Living in Chicago, we already know that the Oprah Winfrey show is a popular girlfriend destination—for those lucky enough to get tickets to a taping. The rest of us have been out of luck when it comes to getting our Oprah fix. So, when the Oprah Store invited us to an afternoon tea with some of Chicago’s top bloggers, we knew we had to check it out. The Oprah Store, located just across the street from Harpo Studios, where the Oprah Show is taped, is a beautifully designed retail store destination filled with Oprah souvenirs, books featured on the show, Oprah’s Closet (featuring clothing Oprah has worn on the show, with proceeds going to charity) as well as some signature products. At the bloggers tea, the Oprah Store treated us to Talbott Teas, an artisan tea line carried in the store. These are truly some upscale and delicious teas that deserve consideration from any tea party hostess! We also met Art Smith, formerly Oprah’s personal chef and now a cookbook author and restaurateur. He graciously signed copies of his books and chatted with the guests. We walked away with signed copies of his book Kitchen Life: Real Food For Real Families — Even Yours!, excited to make some delicious dinners. (We recommend it, by the way—it’s great for busy moms as well as “beginner” cooks and people who don’t cook often). Some of our favorite items in the store included the “Oprah quote” items, featuring some of her great sayings, and the African crafts area, which had some beautiful and unique hand-crafted items. For true Oprah fans, a visit to the Oprah Store would make a great stop during a girlfriend getaway to Chicago. Check out the store’s offerings online at www.OprahStore.com. For more to do in the West Loop neighborhood near the store, see this blog post. Thank you, Oprah Store, we really enjoyed our visit, as well as the opportunity to visit with our blogger girlfriends! Photos by Tina Bishop