This is a picture of Melissa

Melissa Joy... She truly is!

I have had the good fortune of knowing Melissa for 16 years.  She definitely lives up to her middle name!  When the opportunity came up to work for a woman owned small business AND work with Melissa there was no passing it up!  She is dedicated, creative, kind, and brings a brightness and fun energy everywhere she goes.  We sat down and chatted over tea and Stroopwafels (if you are a hot beverage person look into these!  An excellent Melissa recommendation!) 

Jill: How long have you worked at Elements?

Melissa: I started in the middle of June 2020.  I was lucky enough to find a job during a pandemic. 

Jill: Follow up question- what is your favorite part of working here?

Melissa: I love that I get to be creative when I am here.  I love that the solutions to problems require creativity and not an excel spreadsheet, formula, etc.  That's not something I have had in previous jobs and I find it very rewarding.

Jill: How do you explain to people not in the know what we do here?

Melissa: I always say we sell books for home decor, and then there is usually a long pause as the person processes what that means.  I follow it up with they aren't meant to be read, they are to look pretty on a shelf.  Then because I like to over explain things I say have you ever seen the shelves Joanna Gaines decorates? She often uses books as decor.  Then I tell them to look at the website. 

Jill: What is your current favorite fabric used to cover books?

Melissa: Choosing just one is too hard.  This is my current favorite book set.  It is linen, simple, and divine!  https://thehouseofelements.com/products/linen-covered-books-33983

Jill: For your home do you prefer to use fabric covered books or as is books:

Melissa: I would say before I started working here I only had as is books because I didn't know fabric covered existed.  Now I definitely have more fabric covered books.  This way I can have whatever color I want in a room.

Jill: If money were no object what would you buy?

Melissa: I am more of an experience person, so my mind immediately goes to vacations and things like that.  To buy an actual thing I would probably buy the neighbor's house so I could expand into their yard and put in an inground swimming pool.  I would stay in my ranch house and go on vacations!  

Jill: In the time of this crappy pandemic over the past year, what is a positive that has made you happy?

Melissa: The extra time with my kids and my family {Melissa has an 8 year old daughter and a 5 year old son, both of which are so sweet!}.  I am a home body so to stay home with my people has been good.  Watching my son learn things has been crazy fun!  A game we love to play is Cover Your Assets.  It has been fun to watch him play a strategy game using no strategy!  Honestly, it works out for him half the time.

Jill: That's all my questions.  However, I do want to see if you can stump me with 2 truths and 1 lie.  

Melissa: Ok here they are.                                                                                       1. My mother gave birth to me while still wearing her snow boots 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital.                                                                                    2. I really enjoy woodworking, and made the table we use in our dining room.      3. I have been on a camping trip in the Florida Everglades where there were alligators all around us.                                         

After knowing Melissa for so long she wasn't able to stump me!  Which do you think is her 1 lie??

It wouldn't be a conversation with Melissa if we didn't include her stripper name- it's Gigi Lafayette!  This led to laughing over what her kids names will be waaaay in the future based off their first pet's name and the street they grew up on- Karen Taylor!  Not very strippery!

Our interview was followed by a  photo shoot that took longer than it should have due to giggles and general silliness!  Of course it was fun- that's Melissa Joy!