Travel Diaries: Tillson Street – Romeo, Michigan

Posted on October 25, 2019 by

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With Halloween being just under a week away, I had to make my annual trip to Tillson Street, in Romeo Michigan. Tillson Street also is known as Terror on Tillson, is a street that is famous for its elaborate Halloween decorations during the month of October. Typically I visit Tillson Street at night, but this year I took a day off of work to go on an adventure with Jack, and one of the places we ended up was Tillson Street. I haven\’t seen Tillson Street during the daylight in years, it\’s definitely a different experience, and isn\’t crawling with people. See my Tillson Street adventure at night here.

Coming to Detroit: The New Colossus

Posted on October 24, 2019 by

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Looking for the perfect Valentine\’s date with your significant other or girlfriends? Don\’t worry, I have the perfect idea for you. The New Colossus will be at The Music Hall in Detroit February 14-16, 2020 and is one show you do not want to miss. This new play is written The Actors’ Gang ensemble and The Actors’ Gang Artistic Director Tim Robbins who also directed the piece.  
Tickets for The New Colossus start at $35 and go on sale Sunday, Oct. 27. Tickets can be purchased online at www.broadwayindetroit.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-982-2787. Starting Monday, Oct. 28, tickets may also be purchased at The Music Hall and Fisher Theatre box offices.
In The New Colossus, The Actors’ Gang members tell their ancestors’ stories, their struggles and their journeys from oppression to freedom. The play celebrates the courage and great character of the refugees who came to this country throughout the last 300 years. The ensemble of twelve reflects the great diversity that has defined who we are as a nation; The New Colossus is a celebration of our diversity.
Set somewhere between the 19th century and now, the play tells the story of forced migration and the constant struggle for survival and dignity in an uncertain and hostile environment. The members of the acting company are from different parts of the world; they tell their stories, each in a different language, and each in different dress.  Actors from Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Germany, Vietnam, Louisiana, Mexico, Finland, Hungary, Soviet Union and Austria will be in the Detroit company.
Director Tim Robbins said, “I live in Los Angeles, where one can only be struck by the contributions made to our city by immigrants and people who came here as refugees. The Actors’ Gang felt compelled to respond to the government’s anti-refugee and anti-immigration policies –- and to tell a story that draws attention to the true nature of people that live in this country. Save for the Indigenous, all of our families came here as refugees, immigrants or were brought here against their will.”
“The characters in the piece all seem different, from different parts of the world, travelling at different times – but the stories are remarkably the same: the common experience of all refugees is that they are fleeing some kind of oppression and moving toward safety and hopefully, freedom. Our hope is that we will be able to illuminate the courage, fortitude and humor of the refugees that have defined this land and, in doing so, discover the similarities that exist between our ancestors and those who are currently struggling for dignity and freedom today.”
The New Colossus shares a title with the sonnet written by poet Emma Lazarus in 1883 for an exhibit to raise funds for the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, which opened in 1886. Even though the Statue of Liberty was not conceived as a symbol of immigration, Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” reinvented the statue\’s purpose, turning Liberty into a welcoming mother, a symbol of hope to the outcasts and oppressed of the world.
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
At the end of each performance the actors will engage the audience and ask them to share either their experience of immigration or their family’s experience.
The New Colossus has its beginnings in The Actors’ Gang 2017 Refugee Project Workshop Production, in which actors told true, personal stories about their ancestors –- where they came from, why they had to leave, and where they arrived and settled. 
About The Actors’ Gang
Over the past 36 years, The Actors’ Gang has produced over 200 plays in Los Angeles, in forty-five US states, and on five continents. The company was founded in 1981 by a group of young artists looking to build a theatre that would present relevant and vibrantly entertaining plays. Guided by Founding Artistic Director, Tim Robbins, the company provides a supportive environment for a diverse ensemble of artists and the development of their groundbreaking work.
The Actors’ Gang has presented the work of innovative theater artists including Georges Bigot, Simon Abkarian, Charles Mee, David Schweizer, Bill Rauch and the Cornerstone Theatre Company, Tracy Young, Roger Guenver Smith, Eric Bogosian, Oskar Eustis, Danny Hoch, Beth Milles, Brian Kulick, Stefan Haves, Namaste Theater Company, Culture Clash, Jason Reed, Michael Schlitt, and Tenacious D.
The Actors’ Gang ensemble has included accomplished actors such as Jack Black, John Cusack, John C. Reilly, Helen Hunt, Kate Walsh, Fisher Stevens, Jeremy Piven, Ebbe Roe Smith, Jon Favreau, Brent Hinkley, Kate Mulligan, Lee Arenberg, Kyle Gass and Tim Robbins.
Guest artists that have appeared on The Actors’ Gang stage include: Jackson Browne, Sarah Silverman, Ben Gibbard, John Doe, Tom Morello, Jenny Lewis, Wayne Kramer, Paul Provenza, Zooey Deschanel, Serj Tankian, David Crosby, Pink, Felicity Huffman, Jill Sobule, William H. Macy, Phillip Baker Hall, Jeanne Tripplehorn, T.C. Boyle. and the late, beloved, Gore Vidal.
Over the last thirty years The Actors’ Gang has toured the U.S. in forty-five states and on five continents, performing across the world from London to Milan, Bucharest, Athens, Madrid, Barcelona, Bogota, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Buenos Aires.
With their productions, education and outreach programs and tours they strive to strengthen communities in a way that only the medium of theater can. They produce plays that contribute to the ongoing dialogue about our society and culture, while never forgetting that theaters primary purpose is to entertain.
“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
\”Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!\” cries she
With silent lips. \”Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!\”
Tim Robbins (Director)
For the past 36 years, Tim Robbins has served as Artistic Director for The Actors’ Gang, a theater company formed in 1982 that has over 150 productions and more than 100 awards to their credit. Past productions with The Actors’ Gang include: As Writer/Director – Harlequino On to Freedom (2017), Break the Whip (2010-11), Embedded (2003-4), Mayhem, the Invasion (1992), Carnage, A Comedy (1988-89), Violence, The Misadventures of Spike Spangle Farmer (1987) and Alagazam (1986). As Director –A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2012-16), Orwells’ 1984 (2006-16), Mephisto (2001), The Good Woman of Setzuan (1991), Methusalem, the Eternal Bourgeois (1985), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1984), Ubu the King (1982); In addition to producing live theater throughout the year, The Actors’ Gang provides arts education to thousands of Elementary, Middle and High School students working in 12 LA USD schools and in underserved communities in the L.A. area. Since 2006, The Actors’ Gang’s groundbreaking Prison Project provides theatrical workshops to incarcerated men and women in 11 California prisons. In 2014, Robbins and Prison Project director Sabra Williams were instrumental in reinstating 6 million dollars into the California State budget for Arts in Corrections. 
As Actor, credits include the current HBO series Here and Now, Marjorie Prime, The Brink, Mystic River, The Shawshank Redemption, The Player, Bull Durham and Jacob’s Ladder and as a Writer/Director, Dead Man Walking, Cradle Will Rock and Bob Roberts. Robbins has won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Sag Award + Prix d\’Interprétation masculine at Cannes and French Legion.
Ticket information
Performance times for The New Colossus appearing February 14-16, 2020 at The Music Hall, located at 350 Madison Ave. in Detroit are:
·         Friday & Saturday evening performances at 8:00 p.m.
·         Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m.
·         Sunday performance at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets for The New Colossus start at $35 (includes facility fee) and will go on sale Sunday, Oct. 27.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.broadwayindetroit.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-982-2787.  Starting Monday, Oct. 28 tickets may also be purchased at The Music Hall and Fisher Theatre box offices. For group sales (10 or more) please call 313-871-1132 or email groups@broadwayindetroit.com.  Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice.
Broadway In Detroit uses Ticketmaster as its sole, authorized ticketing agent. Individual tickets purchased from a ticket broker or “third party” ticket reseller involves risk and may not be authentic, sold at box office prices, or with correct performance and venue information. Broadway In Detroit box offices cannot reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets sold through a third party or ticket reseller. Broadway In Detroit is also unable to contact third party purchasers with pertinent updates or changes regarding performances.

Mummy Rice Krispie Treats

Posted on October 23, 2019 by

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One of my friends invited me over to a Halloween party at her house this year. Of course, I can\’t just show up to a party emptyhanded. The party would include adults and children, so I wanted to make something that would be festive, for everyone and quick and easy. I decided to turn one of my favorite treats into something more seasonal… Mummy Rice Krispie Treats.

Not only are these mummy Rice Krispie treats perfect for kids, school parties, but they\’re great for work parties and Halloween parties with friends. To get the \”mummy\” wrap look I used white chocolate and mini chocolate chips for the eyes. These Mummy Rice Krispie Treats were such a hit, they were gone within 20 minutes!

Mummy Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients4 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 package white chocolate
1 package mini chocolate chips

Directions
1. Cover a 9\” x 13\” pan with parchment paper, leave an overhang on the sides.
2. Grease the parchment paper with non-stick spray.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan.
4. Once butter is melted add marshmallows and melt.
5. Once marshmallows are melted add vanilla and mix well.
6. Quickly mix in the Rice Krispies.
7. Pour into the prepared pan.
8. Press firmly down to create a level surface.
9. Allow cooling for at least two hours.
10. Remove the Rice Krispies from the pan – this is when that overhang comes in handy.
11. Cut into rectangular pieces – I cut larger ones to give myself 12.
12. Add white chocolate chips to a Ziplock baggy.
13. Make sure the baggy is completely sealed.
14. Put the baggy in the microwave and melt on defrost in 30-second intervals.
15. Once the white chocolate is melted, cut a small corner off the baggy,
16. Drizzle the white chocolate back and forth over the cut pieces.
17. Add mini chocolate chip \”eyes\” as you go.
18. Let sit for at least an hour or overnight.
19. Enjoy!

Zoya Allure Best of Beauty Award

Posted on October 22, 2019 by

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I was thrilled to recently find out that my favorite nail polish brand walked away with not one but two Best of Beauty Awards from Allure.  ZOYA, the leader in natural nail polish and nail care treatments, announces its wins in the coveted Allure Best of Beauty Awards for not one, but two products. Alyssa wins for \”Best Red Nail Polish\” and Remove Plus for \”Best Nail Polish Remover,\” both in the Nails category. 
For over twenty years, the Allure Best of Beauty Awards have been among the most respected in the beauty industry. Products are subjected to many rounds of editor testing, with feedback logged over several months throughout the rigorous vetting process. This year, roughly 7,000 products were submitted, and 306 products were ultimately deemed worthy of Allure\’s stamp of approval as the most effective and innovative products in the marketplace today.
Chosen for the \”Best Red Nail Polish,\” Alyssa is best described as a full-coverage purple cranberry cream. Alyssa took center stage at the SS19 and AW19 New York Fashion Week shows for Brock, and Oscar de la Renta nail looks. The brand\’s cult-favorite remover, Remove Plus has been a staple for partner nail salons, nail artists and customers. The 3-in-1 nail polish remover both preps and conditions the nail. This will be ZOYA\’s third consecutive win, having won in 2018 and 2017 for its Armor Top Coat and Naked Manicure Naked Base.
\”We are grateful to be recognized by Allure for two awards in the nail category this year,\” says Vice President & Global Director of Marketing at Art of Beauty Leo Reyzis. \”ZOYA has been at the forefront of healthy nails as one of the first brands to be 10-free. Having this new endorsement from Allure further underscores the products\’ efficacy and allows us to continue to push the category forward with our pursuit of non-toxic nail care standards.\”
Thoughtfully manufactured in the United States, all ZOYA products start with the highest quality ingredients and developed by an in-house group of color experts.
About ZOYA:The leading innovator in the development of fashion-forward nail shade and texture, ZOYA, is a premiere color company with in-house trend analysis experts that create and define the it shades of each season. With over 400 seasonal, classic and micro-trend shades, each color is custom created to be perfectly wearable, vegan-friendly, and safe for use during pregnancy and the longest wearing natural nail polish on the market. The first to market with 5-Free polishes, ZOYA has continued to improve its formulations and now offers consumers revolutionary 10-free breathable formulations free of; Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Dibutl, Toluene, Camphor, TPHP, Parabens, Xylene, Ethyl, Tosylamide and Lead.  ZOYA Nail Polish is highly coveted from top designers and spa professionals to the girl that loves a good mani-pedi.
About Allure:Trusted by consumers since 1996, the Allure Best of Beauty Awards are considered the beauty industry\’s ultimate stamp of approval. Allure\’s editors research and test thousands of products – from mass to prestige, classic to cutting-edge – to identify the best-of-the-best. Each year the award winners represent the most effective and innovative products in the marketplace.

Ponytail Baseball Hat – Ponyflo

Posted on October 22, 2019 by

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Sometimes a girl just wants to rock a stylish cap with a pony or a bun. Designed by women for women Ponyflo baseball hats are perfect for a hike in the woods, your daily fitness routine, traveling, the beach, dreaded hair days, a casual stroll, hanging out with your squad and more.

Ponyflo hats were created to alleviate the cumbersome task of trying to wear a baseball hat with a ponytail or pun. Traditional baseball hats or trucker caps were created with men in mind. Traditional ball caps have an opening at the back that is too low and most of the time too small to fit a ponytail or bun. As a result, the traditional baseball hats or trucker hats are just downright uncomfortable and awkward to wear with a ponytail or bun. Want to wear a baseball cap, but want to be comfortable? Ponyflo has you covered! Ponyflo incorporates a tangle-free adjustable Velcro opening at the back, which is what makes Ponyflo unique from everything else that is on the market.

Typically when I workout, hike, bike and more I always wear a baseball hat – which really helps me focus on myself and not everything else going on around me. Recently, I visited the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and went on multiple hikes. I decided to put Ponyflo to the test during my trip, and let me tell you this hat did not disappoint at all. My ponytail fit perfectly in the hat, and it was so comfortable to wear. Not to mention I received so many compliments about how cute it is.

Ponyflo offers a wide variety of caps that easily allow you to rock a cute messy bun or ponytail. You can shop Classic ponytail baseball hats, Active ponytail baseball hats and Meshback ponytail baseball hats. The classic cap collection features your traditional hats, including distressed and ones with sayings on them. The Active cap is absolutely perfect for any fitness routine and has quickly become my favorite cap from Ponyflo. Lastly, there is the Meshback cap collection which resembles the traditional trucker hat and is perfect for the camper, adventurer or tomboy in your life.

Want to show your personal style? Ponyflo allows you to customize some caps with your monogram. I mean really, what girl does not want a monogrammed ball cap?


Ponyflo Baseball Hats Makes the Best Holiday Gifts

Ponyflo has the perfect gift for every girl on your list. Grab the active hat for the fitnessista on your list, the meshback cap for the wanderlust and the classic ponytail baseball hat for the stylish girl. Customize a hat with her monogram, or grab one for the dog mom in your life. No matter who you are shopping for Ponyflo is sure to have the perfect gift for your female friends and family members. Let your Ponyflo!

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