The Brick Magazine - Page 2 of 36 - Ann Arbor inspiration for life, work, and home

AM I LIGHT? OR AM I LITE?

bridget b2019-05-01T11:08:11-04:00

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash By Liz Crowe Welcome to the almost-but-not-quite-monthly Booze 101. We’ve talked hangovers. I’ve preached on Old Fashioneds. We’ve created your next beer-and-food pairing dinner party. It’s time to talk about a subject near and dear to me…beer. To be more specific: the spectrum of beers. From fun-slash-whacky to low alcohol-slash-light. First, I’ll address the middle of the spectrum, wherein resides your basic IPAs, stouts, ambers, lagers, etc. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let’s start at the start of things. Beers break down into one of two basic categories: lagers and ales. The difference between them is [...]

AM I LIGHT? OR AM I LITE?bridget b2019-05-01T11:08:11-04:00

FINDING YOUR WAY OUT OF A RUT

bridget b2019-04-23T11:47:28-04:00

Photo by Sam Burriss on Unsplash By Gail Barker, B.A., C.P.C.C. “The difference between a rut and a grave is simply a matter of depth.” I wish I could remember where I first heard this quote, or to whom I should attribute it. Because I think it’s brilliant and it always makes me chuckle a bit (sometimes, the chuckle is more of a snort of laughter — either way, it brings a smile to my face). The fact is, the feeling of “being in a rut” is something we all experience from time to time. Things start off innocuously enough; we settle into a [...]

FINDING YOUR WAY OUT OF A RUTbridget b2019-04-23T11:47:28-04:00

A FRESH TAKE ON NURTURING MOM THIS MOTHER’S DAY AND EVERY DAY

bridget b2019-04-23T11:57:00-04:00

Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash By Alison Corey It was a warm and glowing May afternoon in the late 1980s. I was wearing my jelly sandals and a rainbow romper. I danced across the sidewalk to our neighbors’ front yard. I grabbed a handful of hyacinths begging to be picked at the edge of their yard, and quickly dashed back to my house. Bursting through the door, I retrieved the card I made in school a few days earlier from my backpack, and found my mother in the kitchen washing the dishes from breakfast. It was similar to many Sunday mornings, only this [...]

A FRESH TAKE ON NURTURING MOM THIS MOTHER’S DAY AND EVERY DAYbridget b2019-04-23T11:57:00-04:00

COMPOSTING THE STALE MIND

bridget b2019-04-23T12:19:26-04:00

Photo by Etty Fidele on Unsplash By Morella Devost One of the hardest things to do in life is to get a fresh perspective. No matter how open-minded we’d like to be, the odds are stacked against our ability to change points of view. Why? Because the unique filter with which we each see the world is largely unconscious to us, and because our brains excel at picking out data from the environment that supports what we already believe; the rest remains invisible to us. Neuroscientists and psychologists have estimated that only around 5% of the brain’s function is engaged in conscious awareness. The [...]

COMPOSTING THE STALE MINDbridget b2019-04-23T12:19:26-04:00

WEDDING SEASON WARDROBE: WHAT TO WEAR

bridget b2019-05-01T11:12:29-04:00

Photo by Ana Francisconi on Unsplash By Angie Harrison Spring not only brings the beginnings of sunshine and nice weather, it also starts off the beginning of “wedding season.” Spring weddings turn to summer weddings, which turn to early fall weddings, and it can all be a lot to navigate. With so many destinations, locations, weather complications, and just new, modern trends in formal events — dressing for a wedding can be tricky. Will it rain? Am I going to sweat through my entire bra and dress? Does black tie mean I can only wear black? There are so many options (and more than [...]

WEDDING SEASON WARDROBE: WHAT TO WEARbridget b2019-05-01T11:12:29-04:00

INTIMATE REQUESTS: KEEP IT FRESH

bridget b2019-05-01T11:10:38-04:00

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash By Maria Sylvester, MSW, CPC “When you do things from your soul, a river moves through you. Freshness and joy are the signs.” ~Rumi “Wait,” I called after him. “Before you leave, let me look at you — take you in for a second.” He stopped. And staring into those luscious pools of deep green, my heart jumped, then danced its happy dance. Wow. Nice unexpected start to the morning. Even better, as an additional perk, the sweet memory lingered, making my entire day feel cozy, rich, and expansive. A fresh start. A fresh start for us. This [...]

INTIMATE REQUESTS: KEEP IT FRESHbridget b2019-05-01T11:10:38-04:00