my original family - I'm the oldest of five kids. My parents have been married for 26 years! They are my role models in pretty much every aspect of my life. (Top left photo: Melissa, me, Mom, Shauna, Dad, Chelsea and Tommy).
my in-lawed-family - I married, Drew in 2006...the "cool guy" that all the girls stalked in school. I guess his parents, Kathy and Dave, were somehow "packaged" in the deal? News to me. But they are pretty much as cool as my parents, so it works. (Bottom right photo: Kathy and I at the Dog Beach).
my new family - Drew has been serving in the U.S. Marine Corps since 2006. Because of his station, we moved to San Diego after our wedding. In April of 2007 we had our first dog-child, Nilla. She is a berry, berry cute spaniel-boxer mix. (Bottom left: Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Perryman day. Bottom middle and right: our baby, Nilla).
my work - Original plan: financial planner with a side of real estate investment. Went to school in Illinois for real estate and finance. Worked through school as the head of marketing in two real estate agencies....got married, moved to CA.
New plan: financial planner with a side of real estate sales. Started courses for CA real estate and insurance licenses. Worked through studies as a freelance print designer using previous real estate marketing experience. Received insurance license in 2008...but...had fallen head over heals for design. Called mom...regrouped.
New, new plan: web design with a side of print design. During the time I spent doing freelance print design, work didn't feel like work...yet...I...was getting paid? Could this be true?
Things started to pick up, referrals were coming in, I decided I needed a website, so I built one. THAT WAS FUN. Web design didn't feel like work either...more like a really, really fun game....a game people would pay me to play? What?!
Mom calls, "I don't know what you're doing with this finance, real estate stuff. You've taken your two favorite things, art and computers, and made them a job." Haven't looked back since. THANKS MOM!
things i love - (besides my wonderful family, friends, husband, dog-child and job) coffee, food food food, red wine, cooking, music and film from the 40s and 50s, LOST (best show ever), art, home decor, TARGET, fashion, architecture, travel, camping, fishing, hiking, snowboarding, kickboxing, running (love/hate), dog parking/dog beaching, sports (Chicago WHITE SOX, Chicago bears), math, finance, organization, planning...best for last, my Lord, Jesus :)
