Chicago, center of the table

Today's post is a little late because I've been busy working on a centerpiece design for an upcoming event. It needs to embody both "Chicago" and "Achievement", be very cost-concious but look good, PLUS simple enough that my team and I can make 80 in a short amount of time. Here's the draft of what I've got so far:

The final product will be more polished, but this is the general idea.  We've got the Hancock, Sears, Trump, and Aon (or Standard Oil, if you're old-school) buildings painted in silver, accented with glitter, and affixed to a cylinder cut into a generic city skyline. Above the skyline is a billboard bearing a snippet from Daniel Burnham's "Make no little plans" quote. (Burnham was an architect and civil planner who came up with the famous plan that rebuilt Chicago as a bigger, better city after the Great Fire.)

But oh no, I'll bet he didn't count on giant dachshunds!

The Great Fire of 1871 is no match for the Great Dachshunds of 2009.

If you're looking to create a similar piece (sans dogs), check out these mini models from Build Your Own Chicago! Group them together for maximum impact.  These would also make a great favor for out-of-town guests.