Ladies' Night Holiday Shopping: YP Kelsey Lauer Goes Out on the Town

Downtown Traverse City knows how to celebrate the holidays, and Ladies' Night Holiday Shopping is no exception. I was lucky enough to spend several hours roaming downtown last Thursday with several friends in a chocolate-and-good-wine-fueled shopping frenzy—although it involved more window shopping than not. 

We started the evening with a free massage and complimentary beverages at the Bank of Northern Michigan. After relaxing for a bit, we headed out to check out the shopping at The Exchange Boutique and Salon. The scarves were particularly interesting. 

Next, we went next door to Pavlova Salon, where we joined numerous other ladies in indulging in a glass of L. Mawby’s Sex and some delectable chocolate truffles. Thus fueled by chocolate, we hit up Boyne Country Sports, admired some of their skis and then moved across the street to Brilliant Books, where I picked up New York Times bestseller “And When She was Good” by Laura Lippman. (Side note: it’s a really good read!).  

Next, we visited Great Lakes Bath and Body, which was the best-smelling store of the entire evening. If you need candles, soap, lotion or a scrub, their selection is highly varied and almost sure to offer something that’s to your liking. 

We had fun trying on sunglasses at the Sunglass Shoppe, which was also kind enough to offer some good snacks. Definitely check them out if you’re in need of eyewear—they have both fashion and high performance options. 

Another highlight of the evening was Fustini’s Oils and Vinegars—possibly the most-packed store of the evening. After navigating through the crowd of people, we arrived at the beverage cart, where I sampled peach balsamic vinegar mixed with a sparkling beverage—surprisingly tasty! Although I didn’t purchase anything this time, I’d highly recommend Fustini’s 18-Year-Old Traditional Balsamic Vinegar; it pairs well with almost any food item. 

Also worth a visit is My Secret Stash on Cass Street, which is a little off the beaten path but features a beautiful selection of jewelry, art, housewares and more, all made by Michigan artists. I was too busy admiring everything to take pictures, but I did most of my shopping damage here and don’t regret a penny of it!  

These were just some of the highlights, but we visited a circuit of nearly a dozen different merchants (some of which are mentioned above) that made us eligible for a drawing at the end of the evening. Giveaways included a $400 downtown gift card, a $200 downtown gift card and a wide variety of prizes from sponsors. None of us were lucky enough to win, but we still appreciated the chance, and congratulations to the lucky recipients! 

Men’s Night is tonight and, from what I hear, is every bit as fun as Ladies Night, so head down and check it out!   

Traverse City Film Festival: Just Great Movies!

I'm deep in the fun of the TCFF (Traverse City Film Festival), which is celebrating its tenth year of movie awesomeness. No doubt there are better ways to describe the TCFF than "movie awesomeness," but it's really one of those things you have to experience to understand just how great this festival is for our city. 

I've volunteered at eight of the ten festivals, and I'm proud and excited to be a part of this event every year. My husband and I are managers at the City Opera House for our second year (if you recall, we are also managers there during the Winter Comedy Festival). While we normally manage the concessions stand, we are hospitality managers this year and get to help the film, venue, and festival sponsors to their seats for each film. I like being in the front-of-house and working more with the patrons who come to the movies, but I do miss nibbling on popcorn non-stop...

The TCFF is an extraordinary event. This year, the festival is touting over 160 films (not including multiple screenings of films!) playing at ten venues around Traverse City non-stop from 9 a.m. until midnight for five days. Oh, and that doesn't count Opening Night or all the movies that played in nearby towns before the festival started. Or the months of planing that went into making this years' event happen. WHEW! Just thinking about that kind of orchestration exhausts me.

The festival is so much more than just movies, though. They have a free all-day festival for kids, late-night movies outside on a giant screen at the Open Space, international and local musicians, parties galore, free movies, a film school, conversation panels with awesome people, and for cryin' out loud MOVIES ON A BOAT. I don't care who you are, you will find something to get geeked about at this festival (and plenty of eco-friendly ways to navigate it).

One of my favorite parts about TCFF are the film makers, actors, directors, musicians, producers, and other special guests coming to Traverse City to participate in panel discussions, Q&As after movies, or just to sit town and chat with locals in restaurants or waiting for films to start. There is something indescribably special about watching a great movie and then having a conversation with someone who helped the film come together. Maybe it's the inherent human need we all have to connect and understand each other that makes meeting these people so special to me; I can honestly say it never gets old. I love their stories, and I love the art they create and share with the world. The Film Fest makes these experiences possible for hundreds (probably thousands) of people every year, and that's truly remarkable.

I also love chatting with the patrons about what movies they loved, where they live and how far they traveled to get here, and about their experience at the festival. I know many locals that take the whole week off work to either volunteer and make things happen or watch loads of movies and orchestrate their schedules to squeeze in as many films as possible.

Me, I'm a volunteer through-and-through. I like making things happen and I always make new friends (or get to see lots of familiar faces when people come to see the movies). There is great camaraderie at all the festival venues, and since the very first festival I've loved being a part of everything TCFF stands for and what it gives back to the people in this town. If you're interested in being a part of all this goodness, shifts are still available...and we'd love to have you volunteer! Please sign up!

Already I've seen two wonderful movies, but truth be told, I'm a documentary person. We have tickets to see two documentaries this year and I'm so excited for them! I'm missing a few films I'd like to see due to either working my regular job or working my volunteer position (yes, it is an exhausting week for everyone), but I've faith that these films will be available sometime soon. Oh, that's another perk of having a local film festival: foreign, experimental, and/or indie movies make it to our local library and video rental stores when they're released, and everyone in town wants to see them! People recognize titles from the TCFF and want to see films they otherwise wouldn't get the chance to see (because of schedule conflicts or sold-out shows), and that's really cool. There is a fantastic sense of community built into these films and the power they have to bring disparate groups of people together.

Ok, I think that's enough blabbering. The facts are this: TCFF is awesome. Movies are awesome. You are awesome...so you should volunteer, or watch some great movies, or chow down on popcorn, or do all of the above. Just make sure you come check out this amazing festival in Traverse City...and enjoy the show!

Student and Alumni Outreach Committee: Bringing new YPs to TC

As the Traverse City Young Professionals group continues growing, we're building up our committees and expanding our reach in the community. One group that really takes this to heart is the Student and Alumni Outreach Committee. These great folks are welcoming and recruiting future YP generations to Traverse City as well as helping to connect homegrown talent to local employers. Interested in learning more about what they do? Read on to find out!

On Thursday, March 6th, a few members of the TCYP Student & Alumni Outreach Team attended the Annual NMC Career Fair at the Hagerty Center. Numerous attendees inquired about the TCYPs. It was good exposure and a great way to let job seekers know how we could help them network in their respective fields. Since the job fair was not limited to patrons under 40, they were also able to promote the TC Chamber, the networking opportunities offered by the Chamber and the job portal on the Chamber website.

The YP Student & Alumni Outreach Program connects with both prospective graduates and current Young Professionals in the area. Colleges and universities can use this program to help provide education to potential graduates on the opportunities Traverse City has to offer. The program is also designed to continue the college spirit for alumni’s through various civic involvement and community events. They also foster professional relationships, as well as build awareness of the resources available to young professionals considering a move to Traverse City.

If you're a current YP, contact Josh or Courtney to learn more about how you can participate in the committee. Let them know if you're an active member of your alma mater's alumni association in TC...it would be great to have you on board to attract recent college graduates to our beautiful region!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone...and keep thinking spring!

Guest Blogger Michelle Elliott: Run, Walk, or Leap into Spring!

We're halfway through March and itching for warm weather, but still stuck with plenty of below-freezing temperatures. Still, it's no reason to stay cooped-up inside! YP Michelle Elliott shares her St. Patrick's Day weekend festivities, where she hung out with over 700 green-clad friends having a great time at the Leapin' Leprechaun 5K race. Check out those great costumes!

St. Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I know what you’re thinking; it’s because of all the pub-crawls, shamrock shakes and green beer right? Well, not totally. For me St. Patrick’s Day has always been that sign that spring is right around the corner. In the past it has been warm and it has snowed, but regardless, there is typically a party and everyone is having a great time. 

 

This year, I got to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend by working. Yes, working. It’s the nature of the beast if you’re in the event industry. Most of the time you are working while others are playing. I love it. It is rewarding to see all your hard work pay off and witness hundreds of people laughing and joking.  

I work for the National Cherry Festival which organizes the Fifth Third Bank Leapin’ Leprechaun 5K. This fun 5K is held annually on St. Paddy’s day weekend. This year was chilly but we still had over 700 people wake up early to race around town. They definitely dressed to impress in their Irish best.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a St. Patrick’s Day celebration without a gold Guinness at the post-race party. We had a heated tent set up so everyone could warm up and listen to local favorites Don Julin and Billy Strings. It was a brisk morning, but those who came out had a good time.  

There were plenty of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around town this past week. If you are ever curious about what to do visit the Ancient Order of the Hibernians website.  They have an entire event calendar dedicated to all the Irish festivities in Traverse City. 

"What is Art, Anyway?" Lecture Series at The Box

When I was moving back to Traverse City after attending college in Ann Arbor, I was wary about what kinds of "academic" opportunities would be available, if any. Lucky for me, TC has grown in all kinds of ways since I was in high school, and there are plenty of learning activities and speaker events out there. 

As a History of Art major, I was thrilled to hear that the Art Center of Traverse City was hosting a six-week lecture series called "What is Art, Anyway?" They have different panels slated for each week to discuss what art is, and based on some of the speakers they have lined up (graffiti artists, gallery owners, and even this past years' ArtPrize winner!), it is geared up to be a great series.

 
The other part of this series that was particular exciting to me was the location: The Box. Back in its day, The Box was a cigar factory. Much later in its life, and just prior to the major renovations that converted it into a beautiful event space, it was the gym I went to for years. I'd not been inside The Box yet, and I was itching to see how the space was converted from a place where I took Spinning lessons and read way too many magazines on elliptical machines.

I wasn't the least bit disappointed: The Box is gorgeous. It's an open layout that doubles as a living and entertaining space. The space is modern but intimate, and the tone is very cozy and warm. I loved the high ceilings, wood floors, and magnificent kitchen. I'll look for any excuse to visit The Box again!

I went to the first art lecture, which included three artists: Ann Loveless (the 2013 ArtPrize winner), Del Michel, and Bob Purvis. There were a ton of people there, and even though I was among the younger attendees, I would highly recommend the lecture series to people of all ages and educational backgrounds. The audience actively participated and lots of great questions and conversations were thrown into the mix.

 It was great to get the perspective of three different (and successful) artists from our area. They talked about the growth they've made as artists, the moments they first knew they were artists, and took questions from the crowd about their work, vision, and what art means to them as artists. Plenty of folks from the audience had their own opinions about art, too, but it did make for engaging dialogue. All in all, it was a really enjoyable lecture and I'm looking forward to attending another one before the end of the series (plus, it means another visit to The Box).

If you're looking to attend this lecture series, you can learn more about each week's lecture here. Personally, I think their graffiti, street art, and tattoo art lecture looks really interesting, and it's definitely geared towards a younger generation. Keep your eyes peeled for other great speaking events in our area...if you're an academic, you'll find plenty of opportunities to keep your mind sharp in TC!

Here:Say Storytelling at InsideOut Gallery

Last night, I went to the InsideOut Gallery to hear some awesome storytelling by Here:Say. I've never been to a Here:Say storytelling session before (they are fairly new; it was their fourth event), so I wasn't sure what to expect. Boy, was I glad I went, because it was AWESOME!

The Inside Out Gallery isn't a spot that I frequent, but after visiting for Here:Say I couldn't tell you why I've not been there. They have awesome artwork, a full bar (you can bring in food), and essentially 80% of the people listening in for Here:Say we're under the age of forty. How has this place snuck under my radar for so long? The vibe is modern and unique, full of bright colors with a hip edginess. Plus, it touts that bold industrial vibe that I love so much! I'll definitely be checking the InsideOut Facebook for more great events in the future.

Here:Say is a local oral-storytelling group. According to their Facebook page, Here:Say is "a monthly storytelling event at InsideOut Gallery where we can reconnect through the stories that tell us life’s many truths. What would happen if we started telling our stories again?"

The topic for this week was stories from the water cooler...or, essentially, workplace tales. Like I said, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've not spent much time at these kinds of "artsy" events, but I love hearing my friends tell stories and listening to different tales on the radio essentially every time I'm in my car. I figured, what did I have to lose?

As it turns out, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The stories shared at Here:Say were sad, happy, heartfelt, tragic, touching, laugh-out-loud hilarious...and above all, fantastic. Even with what seems like a narrow subject matter, no two stories were remotely similar. It was amazing to see how each artist interpreted the subject and told their stories with such detail and honesty. I loved every story I heard for different reasons, even the one that stayed with me the rest of the night about a police officer who witnessed the death of a 6-year-old he tried to save from a car accident. Each one resonated with a part of me, and I felt connected both to the storytellers and the other people in the room sharing the experience with me. 

My first experience with Here:Say will certainly not be my last. My favorite thing about Here:Say was how everyone turned away from their phones and completely focused on other human beings for two hours, listening to someone's story and connecting with the individuals around them instead of their technological devices. People were engaged, and we all tuned in to our fellow humans. We learned something about someone who was initially a total stranger but exited the stage as someone we felt we knew and understood. I feel that I rarely experience that so organically these day, and I was so honored to be a part of something so intimate. Each time someone approached the stage, I was excited to hear what they were going to share with the room and what part of their life we were going to have the privilege to learn about. How cool is that?

I'm already looking forward to hearing what stories will be told next month, and for visiting InsideOut again. If you're in the TC area complaining about there being nothing fun to do in the winter...come check it out!  The next Here:Say is Monday, February 17 from 7-9 p.m. Hope to see you there!

TCYP Annual Conference Recap

Last week, I joined around 50 young professionals in the TC area for a fun-filled day we like to call the TCYP Annual Conference! This year the TCYPs decided to do something a little "out-of-the-hotel-conference-room" and into the great northern Michigan outdoors. As you can imagine, it was an incredibly good time and a beautiful place to spend the day (even if it was chilly and a bit rainy).

This year's conference took place at the Leelanau Outdoor Center, which is a camp during the summer and acts as a company/school retreat facility in the fall and winter. It never ceases to amaze me how many wonderful things there are in our area that I've never seen or experienced before, and the Leelanau Outdoor Center (lovingly dubbed "LOC") is one of those places. The whole property took my breath away, and it made me want to be a kid at summer camp all over again. Luckily, that is essentially what I got to do: play games and have fun with total strangers who end up being my friends at the end of the day, all while playing outside and stepping away from technology. I'm always game for that.

The morning started off with a hot (delicious) breakfast and gave us the chance to meet with some new friends and reconnect with old friends. Everyone gathered in the great house, which was nice because it kept us out of the rain during the worst of it.

After breakfast, we listened to Bill Marsh Jr. give the keynote address. I found Bill's presentation to be insightful, beneficial, and relevant to my life and where I am in my career. He talked about personal branding, and how to view yourself as a brand where people come to expect certain things from you as an individual just as we expect certain things from other brands we use. What do you stand for? How do you present yourself to people? Do you deliver a consistent high-quality product to everyone you work with, so that they know what to expect when they work with you? It made me think about who I am, how I want to be perceived by the world, and what I need to change to get what I really want out of life (and also spend more time pinning down what I really want out of life. As he put it, the steps are very straight-forward and easy to grasp but are difficult to think about and put into place. I am working each day to take what he said into consideration for my life as both an individual and as a professional.

After all that sitting and focusing, it was time to head outside and start moving! We were broken up into groups and set off to do some team-building and communicating activities, which were really fun and very challenging. For instance, I was blindfolded while my team tried to guide me to swing over to a wooden platform 12 feet away. Oh, yeah, and only 2 members of my 10-person team could talk. It was intimidating, but I learned to work together with these total strangers and trust in them to help the whole team succeed. We also did a balancing-beam-type activity (shown above) where we needed to move from the little square platforms and move the beams to get our whole team across to the other side...without talking to each other. Pretty nuts!

It was great learning more about my team members and working together to accomplish something even though we didn't know each other at all when the morning started. We established a sense of companionship and teamwork through our body language, physical actions, and attentiveness to each other without being allowed to talk to each other for 90% of the activities. I didn't realize how tricky or rewarding it would be, but I definitely noticed the growth in our group and how much more relaxed and comfortable we were with each other when we were finished.

The LOC is located right on the coast of Lake Michigan, so I was ecstatic that we were able to go down to the beach before lunch. I mean, just look at that beautiful water! Even on a cloudy, rainy, chilly day...I am still so calmed and yet exhilarated by the power and magnitude of Lake Michigan.

After another delicious and satisfying meal, we were off to some more fun! Rock climbing, canoeing, a high ropes course, ziplining...man, I really do want to go back to summer camp!!

I chose to do the climbing wall and the zipline, and I was pumped about both my choices. I realized two-thirds up one of the climbing walls that I was pretty uncomfortable up there and maybe a bit scared of heights, so I came back down. But, I gave the "harder" wall a chance and made it all the way to the top with the help of one of the LOC counselors and my fellow YPs cheering me on. I was very proud! Everyone did a great job. I had to go over and see what the ropes course crew was up to, though, because it looked like one sweet ropes course.

 

We also got to ride the 250' zipline through the forest, which is ALWAYS fun. Still, I think it's even more fun when you're with a fantastic group of YPs and you're trying to shoot a ball into a basketball hoop situated halfway down the course. Just sayin'.

Our day concluded with a hike up to Pyramid Point. If you live in the TC area and you've still never had your breath knocked out of you from the view at the top of Pyramid Point, you absolutely positively MUST GO. It is one of the most fantastic views in the whole area, and it's a very secluded hike...it is not as popular as some of the other sights in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which makes it feel even more intimate and personal. Like I said, even on a "bleh" kind of day, there is something magical about this place we are lucky to call home.

Warren Call, 2013 TCYP Chair, trying to convince everyone to run to the bottom of the sand dune...or something.

Our group had diminished some by the end of the day (I heard that some canoes flipped over the in water...ouch), but I still had the opportunity to meet new YPs I didn't get to see during the rest of the day and connect with some fantastic people. Oh, and did I mention that Pyramid Point is amazing?

Overall, the conference exceeded my already-high expectations. I met some truly fantastic and inspirational people, and I felt that I grew as an individual and as a professional. I was challenged, I tackled new activities, and I was able to make some real connections with professionals who are my age and live in my town. There is a great strength and comfort that comes with being around like-minded people who are ambitious, intelligent, passionate about what they do, and in love with this region we all call home. I was so glad I was able to be a part of this day and learn so much from so many people. It was a wonderful experience, and I already can't wait until next year!

Did you attend the TCYP Annual Conference? What did you think about it? Please share your feedback and thoughts in the comments below!

- Mo