CD That's Me

Before you know it, someone will be asking me , "can you believe it's already Labor Day?" Every year I roll my eyes when people say, "summer goes by faster and faster," and yet here I am another year older and saying exactly that.

I don't know if it's because we're older, busier, or simply paying more attention to being in the moment and realizing how precious time really is, but the calendar seems to be moving at warp speed. June always feels full of possibility. This June we did so much too and spent a lot of time in two of our happy places – Italy and the Hamptons. We were home for a bit in July but then ventured off again this time to Spain and Morocco. So, July is a blur of stoopt...

Before I left for Europe, I wrote about the freedom of packing light. It sounds great in theory. And now that I had put in on paper and out in the universe, I had to do it IRL.

So the real test. Did I follow my own advice? I'm happy to report... yes. The biggest lesson wasn't that I pack less - it is that I pack smarter.

And this trip became my unofficial experiment of a new way of packing. I am going to call it bundling (more on that later – wow it works!) And of course sticking to one color palette. Instead of throwing in every "just in case" outfit (because we all know that's really code for I might feel bloated or like a completely different person on Day 6), I committed to one simp...

This question immediately convinces me that I need five pairs of shoes, three "just in case" outfits, two layering pieces even though it looks hotter than hot, and enough skincare products to open a tiny Sephora.

My husband constantly telling me that I am rid...

A couple of weeks ago someone read one of my blog posts and asked, "Did AI write that?" I see this topic a lot lately and its frustrating. We are told to be more effective and utilize better time management skills - so in other words use AI. And then we are criticiczed for using it too much and are called out for using it even if we have not.

AI is becoming a very hot topic. The dangers, the indicators, the "cheating". Mention you used it and someone immediately says, "I can always tell." But can they though? How can you tell - that extra long hypen or those overused SAT words. So when I was asked, I'll admit it. . . I laughed a little. And the answer is yes and absolutely not.

Maybe sometime...

I am going to make my famous ice box cake again for your special day. And then I am going to sit back and watch the craziness that is about to take over the Back Bay. I am very lucky to have one of the best seats in the house for the 4th of July weekend festivities. I live on the Charles River in Boston, where preparations are underway for one of the biggest celebrations our nation has ever produced: America's 250th birthday.

For event producers, it's hard not to see this milestone through the lens of our profession. While most people see fireworks, tall ships, concerts, ceremonies, crowds and partying, we see timelines, permitting, contingency plans, endless meetings, production schedules, ...

Want to know what scares me? Not AI, but people blindly trusting it. Because AI is a little like that overly confident vendor who promises everything is "absolutely handled." Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't. And you don't find out until much later.

Which means experience still matters. ...

It seems like everyone is talking about AI. And when this talk started, I'll admit it, my first thought wasn't "Wow, this is exciting." It was more along the lines of: "Well, now robots have finally come for the event industry."

As someone who's spent years producing events, managing timelines, navigating last-minute changes, calming stressed clients, and somehow locating a missing podium five minutes before doors open, I was skeptical.

Because if you've ever worked in events, you know one thing: Nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. And honestly - that's half the job.

The other half is pretending everything is under control while internally freaking out and calculating seven backup pla...

There is something about the arrival of June that always feels like a reset. The pace slows, the days get longer, and for the first time in what feels like forever, the calendar isn't dictating my every moment.

For me, this summer begins with a needed break from events. After a busy stretch, I have a few months without anything on the schedule. While I love the energy, excitement, and connections that come with event season, I'm embracing this pause. It's an opportunity to relax, regroup, and recharge before the fall madness arrives. Come September, it feels like there will be an event nearly every week, so I'm determined to make the most of this lazy season.

We've been on the South Fork for ...

Event Mode is a state of mind.

It is when you are a couple of days, a week or even a month out from an event and all you can do is focus on getting through and making it a success.

It is when you double and triple check the flight itineraries, the ground transportation, the menus, the scheduled activities, the vendor installation schedules, the hotel resumes, the Banquet Event Orders (BEO) and the staffing plans.

It is when you do your job and everyone else's because you become a control freak, or in my case, more of a control freak.

It is when you neglect your own well being and then wake up, look in the mirror and the realize you need to make a few beauty appointments and fast.

It is when you w...