The Wrap Up Vol 6
The Wrap Up Vol 6
I survived 23 days, it's confession time, building an empire, hooked on Pose and crowd pleasing 4th of July cocktails all in this month's "The Wrap Up" vol 6.
So what exactly did I survive???
I survived my first solo trip abroad. 23 days total from start to finish. The absolute loooooooongest I've ever been away from my home.
Here's How My First Solo Trip Went:
I kicked off the journey in Newport Beach, CA (with my friend, Sherroll), drove to Los Angeles (shared an Airbnb with total strangers), flew to Fiji (11 hours direct), island hopped and ended up in New Caledonia (I do not speak French), circled back to Fiji and returned to the U.S.
I will say that while I was gone, I missed my family, my baby dogs (they are fully grown but will always be my babies) and fast + reliable internet (the struggle was sooooooo real).
Plug
The party don't stop here on the blog. If you are anything like me, you like choices. Please follow along for more tips and inspiration. Each platform offers something a little different. So here's what to expect:
THE 'GRAM (the pretty pictures): http://bit.ly/2TCgNJ8
TWITTER (the sass + musings): http://bit.ly/2Yprnqy
PINTEREST (the inspiration): http://bit.ly/2TEbt88
NEWSLETTER (I won't spam you, pinkie promise): http://bit.ly/2YteyeP
Question of the Month:
"If you got upgraded to first class would you leave your friend or significant other in coach?"
Share your answer (no judgement, here) via the Facebook link below + see how I honestly answered too.<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fresplendentlyliving%2Fposts%2F1059819540881400&width=500" width="500" height="491" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe>
Ups, Downs & All Arounds
Ups
So excited to share with you that I'm working on a business venture that I've wanted to start for many many years. It just so happens that all the stars are aligning and now is the time to seize the day and move full steam ahead. In the spirit of doing things right, I'm meeting with Justin Foster of Foster Thinking next week to hammer out branding details and to start laying the foundation for a strong and successful business.
As we move along through the different phases and milestones of building an empire business and a brand, I honestly cannot wait to share and bring you along for the ride.
Downs
To the detriment of my thighs, I've rediscovered bowls of Lucky Charms with milk. (That's all.)
& All Arounds
Photo editing on 100% Earlier this month, on Instagram, I made a confession about the "1 Thing I"m Guilty Of" . . . not quickly sharing my pictures and videos with y'all from my world travels. Sorry! In all honesty, I get so inundated or don't know exactly what pictures to keep, discard, edit and crop. Well, I'm proud to say that I buckled down, figured it out and edited my butt off from my 23-day solo trip to Cali, Fiji and New Caledonia. Annnnnnnnd I'm super proud to announce that I've edited over 400 pictures and I'm almost done. BOOM!
I will definitely be sharing really really soon! Stay tuned . . .
Here’s What You Missed on ThisIsMelDrake.com
The 4th of July is just around the corner. Are you cocktail ready? Here's (2) of my absolute favorite, delicious and easy to make crowd-pleasing margarita recipes. Just in case, below you'll find some visuals to help wet your palette.
And don’t forget to check out these posts too!
20 Travel Safety Tips You Should Know (Save this post)
Have you ever stayed with complete strangers in an Airbnb? I did. I Rented a Private Room on Airbnb & This is What Happened
Watching
Netflix Binge-worthy:
Rom-Com cuteness = Always Be My Maybe. Christina Applegate hilariously killed it (pun intended) in Dead to Me and Trinkets unexpectedly stole my attention (pun still very much intended). Seriously, I'm so invested in this group of teen kleptomaniacs.
On Hulu:
A Handmaid's Tale - is back on Hulu and while I'm excited for its return, I'm behind on current episodes. Why? because I really have to be in the right frame of mind to watch A Handmaid's Tale. If you are familiar with the show or watch it, you know exactly what I mean.
Ugly Betty - Making up for lost time and not watching it years ago when it was actually on tv. Slowly working my way from season 1 all the way to the end of the series.
On Cable:
Pose - Please, please, please tell me you've watched Pose on FX??? Even since my friend got me into watching it last year, I've been hooked. Brought to us by the genius of Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Glee, Nip/Tuck and more) and Janet Mock, Pose walks you through the evolution of the African American and Latino 1980's/90's New York ballroom scene. The show's stars and their storylines are so powerful and eye opening. I won't give the plot away but just know that Madonna didn't start "Voguing" she only popularized it by paying homage to it. FYI: If you missed season 1? No worries, it’s available to stream it on Netflix.
NBA Finals - I vaguely tuned into this year's NBA Finals. Basically, it was on and playing in the background but I just didn't connect with it for some reason this year. Through all the injuries, I was still rooting for Golden State but congratulations was definitely due to Toronto and their first championship.
Reading
Magazines. I recently realized that I haven't read a magazine in like a year or 2. Everything is online nowadays. It felt really good to actually physically hold a magazine. Annnnnd the sound of the pages flipping was oddly satisfying. Especially because that distinct sound cannot be felt or duplicated when clicking through an article online.
Here’s a few of my favorite magazines:
Eating + Drinking
I legit had the BEST ice cream EVER in Calgary (Canada) earlier this week at Made by Marcus. It was a Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk. Initially, the "buttermilk" threw me off but it ended up being so buttery, rich and delicious. YUM. ***Currently figuring out how they ship to Oklahoma***
Visiting
Airport lounges for the WIN! I never knew how clutch they were until a Priority Pass membership came into my life (thank you Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card for the introduction). FREE food, wifi, cocktails, charging stations and more. Now, I love a good layover.
Cheers to the weekend my friends! Annnnnnd that is a wrap!
-XOXO Melissa
Photos by: Yours Truly (Melissa Drake), Jordan Davis & Swish + Click Photography
Photo Editing by: Yours Truly (Melissa Drake)