An Open Letter to 2015 Me

Wait, it's almost 2016? 

I can't believe that a new year is about to begin. I know, everyone says that every year but I truly am shocked by how fast this past year has come and gone. This fall semester was full of personal growth and life lessons that I didn't really expect to hit me this year, but they did anyway. 

Life has a funny way of throwing obstacles in your path, and to be honest, I hit a lot of those in 2015. Don't get me wrong, some amazing things occurred in 2015 for me as well, and I'm so grateful for those experiences. I think that it's important for us to reflect on our year as we bring in the next one because there is always something to learn from ourselves and the people in our lives. We NEVER stop learning. 

I thought that it would be fitting for me to write myself a letter. Now, I say it's an "open letter", but it may get specific at times, just because I want to be honest with not only myself but with you all as well. 

Before I jump into it, I just wanted to say thank you to those who supported me while I was starting my blog. You all inspire me and I needed that to stay motivated! We have almost reached 7,500 pageviews and I think that is amazing. You all are wonderful. 

So, without further ado, I hope you all can read this and perhaps reflect on your own life in a similar manner!

Autumn Photoshoot!

 Oh my gosh! Desirée is ALIVE! 

Hello my lovely readers! What can I say, it's been a busy semester for me here at college. I suppose I underestimated how difficult it would be to continue to post regularly on my blog while trying to juggle a full time college schedule. 

Here's the thing though - I LOVE blogging, I didn't think I would fall as in love with it as I have, but I'm so very glad that I took that leap of faith and dove right in! 

I just want to take a quick moment and thank you all for supporting my blog since I've started! Melodydamsel has grown to almost 7,000 page views since I've started and I'm completely blown away by that! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

So, on my Fall Break this past weekend, I got to meet up with one of my good friends Grace E Jones (she is a WONDERFUL photographer and an all around beautiful person! Please, check out her blog!) and she was kind enough to photograph me! We had a ton of fun with this fall inspired shoot. Keep reading to see the rest of the pictures! 

My Current Top Five Netflix Shows!

Alright, so here's the deal - I'm a college student. I don't have to tell you that I spend an admittedly large amount of my free time binge watching Netflix! Sometimes, after a long day of classes, it's nice to unwind while watching my favorite tv show or movie. 

With such a large selection, Netflix quickly became very popular across the globe. There's something for everyone to enjoy, and it's very affordable! Personally, I enjoy it because I don't have a tv in my dorm room, so I just use my laptop instead (good ol' accessible wifi). In fact, I have an ever growing list of favorite shows that I'd love to share with you today! Don't worry - I'm going to limit it to my current top five (in no particular order). 

Without further ado, here are My Current Top Five Netflix Shows! 

Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award!

Hello everyone! A while ago I was nominated by the wonderful & beautiful Sarah from Scarlet State to do the Sisterhood of the World Blogger tag. This award is for bloggers and given by bloggers, so it's great to go ahead and do the tag! (Plus they're super fun and your readers get to find about more about you!)

Without further ado, let's get started! 

Five Ways to Start Pursuing Your Dreams

"We are the dreamers of dreams....of the world forever it seems." -Arthur O'Shaughnessy 

Sometimes, it can be scary to dream. When things seem illogical we often times will shy away from it - however, when it comes to dreaming we have to keep our eyes and mind wide open. 
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do with my passions and talents. For so long, I decided that those things could only stay in my head because they were "too far out there" or "too frightening" - but no more. I'm choosing to go full steam ahead and you should too! 

Here are Five Ways to Start Pursuing Your Dreams!

Who Do You Want to Be?

Reflection: a thought occurring in consideration or meditation. 

Something so easily understood via definition, yet so complex when we actually sit down to meditate on our lives. 

Where are you going in life? 

What steps are you taking to achieve your goals? 

Are you allowing yourself time to slow down and think? 

Inspiration can reveal itself to you at any time. If you create an atmosphere that invites creativity and inspiration in, you'd be amazed at what ideas will come pouring out to you. I believe that the individuals who allow this atmosphere for themselves are some of the most beautiful people because their aura is infectious. 

Today, I want to talk about some reflection I've been doing in preparation for going away to college in a week. Hopefully this will inspire you to do some reflection of your own!

Five Tips on Living with a Roommate

Alright, college is around the corner. You’ve been accepted into your dream school, and you’re super excited—until your dorm assignment arrives.

You see what dorm you’ll be staying in, and what room number…and then you see their name.

Your roommate.

You’ve never had to share a room with someone before, and you’re nervous. I'm here to tell you that those feelings are perfectly okay.

It may seem daunting now, but trust me, it’s going to be fine!

Today, I’m going to share Five Tips for Living with Your Roommate that I learned from my Freshman year of college. This advice will hopefully provide some insight on dorm life and how amazing it can be!

One Dress, Two Ways!

Hello lovelies!

So, last Saturday I purchased a couple of things from work (I currently work as a Stylist at my local American Eagle) and this dress was one of those items! 

I immediately thought of two different ways to style it, and I couldn't choose which one I wanted to show on the blog so I said to myself, "Why not just do both?" and here we are. 

#MusicMondays: Three Songs I've Been Listening to Nonstop

Hello everyone! 

Okay, so I know for a fact all of you have a couple of favorite songs that you just have to put on repeat. I get it, sometimes they more than two plays (or three...or four...) so I figured I'd share my three most recent nonstop jams! 

Confidence vs. Arrogance (And How to Deal With the Haters)

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face..."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

What do you think the difference is between Confidence and Arrogance?

Sometimes, people feel insecure about not being apologetic for their talents, passions, and having high a self esteem. They feel as if they must lower themselves for the sake of insecure people, and therefore lose the spark of confidence they once had.

Today, let's discover the difference between confidence and arrogance and how to deal with haters/insecure people!

ShopMissA Haul!

Don't you hate it when you're shopping online and everything is so expensive? "Sometimes," you may say to yourself, "I wish this all could be $1."

Well, what if I told you there was a website that did sell all of their products for $1?

ShopMissA is a company that legitimately sells everything for a dollar! My sister showed me their website a while ago, so I ordered some products and was very pleased with not only the quality of the products, but the customer service as well!

Music Mondays: Five of my Favorite Movie Scores

"Everything I learned, I learned from the movies." -Audrey Hepburn 

Watching movies is one of my favorite past times―I would even be so bold as to call it a hobby. We all have our favorite movies, and as Audrey so eloquently put, we learn from them.  

One component of movies that I believe is immensely important to our learning experience is the orchestral score. To me, it's almost like a hidden gem tucked away in the film that most movie watchers take for granted. Without it, the movie would be lifeless. There are some scores that are so inspiring and unforgettable that they stay with you even after you leave the theater. 

Today, I'm going to share with you a selection of my favorite film scores.

Let's get into it, shall we?

Geekery—Ocarina of Time Edition (Part 1: Music of Hyrule)

"This song is dedicated to the power of the heart...  Listen to the Bolero of Fire..." -Sheik 

It's no secret that The Legend of Zelda has greatly impacted gaming history. It is the fifth game in the installment, and was the first Legend of Zelda game to utilize 3D graphics—which was revolutionary to the gaming community. 

However, one of my favorite aspects of this game is its music. 

If you've played Ocarina of Time, you understand how brilliantly composed this music was. In this post, I will share with you my Top Five Songs from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Without further ado, let's start! 

Livin' La Vida Loca (aka being a college student) Part 2

Hello again, lovelies!

Whether you're a returning student or an incoming freshman, the time is coming. 

The time of late nights (or early mornings, I guess you could say), papers, and Finals Week--but never fear! I've got some tips and advice to help you survive this upcoming year. 

So, without further ado, let's get into it!

E.l.f Cosmetics Haul!

I don't claim to know everything about makeup, but I do enjoy wearing it and applying it! 

I believe makeup is an art form that goes unrecognized, and as I have stated in my about me tab I am a connoisseur and advocate for all forms of The Arts. 

A couple of days ago, I received my E.l.f Cosmetics package in the mail full of the goodies I purchased! Want to see all of the products? Let's get into it, shall we?

#MusicMondays: Five Songs to Elevate Your Mood!

Music allows us to feel things that we can't always verbally express, and sometimes it's the best pick-me-up that you can have!

So for this Music Mondays, I would like to share Five Songs to Elevate Your Mood! 

My Top Five Video Games!

"Video games foster the mindset that allows creativity to grow." -Nolan Bushnell
Creativity. Wisdom. Freedom. These are attributes that video games instill in gamers. I firmly believe that while not all games are this inspirational, a majority of them are, and in this post I would like to share the Top Five Video Games that have inspired, and touched my little gamer heart over the years. 

So, without further ado, let's get into my Top Five Video Games!

Finding Time to Relax

So, I'm going to be honest. 

I've been very stressed out lately. I think it carried over from the end of the last semester (I love you too, Finals Week) but for some reason it just decided to stick around. Now, with only a few weeks of summer, I'd like to take a moment to relax. 

Not just "sit and do nothing" relax, but a true, content relax. I want to feel refocused and centered. 

Music Mondays! (There's No Way Like Broadway!)

Hello everyone! 

It's Monday again, and I know you're excited to join me in discovering new music, or listening to old favorites! 

Today's post is about Musical Theatre, a beautiful genre that I have grown to love over the past couple of years. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but as I have expressed in my about me tab, Drama and Musical Theatre are a huge part of my life. When I discovered I could connect with audiences not only with my acting, but with my voice as well, it was such a liberating experience! 

But, I digress. (Comment if you would like to read a post about my experiences in theatre!) 

The playlist I have chosen from my repertoire today is entitled "theatre time".

Let's get into it!

Geekery--Ocarina of Time Edition (Intro to My Zelda Obsession)

"Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition. Young love will become deep affection. The clear water's surface reflects growth. Now listen to the Serenade of water to reflect upon yourself." -Sheik

So, from my previous post that began my gaming tab here on my blog, I mentioned my love for The Legend of Zelda. 

I didn't go into extreme detail, but if you are looking to feel some nostalgia and get the urge to pull out your N64, this post is for you. 

Quick Style Photoset Post ❤

Music Mondays (Disney Style!)

It's that time again! Wow, a week has come and gone...this is crazy. How do I only have 49 days left of summer before I have to go back to college? 

Anyway, lets get into the post!
Today, I am in a Disney sort of mood. Do you ever just have the desire to sing the Disney songs at the top of your lungs? (Don't lie, I know you do!) Well, today I will be putting my Spotify playlist "Don't Doubt the Disney" on shuffle and see what we come up with for my first ten! Per the usual, I will link the music with the title, so you can enjoy as we go down the list! (P.s, I get a little in-depth about Disney...you've been warned ♡)

Livin' La Vida Loca (aka being a college student) Part 1

Hello, lovelies!

Today I figured I would write a little something about college. As you may or may not remember from previous posts and my about me tab, I shared that I just finished my first year of college studying Music Education. This coming fall I will be entering my second year, and I think I learned a thing or two during the time I spent on campus. For those of you reading this as incoming freshman, my hope is that you all feel as if you've received a "sneak peak" into your potential college life (and if you're already past that point in your life, just read it and give me very hearty "amen") Alright, let's get started!

An Ode to the Geeks & Gamers

I've always been into geeky things. For me though, they weren't always categorized as "geeky" or "nerdy" until much later in life. It really was just a norm for me. I guess what I really want to express is the fact that for some people, video games are more than just a fun thing to do to pass the time. 

s t y l e

As promised, here are some pictures of what I consider my style. 

A Passion for Fashion

Okay, here's the deal. 

I've loved fashion ever since I was 11, when my parents got me the Barbie Fashion Show cd rom game. 

embarrassing, right? But it did really inspire me to want to become a fashion designer. I would tell my parents that it was my career goal, and I would carry around a huge sketchbook filled with my "designs". Recently, I found some of those sketches....needless to say I won't be showing them on here! But, I'm telling you this because I hope you can see where my love for fashion started. 

Music Mondays (on a Tuesday) ♡

(ps, that's me^^) 

So silly post title aside, this is something I'd like to do every Monday...although today it falls on a Tuesday! 

I've grown up around music my whole life--my parents are both musicians in a band that my dad started and you can listen to some of their music here. (Shameless plug for my parents, sorry!)  Anyways, I've been surrounded by many different genres of music...everything from old school Country to Broadway Showtunes, to Rap, to Classical. Through this influence from my parents I began to learn what I appreciated as a musician. Also, if you'd like to hear me sing, you can click here for my Soundcloud, or go to the link in my page bar! 

Story time?

Once upon a time, (because we all know the best stories begin this way) in a small town in Ohio, a woman named Desiree made a decision. 

A decision to share her crazy transition into her 20 somethings with you, her audience. A transition including a wide array of subjects...let's face it--this woman has a lot of interests. Interests including (but not limited to) fashion, beauty, music, college--and other things too, like video games, musical theatre, and other geeky topics. 

Okay, okay. I'll face the facts: I'm a nerd. I'm also the kind of nerd people don't always expect. I hope that through this blog, I can reach people in all of the different activities I'm involved in.