Do you ever stop dead in your tracks and think... What am I doing here?!?

I do this multiple times per day, but I had a moment late in 2020 that had me rethinking everything I've ever known and done. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Hi. I'm Melissa Marshall, a mid-30s mama of 2, Northwest Indiana born and raised, lover of all things beauty, bargains, and businesses local to the 219. I have spent the last 19 years of my life working in the beauty industry, most noteably as a freelance makeup artist for the last 10 years.

In 2020, like many of you, life as I had known it changed abruptly and drastically. It started when I gave birth to my (Surprise!) baby #2. Six weeks after he was born, we went into shutdown and remained there for months. As we were navigating life in quartantine, every time I refreshed my email I received notification of another wedding being cancelled or postponed. Being a makeup artist during a global pandemic is a tricky position to be in. Thankfully, for the past 5 years, I had simultaneously been running an online business that seemed to be pandemic proof and I had that crutch to stand on.

As 2020 began to wind down and I reflected on what I had accomplished throughout the year, I felt like I was coming up empty handed. I had survived. But other than coming out of the year unscathed, I felt a little shorted that I hadn't done much more than that. I am an extremely passionate person and I chase things that set my soul on fire. (Any other enneagram 7s out there?!) While I came out of 2020 grateful for our health and wellness, I stepped into 2021 longing for so much more fullfillment....And that's how we ended up here.

I am not a professional writer by any stretch of the imagination. I write how I speak, and you might find some typos or grammatical errors, but please be kind. Since the introduction of social media, I have used my platforms much like a personal blog, sharing everything from my work and family, to my beauty tips and bargain shopping hauls. Now I have one space to bring you all of that and so much more. If you've made it this far, thank you for sticking by my side. Not just in this blog post, but through all of life's adventures. I promise to keep this a judement free zone, focused on empowering those around me, shining a spotlight on local business, and helping you save money while I share all of my favorite things. Welcome to my confessions and obsessions, Page 1.