Welcome Mat: Home events in Detroit
Workshop celebrates one-year anniversary
Workshop, a very cool modern furniture company located in Detroit's iconic Fisher Building that makes furniture from reclaimed wood from old homes, is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month. Founded by James Hiller and Kevin Borsay, Workshop makes coffee tables, dining tables, bookshelves and more. "We keep making new stuff all the time," says Willer. "I think our customers really enjoy being able to customize our products to suit their needs." To celebrate its anniversary, Workshop is hosting a Sustainable Small Business Saturday event on Nov. 29. Workshop is at 3011 Grand Boulevard, suite 105. Go to workshopdetroit.com.
Gardner-White Furniture closed on Thanksgiving, Art Van is open
Gardner-White Furniture is joining the wave of retailers who are just saying "no" to shopping on Thanksgiving. The furniture chain announced last week that its 11 stores will be closed on Turkey Day unlike last year; they'll reopen at 8 a.m. on Black Friday, Nov. 28. "We at Gardner-White think that spending Thanksgiving Day with your family is one of those cherished and time-honored traditions that deserves to be upheld. I, along with all the other members of the Gardner-White team, will enjoy the day off and will spend it with my loved ones," said Rachel Tronstein, Gardner-White's president. Garnder-White has around 450 employees. Competitor Art Van Furniture, meanwhile, will be open from 6-11 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Win blogger's 'Camille Styles Entertaining' book
Camille Styles is all about entertaining with ease. Her lifestyle blog, camillestyles.com, shares ideas for everything from how to create the perfect bagel bar to how to photograph kids. When it comes to modern, stress-free entertaining, Styles, who lives in Austin, Texas, says the key is focusing on a few details that "pack a major punch and leave a lasting impression in guests' minds." Now Styles has a book, "Camille Style Entertaining" (William Morrow, $29.99). Released in late October, it is broken into seasons — fall, winter, spring, summer — and includes tons of recipes, meal-planning tips, flower arrangement ideas, and some home decor ideas. With Thanksgiving just weeks away, we're all gearing up for some big entertaining. If you need some entertaining inspiration, send me an email at mfeighan@detroitnews.com with why you could use this book. The best answer wins!
New holiday art fair kicks off in Ypsilanti
If you're a big fan of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, then get ready for the Holiday Art Fair on Saturday and Sunday at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, 799 N. Hewitt Road. Presented by the same group that puts on Ann Arbor's hugely popular fair each year, the Guild of Artists and Artisans, this new show will feature 100 jury-selected artists, some of whom also were at the summer art show. There will be ceramicists, fiber artists, jewelry makers and woodworkers. The shows runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5; children 12 and younger are free. Parking is free. For kids, there will be a gift-making station and for guys not ready to start holiday shopping just yet, there will be a men's lounge in the Sky Box with TV and concessions. Go to HolidayArtFair.com or call (734) 662-3382.
Artist markets open in Mount Clemens, Rochester
Looking for handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts this holiday season? Check out a local holiday art market. Two holiday markets open this week: the Anton Art Center's Celebrate! Christmas Market 2014, which opens today, and the Paint Creek Center for the Arts Holiday Art Market, which opens Saturday. The Anton Art Center, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, will feature the work of 111 artists, including jewelry, textiles, paintings, wreaths and sculptures. It is located at 125 Macomb Place in Mount Clemens; call (586) 469-8666 for hours. The Paint Creek Center for the Arts Holiday Art Market, meanwhile, also will offer the entirely unique work of local artists. It runs through Dec. 30. It is located at 407 Pine Street in Rochester. Call (248) 651-4110 for hours.
Giftster.com offers gift wish lists for all occasions
There are gift registries for just about everything these days — marriage, babies, even high school graduation. Gifster.com has created a gift registry system for other occasions, including the holidays. Here's how it works: Family members create individual accounts with their wish lists. Their wish lists are shared among the family members and the account is managed by one family member. "It connects family around gift giving occasions, as opposed to the 'event-based registry' that generally dissolves when the event is passed," says Ron Reimann, founder of gifster.com. Open a free membership at giftster.com, or download the iPhone or iPad app, or the Android App from Google Play.