Wallace Design Collective

I love summer! The warm weather brings longer days with more time to enjoy the outdoors.

The days are more relaxed but also less organized, which is tough on working parents.

My children have enjoyed sleeping in and relaxing. They go to the library, play games with their cousins, eat snow cones and other summer treats and get the opportunity to swim almost daily. They are busy with soccer, tumbling and scouts. Thankfully gas prices are reasonable this summer!

I am blessed to be able to spend some time in the evenings and on weekend mornings sitting on my back porch. I enjoy watching the plants that I planted in the spring grow and fill the empty spaces in my garden with their blooms in the warm weather. My family enjoys the fresh herbs and tomatoes from the garden in our meals.

At the office things have been changing also. The summer brings new engineers who have just graduated and are eager to work. The office is full of high school and college interns getting some work experience over the summer. It is a fun challenge to train all of these new engineers and get them started on the lifelong learning of their careers. Just like my plants, it is a pleasure to see them become more productive and grow in their knowledge.

This summer I have especially enjoyed watching the FIFA Women’s World Cup of soccer (or football) that was played in Canada. The US women’s team had a promotion of #shebelieves. The inspiring message can be found on the U.S. Women soccer team website. The nation and the world watched these women display their skill, strength and determination with record ratings. My daughter and young women across the world were encouraged to believe in their dreams that they can be the best in all that they do as an athlete or excelling in academics.

I have also been trying to eat healthier this summer. I will end with a fun summer recipe to share with all of you. Eating salmon is supposed to be healthy, however, it never sounded as appealing as a good steak. This summer we have started to grill salmon. Soak cedar planks in water or chardonnay (the boxed variety, of course), add slices of lemon and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme. Place fresh salmon from your favorite market on the cedar planks and top with olive oil or butter. Sprinkle sea salt or another favorite seasoning on top. Grill and enjoy the wonderful aroma. We have become converts!

Enjoy the rest of your summer and the fruits of your labor. It goes too fast!