April 16th, 2010
This time of year always pulls heavy on my heartstrings, I become acutely aware of how quickly days slip away and memories fade into the next. I grow weepy and reminiscent each April 14, of all that I have experienced since first becoming a mother. I marvel at the lovely little person before me, the one I created in a span of only nine months.
Watching her attempt to blow out all eight of her birthday candles, I smile while fighting back the urge to cry. I wonder what she wishes for… and if, by chance, it’s hidden under the shiny gift wrap and curly ribbon. She looks at me with her huge hazel eyes and I can’t help but think back to the first time she was placed in my arms… that same beautiful gaze staring back at me.
I tuck her into bed, kissing her cheeks, knowing that we have already begun the journey to her 9th birthday. Moments dissolve with such haste that I wish I had it all back to relive but instead I realize the importance of appreciating what I have when I have it. This is the birthday gift she has given to me.
Happy birthday, Meleigha. I love you always.
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March 30th, 2010
I see a trip to Rouge Beauty Lounge in my future… this Saturday to be precise.
As resident Rouge blogger, my inspiration and knowledge, as luck would have it, derives from indulging in a sampling of just a few of their most fabulous services offered – a signature pedicure and customized facial. As an added bonus, Rouge boasts a pedi-chair above and beyond that of most other spas, a delicious shiatsu-massage throne that has, obviously, been the basis of many a (day) dream of mine.
An afternoon of spa-spoiling is certainly welcomed after such a wonderfully productive last few months. I’m thrilled to be stepping out into the world of professional writing and it’s made only that much sweeter to be able to do so with perfectly polished toes!
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March 19th, 2010
Today, I learned something invaluable to my career as a writer – how to take rejection. I expected to be so greatly offended that I would want to pull a J.D. Salinger and go into reclusion. But I didn’t. I wanted to for about a minute and forty five seconds… until I composed myself and realized that all of this I have created, I have produced, I have established. Writing isn’t what I do, but rather a part of who I am.
Regardless of the context, rejection is never an easy pill to swallow. I’m certain I’ll see a lot more of it in the future, not because I lack the ability or the talent, but because I offer something that is out of the realm of the expected. That is a rationale that I can live with…
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March 17th, 2010
Kristal Burgess and I took to the hills this afternoon for a photo-shoot (complete with vintage typewriter and a scattering of old, slightly yellowed pictures throughout the wispy tall grass). The sun was golden warm, spliced by wind, and the earthy background was perfect for the theme.
I can’t wait to see the results; Kristal is an absolute creative genius and had me, an ordinary non-model, perched in precarious positions to evoke the best angle and light combinations. All in the name of art!
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March 13th, 2010
This last week was nothing more than a blur of meeting with potential clients and polishing assignments. Positive feedback continues to pour in and my take on Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ saw an end result of: “Exquisite review, Melissa”.
Editorial deadline for Gonzo was met with time to spare… phew!
On the agenda for next week: Preliminary assignments for Rouge and time devoted to my book(s). Also, I have the distinct pleasure of meeting up with Kristal Burgess for a mini-photo shoot for my website and other marketing materials. Check out how brilliant this girl really is: www.kristalburgessphotography.com . It’s no wonder, I feel so blessed to have her snap some photos of little ol’ me…
Posted in Thumbs Up! | No Comments »
March 8th, 2010
It’s official – I “aced it” (said Gonzo editor, Dean Unger).
My piece on exuding confidence (titled: Get Your Groove On) landed me some stellar feedback, including something along the lines of having what it takes to be a great writer…
The hazard of all this success? Cheeks that ache from smiling so much.
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February 27th, 2010
Language has evolved over the years from Shakespeare’s rich sonnets to emoticons of smiley faces and hearts. And, though I understand it’s been a natural progression and that it took centuries to go from speaking in full-bodied poetic dialect to the causal execution of the same emotion still felt in life and love today, I sometimes wonder why we are so empty in our expression. Lengthy letters filled with longing have now been replaced with quick abbreviated texts and Facebook declarations of relationship statuses, while the thought of one true love has been replaced with a string of Mr. Right Now’s.
I am the ultimate in hopeless romantics. I lose myself in story, film and music… and even when the last chapter is read, the credits roll, or a song fades into another, I hold on and finish their story in my head. So many of my friends (aged anywhere from mid-20’s to early 30’s) have fallen in love with the New Moon trilogy – not for it’s dynamic writing (as it’s written for the teenaged demographic) but for the love story that sprawls across the pages. Each book, they have devoured in need for that same beautiful content to reach into their own relationships… and, perhaps if we spoke more of a romantic language, it would.
I realize that as centuries fade into the next, we are less and less likely to be able to recreate the splendour that was once commonplace, that we will continue to evolve our language of love into something completely unrecognizable in comparison. I only hope that we find our way back to authenticity, that we find a way to ensure those we care most for know it, understand it and feel it. Whole-heartedly.
Posted in Poetry | No Comments »
