Food + Beverage

West End Kitchen and Bar

It's Always a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Article by Amy Niezur | Photography by Amy Gillespie Celebrating almost one year in business at 4135 Orchard Lake Road, West End Kitchen and Bar continues to blend upscale dining with local neighborhood comfort. West End Kitchen and Bar is the kind of place you can come for Happy Hour or a special anniversary, according to Brent Hermiz of West End, and soon it will be the place to go for brunch as well.   Pairing sleek, vibrant décor with an...

Beauty

LaVida Massage of Commerce

Advanced Skin Care and Massage Since 2009 Article by Amy Niezur | Photography by Amy Gillespie Winter can bring dry skin, sore muscles from shoveling snow, and the seemingly endless gray days can make you yearn for a little something to treat yourself or a special someone this Valentine’s Day or anytime. Relief can be found at LaVida Massage + Skincare of Commerce, located on Union Lake Road. In business since 2009, LaVida promotes “personal well-being in an elegant yet casual environment”...

Food + Beverage

Al Oumara Restaurant

Fresh, Made-From-Scratch Middle Eastern Cuisine Article by Amy Niezur | Photography by Amy Gillespie Nazir Fayad has a long history in the food world. He began cooking at the age of 16, then traveled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, cooking there for five years. He spent time cooking in Switzerland and the Czech Republic before moving to the United States, where after working at La Shish for a few years, he started his own restaurant, Al Oumara. Nearly 25 years ago, Nazir bought the...

Real Estate

Selling Your Home Part 3

The Offer Article by Eve Edwards You have an offer on your house, now what? Price, terms, and conditions are your next considerations. Let’s say the offer is lower than you were hoping for, and you’d like to counter with a higher price. As the seller, you are not in a position to find out whether the prospective buyer can afford to pay more, but as your agent, I can call the financial institution for information on your buyer before you waste time on a counteroffer the buyer may not be in a...

Health + Wellness

Healthy Moves for Seniors

Don’t Hibernate This Winter Article by Sue Baldani As we age, the likelihood of falling and sustaining injuries from those falls increase dramatically. However, seniors are staying active longer, which is a great thing, but it’s important to perform activities safely. “Winter is a particular important time for people to be aware that slip and falls can jolt the pelvis and cause sacroiliitis, or SI for short,” says Dr. Brian Fiani, a board-certified neurosurgeon with Ivy-League Fellowship...

Home + Design

Selling Your Home Part 2

Pricing and Staging For a Quick Sale Article by Eve Edwards Excellent job! Your house is looking good, with the landscaping trimmed and weeded. But what next? Now it is time to price your home.   There are three ways to arrive at a price—a professional appraisal, using the home’s assessed value, and with the assistance of your real estate agent. A professional appraisal will require costs on your part. Using the home’s assessed value may not reflect the actual value in the current market...

Fitness

Girls on the Run in West Bloomfield

How to Volunteer, Support, or Join in the Fun This Spring Article by Amy Niezur | Photography by Girls on the Run International “Everything got started with a parent,” says Kate Lynch, Council Director of Girls on the Run/STRIDE of Greater Detroit. The parent was interested in bringing Girls on the Run, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building both life skills and physical fitness in girls, to Roosevelt Elementary in West Bloomfield. “She spoke with some teachers at the school who were...

Food + Beverage

The Earthen Hollow

Natural Gourmet Foods and Health and Beauty Products From Lebanon Article by Amy Niezur | Photography by The Earthen Hollow We recently had the opportunity to chat with 23-year-old Wael Sabeh of The Earthen Hollow, an online retail store focusing on natural and organic gourmet food items and health and beauty products sourced in his native Lebanon. Wael, a self-professed “food guy”, loves cooking, horseback riding, and products that promote natural wellness. A psychology student at the...

Fitness

Fitness Society

Transforming Lives Through Diet and Exercise Article by Amy Niezur | Photography by Amy Gillespie Steve Nelson, a personal trainer and the force behind Fitness Society, believes in helping people transform their lives through changing their diet and helping them “fall in love” with exercise. “After seeing firsthand how my own mom transformed not just physically, but mentally, I knew I wanted to make my career out of helping people achieve their health and fitness goals. When I had the chance...

Food + Beverage

Holiday Entertaining Boards

Delight Your Guests with these Creative Party Pleasers Article by Angela Broockerd and Amy Niezur | Photography by Janie Jones It’s time to celebrate! Delight your guests and indulge your creativity by crafting tempting entertaining boards that can serve as both the perfect appetizer and an easy way to feed a crowd. We have some ideas to get you started, from classic charcuterie and vegetable platters to unusual twists such as a hot cocoa board or a tempting array of donuts and pastries...