cabin fever

ROF and i are totally embracing the michigan lifestyle and this includes going “up north”. if you don’t know what that is, check out this video:

we’re slightly crazy about it and are thinking of renting a cabin for the summer next year.  if you’re not familiar with michigan

look at a map

it’s surrounded by big beautiful lakes.  you have no idea how unbelievably beautiful this state is.  if you don’t believe me, believe chef mario batali

anyway, all this thinking and dreaming of a lake house made me dig around on houzz to research my dream lake house.  what i found was my dream michigan barn.

this was designed by northworks architects and planners out of chicago, il.  this place is my dream place!

you can see more on my cabin fever page on houzz here

summer drive, michigan style

it’s a nice 80 degrees out with a cool breeze. driving home from chicago, we detoured along lake michigan and scanted along the lakefront and then cut through the state on farm roads that were hilly and lush. loved hearing ROF say: “even though i’ve lived in michigan before i never thought it was this beautiful.”

#puremichigan

paris: the new workout

we’re planning on going to paris in december.

 i’ve been wanting to go to paris for over 25 years.  i just really wanted to go with someone i loved.  like romantically (sorry mom.)

so now, ROF is using his one week of vacation to take me there!  december may seem like an odd time to go, don’t you think?  not the spring when the buds on the trees are budding and the lovers are strolling down the Seine.  sidetracked <i hate that word ‘lovers’ by the way.  love-er.  almost hate that as much as the M word.>  

but there is a reason i picked december.  

it is the last month in the year and i’d like to lose 40 lbs before going to paris.  i better start.  that’s a lot of weight in not a lot of time.  the problem is, i don’t really want to change anything.  it’s no secret that ROF and i like the good life.  and that is what it is.  indulgence.  we like good friends, good wine, good food, good everything!  and i love living that kind of life with ROF.  but i’m going to have to tap the brakes, as they say, before paris.

because this is my DREAM TRIP and i can’t settle for anything less than feeling great while i’m there.

so if you have some diet pointers (other than stop opening your mouth and eating good things) – send them my way.  use the code word “PARIS”.  I’ll know what you’re talking about.

it’s not a mess, it’s creative!

ask my mom. 

ever since i was in high school, i felt the need to be surrounded by creativity.  not mine, but others.  there is something about having it all around me – where i can see the details from wherever i am in the room.  what do i deem creative?  where he’s a short list:

kick ass photography – mainly fashion or decor

color – varies depending on mood.  black/white, pink, red, baby blue)

people who inspire me (audrey, diana, diane, woody)

people who i love (rof, dad, mom, sister

paris

quotes (it’s not who you are that holds you back.  It’s who you think you’re not)

dreamy landscapes and beautiful decor

so, like i’ve said in the past, i love to rip everything out of magazines and collage them up on a board.  In high school, i did this in my bedroom to every wall from top to bottom.  i may have been the only one that thought it was cool.  but – as you can see – i’m not the only one according to the latest on-line mags.  like these images from domino small spaces:

so this weekend, while ROF was at the indy 500, i had the need to get creative.  side tracked<so much of our daily life is not creative.  status meetings, details, expectations.  let’s hover on expectations for a minute.  at work, i strive to exceed expectations.  my own, my clients, my peers.  does anyone know how exhausting that is?  i’m sure you do.  when you are being creative or just simply being inspired – there are no expectations except for you to trust your style. lovely>

so i grabbed my trusty scissors, about 50 magazines i had laying around, some books that never get opened and an xacto knife.  i snagged properly a rather large and ugly old bulletin board and got to work. have to say, i’m in my element when i’m doing this.  took me back to high school again.

i love it!

appreciating this now

there is a daily thought that comes into my mind and comes out sometimes at our before-dinner prayer and that is:

i’m really really blessed.

it shouldn’t be such a surprise every day how realizing this instantly de-stresses me.  this is my list today:

appreciating now:

- the anticipation of spending quality time with family we don’t get to see very often

- having niece and nephews that are fantastic, smart and so much fun to be around

- having a sister-in-law that is a deep thinker, has a wonderful heart and is such a good friend

- a husband that is so completely awesome

- blake shelton’s new song “boys round here” (had to break it up a little)

- a house we love

- beautiful michigan weather (right now!)

- a mom who is still a fantastic role model

- people who get it

-being driven by passion and not a paycheck.  the first one will always bring the second.

-expressing creativity

-thinking of paris

-good friends we’ve had a long time.

that’s it for now.

what are you happy about right now?

getting better and brighter

this past week i was fortunate to be forced out of my comfort zone.  

if you remember, i like turbulence on a flight because it shakes me out of my thoughts and forces me to be present.

 

well, that is kind of how this past week was for me.  i’ve worked in the automotive advertising industry for 21 years now (hard to believe) and because some of the programs i’m doing, i was invited as a guest to attend the WFF annual conference in orlando.  i felt as if i was undercover, a poser, a faker.  however, when i shared who i was with some of the incredible women i met, they were impressed!  they thought it was a great idea that i was learning about their industry and they were, in turn, interested in mine.

i had the privilege of sitting through 6 one and a half hour long seminars taught by leaders in their field:

 

1. excavating the future: interactive session for reflection and planning for the year ahead (kellogg school of business professor)

2. seeing the big picture by kevin cope

3. courage, credibility and stretching your comfort zone

4. 21 ways to connect in business in 90 seconds or less (excellent)

5. taking the stairs: success means doing things you don’t want to do

6. accelerate your impact as a business leader

 

the goal of the program is content and connection so in each of these, I did exercises with and met women in the foodservice industry.  i have to say it has opened my eyes to what a great industry it is.  here are my scribbles of notes from the seminar.  they provided full decks and overviews but i listen best if i’m writing at the same time.

• Sustained high performance requires rest
• Productivity goes in 90 minute cycles
• An impression happens in 2 seconds:  I trust you, you make sense, you move me.
• Difference between motivation (money) and inspiration (create unstoppable employees)
• #1 predictor of a successful person: Ability to Speak Up
• 5 superpowers: Enthusiasm, Curiosity, Feedback, Empathy and Imagination
• If people like you, they want to say YES to you, if they don’t they want to say NO to you.  They decide this very quickly.
• 5 ways to make lasting impression: Attitude, eye contact, smile, open body language, synchronize.
• Leaders speak in the positive, because people only process positive information.
• Know what you want in the positive (horse example)
• 55% of people are visual, the rest are kinetic or audio.  If you’re talking to a group, you need to engage all of them.  Tell a story
• IAKOLA.  stands for I’m Am Kind Of Like A…. fill in the blank. (pit bull example)
• It is key to understand how a company makes money.
• Key that EVERYONE knows how a company makes money
• Everyone needs to know their role in actively improving that process
• Selling or supporting someone that is selling is key to increased revenue
• Companies pay slower and collect faster for cash flow purposes
• No margin, no mission  Stephen Covey
• If you’re not unique, you better be cheap
• That which you measure, you damage, that which you manage, you improve
• Growth is important to a business because it attracts and keeps the best people
• People work hard for a paycheck, harder for a person and hardest for a purpose
• People want the big picture, need to engage employees hearts AND minds
• Problems that are procrastinated on are amplified
• Buffalo run into the storm to get through it, cows run from the storm and end up running with the storm for long periods of time.
• Short term choices lead to difficult long term consequences
• Leverage long term vision to endure short term sacrafice
• You need to CONSTANTLY REMIND PEOPLE OF THE VISION
• The more we have invested into something the less likely we are to let it fail
• Neutral thinking always becomes negative
• Increase your commitment by asking the question HOW can I do this rather than SHOULD i do this
• Some of us care so much about success that we procrastinate and wait for a perfect time
• Cultivate a habit of action
• Demand progress rather than perfection
• Comparison is not only the thief of joy but the definition of mediocracy
• Success is never owned, it is rented and the rent is due every day.  
• or being healthy is never owned…
• or leading a team….

overall it was a great sunday, monday and tuesday with 2600 bright women.

quick thought – advertising for good

if every big time advertiser partnered with one or more charities and gave the cause just :05 attention on their TV or digital ads, think about the much needed attention that charity would get.  

those big decisions

now that i think about it, i was always driven by inspiration and passion.

i was far from an all star all “a’ student in high school.

in fact, i don’t even remember caring to be one.  that seems like such a sin to say out loud in a day and age where high school kids are half way through college courses before they even get out of high school.  but it wasn’t a priority in my family.  in fact, it wasn’t even important to stay at the same school.  i went to two different grade schools and three different high schools – all in different states.

do you have any clue what it’s like to be the new person in school – even once? 

if you don’t, it is an entirely different challenge than getting good grades.  you want to fit in but you’re new, so first you have to figure out what fitting in means.  for some reason, that was always important to me – fitting in.  i can see where that wouldn’t be a need for everyone  - especially someone who went to school with the same people their entire student life.  but it was for me.   i made some great friends through the years but unfortunately for me, i was always moving on to the next adventure.

when it was time for me to go to college – the wanting to excel at school thing still hadn’t kicked off in me yet.  and i went to the university of cincinnati to be close to my grandma whom i loved beyond belief.  but unfortunately she died a week before my high school graduation and i had to go there without her being in cincinnati which was a very sad time for me.  but once again, it was time to fit in yet again.  and i met some awesome friends and had too much fun.  so much so that i couldn’t go back the next year.  i moved home and went to a community college for one semester.

it was there that i made probably one of the most important decisions of my life.

deflated and not really encouraged to do anything, i decided for myself that i wanted more.  i wanted much more and education was a part of it.  i took some advanced english courses in high school and my teacher told me back then that i would love columbia college in downtown chicago.  i remembered that and contacted the teacher – now a year later – and got the name of that school.  mom and i rode the commuter train together to downtown chicago and walked the eight blocks to michigan and harrison street to the school.  this by far, was out of my comfort zone and i loved it.

next was deciding what i wanted to do.  one thing i loved more than anything was magazines.  you can read more about that here.  and the ads in the magazine WORKED ON ME.  that is when i decided i wanted to be in advertising.  and the school i was now standing in front of was an excellent school for marketing communications.  it may not have been a top 10 school and i may have to live at home and miss out on all the great sorority life and hee haw of college.  risk possibly becoming even more far removed from my friends who all went away.  but now i had passion and direction and ever since that decision I HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK.

to be continued…

things to love today

there are so many little things to love, here are a few things i’m loving right now…

1. portlandia.

this show tickles me.  carrie & fred are my new best friends after flying around the country with them on my ipad.  it pokes fun at portland in a lovable, hysterical way.  they love the city, love working with each other and i’m so happy i stumbled upon them!  this humor isn’t for everyone.  you are either the kind that won’t get this at all, won’t think it is funny or smile constantly throughout the whole episode like i do.  like check out the opening song here. 

2. one kings lane

there are a crazy ton of shopping sites out there and quite honestly, i’m a huge amazon fan.  nothing like buying something you don’t need without leaving your bed. and getting it the next day.  there is joss & main and  the foundry and rue la la.  but one kings lane, in my estimation is the best.  kinda addicted.  this site has been around for a while – so nothing new here – but i have ordered several awesome things from this site with great success.  it is reminiscent to going to searching through a flea market but on-line and everything is great – not crap.

ok.  so nothing like a flea market.

3. detroit

to say i love detroit would not be doing my feelings justice.  after hearing for years and years about the “dreaded” transfer to detroit or just people wrinkling up their nose when you mention it’s name – i really didn’t expect to be so taken.  the most notable thing about detroit and the areas surrounding detroit is that the people here love it here.  not just like it.  love it.  we have people at my office who live downtown or in midtown (same thing to me) who absolutely glow with pride talking about the places to eat and things to do.  i love that.

what’s even more important to note is that detroit isn’t just something to be surprised by but i’m even ashamedly in awe of some of the despair – spray painted buildings because they are somehow beautiful.  it’s not enough to stop there because the point that i’m at – that moves me to HELP detroit is that after watching this documentary – detropia – is that detroit is not detroit’s problem – it’s our entire country’s problem.  just like the country rallies around new orleans post-katrina and new york post-sandy – the country needs to rally around detroit.  everything exciting, big and great started from this city otherwise know as motown and the motor city.  it was built to hold the millions that lived here but now it’s only 700,000 spread out all over the city.  we need help and i want to be a part of the upswing of this wonderful city!

i think anthony bourdain said it best:

Anthony Bourdain’s blog, July 27: Detroit. Where just about everything cool originated. As angry as one gets looking at block after block of abandoned row houses in Baltimore and wondering how the hell that happened, it’s mind boggling to see how far Detroit has been allowed to fall. But what a truly magnificent breed of crazy-ass hardcase characters have dug in there. Of all three cities we visited, Detroit, oddly enough, even while looking the jaws of death straight in the face, remains closest to being a true culinary wonderland. This is due entirely to the successive waves of migration and immigration from all over the world, when people came to MAKE things in America — each group bringing their own food and traditions. Detroit IS the story of America, for better — and worse, and I think we’ve missed that, allowed ourselves to look away. Detroit, after all, made us who we are. Literally. A country of cars, highways, car culture, upward mobility, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and what were once, unlimited dreams. Whatever happens next, Motown, Eminem and the Stooges’ “Fun House”, at least, shall surely outlast the automobile.

of course, those from detroit are thinking – yeah – well said from your toasty home in birmingham.  well just you wait.

the long abandoned beautiful train station

 

that’s it for now.  have a great week!

toronto//travel

this past weekend, ROF and i scurried off to toronto for a weekend getaway.

it was my first time ever in canada and i loved it.  only 4 hours away from birmingham, michigan it wasn’t a bad trip at all.  i was glad to read my friend and  former neighbor’s great travel blog: roam & home before i went and we then knew about some restaurants and areas to hit.

we stayed at the park hyatt toronto which we do because we have upgrade points and really enjoy their hotels.  while typically i’d say to stay somewhere local – i’ve since rescinded my pov on that.  it’s nice to explore local neighborhoods and restaurants and cities and then sleep somewhere somewhat familiar.  what do you think?

anyway, at the top of the hyatt was an awesome bar.  you know the type, low lit, manly decor with great big stools and lounging couches and tables. it had a wrap around deck too.  it was there that we met joe gomes a bartender that has been at the same bar for 54 years.  we loved him and you can see his picture below.  he has been the source of several interviews and it was awesome to be able to hang with him for a while.

we went to la societe bistro on bloor street, walkable from our hotel, and had the best escargot in the world.  thanks to jeff & sherri for that recommendation.  the next day we explored a wonderful area called queen street west which is just a funky fun street with all kinds of shops and restaurants.  i kicked ROF’s ass in cards at a coffee shop there.  we also went to terroni which was absolutely outstanding.  thanks karen v for that suggestion.  we had a puzzo pizza and calamari and some italian soda and beer.  perfect for a snowy saturday afternoon.  of course, i had to snag some olive oil and marinated peppers to bring back.

we then headed back to the hotel and because it was snowing quite ferociously, we stayed in the hotel and had a wonderful dinner at annona where we could look out at the beautiful sparkly snow. the seafood risotto and the salmon were to die for!

so much looking forward to my next canadian adventure!