OK, maybe it’s not-so-secret. If you’re into art and looking for a spot to relax in Royal Oak, the public is welcome to stop by the vitaminwater hydration gallery  – opening today through Monday at Suite 202, 612 S. Center Street in Royal Oak.

One of our Urbane Apartments has been temporarily transformed into a chic lounge atmosphere, thanks to help from sponsors like  vitaminwater for providing an array beverages to quench your thirst and Sharpie for all the tools you need to spark some creative inspiration.

Four easels will be set up around the lounge. When the mood strikes create something cool. Enjoy music provided by Livio Radio or just kick back on the couches and enjoy the experience.

Some of the artwork created over the course of the weekend will be chosen for display at the Royal Oak Music Theatre lobby. Or, if you prefer, you can take your art with you.

The vitaminwater hydration lounge will be open daily throughout the weekend from 1-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday and 1-6 p.m. Monday.

Social media types can check out the Facebook event and stay tuned to Twitter for updates by following @vitaminwater @sharpiewhit @sharpiesusan @livioradio and @urbanelife as well as the hashtag #vwdet and foursquare users will want to be sure to check in to “vitaminwater hydration gallery” when they arrive.

Which vitaminwater flavor is your favorite? Leave a comment and let us know!

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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I’d have to say after 13 years of Arts Beats & Eats – it’s all three that makes this festival tick. It’ll be interesting to see how the location will breathe new life into an always vibrant festival. With so much going on for the holiday weekend, so many choices, curiosity will definitely bring the crowds to Arts, Beats and Eats.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Sunday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye out for fine artists like Drew Hine, Cynthia Mann and Thomas Bland.

The music lineup is huge. When it comes to national acts on the Michigan Lottery Stage, lookout for Sponge Friday night, Mayer Hawthorne on Saturday, Macy Gray Sunday and Clint Black on Monday. I’m personally excited to see Silverghost, The Hard Lessons, The Mydols, His Name is Alive, The High Strung and The Orbitsons – a few of Detroit’s finest. And if you’re in the mood for a Beatles tribute, it doesn’t get better than Dig a Phony. Don’t miss them at 11 a.m. Friday if you’re in the neighborhood.

As always, there will be plenty of children’s entertainment and performances by youth theater groups as well as the Detroit School of Rock. Yes, parking will be a challenge. I personally plan to walk from my Ferndale apartment – a perk of living nearby. But the folks at Arts, Beats & Eats plan to make parking your bike or car and getting to and from the festival as painless as possible. Check out this guide and check Twitter for real time parking updates.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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If you live around metro Detroit and you’ve got a sweet tooth, chances are you’ve heard of Hard Luck Candy Flavored Vodka. Born at Grosse Pointe Park’s Hard Luck Lounge as an array of sweet candy infused vodka flavors, founders Mike Mouyanis, Chris George and Rob Nicholl are now making these delicious libations available all around town.

The time to celebrate is now. Hard Luck has already launched two flavors  – Red Fish and Root Beer Barrell – with more flavors to come. Drink them chilled straight up, or add a shot to a mixed drink for a sweet treat. These have even been used in barbecue sauces or marinades.

“Hard Luck Candy Flavored Vodka took years in the making to get the flavors just right, as well as the packaging and distribution and we’re so excited to launch this new hometown brand right here in Michigan with our ultimate goal of taking Hard Luck Vodkas national,” said Mouyianis.

Want to try them for yourself? Stop by the Hard Luck Candy Vodka Launch Party at 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19 at The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Let us know what you think.

Hard Luck Candy Vodka is bottled in Temperance, Mich., distilled from grain through a three tower distillation process and is 70 proof (35 percent alcohol by volume). It is available at retail liquor stores and sold in bars and pubs throughout Michigan. Hard Luck Candy Flavored Vodka is distributed by General Wine & Liquor.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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It’s no secret: At Urbane, we love pets. Whether you’re a resident of one of our apartments or co-working at the Urbane Space, pets are an important part of the Urbane experience.

And there’s even more good news: Pets, specifically dogs, can actually improve productivity.

Research out of our state’s own Central Michigan University sought to determine whether or not the presence of a canine in the office would help people collaborate more effectively.

The details of the university’s two experiments, led by Christopher Honts, were recently laid out in The Economist. The first experiment included 12 groups of four individuals who were charged with developing an advertisement for a fake product — and the groups had to decide on only one final ad.

Some of the groups had dogs in the environment while others did not. When asked afterward about how they felt about working with their human counterparts, those who had a dog around rated their teammates more highly than those who did not.

In the second experiment, researchers used a game known as “the prisoner’s dilemma.” A total of 13 four-member groups were involved, and each member of the team was “charged” with a crime. Players had to decide whether or not to snitch on their teammates, and the fate of the individuals was dependent on those choices. The results? Those volunteers who had a dog around were 30% less likely to snitch than their dog-less counterparts.

We’ve all heard the other research that tells us that owning a pet can help lower blood pressure, that pets encourage people to exercise, which can help with stress management and overall health, and that having a pet can even help us increase our social circles (How many times have you been stopped by a stranger who wants to pet your dog?)

Keep in mind that with pets comes great responsibility, but if you’ve got the time and patience, the benefits of unconditional love make it all worthwhile.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and the Urbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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If you’re headed to the Woodward Dream Cruise Friday, you may want to make a pit stop in Berkley.

From 6-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20, Westborn Market will play host to The Champagne Cruise, an elegant affair with a mission – to drive hunger out of metro Detroit. For the eighth consecutive year Westborn Markets are working with Forgotten Harvest, metro Detroit’s largest mobile food rescue organization. Last year, The Champagne Cruise raised enough money to provide more than 600,000 meals to the community.

Let’s see if we can surpass it this year.

“Each year, cruisers think about that nostalgic drive up and down Woodward Avenue, but for us, each day we think about our cruise of 25 trucks along the streets of Metro Detroit to rescue millions of pounds of food each year to provide to families in need,” said Susan Goodell, president and CEO of Forgotten Harvest. “The Champagne Cruise has been a great way for us to celebrate a day distinctly Detroit’s, while benefiting people in need.”

Participating eateries this year include:

• P.F. Changs
• Peabody’s
• Westborn Market
• Brio Tuscan Grille
• The Henry
• Dirty Dog Jazz Café
• What Crepe
• Blazo’s Pie Shoppe
• Shriners Silver Garden Events Center
• The Cupcake Station
• Pointe Dairy
• The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company
• ENVO
• Rochester Mills Beer Co.

Guests are of course treated to chilled champagne, live music by the Sun Messengers, and a chance to participate in a live or silent auction featuring weekend getaways, VIP tickets and more.

Tickets to The Champagne Cruise are $150 each ($100 of which is tax deductible) and are available online at www.forgottenharvest.org or by calling Cindy Corey at 248-967-1500 ext. 115.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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It didn’t take much beyond the opening credits and my jaw dropping open to know I was going to adore Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Yes, on the surface it may look like yet another Michael Cera vehicle. While we’ve come to love him as George Michael in Arrested Development and couldn’t get enough of films like Juno, Superbad and Youth in Revolt – that just wouldn’t have been the same without Cera, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World elevates him to a whole new status. He’s officially a superhero now.

By now you might know the schtick - the lovesick Pilgrim as it were, has lost his girlfriend to rock stardom and a blond vegan. He’s licking his wounds, playing bass in a band and holding hands with a 17-year-old named Knives Chau with whom he plays video games and frequents record stores. His best friend and nosy sister (played perfectly by Kieran Culkan and Anna Kendrick) are keeping him in constant check – a serious source of comedy.

But Scott’s trouble’s don’t really begin until he quite literally sees the girl in his dreams. Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) changes the color of her hair by the day. And she’s got quite the past to escape. In it are seven evil exes. In order to win her favor. Scott Pilgrim must defeat all of them, using various feats of strength and super powers.

The film, based on the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, by Bryan Lee O’Malley, does a fantastic job of blending a hilarious and engaging plot with alternately kitschy and eye-popping special effects, frenzied fight scenes and plenty of good vs. evil fodder.

It may all boil down to who gets the girl, but the story builds in such a way you can’t wait to see how the next character introduced might out-do the ones who came before him. And well, casting Jason Schwartzman as Gideon Graves was just poetry. Trust me.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World opens today in Detroit area theaters. See it at the Birmingham Palladium.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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The shop sells a wide array of media. We’re talking records, tapes, CDs, books, magazines and more. Wander in and you’ll also find vintage clothing and goods by indie designers. In honor of the grand opening, expect live music by Alright Class from Oakland, Calif., the Summer Pledge, Ronny Tibbs and Superdeath.

In addition, Ferndale can look forward to the following shops coming soon:

What addition are you most looking forward to in the neighborhood? Tell us about it (On a personal note, I had a chance to meet Mark Heggie, owner of soon-to-be Signature Tattoo yesterday, and the shop looks like it’s going to be amazing.)

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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It’s really amazing how Thom and Regan Bloom managed to make their kitchy brunch & lunch concept made famous in Ferndale work in a bistro setting in Birmingham. The restaurant retains its ability to attract a stellar breakfast and brunch crowd – and half of the seating is reminscent of that 50s diner vibe. But they gave us options – a plush lounge with doors that open out onto the street, outside seating that I can’t get enough of when the weather is warm and a mod bar that serves up drinks like the ever-popular strawberry basil martini.

And that’s just the setting.

Once you find your way through Chef Jeff Rose’s menu, you’ll fall in love with the place. From the Grilled Shrimp and Chimichurri appetizer or the Citrus Cured Salmon with delicate micro-greens I tried last night to heartier fare like Steak Frites or Crispy Black Truffle Risotto, Fried Chicken and Waffle or Pan Roasted Whitefish, you’ll know this isn’t just the cool breakfast joint down the street. The wine menu is just as serious as the dessert offerings.

Take my advice. Bring guests you intend to impress. And whenever possible, reserve a spot ahead of time in the lounge for dinner. It’s like no where else.

Toast is located at 203 Pierce Street in Birmingham. Raise your glass. Have you been? Let us know what you think.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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The Motor City to Maker City transition is complete. This past weekend crowds descended upon the parking lots of The Henry Ford to take in the area’s first ever Maker Faire and experienced everything from hands-on robot and guitar-assembling exhibits to DIY events of all kinds. I think it’s fair to say so much was packed on the grounds it was virtually impossible to experience it all without at least a full day devoted to the event.

There were plenty of chances to get hands-on and even toss some paint at Maker Faire.

I found myself drawn to the life-sized color mouse-trap and anxiously awaiting the mentos-and-coke waterfall demonstration, though I admittedly stood far from the spray. In the heat of the day, the water swings looked absolutely refreshing. Imagine swinging through a sprinkler and you get the general idea.

Robots-in-the-making at Maker Faire

I was partial to the Handmade Detroit craft tent of course, where I located so many amazing DIY finds I could’ve shopped for hours if I’d had the time. I did score an amazing copper cuff bracelet and some cards I can’t wait to send to friends – courtesy of Ann Arbor’s Nicole Ray and her line, Sloe Gin Fizz (which I first stumbled happily across on Twitter). My friend Diana and I cooed over this Hooked on You card.

All my standard favorites were there - City Bird and Glass Action – But I also found some great newcomers including Burnt Desserts, a Michigan-based company that makes adorable hair clips and accessories reminiscent of cupcakes and strawberries. It’s really adorable (and calorie-free).

And some of the best finds were hidden near the fire arts:

What was your favorite part of Maker Faire?  Tell us about it.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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It seemed promising to pair the always affable, handsome Paul Rudd once again with his Anchorman and 40-Year-Old Virgin co-star and comic go-to Steve Carell. Director Jay Roach’s comedy Dinner for Schmucks, though poorly titled, was adapted from the French film The Dinner Game, derived from the Francis Veber play of the same name.

So here we meet corporate climber Tim Conrad (Rudd), working hard to make his way up in the world and convince his gorgeous girlfriend to marry him. All that seems to stand in the way of these goals, you ask? Well, he’s been invited to a secret dinner at his boss’s home. He need only find one perfectly unusual person – that his boss and co-workers can make fun of for the balance of an evening. If he wins their favor, he wins the promotion.

Enter Barry (Carell), an IRS worker by day and an artisan by night. He collects dead mice, stuffs them, dresses and sets them into elaborate scenes of his choosing. Yes, that’s his hobby. And it comes across perfectly bizarre and a bit charming, right down to the fact that Barry looks rather like a mouse himself, with large protruding teeth, wiry hair and giant buggy eyes. From the moment Tim mows him down with his Porsche, Barry enters his life to stay – and to screw nearly everything up.

Dinner for Schmucks starts out like a promising, light-hearted comedy. It has all the necessary elements. The dialogue begins quick and witty. Performances include some truly talented comedic actors. There is one particularly hilarious physical comedy moment in which Tim throws his back out and walks in a manner no human should manage. Carell also creates a sweetly annoying and believable character in Barry.

But Jemaine Clement (The Flight of the Conchords) seems doomed to movie roles that cast him as the same bizarre outcast. Though Zach Galifianakis earned some laughs for wearing an orange dickie turtleneck and getting a few good lines, his character had minimal, if pivotal screen time. Same goes for Larry Wilmore. I’d liked to have seen more of him.

It takes far too long for Dinner for Schmucks to make it to the actual dinner table. Instead we spend the bulk of this almost-2-hour endeavor watching Tim’s life systematically unravel. Yes, there are laughs. But much of them are won out of tension and an oh-no-what-now? sense of dread. It’s a formulaic comedy without much to offer. A dinner you might skip and opt instead for some take-out. After all, we only have a few episodes left with Carell on The Office. Dinner for Schmucks opens today in metro Detroit theaters. It is rated PG-13.

This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @UrbaneLife.

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