Last Summer I worked with Goodwill Detroit curating items for their boutique pop-up shop at Eastern Market in Detroit and this year I’m back at it! Goodwill Detroit will have a pop-up shop at Eastern Market’s Sunday Street Market, the second Sunday of each month throughout the Summer. Hours are 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Each shop will be curated by a local Detroit stylist (there are four, including me) and will contain gently used clothing,  accessories, furniture, and unique vintage housewares.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been digging for treasures at the local Goodwill stores and I’ve pulled so many great things for the pop-up shop. You can expect to find vintage record players, a metal bar cart, mid-century furniture, several large trunks, handbags from Coach, Fossil, BCBG, and Dooney & Bourke, Polaroid cameras, vintage fiber art, pyrex, dresses from Zara, Top Shop, and Asos, vintage jewelry, designer shoes, men’s vintage belt buckles and so much more!

Here’s a sneak peak!

Come see me THIS SUNDAY, June 14th, at the Goodwill Detroit pop-up shop inside Eastern Market from 10-4. If you want the good stuff, come early! Remember, these are Goodwill prices (not fancy vintage store prices) so people line up early. Bring cash, credit cards, and all your fashionable friends!

A few weeks ago, my interwebs pal Bethany Nixon (owner of Reware Vintage, founding member of Handmade Detroit, and all around cool gal) contacted me about an opportunity to curate a pop-up shop at Goodwill’s new boutique location inside Detroit’s Eastern Market. She recently signed on as one of their local stylists and suggested I participate as well. Of course I was game and immediately hopped on board. Thanks for thinking of me, Bethany!

So here’s the deal. Goodwill Detroit will have a pop-up shop at Eastern Market’s new Sunday Street Market, every other Sunday, from June 1st through September 28th. The shop will be located inside Shed 2 and will be open from 10am to 4pm. Each shop will be curated by a local Detroit stylist (there are seven, including me). Each of us are combing through the local Goodwill stores to find exceptional items that match our personal style. Each shop will feature at least 40-50 pieces of hand picked clothing and accessories, completely styled outfits, and unique vintage housewares. I will be curating two of the shops – the first on Sunday June 29th and the second on Sunday August 24th.

I’ve visited each of the local Goodwill locations in the past couple weeks, and I must say, I’ve been very impressed with their stores. I’ve shopped a LOT of second-hand stores over the years and I can say from experience that they are not all created equal. Nothing bums me out more than spending an hour or two sifting through a dirty/smelly second-hand store that straight up gives me the super-willies only to come out empty handed. The Goodwill stores, on the other hand, offer a more palatable and upscale retail experience. They have hardwood floors, pleasant overhead lighting, and their stores are very clean. The prices are great, new items are added daily, and the quality of the merchandise is really good. I’ve pulled fantastic pieces from Coach, Michael Kors, Dooney & Bourke, Banana Republic, Free People, Levi’s, and Gap. (Goodwill did not ask me to review the stores or say any of this stuff, by the way. I just had such a great experience and wanted to share it.)

Here’s a sneak peek at the types of items you can expect to find in my pop-up shop on June 29th and August 24th.

I’m only pulling items that are in great condition, are of good quality, and fit my own personal style. I won’t add a single thing to the shop that I wouldn’t wear myself or have in my own home. The clothing, shoes, and accessories I’ve selected are on trend and in like-new condition. I’m pulling all sizes, including plus sizes, so nobody will be left out. NOT ON MY WATCH. The housewares are primarily mid-century vintage and akin to what you would find at a nicely curated store, like Lost & Found Vintage or Vogue Vintage, but the prices are wayyyy more affordable. You have no idea how hard it’s been to not take all this dope-ass stuff home with me!

Someone please buy that Pretty in Pink poster, because she’s not going to appreciate herself. And if you want to get your fingers on a BADASS designer purse, get to my shop early. I pulled a few really good ones and they are priced to go! There will be soooo much good stuff, it’s stupid.

Come see me at Goodwill’s YB Blue shop on Sunday June 29th & Sunday August 24th and treat yo’self to some new duds. Bring cash, hugs, and all your fashionable cousins! Located inside Shed 2 at Eastern Market, 10am to 4pm.

Here is the schedule for all of the Goodwill pop-up shops this summer and links to all the stylists involved. I can’t wait to see what they found and shop their collections!

xoxo

Back in August, I received an email from my good friend and old roommate Melinda inviting me to participate in the Detroit leg of the World Wide Photo Walk. After doing some poking around and reading about the walk (it’s an annual social photography event where photographers all over the world gather in urban areas to walk around and shoot photos on the same day), I was all “Yes! Of course! How fun!” and then I saw it started at 7am on a Saturday and I was all “Aw hell no, I ain’t doing that.” and then she was all “Stop being a baby.” and I was all “Stay out of my life!” and she was all “You’re being ridiculous.” and I was all “Fine, I’ll do it.”.  Perhaps this is a bit of dramatization, but you’ve come to expect that from me by now.

And so I got my sorry ass up at 5:30am on October 5th to meet Melinda and a bunch of strangers at Eastern Market, and you guys! It turned out to be a really amazing day.

Our group was led by Chita Hunter, a technology trainer of Adobe Software and an instructor at Schoolcraft College. We joined forces with Shawn Lee, the leader of the I See Detroit bus tour, and together, we made for a pretty diverse group of photographers, tourists, and Detroiters of all ages. Chita (below, in the front row with a white shirt) & Shawn (not pictured) made the day really enjoyable and did a great job of keeping our group together and engaged.

Photo by Chita Hunter

Photo by Chita Hunter

We spent a few hours shooting throughout Eastern Market and The Heidelberg Project, which sadly had been victim to arson early that morning, and then headed to Historic Indian Village where we were given two private home tours (whaaaaat!). We ended with lunch at Milano Bakery in Eastern Market and the entire thing was done by like noon. Noon! Most Saturdays, I’m barely out of bed and onto my third bloody mary before 2pm.  Getting up early, man. You all should try it.

Tangential aside – This event was sponsored by Canon and Adobe, and was founded by Scott Kelby who is a well-known Photoshop instructor. As you can imagine, it attracts super techy (and uber talented) photographers with big fancy cameras who talk about FPS rates and AF exposure ranges and other high-tech terminology that makes me yawny. Don’t get me wrong, I totally respect that method of photography, it’s just not my thing. Although the above photos were shot with my digital SLR (and iphone), the majority of the photos I shot that day were from my 50 year old Polaroid land camera, which I’ll be sharing soon as part of my Instant Detroit series.  I thought for sure I’d get many an eye roll walking around with my wonky old Polaroid, but most people were really interested in it, praised me for keeping film alive, and asked a bunch of questions. Photographer solidarity! Fist bumps!

If you have about 5 million hours to spare, you can see ALL the photos (nearly 10,000!) taken on October 5th,  from all over the world during the 2013 World Wide Photo Walk here. Turns out, playing tourist in your own city is a really fun thing to do.

Stay tuned friends! The parade of Polaroids is coming, and she can’t be stopped.

xoxo.

Dear People of my Blog,

Tonight is the closing reception of my latest art show and you’re all invited! I shot approximately one billion Polaroids and this is your final chance to see them before they come down forever.  It’s at Majestic Cafe in Detroit from 8pm to 11pm and it’s free to attend.

And so! Here’s a rundown of what you can expect to see from The Wayward Hussies Closing Reception.

Over the course of the summer I shot all my favorite spots inside the city of Detroit. This heart shaped Polaroid collage is mounted on an old salvaged door from Eastern Market and it’s one of my favorite pieces in the history of the world. I kind of want to see it go to a good home, but I’m also very selfish and want to keep it. But no, I should definitely sell it. But then again, it would look really nice in my living room. No. Yes. No.  Please help.

It was even spotted & approved by The Heidelberg Project!

I also did several Polaroid emulsion lifts mounted onto reclaimed wood from Eastern Market.

Some have already sold, but there are still a few more available! Come buy one and then you can stare at it inside your house and think of me every day. Forever and ever. Until the day you die. Just kidding, you’ll never die.

In addition to my work, there are also paintings from Lisa Marie Krug, Mixed Media pieces from Jessica Brown, and a portrait series by Kim Hoxworth. Below is the photograph Kim took of Mike D and I. It’s a social commentary piece in which we are expressing our feelings about Syria. Or was it Miley Cyrus? I don’t know, pick one.

So come on out and party with me, and maybe pick up a little something to bedazzle your walls. Or don’t, and then regret your life.  YOUR CALL.

Majestic Cafe
4140 Woodward, Detroit

xoxo