Willamette Valley Wonder Woman talks wine and living simple
Melissa Kaylene of Willamette Valley Wonder Woman has a passion for living locally and creating a beautifully simple life. Her blog shares her life journey along with recipes, crafts and even her hopes and dreams. And she has some cute kiddos to boot! Meet Melissa …
Where I’m based: I live in the Willamette Valley, Ore. It’s all about wine around here. I love that I live in the country, but am still close to Oregon’s state capital — Salem. And I’m only about 35 miles from Portland.
How long I’ve been blogging: I began blogging in April 2012
Blog/business basics: I started my blog to share everyday family life as well as show my creative side. Willamette Valley Wonder Woman’s motto is: Creating. Simplifying. Inspiring. In addition, I love sharing local places and events.
Other blogs I love: So many! Casey Wiegand is one of the blogs I follow almost daily, though. I love browsing through “bigger” blogs. They inspire me to continue doing what I love to do and to follow my dreams.
Guilty pleasure: Do I have to name just one? Ben and Jerry’s, Starbucks’ triple shot non-fat white mochas, a refreshing glass of Riesling and gossip magazines. Oh, and if you threw a pedicure in there to I might just be in heaven — probably not all of those at the same time though.
Last thing I bought: A handmade ice cream scoop with a walnut handle from a local vender at a lavender festival. Funny how that correlates with my guilty pleasures list!
Fav stores: Oh geeze, I never think about this question! There is this mall called Washington Square that I love to window shop in. It’s got a little more of a classy feel to it versus the typical teenager hangout feel that I get in a lot of malls. Their Macy’s is great, and I love window shopping in the Pottery Barn for inspiration. Really, since I am a mom of three, any chance to go shopping solo makes me happy!
What do you like creating the most? I love drawing and doing crafts with the kids. I like creating cocktails too, and trying new food recipes is fun when I have extra time on my hands.
What cocktail have you come up with that we must try? Speaking of creating! One of my favorites I’ve created is my Raspberry Hazelnut Cocktail — fresh raspberries and Frangelico make this a unique flavored summertime drink.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about wine from your husband? I’ve learned so much from him! Not only do I live in wine country, but my husband has (worked) at a vineyard for the majority of his career, and knows a lot more than I ever will about the growing process and soils and grapes in general. The best advice he has ever given me though, is to just try different wines out. It doesn’t matter if its a $5 bottle of wine, or a $50 bottle of wine. Don’t worry so much about what people say of the aromas and flavors in it. If you like it, that’s really all that matters!
