Sustainable Fashion

Los Angeles based designer Tina Tangalakis ventured to Ghana with a mission to volunteer at an orphanage. During her visit, she bonded with local seamstress Beatrice Agabe and the concept of Della was born.

Della purses are handmade by economically vulnerable women in Hohoe, Ghana. Each sale has a positive effect on the community by providing jobs and education. Click here to read some of the stories.

The Della shop includes vibrantly colored fabric clutches, hobos, and accessories. Each bag is 100% vegan and 100% spectacular!

Opening Day 2011

If the weather was perfect, it wouldn't be opening day.

A little rain didn't stop the crew for setting up shop in the wee hours of the morning. Equipped with tents, grills, and a full service bar, this tailgate party is better each year. The image above boasts a solid display of kegs that will be tapped throughout the day. As always, we cheer for the boys in Blue and Orange and hope that Tigers can pull off a victory. The Motor City is ready for a winning record!

Turn the Tables

Fun Music Cover

If this video doesn't get you smiling by the end of it - I don't know what will! So Fun!

Jack's Birthday Cake

This Jack Daniels Billboard on 8 Mile caught my eye over the weekend.

"We like the No.7 Seed"

Cleaver reference to the NCAA tournament. Great Branding. There was something witty written about drinking responsibly but I can't remember the exact words.

I searched the Jack Daniels website for current advertising and I found a section dedicated to cooking with Jack. Amazing. I'm definitely whipping up this cake in April! My soul may be from Detroit but my appetite craves some good southern cooking.

Jack's Birthday Cake

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
½ cup Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Hot Buttered Whiskey Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar, eggs, flour mixture, and Jack Daniel's®, stirring well after each addition. Pour batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle evenly with pecans and chocolate chips. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center of the cake is firm and edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and drizzle with glaze. Makes 16 servings.

Note: Cake may be baked in a greased 10-inch tube pan. Increase the baking time to 1 hour. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Drizzle with the glaze.

Arizona Wildlife

A friend of my Dad's spotted this beautiful Mountain Lion family on an Arizona golf course this week. And to think, my neighborhood is worried about a coyote... I couldn't imagine seeing these wild creatures in my backyard!

Oh, The Shark Has Pretty Teeth, Dear

The world's largest set of shark teeth is about to hit the auction market. These Megaladon chompers will be placed up for bid in Dallas, Texas this June at the Heritage Auction Galleries. With over 182 actual teeth, this Megaladon shark can exceed 100 feet in length and display teeth more than 7 inches across. Yowza!!

Shifting the Motor City

This image is rare in the Motor City, but with oil prices jumping up to $103 a barrel I expect to see additional stations popping up. Lawrence Technological University in Southfield offers the first active "charging station" that I've seen. Just pull your electric car into one of the spots and receive a quick pick me up to get you to your next destination.

It will be interesting to see a shift from traditional gas stations to electric vehicle charging stations over the next decade. This New York Times article looks at some complications with the switch, including potential grid overloads and a need for new infrastructures. The pics from California are wild, seems like everyone is so accustomed them already!

Running Hounds

Many thanks to Christina. Click here to see 50 super cute, slightly wild, pictures of running Basset Hounds.

Colombian Street Dogs

On a trip to sunny Florida last March, Andrea, the sweetest girl ever, introduced me to the concept of a Colombian Hot Dog. I'm not sure if it was actual ingredients or her authentic Colombian accent that sold me on the treat. Seriously, she is so cute. Hopefully I can explain it correctly:

First, boil the hot dogs in Cola. I know, weird, right? But I'm sure it's amazing. Top the dogs with cole saw, pineapple, a ketchup & mayo mixture, and mustard. Finish things up by adding a layer of crunched up Better Made potato chips (my favorite!).

I haven't stopped thinking about this magical creation since I heard about it! I bet these are just as good with chicken or veggie sausages. Yum!