NAIAS 2016 | North American International Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show is held at Cobo Hall in Downtown Detroit. I remember attending the auto show every year when I was a kid with my parents and my two little sisters. Year after year we go. My Dad is an engineer and has worked in automotive since before I was even I glimmer of a thought in my parents world. Thanks to that, my sisters and I were (at the time) tortured with hours on top of hours of walking around looking inside and scrutinizing (what felt like) each vehicle. While we had a long day of walking, I remember it fondly. The yummy and bad for you food that we'd ingest all day in between sitting (aka playing) in cars we had no clue how to drive.

While we no longer do this event as a family, as we've all grown up and times have changed, as of the last few years, my Dad and I have started what seems to have become a new tradition of sorts, me and my Dad walking the NAIAS on the last day of the show. Dad and daughter day is what I like to call it. As an adult also in the automotive industry, I really enjoy it. I had a great time sitting in all the luxury high end vehicles, dreaming of what I'll next have in my garage. 

Over the years my taste in cars has evolved. This year I was really swooning over the 2016 Lincoln MKX Black Label edition luxury crossover, it's spectacular. I also drooled just a bit over the 2017 Cadillac XT5 crossover intended to compete in the same market. Unfortunately, this vehicle was up on a stage, so I couldn't get in.

This year, the auto show seemed smaller than it usually is. I suspect that it's shrinking little by little each year. Which saddens me, but I'm glad that the attendance remains strong. Even on the last day, tons of people everywhere. We didn't see Land Rover/Range Rover vehicles anywhere, which was unfortunate because my Dad loves those! We looked for at least 30 minutes, consulted the map and still no go.

   

Me and Dad...don't we look alike?!

Did you attend the NAIAS? If so, what cars caught your attention?

I didn't bring my camera to take serious photos, but I did use Snap Chat a few times while I there. I decided to share some of those Snaps that I took throughout the day - if you weren't able to make it to Detroit, here's a small taste of what I experienced at the NAIAS this year.

Live Lavishly,
~Tamara

  

 

 

 

August Favorites (2015) | Lifestyle, Food, Local Finds & More

It's that time again. I'm sharing things that I've been loving during the past month.  You won't see every category, every time I post this feature- but you'll surely find all of the things that I loved enough to recommend.

Food & Drink

• Superior Nut & Candy Dark Chocolate Almonds - I found a huge 48 oz container at Costco and it's totally dangerous! Between my husband and myself, we've been devouring these. These are the perfect ending when you want a little something sweet (not but not sugary) after dinner. Grab a palmful of these and the sweet craving is satisfied. Plus dark chocolate is good for you! 
• Fenn Valley Capriccio - This red blend wine was gifted to me by a friend. This is her favorite Michigan wine and I can see why. It's delicious. I suspect it'll be hard to find in the stores, but luckily I can order online.

Planner, Pens & Stationary

• Twsbi Mini  - I picked up this pen after drooling over it for months. I'm glad that I did because I've been using it everyday. I seriously love it. I don't know why I waited so long to pick one up. I purchased the fine nib version, and it's the perfect thickness.
• Parker Super Quink Permanent Ink  - I also needed ink for my shiny new pen. I picked it up in black ink and it looks really nice.

TV

• Ballers (HBO) - This is a new series that came out this summer It's a 10 episode season that I powered through it in two weekends. I really liked it, football and drama. On a side note - The Rock singing Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" - is just priceless (episode 8). Even if you're not a football fan, you'll enjoy this show.
• Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family) - Yep, I'm still watching this. I watched season one in July and I watched season two in August. Every weekend, I watch several hours of PLL. For a young adult show, it's pretty entertaining. You'll enjoy it more if you don't think too hard about it and have a good time with all the antics of the Liars as they try to hunt down "A".

Apps (Android OS)

• Periscope - I've been obsessed with watching scopes in the last few weeks. I came across a YouTuber talking about it and had to check it out for myself. Periscope was purchased by Twitter back in January for an estimated $100 Million. The community is still in it's early stages, but I see huge potential here. It could be the next biggest social media platform. What is it? It's live streaming all over the world! Instead of watching a video, you're watching the host live. You can tune into someone on their walk home in Paris, or having tea in London, or talking about the best ways to improve your brand in Atlanta all while interacting with comments. The world is your oyster with Periscope. I haven't done my own broadcast yet, but I plan too. What topics would you like to see me talk about on a live scope?

Michigan Local Finds | Restaurant

• Take Sushi - A colleague told me about this amazing sushi restaurant in Rochester Hills, MI. Of course, I had to check it out. I went with my cousin a few weeks ago and we LOVED it. It's going to be my new sushi place for a while. It's a small and almost hidden spot, but it's really cute and quaint on the inside with an authentic feel. They provide a hot towel for each person when you sit down and hot tea is included. Below are a few shots of our lunch there that I posted on Instagram (instagram.com/shelfaddiction). We shared ramen and a few sushi rolls and everything was delicious. 

So that's it for my August favorites. Do you have any favorites that you've been enjoying over the last month? If so, please share. I enjoy discovering new things.

Live Lavishly,

~Tamara