The curse of the cursor is broken. I had the power all along, hidden in my hovering fingertips. Monsters loom ahead; I know. I’m familiar with the plague of procrastination and the suffocating claustrophobia, when writer’s block decides to cage you in. But today is different—self-expression has won. I’ve been craving an outlet to share beyond a mere caption for a photo or a trendy video. Maybe my age is showing, but there’s something so refreshing about the written word. I’m glad I’m here, and I’m absolutely elated that you’re here, dear Reader.
Why “Melise En Place”? I’ve been using this as a username on some platforms for a while now. It’s a play on what chefs call “mise en place” which is French for “everything in its place”. Mise en place is taking the time and care to prep, organize, and assemble all of your ingredients and tools in order to have a seamless experience while putting together your recipe in the kitchen. I think of the “ingredients” as all of the things in my life that I love— you’ll come to learn through being here that a lot of things light me up and if possible, in varying degrees, I like to dabble in said things. In a mastery-driven, single-focus world I’ve been on my journey of accepting that it’s actually okay to pick things up and put things down as they interest me. I’ve shifted my focus to relish in the thought of each venture I decide to embark on as my own little act of rebellion. The more experiences and ingredients in the dish of “me” the merrier. One day you’ll get something sweet, the next umami, and honestly maybe even a dash of chaos if the mood strikes. What are some “ingredients” in your life that light you up? How did you discover them? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments, and may even take some notes for inspo 🤭 Anyway, all of that to say, just be ready for not-so-niche content in my corner of the internet.
My main goal here is to foster a community. Even if that’s just a party of me and you, Reader. A yearning of mine for most of my life has been to be surrounded by like-minded individuals. A collective of supportive, collaborative, positive, and understanding people— an equal energy exchange. If you want that too then that leads me to think that we’re in the right place at the right time, walking down the same path. Together. Lucky us!
I feel as if I’ve already lived many iterations of myself and if you’ve been a part of my journey for a while, thank you. From the bottom of my heart. You’re still here with no expectation or preconceived idea of what you think you should be getting from me and that to me is worth more than gold. And if you’re new here, well, the same sentiment applies. Here’s to creativity and exploration! I can’t wait to share this journey with you all 🥂
Great blog name, and thank you for annotating the “why” for the name. There are so many “ingredients” to our lives. Some are even secret, shared amongst only the closest of friends (like a secret recipe). In addition to your movie/TV career, and more recently the recipes from your family, I look forward to learning about the ingredients of your life. What really makes Melise who she is? Thank you for opening and sharing with us.
🌺🌹💐 these are for you.