614. Detroit Rose – March 16, 2023 – Detroit, MI

Enter the olfactory oasis that is Detroit Rose! The Southwest Detroit-based shop offers sweet serenity in the form of its clean-ingredient-infused candles and skincare items.

I came to Detroit Rose for a candle-making class put on by the owner, Elaine, and one of her teammates, Lailani. The class was WONDERFUL! From the moment I stepped into the shop, I felt welcomed. Elaine and Lailani greeted me warmly and told me to help myself to a spread: wine and seltzer, crackers and cheese, and other snacks and libations set out for class attendees.

I immediately adored the shop’s contemporary yet cozy vibes: white walls and neutrals accented by pops of color; a profusion of potted plants; and of course, shelves of skincare and candles. Lots and lots of lovely-smelling candles! (A special shout-out goes to Detroit Rose’s Campfire candle, which is one of the best things I’ve smelled in my LIFE!)

The other class attendees – all women – filtered in, and they were all good vibes: friendly and interesting and fun. I felt like a kid at summer camp overeager to make friends; I wanted to befriend them all! Ladies, can we start a Detroit Rose March 16, 2023 alumni club, please? You gals were awesome!

Elaine and Lailani were awesome, too! They put on an amazing class; it was so informative. I had no idea how much science went into scent-making. That was the bulk of the class, actually: learning how to construct a candle scent comprised of three notes: the top, middle, and base notes. We sniffed essential oil sample sticks to learn which notes we liked best together, then concocted our scent using a formula recommended by Elaine: the ideal ratios of each scent note.

After much sniffing and considering, I’d crafted my signature scent: a base note of sandalwood, middle note of lavender, and top note of cinnamon. It’s an alluring mix of floral and musk, if I do say so myself! And it’s a clean mix. Detroit Rose’s hand-poured candles are made with soy-based wax and essential oils. They are free of all the baddie stuff: petroleum, dyes, additives, preservatives, phthalates, lead.

Detroit Rose’s skincare products – its clay mask, face and body oils, tonic, and hand sanitizer – are also free of no-no nasty chemicals. Nourishing natural ingredients infused in these items include rosehip, chia, sunflower, and jojoba.

Whether you’re looking to take a class or treat yourself to its self-care-promoting wares, check out Detroit Rose! Shop from home via its website, or hit the shop to browse (and sniff) in-person; see the Studio Shopping page of Detroit Rose’s website for more details about its retail hours. And to see when the next candle-making class opens for registration, follow its Instagram account, detroit_rose.

451 W. Grand Blvd.

Detroit, MI 48216

www.detroitrose.com

562. Frame – May 25, 2022 – Hazel Park, MI

Frame, making an everyday night an absolute experience!

What a special place this Hazel Park-based business is. Frame is not simply a restaurant or bar – though its FRAMEbar does function as one. No, Frame is a crafter of experiences – experiences like the cocktail-making class I took this May.

The class, titled, “Vintage Spirits & Forgotten 19th-Century Cocktails,” was part of a series called Frame Summer School. Workshops are a large part of what Frame does. It offers classes on food and cocktail making, on subjects ranging from cake decorating to beer-making to Ethiopian cooking.

If you prefer to be served an experience rather than trying your hand at crafting it yourself, Frame’s got you, too! Another of Frame’s primary offerings is its Frame Dinners. Locally-based chefs and those from farther afield come to Frame to cook multi-course, reservation-only themed dinners. I’ve not yet attended one of these meals, but judging by the descriptions on Frame’s website, they are special. I want to experience them all: the Traditional Mexican Dinner Party by Eddie Vargas, the Liberian Dinner Party by Ameneh Marhaba (both local chefs).

While tickets must be purchased in advance for the Frame Dinners experiences, walk-in meals are possible at Frame via its FRAMEbar concept. FRAMEbar hosts chefs – such as current chef-in-residence Shinya Hirakawa of Obi Sushi – for month-long residencies.

I would love to revisit Frame, to attend one of its Frame Dinners or sample fare by a chef in residency or take another class. That workshop I attended, on vintage spirits and forgotten cocktails? It was an absolute blast! It was taught by Paul Seif, a Pittsburgh-based bartender. We made three cocktails with ties to the Detroit area: The Last Word, The 12th Mile Limit, and The Cohaset Punch. All were delightfully boozy and utterly delicious, but my favorite was The Cohaset Punch. With its 12 ingredients (including two kinds of rum, spiced brandy, blackstrap molasses, and bourbon-soaked peaches), the drink is more aspirational than everyday for me. But I want to make it part of my everyday. It’s flavor-packed, booze-forward, and the ideal amount of sweet-but-not-too-sweet.

Paul was a great instructor: approachable, funny, and willing to answer the questions lobbed at him by our full class. He shared stories about each cocktail’s origin and his particular takes on them. As we mixed our drinks, I chatted with the woman next to me, a Frame workshop regular who raved about the place. Now here I am, a fellow raving fan of Frame and its ultra-special experiences!

23839 John R. Rd.

Hazel Park, MI 48030

www.framehazelpark.com

461. SheHive – January 21, 2020 – Ferndale, MI

I dig SheHive – and that’s no surprise to me, championing as it does values that strongly resonate with me: community, learning, and female empowerment!

I visited the Ferndale-based business for the first time last month, to take one of the many classes it offers – forums on topics as wide-ranging as public speaking, learning the tarot, body positivity, astrology, group coaching, burlesque, and crocheting.

According to a section titled “What we Value” on the Learn More page of SheHive’s website, it’s all about helping women “find the joy and magic in a life lived on the other side of should.” I love that! How often do we let the things we think we should be doing hold us back from the things we actually want to do?

SheHive also presents itself as a safe space for women. I think it’s important for everyone to have areas of their lives where they feel comfortable being themselves, especially for those of us who identify as female. There are too many environments in this world that can make us feel unsafe and less-than. Here’s to cultivating spaces that remind us of the warriors that we actually are!

The two classes I’ve taken thus far at SheHive have been filled with high-vibing goodness. The women I’ve met there have been lovely, and the room the classes have taken place within is a vibrantly decorated and inviting space, complete with an essential oil diffuser and complimentary snacks (including wine!).

If you are interested in scoping out the classes available at SheHive, check out the Upcoming Events section; a link to it is on the Home page of its website.

2505 Hilton Rd., Ste. 107

Ferndale, MI 48220

www.theshehive.com

416. POST – June 30, 2019 – Detroit, MI

Here’s a post I’m especially excited about: my post on POST! Yes, I’m totally being punny here, but truly, this place is AH-MAZING!

Housed in a former U.S. Post Office building on the East Side of Detroit, POST is a retail space selling handmade goods made by independently-owned companies and individual artisans – about 100 in total, according to its website. The shop is owned by Mutual Adoration, a local woodworking business that makes custom furniture and other goodies constructed from reclaimed wood.

Approaching POST on a sunny Sunday afternoon in late June, I dug its red-and-white façade, which maintains old-timey post-office vibes.

I got especially excited when I entered POST’s interior, because WOW! does this place have a lot of beautiful pieces for sale! There are picture frames and pottery and wall art and candles, greeting cards and scented soap and artfully arranged bouquets . . . POST is a haven for handcrafted delights.

It’s also a haven for makers to practice the hand-crafting themselves – because POST is not simply a store; it’s also a workshop space. Every month, it hosts a plethora of classes on topics such as screen printing, jewelry making, weaving, and floral arrangement.

I find scrolling through POST’s online schedule of classes addictively inspiring – I want to try ALL the things!

But the thing I decided I wanted to try most this summer was a woodworking class where we made wall art from scraps of reclaimed wood that we painted and stained and arranged inside a frame. That was the main reason I was visiting POST on this Sunday afternoon.

The class was a blast. It lasted about four hours and was taught by the owners of Mutual Adoration, Clare and Wayne. They were really kind, patient instructors. Moreover, they served a lovely spread of snacks: fruit and hummus and chips and cake – plus wine that could be enjoyed after the use of the heavy machinery.

There were about 12 of us class participants sifting through piles of reclaimed wood of different sizes and varieties, then painting and staining and cutting and arranging and gluing and trimming and nailing . . .. We got to use power tools such as a mechanized saw and a nail gun to aid in the making, and we got to enjoy the company of each other, us like-minded souls who find crafting to be the cat’s pajamas.

I left POST on that afternoon with a singular piece of wall art made from scraps of walnut and other striking wood, some painted purple or orange or sage-green or maroon, others stained to a deeper patina or left exactly as I’d found them. The piece hangs on a wall in my home office, a reminder of the thrill of creating that I channeled during the workshop. Thank you, POST, for cultivating this space that champions creativity and indie entrepreneurs!

Worth noting: POST is closed Sundays through Tuesdays, except to participants of classes being held on those days; workshop attendees are offered the ability to browse and make purchases pre- and post-session.

14500 Kercheval Ave.

Detroit, MI 48215

www.mutualadoration.com/pages/post-detroit