New Venues Around Town

These last few weeks have been crazy with grand openings and things to do around Detroit. It is really exciting to see all the great, unique things going on!

I met with Planterra last week. www.planterra.com. This venue was really cool. It was like looking at planning an event in a garden. The roof of the building is clear so an evening event on a clear night would be so nice. A networking reception under the stars would add such character to any event!

I also had the opportunity to go to the grand opening of the Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak. It is awesome. A great new movie theater/party venue. It has a full bar, restaurant and bowling alley right in the movie theater. This adds such a dynamic to a good party bash. Everyone loves to bowl, drink and see a good flick. I would recommend this cool nice site to anyone looking for a new fun place to host a party.

Lastly, we had a great party at the GEM Theatre in Downtown Detroit. The venue was great and the atmosphere was off the hook. We had a live Band, Strawberry Alternative, who performed live at our 20s event with Crain's Detroit Business. If you want to check them out go to www.strawberryalternative.com.

Social Media and Events

Keeping up with this Social Media is a lot of work.

This is the first time I have blogged in a year. I was just reworking my blog a bit with a new focus. This updated blog is going to be a place where I share the secret life of an events director. I have plenty of funny stories on my journey of planning and I thought this would be a fun place to share my thoughts and hopefully someone else can learn from my mistakes!

Oh yeah, back to social media...It is a lot of work. I am trying to keep updated on the latest and greatest. All our events at Crain's are going to have a # tag for twitter now. Today at the Crain's/Detroit Regional Chamber Catalyst event I had to have tweeted a million times. I didn't know I had that many opinions. If you want to check out the event on twitter it is #catalyst11.

Do you remember when this ## (a hash tag) use to just be a number sign. When did that change? I am seriously dating myself here but I am curious if anyone else is feeling overwhelmed by the social media. Today I posted on my facebook, too, for the first time in like a month. I feel so behind!

Someday I am going to get it together!

Summer Slipping By...

Ah...The summer is almost gone. How sad. I wish we got more summer and less winter. This summer seems to have been the busiest and quickest summer yet. I think as I get older the time just keeps slipping away faster and faster.

Oh well...I am just going to enjoy each day as it comes!

So much to do, so little time...

It is so hard for me to be excited lately. I realize that I do to much. I try to pile all these things into my life. Why? I realized that it doesn't really matter how much we do. All that matters is that we do what God asks of us. I am learning to slow down and do less. Take more time for me and not feel guilty about it. I realized that if I don't feel filled up with love for myself I surely can't give it to others. If I feel tired or warn out how can I do things for others.

It is a hard thing for me to learn. It is okay to take care of me. To desire a work life balance. To take each day as it comes. To live each moment not looking to the future. I just hope I can continue to live for today. If I don't there is so much I am missing by living for the future. That is no good for anyone!!

Lives We Touch

"Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch."

This quote came from a movie I saw this past weekend. It has really stuck with me. It has really made me think about the influence you have on peoples lives. The small stuff and big stuff. No matter what little act you might do has an impact on others. It was very eye opening to me. Reminding me just how important it is for us to remember how our lives cross and how we touch those around us.

I want to be a positive touch on those I meet, work with and come in contact with. So many times in life you never know who or what will make an impact on someone else. Everything we do is significant because it could be the very thing that you will be remembered for in years to come.

I hope my fingerprints don't fade off the lives I touch.

Courage and Fear

It was 15 months ago that I met Emma via email. We wrote every couple of days for about six months. I got to know her story and was encouraged by her determination and bravery to endure everyday. Well, I have not heard from her in like 8 months but every month I email her just to say hi and hope that maybe just maybe she will email me back. She never does though and that is okay. I have faith that she get my emails. I have faith that she still knows that I care. But sometimes I fear that my emails are not being read and something bad has happened.

Today I wrote her with my usual happy holidays, happy new year email. And was reminded of her courage and encouragement to me despite never meeting her. I will probably not hear back but I have faith that she reads. Sometimes we want results for our faith and they just don't come the way we expect them too. I want to know I am doing good or that my actions matter but really all I need to know is that they matter to God. They matter to Him. The rest just is.

Emma's story gives me courage and reminds me that no matter what God is faithful. Her life and story will always remind me to be courageous despite the circumstances of life.

I am reminded that whatever happens God knows best!

FiftyTwo4mom.org

Today I met with Brian Lane who has started a new nonprofit to raise money for Optical Nerve Disorders. He is running 52 races around the United States in the next 52 weeks. On his journey he is raising money and awareness for those who struggle with different optical nerve disorders. Check out the website at www.fiftytwo4mom.org

Meeting with him was an inspiration to me. Here is one man running raises to build awareness and have a voice for those who don't. Obviously as most of you know I struggle with optical nerve problems and it is exciting to help out where I can as he runs these races in 2010.

Hope you have time to check out his website!

Thanks.