Melissa, Oh!

  • Would someone explain casual sex to me, please?

    I’m not asking about morals. At least, I don’t think I am. I’m speaking logic here. Let me also say I’m no prude. But one thing I have never understood is people having sex with people they don’t know very well. Or don’t love. Or are unwilling to potentially be tied to for the rest…

  • Climbing a mountain in the wintertime

    I’ve done this before. Well, not technically. Kevin and I climbed Mount Mitchell a year ago, his goal was to do it in wintertime. However, we ended up there on the first day of spring, a fact Jeff has not let us forget all year. So, this year we’re doing it officially in wintertime. And…

  • Broken iPhones and why Apple rocks

    I had a wonderful evening on Friday. Went to Wade’s house, then a group of us had dinner and drinks at Cosmo’s in Uptown Charlotte for Jim’s birthday, then bowling at midnight and attempt to dance at Blackfinn (way too crowded to actually dance!). All night, my iPhone came in handy. Twittering my horrible bowling score, texting…

  • Public marriage proposals and what women really want

    Grey’s Anatomy spoiler from last night at the jump – don’t worry, you can read the first part, just don’t click “more” if you don’t wanna know. A few years ago a friend dumped her boyfriend. After they broke up, he told her about this gorgeous ring he had bought her and his plan to propose:…

  • Hot tub shopping on the day I lost a dear friend

    This isn’t as cool as eating a bologna sandwich beside Chevy Chase, but it’s a message I won’t forget any time soon. A memory One thing I’ve always hated about having pets is how terrible it is when it’s their time to go. When my parents’ dog, Sybil, died when I was in college, my…

  • Telling their happily-ever-after story

    Here are some pages from the ceremony of the wedding album I designed for Lauren and Ron, who were married at the Women’s Center of Rock Hill, reception at the Center for the Arts. Photography by Tracy Kimball. The wedding party gave me some great stories about Lauren and Ron and how they fell in…

  • How to make it harder, better, longer (my workout, that is)

    I used to watch TV while I exercised. I would plan my workout time around “Friends” reruns and play little games with myself during my runs: I can’t look down at the mileage or time until this commercial break is over, or I can’t take a sip of water until this scene ends. I had…

  • The strength of family, the strength of a Marine

    I met Gray when he was 16, so it’s a little hard to believe Colleen’s little brother (now my brother-in-law) is old enough to defend our country. Apparently the Marine Corps doesn’t find it hard to believe because they’ve found a spot for him in Iraq for the next 6 months. This will be his…

  • What makes someone fall in love with one person over another?

    So I saw a preview for a 20/20 episode about “The Science of Love” and I knew I had to watch it. Scientists have figured out, chemically, what happens to your brain when you fall in love. They’ve determined, based on personality type, who we fall in love with and why. Pretty interesting! The TV…

  • Stoli, beach sunsets and a new D300: A perfect wedding celebration

    My brother-in-law got married last weekend, and Jeff and I made the trip to Clearwater, Fla., to celebrate Casey and Kristina’s big day. I was going to write a huge post about love and how apparent theirs is, how they clearly can’t wait to spend their lives together, and how inspiring and touching they are.…