On March 4th CampKat is holding a Carnival Benefit to raise money for the various programs it provides. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please contact Leah Delahanty at LDelahanty@jccdet.org or 248.432.5457 with your name, age, address, phone number, email address, and t-shirt size. Please contact her NO LATER than March 1st so she knows how many volunteers to plan for. Since this is a public volunteer event, volunteers through this cluster may not be grouped with other cluster members. For more information about this event please visit the JCC’s website at www.jccdet.org.

Also stay tuned for a planning meeting sometime in March (event to follow). We want to set up volunteer opportunities that interest YOU!

Last week NYC was buzzing with fall 2012 collections, colors, fabrics and all things fashionable. Fall 2012 trends to look for: tailored suits, red, color blocking, tweed, mixed fabrics (such as, leather and tweed), velvet, lots of jackets (tailored jackets, statement jackets more than ever) accompanied with long leather gloves.   Below are some of my favorite looks from the runway:

Michael Kors: Always brilliant with classic tasteful collections. Notice the tweed tailored suit and lots of beautiful danty red in his fall 2012 collection!

Alexander Wang: “Sportswear meets Sexy Edge Glam” his fall 2012 collection is black (per usual) black edgy with mixed leather and tweed. Pop of white pieces too.

Rachel Zoe: I think because she is a stylist, she does a superb job of creating collections catered to the market place. Her collection theme for fall 2012 is “70′s rock chic” she uses tweed, faux fur, leather, velvet and rocks the jacket to complete most of her pieces.  Her brand is growing quickly, I’m foreseeing her own flagship store in the next few years.

Dian Von Furstenberg: Usually is known for her bright “print” collections however for fall 2012 she created a “Parsian Chic” collection representing more refined glamour.  Think, “Glam night on the Town.” Lots of red, poppy red/pink and mix of blocking great colors!

We were all jokes during the entire drive.  The levity didn’t take a single moment off until we opened the doors and heard the complaints of one of the patrons.

Old lady: “We have been here for three hours and we still haven’t gotten a table.  We even know the chef.”

Friend 1: “Wow, he must not like you very much.”

Old lady: “Not even that connection could help us sit down.”

Friend 1: “I’m pretty sure you’re just in denial about his true feelings for you.”

Despite the outrageous wait time of four hours that were told, our name was added to the list and we took our pager and our hungry bellies down the street to attempt to partake of a similar meal at the Clarkston Union, which resided in an old, converted church about 100 yards down the road from the Woodshop.

When we got inside and inquired as to the current wait time, we were extremely relieved to hear it was only two hours.  I myself felt a huge weight lifted of my shoulders when I realized I was only going to have to wait two hours to sit down and another 20 minutes or so to actually be served some food.  With a very ungracious “Thanks” and a tip of the cap we made our exit and returned to the car in search of a new watering hole.

It was very fortunate for us that the Clarkston Tap Room was nearby.  Because we were definitely on the lamb and didn’t want to be caught by the cops after our string of high-speed train robberies, this place looked pretty appealing.  With our six-shooters in hand and a wary eye, we sauntered in and took a table with an unimpeded view of all the TVs.  Instead of waiting four hours for a table, we only waited for minutes for a waitress to come and take our drink orders.

Waitress: “What can I get you guys to drink?”

Friend 1: “Can we have a pitcher?”

Friend 2: “Can I have a Goose on the rocks?”

Me: “Can I have a double of vodka on the rocks?”

Friend 3: “Can I have a merlot?”

You would have thought he solicited our waitress or told her that one of his hobbies was using small dogs as a weapon to beat larger dogs.  All she could do was to stand stock still with a blank expression her face.  Before she recovered my impertinent friend realized his error and changed his drink to a Bloody Mary.  The food was good and the conversation was better; consisting mostly of the origins of the universe and the meaning of life.  Shortly after 10 p.m. a call was made to the Woodshop and they responded that we would be able to sit in a half hour.

We made a mad dash to the door, after paying our tab of course, and piled into my sedan that was meant for much more petite passengers.  Back to the Woodshop we went and were able to order before 11.  My half-chicken was wonderful and everyone was in good spirits.  We ate, made merry and enjoyed each other’s company.  Everyone had a good time.  I even tried a bite of the butterscotch pudding, which was pretty incredible.  It wound up being a very successful evening.  I guess my mom was right when she told me about delayed gratification.

Order tickets via Eventbrite:

http://detroitharmonie-efbevent.eventbrite.com/

The Detroit Harmonie International Experience is Detroit Harmonie’s second annual signature event celebrating the diversity and future of metro Detroit with live entertainment, food, and music representing several cultures in the community. The evening will include a competition where Detroit Harmonie will deliver $50,000 in philanthropic funding to five Next Generation-led organizations making the city of Detroit an attractive place in which to live, work, and play.

The 2012 International Experience will be held on March 3, 2012, at the Virgil H. Carr Culture & Arts Center.

- 8:00 PM: Doors open.
- 8:30 PM – 11:30 PM: Main Reception, $5,000 People’s Choice Award, winners announced.
- 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM: Afterglow brought to you by CommunityNEXT. DJ will be spinning, drinks will be flowing.

The inaugural Detroit Harmonie International Experience was held on October 9th, 2010 at the Virgil Carr Art Center in downtown Detroit that brought together over 400 people and cultural organizations.

*Cost: $20 online, $30 at the door

Whitney Houston was not Jewish, but she did have a connection to the State of Israel. The singer, who died yesterday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, traveled to Israel in 2003 with her then husband Bobby Brown.

During Sunday’s game, Chrysler aired a commercial featuring Clint Eastwood, who starred in and directed a movie made and set in the Detroit area, 2008′s “Gran Torino.”

In the ad, titled “It’s Halftime in America,” Eastwood says the country is in its “halftime” but will pull through, using Detroit as an example.

“Motor City is fighting again,” Eastwood says. “We find a way though tough times and when we can’t find a way then we’ll make one. … Detroit’s showing us it can be done.”

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