My Story

Hi there, my name is Melissa.

I am the wife to one amazing guy (I call him Mr. Awesome)......
A homeschooling mama of two incredible little people (who often drive me crazy, but I love them anyways AND I tell them often)........
A former wedding designer turned healthy life enthusiast....... and bodybuilding competitor (If you can believe that!).....
A self-proclaimed Nutrition Nerd (#nurtitionnerd).....
A writer/ blogger (I won't lie, that's still hard to say).....
I'm a crazy mixture of creative and organized (The OCD Mama)......
Dabbler of many things (#dreamseeker)......

But most of all I am a girl who wants to be fully devoted to Jesus in all things!

God has given me quite a journey and it continues to change every day. As a busy mom & wife I typically have a pretty full plate; life can get pretty messy. I believe God allows me to learn from the messiest of experiences. He shows His wisdom through my mess. This is how my blog Unpolished Rubies began.

BUT FIRST......Let's start at the beginning with My Story

A Former Wedding Designer Turned Bodybuilder?

I have had a love for design my whole life. Creativity is in my blood! But I also get jazzed about organization. My passion for both brought me to the world of weddings in 2005. This is where I found my niche. In a leap of faith, a few creative ideas, and my organizational skills in tow, I began my business venture with A Touch of Heaven- Wedding Design, in 2006. It was "The Perfect Marriage of Creativity and Organization". (There's that crazy mixture of creative and organized)
For six years I put my heart and soul into my business. However, seventeen months after opening “A Touch of Heaven” my first born arrived in 2007, then my second in 2010; for five of those six years my heart was divided. Running a successful business can be quite a challenge with two small children. After exhausting myself for six years and trying to maintain two full time jobs, running a business while also being home with my babies; being a fully devoted Mom to my children clearly became more important. In  January 2012 I set aside my business. I did not want this to stop me from sharing some knowledge and ideas, concerning the subject of creativity and organization. So I entered the world of blogging with Diaries of an OCD Mama ~Organize Create Design (Find my Archives here).

I struggled with my decision to let my business go. Though extremely difficult my motives were pure, focusing on my two “loves” (my son and daughter) was simply more important. But the transition was hard, my busy creative mind just would not shut down and I struggled as a full-time stay-at-home Mom. Still more than a year later I wrestled with my purpose and feeling overwhelmed most of the time; struggling with anxiety and mild depression, I was desperate for change.

I decided that I needed a little self-care in the form of fitness to help me process my overwhelm. I was introduced to Heather Traves’ Fit-in-6 Boot Camp class and thought I'd give it a try.

The first weeks of Boot Camp were grueling. My body screamed out of shape! Sore muscles, dizziness, and Oh let’s add some hyper-ventilation to that! After a visit to the Doc to make sure I didn’t have serious issues I still went back for more. Nothing like a $25 co-pay to say you are just simply out of shape.

I wish I could say my anxieties and stress dissipated with my intense workouts. But they didn’t; at least not right away. Now adding to the monstrous pile of stress was the end of the school year, moving to a new house (with my two kiddos in tow) and some family struggle. I recall one morning in mid-June on my way to class, tears streaming down my face , I did not know how I would get through it without an emotional breakdown.
But you know what, I did it! That day I took all my frustrations and I pushed through hard. And each class following I kept pushing harder. I used Boot Camp as an outlet to help me through my struggles. At that time I wasn’t thinking (much) about the weight I was losing or the physical changes my body was undergoing. I was still hiding under my yoga pants and baggy t-shirts.

It was in my second six weeks of boot camp that I decided to actually set a goal for myself. In seven weeks I was turning thirty-five, my goal was to reach a total loss of twenty pounds. I was already about half way there. I felt confident that I could lose the rest. Heather advised I adjust my diet cutting out all processed foods, eating GOOD carbs., proteins, and fats.

Yes, I did reach my goal losing twenty-five pounds and sixteen inches overall, to date! And, it proved to be an amazing journey. Hard but amazing! I have lost the weight but gained so much more. I can’t even believe the results that I have seen. Physically I was stronger more flexible and in better shape that I have ever been. It is no coincidence that God put me on this path. Heather Traves and Gymnut Fitness had been so much more than an opportunity for physical change. For me it has been a mental transformation as well as spiritual journey. Heather and the girls pushed me and encouraged me to do better each class. Seeing the tremendous results helped me gain more self-confidence, and motivation. OK, so maybe the added bonus is the killer arms, legs and abs to go with it!

Though I completed my first goal it was just the beginning. I began working towards my new goal, Woman's Figure Competition . The girl who was an overweight and overwhelmed mama, was training for Figure Competition.

Self Proclaimed Nutrition Nerd  ~ The Blog Takes a Turn

During my training I saw a transformation in myself I never would have expected. I was amazed how the necessary changes in my diet would effect me spiritually, mentally, as well as physically. It allowed me to examine myself and also see how God created our amazing bodies. It was at this point that I became a student of nutrition and self proclaimed Nutrition Nerd. I quickly discovered that I wanted to learn as much as I could and share it with others. Though
This is when the blog took a turn and Unpolished Rubies blog was born.
God used my physical transformation experience to show me my need to be fully transparent, calling me to share with others what He was showing me about living a fully healthy life in (mind)set, spiritual life (heart), and body!
So I began telling my story in my blog and on social media.

I began to examine myself and my life more closely than I ever had before. This did not come without more trials and struggles. Though I had focused on many lifestyle changes I discovered that much of my overwhelm continued to linger. I was feeling ALL THE EMOTIONS and allowing my personal "battles" to control those emotions.
I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I wasn't able get a handle on it all until I began to pinpoint part of that emotional friction to possible hormonal imbalances.

I TRIED ALL THE THINGS....adjusting my diet, multiple natural supplements, talking with my Dr. (who said I was doing "all the right things". I was over it!

Then I tried something crazy!
In my last ditch effort I gave YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS a try!
Here is the CRAZY PART.....
This ONE DECISION changed the trajectory of my life! (click here to find out WHY YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS?

Somewhere in there God also called me to Homeschool my little people. Talk about putting your mindset and heart to the test (Yikes!) This adjustment to our lives is definitely a challenging and ongoing process (but I cannot see myself changing it one bit). You will have to follow me to hear that story!

So God has really given me quite a journey and TESTIMONY to share over these last years
AND .....It's a story that continues.

So I hope you will FOLLOW ME and SUBSCRIBE to my blog so we can get to know each other better!
See you at the crossroads my friend!

Melissa

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