I saw a meme this week that said: “Running on coffee & Jesus” and it made me smile because at least through the month of June it pretty much defines my life. Between a busy work schedule, travel including a family vacation, birthday festivities and the regular summer fun... our lives are full!
The air is buzzing with excitement over here at the Steelcase office as we continue announcing new partnerships (and acquisitions) and of course the ever important (and time consuming) Neocon. In the last week I've been back and forth to our Chicago Showroom in the Merchandise Mart for a handful of video work including 10 Facebook Live episodes! Last year during NeoCon I was still on maternity leave so it was fun to get back into the game with the team this year. Live productions are outside of our usual scope of work, however, as we continue developing our digital communication strategy I wouldn't be surprised if our work in this area continues to grow. And I think I can speak for most everyone on our video and social media teams when I say that we wouldn't mind one bit if this sort of work escalates because we had a blast running through the crowds and battling WiFi connections these last few days.
Before leaving for Chicago last weekend I was able to celebrate my 31st birthday with family and friends. Our Saturday kicked off with lunch with my parents and the kids. My parents gave me (and Jeff) a super solid birthday gift and took the kids over night for us so that we could celebrate with friends at the golf course. Girlfriend and golf-mate Amber planned a Trio Birthday Par-Tee for me and two others in our group out at Watermark complete with decor, prizes and dinner afterwards. Amber sells tea for a living and it's save to say that if she ever quits her day job, she'd be just fine planning parties for a living. Our team did not win, but Amber awarded me a medal anyway!
Earlier that week we also celebrated my birthday with Jeff's parents over dinner (and GIANT homemade coconut cake by Mari - my favorite) and a very special wine tasting with family friends Dan and Kathleen Matson. We enjoyed 3 hours of red wine, snacks and great conversation. Jeff and I both enjoy wine and we are continuously learning from our parents and the Matsons. And so, the hobby continues to sneak up on us.
And this month we kicked off our Fredrick Meijer Gardens summer concert series with our Rosewood neighbors for The Decemberists. There is something pretty awesome about these concerts in the outdoor amphitheater there but we got a total kick out of goofing about planning our own mock outdoor concert series... We should all bring our short lawn chairs to Wilcox Park and just pick an obscure Pandora station that's still common enough for one person in the group to know exactly two songs. And then we sell each other plastic cups of red or white wine for $9 each. Think about it, we wouldn't have to wait in any lines to park or go to the bathroom or to get a beer. We wouldn't have to scramble/battle strangers for a spot on the lawn and we could even have pizza delivered from Harmony! All that to say, COMING SOON: Rosewood Outdoor Playlists in the Park. But seriously, we do love concerts at FMGs and the expansion sure does look nice.
The rest of June will be spent traveling! I'm heading to Boston for a quick trip for work followed by our ever anticipated family trip to Disney World! We are very much looking forward to a week away for some fun in the, what's predicted to be, super hot sun. I promise to pack our SPF and take lots of photos.
Stay cool and appreciate all your friends and family with pools and lake frontage! See you in July!
POSTSCRIPT
- Harmony Brewing! The new expansion in Eastown is open and ready for business!
- Martha's Vineyard - For wine, cheese and all of the other things!
- GR Kids - Check out this recent post from GR Kids founder and fellow blogger Melody listing all of Grand Rapids' local bloggers! Thanks Melody!
- Yoga on the Green - Rosewood neighbor and friend Kari B. is teaching FREE yoga classes at MVP Crahen and you should go! Check out times/dates here.
