FREE Admission to Cranbrook Institute of Science 10/2 After 5pm

Cranbrook Institute of Science Free First Fridays.

Admission next Friday (10/2) is FREE after 5 p.m. courtesy of the MASCO Corporation Foundation! Free First Fridays continue monthly through next June 2010!

Cranbrook is located at 39221 Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Download a map of the entire Cranbrook Educational Community campus, a map of how to get to the Institute when on campus, or a map of the interior of Cranbrook Institute of Science.

Movie Review:: The September Issue

Tonight, I went to an advance screening of the movie"The September Issue" courtesy of the Detroit beauty blog Pretty Please.

The movie follows Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and her team of editors as they create the 2007 September Issue of Vogue, which remains the biggest ever - both in weight, more than four pounds, and in reach, more than 13 million people. Those of you not into fashion are probably yawning now, but those of us who are into clothes will find this movie to be very fascinating. A lot of time, money, and vision go into the making of Vogue magazine and it is interesting go behind the scenes and see the details that go into the process.

Lovers of First Lady Michelle Obama will find two of her favorite designers profiled in this movie: Thakoon, who designed many of her campaign dresses, and Isabella Toledo, who designed her now famous green inauguration day outfit that is now in the Smithsonian Museum.

There are also some very funny scenes in this movie with Vogue Editor-At-Large Andre Leon Talley. His outfits were outlandish, resembling circus tents more than clothing, and his love of everything Louis Vuitton is worst than that of Kimora Lee Simmons.

But the star of this movie is Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Any powerful person is complex, and Anna is definitely powerful and very complex. As my friend Linda pointed out "In an interview she (Anna Wintour) called the people of Minnesota 'little refrigerators' because she said they were so big - seems like a nice and caring boss". In many ways, Anna is more misunderstood than mean spirited. She is a woman who speaks her mind and does not apologize for doing so. And that makes for some very funny moments in this film.

Fashionistas - go see this movie. You will not be disappointed.

Movie Review: Love Happens

Last night, I went to an advance screening of the movie "Love Happens" at the Birmingham Palladium. I won the tickets from entering a contest sponsered by the Detroit News.

The movie was not your typical romantic comedy. It dealt with some heavy issues concerning grieving and the difficulty of moving forward after a tragic event. How do you leave the event behind you? How do you deal with the pain of the lost? How do you find your way through your pain? How do you stop blaming yourself? How do you stop punishing yourself?

The movie did a good job of balancing these very rough topics with a comedic edge. It kind of reminded me of "P.S. I love You". If you like to cry, this is the film for you. I don't know if it will make lots of money at the box office, but this movie will do very well when it comes out on video. It is definite chick movie...

Review: Meeting Essense Magazine's Susan Taylor

This evening, I went to the Detroit Main Library for a reception and evening with Susan Taylor from Essence Magazine. For those who don't know, Susan Taylor was the Editor in Chief of Essense Magazine for 30 years. She was the black equivalent of Anna Wintour from Vogue Magazine.

Susan was in Detroit to draw awareness for Detroit Reads!. Detroit Reads! is a literacy campaign that provides learning opportunities to Detroit adults who desire to learn to read, write, or improve their reading and comprehension skills. A disturbing statistic was given during the presentation that 47% of adult Metro Detroiters are functionally illiterate. Detroit Reads! provides one-to-one tutoring sessions and is free and open to Detroiters 18 years of age and older.

Besides being the Editor Emeritus of Essence Magazine, Susan is the the Founder and CEO of a the National Cares Mentoring Movement (NCMM) NCMM's goal is to connect every at-risk African American youngster with a caring adult who will mentor that child either one-on-one or in a group setting.

Every Essence Magazine reader remembers Susan's monthly editorial entitled "In the Spirit". Susan gave an excellent speech this evening on the power of self. She spoke about the Spirit living inside of each of us - the Spirit that can change each of us for the better if we listen and allow it to work. She reminded us that these times that we live in are hard, but they are not the worst of times. and that we have the power within us to change whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. Because God is not going to do what we can do for ourselves.

She encouraged all of us to make the time to give back to our community. She reminded us that gaining more material possessions is not what makes us happy - what really makes us happy is feeling safe and loved. So we can change the world around us if we take some of our talents to help others (especially our children) feel safe and loved.

She is a powerful and gracious woman. This was a very wonderful event ...

Detroit Reads! International Literacy Day

Come join us and celebrate Detroit Reads! International Literacy Day with Susan L. Taylor, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine and Founder & CEO of National Cares Mentoring Movement!

Susan L. Taylor is synonymous with Essence magazine, the brand she built—as its fashion and beauty editor, as editor-in-chief and editorial director. She is the author of four books, with her most recent, 'All About Love, Favorite Selections from In the Spirit on Living Fearlessly,' available for purchase the day of the event. A much sought-after speaker, Taylor inspires hope and encourages us to reclaim our lives, mentor and nurture our youth, and create sustainable communities.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Detroit Main Public Library
5201 Woodward Avenue

International Literacy Day Reception
Meet and Greet the Author, Susan L. Taylor
Mezzanine of Detroit Public Main Library
6 pm RSVP to 313-833-4042

An Evening with Susan L. Taylor
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine and Founder of the National Cares Mentoring Movement, On the Subject of Literacy
Friends Auditorium on "A" Level of the Detroit Public Main Library
7 pm

FREE & Low Cost Kids College WCCCD Fall Semester

Wayne County Community College District is excited to offer Kids’ College classes for youth 3-17 years of age. Our goal is to develop and expand students’ interests, stimulate creativity, provide unique learning opportunities and a fun experience on a college campus.

Our class offerings are taught in a hands-on fashion with an accent on fun. We offer topics from college prep, sports, performing and traditional arts, reading and writing, science and math, and computers, to leisure activities like hairbraiding or scrapbooking. Enroll today for an unforgettable positive learning experience that will last a lifetime.

Courses are FREE or low-cost. Click here for course catalog. Kids College Courses start on page 30.

REVIEW: Panera Brend New Product Tasting

Tonight I went to the Panera Bread in Troy for a special tasting event of new products that Panera will be bringing out soon to the general public.

So I sure you all want to know what we got to taste? Here's a rundown:

· BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad – All-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, a fire-roasted corn medley and crunchy tri-color tortilla strips tossed on crisp, chopped romaine lettuce and drizzled with a mild and sweet BBQ ranch dressing. The corn mixture includes sweet Pacific Northwestern corn, black beans, diced Poblano peppers, red bell peppers and red onions. It’s fire-roasted at more than 1,000 degrees, giving it a distinctive smokey taste.

· Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich – Built on Sesame Semolina bread, this chicken salad combines thin-sliced, all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, red seedless grapes cut fresh daily, sliced raw almonds, diced celery and a tastefully light, savory dressing. It’s served with fresh tomatoes and crisp lettuce.

· Breakfast Power Sandwich – A grilled breakfast sandwich made with all-natural, freshly-cracked eggs, a thin slice of Vermont white cheddar cheese and lean ham, all grilled between two slices of Whole Grain bread. The sandwich includes four grams of fiber and 22 grams of protein in less than 400 calories.

· Fudge Brownies – A decadent blend of rich European-style cocoa powder, melted bittersweet chocolate and whole butter.

· Macadamia Nut Blondies – Mixed with Macadamia nuts and chocolate and butterscotch chips and made with pure vanilla batter.

The tasting stations also featured some Panera favorites – breads, baguettes and pumpkin spice latte.

The best items of the evening were the Macadamia Nut Blondies -HEAVEN!, the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, the Power Breakfast Sandwich -very tasty to be so healthy, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte. The Pumpkin Spice Latte actually surprised me since I do not like coffee nor anything coffee flavored, but this stuff was delicious.

It was all very good and now I am stuffed. We got to write our favorite items on comment cards, so hopefully everyone will be able to try all these tasty things soon at a Panera Bread near you.