Spring has almost sprung in the city and with it comes blooming flowers, chirping birds, extended daylight and of course, unpredictable weather. In Chicago, unpredictable usually equates to torrential downpours without much warning. We all know that city living has its advantages, and in my opinion being able to get where I need to go by foot is one of these. However, during rain season, walking is an unpleasant, soggy situation. This spring, stay fashionable and dry with my three picks for rainy weather season:

1. Totes Geo Leopard Micro ‘brella Umbrella

I absolutely LOVE my totes umbrella. It is tiny and compact enough to throw in my purse yet is sturdy and endures the harsh Chicago winds with ease. All totes umbrellas come with a storage sleeve and lifetime warranty for a very reasonable price. Best yet, they have the cutest patterns! The leopard print is fun and keeps you on trend this season. This is totes’ a must-have spring purchase!

2. Trench Coat

Trench coats are a springtime necessity in Chicago, especially for the workingwoman. They are professional, chic and offer full-outfit-coverage to keep your duds from getting damp. LOFT at The Arboretum of South Barrington (@ShopArboretum) offers a timeless trench with a twist—a ruffled collar and metallic sheen give this city girls’ staple a unique look.

3. The Braid

If I had to pick the one thing I dislike most about rain, it is what it does to my hair. I have tried a plethora of products, but none seem to compete with the wrath of rain and humidity. Nevertheless, a popular spring 2011 runway look is the answer to your prayers—I present to you, the braid. A number of designers sent this simple do’ down the catwalk (Nicholas K pictured above), and it seems to be the perfect solution to a rainy day hair dilemma.

Brigid Parr
Intern

After a brief hiatus from the PR agency world, I made my return and officially survived my first week at Zapwater. The first few days were a whirlwind of meetings and account rundowns, but I’m finally getting situated and couldn’t be happier to be a part of the Zapwater team. Just in case you’re wondering why, below are a few highlights.

* I am one of THREE vegetarians in the office. No more awkward lunches for me.

* I share an office with the wonderful Michael Corrigan, who shares my deep love and admiration of Britney Spears.

* Brand new laptop computer. Enough said.

* An amazing list of clients including Tricoci University, Weddington Way, Bull & Bear, Public House, GREATER > THAN, The Arboretum of South Barrington, and Protein Bar.

Stayed tuned…it’s only the first week!

Mary Doyle
Senior Publicist

There is only one word for an eating contest that involves sushi – madness. In this case two words: Maki Madness. Coinciding with NCAA March Madness, RA Sushi hosted their third sushi eating contest for the Chicagoland community on Sunday March 20th. All three RA Sushi Chicagoland locations (Gold Coast, Glenview, and Lombard) welcomed the Windy City’s finest to come stuff their faces for a chance to win free sushi for a year.

Working at Zapwater we are no stranger to events. Zapwater’s RA Sushi team (Annie, Stephanie, and I) ventured out to facilitate the competition. Much like the college basketball pros, contestants battled it using a bracket system through first, second and third rounds until the final Championship Sushi Showdown. The “final four” had three minutes to finish as many Tootsy Maki rolls as possible. This was not always a pretty sight!
Patrons who purchased RA’ signature Tootsy Maki roll had a portion of the proceeds donated to the Illinois chapter of the March of Dimes. Despite some poor weather we had a strong turnout at all three locations with the winners often eating over 100 pieces of sushi total!

The cherry on top of any publicist’s day is having media present and lucky for us we not only had several Chicago Now bloggers attend but a cameraman from ABC Channel 7. Imagine our delight when the winner of the Gold Coast event turned out to be the boyfriend of Melissa on WTMX’s the Eric and Kathy morning show! The PR gods were smiling down on us 

We couldn’t have asked for a better event and look forward to the Madness returning in 2012!

Michael Corrigan
Publicist

Did you see Zapwater client Michael Gaffney, founder of the American Schools of Flower Design on the Today Show?

Gaffney offered his expert predictions on new spring trends and how consumers can make their own professional-looking arrangements at home.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

If you follow this blog, you will notice that my last post was announcing my engagement and this blog will also have a bridal angle so bear with me.  In the Zapwater office, my mind is consumed with everything bridal – we have two brides-to-be in the office and many of our clients are in the bridal industry. 

I’ve recently come to really appreciate a few new bridal resources and wanted to share with other future brides.

1. Weddington Way

This is an AMAZING new website that is every bridesmaid’s dream come true.  This site allows the bride to pick out her bridesmaid’s dresses based on color, fabric, cut, price, you name it!  They are a new client that we are thrilled to begin working with since the possibilities are endless and they may have just about cured the curse of wearing a bad bridesmaid dress!

2. WeddingWindow.com

This is a fabulous website recommended to me by Annie Block, Director of Hospitality in the Zapwater office.  This site allows you to create a custom wedding website for free!  They have a variety of fonts, layouts, themes, etc. so you can really make it your own style.  I’m still working on my website (so don’t judge), but here is a sneak peak so you can see for yourself how beautiful it is. Click Here.

3. www.ForYourParty.com

ForYourParty.com is not a new resource for me since I have had the pleasure of working with them for over a year, but now I am so excited to experience working with them on a whole new level!  For those of you who aren’t familiar, ForYourParty.com is a custom paper and décor website.  I am currently working with them on my save-the-dates and plan on using them for everything customized in my wedding.

Deanne Daneck
Senior Publicist