Oh It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas!

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Strolling along in the Loyola University Chicago area of Rogers Park Lake Shore Campus.  Beautiful holiday decorations are already up for everyone to admire.  

Artists of the Wall at Loyola Park 2025: All Together Now

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

A few photos I [Laurel Delaney] took from the 32nd Annual Artists of the Wall Festival at Loyola Park, June 15, 2025 with the theme "All Together Now." 

The Artists of the Wall Festival got its start in 1993, when a group of Rogers Park neighbors came up with a crucial idea. Gangs had been continually tagging graffiti on the 600-foot sea wall to the point where the Chicago park district couldn’t keep up maintenance. The group thought if the wall was painted by the community with art, that it would be respected and could be enjoyed by all throughout the year. And having the event on Father’s Day weekend would make it a family-oriented event that would bring the whole Rogers Park community out.

Learn more.  

Love this:  "While Trump was celebrating his birthday reviewing a military parade, the people of Rogers Park were celebrating their commitment to living together in harmony with works of mural art on the Loyola Park seawall." 

The New Look of Starbucks in Rogers Park, Illinois

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Our stores will be inviting places to linger, with comfortable seating, thoughtful design and a clear distinction between 'to-go' and 'for-here' service." – Brian Niccol, new Starbucks CEO 2024

An Undiscovered Gem in Rogers Park, Illinois

Super easy to find -- right off the red line Jarvis stop in Rogers Park, Illinois.  It's Anto Pizza Chicago, a little storefront restaurant with limited seating that offers, among other things, freshly made pasta in a cone cup (yes you read that right) and Roman-style pizza.

Grab your seat at this little gem of a restaurant and enjoy the Italian fare.

Photos courtesy:  @2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Shaping the World by Prayer

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil." -- Mother Teresa

Photo taken by Laurel Delaney at Madonna Della Strada Chapel, Loyola University Chicago, Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois, Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 8:13 p.m. Central time.

A Place You Never Grow Tired Of: Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park, Illinois

©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Good wholesome food for the mind and the body in Rogers Park, Illinois, United States:  Heartland Cafe.  See it by day as well.

The Pokémon Go Craze

When I go for quick walks in my neighborhood -- whether it's 6:30 a.m. in the morning or 7:30 p.m. -- (Rogers Park, Illinois), I typically see one or two guys hanging out.  Not after the Pokémon Go launch.  Guys are everywhere outside, as you can see.  For single women, this could be good?

Photos courtesy:  ©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Artists of the Wall Festival 2016 in Rogers Park, Illinois

The Artists of the Wall Festival is a celebration of community, creativity, and music. Each year over Father’s Day weekend, neighbors of all ages come together to collaborate on a 600-foot mural at Loyola Park Beach at 6850 North, between Farwell and Morse Avenues.  The festival has become an annual celebration that the Rogers Park community has come to love.

These are the few of the murals I photographed.  Be sure to visit in person to see all the art and to appreciate the creativity.  The theme this year is "Drawing on the Lake."

Learn more:  Artists of the Wall Festival 2016

Photos courtesy:  ©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Train Your Mind to See the Good In Every Situation

©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Life is Digital and Far Better at the Lake

Girl checking email at the lake in Rogers Park, Illinois at Pratt Pier.

The Great Chicago Blizzard 2011

Photo credit: Laurel Delaney, Rogers Park, Illinois, February 2011.

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event.  You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?" ~ J.B. Priestley

Relish the Pleasure of Life

iStock/Thinkstock

Enjoying the final days of summer in Rogers Park, Illinois. No matter where you are in the world, relish the pleasure of life.

No Matter Where You Are In the World, Take a Break

Photo credit: Laurel Delaney, Rogers Park, Illinois, United States

Cold Snowy Chicago Winter

iStock/Thinkstock

Above is a glimpse of what the weather is like in Chicago. Lots of snow with chilly winds. I bundled up, did some shoveling and took a daring walk by the lake to capture this moment.

Hope it's a little more bearable in your part of the world.

In the meantime, wet-cold-rain-snow, the folks at Wal-Mart are building an international empire.

Take the Plunge: Borderbust in 2009

Global entrepreneurship in action! We are happy to report that a simple, reflective walk by the lake -- one year ago today capturing an experience -- has brought fun, joy and fame (a little) into my life.

On the eve of our new year, I was notified that I am a finalist for the 1,000 Words Annual Photo Issue contest through the Chicago Reader. Winners will be announced in the next couple of days by a drawing (which I am relieved to hear because if they seriously judged with a panel of experts, my photo (as shown above) would never cut it against the 23 others; you absolutely must take the time to view them all ... powerful, creative work).

Backstory on photo: It's Polar Bear Plunge Day in Rogers Park, Illinois where I live and folks on the first day of the new year strip off their clothes and jump into the lake regardless of what the temperature is. How wild is that?! There must be similar sorts of traditions in other parts of the world (please share). And on this particular day, 1/1/08, when I took the photo, it was 22 degrees F.

So whether you realize it or not, global entrepreneurship plays into every aspect of our life. A natural, self-expressive act -- anywhere in the world -- can end up generating revenue. In this case, if we win, a U.S. $150 Best Buy gift certificate will be ours to spend as we see fit (maybe donate to a worthwhile social enterprise). But isn't that what global entrepreneurship is all about? Making a living out of doing good, setting out to change the world and pursuing a passion?

Let's keep our fingers crossed that we come out a winner in 2009! Stay tuned.

Now to you my reader. It's your turn. Take the plunge and borderbust in 2009. Let's work together to make that happen. You'll come out a winner too!

Happy New Year!