Playlist 4 July

The fourth of July is right around the corner, and it is time to add the finishing touches to the 2019 celebratory playlist. This is the biggest annual event that my family hosts, and we are expecting over fifty guests this year. I am typically in charge of constructing the playlists for most of our gatherings, and I try to make them as large as possible to avoid the annoyance of song repetition. I have searched all over the place for independence-themed songs, and I want to give you a small glimpse into this year’s bunch… Not all of these songs have the intensity for the firework show, but they will certainly be played during the party. I hope you enjoy, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

• It’s America by Rodney Atkins
• Fire by Barns Courtney
• All American Mutt by Jamie Kent
• Fight for You by Shawn McDonald
• Freedom by Pharrell Williams
• Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue by Toby Keith
• American Woman by Lenny Kravitz
• Smoke Clears by Andy Grammer
• Alive by Pearl Jam
• All-American Girl by Carrie Underwood

Have you heard any of these before? Did you like this post? What are your song recommendations for me?

*Also, I accidentally set a backdate on my previous post, “Dryads & Shades,” so it did not show up as a recent post WordPress… That was my mistake, but be sure to go check it out here if you missed it. Thanks for reading!

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Playlist & Talk To Me

Hello Sunshine!

It has been two full months since I released a playlist, so I thought it was time to share again. Actually, several of you have told me that you really enjoy these types of posts, so I am wondering if I should do this more often… Talk to me, and tell me your thoughts!

• What I Want by The Band CAMINO
• Bad by Lennon Stella
• Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon
• Over My Head by Judah & the Lion
• Bottle by JT Roach
• I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber
• If So by Atlas Genius
• Older by Sasha Sloan

Do you want to see more playlists? Were any of these songs familiar to you? What have you been listening to?

***Side note: Get ready for some super exciting posts as I share a video of myself dancing (yes, you read that correctly), a favorite summer recipe, recent happenings, a summer shopping haul, and two awards! These will be up very shortly, so don’t go anywhere. 🙂 Thanks for reading, and I hope that you are having an awesome summer!

Sweet Reminisce

sipping on tea in the middle of May

enjoying the sweet reminisce

and allowing recollections of melancholy days

to dissolve in the laughter of bliss

 

thoughts had been brewing

while life continued at a fast pace

and stories were certainly worth sharing

to a missed and familiar face

---

I was able to meet up with a good friend for lunch last week, and it was so nice to catch up after months of separation. This amazing vocalist, Sofia Caterina, has released another song after receiving over 80,000 streams of last year’s hit, Velvet. I encourage you to go check out her newest single, Walk Away, and share it with as many people as you can. It is NOW AVAILABLE to stream on all major music platforms, so go give it a listen!

What have you been up to lately? Do you have any big plans coming up this summer? What did you think of her song? 

*Photo Credit to Sofia

Eccentric Movements

The audience sat intrigued as we created eccentric movements one dance at a time, and we slid barefoot across the floor embracing the freedom in our blistered toes. It was a night of contemporary, and the stories left people deep in thought as they attempted to interpret the ambiguous shapes. I had the opportunity to choreograph my own contemporary solo this year, and I felt so powerful as I brought “On The Edge” to the stage for the very first time. Halsey’s song, “Castle,” echoed throughout the theater as my legs and arms intertwined to match the vocal cues.

I felt like I attacked the steps with so much power during the onstage rehearsal, but a migraine took over when people actually filled the seats that night. I pushed through all of my dances, not allowing it to alter my performance, but I am upset that I couldn’t truly enjoy myself. Overall, I am so happy with how the choreography turned out, and it is definitely one of my favorite dances that I have ever pieced together. Halsey was my true inspiration, and her song really generated the intensity that I wanted. I hope that I have the chance to perform it again in the future…

What are your thoughts on this song? Do you enjoy the contemporary style of dance? Can you relate to getting a migraine at the worst possible time?

Sunshine Blogger Award

“The Sunshine Blogger Award is peer recognition award for bloggers that inspires positivity and joy.”

I am so humbled to have been nominated for this award by one of my awesome followers, rubeenafaisal. I am glad that my blog is viewed in such a positive way, and I hope that my posts continue to inspire my readers. Thank you so much for this recognition! 🙂

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them.
• List the rules and display an award logo on your blog post.
• Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and notify them by commenting on any of their posts.
• Ask the nominees 11 new questions.

Questions for Me:

1) Name any two qualities a blogger should have according to you?

I think it is important that a blogger is considerate of other readers’ opinions when posting content, and creativity is always a good quality to have.

2) A social incident that shook your head and heart so far?

Honestly, there are a few incidents that would be a great response to this question, but they are quite personal…

3) Name any 2 of your favourite book that you recommend others to read?

I haven’t read many (non-academic) books recently, but I was obsessed with the Harry Potter series last summer. I also loved Almost Home by Joan Bauer because it was so eye opening.

4) if you could change your nationality which one will you select and why?

I have never actually been, but Greece seems like such a beautiful place! The history, artwork, and food is so awesome, so I think it would be pretty neat to be Greek.

5) A place that you’re dieing to visit for a long time?

I would love to cruise through the Bahamas someday.

6) Your favourite spot?

Does my bed count? It is so comfortable, and I could rest my eyes for HOURS if I had the time.

7)watching a movie or reading a book, which one you prefer the most?

Personally, I prefer watching a movie because I have to read so much for school that I have (temporarily) lost the patience/joy of reading a book.

8) Two of your favourite quote?

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work” (Colin Powell).

“She believed she could so she did” (Unknown).

9) An adventurous thing to do in your bucketlist?

I really want to go snorkeling by a coral reef again.

10) Name any two famous personality whom you would like to inspire?

I do not follow celebrity news or entertainment, so I don’t have a famous inspiration unless you are talking about ballet. In that case, I think Sara Mearns has been the most inspirational for me. She is so humble which has really motivated me to keep working for my goals, and her optimistic mentality has really kept me hungry for success.

11) Your favourite cartoon character?

Unfortunately, I do not watch very much t.v, so I don’t know. Sorry!

I nominate…

1. Gayle
2. T.R. Noble
3. fourtysomethingheyhey
4. Hayley
5. Maggie
6. Hannah
7. Rebekah
8. Ariana
9. Girl in the White Shirt
10. Ezra
11. Kaycee

My Questions for Nominees:

1. What is your favorite thing about the summer?
2. Where would your dream vacation be?
3. How long do you spend on your blog/reader each day?
4. Pool or beach?
5. Have you had a particular song on repeat lately? Which one?
6. Lemonade or sweet tea on a hot summer afternoon?
7. What is the latest that you have ever slept in?
8. Do you have a favorite fruit?
9. Where do you go most often when you are with your friends?
10. What was the last book that you read?
11. Do you prefer the coast or the mountains?

Please do not feel obligated to participate, and I completely respect your decision either way. Thanks again,rubeenafaisal, for nominating me!

*** I do not own the rights to this photo, and it was copied directly from Huguette Antoun.

College: Freshman Year

College Year 1: OFFICIALLY DONE!

(Casually doing an Arabesque at school…)

I cannot believe that my freshman year of college is actually complete, and I am about one year away from attaining my associates degree in Marketing Management. I have learned so much in the last two semesters, and I am just so thankful for this opportunity to attend this awesome school as a dual-enrolled student. It was certainly a challenge to manage a full college schedule on top of my other responsibilities, and I have no doubt that I pushed myself harder than ever before… I recall doing assignments at 2 AM while Nirvana and Pearl Jam blared out of my headphones, studying vigorously in between rehearsals, hauling a load of math problems to the tutoring center before exams, reading textbook pages for hours in the library, and reviewing papers with friends before submitting them to my professor. It was hard, but this experience really allowed me to grow as both a person and student which is really rewarding in the end. It was a great year, and I am so lucky to have had such awesome people to share it with.

I have a few weeks on break before the summer semester kicks off, but I am going to embrace this sunshine and blue sky while it lasts… Summer vibes are in the air; it’s a beautiful day!

Has your summer break started yet? What was your freshman experience like? Who else is a Marketing major? Do you enjoy bubble tea? 

Prom Number 2!

Thanks to my best friend, I had the most amazing opportunity to experience prom for the second time this year! She was able to get me into this event for her school, and I am overjoyed that I was able to go because I had so much fun.

From spinning in the field to singing/screaming so loud that I lost my voice for days, it honestly couldn’t have gone any better. The DJ got the whole venue thumping with good beats as glow sticks flew in the air and dramatic lighting swirled across the crowded dance floor. My wild-party spirit was released that night as I was able to truly let go of all my stress and just have fun. That rarely ever happens, so I couldn’t possibly thank her enough for the invitation!

I never imagined that I would be at another prom so soon, and I wish I could just go back and do it all over again. This is certainly one that I will remember for a very long time, and this awesome group of people really made it special. Thanks again, girly!