Good Bye Resplendently Living: It's Been Real
Goodbye Resplendently Living: It’s Been Real!
Dear Resplendently Living,
It’s been real.
It’s been fun . . .
so stick around, there’s more to come!
Thoughtfully,
Mel Drake
The “Big” Announcement
***Clears throat***
Effective immediately, Resplendently Living will now be —> This is Mel Drake (www.thisismeldrake.com/blog)
Wow, that felt good!
So Here’s What’s Happening
My blog is getting little upgrade and moving in an exciting new direction. But don’t worry, I haven't stopped blogging. And don’t worry, you won’t have to do anything. We are just doing a little re-branding (well, a lot of re-branding). For the time being, if you type in resplendentlyliving.com, you’ll be automatically directed to the new site (www.thisismeldrake.com/blog). You might have noticed about a month or 2 ago, my social media handles changed to “ThisisMelDrake” to match the new site and the re-brand. And if you haven’t noticed, well that’s ok too.
You can now find me on social media at the following:
THE ‘GRAM (the pretty pictures): https://www.instagram.com/thisismeldrake
PINTEREST (the inspiration): https://www.pinterest.com/thisismeldrake
TWITTER (the sass + musings): https://twitter.com/thisismeldrake
FACEBOOK (a little this + that): https://www.facebook.com/thisismeldrake
SERIOUSLY! This. Is. So. Exciting!
So, let’s take a quick walk down memory lane to get to where we are today. . .
The Origins of Resplendently Living
The idea of a blog was born many many many moons ago at the desk of my monochromatic cubicle in corporate America. During my moments of “creative work avoidance” (aka ADHD), I would find myself immersed in the distracting comfort of reading fashion and DIY blogs. Although I wanted a creative outlet from the monotony of work, I was too scared to pull the trigger and begin a blog of my own. Plus, I had absolutely no idea where to even start. Wordpress, what?
Fast forward to 6 years later, I found myself home, on medical leave and I was sequestered to my couch during an extended 6 week Christmas break. Lemme tell you, the down time was wonderful. And it was just the right mental break I needed to recharge my batteries and to regain all of my sanity that I had lost due to the daily demands of my job. So after a bit of urging and a well timed Christmas gift of my first DSLR camera and a step-by-step guide on how to build and launch a blog, I sat out to enter the world of blogging.
The Meaning of “Resplendently Living”
The word “resplendent” has always been a favorite of mine. The very definition of resplendent means to “shine brilliantly”. And when you pair “resplendent” with the word “living” it translates (in my opinion) to “living your best life”. Which was and still is a very important mantra of mine today.
But that’s where my love affair with the word “resplendent(ly)” ended.
To be frank, no one could pronounce or (even worse) spell “Resplendent” or “Resplendently”. And telling people about my blog (when I finally had the confidence to do so) became a real laborious pain in the ass.
A Lack of Confidence —> Anonymity
Because I lacked quite a bit of confidence in my blogging abilities when I first began, choosing a blog name of something other than my real government name (or a derivative of) offered a deep layer of anonymity to compensate. And “Resplendently Living” was the perfect cloak to hide behind. So in 2016, Resplendently Living was launched to the thunderous applause and reception of absolutely no one.
Truth was, I not only lacked confidence in what I was doing, I was also super afraid terrified of what my friends and family would say. But to my relief, everyone was (and still is) super supportive of what I was doing. Some even signed up for my email list and others liked my Facebook page and others shared my posts. And for that, I am (and still continue to be) very grateful! ❤️
Growth Over the Years
As I’ve grown over the years, both in age and dress size (hello late-in-life curves), so has my writing, my content, and my perspective on all things. Last year, I hit the big 4-0, and with that numerical milestone came additional freedom that I now feel and possess. What once was a shy fashion blogger who didn’t tell anyone she had a blog is now, a tiger (or insert any other strong animal of your choice) who is excited about her authentic voice and her vision for www.thisismeldrake.com.
A lot can happen over the course of 3 years:
I ran a half marathon
I bravely quit my corporate job in search of a life more fulfilled
After 17 years, I packed up the U-Haul and moved from Houston to Oklahoma City on a whim, ultimately to be closer to my parents (aka “the kids”)
After a very tragic loss, I turned the rain into rainbows through self-care and by surrounding myself with loving people
I traveled around the world and learned many lessons while traveling solo
I paid off over $30K in debt
I bought a house in cash. No mortgage. Boom!
I started believing in myself and taking my own pictures.
And as time went on, I eventually found my voice. The voice that I was trying hard to silence in an effort to assimilate into the “perfect” blogger. Ugh! Even worse, this group-think mentality led me to blog with little to no cohesion or purposeful message to communicate. It was all mess but a learning curve I need to endure.
In May, a light bulb went off. I had an epiphany. I decided that it was time to grow up and take things to a more professional and relatable level. So for the last few months, my team (aka Team Awesome) and I have been working to bring this brand to life. And I must say, I’m beyond pleased with what has developed (and what we are developing).
So GET READY!
So in my best Jay-Z voice: “Allow me to re-introduce myself . . . “
Introducing: This is Mel Drake
Not only did my blog get a facelift, but my content also got one hell of an upgrade too! Starting with my mission:
About the NEW Logo
First, I love the new “This is Mel Drake” logo that Liz, the graphic designer of Team Awesome, created.
When we set out to create a new logo for “This is Mel Drake”, my punch list was fairly simple. I just wanted a logo that was clean, simple, and (most importantly) had an underlying meaning/message.
Well, Liz hit it out of the park, and here’s why: Growing up I didn’t always see kids or role models who looked like me, who were built like me, and who shared the same skin tone as me. So because of this, I wasn’t always as confident as I am today.
Inspired by this photo, Liz created the amazing logo for “This is Mel Drake”.
The curve in the logo represents the curves of my body. The shade of brown represents my skin tone. My new logo serves as not only a reminder to myself, but as inspiration to others to be confident in your own body and in your own skin.
And to never forget that the “melanin is (always) popping”.
About the NEW Name, “This is Mel Drake”
I chose the name “This is Mel Drake” after a very reassuring nudging from my team. This is the first time I’ve been truly confident in who I am and the message I want to convey #pureconfidence No more hiding. No more anonymity here.
What You Can Expect From the NEW “This is Mel Drake”
Y’all, I know I said it before, but I am sooooooo excited for the content we are producing. We’ll be chatting about all things life, relationships, career, health, and style.
What You Won’t Get From the NEW “This is Mel Drake”
Fluffy, low-nutritional content (as my branding/business manager, Justin says) or B.S. I solemnly promise to give you ALL of the good stuff. Going forward, you’ll get the good, the bad and the ugly in my life along with the lessons I’ve learned and are not afraid to share and pass on to you, my friends. I’m still gonna cuss a little. So if that makes you uncomfortable, then now is the time to hit the “eject” button. But if you stick around, and I hope you will, I can’t wait for us to embark on the next phase of this journey.
And if you have any thoughts, feedback or suggestions, I’m all ears. Don’t hesitate to drop me a line below.
Thank you
Thank you so much for your continued love and support. Because without you, there would be no This is Mel Drake. I love you all. Cheers!
And before I go, I just want to give a shout-out to Team (Mother F’ing) AWESOME (Justin, Liz, and Maggie) for giving me the courage to grow, for listening, for encouraging, and for helping to reignite my spark. They truly are badasses!
And without further ado . . .
Let’s (confidently) do this shit!
-XOXO Melissa “Mel” Drake
Where You Can Find Me on Social Media
@ThisIsMelDrake
THE ‘GRAM (the pretty pictures): https://www.instagram.com/thisismeldrake
PINTEREST (the inspiration): https://www.pinterest.com/thisismeldrake
FACEBOOK (a little this + a little that): https://www.facebook.com/thisismeldrake
TWITTER (the sass + musings): https://twitter.com/thisismeldrake