making the move (pt. 1)

hello!

i know, i know. i'm such a terrible blogger.
i promised not too long ago that i would commit to this & not stray, alas.
my sincerest apologies to those of you who've been waiting on pins & needles for another note from this newlywed.

however, i definitely have a great "excuse" for my absence.
you may or you may not know that John & i have recently gone through a tremendous life-change (aka, a move to New York City), and i am so excited to share with you (in extreme detail -- i hope you're okay with that) every thing that's happened for us in the last month!

the beginning of this story started on Saturday, August 21st, 2010.
John & i began the morning by loading all of our belongings into a Penske moving truck.
by mid-afternoon, every nook & cranny of said truck was bulging to the brim with every single silly thing we owned.

(interjection: the moving process is really enlightening. you begin to come to terms with all the "stuff" you actually have & you sort of go through this screening/cleansing process to decide what's necessary & what's not. I cannot believe that in just ONE year of marriage, we'd already managed to acquire so much!)

anyway, that afternoon, I set off (on my own) in the Penske & managed to make the 4 hour journey to my family's house in Kentucky all in one piece.
talk about a major self-esteem boost, ladies.
i probably blurted out, "iiii'm eeevery wooooman," like 12 times on my trip.
that truck was like a million feet long & (what felt like) the same measurement wide, too!
it rattled & rumbled at the blazing speed of 60 mph on the Interstate & threatened to wave its white flag to a few, furious gusts of wind.
however, after only one pit-stop, & only one incident of indecent exposure by a imbecile, i had made it! all by myself!

(so, you're wondering why i made such a crazy journey all alone, right? well, my last day of work was August 19th & John finished out the month at his job, so his last day wasn't until August 29th. we decided that i'd make the move a week earlier just to get a jump-start on everything; getting our belongings squared away, settling into our apartment & finding a new job.)

while the purpose of the trip to Kentucky was to put a few of our boxes & belongings in storage in my family's basement, i did spend some precious time with my family as well.
from Saturday, August 21st to Tuesday, August 24th, my family & i lounged around, went shopping, ate delicious meals & talked excessively about the next exciting/uncertain phase of our life (John & i's).

this is where the story of the moving truck ends, but, no, this saga is faaaaar from over!
in my next post, i will describe my actual trip into NYC.
i'm really looking forward to sharing it with you, & hope that you find lots of joy & amusement in sharing these moments & memories with me :)

peace.

from cleveland with love

yes. there it is, errrbody.

cleveland, ohio. in all its glory.

"what's in cleveland?"

"i've never heard anyone say, 'i'm going to cleveland on vacation.'"

-Joakim Noah

the famous NBA star said it as a jab to LeBron James, but i'll have you know, Joakim, cleveland is where it's at.

um, hello. ever heard of the Melick Family?

yeah, buddy.

they live in cleveland & in this great city is where i spent my summer vacation.

so, take THAT.

for the 4th of july holiday, john & i managed to sneak away from real life & head up north for some much needed "away time."

[in the dictionary you will find "the north" defined as:

"the land of 70 degree summers, non-humidity,

bratwurst & unsweetened tea."]

you read right folks, Yanks don't put sugar in their tea, & I must admit, I really like it.

john & i live 10 hours away from our family.

although we love the independence & the opportunity to make our own life together, at times it can be sad living so far away from the ones who mean the most.

john & i are very adventurous & courageous, so we made the choice to explore new places unlike where we grew up & what we've always known.

we've grown up & moved on & out to start a new life of our own, but, that doesn't mean we've forgotten the awesome people who instilled that brave, courageous, adventurous spirit in us.

you know what...

...there's just something about being with your family.

just simply, being.

you can sit with them for hours & hours & do nothing.

but, no, it's not nothing.

it's loving

it's sharing

it's laughing

it's crying

it's encouraging

it's supporting

you sit down together at noon & before you know it, 6, 7, 8 hours have passed!

(keep in mind, most of this sitting around is done while still wearing the pajamas from the night before. hair is a mess, face unkempt)

yes, you can look like an absolute Neanderthal around you family & they don't even skip a beat.

i absolutely love these aspects of family.

i absolutely love family.

how lucky i am to have been embraced into such a neat group of people.

i am so thankful every day.

(& the fact that the humidity percentage is like 0.02% on any given summer day when i visit them doesn't hurt either!)

we had such a fantastic time last week.

we cannot wait to see them again.

however, lots of things are changing at rapid paces for all of us, so it's all up in the air when we'll all be together again, but until that time of togetherness comes, I will relish in the fact that we will always have each other, always.

(p.s. thank god for Facebook & text messaging & iChat & Skype & the good old-fashioned telephone, right? sheesh, how would we k-i-t without technology?!)

if you'd like to know more about planning your next vacation to cleveland, feel free to ask me.

take my advice, don't listen to a THING Joakim Noah says.

he's just bitter that the Bulls suuuuuck & LeBron's going to the Heat.

xo

p.s. "k-i-t" = "keep in touch"

kind campaign & new dress a day

http://www.kindcampaign.com/

http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/

hi friends!

I know that my blah blah blag is supposed to be about all things, "me," but I thought I'd use one of my posts to help some friends promote their awesome causes/creativity.

the first place I want you to check out is the Kind Campaign website.

I first learned of the Kind Campaign when I interned in Los Angeles two summers ago.

my co-intern, Patti, helps a lot with event planning & publicity for the foundation.

check out all the neat things theses ladies are doing to encourage ALL of us to simply spread kindness among our friends, family, schoolmates & even strangers.

second, I'm featuring my sweet friend Marisa's blog, New Dress A Day.

I have known Marisa for two years & also met her at my internship in LA.

Marisa is totally creative & she has set out on a year-long journey to only spend $365 dollars on clothes.

breaking that down for you; that's Marisa spending NO MORE than $1/day on a new article of clothing each day.

she finds most of her pieces while thrifting. when she finds something great, she takes it home & puts her own, unique twist on it.

such a neat project!

thanks for lending your support to my friends.

hope this weekend is insanely awesome for all of you :]

I probably won't be blogging this weekend.

my husband gets back from a work trip in t-minus, like, an hour.

so, I'll be focusing all my attention on getting acquainted again!

peace.

xo

muffie mania

alrighty. it's high time I let you in on a little something about me:

I.

love.

pumpkin.

naaahhh. I'm not talking about the vegetable itself that's used for making Jack-O-Lanerns or Halloween decorations.

(however, Halloween does happen to my favorite pseudo-holiday, mind you.)

what I'm talking about is better than just the pumpkin vegetable.

what I'm talking about is the pumpkin FLAVOR.

you can put it into anything & what you've got is amazing.

pumpkin pie.

pumpkin ice cream.

pumpkin spice lattes.

heck, Claire's even has pumpkin lip balm. (I know, right?!)

(you know what? mentioning pumpkin spice lattes reminds me of a bone I need to pick with Starbucks.

sorry, but I'm going to have to interject in my own post.

those darn pumpkin spice lattes are never around as long as I'd like them to be at Starbucks.

I mean, hasn't Starbucks gotten the drift that pumpkin spice is probably their most popular & beloved flavor?

they should take a hint from Coffee Mate ((see previous post entitled, day #2, sans hubby)). they obviously caught on with the peppermint mocha & are doing quite well.

HELLO STARBUCKS! ANYONE THERE? I LOVE YOUR PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES AND WANT TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THEM ALL YEAR! PLEASE, DON'T MAKE ME WAIT AROUND FROM MARCH TO OCTOBER TO GET MY HANDS ON ANOTHER ONE!

sincerely,

me

&& p.s. I'm serious. iiiiiiif you couldn't already tell by my YELLING typing.)

okay, rant over.

I'll try & focus on making my point.

this afternoon, my friends, I was able to sneak away from work & grab Panera Bread for lunch!

after my yummy meal & on my way out of the restaurant, I stopped back by the register to purchase one of their deeeelicious pumpkin muffies.

okay, ya'll. for real.

pumpkin muffies are THE BOMB.

I believe it originally started just as the Panera Bread pumpkin muffin, but, people decided that the tops of them were more fun to eat, so they began baking the tops by themselves.

enter the term, muffie.

these bad boys are baked full of pumpkin goodness.

sprinkled with cinnamon & powdered sugar on the tippy-top, pumpkin muffies are a pastry experience unlike ANY other.

if I ever committed a crime (disclaimer: hello, I NEVER actually would. please, I'm afraid of being stuck in an elevator for 10 minutes, let alone a jail cell for 10 years...), I'd hold up a Panera Bread & say, "gimme all the pumpkin muffies in the buildin'! toss 'em in the bag & nobody gets hurt!"

I mean, after I did it, & before rushing out the door with my pumpkin muffie loot, I'd politely say "thanks!" & give a cute smile, of course.

I know that'd toooootally justify my actions :]

I'd have pumpkin muffies to last a lifetime.

that'd be pretty sweet.

the above photo is just one I found after Googling.

(hold up, "Googling" is officially a word now? my automatic spell checker didn't just give it a red underline...? hm, learn something new every day. congrats, Google, on becoming a real word!)

another insight into my little world -- I love Googling.

but, that's another story for another time.

if you love me, I mean truuuuly love me, you'd surprise me one day with pumpkin muffies.

I mean, if someone did that, I'd be the happiest little lady on the planet, for the rest of eternity.

seriously, ya'll.

these things make me THIS (idiotically) happy.

go enjoy one for yourself.

you won't regret it!

xo

day #3, sans hubby

hooray!

it's wednesday/hump day. whichever you prefer to call it.

oh, how i love the middle of the week.

(i mean, i love the END of the week most of all, but the middle sure is better than the beginning. can i get an amen?)

okay, it's confession time:

i have this dorky/extreme obsession with 'America's Next Top Model.'

John swears an intervention will be the only cure.

new episodes air each wednesday night at 9 p.m. est. i rarely miss one.

i can't help it. i guess i'm just another one of those dumb girls who cannot help but be intrigued by a society that worships celebrity & vanity.

character flaw? well, of course.

it really is a funny show when it comes down to it, though.

tyra is suuuuuch a diva, too.

she cracks me up & here are a few reason why:

• when she's trying to act cool or funny, it usually turns into a super-awkward moment & i'm like, "oh, stop it right now, I'm so embarrassed for you."
• she tries to give constructive criticism, but the majority of the time it comes off as bitchy & condescending.
• there are photos posted of her ALL over the model home, it just seems so "well, well, look at me, i'm a hot super model and you girls will never be as awesome as i am."

with all that said, i still watch the show (& will far into syndication), despite its silliness.

who knows?

next week during ANTM, Jeff Van Vondren, Candy Finnigan & Ken Seeley from A&E's, 'Intervention,' might walk right into our living room & offer to help me with my ANTM addiction.

i'd probably consider the help, but I wouldn't go quietly! :]

okay, switching gears:

i'm doing pretty well today. it's no fun anymore without my buddy John here.

not that it was ever fun, but it's starting to get a little tougher each day that we're not together.

i know that sounds so lame, but i'm not kidding.

marriage definitely connects two people on a much deeper, more radical level. it truly is like part of me is missing, which is legit because we're one person now, duh.

we aren't getting to talk much either. just a few texts here & there throughout the day when he's got a minute or two of downtime.

since he's been gone we've talked probably a total of 15 minutes. :[

that's not much time when you're used to talking to your spouse for hours, face to face, every day.

in the 3 days that he's been gone, i've really come to see how helpful & amazing he is when he's here.

i'm starting to realize that most of us probably take advantage of the presence of a lot of the people in our lives. it isn't until they're gone that you realize how grateful you are to have them.

i cannot wait for him to be home so we can catch up.

i'll probably talk, like, 1,000 miles a minute for a the first day that he's back.

so much to say & tell him & ask him about his trip!

i'll retire this post for now.

tyra's about to cut one of the models.

can't miss it!

xo

sister's 20th birthday :)

i'd like to introduce my dahhhling little sister, jordan.

today, june 22, is her 20th birthday!

she has officially lived through the 90s & the first decade of the new millennium.

congrats, girl!

i cannot believe she is no longer a teenager.

she's blossomed into such a lovely little lady & she's almost too cute for words. i mean, RIGHT?!

even though she wouldn't think it, as I'm the older sibling, I definitely look up to her. she's a fantastic person, she's a really hard worker & she's such a great friend to all her buddies.

I'm so happy she's a part of my life & that she plays the role of my one & only little sister.

I lover her oodles. she's a hoot.

happy 20th birthday, cutie!

xo

day #2, sans hubby

ohhh. bless my little heart.

it's beginning to ache a bit.

I'm definitely missing my hubby. to. tha. maxx.

at any rate, enough pouting.

day #2 has been swell -- as far as Tuesday's are concerned.

big surprise, I missed my goal time for being downstairs & out the door. I've come to embrace this quirky quality. I did, however, have enough time to make the bed this morning. days when I make the bed always turn out to be great days. makes me feel better to know I'll get to come home to an orderly bedroom :]

today was definitely another busy day at the office.

I've been given the task of coordinating probably 3 of the most important men in the city of Dalton to each be in the same place at the same time on the same day.

wow. think about that 3 times fast!

it's daunting & I never knew people had calendars that were so full to the brim.

sheeeesh!

this too shall pass.

this too shall pass.

this too shall pass.

my motto for today & the rest of the week, I anticipate.

something that helped me make it through my day as a pleasant, sane person was a nice cup of coffee.

it's always especially yummy with some of Coffee Mate's Peppermint Mocha creamer (see above photo).

I probably made 3 cups at the office. each full of this Christmas-y deliciousness.

(hold up. how'd she get her hands on some of that stuff in JUNE?)

funny you should ask. well, it seems that Coffee Mate finally caught on to the fact that their Peppermint Mocha is THE BEST flavor & that demand for it doesn't just go away with the Christmas season.

yes folks, go to the grocery store & don't feel you have to stock up.

it's here to stay.

yay!

at any rate.

now it's finally dark & the day is coming to a close.

I think I'll settle in on the couch, wrap myself in a blanket (naaaaaah, it won't be a Snuggie), start a movie & enjoy a Red Stripe Light.

I'll be back tomorrow with the hopes of thrilling you with yet even more exhilarating insight into my week as a pseudo "single" lady.

you stay classy, bloggers.

xo

day #1, sans hubby

hey ya'll!

so, it's day #1 in the the, "week without my husband," saga & I'm happy to report (& I'm sure you're all happy to hear) that overall, I'm doing really well.

(said husband's in Florida for work incase you were wondering...)

I woke up this morning in the center of our queen-sized bed, swallowed in sheets & thoroughly confused.

"wait, where's John?" I thought.

"JOOOHHHNN???" I called out.

(yes, admittedly, I called out his name)

"oh, yeah, he's already gone." I said to myself.

"boooohooo, sad." I pouted.

after taking a second to wake up & check into reality, I hopped out of bed & commenced the typical morning beautifying rituals.

my goal was to be downstairs by 8:30. NOPE! barely made it by 8:45. late's my middle name.

in my rush, I frantically dashed to the kitchen counter to grab a banana on my way out the door when something hanging on the refrigerator caught my eye.

well, goodness gracious me.

(a smile crept across my face....)

....I'll have you know, that husband of mine had taped a note to said door that read, "I miss you already! Keep this here while I'm gone so you always know it!"

cue, "awwww's."

(he attempted to draw a picture of a guy & a girl holding hands...and...a cat by their side. yes, we used to have a cat. he lived with us for 16 hours) but, as you know me, I digress.

now, fast-forward past me stumbling out the door, coffee cup in hand (narrowly escaping staining my cute black dress, mind you) and I'll tell you about the rest of my day.

work was busy, busy, busy which is always gladly welcomed. we had 2 internal meetings before lunchtime and afterward, my co-worker & I met with a client & accomplished a lot. after coming back to the office I managed to mark through even more of my to-do list!

(I just looooove productive days, don't you?!)

when the work day had come to a close I set out on some errands:

-return RedBox DVD

-pick up prescription refill

after said errands I came home.

I washed the sheets, then another load of just clothes, set 'The Bachelorette' to record (okay, okaaaaay, give it a rest! it's a vice, what can I say? we all have a little tacky & trashy inside all of us...), talked to Dad on the phone and made some dinner.

aaaaalso, one of the highlights of my day was baking the delicious cookies that you see in the above photo.

nothing special about these cookies.

just simple slice-and-bake chocolate chip cookies from Nestle.

I wish my husband were here to enjoy them. I love baking for him.

he'd be so sweet & tell me they were, "AWESOME!!!" even if he knew I didn't go through any trouble to make them.

well, this is where the details of my day conclude.

we'll see what tomorrow holds.

I know it will be a great day, but I'll miss my hubby mucho!

oh, hold on, I hear my phone ringing.

well, speak of the devil. that's him calling right now!

gotta go!

stayed tuned....

OH! a quick p.s.

the guy with the weird voice didn't get a rose! hallelujah!

secret treats

oh, the things we do for our husbands.

I'll tell you one thing about mine: he loves Sunday afternoon naps.

I'm fairly certain he always has & know beyond a shadow of a doubt he always will.

while said husband was napping, I did a little sneaky out to the grocery store & picked up a treat* I was sure he'd love.

I love baking & I love surprises, so I thought, what better to do than keep myself entertained while John napped by doing what I love!

plus, the grocery store is very therapeutic for me.

[me, toooooo! she knows me so well!]

I just love meandering around, not really looking for anything in-particular and then....

BAM!

I somehow always seem to stumble upon some sort of food item that I cannot live without.

this trip, it was Jello's 'No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Delights.'

(by the way.

thank you, Jello, for making my life simple.

your 'No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Delights' recipe in a box is probably the most convenient food invention.

of. all. time.)

that was it.

I grabbed the box & headed to the check-out counter like there was no tomorrow.

(didn't want to talk myself out of it on account of the calorie content :/)

I returned home in a flash & proceeded to get my bake on.

needless to say, he most definitely enjoyed his treats.

________________________________________

*I had to narrow down the options of what to bake him:

the choices were milk chocolate cupcakes with whipped vanilla frosting & chocolate sprinkles, Oreo desserts or the PBC delights.

I sent a text to each member of the Melick family when making my decision, just to get their thoughts.

[whyyyy? you ask?

"doesn't she know her husband well enough to know what desserts he'll like?]

well, of course I do, but I love the Melick's and love including them any chance I get.

I'll have you know, EACH, Melick sent a text back saying, "make the PCB delights!"

gosh, I love being in a family with people who are so insync with one another.

way to go, mind reading Melick's.

we. are. awesome. : ]

john's dirty diaper drama

so, basically, I've been a very bad blogger lately.

my sincerest apologies to those of you who've been left hanging on a thread, waiting with bated breath wondering:

"where have the Melick's gone???!!!"

alas, we have not forgotten our dear blog [she better have a good excuse], we've just been lacking in post-worthy content [ohhh, right. totally forgivable].

however, things have been rather exciting lately.

we were asked by the lovely Owens family to do some babysitting!

we love, love, loveeeeeee (um? did I mention, love?) Oliver & Silas.

so, naturally were more than elated to hang out with them while their 'rents went on a double date to PF Changs (hollaaaaaaa!).

Oliver & Silas both adore books & being read to.

Oliver is so cute; his mommy reads to him so much that he has all the books that are checked out from the library MEMORIZED!

what a smarty-pants.

John & I took turns reading.

Oliver in his lap, Silas in mine.

(um. side note.

can I interject here that it warms my heart almost indescribably to see my sweet husband's fatherly instincts come out.

it's so dear to me to see him with other peoples children, loving on them & playing.

what joy it brings to my soul to know that one day, those children will be ours, and we'll have created them together. wow.)

okay, back to business.

after reading, we colored & ate some yummy pizza & brownies.

Oliver, oh so politely might I add, asked for another brownie.

well, what's any good babysitter to do?

oh yeah. of cooooouuurse! give him another, in fact as many as he'd like while I'm being honest : ]

(Greta, if you're reading this, sorry! you shouldn't've made such cute, irresistible babies)

a few poopy diapers* later, it was bedtime.

bedtime was super fun, because the boys were super tired = super cuddly.

John & I again (gosh, parenting is such a tag-team effort I'm learning) each took a kiddo & did the bedtime rituals.

I gave Silas two "bubbas" (pacifiers) and prayed for him, while John did the same with Oliver, minus the "bubbas."

Oliver is, hilarious.

he definitely came out of his room, like, 13 times to "check on us."

we let him know we were okay and that he should head back to bed.

(not going to lie, tucking him back in 13 times was beyond precious, I was glad to do it! however, when it's my child doing that each night, it might not be as funny.)

Greta & Jeremy came home & we had great conversation with them.

we laughed and "aww-ed" over the sweet things the boys did.

it was a great time & we cannot wait to do it again.

they bring such joy to our lives!

_______________________________________________

*I changed Silas's diaper & kindly asked John to throw it away in the kitchen for me.

waiiiit for it...

John's eyes became bigger than baseballs & he so cooly, calmly & collectively asked, "Is there poop in here?"

(uhh. it's a diaper...?)

"Yep, John, there is. no biggie, you got this..." I said.

"What do I do with it?" John innocently asked.

"Oh gosh, dummy -- (dummy is only being used loosely in the most playful, loving way) -- just throw it away, it's not going to bite you!"

I'm happy to report that he managed to make it from the bedroom to the kitchen, diaper in hand, all major catastrophes averted!

note: this was John's first poopy diaper experience (if you couldn't tell).

he did very well & was so brave : ]

I'm proud of him!

celebrating the newest newlyweds

on saturday, may 15, we celebrated the wedding of our adorable friends, Jessica Padgett & Heath Dame. better known as Mr. & Mrs. Heath Dame (for the last 3 days, at least)!

their entire relationship firmly stands on their love for Christ. they love one another as Christ loves the Church, and it was a blessing to be a part of one of the most precious ceremonies, ever.

displaying humility & adoration, they washed one another's feet - showing the true depth of their devotion.

they wrote their own vows, in which Heath boldly proclaimed to Jessica, "I will always put Christ first in my life, even before you." and, "for as long as my lungs breathe in air and my heart pumps blood, I will be yours."

[omg, did he really just say that? Yes! he really did, he loves that woman.]

they also humbly served communion to their wedding attendants - an act that shows their commitment to lives of servitude.

although much rain fell during the reception, not a cloud was in the sky for the ceremony. we knew God's presence was all around as he kept us dry during the most important 45 minutes of the couples new life together.

as I (enviously) type this post from my office computer (I am happy to report, however, that I work on a fantastic Mac -- again, I digress -- you'll learn I do this often), the new couple are probably lounging in a hammock at a luxurious resort on the coast of the Dominican Republic (yes, you read right, the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!) while sipping complimentary beverages, listening to the soothing sounds of the waves on the shore.

Dames, enjoy your honeymoon! no two deserve it more! and, congratulations! the Lord make his face to shine upon your marriage, always.

are we really doing this?

well. here goes nothing.

we’ve joined the blogosphere and we’re diving in headfirst.

since our amazing wedding day (August 29, 2009) and glorious honeymoon (August 30 – September 5, 2009), we’ve spent the majority of our time living and working in Dalton, Georgia (how appropriate, the font I'm using is, Georgia -- but I digress). it's the self-proclaimed “Carpet Capital of the WORLD,” mind you.

we’d love to use this 6’ x 6’ box to keep you updated on all the haps in our newlywed life as we embark on the journey of m-a-r-r-i-a-g-e (all glory to God for this amazing institution!!).

we know that said space won’t give the awesomeness of marriage the credit it’s due, but we’re sure going to try and shed a bit of light into ours for your reading pleasure.

we hope to be humorous, serious, honest and light-hearted. we may seek advice (we can never admit to knowing it all) and we may give some (yet, most of the time we can & do). we’ll post photos when there's just something so uber exciting to share that words just won't give you the full effect and we’ll happily accept your kind comments and feedback.

we look forward to sharing all things -Melick- with you! [their last name is what?]

oh, let us help you, it's pronounced, ME. LICK.

xx,

McCartney & John