The Misconception: “Free Means Free-for-All” We’ve all been there—starting out as a new designer, grabbing whatever templates we can find, and diving into projects with excitement. It’s easy to assume that if a template is free or even purchased, we can do whatever we want with it. But here’s the thing: template licenses have rules, […]

For the longest time, I felt like I had to fit into a box. As a visual artist, there were expectations—how I should look, how I should create. As a classical singer, I felt the pressure to present myself as polished, elegant, serious, refined. Even as a blogger in the green beauty industry, there was […]

Are you a new Showit designer or an artist struggling with confidence in building your website? I get it—it’s overwhelming at first, but your creativity deserves a platform to shine. That’s why I’m so excited to announce the official launch of Showit Your Way Mentorship, starting January 22nd! This is designed specifically for designers and […]

When I founded BLC Studio, I had one primary goal: to create a space where creative professionals, particularly opera singers, classical musicians, and vocal coaches, could find thoughtfully designed, bespoke websites tailored to their artistry. As I immersed myself in the world of web design, I realized there was a significant gap in the market […]

Unveiling your Unique Brand Identity – Post #7 We’re back chatting about branding strategies for my fellow music peeps! If you missed any of the previous posts, you can get all caught up here. Also, don’t forget that each post has a FREEBIE designed to help you on your branding journey! And of course, make […]

Unveiling your Unique Brand Identity – Post #6 Hey, everyone! Welcome back to my mini-branding blog series! If you missed the last post, you can get caught up here (and don’t forget to check out the freebies in each post!) Let’s back to it, shall we? In today’s digital age, having an online presence is […]

Unveiling Your Unique Brand Identity – Post #5 In the world of opera and music, your talent is your voice & telling stories through song, but your brand is how you present yourself to the world. A cohesive visual identity is a crucial component of a strong brand. It’s not just about looking professional; it’s […]

Unveiling Your Unique Brand Identity: Post #4 As an opera singer or music artist, your talent and passion for music are the heart of your career. However, in today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is just as crucial for your success. A professional website serves as your digital stage, allowing you to showcase […]

Unveiling Your Unique Brand Identity – Post #3 In the digital age, social media has become an indispensable tool for building and promoting your brand as an opera singer (or any creative/business owner). It’s not just about sharing updates; it’s about creating a cohesive and compelling online presence that resonates with your audience. In this […]

Unveiling Your Unique Brand Identity Post #2 Welcome back to my mini-branding series! In the last post, we explored the importance of defining your brand identity as an opera singer. Today, we’re diving into the concept of finding your niche—a crucial step in distinguishing yourself in the competitive world of opera. This is something that […]

Unveiling your Unique Brand Identity – Post #1 Welcome to the first post in my “Unveiling Your Unique Brand Identity” series. As an opera singer, your brand is more than just a logo or a color palette – it’s a powerful representation of who you are as an artist and what you bring to the […]

Recently, I wrote a post sharing some branding tips for singers and creatives (you can read it here). Today, I just want to give a quick intro into a branding series I will be featuring on the blog. 😀 Whether you’re an opera singer, musician, artist, or creative entrepreneur, defining and showcasing your unique brand […]

Whether you’re a singer, a designer, a small business owner, or a creative entrepreneur, one thing remains true: defining your brand identity is essential for standing out and making an impact in your industry. Today, we’re diving into the world of brand identity and sharing key steps that creatives of all niches can take to […]

Hey, creative souls! Today, I want to share something I’ve been pondering since I embarked on my design journey – the parallels between the challenges of singing Mozart and customizing a template on a coding-dependent web platform to achieve a truly unique look. (Of course, I have to use a music analogy for design! :-P) […]

Whether you’re a small business owner, creative professional, or aspiring singer/musician, attracting your dream clients or opportunities is essential for success. In today’s competitive landscape, standing out and making a lasting impression is more important than ever. That’s why in this post, I’m sharing five proven strategies that will empower you to start booking your […]

In my time as a blogger (over a decade), I have used just about every website platform out there. And nothing against any of them, but if you don’t have coding skills, it’s not only difficult but extremely frustrating to get your site to truly reflect your unique and authentic voice. It was this very […]

Hello, fellow creatives! Today I want to share how music has been an inspiration for all of my web designs and how it can be a tool you can use to inspire your design & creativity too! Monthly Inspiration: The Perfect Blend Last month, I started offering a free, curated playlist that you could listen […]

Though I’ve been focused on building my web design business and working on a recording (more on that later!), I haven’t stopped researching and testing clean and eco-beauty products to share! If you’ve been following me since I started blogging, you know by now which brands I truly love, and one of those has recently […]

It’s that time again! The 8th annual Cert Clean “Clean Beauty Awards” is fully underway and I have been busy testing several products for judging. I’m just about ready to submit my scores and reviews, but I also wanted to share what I have been testing with you and my thoughts on each. What is […]

This recipe can be completely plant-based, or you can add chicken or fish, tofu, or a vegan meat alternative if you choose. Josh and I try and eat plant-based as much as possible – though I generally listen to what my body is telling me it needs and just go with that. I noticed that […]

What is Clean Beauty? While the definition of Clean Beauty seems to vary depending on who you ask, there are a few criteria that everyone seems to agree on. Why do I use Clean Beauty? I believe that what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in them – […]

When I first started my blog back in 2013, one of the things I wanted to do was share my overall wellness journey. And part of that was sharing the recipes of meals I was eating. Somehow, that got lost in the shuffle and I only made a page of several recipes. I thought now […]

While I am working on sorting out my rosacea and other health issues, I am going to pivot a bit and talk a little more about blogs and websites. Specifically, why they are still relevant and why you need a website. When I first started blogging about ten years ago, a website was a must […]

I get it. As singers, we are hypercritical of ourselves. We fall into the trap of comparison, we get preconceived notions of how we think we should sound, and we beat ourselves up if we don’t fit in the boxes we’ve made for ourselves. I can’t tell you how many years I spent hating my […]

Those of you who have been following me since my blog went under the moniker, “Chickweed & Blush” know about my lifelong struggle with skin issues. I’ve even chatted with some of you about your own issues and what products we liked and what worked, etc. So I know you will be able to relate […]

Hey, everyone, and happy almost Friday! This post is a bit different than my usual, but one that I feel is just as important. I’ve been blogging for about 10 years now and in that time, my love for it has waxed and waned and then waned some more… Much of my dwindling passion has […]

Because my skin is so oily, I generally tend to stick with mineral powder foundations, as liquids and creams always end up looking “cakey” or wearing off after a few hours on my skin. I only wear natural and organic make-up, so you can imagine how frustrating this has been for me, especially when I […]

Raise your hand if you’ve had acne growing up. Raise your hand if you were told that you’d just “outgrow it”. Now raise your hand if you are past your teens, 20s, 30s, etc..and are still dealing with breakouts! It’s frustrating, right? As someone who has been battling acne and breakouts since I was 9, […]

With the emphasis on mindfulness and sustainability continuing in our skincare choices into 2023, I wanted to share with you 4 clean beauty brands that strike all the right chords with me. These are brands that are not only environmentally conscious, but they are brands that are innovative, thoughtful in their formulating, and ethical in […]

As 2022 comes to a close, I am (cautiously) optimistic that 2023 will be a year of manifesting all good things as well as becoming the very best versions of ourselves. That being said, I’m still going to tip-toe into the New Year and try not to touch anything… One of the things that I […]

One of the categories in the clean beauty sphere that I am always looking for is hair products. I not only dye and highlight my hair, but I have a ton of it. Which means I need something that protects my color without weighing my hair down. Since switching to sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners, I […]

Let’s talk hydration. Cold weather outside means dry heat inside which equals our skin needing extra moisture. For singers who travel a lot and spend much of their time on stage wearing heavy stage makeup, their skin also needs more TLC. Even singers who don’t travel abroad, but travel locally or often need extra hydration. […]

So, I did something recently that I haven’t done in a very long time and that I wasn’t sure I would ever do given my age and where I am in life. But something about turning 51 and the constant support and encouragement from my voice teacher and hubby motivated me to just do it! […]

Welcome to today’s practice diary entry! Today is going to be all about song learning, more specifically my process for learning an aria or art song (which may be different than how other singers do it). I’m also going to share my old process vs. my new, current process so you can see how very […]

Hello, friends! Fall weather is officially (and finally) here! I was beginning to wonder if it would ever make an appearance or if we’d jump from Summer straight to Winter! Thankfully, we’ve been having some lovely Aumtum-esque weather for the month of October, so I am pretty happy. 🙂 This is my favorite time of […]

I’ve been testing the Olura Glow + Sculpt Kit for about a month now and today I am going to spill all the deets on what it is, how it works, and what my experience/results were. So, if you’re into multi-purpose skincare devices and personalized skincare products, then this post is definitely for you! 🙂 […]

This post is probably long overdue, but I wanted to try as many of their products as I could afford before writing a full review on them. Even though I have my tried and true (more luxe end in some cases) faves, I am always on the lookout for more budget-friendly, high quality, equally as […]

Hello, my friends! Switching gears a bit from beauty to music. This will be a (somewhat) short post as I will go more into details on my music site. Many of you know that pre-COVID I was not only performing in recitals, but I was also teaching music as well. I really miss teaching and […]

Hello, lovelies! It’s that time of year again – the time to test, judge, and share some truly great clean beauty products! This is my third year serving as a judge for the CertClean Beauty Awards, a role that I have been honored to play, and each year it seems the selections just keep getting […]

Hello, lovelies! Today I am over the moon excited to share with you two new products from one of my forever HG brands – Bella Aura!! As this is a brand that favors simplicity over how many products they can put out, when they do create a new product, it’s a huge deal and sure […]

Hey, everyone! This is a post that I am excited to write as it resonates deeply with me, being a musician myself! I feel that there are many musicians and artists out there who, also like myself, strive to be more eco-conscious and better stewards of this planet, but would also like to support people […]

It’s no secret that I love discovering new eco-conscious products to share with you all, and even though I have my tried and true HG brands (Bella Aura I’m looking at you!), I still love to try new brands to add to my routine. My current discovery is one I am really quite excited about […]

Hello, loves! Today I am going to share a new-ish brand that I have become pretty impressed with. If you are someone who loves clean, non-toxic products that are good for both your skin and the environment, I think you’ll love this brand too! Moor Spa is a small Canadian based company that was founded […]

Hey, loves! One of the many changes COVID has created is to the performing world. With theaters, opera houses, and performing venues closed for however long, we singers have had to switch gears and explore new avenues of performing for an audience. The new normal for us has become doing what we love in front […]

Hello, loves! Today I am sharing the winners from the 2020 #CertClean Beauty Awards! You can read about my testing/judging experience and what products I loved most here! 🙂 I’m too excited to write any more on this, so, without further rambling, here are the winners! 😀 Best Face Cream: 1. Iremia Skincare Inc. – Soothing […]

Hi, guys! It’s been a while since I’ve posted on clean beauty, and even though this is a bit late (I’m going to write a life update soon, so you’ll understand), I wanted to share some exciting news! As most of you may remember, I had the honor of judging the Clean Beauty Awards hosted […]

This is both one of my favorite and least favorite times of the year. I love the holidays and time with family and of course, the music, but I hate the sickness that this season brings. No one likes to be saddled with a stuffy or runny nose, sore throat or aches, and pains during […]

After months of testing, sending in my scores, and waiting…the finalists of the Cert Clean 2018 Clean Beauty Awards are finally in! 😀 Cert Clean has been organizing the Clean Beauty Awards for 4 years now and this time, and are considered to be the world’s premier Awards for the growing nontoxic skincare sector. More […]

Hey, loves! I started this post like a month ago (along with my Fall Faves – next post!), but never had a chance to finish it, so now I find myself having to rewrite most of it to make it more “current”…ugh..the challenges of taking on too much! lol Don’t get me wrong, I’m not […]

So, I have some super exciting news to share! TBE longtime fave, Annmarie Skin Care has just come out with yet another amazing product – their Illuminating Pearl Mask! First of all, this is perfect for all skin types, but it’s really great for reviving hydrating, and brightening dull, tired, and thirsty skins! Like all […]

Morrocco Method is probably the most unique natural hair care line that I have ever tried. And I’ve tried a lot! Some I love, and some just don’t seem to get along with my hair no matter what I do or how much I want to love them. Anyone else relate to this struggle? I had […]

Hello, loves! Today I have two pretty amazing brands I want to share with you! I’ve been testing these for quite a few months now and am finally getting around to dishing on them! As a rule, I generally like to test products for a few months to see how my skin responds, but sometimes […]

I’ve loved makeup and skincare since, well since forever it seems. It started out as the usual playing with mom’s cosmetics and later turned into camouflaging my face once acne took it over. I think I have literally tried just about every brand out there in hopes of finding the “Holy Grail” of makeup, the […]