hola!

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i have had people ask me when i am going to start blogging again and i'm going to commit starting now.  i feel so much better mentally when i blog i have realized.

when i got my iphone back in the fall, blogging kind of took a backseat to instagram, and still does.  if i had as many blog posts as i do instagram ones, i'd be doing very well.  sadly, that's not the case but it should be.  i think with ig, it's just much easier and faster, more fun, and not sure what else.  but i can't neglect my cute little blog.

let's see, i'm sure there are a million things that have happened since i blogged last.  no not really, but i guess i did get a new small flash drive so i can take pictures again and have a way to upload them to my computer since my ext. hard drive broke and that's ultimately the reason i stopped blogging in the first place.  it infuriated and saddened me.  still does, really.  um, warm weather is here, praise jesus.  i have a couple upcoming trips in june that i'm excited for {right, dad? (: } i've really become into watercolor painting and love it more than any other hobby i have ever done.  it's so much fun and is a great form of relaxation for me.  i will post some more of my stuff soon.

this week i will be participating with a group of girls about what we love about summer, so i'm looking forward to that especially! summer is full of sunshine and mostly happiness for me, so i am really looking forward to it!

i think that's about it for now.  more to come soon, so stay tuned!

just go.

something that makes me happier than anything on earth.  traveling.

i have two trips coming up in june that i could not be more happy about.  i think it's becoming an annual trip to visit my cousin in florida, which is fine by me.  i'll spend time with her and then we have a concert planned to see tritonal.  we are about the only two people that we both know that are obsessed with edm, so it's just going to be us.

then i'm also going to a family reunion in vegas with my dad and sister.  seriously, who has a reunion in vegas.  we do.  can't wait.  part reunion, part party.

i'm off today.  drinking coffee, listening to tritonal, clmd, and whatever other edm pops up.  probably paint a few things and who knows what else.  that's the beauty of a day off (:

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sweater weather.

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not sure about where you all live, but here in the midwest, the weather is ridiculous.  well, i guess i should say the temperature really is, the weather has not been too bad really.  i don't think i have ever disliked the cold as much as i have right now.  

it is definitely sweater weather, but i pretty much refuse to wear anything but tanks and cardigans or jackets, or something of the like.  i just don't like things touching my arms really, especially heavy, scratchy material like wool.  sure a cozy fleece or sweater is nice every now and again, but i get so tired of getting bundled up and having to drag a heavy winter coat with me everywhere i go.  not saying i always dress this way, but i just hate dressing too warm.

who else is with me on this.

i know a lot of bloggers live around arizona and out west where it is still warm enough to wear summer clothes and i am so envious.  the only downfall to that is that i cannot imagine having the winter holidays in that type of environment because it would seem so strange to me, but i am not used to that. 

we were hoping to live in florida this time next year so this was going to be my last cold fall/winter around these parts, but not sure if those plans are still going as planned, so we will see.  all i know is, i better just get used to it because i still have about 4 more months of this!  for some reason i can tolerate the cold temps if there is snow on the ground, but we don't get as much as we used to . . .

anyway, i'm actually planning on wearing a purple long sleeved cardigan on thanksgiving and if not an orange 3/4 length sheer type shirt, with an infinity scarf, maybe - highs are around 35....blech.  food will make that all seem better though (:

     


   

back to the original plan.

back when i started my blog a couple years ago i originally called it, my lively mind, as some of you may remember, because my mind was flooded with way too many thoughts, emotions, and nonsense.  like most bloggers, it was a place i would use for an outlet for all of those things consuming my brain, but rarely did i use it to express those personal feelings.  instead it became a place to document recipes, beauty and hair obsessions, and other lifestyle stuff, which is fine, but not really what i had intended.

i think i'm going to change things up a bit on the ol blog.  i want to use it as way to vent and get those things off my chest when i have something bothering me, need advice, or a thought on my mind.  there are a couple things in mind already, but it's finding time between work and everything else that is going on.  excuses, excuses, i know.

therefore i am holding myself accountable because i have really been slacking on my blog over the last few months and have missed it.  it makes me feel better mentally when i keep up with it and also knowing that people miss the posts and pictures that are published.

happy tuesday and happy week.

late to the game of instagram.

why didn't someone tell me how addicting instagram would be?!  my old phone couldn't get instagram so when i upgraded to the new iphone, you had better bet that was the first app i downloaded.

of course it's just like facebook used to be, checking it every ten minutes to see who has a new picture up, what kind of adventure one may be on, what the latest selfie looks like, or if i have any recent likes or comments.

i love it though, but it really is another social media addiction that i did not need in my life.  i know i'm just like everyone else and get too consumed in everything and i hate that, but i love having a peek into people's lives.

it just amazes me where technology is and i do not even want to imagine where we will be in even five years, wondering what our smartphones will be capable of.  

my profile, if you want a deeper peek into my life, and i'd love to see into yours (:
 lesleydreamer

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memory lane.

last summer i moved away from home (a whopping 45 minutes) and that was a pretty big deal for my family (right, dad?!).  we are super, super close and most people think we're nuts and probably abnormal for how close we really are, but for unmentionable and mentionable reasons, i just had to get away.  i still see everyone all the time so it's like i am not really even gone, however sometimes it feels like i'm a million miles away. 

i moved to a city that has more than quadruple the people as my hometown, so it's a huge change, although where i live now is where i have spent my whole life shopping, eating, and hanging out, as i was growing up

last week while my parents were on vacation, i went back home and went on a ride with my grandma & grandpa.  a ride consists of getting in their truck, driving through mcdonald's to get coffee, and driving through the countryside for an hour looking at wildlife, new happenings, what's going on in the county, and whatnot. 

this particular outing i got really homesick.  i am sure part of it was the fact my parents were gone, but i just missed living so close to my family and everything back home.  below is a list of a few things i jotted down that i missed.  i know there are probably a ton of others, but these came to mind.

i'm sure i'll never move back, but the 30 years i lived there were pretty great.

being around my parents, sisters, and grandparents mostly.

just two minutes from the only grocery store in town.

the local farmers market.

my old walking route.

a hometown pharmacy.

seeing my old house.

knowing my dogs are buried there.

all the old memories.

the special deals you get from people knowing who you are.

five minute drive time to anywhere in town.

our prison looking like a mall.

the twin towers.

just driving around town.

7000 people.

2 stoplights.

seeing people you know, as annoying as it is at the same time.

dog breed shirts @kickstarter

have you ever heard of the site, kickstarter?  i hadn't until sh got me a pair of vegan shoes from there and i fell in love with the site.  i have spent countless hours perusing all the products and things that people are trying to get funded.  basically the site is a way to get projects funded by people pledging & backing what they like.  there are different levels of pledging, therefore the more you pledge, the more stuff you get.  

most of you know that i'm all about dogs, so one of my favorites that i have found is this dog breed t-shirt  one.  they need your help, though.  there are about 20 days left and as you can see, they are in need of more funding.  go check out their page with all the different breeds & shirt colors. 

i'm really, really hoping that they meet their goal because i am obsessed with the lab shirts.  i also like the great dane, boston terrier, and chihuahua. so cute!

let me know what you think and if you back them!

dutch and i thank you in advance (:

i was not compensated for this post in any way. i did this because i really want one of these cute shirts!

'just a dog'

i had seen this poem floating around on facebook for a while and loved what it stood for.  dogs are one of my biggest passions in life - they have been around me my whole life, i can't imagine life without one, and i think they are one of life's greatest blessings.  if you are a dog lover like me, then you know what i'm talking about.  it's ok if you don't, but i have to say you are missing out!

                      ____________________________________________________________________

from time to time people tell me, 'it's just a dog,' or 'that's a lot of money for just a dog.'  they don't understand the distance traveled, time spent, or costs involved for 'just a dog.' some of my proudest moments have come about from 'just a dog.'  many hours have passed with my only company being 'just a dog' and not once have i felt slighted.  some of my saddest moments have been brought about by 'just a dog.'  in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of 'just a dog' provided comfort and purpose to overcome the day.

if you too think it's 'just a dog,' you will probably understand phrases like 'just a friend,' 'just a sunrise,' or 'just a promise.'  'just a dog' brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy, the compassion, and patience that makes me a better person.  because of 'just a dog,' i will rise early, take long walks, and look longingly into the future.

for me and folks like me, it's not 'just a dog.'  it's an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.  'just a dog' brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.  

i hope that someday people can understand that it's not 'just a dog.'  it's the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being 'just a man or a woman.'  

so the next time you hear, 'just a dog,' smile, because they 'just don't understand.'