In the September issue of Martha Stewart Living, I put together a tight little visiting guide to Corktown — my neighborhood for living and inn-keeping (in this post, some bonus photos by Joe Vaughn that didn’t make the story). When I opened Honor & Folly, I was excited about stepping out from behind the computer screen and introducing travelers to the neighborhood-centric Detroit I know — not the Detroit you see from 17th story of some mid-rise hotel downtown. I never gave much thought to the community of neighborhood business owners I was going to be part of, and turns out, that’s a hugely rewarding facet of owning a small business. I’m proud to send guests downstairs to Astro, because the owners, who are my neighbors in real life, are such good people and amazing at what they do. I tell guests to save room for brunch a few blocks away at Brooklyn Street Local, and to make sure to go to Mudgies for a humongous sandwich, the Lager House for a music show, and St. Cece’s for the best unassuming farm-to-table food in the most quirky, unlikely setting. I love bragging about my friend Ryan, who started an urban farm in North Corktown, and rooting on some other friends who are opening a distillery down the street. My brother-in-law runs Pony Ride–an incubator for artists, designers and entrepreneurs–and it’s been fun to watch that grow. If you could have seen this neighborhood when we moved here eight years ago, you would have never believed it would one day in the not-so-distant future end up in the pretty, iconic pages of Martha Stewart Living. There were no working streetlights, hardly any businesses, almost no one walking down the street while I pushed my baby stroller over broken glass. And now. Now I’m giving away a weekend to hang out here for fun! Excuse me while I pinch myself.

In honor of the first-year anniversary of Honor & Folly, I’m giving away a weekend in the neighborhood I love so much. The winner will get two nights at Honor & Folly*, breakfast at Astro, two drinks at Sugar House, and a $50 gift certificate to Slows. I will also give you a personal tour of  the city, including stops at some of my favorite places in Detroit, from Eastern Market to Belle Isle. To enter, just leave a comment below, and I’ll announce a winner — picked at random — at the end of next week. Cut-off for entry Thursday, December 6th at 5pm EST.

You can find the Martha Stewart Living article on the page I finally created for my writing work. Thank you so much for being interested, and for all your support the past year. I am so grateful.

[Photos, all by Joe Vaughn, from top to bottom: Honor & Folly (top three), Acre, Mudgies, Hello Records, Le Petit Zinc, Green Dot Stables, Sugar House]

*Contest assumes mutually agreed upon dates, which must fall between January and the end of March 2013. The sooner you pick dates, the more likely it will be that the dates are available, as the inn tends to book up a month in advance on weekends. If you decide to book mid-week, you will get an extra night.

Designtripper is thrilled to offer a weekend getaway to the ultimate countrified escape: the Winvian. Located in the Litchfield area of Connecticut, these playfully luxe cabins are spread across 113 beautiful, wooded acres–and sit directly beside 4,000 more, all accessible for hiking, biking, horseback riding, fly-fishing. Each of the completely unique 18 freestanding cabins is decorated to reflect its loose, kind of quirky theme–like the Beaver Lodge, which features a giant, actual beaver lodge-cum-art-installation hanging above the bed, the Artist Cottage or the Stable. The super-lucky winner will have a six-month window to pick their weekend, so you can cozy up in the Log Cabin this winter or wait until spring and stay in the Treehouse, which is perched between a group of maples. There’s also a spa, restaurant and garden on-site.

We’re leaving the contest open all week. To enter (one entry per person, please), leave a comment below. We’ll close comments this Friday, February 18 at 5pm EST and announce the winner in this space Monday morning. Winners picked at random.

More nitty-gritty: The window of certificate validity ends six months from the date of winning. Black-out dates will apply (holiday weekends, etc.). Valid for two adults only.  The stay will be two nights in a tier 1 or tier 2 cottage with a possible upgrade to a tier 3 cottage based on availability upon arrival. Breakfast daily and one dinner for two also included (excluding wine).

Thanks and good luck!