I think it is safe to say that we all love the many rewards of living a creative life, and lifestyle blogger Melinda Lewis hosts a lovely abode on the web called "Get Togetha", a site that is filled with delightful commentary, creative inspiration, and tons of entertaining and hostess ideas! Melinda's blog is exceptional and exemplifies the beauty of living your life creatively. Melinda took out the time to share with some of her favorite hosting inspirations and the inspiration behind Get Togetha!

ymib: Favorite affirmation or inspirational quote?

Melinda: "You are not your past. You are your possibilities.", "Perfection is a silly unattainable goal.", & "When you use other people as a measuring stick you come up short."

ymib: Please share your favorites of the following:

Beverage: I'm all about the simple. Sweet Tea  and Lemonade always works.

Meal: Living in NYC makes it virtually impossible to have a favorite meal. Here we have an overwhelming amount of foodstuff to   choose from. Let's see um...currently you can't keep me out of this  Ethiopian Restaurant in my Harlem neighborhood.

Dessert: I'm not too keen on sweets; I'm more of a salt person. But  for that rare occasion when I'm in the mood nothing beats chocolate cake or Cherry Pie!

Decor Mags: Domino Mag is my first defense for home and lifestyle inspiration. Then there's the usual suspects of Real Simple, Rachel Ray, Better Home and Gardens and Essence.

CookBooks: I'm gonna have to go with Rachel Ray on this one. I'm a huge fan of Rachel's cause she took a simple concept and ran with it. In       the 21st century people are mega busy and will pay if you save them time and/or money. Her recipes are pretty good and they have range.  I'm also a huge fan of the food blog  Smitten  Kitchen. They have the best food photography I've ever seen in my life.

Recipe: My favorite go to recipe is my Harlem Killa Quiche. It's a Spinach and Mushroom Quiche that makes everyone's heart swoon.

ymib: So, what do you feel sparked your love for entertaining and in your opinion what makes entertaining friends & family so important/special?

Melinda: Quite honestly, my  love of entertaining comes out of my passion to serve. I've always been a people person and that helps a great deal. Home entertaining is a frightening term to some folks because it carries such heavy built in expectations on the hostess 's part. There's a lot of crossing T's and dotting I's.  I prefer to use the terms having friends over, socializing or sharing laughs.

As for why it's important...having friend s and family over is  a quality of life issue. If you close our eyes and look back at your fondest memories they won't be of getting up and plugging away at work; they'll be of friends, family and loved ones. They'll be off how you laughed and how you cried.  The quality of your relationships is  what will define the type of life you've  lead in the long run.

ymib: Tell us more about what we can expect from the "Editions" section of your website...also will you have items for sale?

Melinda: The Editions section of our website is expected to launch Spring 2009. Items will be for sale; but in the meantime the Get Togetha Blog has positioned itself as a home and living well blog targeted at African American women and has gained a readership of a half a million hits a day.

I blog about home, spirit, living well, apartment living, and  we advocate the philosophy that t the quality of your surroundings equals the quality of you life.  The blog also encourages women to think outside of conventional thinking when it comes to day to day living. We are more than gossip, makeup, hair and fashion. We are mothers, employees, creative,  wives,  and educated.

ymib: To p 5 things you love to serve at your own gathering?

Melinda: Wine!  Sangria, Cheeses, Bruschetta, Spinach Dip, Mini Stuffed Mushroom and those Mini Brownies from Whole Foods. People love fingerfoods.

ymib: What are a few things that you hate to see when you attend another gathering?

Melinda: Clutter,  Bad Lighting,  and Unfamiliar food.

ymib: Please share your top three tips on throwing a successful gathering?

2. Enlist help. Don't be a matyr and a do-it-all. People like to help so use them.

3. Music. Have either a jazz Fusion or Eclectic Mix on standby in your collection.  Music and Lighting set the mood. Always!

ymib: Who inspires  you?

Melinda: Gosh. I am most inspired by greatness and people who come from nothing to something extraordinary. People like Oprah, Tyler Perry, Jay Z, Barack Obama, Dr. Susan Taylor, and Dr. Ben Carson.

ymib: What do you want women to learn from visiting Get Togetha?

Melinda: I want women to learn that quality always rules over quantity and that you don't need a lot of money to have a well lived life. All it takes is a willingness to identify with your own personal life philosophy.

Click Here to Get Togetha with Melinda for your daily dose of creative inspiration!