Hidden Gem

The ice sculpting business is far from being a cold venture for Dan Rebholz of Wheaton.

All-year round, Rebholz, who is a certified master ice sculptor, keeps his chainsaw revving, preparing to create another frosty masterpiece through his 10-year-old business, World Class Ice Sculpture in Villa Park.

“I’ve been living off of ice for the past 10 years,” Rebholz says with a laugh. And he’s certainly not a starving artist, he points out.

Dan Rebholz of World Class Ice Sculpture uses a chainsaw to form a reindeer in his Villa Park location Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009. STAFF PHOTOS BY JOHN COX

Michael James and Mark Mueller believe they’re onto something new with their downtown Glen Ellyn shop, Skywriter.

The one-year-old shop, which is a combination t-shirt shop and art gallery, draws on both of the businessmen’s talents in the artistry and silk-screen printing experience of Mueller and James’ knowledge of the printing trade and love for writing.

Skywriter owner Michael James lets customer Mary Ellen Willmot of Lombard look over a T-shirt she had printed at the store. STAFF PHOTOS BY STEVE BITTINGER

It’s a regular thing for individuals to walk into Mister Kitschy and say, “I remember that” or “I thought they stopped making those” or “When did they ever start making Benjamin Franklin action figures?”

Co-owners John Karm and Ginger Dahl are familiar with many of these phrases and more at their downtown Geneva shop that is loaded with retro, off-beat items. The store’s name, which by definition means tasteless, tacky and cheap, is a reflection of the merchandise they offer.

“We’re like a novelty gift store with a twist,” Dahl says. “Anything that’s fun and makes people remember when they were a kid, we’ll get for the shop.”

Krystal Hoffman of St. Charles browses the aisles of Mr. Kitschy. STAFF PHOTOS BY STEVE BITTINGER

McKinley Morganfield, better known to the world as blues musician Muddy Waters, was a proud resident of Westmont.

He didn’t keep his love for the village a secret; in fact, says Larry McIntyre, the director of the Westmont Special Events Corporation, Waters displayed the town as his place of residence on his business cards - a surprising gesture by such a noted celebrity.

Waters’ proof of admiration for Westmont lies at the Muddy Waters Exhibit inside the Westmont Centre on South Cass Avenue. His business cards are displayed in a frame on the wall, along with many other items once belonging to the bluesman.

Muddy Waters Musuem curator Larry McIntyre talks about the life and times of Muddy Waters while he lived in Westmont. STAFF PHOTOS BY JOHN COX

It’s all out of love when Ray and Wendy Johnson push their clients to the maximum at their Burr Ridge gym, Iron Fitness Extremes.

In boot camp style, they’ll get in your face and tell you to keep going even when your body may feel it has reached its limit.

“We’re tough love here,” Ray says.

“We want to help our clients produce the best results,” Wendy adds. And the gym’s special exercise equipment makes up a part of those ideal results.

Iron Fitness Extremes owner Ray Johnson works out with a group at his Burr Ridge gym Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. STAFF PHOTO BY JOHN COX

At Town House Books and Cafe in St. Charles, you don’t breeze through shelves of books; you walk through rooms.

Originally a circa-1853 home, the structure has eight rooms that are chock-full of books in science fiction, psychology, sports and cooking, and from such best-selling authors as Dean Koontz, John Grisham and Stephenie Meyer of the “Twilight” series. Two rooms of the bookstore are dedicated to children’s and young adult books.

The eight-room set-up may take a while for a newcomer looking for a book at the store, but owner David Hunt and manager Heidi Schmidt, who are both avid readers, are knowledgeable in helping customers find just what they’re after.

Town House Books and Cafe owner David Hunt stocks the shelves in the children's section of the store Wednesday Nov. 18. STAFF PHOTOS BY MARK BUSCH

Wheaton’s The Genuine Article deserves a second look.

Owner Betty James Hoppensteadt says customers don’t get the chance to see everything the downtown shop has to offer in just one glance.

“People either come in and see the beads and think I’m a bead shop,” she says, “or they see the art and think I’m an art gallery.”

Betty James Hoppensteadt of The Genuine Article leads a bead making class on Saturday at The Genuine Article. STAFF PHOTOS BY STEVE BITTINGER

It’s not so much that people don’t believe in magic anymore. It’s that they believe in the magic of the World Wide Web. 

Magician Bob James and his downtown Elmhurst magic shop have felt the effects of the advanced technological age waving its wand to make the 17-year-old shop disappear. But Bob James’ Magic Shop remains intact.

Bob James of Bob James' Magic Shop shows off one of his tricks starting with eating torn white paper resulting in a colorful stretch of paper followed by a dove coming out of his mouth during a birthday party Saturday November 14, 2009. Bob James' Magic Shop is open for magic trick products as well as parties that include magic shows and lessons in magic. STAFF PHOTO BY ERICA BENSON

Downers Grove’s Consider It Done isn’t a religious store, but the owner and its employees live by the shop’s bible — the customer request book.

The book, a white binder that sits by the cash register, is filled with special requests for certain items that owner B. J. Boyd works diligently to find.

“We really work hard on customer service,” she says. And it has been recognized.

Consider It Done owner B.J. Boyd helps customer Julie Kasprowicz of Lockport look for ornaments at her downtown Downers Grove shop. STAFF PHOTOS BY MARK BUSCH

When Kate Ahearn of Clarendon Hills found out that she couldn’t eat gluten, she immediately started shopping around at grocery stores for gluten-free items.

She soon found out she couldn’t buy everything she needed at one store.

“Some of the items I would have to buy online,” she says.

That’s when she found a 100 percent gluten-free grocery store in Westchester.

Owner of Gluten-Free Grocery, Cindy Day Erwin assists customer Myrtle Peterson of Elmhurst with her groceries Friday November 20, 2009.  Cindy has owned the store for about a year and a half. STAFF PHOTOS BY ERICA BENSON