random thoughts

currently, i am content, neither ecstatic nor depressed.  it's a nice feeling.

in an attempt to better prioritize my life, i've logged off facebook until after finals (next friday).  instead of wasting my time doing nothing on that, maybe i'll be more productive in other aspects of my life: blogging, cleaning my apartment, cooking/baking, scripture/ Ensign reading, and just reading in general.  I've also wanted to re-start yoga.  maybe that's what i'll do in the mornings instead of facebook stalking people.  yes.  good plan.

any book suggestions?  any music suggestions?  any favorite yoga programs?

sorry it's wavy.  i got out of the shower and decided to not do it.

i'm bored with my hair.  i've tried dying it, growing it out (including the bangs), and changing my part.  any thoughts?

i've decided to start a "no make-up" monday.  it's going well.  also, i want to stop wearing mascara and only wear lip color.  i saw it in the j.crew catalogue, and i fell in love.

i haven't shaved my legs in a little over a month... too far?

sorry about this rant.

xx

come on fall!

what i WANT to be wearing.  image from toast.

ok, so we're a few weeks into september now.  but what's the weather like?  oh, i'll tell you.  it's 88 degrees today.  yes.  and tomorrow it's going to be up to 90.  yeah.  come on fall. how am i supposed to wear my adorable sweaters- both cardigans and dresses- without you!?

honestly.

stressed

i should be doing this:

but instead, i'm stressing over my physical science homework and my final research paper.  can't summer term just be over already?

independence day thought

a lot of people think that the 4th of july was the day that america was created.  FALSE.  i like to think of it more as america's 18th birthday.  it was the day we told our mother- england- that we could handle it on our own.  our mother of course fought us, but we were emancipated and have been living quite well out by ourselves.  now look at us.  we're awesome.  there's no denying that.  and although our mother might not have always wanted to put our interests first, i know that she loved us.  example:  england is basically our closest ally.  name a nation that we are closer to.  oh, you can't?  case proven.

alright, everything written above might be an example of the silly things i think.  and i may often seem incredibly unpatriotic.  but, i do love this nation.  we have so many rights and freedoms.  we have done so much good for the world.  we are a land where speaking one's opinion is not only acceptable, but encouraged.  we've made leaps and bounds scientifically, socially, and technologically.  we might have many areas to improve on, but i still think that we are pretty sweet.

i'm grateful for this country and my part in it.

happy celebration of your 18th birthday, america.

the cosmos

the other day, i was leafing through my friend's book on the cosmos.  it was incredible.  i really like stars, and planets and out of world objects.  just look at that image.  isn't it amazing!  to think that we are literally specks in vasts of other specks and darkness.  it really makes me feel humble and little.  but in a beautiful sort of way.

learning lessons

this past few days, i've learned quite a lot about myself:  i am not a positive thinker.  i like being in control/ i hate it when things are out of my control.

it's all across the news that volcanic ash has completely shut down europe for the past few days.  yeah.  sounds terrible.  i don't think people really understand how terrible the situation is unless they live through it.  i'm living through it.  i was supposed to arrive in DC yesterday.  that plan was shot down  when volcanic ash prevented any flights from getting into london.  so we rescheduled.  i was supposed to leave tomorrow morning, but the wind continues to blow ash over europe, so that plan fell through.  so, we rescheduled.  now, i fly out weds- fingers crossed.

i was supposed to spend this week with my sisters in DC.  now, i won't get there until weds and i will have to fly out to utah on friday.  that gives me a lovely two days to spend with my sister.  TWO instead of SEVEN.  see why i'm frustrated?

rainy day thoughts

1.  if you need a rainy day playlist, check out mine. (why did it take me so long to learn about jeremy messermith? if i had learned about him back in MN, than i could've gone to his concerts.  ah, life!)

2. it's BACK.  yes, radiant readers, the crazy tyra is back and hosting a brand new cycle of ANTM!  yes.  i love this show.  it's a guilty pleasure of mine.  a REALLY guilty pleasure.  but i just love it. 
last cycle was probably my favorite, but just because my favorite girl FINALLY won. * spoiler alert*  yes, nicole fox won.  isn't she stunning (pic to the right)?  well, this cycle is getting a little boring. i don't really know if i really like any of the girls... tyra is just as crazy as ever, though.  somethings never change, and i take comfort in that.  still, i hope these girls step it up.  honestly.  oh, and i am so over the drama!  last cycle there was very little drama, but this cycle, holy cow!  they just let it all go.

3.  i like the sound of rain on my windows.  it's very peaceful.

well, that's all for now.

...

some days i just feel like i'm stuck.  today, i feel like that.  i don't like this feeling.  it's uncomfortable.  perhaps time is being weird.  it's being too slow but at the same time too fast.  i'm not in control... and i hate that feeling.  not like i'm a control freak.  i just like controlling myself... and i can't do that right now.  maybe all i need is a good night's sleep.

photo via flickr

just some thoughts on love

image from here.  i want this print hanging in my future home.

so, i've been thinking a lot about love.  what is it?  why do people fall in love and how do they know that what they are experiencing is actually love.  is there such thing as soul mates?  or could anyone fall for anyone?  can you be in love more than once?  

i don't think i've ever been in love, so answering these questions is a little hard for me.  it's all speculation.  but, i think i'm a good enough observer to understand a little bit about what love is.


here i go:  (remember, this is all just my opinion and it is in no way fact)

. love is sacrifice.  the more you love a person, the more you are willing to sacrifice for them.  you truly love someone when you are willing to give your entire life for this person.  


. the foundation of love is respect.  you can't love someone without respecting them.  in my opinion that's what separates love from lust.  respect.  when you respect someone you do what's best for them, even if it hurts you.  think of that old cliché, "if you love someone, let them go."  you will always want to do what is best for them.


. people might say that love is everything BUT the physical.  i disagree.  i think that physical chemistry is necessary for people to be in love.  i don't think it's shallow to want to be with someone who you find attractive.  i think looks constantly change.  beautiful people can be really ugly once you get to know them (and if they turn out mean).  plain people can look really pretty.  everyone deserves to be with someone who thinks they are beautiful.


. overall, i think love is something that is mostly experienced.  for those of you who've seen "500 days of summer" will remember the part when summer tells tom that she didn't expect love to come along, she just felt it.  i doubt she sat down and examined herself.  i think she just woke up one day and felt "love." 


. in the jason mraz song, "life is wonderful,"  he says, "it takes no time to fall in love, but it takes years to know what love is."  i totally agree.  love should be a continual learning experience. i don't think any couple, even my parents, have reached the cap of their love.  love grows and grows.  

. i'm just going to finish off this post with some quotes on love. (i just love quotes!)

“love is a chemical reaction in your brain versus the heart. we feel this euphoria… somehow there is a little bit of magic in it, too.”

. "paper heart"

"i need to know that it's possible that two people can stay happy together forever."

. "juno"

"if you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself."

. barbara de angelis

"all love that has not friendship for its base, is like a mansion built upon the sand."

.ella wheeler wilcox

"i think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. if we're in each others dreams, we can be together all the time."

.calvin and hobbs

"love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear."

. john lennon

that's all.

World vs. Mr. Rogers

If you dear readers are like me, you grew up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I think everyone who watched that program took something. I took away how he had an outdoor sweater and an indoor one, and he always hung them up. My friend Darrik told me that he was influenced by the way Mr. Rogers always put away his shoes. I'm sure you all have similar impressions.
Mr. Rogers was a great man, and he tried so hard to teach us children to love ourselves. He ended each show with a sweet message: "I like you, just the way you are." Below is a video that compares Mr. Rogers to the world. I hope it makes you think.



I wear makeup. 'Tis true. I worry about if people will like the clothes I buy. I worry about if guys will think my eyelashes are long enough. (why would they care? i don't know, but i still worry about it.) The point that I am wanting to get across is that you should like you, no matter what.
Dear Future Children- you will grow up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood [if i can find it on DVD]. x leslie
These are lessons that I want burned into my children's minds.

here's a last video of Mr. Rogers. i dare you NOT to tear up.

Global Warming?

So, apparently it's supposed to be getting warmer.... yet, it's more snowy and icy than it was last year....

the world is so complicated.

at least the snow is quite lovely.









lovely photos from london

Trying to stay positive

but having a REALLY hard time.





These three images is what will be on my art history final tomorrow. It is a time line with all of the art works that MIGHT be on the final tomorrow. The final spans from 1590 to 1900. I think this might be a bit much for a final, especially since we spend half a term on JUST the renaissance. Shoot me. This is what the final will consist of:

• 10 minutes of True-False (if false, give reasons)
• 10 minutes short answer. Some of these include name artist and date or subject. Otherwise, answer in complete sentences.
• 5 ten minute essays
• One extra credit question

I hate to sound like a broken record, but SHOOT ME!

i love art history, just not when it's tainted by my crazy teacher!

LESLIE, stop ranting and get studying.

Boo.

I don't like Wednesdays. It's the longest day of the week. I woke up in a slightly irritated mood, and then when I was going through my Google reader, I saw this wedding shoot. It made my day worse.

Normally I like Simply Bloom Photography, but this shoot was stiff. There was nothing natural about it. They posed WAY too much. My favorite picture (in a neg. way) is the one where the two are holding lemons to their ears. What? I don't know. If you're doing the ultra trendy shoot, make it look natural, like you do it for fun, EVERYDAY. Make lemon listening look like it's your lifelong habit.

Yuck.

I'll have to come back tonight to say DAY #3... not a good start for today.

TREND ALERT: Domestic Violence

I just read this article, mocking Twilight. (If you are going to read it, i caution you: there are a couple of f-bombs. beware.) If you don't want to read it, I'll just summarize it for you. Basically, Twilight promotes domestic violence. You may think it's crazy, but it isn't. The love interests in Bella's life are violent. Edward throws her across a room. Jacob has no control over his temper. He even talks about it. If you want more details, read the article. It, despite being funny, also brings up some really good points. There is a weird trend of domestic violence... thank you Chris Brown.

(I got this article at the same place where I got the previous Twilight article.)

Slow Down

has anyone else noticed that kids these days grow up SO quickly? it has to be all of the TV and films that are out. in my day, there were no bratz, or hannah montana. the only TV that i watched was Mr. Roger's Neighborhood or the occasional Barney and Sesame Street. i think that really affected my upbringing, positively.

i hate to speak against the disney playlist, but watching loads of TV does NOT encourage creativity or imagination. (don't get me wrong, i love tv, and i loved it as a kid) i just think that there is an excess of tv watching nowadays. i know with the children that i've babysat for, that there is a big difference in personality between the kids that have an unlimited tv verses the children with limited tv. in my experience the kids with more than an hour of tv a day are much more bratty than those with less tv. that's just an observation.

another observation that i had was that children with less than an hour of tv a day showed more imagination with their playing. they had a much more broad sphere of creativity. they weren't narrowed down to what happened on disney or nickelodeon. that's just another observation.

based on these two observations, i think i'll only let my kids watch an hour of tv a day...


here is me. aged... i don't know.

Rant of the day

brought to you by me.

1: my room is FREEZING! I'm all wrapped up. (I have TWO hoodies on.)

2: i hate that i lost my wallet/ someone stole it

3: i don't know how i feel about the weddings i keep seeing on these blogs i read. at first i loved the styled shot look, but now, i don't know. i'll add links to examples of weddings i like and weddings i don't like.

3a: the main things i look for: being able to see the bride and grooms faces. the bride and groom looking HAPPY (i hate it when they try to be all edgy. no. be happy. it's your wedding.) use of cliches. some couples pull it off. some don't.

3b: weddings i like:
jana and billy: i like how they used cliches, but still looked happy. i love the second to last shot.
stephanie and dave: they look so happy.
lisa and derren: again, they look SO happy.

3c: weddings i don't really like:
callie's bridals: i don't like ANYTHING about this. sorry.
breauna and ted: i love her dress. lovely. don't like the shoot. (or her name)
bpou and ken: too much eye makeup. great sunset. SMILE!

4: i think engagement shoots should have more artistic license, but keep it classy and clean. (aka. enough with the PDA shoots. yuck.)

what do you guys think?