Welcome to A Girls Night Out Weekend hosted by...
Melinda Mae ...Handbags for playful days and soulful nights!! Hello, hello and welcome back or welcome to Girls Night out weekend. A place where we laugh, party, win prizes and find great buys all weekend. If you miss us Friday night, don't worry, we're here all weekend long, drinking, chatting and leaving feedback. So check back because someone may be talking to you. Well, please come on in and stay for a
while or at least say hello to our hostess....WAIT...anyone beyond this point, must put on their imagination hats...we're a crazy bunch beyond the threshold...Once again, Davina is indulging us with her Dove Chocolates. She just got back from a convention 
and her recommendations for this evening, which I'm just too eager to try will be Pina Colada Smoothies and Strawberries dipped in Merlot Fudge Sauce......mmmmmm, I'm drooling just saying that...let me say it again, slow..Straw-berries dipped in Mer-lot Fu-d-ge Sauce...that's an education for the palate as Dove puts it, and I'll be the first to agree that wine does go with chocolate. Help yourself to all the goodies. We fired, I mean, we hired new bartenders for tonight, so the line should be shorter in the kitchen this week! Looks like everyone is here, so lets get the party started..please allow me to introduce to you Melinda Mae Chu-Yang of Melinda Mae Handbags (applaud now)........Hello, I'm Melinda Mae, thank you for all visiting tonight. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay
Area and I have always loved crafts and art. I work full time as a Health Educator, but I love to express myself creatively through my handbags and other crafts. I love to appreciate others creative expressions through music, photography, jewelery, fashion, dance, spoken word and other means. I started my business in 2007. I have always loved to see and create clothes and handbags. I love carrying various handbags depending on my mood, so I wanted to create
"handbags for playful days and soulful nights" for others.
Melinda where do you sell your bags? I sell my handbags online at my
website and a
t various vendor/craft shows in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm also planning on setting up my Etsy shop soon!
All artists are inspired by something, what inspires your designs and motivates you in your business? My handbag designs and fabric choices are inspired by celebrating "playful days and soulful nights." I love lazy care-free days on the beach, but I also love going out and listening to live music, so I try to incorporate both sides of my personality in my designs, fabric choices and combination's. I really am motivated by satisfied customers and helping them to celebrate their personalities and unique styles.
Well, I can definitely see the playfulness in your designs, there are several I really ad
ore. When you're not working, tell us what fun things you enjoy doing, besides going to the beach. I love to dance, listen to live bands, go to concerts and watch movies. But above all, I love spending time with my family and close friends.
What do you do, when you need a "time out" for yourself? I love "time outs!" It's a great time for me to relax and reevaluate what I am doing. I love to get massages, relax with a good movie or eat desserts!
okay, speaking of desserts, you guys have to to see Melinda's trip to New York, and her dessert binge she blogged about. Her sugar intake level will blow you all away...I promise!! sorry Melinda, that answer triggered a post that had me drooling! ...oh, excuse me...*can someone hide the chocolate please* Soo, we know you like desserts in New York, now tell us about your three favorite online shops for girlie things. I love
Etsy because I can always find a million things that I love. More specifically, I
go to
A Hui Hou jewelry for all my Hawaiian jewelry,
Angelina Fong Designs for adding elements of beautiful design to my home and
The Soft Movement for trendy outfits that are super comfortable.
Did you catch that Tara..A Hui Hou jewelry for Hawaii!! Now tell us some juicy things about you. Who is your biggest crush in Hollywood and why? I would say Ryan Reynolds because he is hilarious and super goofy!
I'd say goofy is a safe answer, we'll let you slide with that one just in case your boyfriend is reading! How about chick flicks? I love chick flicks! My favorite move of all times is Dirty Dancing! My other favorite films include Just Friends, When Harry Met Sally, Brown Sugar and Notebook.
I'll agree, that Notebook was a great film, definitely a chick flick as well. Can you share with us the silliest or funniest thing you've ever done with your girlfriends?
One weekend my girlfriends came to visit me, so I took them to SF to try a bunch of new restaurants. So I met them for breakfast, where we had a full meal of waffles, eggs and sausage. Then we had mussels and fries, Beard Papa's cream puffs, congee, chocolate truffles, boboa tea, roast duck and egg tarts all in one afternoon! And guess what? We ate dinner at Chili's after all of that! I'm pretty sure we were craving clam chowder bread bowls too!
Good grief, that's enough food for an entire weeke
nd! And you had room for dinner too? My goodness!.. but I shouldn't be surprised after all the sweets I read about you eating in New York! So, Melinda, are you offering the ladies anything special tonight and this weekend? Yes, for the Girls of Girls Night Out, I will be offering
15% off all Melinda Mae handbags on my website. Just enter the code "GIRLS15" at check out.
That's very generous of you, thank you! I think I already know what I'm getting, I think your bags are fabulous!...oh, your not finished?.....Nope, I am excited to be giving away my Pastel Sakura Clutch below (value=$35). It is not yet listed and is made of one of my favorite fabrics! All the ladies have to do is
visit my website and look around, then come back and leave a comment telling me their favorite bag and why to be entered in the give a way
Sunday night at 7:00 pm!
For extra entries they can do any of the following:follow me on
Facebook, tweet about this post, or
follow my blog. Come back here and let us know where you've posted. For each action, you'll gain one extra entry. In your tweet post use #GNO after your tweet so we can find you! And, anyone who makes a purchase this weekend will get
three extra entries in the drawing!
WOW, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that Melinda is offering us ..or rather you all a great opportunity to get her designs at a great price and to win a brand new clutch design! Thanks Melinda for being such a great hostess! And once again, I'm offering a drawing for those who
post before Saturday morning. If you post your comments tonight, you're name will be entered in a drawing Saturday morning for a
FREE set of blank note cards, just because...I like the girls of Girls Night Out!!
After tonight you can find Melinda Mae at any of the following venues:
Blog:
www.melindamaehandbags.worpress.com
Facebook Fan Page:
www.facebook.com/melindamaeWebsite:
www.melinda-mae.comNow go out and tell your friends about Girls Night out, grab a badge to the right and shout about it to all you know, and don't forget to check back throughout the weekend, someone may be talking to you. okay!
Unveiling,
Dee
When I'm not hosting Girls Night Out, you can find me creating jewelry at www.runakojewelry.com
Etsy Artist of Color is a one of Etsy's Street Teams, it's a global village of minority artists and crafters. They are sponsoring a Labor Day Give Away starting this week and all you have to do is tweet your heart out to enter and win some fabulous handmade products. Visit this link to learn more about how you can participate EAOC Labor Day Give Away. 
