Healdsburg, California is a quaint town in the Sonoma Valley. It has a central plaza surrounded by boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and wine tasting establishments. We rented a house about five miles away with family for an enchanted vacation. Shopping, swimming and wine tasting filled our days. We stopped by Rodney Strong and purchased few cases. What a terrific getaway!
The Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac, Mich. recently presented its annual luncheon and fashion show at the Royal Park Hotel. The auction items were as special as the fashions. The event raised funds for the remarkable programs that empower women and children. The Women’s Program has an emergency shelter, life skills and after-care initiatives. Ruth Spencer, local 4 News Anchor, was the master of ceremonies. Style and beauty expert Mary Alice Stephenson of Glam4Good directed the fashion show which included bona fide models and women who have participated in Grace Centers of Hope programs. Stephenson talked about the healing power of fashion. All the women looked ravishing in ball gowns from the trendiest designers. Renee Godin Agency provided the professional models. In the top left photo (below), Renee, in the blue dress, is surrounded by a bevy of models. The photo (below) on the lower left features the Grace Centers of Hope Models.
Kudos to all the other people who helped put on a fabulous event. Luigi Bruni Salon provided the hair and makeup, while English Gardens provided the centerpieces. Congratulations to Karen Bowman Williams on receiving the 2014 Angel of Grace Award. Testimonials described Karen as loving, caring and committed. A wonderful personal note is that Karen and Mary Alice grew up in Birmingham, Mich. and attended Seaholm High School together. The afternoon was extraordinary. Ruth Spencer noted that “The Grace Centers of Hope is a solution place.”
I just received a clever fundraising invitation in the mail. It’s for the “No-Show 5K Run.” As the invitation states, this non-event raises funds for the Bottomless Toy Chest, which provides crafts and activities for pediatric cancer patients in Michigan hospitals. You don’t have to show up, and you don’t have to run or walk with hundreds of people. You just can feel great by donating to these hospitals who help children with cancer — Beaumont Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Helen De Vos Children’s Hospital, St. John Van Elslander Cancer Center and Sparrow Hospital.
I just might not show up!
Some of Motown’s favorite mascots helped Beau the Bear celebrate his 5th birthday. Beau is the mascot of Beaumont Children’s Hospital.
Hooper (Detroit Pistons), Little Caesar (Pizza), Champ (Detroit Sports Commission) Rocky Raven (Royal Oak High School) Nessie (St. Andrew’s Society) and some furry friends from the Detroit Zoo all took part in the festivities.
Hooper (lower photos) high fives me and did cartwheels and flips to everyone’s amazement. The children were all smiles!
Here are some wonderful clips from the party.
Do you have a favorite mascot?
“Food is medicine,” says Joel Kahn M.D. I recently heard this cardiologist at a lunch and learn for Beaumont Health System employees. The most potent medicine is not always found in the pharmacy, but in your refrigerator. Fruits and vegetables are key to a healthy diet. His book, The Holistic Heart, offers many tips and secrets to treat and prevent heart disease. His message was inspiring, informative and humorous at times. According to Dr. Kahn, “Don’t buy your food where you buy gas!”
Kudos to Motowners Meryl Davis and Charlie White (above) who captured the gold medal in ice dancing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. These two have been skating for years together. Currently, they train at the Artic Edge in Canton Mich. The Artic Edge also is the site where Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue train — the duo who won the silver medal in ice skating.
Congrats to all ice dancers around world who look elegant and are a delight to watch!
Photo: olympics.si.com
If you like reading about history and people who have made an impact on their community, you’ll enjoy the series Legendary Locals by Arcadia Publishing. One interesting book in the series is Legendary Locals of Grosse Pointe by Ann Marie Aliotta and Suzy Berschback.
Grosse Pointe is a rarefied suburb near Detroit on the shores of Lake St. Clair. Its first inhabitants were Native Americans, followed by the Europeans, particularly the French. In the 1920s, it became a haven for the auto barons of Detroit — the Fords, Dodges, Algers, etc. In fact, you can take a virtual tour of the some of the mansions, courtesy of the Grosse Pointe Historical Society.
Aliotta and Berschback compile an annotated pictorial history of the many interesting families of this unique community. Some of the people and families highlighted include: Jeffrey Eugenides, Edsel Ford, Charlotte Ford, Julie Harris, Edgar Louis Yaeger, Anna Thompson Dodge.
Former Motowner Jessica Golden (left) returned home this week for the Detroit movie premiere of Los Wild Ones. Golden produced this documentary about the Rockability subculture of young musicians inspired by the 1950s. The movie chronicles Reb Kennedy and his wife (right) with their “family” of musicians all on Kennedy’s LA-based independent record label Wild Records.
Los Wild Ones is part of the the Uptown Film Festival in Birmingham, Mich.
The music is raw and intense, and the people showcased are better than reality TV.
Jessica Golden lives up to her name. The movie is gold.
Have you been to Shinola to see the fabulous watches and bicycles? I have not been there yet, but the buzz is extraordinary. The products look fantastic. In today’s New York Times, the advertisement is eye catching with the tag line “Someday they’ll call Geneva the Detroit of Switzerland.”
Let me know if have a Shinola watch yet or have seen the stores in either New York or Detroit?
Beaumont Health System’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery partnered with Playworks Detroit to transform the playground at Bennett Elementary School in Detroit into a colorful, safe space for play.
This community service project began as a vision of Harry N. Herkowitz, M.D., former chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery for Beaumont Health System, prior to his death in June. More than 20 Beaumont volunteers came together to make that vision a reality in honor of him.
Bennett Elementary School, located in Southwest Detroit, now has a colorful home base circle, a hopscotch course, a foursquare court and a playground mural.
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Food and drink inspired by classic and modern literary works.
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Chronicling the Chic, Classic and Casual Style Duchess of Sussex (the former Meghan Markle)
Fun, Fashion, Frivolity: An insider guide to Metro Detroit and beyond
Interesting stories about everyday moments.
Fun, Fashion, Frivolity: An insider guide to Metro Detroit and beyond
Fun, Fashion, Frivolity: An insider guide to Metro Detroit and beyond
Motown Savvy 