A very Merry Christmas from Mr. & Mrs. Melificent!
May you enjoy every second with your families and friends.
Catch you all next week!

My awesome blogger buddy, Megan, over at The Nerdy Girlie shared some of her blogger confessions and asked her followers to do the same. I think this is a great idea, because a lot of the time, I feel like bloggers don’t really talk about what goes on behind the scenes – even with each other! It’s been refreshing to read other bloggers’ lists and see that I am not alone in the things I struggle with and equally, the things I enjoy as being part of the ever-growing blogosphere.

1. I wish I had more time for my blog. Even though it may not seem like it, I have a full-time job away from the blog. This makes it very difficult to focus 100% on it, which always makes me feel like I’m not churning out the best content, promoting it enough on social media or updating the layout enough. I often find Sundays to be my go-to day for blogging, along with any free mornings I may have where I feel inspired. However, I really wish I had more free time to make it more of a priority. Yep, you could say I have blogger’s guilt.

2. I get super shy & awkward about promoting the blog. Even though I am basically obsessed with my blog and blogging in general, I get very timid and shy when at an event where I should be promoting myself. I know that this is the number one must-do when it comes to getting more exposure, but I tend to all of a sudden become an introvert. I’m trying my best to overcome this phobia (?!), but it’s definitely been an uphill battle. I feel so torn: I want my baby to be seen, but I tend to keep her a secret. If anyone else feels this way, please let me know. I always feel like I am completely alone with these mixed messages!

3. I am so impatient with photo editing. So I don’t edit my photos most of the time. That job goes to the hubs, who is an amazing photographer. He takes all my pictures and does the dirty work afterwards. However, I am merciless with the turn around time. I always feel like such a jerk, but I am constantly hounding him to get them to me about .436 seconds after they are taken. Poor guy. I’m sure he has nightmares of me saying, “Are my photos ready?“

4. I would love to do this full time. Although I can straight up say that my full time job is my passion, I don’t think it’s impossible to have more than one in this life. Blogging definitely shares the stage. I tried to stop blogging for some time, but I literally lasted a month before the pining was just too much to handle. I have many friends that blog full time and I have to admit: I get pretty envious of their opportunities, schedules and experiences. However, little Ms. Melificent has to pay the bills, so for now, it is just a pipe dream until someone sprinkles me with that magical pixie dust that can make it a reality.

5.  I couldn’t be happier about switching the focus of my blog. Although at first I was so, so nervous, I think making Melificent a geeky fashion blog was the best decision I have made. Granted, this means I have to stress about redesigning and rebranding and new business cards and, and, and, BUT it is so worth it. I find it so much easier to put together blog posts and find content. It’s something I live in every day, so I also feel like I’m writing from more of an honest place, which probably makes me seem more relatable and genuine. It’s also given me the opportunity to sync up with other amazing geeky girl bloggers, which I am so thankful for!

Are you a blogger? If so, I want to hear your secrets!

Really really happy to announce that I will be rebranding the blog for the next few months. I’m sure you’ve all seen a gradual change to include all things geeky in pop culture, but I am going to take it one step further. From now on, Melificent will be a geeky fashion and lifestyle blog. That’s right. All geek, all the time. Don’t worry – outfit posts will continue to be featured, but they will center around how to rock your favorite fandoms in a chic way. All other content will center around how to live a geek chic lifestyle (fashion, beauty, home decor, DIY, conventions/events, cosplay, etc).

Of course, that means a new layout, new business cards, new promotional images and all sorts of fun stuff. But that will come with time. I don’t want to overwhelm the poor hubs! I hope you all are as excited about this as I am – I love my blog, but saw it slowly drifting into unknown and unfamiliar territory. I wanted to bring it back to something I know, and love.

So be on the look out for this month’s geek out. Did I just make up a new feature? Yessum.

The best thing to get home to is a sweet and flattering award from a fellow blogger. I received the Liebster Blog Award from OmniVogue earlier today and it kind of made my day. According to those nominated, it is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers because of their blogging coolness. Well, thank you!

Here are the questions I was asked to answer:

What made you decide to start blogging? I have been “blogging” since I was about 18 years old, only back then it was called Livejournal (or the ElJay as the kids used to say). I loved all the friendships I made literally across the globe, so I wanted to continue in a more legit way. At first, I thought I would be creating a celebrity blog. Funny how things unravel themselves.
How did you come up with your blog name? My wonderful Livejournal (and eventually real-life friend), Megan, started calling me Melificent and it just stuck. I loved that it could be a reference for my favorite Disney villain as well.
What is your favourite thing about blogging? The connections and friendships I have made. Nothing has really changed from the Livejournal days.
What have you formally studied? (have you studied anything fashion related or not?) Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis. I have never studied fashion, but putting together outfits has always been a hobby of mine.
How do you stay grounded in the fashion industry? Well, I don’t consider myself to be part of the fashion industry per say, but I have been exposed to the fashion blogger community down here in South Florida and it can indeed be cut throat and clique-ish. I don’t subscribe to that kind of behavior so I mainly just try my best to stay true to myself, my personality and what I want to stand for as a Miami blogger.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Most probably a mom and hopefully starting a business of my own.
What is your favourite fashion era/movement (modern or historic) and why? 1920’s because it was so daring, fun and glamorous.
What is your opinion of SA fashion? (Do you love it? hate it? is it lacking? prices?) I have to admit I don’t know what SA refers to.
When you were little, what did you dream of becoming? I wanted to be a veterinarian. I adored animals (still do) and always wanted to be around them (at times even pretending to be them).
What is your day job? I’m a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) that mainly works with autistic children doing in-home therapy. Although not an easy job, I love it so so much.

If you are interested, you can email me at meli@melificent.com or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.

Hope to get some willing participants!

After one month of moping around referring to myself as a “retired blogger,” I decided that idea was pretty ridiculous. Blogging is as much a part of me as my “real job,” and makes me just as happy. I just really love to share things with you all, and if no one cares to read it but myself, my husband and best friend, that’s OK by me. Comparing yourself to others is toxic, and I should really know better by now.

Now that I’m returning (squee), there will be some changes. I won’t be posting as often, because I want to make sure that the quality outweighs the quantity of posts. I will also (I should probably shield myself right about now) be retiring hump day posts. I want to remove the fluff, and actually focus on things that matter most to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some celebrity hotties, but this is not a celebrity blog (for that, check out the lovely Accidental Sexiness). Lovable Friday, outfit posts and DIY crafts will all still remain, along with sprinkles of what makes me Melificent. I’m also really excited about (several) new future endeavors that will bring you guys a little closer to me in various ways.

So overall, the future is looking bright & I want to bring you all along for the ride.
Sounds good? Good.

After 3 years in the blogosphere, the time has come to step away from Melificent.

This is not a permanent goodbye (I don’t like those), but a hiatus of sorts. This has been an undertaking for me, mainly because I do not like to do things half way. I wanted to post daily, with original content, about things I enjoy. I wanted to be real – I didn’t want to portray a persona and I wanted it to be fun. I did this despite having a full time job that I LOVE, but nonetheless takes up a lot of my time.

I loved every second. Although, now 3 years later, I am a little disillusioned. I love all the relationships I made through this blog, and hope I can find another venture (whether it be this blog re-imagined, another blog or something completely different) that will leave some sort of mark.

Until we meet again….

I was so beyond flattered and surprised to get an email from Emma of Clementine & Lace saying that she had nominated me for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award. How sweet is that??? I never think anyone is reading this blog (I’m my own worst critic), so it’s always nice to receive little special reminders that I may be wrong. But what I loved the most was getting to know new bloggers that quickly got added to my favorite list! Below are the rules and my nominees. Thanks again, Emma! You are a sweetheart.

Rules;

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State seven things about yourself.
4. Nominate fifteen other bloggers for this award and link to them.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

Seven things about me;

1. I have a snake phobia. It’s bad.
2. I have dance parties in my house when I’m home alone with my dogs. Mainly to Maroon 5.
3. My nails are always manicured. You will never see them bare.
4. I don’t like people touching my feet or hands.
5. I’m so clumsy. I fall/trip or break/drop things a whole lot.
6. I say SAL-mon. [reference]
7. When I was a kid, I couldn’t sleep because I feared I would be abducted by aliens.

Nominees;

1. The Fashionable ESQ
2. Clementine & Lace
3. Oh Happy Day!
4. GrrFeisty
5. Of Corgis & Cocktails
6. Running on Happiness
7. The SecondHand Closet
8. Kirstin Marie
9. The Average Girls Guide
10. Accidental Sexiness
11. Me! Madonna!
12. This Creative Life
13. Wajima
14. Eat Drink Chic
15. Twinkie Chan

Just a quick little note to let you all know that I miss outfit posts terribly! For those of you that are not in the know, I fractured my foot almost 5 weeks ago. It’s been a process that included me being in a cast for 2 weeks, and now a bootie for 4 additional weeks. Good news is that I can take it off in a week and then come back full force with outfit posts. I’ve wanted to take some with the bootie in tow, but it just doesn’t feel the same.

I hope you’ve missed them just as much as I have, and I promise you they’ll be better than ever once I have all limbs back in functioning order. Three cheers for that!