When was the last time I blogged? Two years ago or so? Does anyone even check this thing anymore? (ha!) I am baaaaack! Motherhood sucks the energy right out of you, folks…I know every Mom knows what I’m talking about!

For my first blog post in two years…a little something fun!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of doing something a little different than my usual! I tagged along with Melanie Ward from Man and Bride and photographed her teaching a calligraphy class- she is a wonderful teacher, very hands-on and so FUN! The class was held at a really adorable place called The Lucy Goose Market, part boutique and part restaurant, Marinell was a wonderful hostess! I asked Mel to do a little interview, so we could get to know her, and her passions a little better! 

Jen: Hey Mel, thanks for taking the time to have a little chit-chat! I know you’re a busy mom and wife, and business owner! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Mel: I would love to! Hi! I’m Melanie! I’ve been married to Phillip for 2 years and have a 1-year-old son named Parker who is adorable and crazy all at the same time (toddler life—i.e. uncontrollable temper tantrums, and then all of a sudden sweetest cuddle bear ever…it’s like a tiny teenager). We also have a super cute Goldendoodle named Ellie. I taught elementary school for 5 years and then decided to stay home with my son. I’ve been doing makeup, hair, and calligraphy for about 5 years now. It used to be a part-time gig, and now it’s my full-time job (besides being a stay at home mom, of course!). My husband and I have a business called Man and Bride where he DJ’s and I do hair, makeup, and calligraphy. We absolutely love working together. My 3 top favorite things are Jesus, Chapstick and a really good Netflix binge.

J: How did you find calligraphy?

M: I’ve always been fascinated by handwriting. It’s so personal and you can tell so much about a person just by the way they write. I always found beauty in it. For example, I love my grandma’s handwriting. It’s that old school cursive and it’s shaky because of her arthritis. I think it’s so beautiful and so perfect. I went to a calligraphy class about 5 years ago and just fell in love with it. I started out by doing chalkboard signs and calligraphy on envelopes for friends who were getting married, and the business just grew from there!

J: You also make custom signs, so amazing! I personally have a few, and you’re so talented! What’s your favorite thing about making custom signs?

M: Well, thank you so much!! I love making signs. My favorite part about making custom signs is that a customer will come to me with a vision, and I get to put that vision to life. A lot of times the sign is for something special—a wedding, baby’s room, home décor for a loved one—it’s so cool to me that my artwork can have a special meaning and help make a house a home.

J: Makeup! You do makeup for events! What would you say your make up style is? I know you tend to book up pretty quickly during wedding season, I don’t know how you do it all! What’s your favorite thing about doing make-up for a bride?

M: I love doing makeup!! My absolute favorite thing about doing makeup is getting to have the bride/bridesmaid in my chair and making them feel like a celebrity with a glam squad (because everyone wants that, right?!) Also, there is no better feeling than when I’m finished, and the bride looks in the mirror and starts tearing up because she’s so in awe of how beautiful she looks (this has actually happened several times and it makes me tear up, too!). I’ve literally had women look at themselves and say “I never thought I could look this beautiful,” and my response is always that that’s how others see you—beautiful! Sometimes we just need a little makeup to feel that way.

J: It’s so challenging to balance the wife/mom/work life! Do you have any tips or advice for moms that might be struggling to balance it all?

M: Yes, it is so hard! There are the obvious answers: prioritize your time, work during nap time, etc. But, honestly, the biggest lesson I’ve learned to work/life balance is it is ok to say no. I worked countless hours for a whole month preparing for our local Farmer’s Market. I realized I hadn’t spent much time with my son and had really neglected my duties as a mother and a wife. In order to make up for that lost time, I decided to close my shop and decline all orders for a month. And man…it was HARD! I absolutely hate saying no, especially to friends! But, in order to keep my sanity, be the best wife and mother I could be, and get the 500 loads of laundry done, I needed to say no for a while. Anytime my work becomes a burden, I know it’s time for a little break. Then, I can come back refreshed and ready to make pretty things!

J: Thank you, Mel, for taking the time out of your crazy schedule to sit down and let us peek into your world! You’re an inspiration!

M: It was so fun! Thank you so much for having me, and for taking all of my pictures for like every big thing in our lives! Jen has done our maternity pictures, newborn pictures, 1-year-old pictures and now pictures for my calligraphy class. Pretty much any monumental moment in our lives has been captured by Jen because she’s just that good!

You can check out Mel’s talents over at www.manandbride.com and on Instagram & Facebook – @manandbride

What’s a blog post without pictures? On to the pretty pictures!