Alex Attard is a creative man with boundless energy.  A former body shop owner, he has spent the last 30+ years creating a 1900’s village on his nine acre homestead in Farmington Hills, Michigan. It started with a chicken coop that was on the property when he purchased it.  He liked how it looked, so he took it to the back and turned it into the stable.  It went on from there.

Using recycled materials, he has recreated many of the shops of the early days of the last century.  Alex’s remarkable building collection includes a bank, church, jail, saloon, stable, livery, blacksmith shop, general store, Chinese laundry, outhouse and a dentist office. The indoor and outdoor displays include scores of antique cars, buggies, a train, wagons, farm implements and artifacts.   Goodies inside the buildings include signs, pedal cars, light fixtures, trench art, trucks, car emblems, keychains, toys, appliances, and much more.  WHEW! I think you could walk through these barns every day for a month and see new things each time.

The “African Queen” is docked next to one barn.  Upstairs is a pirate’s lair, complete with complete with a ship’s wheel and treasure chests filled with “gold” coins and “jewels”.  Walk around the property and you’ll come across a cemetery, a dinosaur and a train.  There are little surprises tucked everywhere you look.

And then there are the vehicles.  From a 1913 (?) Princess (the car I wanted to take home), to a Franklin, from a 1930s Auburn convertible to a Crosley, from a Dodge Brothers truck to an Austin Taxi Cab to.... over 100 of them were spread throughout the property.

Each building had its own unique feel to it. The accessories gave them a fun reality. During a car club visit last summer, a few club members were found behind bars in the jail. Other club members were found behind bars of a different nature. It’s a good thing his barns were not “antique stores” because I would have gone broke buying all the cool things I saw!

The neat thing is unless you knew his place was there, you’d never notice it driving down the road. Many of our members commented on how many times they’ve gone by his place and had no idea what a fun place lay behind the gates.

What a wonderfully creative mind Alex has!  I've had the good fortune to visit Alex's on two separate occasions.  His collection is more than just buildings full of things behind glass, this was an experience on many levels.

Fun article featuring Dave Verbrugge - Heroes of Tomorrow HOT Team #67 Mentor, FIRST robotics Master of Ceremonies (MC) and all around good guy.  Click the link below.

Faces of GM

Sometimes a wrong turn brings rewards.  This was the case recently when I was on my way to a Special Olympics basketball game in an unfamiliar area.  I missed my road and ended up in the wrong place.  But - what is that?  Oh my goodness, its a giant Pink Flamingo sign in front of a time-warp trailer park!  I figured out where I was and went to the game.  When we left the game, I told my son we were heading back to take some photos. 



This trailer park is virtually untouched by time.  Modern vehicles outside of vintage trailers.  The few modern trailers that were in there stood out like sore thumbs.  The entire place screamed out for John Waters.  How has a movie not been filmed here?   I want to fill this place with vintage cars - can you imagine the photos!   I snapped a few pictures and will go back when the weather is nicer.  FUN!  Sometimes those wrong turns become right.  I want a giant pink flamingo in my front yard!  I wonder what it would cost to buy the whole place, replace the boring modern trailers and rent them out.  Ahhh... it's nice to dream.

If I had a dollar for every time I've said that - I'd have a million dollars for sure!  Today, I said it again.

While surfing Craigslist (a dangerous thing to be sure - I was looking for a pink stove) I came across a listing for Deer Forest in Coloma.  It's for sale, again.

Deer Forest, if you're not from Michigan and have never been to this particular location, holds a special place in my heart.  My first exposure to Deer Forest came when we lived in Marcellus and my parents decided to take us to "Deer Park Funland".  Deer Park Funland has since become Michigan Adventure.  It has rollercoasters, etc. - Michigan's smaller version of Cedar Point or Six Flags.  Deer Park Funland is in Muskegon, Michigan.

Instead, my Dad headed to Deer Forest, in Coloma, Michigan. 

Almost every day I pass by the Smart USA headquarters on Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  Being a small car kinda gal, I always smile at the little cars and think how fun it would be to own one.  I've been on one test drive - but that's another story. 

While driving past the headquarters one day something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.  When my brain processed what I saw, I whipped into a turnabout to head back to the store to see what had caught my eye.  "What in the world are you doing" my girlfriend Demaree who was in the car with me asked.  Then, when I pulled into the lot we both started laughing.  We had to get out of my car to walk around them we were so taken with what we were seeing.


Smart now offers their "Smart Expressions", car wraps to customize your cars.  I had received an email about it, but this was the first I had seen one in person.  TOO FUN!  The wrap was well done, with all the lines meeting appropriately and it didn't look cheesy like I thought they would.


Very fun - and it made my afternoon.  Thanks Smart!  (I've GOT to design slippers with a nod to the Smart car!)