Do it for Detroit x Anthology Coffee x August2014

8 months deep in the goal to #doitfordetroit once a month.
I sit here and reflect back on the journeys and adventures that I have endured and experienced.
Each adventure to the D thus far has to discover and uncover art, culture and passion!
While visiting my local Juice Shop in Ann Arbor,  the glass box coffee shop, on a lovely Monday morning in the first week of August … I was enlightened with the knowledge of Anthology Coffee.   Jon informed me of the venue that serves up authentic and raw passion. He warned me to not let the exterior of the building deter me from entering the coffee house.
Dayum was he correct in my hesitation to enter the mysteriously placed Anthology.  Located off Michigan Avenue on 1410 Vermont Street , tucked away in a mural coveted building.  Construction site to your left and small rubble parking lot on your right. I hide my valuables in my chest pocket and made a quick walk for the door… it really wasn’t that sketchy just a little alone in the corner.
Anthology was a cool coffee lab…! Where the bags of beans lined the entrance, the center table hosted the cold and hot brew pour overs and a small box of the founders wife’s famous peach coffee cake. Delightfully greater upon entering,  I was asked what I’d like to have.
The two guys happened to be cold brewing an enormous fresh batch of the El Salvador beans. I waited a bit and drank my first glass while conversing with two local female art curators. Our conservation began at the sight of my Flash Tats ! ♡ obsessed with them ♡
The guys at Anthology offered me a deal of 4 bottles of cold brew in a little to go manner. I was ecstatic to watch the coffee be cold brewed, bottled and labeled before my eyes. A True Detroit made product that was filled with passion!  The local art of brewing and bottling coffee, the mural culture surrounding the place and my passion for discovering the D !! What a day!
Cheers!
Lshawtay

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Tunesday Tuesday! #BBOTD : TOVE LO

Tove Lo “stay high” – she’s a sweedish pop singer ! What is in the water over in Sweeden that produces boyz n’ girls who just crush the music game?!

I’m so into this bumping beat of the day ! Shout out to my homegirl in San Francisco Anne for showing me this awesome music video ! It’s not everyday your bumping beat has a dope video to play along with it
Cheers to August 14 Eargasm !!
DJ Lshawtay

Rockin’ Ramen

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Keizo Shimamoto is reinventing the happy meal with his Ramen Burger and new Ramen Fries.

Unlike the Ramen Burgerthe Ramen Fries are double fried in the deep fryer – ! Contrary to popular belief, the Ramen Burger Bun is NOT FRIED! 

The ramen king <<< Keizo Shimamoto >>> is using his noodle in the kitchen. He’s crafted a soon-to-be launched fried chicken ramen burger and is working to perfect a ramen churro.

LOOK OUT STOMACH’S !!!  NOM NOM NOM

FYI : Ramen Noodles

 

Ramen Noodles are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Originating as an extremely popular dish in Japan, this trend is crossing the oceans and Ramen Noodle Bars are popping up around the corner from YOU !

The rise of Ramen Noodles may single handly be contributed to the Uki Family who migrated to the US a little over 30 years ago! Their company SUN NOODLE is the top notch brand of Noodle makers!

 

Two Ramen Bars in downtown Ann Arbor are both located on E.Liberty Street not too far away from one another.

> Slurping Turtle which is between State Street & Maynard Street on E Liberty

> Tomukun Noodle Bar which is between Maynard Street & Thompson Street on E.Liberty

 

Slurp On !

 

August 2nd University of Michigan’s Big House presents

REAL MADRID v MANCHESTER UNITED

ICCMUFCRM

A Legendary day that my dear sister & I are going to celebrate and witness together !! Can’t wait! This is the first time the Big House has hosted an International Soccer Game – this is specifically the International Champions Cup ! They are even letting BEER be served at the Big House for this event …something that does not happen for College Football games! MLIVE posted the confirmation of the news yesterday morning!

Another special edition to the Big House for the Big Game is REAL GRASS – although this is only temporary for the game, this is the first time since 2002 that the Big House has had REAL grass installed.

Photos of the event to come !

313 Detroit

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Wahoo Happy Happy Birthday Detroit !!! Today July 24th 2014 Detroit turns 313 !! Whoa! I313 happens to be the area code that is assigned to Detroit! Making this birthday extra special ! Spotted above is a collection of my Detroit pictures …

Movement Festival 2014Detroit Electronic Music Festival that takes place over Memorial Day Weekend in Detroit in Hart Plaza.

Me in a Pistons flat rim hat that is from 1990 the year I was born & when the Detroit Pistons won the National Basketball Association Championship!

A photo of a Maybach from the Detroit Auto Show – one of the largest in the nation

Me sitting in a cool chair outside of 1001 Woodward Ave in Detroit – where there is a fun sitting area, over sized chest and checkers boards and other fun games.

Detroit Players logo from Bon Aparel a clothing line my Detroit Friend Adrianna innovated.

Detroit Institute of Bagels – a yummy customized bagel spot downtown on Michigan Avenue , that I visited after a night out in Detroit.

Detroit is the New Black – featured a few blog posts behind this one, a new T-shirt line that I stumbled across at the art fair.

Detroit VS Everbody hat – this is a photo of me at the airport in the winter of 2014 , fabulous local line of shirts, hoodies, hats, etc.

Ford FieldDetroit Lions home – I interned at Quicken Loans in summer 2011 and we got to tour Ford Field and take pictures on the field … still waiting to go to a game !!

A classic order of Chilli Fries & Hot dog from Lafayette Coney Island, the OG

Detroit & Go Hard murals – I drove past these one night in downtown Detroit after attending an event at the M@dison Bldg – it was for The Empowerment Plan.

Fun Facts about Detroit

> At 987 acres Belle Isle Park is the largest island park in the United States. First opened to the public in 1884, it is Detroit’s first major city park.

> Detroit is the birth place of Techno! Originating in the 1980s, largely as an underground movement, the increasingly popular new music proved electronics can be used to express both funk and soul. Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, a Detroit trio who were high school friends, are considered the Godfathers of Techno.

> it’s estimated that more than 75% of illegal liquor supplied to the U.S. during prohibition entered the country by way of the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.In January 1920, the era of Prohibition began in the U.S. The Detroit River, barely one mile across in some places, was a smuggler’s dream. Enterprising smugglers carried cargo beneath boats, rigged mechanical cables across the river and utilized old underground tunnels to transport their illegal bounty. During cold winter months, the river became a highway, as daring smugglers in automobiles made their way across the ice from Canada to the United States.

> First city to have paved concrete road – In 1909, Wayne County built the first mile of concrete highway in the world on Woodward Avenue between Six and Seven Mile roads. The success of this experiment led to other transportation-firsts. In 1919 the nation’s first 4-way three color traffic light was installed on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit . In 1930 the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was completed making it the first traffic tunnel between two nations. By 1942, the world’s first urban freeway opened to the public, the Davison Freeway.

Big Sean hails from Detroit & this is one of my favorite music videos of his “Guap” that showcases downtown Detroit – I only wish I had been there for the filming of the video !!

I don’t really understand and did not realize that “Detroit Rock City” was sung by Kiss until today!

Do It For Detroit Today

It’s the Detroit Daily !! Recently i’ve been strolling the streets and bumping into funny Detroit T Shirts! It inspired me to share photos of random new friends DOING IT FOR DETROIT.
This photo was actually taken at the Ann Arbor Art Fair which happened back in Mid- July. Jan a fantastic artist rocks this shirt ” I’m so Bad I vacationed in Detroit”

Jan rockin' his Detroit T @ The Ann Arbor Art Fair

Jan rockin’ his Detroit T @ The Ann Arbor Art Fair

Do It For Detroit Today

Do It For Detroit – one of my most favorite “Isms” per say.

Today I’d like to share an Article from the New York Times that was published on July 11th 2014 ” The Post-Post Apocalyptic Detroit “.

In 2011, I worked at Quicken Loans in Downtown Detroit. The HQ had recently been relocated downtown Detroit in Campus Martius right off Woodward Ave. Did you know Woodward Avenue was platted a road in 1805? or that the location of the first mile (1.6 km) of concrete roadway in the country was WOODWARD AVE ?  Later on in the summer i’ll post about the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Okay Okay — back to the article about Detroit – because what else do you have to really be doing right now !!?

A quote I took from the article to get you intrigued enough to click the link above that discusses the WORK PLACE ENVIRONMENT.  I’d truly prefer to never have to work in a closed off grey cubicle … as for the QUBE thats a whole different story… !

“Above the workers hover decorative, spacecraft-like orbs, in peach and pink and aquamarine, matching the colors of the cabinetry and carpeting. The overall atmosphere resembles “The Wolf of Wall Street” as art-directed by Dr. Seuss. “

This line made me laugh because I worked with the design team to invent this awesome area ! The group now goes by D POP check out the gallery photos from the Qube !

You spend about a third or more of your day in your office, studio, classroom, lab or what not … odds are you sit for most of it too. dPOP is what you’ve been dreaming of !  The team beats down old boring blahhhh offices & bumps them up!  If you didn’t click the link from above … Do It Now.

One of my 2014 Things To Do is DO IT FOR DETROIT ! Meaning I will go to downtown Detroit at least once a month ! Today I chose to share a bit about the D via the New York Times ...

#DetroitHustlesHarder

Yeahhhhhhhh….. !

Lshawtay

Blue Nails, Green Thumb

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My Pot Planter from Ann Arbor Downtown Home & Garden

A have a bit of a green thumb these days, ever since I posted about decorating your desk at the office or at home! I was inspired to bring life into my life in a way other than having a baby. I have always eyed out the plants at Plum Market, and on the eve of my 24th Birthday I thought why not just buy one already. I unknowingly purchased an Aloe Plant – which has so many uses you wouldn’t believe. YES this is where the Aloe comes from to help your sun burns, if you break off a branch of your Aloe plant, you can keep it organic and not buy some weird goo from the drug store.

Meanwhile, I have been keeping this little cactus plant on my desk since the end of April 2013, a resident of my building where I work gave it to me as a gift that he brought from home in Arizona. My desk isn’t the closest one to the window, so I deprived this cactus from proper sunlight for about a full year, it looked weak. My new co-worker has an extraordinary green thumb, and advised me on how to bring it back to life, the first step being put it by the window! DUH – cacti are from the desert where it is hot as balls and filled with sunshine.

I began to feel a need for more plants and more oxygen – I traveled down to the Eastern Market in Detroit with 2 friends and we traveled from Shed to Shed ( IF YOU HAVEN”T BEEN YOU GOTTA GO …. on a SATURDAY!) Walking and walking, kind feels like you are a cow in a heard with all the people down there, we found ourselves “starstruck” by the GIANT SHiNOLA watch hanging from the ceiling, as it matched exactly to the one on my friends wrist. Conveniently this was in front of a plant booth – and I found my perfect little plant that I have NO idea what it is, but that I like its looks – I instantly purchased it for $2.25 ….. pocket change.

I was so excited by something so small, I carried around for the rest of the afternoon in a small paper bag as this little plant including the pot is smaller than my hand.

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Organic Cactus Mix from Ann Arbor Downtown Home & Garden $3.9

I re-visited the Eastern Market two Saturdays later to buy 2 more cute little plants, I will have to post photos of them later when I transfer them into more fabulous pots.

The other day I was noticing my Aloe plant was lookin’ not so haute and I showed it to my green thumb co-worker. He said that it had a big sprout popping out the top, but its tentacles were looking slim and crispy. Therefore, it was time to upgrade its home !! We walked over to the Downtown Home & Garden shop on S. Ashley in Ann Arbor. Here I found a lovely blue pot – that went along with the cacti theme & its just my favorite color. He instructed me to purchase Organic Cactus Mix aka soil bag of stuff to re-pot my plant, because in a bigger home obviously would need more and fresh soil. The bag of soil was $3.99 – pretty cheap and it can assist in all of my 5 plants getting a new home !!

You have to fill the bottom of you pot with rocks, to help with drainage of the water that you pour in once a week for your plant. I conveniently got these from the ground outside. FREE ! wahoo! Apparently, cacti family plants like to have their soil patted down firmly to them. My Aloe plant used to live in the Photo’d cactus plant’s new home. It was easy to upgrade both of their homes. I can’t wait to upgrade my other 3 plants to their new homes once I find a fabulous pot for them.

Added benefits of having plants in your home is that they are eating up all your CO2 and pumping out Oxygen. This is a great thing for yourself !!

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YAY ! My Cactus from my tenant & my Aloe plant from Plum Market

Breathe in the light around you and breathe out the darkness inside of you ❤

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Hey ! Me in front of the stacks of Hay at the Ann Arbor Downtown Home & Garden Space on S.Ashley & Liberty St