Last week I spent some time in Charlotte, North Carolina celebrating my best friend and fellow blogger's birthday and exploring the beautiful city. We had such a lovely girls' weekend spent drinking champagne, dining at fancy restaurants, snacking on French pastries, and more (a full recap here). One of the things that Arielle and I love to do when we get together is make natural face masks or facial scrubs from ingredients lying around the house.
So, after a long, exciting morning exploring the city and indulging in sweets, we were on the look out for a facial that might make us look a little more awake than we actually felt since we were headed to dinner downtown later that night. We picked up some organic coffee grounds from the local Trader Joe's and used the eggs and essential oil she already had stocked in her kitchen. Making your own facials from home has some serious benefits: the materials are inexpensive and easily accessible and, best of all, you can throw one together in less than 5 minutes.
Not only do coffee grounds make for an easy exfoliation but, the caffeine in fresh grounds provides other skin benefits. Caffeine stimulates circulation, cleanses, firms, and tightens the skin all while giving you an instant energy boost! It's the perfect DIY beauty treatment after a late night or a busy weekend when you need to brighten your skin tone and erase those puffy eyes.
For a last minute Galentine's gift or birthday present, scoop some of this DIY facial scrub into miniature mason jars and decorate with chic, satin ribbon and a handwritten label to dress it up.
Combine the egg whites and facial oil in a small bowl. Mix until combined. Add coffee ground to mixture. Beat mixture together with a fork until smooth, about 1 minute.
Using clean hands or a brush, apply the mask the your entire face and/or body. Avoid the eyelids because you don’t want to get it in your eyes.
For maximum effect, allow the mask to dry for 10 minutes. You will definitely feel the mask tightening your skin! If it gets uncomfortable, go ahead and remove it before the 10 minutes are up.
Rinse with water to gently clean off the mask. Dry and finish with moisturizer. Discard any unused mask.
Ann Arbor-based real estate firm McKinley Inc. has been appointed to serve as property and asset manager for the 330,000-square-foot former headquarters of bookstore chain Borders.
The news comes after the property owner, Farmington Hills-based Agree Realty Co. acknowledged in a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had defaulted on a loan for the headquarters building.
Agree, which owed $5.6 million in principal on the loan as of June 30, said in the filing that it might lose the property.
"Essentially the lender has asked us to get involved on their behalf and manage the asset," McKinley CEO Albert Berriz told AnnArbor.com this afternoon.
Berriz declined to reveal the name of the lender or to discuss details of the property turnover, citing confidentiality agreements. He also declined to address whether brokerage Signature Associates, which has been marketing the property for Agree, is still involved in the property.
Signature Associates brokers Jay Chavey, who has been marketing the property with Steven Gordon, told AnnArbor.com today that it’s unclear how the new developments will affect their listing.
Signature had listed the property for sale at a starting price of $10 million or for lease at a "triple net" rate of $6 per square foot per year. The property is located at 100 Phoenix Drive on the city's south side.
"It’s a terrific property in a terrific location," Berriz said. "We’re very confident that we’ll do great things for it and have a very successful outcome for our client."
A spokesman for Agree Realty, which rarely discusses its properties publicly, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
The property, which was built in 1970 and renovated in 1998, has 1,283 parking spaces and accumulated $836,602 in property taxes in 2010. Borders, which rented the space and once had nearly 2,000 workers there, finished the liquidation of its stores in September.
McKinley, which owns and operates commercial and residential real estate throughout the country, has built a national reputation by agreeing to rehabilitate, manage and market distressed properties and real estate that's caught up in legal disputes. On the northern side of Ann Arbor, for example, McKinley is managing the Northeast Corporate Center in behalf of an institutional client. The company recently lured Chicago-based Cole Taylor Bank's mortgage division to lease 27,800 square feet at the Northeast Corporate Center.
The former Borders headquarters — which is vacant after subleasing tenant ReCellular moved out on Dec. 1 — is one of the only major empty office complexes in Washtenaw County.
Berriz described the property as a "rare opportunity" to attract a major corporate tenant to the Ann Arbor region.
Thanks, Cossur. My mistake. As far as I recall, the original article was only a few vague lines, without the photo.
Please apply this to the Downtown, former retail store. I recall this article was only a few vague lines, without the photo, when it first showed up yesterday.
The Original Cottage Inn on William Street in Ann Arbor has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies and dessert on Thursday. Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com
The Original Cottage Inn on William Street in Ann Arbor has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies and dessert on Thursday. Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_04_fullsize.JPG
H.D. Brown enjoys a meal from the Cottage Inn. "It's great and just wonderful what they do," said Brown. "I enjoy it." The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_05_fullsize.JPG
A man who wanted to be referred as D(left) and H.D. Brown enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_06_fullsize.JPG
Volunteers wait to help serve guests meals at the Cottage Inn. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_07_fullsize.JPG
A volunteer talks with one of the guests at the Cottage Inn. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_08_fullsize.JPG
Robin Robinson helps pass out rolls for guests to enjoy. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_09_fullsize.JPG
The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_10_fullsize.JPG
Elizabeth Namundyebo helps pass out food at the Cottage Inn. Namundyebo just came to the United States from Nyumba six months ago. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_11_fullsize.JPG
Veronica Konglim delivers food to a guest at the Cottage Inn. "It's good to come out and help some people,." said Konglim. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_12_fullsize.JPG
The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_01_fullsize.JPG
A couple volunteers help serve food to be distributed at the Cottage Inn. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_02_fullsize.JPG
Volunteers prepare food plates to be distributed at the Cottage Inn. The Original Cottage Inn on William St. has been providing free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the less fortunate for the past 28 years. The Cottage Inn staff teamed up with local volunteers to serve an expected 300 guests meals with Thanksgiving favorites like oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies, and dessert on Thursday November 24, 2011.Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com /calendar/photologue/photos/resized/cache/112411_NEWS_COTTAGE_INN_THANKSGIVING_JNS_03_fullsize.JPG
The Original Cottage Inn served its annual free Thanksgiving dinner to an expected 300 people on Thursday.
Volunteers and staff served the traditional Thanksgiving fares, including turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies and dessert.
My hat goes off to the Michos and Roumanis families for continuing this tradition through tough times.
God bless owners of Cottage Inn, the staff, and volunteers who provided this wonderful meal to so many. Cottage Inn has always been one of my favorites and you have even moved further up on my list.
Now I have an even greater reason to support this wonderful restaurant. We have always loved the food, staff and prices but now there is an even more important reason to support this place! Cottage Inn, way to go!!
Very honorable of Cottage Inn. I will be sure to dine there now that I know they do things like this. Thanks annarbor.com.