Dreaming Idealist

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[kelseydashmarie]

Kelsey-Marie (@kelseydashmarie) • Instagram photos and videos

6,275 Followers, 484 Following, 422 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Kelsey-Marie (@kelseydashmarie)

Instagram: @kelseydashmarie

[kelseydashmarie]

Days at the Tate Museum in London.

September, 2019.

Instagram: @kelseydashmarie

[kelseydashmarie]

Somewhere in South Africa.

[kelseydashmarie]

Hindsight is the best sight. Your life is your own and it’s natural to wonder why you’re put into certain situations. At the end of the day, Hah is greater than all and will give you circumstances to see how you handle them.

[kelseydashmarie]

Book lover in her element.

[kelseydashmarie]

Basking.

[dreamingidealist]

Is there such thing as work-life balance? I use to work in TV Production and that consisted of working 12 hour days. Which meant that I was not able to participate in happy hours, dinner & movie dates or hang out with my friends during the week. My work days usually consisted of waking up, getting dressed, going to work, coming home from work, going to sleep and repeating until the weekend. By the time the weekend rolled around, I was too tired to do any of the things that I planned. I noticed that a lot of young adults who have full-time jobs and working towards their goals have trouble with work-life balance. This struggle can lead to stress, anxiety and FOMO (fear of missing out). This is definitely no way to live--especially for a 20-something year old. So, what is work-life balance? According to Business Dictionary, work-life balance is defined as "a comfortable state of equilibrium achieved between an employee's primary priorities of their employment position and their private lifestyle. Most psychologists would agree that the demands of an employee's career should not overwhelm the individual's ability to enjoy a satisfying personal life outside of the business environment." So how can one achieve work-life balance? I have been testing this out for a few months and here are things that work for me: Learn how to say "No" This was a big problem for me. I would feel bad saying no to certain things and that would result in me feeling pressured and stressed to please others. By saying "no", you will eliminate activities that may drain you of your time and energy. Your time is precious and you should protect that. So, if someone is asking you to go somewhere or to do something that you don't want to do, you should not feel bad saying "no". Wake up earlier I realized that if I woke up an hour earlier; then I could have time to exercise/meditate. It is necessary to give your body time to fully wake up. By taking more time in the morning to exercise/meditate or even eat breakfast, you will have a better start to your day. Exercising is also a great way to boost your energy levels and concentration. Nothing is worse than just hopping out of bed and going into work all day. Schedule time for yourself I usually make a to-do list everyday to make sure that I get all of my tasks completed. Now, instead of just making a to-do list of work related things or errands; I make one of personal things. Schedule in time to get dinner, get your nails done or something else that you enjoy doing. Life is supposed to be enjoyable--so stop worrying about work all of the time! Communicate! I am ALWAYS in my phone! I am one of those millennials that would rather text than talk on the phone. I started making it a priority to call my parents and friends more and noticed that it's actually not that bad. If I am having a bad day, I feel better when I can call someone to talk about it rather than just texting. I think that communicating with your love ones more is a great way to feel more balanced with work and your personal life. Stop being so damn flaky The older I get, the more I notice how essential friendships are. I also noticed that it's not about the quantity of friends but more so the quality. I am fortunate to have a handful of really great friends in my life. I have been guilty of flaking on my friends because I would be tired or too lazy. However, I realized that by flaking, you could lose out on genuine friendships. By prioritizing time with friends and not flaking, you will have a better work-life balance. These are some things that I am trying out in the new year and they are really helping me with being more productive and feeling happier! What are some things that you do for work-life balance?

[dreamingidealist]

On Friday, January 29th, 2016, I was invited to attend a listening party by my friend, fellow blogger and model, Diamond Divani. The event took place at The Red Door Cabaret in Midtown Manhattan and it was to showcase songs off of RnB singer Vin-Keatin's new album, The Beginning of Forever. Vin sings with his band The Experience and background vocalists Marlene Victoria and Passion. The setting was really intimate and Vin-Keatin sang a few songs off of his new album. His voice is smooth and soulful and he had the crowd in a trance with his voice and stage presence. Vin's songs "Chocolate Kisses", "Trouble" and "Perfect" are all so good and reminded me how much I love RnB music. Between songs, Vin would answer some questions from the audience. I thought that this was great because it gave us a chance to get to know the singer better. From the questions, I learned that he named the album The Beginning of Forever because to him, "it was a time of letting go of fear and grabbing onto faith and when you open up yourself to love -- that is the beginning of forever" . I also learned that it took him about three years to create the album and that his muse is life because he believes that art is life. He uses his life experiences, whether good or bad, and puts them into his songs. About Vin-Keatin * Vin was born and raised in the Bronx, NY and he fell in love with Rhythm and Blues from a young age * He had a severe case of stage fright from a young age and finally built up the courage to sing in front of an audience his senior year of High School when he competed in his school's showcase * Vin's sound is comparable to the likes of R. Kelly, Joe Thomas, Mario, Avant and Usher * Vin's musical inspiration is Brandy * Vin's favorite album by Brandy is Full Moon * His favorite song on his new album The Beginning of Forever is "Trouble" because it is based off of a real life situation Check out some of his songs below: I really enjoyed Vin-Keatin's listening party and I can't wait to listen to his entire album. The Beginning of Forever is set to be released on Valentine's Day and will be available on iTunes

[dreamingidealist]

How is it already February!? It seems like the older I get, the faster time flies by. January was a good month for me and a month full of change and growth. I finally built up the courage to quit the job that made me miserable and to pursue my dream of being a working actor. Since then, I've been a lot happier and stress free. I really feel like this year will be a year of growth for me. I can't wait to see how February turns out! Here are my favorite things from January: Being a person of color, I am already at risk for having low vitamin D. After getting my yearly physical, my doctor told me that I should start taking vitamin D supplements to raise my vitamin D levels in my body. I ordered the NatureWise Vitamin D3 supplements from Amazon and I have been taking them since the beginning of January. I have increased energy and I have been sleeping better. Having a vitamin D deficiency is very common in people of color and those living in areas like NYC (since we don't get an abundance of sun). This can lead to fatigue, having muscle pain and weakness, weight gain, depression, restless sleep and high blood pressure. I highly recommend taking a vitamin D supplement everyday to keep your energy levels up and to get better sleep! If you have never tried Jojoba oil, you should definitely try it out! I got this from Trader Joes for about $8 and I love it. I use this product on my skin and hair and I have seen improvements in both. Jojoba oil is essentially a liquid wax that is extracted from the Jojoba nut. This oil has been used by Native Americans for years. They used this oil on their skin and hair and the nut was used as food in cases of emergency. I apply this product to my scalp before washing my hair and it helps with keeping my scalp moisturized. Being that it is winter, my scalp tends to get really dry but Jojoba has been a really big help. I also apply this oil to my lips and skin (I switch between this and coconut oil) and it has been keeping my skin really moisturized and soft. Jojoba oil also reduces oiliness in skin which is great since the t-zone of my face gets oily. I. Love. This. Stuff! To me, nothing looks worse than having a dry face. I have been obsessed with keeping my skin hydrated this winter and I was on the search for a really good facial moisturizer. The Ultra Facial Cream moisturizer by Kiehl's is my new favorite. The formula is rich and it goes on really light and soaks into your skin. It is great for applying before makeup and it really helps to make your skin glow. Kiehl's can be expensive (this was around $27) but it has been worth the money. You just need to apply a small amount and your face will be hydrated and ready to take on the day! Everyone that knows me knows that I love a good highlight! I am always on the search for the best highlight for my complexion. I decided to give MAC a try and purchased their Global Glow Mineralize Skinfinish. You can layer this product depending on how pigmented you want your highlight to be. It gives your skin a healthy, beautiful glow and doesn't leave your skin looking greasy. The packaging is chic and the product is not messy to apply. It is really soft (almost like velvet) and applies smoothly on your skin. I highly recommend this highlight. It also comes in a variety of shades to suit every complexion. This concealer is soooo bomb! I love NARS products because they are all really rich and last a long time. I usually use MAC concealer but I wanted a change and so I tried out the Ginger Radiant Creamy Concealer by NARS. Packaging is definitely a factor in my choice of makeup products. I love the packing of this concealer because it comes with a wand brush which makes it easier to apply (in my opinion). I like that the packing is clear because it allows you to see how much of the product is left and it's a good indicator for when you need to buy more. The formula is extremely creamy and pigmented and blends into the skin really well. You definitely should not apply a lot of this product (a little goes a long way). I also like that this product does not crease a lot. I would always struggle with my concealers creasing under my eyes (no matter how much I blended), so it is lovely that I don't have to struggle with creasing when using this NARS concealer! I would highly recommend this concealer. One of my goals for this year is to write more and reflect/take notes while in church. I stumbled across this cute journal in TJ Maxx for only $4.99! I love that it has an inspiration Bible quote on the front and the top of each page has a quote from the Bible. It is the perfect size for slipping into your handbag and to travel with. This journal is made by Eccolo and they have a lot of really dope journals, planners and stationary. These were my favorite products for January...what were yours? Let me know in the comments below!

[dreamingidealist]

Work. Work. Work. Work. Work. That is exactly what Rihanna has been doing since 2012 and it shows in her new album Anti. It has been three years since fans have been awaiting her to drop something new and she finally did and this is definitely her best work yet. Anti was released as a free download on Wednesday night after being mistakenly uploaded on Tidal. It is now available on iTunes for purchase. Anti was initially supposed to drop in November 2015 and it kept getting pushed back which left fans wondering if she was burned out. Rihanna had been releasing work damn near every year since 2005. In 2015, she released three singles: "Four, Five Seconds", "American Oxygen" and "Bitch Better Have My Money" but none of them made the final cut. When I saw that Anti was released, I was skeptical to how good this album would be. My initial thoughts were that this would be an album with a bunch of turn up hits on it (theres nothing wrong with that) but damn, I was wrong. Anti is full of dope, beautiful songs and it is easily a classic work of true RnB music. That Rihanna reign just wont let up Rihanna Stays True To Herself After listening to this album, I understand the meaning behind the title. It throws out all of the stereotypes of a typical Rihanna album (turn up hits/pop songs) and truly showcases her talent. Its introducing you to a new Rihanna -- a more matured Rihanna who truly gives no fucks at this point about making hits for the radio. She made a solid body of work and not just an album with a few bangers on it. She is showing us why she is the type of influencer who can make $9k headphones sell out and why she is here to stay. I feel like Rihanna saw the bigger picture with this album. She created music that would be timeless. She also gets personal with her fans. She doesn't put out music that touches the surface of who she is in the public eye. I feel like this is her most intimate work. Anti will attract a new fan base Since this album is a whole new sound for Rihanna, it definitely will draw in new fans. This album is very minimalistic compared to her previous albums. The album opens up with "Consideration" which features SZA and definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album. In the song she states, "I've got to do things my own way, darling" which she has done by staying true to herself. Songs like "Kiss It Better", "Love On The Brain" and "Same Ol' Mistakes" all have that 80s and 90s soulful RnB feel to them. I think that this will attract more fans of old school RnB and soul to her music. Fans are not accustomed to hearing Rihanna sing soulfully on her albums and this will throw a lot of listeners a pleasant curveball. This album shows her extensive growth as an artist vocally and this will also reel new fans in. She is vocally stronger than ever before Rihanna is seen as a pop star who has incredible fashion sense and can basically sell salt to a slug. I think that many people don't acknowledge or notice the fact that she can actually sing. This album is easily a classic because it lets people know that Rihanna is in fact a singer. She is definitely serving her vocal skills on this album and that is an evolution for Rihanna as an artist. Songs like "Higher", "James Joint" and "Love On The Brain" really proves that this girl can truly sing. Her runs on "Higher" are simply beautiful and something that surprised me because I never knew she could sing like that. She sings with a certain raspiness and deepness that really makes me feel her pain, desperation and intensity. Anti is not filled with a bunch of radio bangers but it is undeniably a solid and beautiful body of work. Rihanna has solidified her spot in the music industry and she is not ashamed to musically and creatively be herself. This is definitely not the previous Rihanna in which she had many producers and writers write hits that she just put her voice on. It is evident that she worked hella hard on this and showed her true talents and for that, Anti is a classic album. Here is a track list of Anti: 1. Consideration (feat. SZA) 2. James Joint 3. Kiss It Better 4. Work (feat. Drake) 5. Desperado 6. Woo 7. Needed Me 8. Yea, I Said It 9. Same Ol' Mistakes 10. Never Ending 11. Love on the Brain 12. Higher 13. Close to You 14. Goodnight Gotham (Deluxe Edition) 15. Pose (Deluxe Edition) 16. Sex with Me (Deluxe Edition)

[dreamingidealist]

I don't know about you, but it is a necessity for me to get my nails done. I always feel more put together and ready to handle business when I look down and my nails are poppin. Since my Freshman year in High School, I have been visiting the nail salon every two weeks and getting a fresh fill-in or full-set. I went through the fads of getting designs to stiletto nails and most recently, coffin nails. Each time I would get my nails done with acrylic powder.

[dreamingidealist]

If you're a Rih fan then you've been anticipating her new album Anti. Well, this morning she gave us all a taste of it by releasing her first single "Work" featuring Toronto bred rapper Drake. Yasss Rih....Yasss! After three years of waiting in anticipation for her album, Billboard released reports that Anti will be released this Friday, January 29th, 2016. Anti was originally supposed to be released last year but kept getting pushed back. Judging from this single, I think Anti is definitely going to be worth the wait! This song has a nice vibe to it and it will definitely be the song of 2016. You can currently only listen to this song by streaming or downloading on Tidal. smarturl.it/RihWORK I am completely here for this! Kelsey-Marie

[dreamingidealist]

I have always had curly hair and I have always taken it for granted.

[dreamingidealist]

Instagram: @trinidadianlove

[dreamingidealist]

If you're like me, your morning commute can be stressful. I learned that a great way to relieve the stress of my morning commute is to be entertained and to feel like I am doing something productive. One of the great ways that I found to stay up to date and learn something new is to listen to podcasts.

[deep-sexts]

[theanimalmemes]