Thus far in my blogging career, I have had to keep a few secrets. We’ve pulled off a few surprises, even a surprise True Beauty before. But today’s post takes the cake for me. My neighbor Melissa Barber has been a good friend to me over the years, helping me navigate the murky waters of motherhood, planning playdates as if she knew when I needed a break, and keeping our neck of the woods generally running smoothly, from the schools to the neighborhood events. If you think you have a lot on your plate, you haven’t met Melissa. Here’s the short list of her day-to-day responsibilities as a full-time mom of two:
- PTA Vice President of Fundraising
- Cub Scouts Pack Treasurer
- Cub Scouts Assistant Den Leader
- Church volunteer
- Small group leader for adults with special needs
- Soccer mom
And on top of all this, Melissa’s husband Gary is a military doctor, meaning he’s been deployed twice in the past few years. The most recent deployment sent him to Africa for nine months, while Melissa kept the ship running smoothly here at home. I’m pretty sure they invented the phrase, “I don’t know how she does it” because of Melissa.
Melissa with her two children, Nick and Olivia.
A few years ago while I was going over plans for our neighborhood events, Melissa pulled out an adorable planner to jot down notes. Adorned with stickers and post-it notes, I asked her where she had found such a fun way to stay organized. What took place next was my first introduction into the world of Erin Condren life planners, which I’ve written about before on the blog here. Erin’s design brand is beloved by busy women everywhere because it’s not only functional, it’s fabulous. Everything is beyond cute, soothes your Type A needs, and makes you feel like you truly can conquer it all. Melissa lit up talking about how the planner helps her juggle her life, and I never forgot how passionate she felt about Erin’s products.
This leads us to just a few weeks ago, when the Erin Condren team reached out to send me a little care package full of goodies. My first thought was, you know who would REALLY love this box? You guessed it, Melissa! I shot a far-fetched idea to Stacey, who is the Director of PR at Erin Condren, and she said………..hold on crazy person, I’m putting my kids to bed on a Saturday night. Ha! But then just a few minutes later she replied that we had to make this happen. Project Super Secret Surprise Melissa was a go!
Melissa’s husband, Gary.
So last Wednesday, Melissa’s husband Gary told her they were headed to Austin for a spontaneous day trip. They brought along their daughter Olivia, and headed to the Domain. I was SO nervous sending Gary messages checking on their status throughout the day because I thought surely Melissa was going to glance at his phone and see it! As you’ll see in the video, though, we were miraculously able to pull this off, and Erin Condren was the absolute sweetest! Such a kind, caring soul who was so thrilled to have the opportunity to make Melissa’s day a little brighter. But enough backstory, watch Melissa’s surprise and hilarious reaction here:
Melissa, THANK YOU so much for everything you do in our community. You truly are Super Woman, and your family is so blessed to have you! Gary, thank you for your service and thanks for being our covert inside man for this job!
And of course a huge thanks to Stacey Graham and Erin Condren for saying YES to my crazy idea, and simply asking how we can pull it off. You guys went above and beyond for Melissa, and this is precisely why so many women love your brand. Because you are just as genuine and lovely as the life planners you create! Melissa sent me this photo of everything the Erin Condren team gifted her, including personalized planners, home decor with family photos, they really went all out! So not only did Erin Condren take time out of her busy schedule to surprise Melissa with all these goodies, they were also kind enough to make a reservation for us at North Italia and make Melissa’s day even sweeter! I absolutely cannot wait until their FIRST retail store opens at the Domain, and you get to see a sneak peek of it here! Can you say girls trip?!
Finally, credit for videography goes to Erik Carlson, and editing credit goes to Brad Turner. These guys truly made magic as you’ll see in the video above, and on extremely short notice! Huge recommendation for both of them if you ever have video needs in South Texas!
XO,
A
P.S. If you haven’t yet, there’s still time to vote for Haute in Texas for Fashion Blogger of the Year at the San Antonio Fashion Awards. Just click here! Thank you!
