Hi! I’m Melodie, and I’m uber excited for you to join me here where party, crafting, and creativity collide. Before I go on, you may be wondering who I am. Well, here’s the lowdown.
I’m a Bay Area girl. I grew up in San Francisco and haven’t strayed too far since (sad… or awesome?). I spent my undergrad years in lovely San Diego studying Communication at UCSD: home of beautiful beaches, California burritos, and… wait for it… Geisel library :). After graduation, I decided to move back home and get a job.
I heart crafts. I think it’s part of my DNA. I remember watching my baachan (grandma) make a bunch of different artsy things, from dogs made out of string to super intricate Japanese dolls. My abuela (my other grandma) was a dressmaker in Cuba and even made my prom dresses based on my concepts. Though I’m not nearly as skilled as either of them, I know I’ve inherited their creativity. My mediums of choice are scrapbooking and paper crafts.
I LOVE food. Both eating and making. Ironically when I was younger, I hated eating. I’d eat literally two bites of something and be full. With age has come my appetite. What’s fascinating to me about food is that it can transport you to a time or place. It’s where tradition can be passed on from generation to generation. It’s how you can learn more about a culture without having to book a plane ticket. And, just like with crafts, it’s where creativity thrives. Isn’t that crazy?
I’m a marketer by day. I work at a financial institution doing marketing research and data analysis. That’s fancy talk for creating surveys, generating a bunch of reports on our marketing campaigns, and analyzing our customer base.
I love to learn. I have some degrees in seemingly unrelated topics: a wedding planning certificate from Cal State East Bay, an MBA from Santa Clara University, and most recently a green belt in Lean Six Sigma. I plan on bringing some of my good knowledge from these areas and sharing them with you. And I hope to learn a lot from you, my new friend.
I’m fascinated by the creative process. I get a nerdgasm reading/hearing/learning about other creatives’ inspirations and process behind their work. As a creative person, what gets your juices flowing? What inspires you and your work? How do you go about creating new things? Do you have a routine? I definitely want to explore this idea on the blog and see if sharing these ideas can make you and me more innovative.
Walt Disney is my icon. If you’re ever in the Bay Area, I would HIGHLY suggest visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum. Not only is it in one of the most historic and gorgeous parts of San Francisco, you’ll also be inspired by Walt’s life and legacy of creativity and innovation. He pioneered the notion of experiential marketing, which is something all good planners and hosts should keep in mind when developing an epic party.
I’m a reality TV junkie. It’s my escape of choice after a hard day’s work. My biggest weaknesses are Real Housewives of Atlanta or New Jersey, most cooking shows (i.e. Top Chef, almost anything on Food Network), and fitness shows like the Biggest Loser (mostly because of the before and afters… it brings me back to the Ricki Lake Show days. Go Ricki! Go Ricki!). Though I’m slowly trying to ease my way off of these shows, I seem to fall off the wagon a lot. Hey, the first step is admitting I have a problem, right?
I like sports. I’m a HUGE Golden State Warriors fan. It’s funny because my husband Scott admittedly gets his Warriors news from me. So if you ever talk to him and ask him what’s going on with the team, whatever he tells you most likely came from me. In terms of playing sports, I’m not very athletic, but I’m a pretty good bowler (my wish is that one day, these two things won’t be seen as opposites haha). One day I plan on getting a coach and becoming a pro. Ridiculous? Mm… maybe.
I’m an introvert. As I’m getting, older I feel like I’m becoming more socially awkward, which is definitely not something I’m proud of. I know that life is all about networking and meeting new people, but as an introvert, I’m better at listening to other people’s stories than telling my own to people I don’t know. That doesn’t really make for a lasting first impression. Cue this blog. So that’s me in a loooong nutshell. Thanks again for reading, and let’s start crafting a more beautiful life together, one party at a time! 