Hi and welcome to You, Me and the Tree (YM&TT)! My name is Nikki, and you can think of me as your ringmaster, of sorts, for this little circus of a blog. For those of you who followed my original foray into the blogoshere (many moons ago), I’m glad you’ve returned for this new adventure. If you’re new to the wacky world of YM&TT – thanks for stopping by. And if you enjoy what you find here, consider subscribing. We’d love to have you as a member of the Treehugger family!
Family. It’s what makes this blog tick – in more ways than one. From my family (and YM&TT contributors), to the Treehugger community as a whole (that’s you!) – together we will share our collective honesty, support, humor, valuable information and insight, and a whole lot of good vibes.
And since you’ll be hearing a lot from them, let me introduce you to my personal posse. Through blood or marriage (but not both at the same time), these fabulous people have been making my life an adventure since day one. Now I have the pleasure of sharing them, and their many talents with you. Buckle up. This is gonna be quite a ride.
Meet the Family
In my early blogging days, I talked a lot about the intricacies and eccentricities of my family. I mean, there’s a lot of good shit there. And when I sat down to map out what I really wanted for YM&TT (and ultimately, for you), I realized these people don’t just make good stories, they’re pretty talented and awesome, too. So, I asked if they would be willing to share their varied gifts with you, and they accepted the challenge. God help us all. Jokes aside, I have no doubt their wisdom will benefit you as much as it has me. It’s all about sharing. Sharing the crazy. You’re welcome.
Let’s get to the introductions:
Nikki
That’s me! As the youngest child, I’ve rarely been in charge. That all changes now, and I will savor every last drop of it. Can you say ‘blogzilla’? As a professional copywriter, I’ve worked endless hours honing my skills. In short, I’m well trained at making the somewhat boring sound vaguely interesting. It’s a sad gift. But here at YM&TT, I get the genuine pleasure of writing about what I love. Or more accurately, what I’m obsessed with. And that is Skincare, Makeup, and from time to time, Fashion. You’ll find most of my posts in the Beautify section of YM&TT, and on occasion, I’ll offer up some miscellaneous thoughts in Random Musings, under Sprouts & Sprigs. Based on excessive research and over-purchasing of products, I hope to provide you with tips and reviews to help simplify the uber-saturated (and often confusing) beauty industry.
Stephen
I married at 40. Why wait? Because that’s when I met the right one. He’s my support system here, just as in life. From design, to camera work, to background music for videos (did I mention he’s a talented musician…swoon) – he’s the glue that holds YM&TT (and me) together. Love that man. Together, we are spoiling stray, wiry haired rescue animals to the point of ridiculousness. In our minds, they are royalty and we are their loyal subjects. You can see the latest pics of our furry brood in the Finny & Bax section, under Sprouts & Sprigs.
Momma
A great mother, a sassy senior and an award-winning Marriage and Family Therapist (now retired). In her Ask Momma section, she will provide you with the real-world, honest, truthful, loving insight and advice she’s given to countless clients, to me and my sister, and to many of my friends along the way. Get ready. Shit is gonna get re-al up in here! Something tells me Momma might be the break-out star of YM&TT.
Pops
Funny, wise and smart as a whip. If you Googly (our loving term for Google) “knows something about everything”, you’ll see his face. The man is a walking Wikipedia. After choosing to leave a very successful run in corporate America and the small business world, Pops became a private investor, and 30+ years in, he’s still making it look easy. In his Tips from Pops section, look for his sound, effective and time-tested opinions on personal finance and investing. He’s even written a book about it, that he is updating as we speak, just for you.
Kim (Kimmy/Ka/Sis)
My sis, and partner in nosiness curiosity, Kim brings to YM&TT her years of experience in newspaper journalism and public affairs, along with her extensive social media knowledge. She is endlessly optimistic, lives life to the fullest, and 12 years ago, she graciously gifted the family with hope for the next generation – in the form of my cherished nephew, and resident golden child, Henry. Behind the scenes, Kim is helping to alert YM&TT subscribers (and others) about new posts and other updates through her SEO and social media prowess. She also helps me to stay focused on which of my favorite goodies excite me enough to add to the list of Nikki’s Favorite Things (under the Discover tab).
People in Bloom
In the People in Bloom section (also under the Discover tab), Kim and I will be highlighting folks with a variety of creative/artistic abilities. The idea for this section came to pass on a family trip to Costa Rica, where we found ourselves surrounded by gifted artists, jewelry makers, chefs, etc. virtually unknown outside of their small towns. It made us think about all of our talented friends and acquaintances at home – along with others we’ve met and continue to meet along the way. We felt they should be celebrated and recognized for bringing beauty to this sometimes difficult world. This is our attempt to do just that.
What’s in a name? (You, Me and the Tree)
So, you might be wondering, how did the name – You, Me and the Tree come to be? The truth is, I kicked around a number of ideas that just weren’t clicking…nothing felt right. It was a big ask, really. I wanted a name that reflected everything we wanted this blog to be. Positivity. Fun. Real life. Truth. Honesty. Inspiration. Education. Humor. And most of all, Community. Not an easy task.
Then it hit me. No joke. It literally popped into my head as Stephen and I were chatting on the couch. Boom! You, Me and the Tree. My second thought? There’s no way in hell it’s available. We plugged it into a search. Nothing. Checked Go Daddy. Available. Holy shit. We secured it right then and there.
So, here we are. You, Me and the Tree. It’s “you” and “me” (community). It’s “tree” (truth, life, branches/education). It. Is. Perfect. And so are you. We’re so happy you’re here, and we hope you join us on this journey. Together, we are always better.
