Simplifying Social Media to best meet my needs ;)

I have found that the new Facebook meets all of my current networking and sharing needs... This blog will temporarily be placed on hold ;)

Trying to catch things up!

I keep trying to catch up on my posts, but things are moving so fast, biz is good, The LoAD is better, Life is amazing, and I'll have to catch you up! Not a bad thing at all... The blog and many of the posts will appear late, with plenty of updates to come. In the meantime, join The LoAD on FB today!

CATCHING UP!

I launched The League of Adventurous Detroiters (The Load) today! after 8 months of gearing up, we are operational!

Things I still have to update, include my first Dog Sledding Experience, Extreme Hand-made Sledding, Vacation to Costa Rica, Moving to & opening my photo studio in Eastern Market Detroit, My 2,200 sq ft Loft Warming Mardi Gras Party, The Hostel Detroit Volunteer Project, La Marche Du Nain Rouge Event, and so much more!

LIFE IS GREAT... Check Back Soon!

Best of 2010 : The Collage

Rachel's Ink Studio Cover!

My Sister Rachel was selected as the cover/feature artist in this years publication of "Ink" in Detroit, MI. The piece was a screen print design of an incinerator on the border of Detroit, that was scanned directly from the print plate & photoshopped for the results as printed.

Great Job Rachel!

New Years 2010

New Years Week in Northern Michigan for wineries, snowshoeing, skiing, tubing, frozen lake fun, toasty fireplace time, wii fun, dancing, great food, and great friends!


I think this should be a new yearly tradition!

Cookies!!!

I just love baking for the holidays...

This year a few excellent recipes made it to the exchange including five flavors of Homemade Fudge & Ginger Cookies with Bacon!

Detroit's Noel Night 2010

This year for Detroit's 38th Annual Noel Night, I led a group of people around the city to enjoy the festivities and holiday fun! Thousands of people descend on MidTown for the night where all the restaurants, museums, galleries and more open their doors and set up near the curbs to offer special activities & treats.

Our small group of 100 broke into 15 or so and went in all different directions. With over 120 musicians/ entertainers at over 60 participating venues, I can't wait to change up my route next year and see even more!

"Holiday Nights" at the Village

There's nothing like bundling up on a cold night and strolling along candle-lit paths with your closest friends to celebrate an old fashioned Christmas at Greenfield Village. We toured historic houses with cookies being baked on vintage stoves, hung out with Chaplain Kringle, road in an original (windowless, brrrrr) Model-T, and sipped spiked cider around the bonfire.

Fireworks rounded out the night... No doubt this will become a new tradition, it's like step into a Christmas card, costumed presenters, ice skating, reindeer and all.

Fall Hikes: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan

There's no better time to hike than during the Fall... I've had the opportunity to go hiking many times over the last month all over the beaches & woods of Michigan, along the waterfalls of the Appalachian Trail through Pennsylvania, and along the frosty beaches in Jersey. It's so quiet and beautiful in the fall. There's a stillness you have to experience in person ;)

Sidesplitting Laughs at Whirlyball

Whirlyball is a combination of Bumper Cars & Lacrosse. You ride in a 'whirlybug' that is powered by conducting floor plates, and launch wiffleballs with a Trac Ball Scoop while the other team slams into your vehicle and scrambles to steal the ball.

You score by sending the ball from the scoop at electronic goals mounted high over head on opposite ends of the court. No hand contact is allowed. With one hand on the steering wheel and one on your scoop, this sport gets exciting and hilarious very quickly.

PreSeason Ice Skate in Detroit

I enjoyed some lovely skating at the Rink located in Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit, for a preseason open evening night on ice. The Rink is nestled in the heart of the city with some beautiful buildings and the Detroit Christmas Tree as a backdrop. Complete with fires to keep warm by and delicious Hot Cocoa, it's a fantastic Holiday treat! ...and don't forget to swing by one of the best irish pubs around for a bite at Foran's Grand Trunk - Rebecca Keast

Featherbowling @ Cadieux Cafe 2010

Similar to Bocce, I like to describe Featherbowling as a combination of horseshoes, curling, & bowling (with the gutters after the ends) ...As far as I've been able to discover, Michigan is the only place in the United States that has a location to play!

The game comes from Flanders, Belgium where it was called 'Trabollen' and played with Cheese wheels instead of wooden wheels. Besides Cadieux Cafe in Detroit, MI, there is also a location in Mount Clements, MI that plays a version called "Belgian Trough Bowling"

Annual Hallo-Frickin'-Ween Party

Here's the Photo-Video of this years Hallo-Frickin'-Ween Party! Thanks again to everyone who made it out. I can't believe we had over 70 people in this place! Everyone had amazing costume ;D

...sorry for the long music loop, I'll work on updating this later on ;) AND SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

Cider, Donuts, Haunted Houses & Hayride!

This Halloween was done right!
I spent much of the month enjoying fresh donuts at cider mills, participating in Halloween events, haunted houses, hayrides... even the Historic Greenfield Village's Hallowe'en evening.



Giant Pumpkins, Adult Trick or Treatin', Parties... I also led a group to Wiard's Night Terrors near Ann Arbor, MI to experience the Haunted Hayride, Maze & Haunted Houses. We had a great turn out, about 25 people, and I was able to negotiate an excellent group rate. We laughed and got startled with the best of them. My favorite was the hayride through the haunted woods. Very fun!

Bring me some spiked spiced cider in the Autumn & I'm one happy gal.

Sushi Making Party

For my sister's birthday this year she threw a Sushi Making Party. Since I live right by one of the suppliers for most of Michigan's Sushi grade fish restaurants, we picked up some salmon, tuna, whitetail, roe, crab and more so that everyone could get creative. We also julienne cut veggies and had things like avocado, jalapeno, & cream cheese on hand to pick from.

It was a riot watching some rolls fall apart and other bursting at the seams with over filling. Everyone got into the process and I think by the end of the night, all had learned a new trade. I see many more Sushi parties in the future!


Birthday Girl!
(I love toting my Polaroid around for special occasions)

Cedar Point Halloweekend!

What's Cedar Point you ask? A park located on a peninsula in Lake Erie that is packed to the edges with ROLLER COASTERS!! Dozens!


In October, the crowds clear & they start halloween themed weekends (HALLOWEEKENDS) including decorations, haunted houses, and other events. The best park is short rides! You can get onto a dozen different coasters in a day.


Man did we luck out, for Mid October we had a sunny 90 degree day. Just Perfect! I organized a group of nine adventure lovers for this trip (squeezed into two cars for the drive from Detroit) we stayed just about the entire day. My favorite was one of the final rides, not for the thrill per se, but more for the fact that we sat in front and this particular coaster shot us up towards the stars so high that that was all we could see... beautiful & thrilling at once.

♥ ...if it Floats!

I think I'm addicted! I was reflecting on how many different ways I rode the waves this year and came up with this list : 2 Speed boats, 3 Kayaks, 3 Canoes, 3 Ferries, 2 Air boats, a Paddle Board, a Paddle boat, a Cruise Ship, a Schooner, 2 Pontoon boats, an Inflatable Kayak, a Snorkel Cruiser, a London Thames tour boat, a White Water Raft, a Venetian Gondola, and a log.



It's the water!





I'm in love with the sea!
I can easily see myself moving into a Frank Lloyd Wright home with the sound of rushing waters under the floorboards. I can't stay away from the crashing blue. I'm even pulled in for parasailing above the ocean, and even found swimming in 50 degree lake waters from time to time.