Hello, loves! Happy thanksgiving to each and every one of you! Even if you don't celebrate it in the traditional sense, hope you got to spend your long weekend with some fun and a little R&R (or, you know, a lot. lol). For this downtime, I'm trying to make it a mission to not think about work and business so much and you know, just eat turkey, do some reading, and just lie back and chill (definitely need to do more of that these days).

"You can't start a new life in old clothes". This is perhaps my favorite quote and real-life sage advice from the hit septuagenarian comedy "Grace and Frankie" (you still haven't seen it?!! Open up Netflix. NOW.) This line actually applies quite literally in my own life - when we moved to the country last year, I had no choice but to sell off most of my clothes and accessories, bringing only with me the bare minimum + a smattering of things I can't part with. :( Sad, I know, but when Grace said that line in the show though, I knew it was high time to stop being so sad about it and instead, continue my quest to invest in new items that I'll come to adore. 

Midtown Detroit continues to go full steam ahead as being one of the most decidedly cool spots in the whole of Michigan. While there are, of course, many other places to go and see when you're in the Mitten State, Midtown is known for it's own unique brand of cultural attractions, awesome eats, and an interesting mix of retail brands. This month, Oregon's handmade leather goods brand Will Leather Goods opens up shop right in the heart of Midtown, adding to the already impressive cachet of brands in the area. Read on after the jump!

Today, a rather unexpected "On this Day" throwback post popped up on my Facebook feed: a "what I wore" photo of me back in 2013, blonde hair and all, sporting a leather-finish bomber jacket with a funky accent necklace. At first glance, this said bomber jacket looks just like any other trendy item that could easily blend into any high-street boutique; but upon closer inspection, bears a signature one-off element: a hand-sketched illustration of a tribal prince, immaculately drawn and printed onto the canvas. "Naa nako'y kapartner na printing press ani, para ma mass produce na ni nako" (I have negotiated with a printer to help me mass produce this jacket soon), the designer proudly told me during the meeting where I bought this jacket and offered to carry his upcoming RTW line in the store I used to help run. That was also the first time we actually got to know each other a little better, him whose work I've long admired from afar (though he has been a longtime collaborator for a lot of my industry friends). We struck a deal, and he promised he would return soon with actual stock to display. Life seemed good.