New York City — if you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere. But what if you made it there, and now you have to move?? Will you ever find a neighborhood in your new city that suits you as well as your NYC one did? 

One of our favorite annual architecture awards is the AIA Chicago Small Project Awards. It's an opportunity for small firms to recieve recognition for work that might otherwise be shadowed by larger offices. The AIA awards innovation, low budgets and small firms — this year there were 15 winners, ranging from a table on two wheels to a studio renovation in the Hancock building.

Small spaces demand special solutions, especially when it comes to dividing up rooms.

• San Francisco, CA: Custom Plexi Partitions - $1900
  
• New York, NY: Curtained Changing Screen - $100
  
• Bronx, NY: Carved Wood Screen - $200
  
• Los Angeles, CA: Shelving Units on Casters - $400
  

These might not revolutionize your understanding of the universe, but they are pretty neat anyway.

• Washington, DC: Woven Tapestry - $60
  
• Venica, CA: Moroccan Stool - $68
  
• Eureka, IL: String Table Lamp - $95
  
• Brooklyn, NY: Vintage Light - $100
  
• Chicago, IL: Butterfly Art - $45

The first real taste of summer is here - it just feels like time to let off a little steam and get out there and enjoy. In today's calendar, we've got a full roster of ways to make the most of the weekend AND possibly pick up a few goodies for your home at the same time. Happy (finally!) May, everyone!

Soon we'll spend our weekends enjoying cookouts and beach parties. Until then, let's take the time to get our homes in shape for summer entertaining. To help, here are the week's best design-centric sales and events. Check them all out in the Weekend Guide, pass it on and be sure to send us your own sale or event.

Name: Jared & Caryn
Location: Lakeview; Chicago, Illinois
Size: 1,000 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5 years; rented

Jared, who is working on a Ph.D. in African-American Studies, revealed to me his dissertation mantra: "Just take it bird by bird." Drawn from the writings of Anne Lamott, this saying suggests that when one writes, it's best to proceed one step at a time, focusing on the immediate task instead of getting bogged down by the big picture. This is excellent advice for writers of any ilk, but looking around Caryn and Jared's home, it also seems clear that taking it "bird by bird" is a great way to build an inspirational home full of truly loved objects.

Back in 2009, FLOR launched this Lincoln Park location as their first foray into brick and mortar retail. Since then, FLOR has launched stores in a number of other cities across the country. Now they're turning their attention back to home base and giving their Chicago store a new look.