MICHELLE BURT
MADISON’S MOM
PARTY PLANNER
EVENT DESIGNER
The first thing that one notices are the eyes. They say that they are the window to the soul. Well, rest assured, Michelle Burt’s eyes match her incredibly beautiful soul. To be in her presence is to be comforted, consoled, cared for.
Who is this young woman that makes me travel to different European cities to visit her? Mother to Madison, friend to many, confidante, businesswoman, star of her own television show, retired Marine Corps Captain, and former flight attendant. She is the definition of doing it all! And doing it well!
I recently visited with Michelle when she had an overnight in Rome, Italy. She let me know that she was going to be there, and I immediately made plans to take the train to visit her. It was short, but it was sweet. And trust me, childhood friends are never at a loss for conversation.
I visited with Michelle in Paris in 2019 when she was visiting with her daughter, Madison, and her sister, who happened to be my childhood Sunday school teacher, as well as with her nieces. It was the girls’ trip of trips. And luckily, they allowed me to be a part of it for a few hours!
Although her name is Michelle, I often reverted to calling her Missy, the name that I knew her by when we lived in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
When she was 11 years old, her family moved to New Stanton, PA, and then to Connellsville, PA, where her father was chosen to pastor a new church. Upon graduating high school in Connellsville, Michelle attended the University of Cincinnati, OH. But fate had different plans for her. She moved to New York City for the next two years and took a job at American Airlines as a Gate attendant. That turned into a job as a U.S. based flight attendant for 6 months.
As happens with many young people, Michelle sat to have a conversation with herself. Her conclusion? “I don’t want this life.” She decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. She worked various jobs such as Supply Admin, and as a Drill Instructor for new recruits. She served ten years as an Enlisted Corps Member, but in 1998, a Marine Officer recognized something in her and suggested that she become an officer. She hadn’t completed a college degree, but that didn’t matter. She was given a Meritorious Commission in 1998. Without a degree! She attended The Basic School for 6 months, and then Officer Candidate School for 2 months. She graduated 3rd in her class.
Upon accepting her commission, she became an adjutant and worked in the legal and personnel fields. She was a staff executive for several Marines Corps Generals, and as a very organized person by nature, she was called upon to organize the Marine Corps Ball.
People noticed what an incredible job she did at planning the Ball and began to ask her to plan their retirement parties. She then began to assist Marines in planning their weddings! She retired as a Captain in 2009, giving 21 years of service to the United States.
Where did this talent come from? Missy’s mom was a great event planner, and Missy still owns all her mom’s original cookbooks and recipe cards. As a child, I personally remember visiting their home and being amazed at how everything always looked like it came straight from a magazine. Another fact about Missy’s mother – she was the Queen of Thrifting! There was a Salvation Army on Park Avenue in our town, and her mother could take the most unfortunate item from there and turn it into a work of art. Some of you may laugh at this memory, but this was during the time of S&H green stamps. Many stores would offer these stamps when purchasing an item – the more money spent, the more stamps earned. Smart people in those days all had an S&H green stamp booklet. You could trade the books for items at the Salvation Army. I recall her mom saying that it was her favorite place to shop! I remember when I was fourteen years old that I took the completed book to the Salvation Army to buy myself a pair of shoes. The thing is that the shoes were too small. But I bought them anyway because, how cool was it to walk out with new shoes without spending money?
After Michelle retired from the Marine Corps, she started attending design conferences. One of her first big projects was to decorate five different theme tables at an Expo. It was a success, and people started noticing her talent. She then moved on to private clients, planning parties for all occasions.
She then went on to plan huge events which led to more exposure. This turned into her having her own segment on the television show, SONORAN LIVING. She was one of the original home makeover professionals. Throughout her life, Michelle has loved working on houses. She looks at the house as a blank canvas and creates miracles. She says that if the structure has good bones, she can do magic. I have seen her home makeovers and she has inspired me in decorating my own home. I have watched her purchase homes, immediately begin making them over and then moving on to the next one! She has owned homes in Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina, and Georgia to name a few places. And they have all been magazine worthy.
The luckiest young lady in the world is Michelle’s daughter, Madison. Michelle makes everything a celebration and Madison is the recipient of that talent. You can check out Michelle on youtu.be/rDvifuiJCRQ and on Instagram at diydwelling.
Michelle holds many titles, and she is expert at all of them. Event Designer, photographer, project artist, Renovation Specialist, World Traveler, Seasonal Decorator, Entertainment Coordinator and AirBnB Owner. If you are near Myrtle Beach, check out her beach properties for your lodging needs.
Please have a look at her social media pages. You’ll be inspired and happy that you did! I am glad to call her my friend of 50 years.
