Traffic Jam & Snug / Division Street Boutique

 Happy Friday everyone!

 I went out for lunch this week at the Traffic Jam & Snug, a restaurant bakery located in the heart of Midtown. It was built on the site of the Doghouse Saloon in 1965 and is known as Michigan’s smallest licensed dairy. Traffic Jam bakes bread fresh every single day and are renowned for their cheese and beer.

We ordered the bread of the day (Pumpkin Spice), the Tex Mex Lentil Burger, Vegetarian Spinach Lasagne, and Carlotta Chocolatta Ice Cream Cheesecake. The burger was mediocre, nothing too special, but the lasagna was delicious. One thing that I really liked was their variety of vegetarian options.I loved the cheesecake! It was such a luxurious dish and was served with my favorite type of ice cream: coffee!

Traffic Jam has a quirky interior full of things like Vernor’s sign, traffic lights, and huge globes. It has a really cool restaurant atmosphere and I would recommend stopping by at least once, especially since it is a local Detroit institution. Check it out on Canfield off Cass Avenue!

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I stopped by Division Street Boutique today after eating out with some friends. It's a wonderful little store that sponsors and promotes local artists and is dedicated to the re-imaging of Detroit.

They sell apparel, hats, swag, and a wonderful collection of records and VHS tapes. One of the owners, a university student, gave us some free "Detroit Hustles Harder" stickers! Make sure to check it out on Fridays and Saturdays on Division Street at the Eastern Market.

Thanks for reading and have an amazing weekend!

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DIY: Midi Rings

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I have a cold, so I haven't been feeling too well, but wearing these rings made my Monday a lot more bearable.

Midi rings, also known as knuckle rings, are rings that sit right in the middle of the finger. I love stacking them and wearing them with normal rings. Lately, I've been seeing them everywhere, but whenever I go out to buy some, they always appear to be sold out. So I decided to make some myself! These were super easy and didn't take very long to make at all.

Supplies:

• 20 gauge wire (gold, silver, bronze, etc)
• Beads (Optional)
• Round nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Sharpie/Marker

CHEVRON RING

Step 1: Cut five inches of wire and fold in half. Use the round nose pliers to create a point at one end.
Step 2: Fold up both the ends to create a triangle shape.
Step 3: Place the ring against your finger  and twist the wire ends together at the back, one over the other. Cut off any hanging wire.
Step 4: Use a nail file to file down any sharp edges and you're done!



BOW RING

Step 1: Cut six to seven inches of wire. We're going to use a sharpie (or a marker) to mimic finger width. Fold the wire so that the left is over the right—the left end of the wire should be a bit longer because we'll be folding that twice.

Step 2: Using the round nose pliers, grab the bottom wire and fold it over to create the right loop.
Step 3: Then grab the bottom top and fold it over to create the left loop.
Step 4: Next, grab the bottom wire and fold it through the middle of the ring and over the top, recreating the end of the left loop.
Step 5: Cut the ends to size and file the ends if needed. And that's it!



SWIRL RING

Step 1: Cut about eight inches of wire. Using the sharpie, wrap the left end over the sharpie twice, creating three loops.
Step 2: Trim the bottom end of the wire down to size and use the round nose pliers to create a mini loop.
Step 3: Do the same for the top, but to create bigger loops, start folding the wire from farther away and slowly work your way towards the end.
Step 4: I wanted to recreate the Hakuna Matata symbol, however, you can put in as many or as few swirls as you want.


BEAD RING

Step 1: Cut about eight inches of wire and fold in half.
Step 2: Using the round nose pliers, flatten the two ends as close together as you can.
Step 3: Then, using the sharpie as a guide, fold the wire around the base and add three beads to the bottom wire. You can use a smidge of glue to help them stay in place.
Step 4: Trim any wires that are too long and recreate the swirl pattern. You can definitely go crazy with the beads and experiment with the amount, color, or shape!

Remember, these are just guidelines on how to make wire rings. You can always adjust the wire to create normal sized rings or even toe rings—they don't have to be midi rings.

*I ended up making a ton extra in the process (especially bow rings), so if you want one, shoot me a comment or ask me in person! J

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Eastern Market After Dark

I know everyone’s heard of Detroit’s Eastern Market, a food market open every Saturday morning…but at night? I couldn't miss the opportunity to attend the second annual Eastern Market After Dark, so I pushed my usual Thursday blog post to today in order to show you a glimpse of this amazing experience. The Detroit Design Festival hosted the event, which is a self-guided tour of the city’s art galleries, restaurants, and local businesses.

I went with a group of friends and we first stopped a local tea tent to sample some apple cider infused tea. And then I had some of my favorite ice cream from the Treat Dreams truck, the Kooky Monster. Make sure to try it out—it's blue and who can resist blue ice cream?

Our first stop was the AIA Membership Party and the Detroit Fashion Showcase. The American Institute of Architects gave out architecture awards to celebrate local designs around Detroit. I decided the check out a few more spots before coming back for the fashion show.

The next stop was OmniCorpDetroit, an art studio for designers, engineers, and musicians. They come together to create and often collaborate with the Detroit community. It was pretty neat seeing some of the things they've come up with and I can’t wait to attend one of their open hack nights!

We walked by two murals on our way to the next art gallery. The first was the adorable “Marry Me Tizzie?” mural on Orleans and Division. The second was the “Survive” mural, located on Service and Winder. It was created by a traveling art exhibition named Survive, who also created a mini-documentary of the city.

Our final stop was the Red Bull House of Art. It’s a collaborative art exhibition that works with undiscovered artists and provides them with space to create. We got to see their work spaces along with their final art exhibits. As we were leaving, I stopped to take a picture of the front door and a friendly stranger jumped into the shot!

Detroit’s Eastern Market After Dark was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to go again next year. Check out OmniCorpDetroit's website here and Red Bull House of Art's website here for more information on the artists that were featured. Thanks to The Detroit Foodie for suggesting places to visit! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

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DIY: Polka Dot Pants

I can’t resist polka dots. There’s just something so versatile and classic about them. From Walt Disney’s Minnie Mouse to Frank Sinatra’s “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” and it’s ensuing popularity in the 50s and 60s, polka dots have become a favorite. With that in mind, I set out to make my very own pair of polka dot pants.

Supplies:

• Black pants
• White fabric paint
• Marker/chapstick
• Ruler
• Chalk

I bought a pair of pants that were on sale from Forever21, but any old pair will do. If they’re new, make sure to wash them at least once prior to painting. Lay your pants down flat, and starting from the bottom, use your chalk to mark dots an inch and a half apart. I decided on a diamond pattern, so the dots in the next row were in between the dots of the previous row. Continue the pattern to all the way to the top.

Next, dip the end of the marker into the fabric paint and press onto the pants (I was originally going to use the chapstick, but the circles were too big for my liking. Alternatively, you could use the tip of a pencil or a paintbrush for smaller circles). I deviated from my chalk pattern a little as I neared the top, but they turned out just fine! Make sure to dip the marker in to the fabric paint after each dot to get a more uniform look.

Let the front dry for at least an hour before chalking and painting the back and then leave them overnight to dry.

And that's it! These pants make me so happy! I've already worn them once and I'll let you know how they last through their first wash. I hope you enjoyed my DIY and make sure to check back Monday for a new post.

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Great Lakes Coffee

One of my favorite places to go when I’m craving coffee is Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company. What I like about them is that their beans are ethically sourced and are roasted to perfection. In short, they have great coffee! The ambiance of the coffee shop was modern and relaxed, perfect for a college student like me. Of course, Great Lakes Coffee also has exceptional baristas—a coffee is only as good as the person making it! I went with a friend and we sat down at the espresso bar after ordering our drinks. The barista joked around as I took pictures of the shop and enthusiastically explained items from the menu to us. 

In addition to their coffee menu, there’s a wide variety of breakfast and lunch items, including vegan options.  I ordered a classic ‘Chai Tea’ and a chocolate croissant; the latte art was some of the best I’ve seen and both were delicious. My favorite drink so far is the ‘Sexy Mexican’—made up of espresso, chocolate, and cayenne.

The coffee shop was reconstructed from an old house, so it’s full of reclaimed wood and huge windows that let in natural light. Hardwood floors and  tables as well as leather furniture give it a library like atmosphere and the outdoor seating is perfect for a drink with friends. This is the sort of place you could easily visit every day.

As we were leaving, I spotted a florist shop right across the street and decided to check it out. They had a gorgeous hand painted mural with the name ‘Grace Harper Florist’ along the side of the building. We walked in and I couldn't resist buying some pink and white carnations. 

Make sure to stop by Great Lakes sometime for a cup of coffee and check out the florist next door. They're both located on Woodward and Alexandrine. Look out for my first DIY blog post on Thursday!

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Welcome to My Blog!

Hi everyone! First of all, thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I've been looking forward to this for a while now and I'm excited to be putting it up. I'll be posting every Monday and Thursday under the various tabs, so make sure to check back twice a week. If you have any suggestions or questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment or contact me at undefinedtreasures@gmail.com!
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