The UEFA Europa Leage Final

I apologize ahead of time if my sentences are a bit jumbled. My brain feels like jelly and I’m very sleep deprived. . . . but at the same time, I can’t stop smiling! Wednesday was the UEFA Europa League Final, and all of the projects we’ve been working on at 180 went off without a hitch. The 180 team is happy, the Western Union team is happy, and of course, the Chelsea fans are very happy!

I try to avoid talking about work on the blog, as Pressed Words is my happy place. I spend way too much time thinking about work as it is! But I took a few snaps on Wednesday that I would love to share, as a tribute to the team and all of their hard work over the past few months.

I spent the majority of Wednesday at the Heineken Music Hall, a big concert venue across from the Ajax Arena. Western Union had rented out the hall for the day, and invited 700 executives, agents, and customers from around the world to join them in celebrating their partnership with the UEFA Europa League. 180 was responsible for producing the event, which included an awesome experiential show, speeches from key executives, and a live panel discussion with famous football players such as Patrick Vieira and Hope Solo. The experiential show was a huge undertaking. We created a 7 minute film that introduced Western Union, football, and the UEFA Europa League partnership. This alone would have been a time-consuming edit to make. However, to build a true 360 experience, we rigged 7 LED panel screens around the room, surroudning the audience and creating a dramatic, all-encompassing cinematic experience.
We spent the afternoon doing sound checks and dress rehearsals, practicing again and again to be sure the event itself would be a success.In the end, all of our hard work paid off. The show was phenomenal, and all of the guests were thoroughly impressed.The grand finale of the show was a rainfall on confetti, bringing a smile to everyone’s face!Behind the scenes, Hope Solo and Patrick Vieira were waiting, ready to go on stage for their panel discussion.Following a short introduction, Hope and Vieira made their appearance, delighting fans who crowded towards the front of the room to snap a photo. While the show at the Heineken Music Hall was a closed event, Western Union also made sure to do something extra special for the fans outside. Another project 180 worked on for the Final was the Fanzone – an awesome entertainment experience for Chelsea and Benfica fans outside the Ajax Arena. Prior to the match, UEFA invited fans to enjoy music, drinks, and dancing in the open air, and as Presenting Partner, Western Union were allocated a plot of land beside the arena to engage with fans. Of course, we had to create a football experience! But it also had to reap Western Union.Our entire campaign for Western Union and the UEFA Europa League is based around PASS. Every time a player in the UEFA Europa League passes the ball, Western Union donates a day of education to underprivileged youth around the world. This season, football players in the UEL passed the ball over 178,000 times, creating 178,000 days of schooling. That’s a whole lot of education!

For the fanzone, we wanted to create a way fans could help contribute to the PASS fund as well. So we built a massive, rotating globe, with several holes cut out. Every time a fan managed to kick the ball into the globe, a day of education was added to the PASS fund. On the day of the final, the fans helped create an additional 1,192 days of education for kids living in poverty. Patrick Vieira and Hope Solo even visited the Western Union fanzone, greeting fans and scoring a few goals of their own!

After all of the excitement, it was time for the Final!! We made our way to the Ajax Arena, where Western Union had rented out a fancy-pants hospitality area at the stadium.There was delicious food, unlimited booze, and live entertainment prior to the match. After a day of hard work I was ravenous! But only had a short amount of time to scarf down some food before the game started.

We had done all of the branding in the hospitality area – the walls were decorated with Western Union art and the TVs played specially created Western Union films. It was great to see all of our hard work appreciated in real life!
We also designed the Man of the Match trophy – a beautiful piece of art presented by Western Union to commemorate the best player of the evening. Finally we took out our tickets and proceeded into the stadium. The fans were going crazy as the match trophy was brought out onto the field. Luckily, we had blue skies in Amsterdam that night – a rate occurrence. The past few weeks have been rain, rain, rain! It was nothing short of a small miracle the sun was out!Before the game begun, a beautiful ceremony took place, honoring the sport and the city of Amsterdam for hosting the Final.Helicopters circled above the stadium. . .  And the press took their place. . .And finally all of the Benfica and Chelsea players took the field!One side of the stadium was completely blue, and the other side was red. 
I have to say, the Benfica fans were a much more supportive crowd, singing, yelling and chanting throughout the match.Finally the game begun! After all of our work leading up to the final, it was awesome to see the players live in action. 180 had created the Western Union LED boards displayed around the pitch – it’s crazy to think that three weeks ago, those were just artwork files sitting on my laptop. And now they have been viewed by over 180 million fans around the world!

At halftime we went back into the hospitality area for more drinks and socializing – but didn’t stay for long. All of the action took place in the second half of the match!Benfica scored one glorious goal, delighting fans.  But in the end, it was Chelsea who won, pulling ahead 2-1. The Benfica players were absolutely gutted, falling down on the pitch, depicted crying on the jumbotron screen. Chelsea’s team name was engraved into the UEL trophy, and the Man of the Match was announced.  The press once again took their place, ready for the trophy to be handed over to Chelsea.  As the trophy was claimed, confetti shot off into the crowd, lighting up the stadium in one last ‘hurrah!’ Buzzed and happy, we all returned to the hospitality area once again, where we hung out with Patrick Vieira and Hope Solo, celebrating late into the night.

I still can’t believe it’s all over. Until next year! x

Monday Happiness

I think I’ve stressed this before, but lately, I’ve been super, super busy with work. In a nutshell? I work at 180 Amsterdam. I am Account Manager on Western Union and they are the Presenting Partner of the UEFA Europa League. Which means me, the girly American, had to learn all about soccer football.

My calendar year now seems to revolve around the UEFA Europa League Final – which is in two days! And by pure coincidence the Final is taking place in Amsterdam this year. We have so many projects and awesome activations coming to life over the next 48 hours – I’m excited, nervous, and very sleep deprived.

Hence the flowers.

You see, when I am so busy with work, I really don’t have time for anything else. Friends, drinks, dates, and fun all get the backseat and life becomes functional. Work. Shower. Food. Sleep. When this happens, I do two things.

Firstly, I stock the fridge with tons of goodies. If I’m going to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at my desk four days a week, that one night I make it home is going to be culinarily phenomenal.

I also buy flowers, because they make me happy. Flowers are easy. I love books, baking, and bikram, but sometimes I just don’t have the energy or time to enjoy my favorite things. So when I’m short on time, it’s the little pleasures, like flowers, that keep me sane and bring an easy smile to my face. 
So these are my pink peonies, the delicate little buds I took a gamble on at the farmer’s market this weekend. Over the past two days, they’ve blossomed into the most beautiful flowers I have seen in a long time.And so on Monday night, when my eyes are heavy and my brain can’t stop ticking with work, this is what happiness looks like. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. x

Rockin’ Raining Rolling Kitchen

At approximately 3.15pm today, the sun came out. B and I were walking home from pilates. We had planned on spending the afternoon at IKEA, eating hotdogs and picking out curtains. But, swayed by a rare moment of weekend sun, we decided to head up to the Westergasfabriek for the annual Rollende Keukens instead. Rollende Keukens, or the Rolling Kitchen, is a culinary festival that takes place in Amsterdam every year, attracting colorful food trucks of all shapes, sizes, and cuisines. The entire Westergasfabriek is transformed into a big open air food festival, with countless mobile restaurants to choose from. There’s also drinking, dancing, and booze to boot!

At approximately 4.22pm B and I left the house. About 5 minutes into our adventure, it started to pour.
We braved the weather all the way to the Westergasfabriek tram, and arrived at Rollende Keukens slightly damp and incredibly hungry. Despite the gloomy weather, lots and lots of trucks were sprawled out everywhere, serving up everything from tapas to fondue. We started our visit with a stroll around the park, checking out all of the food trucks, deciding what to dig into first. We almost went for the pulled pork cheese burger, but bumped into friends who strongly advised against it. Tummies rumbling, we surveyed the scape, plotting our fist feast. It was hard to decide between gyros, risotto, or hot melty cheese pots. . .  The smoked fish and vegetables also looked fantastic.  However, our first conquest was a simple cob of corn, a yummy, salty, buttery aperitif! After our crispy corn, we blended into the crowd for a bit, enjoying a drink and listening to some music. As we swayed, the rain slowly stopped and the clouds started to burn off.
Which could mean only one thing. It was time for a BBQ! B dragged us back to a smoky American BBQ stall, where we got chicken wings, a pulled BBQ chicken wrap, and a HUGE pile of napkins.  We enjoyed our fare on a picnic bench, ‘ohhing’ and ‘aahing’ over tasty barbecue sauce and each rare glimpses of the sun.  Stuffed to the brim, I asked B if we could find some coffee. However, B’s belly is bottomless and he kindly explained that he had at least three more food truck stops in him. Yikes! Next up was nachos. These guys tasted like typical fair ground nachos – nothing special and way over priced.
 Always a champ, B dug in and killed every last crispy chip.  After a few more culinary pit stops, it was coffee time!As awesome as the pulled chicken was, this coffee takes the cake. I ordered a mocha. The barista made me a pipping hot coffee, and then proceeded to dump in two heaping spoonfuls of chocolate chips. Hello new favorite way to drink coffee!
Life lesson of the day? Food tastes good, rain or shine!! We will definitely see you again next year, Rollende Keukens! x

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

When I was a kid, my mom would leave little  ’I love you’ notes in my lunchbox. Oh to be young, careless, and unconditionally loved!

Mom was always thinking up fun things for our family to do – from road trips to finger painting, she made sure my sisters and I were trying new things, seeing new sights, and enjoying our childhood to the fullest. I went to Disney World, got bed time stories every night, and always had a snuggle buddy during scary thunder & lightning storms. I took so much for granted. Rides to swim practice, family dinner at the table every night, help with homework. . . . my mom was spectacular, she was truly born for the job. As a teen my mom was my confidant, and now as an adult, she is one of my best friends.

If your mom is as special as mine, you probably want to show her. Which is why I’ve started thinking about Mother’s Day gifts, as I’ll need to pop my ‘thanks’ into a mailbox in the next few days. Luckily, I have a huge collection of Pinterest favorites to choose from. If you’re short on ideas, here are a few I’ve had my eye on:

If your Mom likes to be pampered, this Owl Soap, Lip Balm, and Nourishing Serum is the ultimate Mother’s Day gift set, – and it’s so adorable! Similarly, Paul & Joe have some beautiful Color Powder Sets which would make a lovely addition to any Mom’s dresser. And to hold all of her favorite jewels, I love this Eva Table Mirror on Joss & Main. Potpourri, a pretty scarf, colorful jewelry, or a lux makeup bag are also thoughtful gifts for the beauty-queen Mom. The ultimate pampering-present is a gift card to the spa – this one is my Mom’s personal favorite!

If you’re Mom is super domestic, this is the most happy cleaning device I have ever seen. I know it’s a dust pan, but seriously, just look how happy it is! Pair this Mint Smiley Dustpan with an iTunes gift card so Mom can rock out while she tidies, and maybe throw in some chocolates too, just for good luck! A pretty piece of pottery is always appreciated, and a nice cutting board is timeless! You can make mom a table-top herb garden, or just buy her a lovely pot so she can do her own gardening. And this is my all time favorite gardening hat. Seriously the cutest mom-hat ever!

If you’re a crafty kid, you could bake Mom a cake. Breakfast in bed never goes out of style, and lunch in the garden is equally dreamy! This DYI tote bag is so cute and is a homemade gift that’s not too homemade looking. Gifts dont have to be expensive or complex, and small gestures, like this homemade mobile, are gorgeous, inexpensive, and so heartwarming for Mom! Every year I get ambitions and want to make Mom personalized  soaps, candles, fragrances, or coasters – but never seem to have enough hours in the day!

Good luck in your gift hunting! And just remember, if all else fails, give Mom a card or even just a little ‘I love you’ in her lunchbox. It’s the small things that matter, and your appreciation really is the best gift! x

Queen’s Day Cupcakes

This post is a bit delayed because I’ve been recovering. Queen’s Night was amazing, Queen’s Day even more so. And by amazing, I mean drinking-dancing-sunshine-boozing-laughing-smiling-no-sleep-oh-my-god-it’s-only-Tuesday amazing.

As you might guess, once the festivities are over, it takes the city a while to crawl back to normal. The celebratory stages and stalls are packed away, the trash slowly swept from the streets. Off go the tourists and back to work goes the hungover city. Short weeks are great, but not when you spend them brutally tired, desperately trying to make up for lost time. Clients forgive me.

Rewind a bit to last weekend. It’s Saturday, the sun is out, and Queen’s Day has not yet happened. I’m shopping around, pop into a party shoppe, and come across this:

Oh my goodness gold baking glitter!! What could be better?! Perhaps this:

Little mini gold cupcake foils!?! What a find! Classic baking dork.

I eagerly fill my arms with golden-sparkly goodies, excited to indulge in some Queen’s Day baking. Ambitiously, I had every intention of sharing these Queen’s Day cupcakes BEFORE Queen’s Day. But time was sparse, what with celebrating and recovering and all. So unfortunately these cupcakes are a bit delayed. But they’re super cute and delicious, so I hope you can forgive them.
To get started, line your cupcake pans with cupcake foils. Any color will do, although I highly recommend festive-gold. The next part is super easy. Make ANY kind of cake batter and frosting you want. I went for vanilla cupcakes (good recipe here) and ginger cream cheese frosting (just ginger soft cheese + powdered sugar whipped together). To make these cupcakes into super-special Queen’s Day cupcakes, the only two mandatories are apricots and a sharp knife. Otherwise, you’re free to bake as you wish. Easy peasy.First, mix your batter. Next, make your frosting. Pour your batter into your cupcake pans and pop ‘em in the oven. Don’t forget to set your timer!

Now’s the fun part. Ready for some royal apricot art? Lay your apricots flat on a cutting board, and with a rolling pin, flatten them out, one at a time. Once you have flattened your apricots, it’s time to make them into Queens Day crowns. Pick an apricot and gently trim off the top arch of the circle. Do the same to the bottom. Your circle should be starting to resemble a square. Now, cut the curved portion of the sides off as well. You should be left with a long, flat, apricot rectangle. Lengthwise, zigzag your knife in and out, cuting out three mini triangles:

You will be left with a pretty orange apricot crown. Repeat this until you have a Queen’s Day crown for every cupcake.I also bought some orange candy, so I could give some cupcakes crowns, and others polka-dots! Ding! Your cupcakes are done. Take them out of the oven, give them some time to cool, and then frost away.If you happen to have some gold baking sparkles, sprinkle them on top.The final step is the royal cupcake coronation. On top of each cupcake, place a little orange apricot crown. You can lay the crowns flat or stand them up. I prefer standing, but flat is easier if you’re transporting them.These guys are cute, absolutely delicious, and surely a more benign way to celebrate Queen’s Day! I recommend making a big batch and saving them for tea-time the day after Queen’s Day. A little royal pick-me-up, as you do.Happy belated Queen’s Day!

Sunshine Weekends

After what felt like months and months of gloomy weather, spring has finally sprung in Amsterdam. There are colorful tulips and crowded parks, late night sunshine and balmy bike rides. This past weekend, B and I went for a sunny stroll, and set ourselves down on a dock in the center of town. We watched the tourists buzz about, and the long canal boats float by, all while soaking up as much sun as humanly possible. 

Everyone else seemed to have the same idea, and the pier was filled with people reading, relaxing, and lapping at the sun.After an hour or two of sun basking, we hit the farmer’s market for some fresh dinner ingredients. When we got home, we opened all the windows, put on some happy tunes, and sipped a bit of bubbly.  To freshen things up a bit, we added a few sprigs of mint to our champagne. Super easy to do and makes for a bright and cheery spring cocktail.

 Warning: these go down all too easy.Throughly bubbly hydrated, it was time to get cooking. For dinner, we called on some seasoning advice from one of my favorite cookbooks, Jerusalem. We had bought a pork tenderloin, and surprise-surprise, there are no pork recipes in Jerusalem. So we improvised and were a bit unorthodox . . . and used a lamb shawarma recipe as a spice rub for the pork lion.
Peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, paprika, lemon juice, coriander – this recipe calls for a million and one spices, but is amazingly good.We topped everything off with a healthy dose of mint. B was an awesome prep chef and peeled / chopped parsnips and red onions. Which we then seasoned mildly, happy to let them roast in the loin’s hot juices. (lol loin’s hot juices) To accompany our meal, we made a light yogurt dip – olive oil, a bit of paprika, black pepper, shaved cucumbers, and mint sprinkled on top of some cool yogurt.
The result was absolutely amazing – I’m a huge fan of buying fresh produce from the farmer’s market and cooking a great meal right there and then. We devoured every last bite, delighted yet again with Jerusalem’s awesome recipes. Now it’s Sunday night and I’m already weekend dreaming again. Here’s to some more sunshine and happy times next weekend! x

 

Kicking off Queen’s Day

Today I woke up to my beautiful tulips, fully bloomed, wishing me a cheerful ‘good morning!’ They were a happy sight, so I took a quick snap to share with you all.

Their colors are quite timely, considering  the Queen’s Day festivities kick off today. Every year on April 30th, the Dutch get sloshed and raise a glass to the Queen. Amsterdam tuns into a giant block party, with awesome stages in all of the main squares, drinking and dancing in the streets, and hundreds of party boats all trying to navigate through the crowded canals. It’s an incredible sight – everyone wears orange and comes outside to enjoy the festivities. This year is extra special, as it’s the last Queen’s Day for a long time. Beatrix, the Queen, will be handing the throne over to her son on Tuesday, so next year we will be celebrating Kings Day! The coronation will take place in Amsterdam, so it’s a big day for the city!

Tonight, 180 has their annual Queen’s Day party with music, dancing and drinks – the start of an awesome weekend, packed with celebrations, and hopefully the sun will be out as well!

Hope you all have a lovely one! x