that aforementioned cake---there's nothing better to cap off my evenings in Chicago!

Go to MSN.com The Victory Project for updates on the 4 FABULOUS Chicago Ladies!!!