I’m not sure if it’s because I’m going to see Nas this Friday or if it’s because this is one of my favorite tracks off of the Life is Good album…but either way, here is the trailer to his new video, Bye Baby. Take a peek:
danithedreamgirl
Become a Blogger Mondays: How Will They Recognize Me?
There was a slight intermission last week so that I could bring you details about my Trillectro experience. Now, I’m back for another segment of Become a Blogger Mondays and will be diving into how to begin branding your site! Of course, some may opt out of this, but if you are serious about your blog and about gaining some visibility, branding is inevitable. I, for one, was excited about taking my first step towards being recognizable. Here are some tips and for those that also blog, feel free to add to my list in the “Comments” section.
1. I narrowed down the colors I wanted to use!
First and foremost, I knew the colors I wanted to use. I couldn’t figure out the “one” so I just used all three (purple, pink and blue).
2. I had to figure out what image would portray me and something that was dream-like.
I needed to blend a few things. The feeling of confidence, following dreams, femininity and determination. All of this in one image? Yup! I also had a pretty decent idea that I wanted to be looking upward in my logo, as a way to show me moving towards my dreams. This was the picture that my bestie took of me that inspired the direction I wanted to go in:
3. Someone had to design all of these thoughts in my head.
I’m lucky and blessed enough to have some great designers in my circle who do amazing work. Pick someone who is good and don’t rush the process.
4. Start placing your logo where you need to!
If you take pics for an event…place your logo on the images before releasing them. If you’re sending an official document on behalf of your blog…place your logo on the document (i.e. letterhead). Don’t over-saturate your site with it, but the more people see it, the more people will recognize it and you! Let’s call it “tasteful placement”…
***
Branding is so important. However, remember that building it is a full-time job. Take ownership of it and be sure that it represents exactly what you want. I hope this helps and again, please add any additional tips in the “Comments” section. Be sure to check back next Monday folks!
They Want ME? Yes, They Do!
Bloggers have different goals for their sites. Some do it just for the fun of it and others use it as an outlet to branch into other things like: blogging for other sites, to make money, to build their brand, etc. I, myself, am open to any and every door that opens up for Danithedreamgirl.com. With that said, I’m blessed to be able to say that I’m taking major steps in the right direction! I’m officially part of a growing team at MuzikTalk.com. They are a brand new site that is launching this winter and will be a great resource for EVERYTHING MUSIC! You’ll be able to get information on current events within the music world, updates on new music and it will also be an amazing tool for all music artists. Up-and-coming artists, or established ones, will be able to promote their projects and their skills with MuzikTalk and of course, I will be one of the selected bloggers bringing you interviews and highlights from around the music industry. My main focus will be to cover the genre of R&B, but if you know someone who is looking to break into the industry (within any genre), send them my way!
If you would like to submit information/tracks from your current or upcoming project(s), email info@muziktalk.com and become part of a community that is going to help promote you!
This is an amazing opportunity and I’m definitely looking forward to this new piece of my journey! My dreams are becoming a reality; I hope you are all paying attention!
Brandy ft. Chris Brown “Put it Down” VIDEO PREMIER!
Brandy drops her new video for hit song, Put it Down, featuring Chris Brown. It’s nice to finally see her back in the spotlight, doing what she does best. I’ve always been a Brandy fan and it seems as if she’s got her mojo back! Check out her new video below!
TRILLECTRO Mania!!!
I know Mondays are reserved for tips on how to become a blogger, but pardon the interruption while I show you what I was up to this weekend! DC to BC came together to put on a much anticipated music festival, Trillectro, at the Half Street Fairgrounds that highlighted emerging artists in Hip-Hop and Electronic music. Thousands attended this exciting event in DC and I was lucky enough to get a taste of what the hype was all about. So, without further ado, here you go!
I volunteered my services for a great cause, by assisting DMV’s very own Lazy Panda who was a sponsor at Trillectro. They produce clothing for all ages and sizes, with their infamous panda logo, all in an effort to give back to DC’s youth!
I was able to catch some performances!
Remember her?! Check out my Alison Carney Interview if you don’t!
The fashion was super interesting!
Overall, people just came to have fun!
I had a blast and will definitely be back next year!!!
It’s Time for a POPCORN Break!
Wake up, take a shower, pick out my clothes, get dressed (HURRY, HURRY), brush my teeth, run to the car, race to work, check my emails, go get breakfast, scarf breakfast down, sit in meetings, talk with customers, do some work at my desk, eat lunch fast (HURRY!!!)….PAUSE! This is the moment in my day when I stop and think, “are you going to rush through every moment?” My life went from being robotic to being non-stop! I love what I do (writing, that is), but JEESH, sometimes I don’t get to enjoy my whole day because I move through it so quickly.
I feel like my friend, Shipwrecked on Fabulous Island, when she had to close her door just to enjoy an old Snickers bar. Like, for real, I often think that I need just one extra hour to my night or just one whole day to do NOTHING. Like today, I usually post an interview, featuring some celebrity or super cool individual, but I honestly just couldn’t. I was so tired last night that I crashed and what was supposed to be a 30 minute nap, turned into a 3 hour vacation on my couch…that’s how tired I was! All of this made me realize, I need to sloooooow it down and just chill.
I thought of all the good movies that are out that I haven’t had time to see yet. So, you know what?! This Dreamgirl is taking herself on a date to go see a movie! I have SO many choices, I don’t know which to choose. Let’s see…hmmm…Batman? Savage? Bourne Legacy? Ahhhh, just the thought of being at the movies with over-salted POPCORN (lots of butter of course) and a slurpy makes my insides tingle (by the way, I splurge on the kid’s meal that comes with a small popcorn, fruit snack and an extra dollar for the slurpy…I’m not going broke on this date buying $7.00 popcorn lol).
I spill all of this to you, only to say this…make sure, you are at least trying to enjoy some personal time. When you work hard, you have to play hard also. I know that not everyone is having the best week or some may be going through big life happenings, but even in those cases, remember…you only get one life on Earth (unless you’re reincarnated as an Olympic athlete like I will be), so enjoy it and try to be thankful.
Enjoy your weekend everybody!
B.B.M.: Grammar is YOUR Friend!
Welcome back for another installment of, Become a Blogger Mondays! It’s amazing that you’ve found your site and are starting to pick which topics to blog about. This is a very exciting time; trust me, I know! However it’s always important to stick with the basics when it comes to writing. A little grammar can go a long way *wink*…again, trust me…I know!
There are certain pet peeves I secretly contain within my mind and it is NOT easy turning the other way when I see poorly written posts (remember my interview with blogger, Jasmine the Brand?). Ever go to a site that has the BEST design, great topics of discussion, great interviews, etc., but when you get into the “meat” of the post, you can barely comprehend it? You feel my pain (I know you do!). It’s like looking at a pretty car that’s all scratched up; you have to ask yourself, “why even bother buying that piece of crap?” Well, that’s how I feel about improper grammar on blogs! In this day and age, there is no reason for poorly written sentences, lack of punctuation, horrible spelling…you get the picture. Look, we ALL make mistakes, but eventually you need to be proud of the work you put out to the world and bad grammar should NOT be a consistent mishap when writing. So, rather than slap your hand with a ruler and take recess away from you offenders, I’m going to give you some pointers that have helped me in doing a pretty good job with proper grammar!
1. Always, always, always PROOF your work before publishing it.
It only takes a few minutes to go back and re-read your post; it’s really not that bad. I’m actually obsessed with going over my work before you lovely people get a chance to read it (maybe that’s the English major in me).
2. Have a friend read your post for you.
I have the luxury of being able to send my work to a close friend (who is also a grammar Nazi…worse than me!) before I publish a post. Another set of eyes can never hurt and they may also be able to catch things that you missed as a result of staring at the same screen for a long period of time.
3. Always use spell check as a FINAL step.
I say “FINAL” because proofing is still the most effective way to catch major grammatical errors. Spell check is just the easy way out!
4. Make sure your computer is set up to highlight incorrect words, punctuation, fragments, etc.
This is self explanatory…just do it!
5. Read more!
Most people might not think to do this, but reading more can actually help you in a lot of ways. It will not only increase your vocabulary, but it will also provide repetition in reading proper sentence formations. Of course, this all depends on what you choose to read, but you get what I’m trying to say.
***
I hope you’ve learned something useful today! Remember, it’s very important to pay attention to GRAMMAR! Take pride in your work because there’s no quicker way to lose credibility than to sound like a 3rd grader through your writing. If I see nothing but typos on a site, I won’t even finish reading the post. I will automatically stop taking the blogger/writer seriously.
Come back next week for, Become a Blogger Mondays…not sure what I’m going to discuss yet, but that’s the beauty of having my own site! I get to do what I want, BIATCH! Did you catch me spell that cuss word wrong? Good! You’re learning already! But, there are effective ways to use improper grammar after all…did I just confuse you? GOOD! Adios, Dreamers!
Been Wondering Where Miguel Has Been? – New Music!
He’s back with an upcoming new album, Kaleidoscope Dream, and is dropping new music for his fans around the world. Check out the latest video for his hit track, Adorn!
The Dreamgirl supports great artists!!! Click on the link/video below to view:
B.B.M…What the HECK Should I Blog About?!
Welcome back for another week of, “BECOME A BLOGGER MONDAYS”!!!
By now you’ve decided that blogging is for you and you have chosen which site is best for you as well. Ok, so now comes the FUN part! You get to write about ANYthing! When I first started writing I didn’t know exactly what I’d be sharing with the world, but I knew the message I wanted to get across. Here are some helpful tips on HOW to decide what to write about:
1. Know the reason WHY you want to blog.
For me, the reason was simple…I wanted to inspire others. Just tap into what motivates you and that’s the first step to your success.
2. Figure out what you want your end result to be.
Some people blog for their business, others want to make money on the side and some just do it for the fun of it all. So, whether you want to use your “stage” as a means to an end or to simply document an online journal, you must decipher what you ultimately want to see happen with your blog. Knowing this will allow you to further hone in on what you want to focus on.
3. Make it FUN!
When I say this, it’s more for you, rather than your readers. Of course, you want to captivate your audience, but if you don’t enjoy what you’re writing about then no one will.
4. Be diverse in your topics.
Starting out, you’re going to want to be consistent in your topics; this will help form your target audience. BUT! BUT! BUT! Every once in a while, it will be nice for your readers to see a different side of you, i.e. if you’re serious then make it funny, if you’re funny then maybe write about a more serious/personal topic. Diversity will help expand past your target audience! One thing that I do often is reach out to my readers. I ask them what they want to read about, I ask them their thoughts on my topics of discussion and most importantly, I open myself up for constructive criticism.
Danithedreamgirl 