Dreaming Since 1997

    Hello, reader! It's  Thankful Thursday ! This has to be my favorite post of the week to write. I love how my mood changes immediately when I start thinking about all the things to be grateful for. So, let's get happy!  1. We're going to a Halloween party this weekend! Even though I have to work, I'm looking forward to it! Thomas and I are going as Meg and Hercules (photos to come) 2. The wedding the weekend after that! OMG, I am so excited to see everyone and celebrate my cousin's wedding. I bought the cutest pair of shoes for the occasion, so I'm excited to wear them too.  3. Being off work today. I had a successful quiet time, walked the dogs, ordered groceries, and started laundry. I am feeling tired today, more than usual, but I still want to get some things done. I'm only off today and Tuesday before we fly to VA. I have a lot to do! 4. Christmas stuff in the stores. This is a hot take, I'm aware, but honestly, its joyful. Seeing pumpkins and re...

   Hello, reader! Today I am going to talk about some of the areas of my life that I've been actively working on. It's real, vulnerable, and hopefully encouraging to you.  I'm trying to increase my productivity in all areas of my life. What am I producing? Anything. These blog posts. verifying prescriptions at work. cleaning my house on my days off. Decorating each room until I'm satisfied with how it looks. I used to think productivity meant never sitting down. Now I know better.  There are different layers to this. Obviously, there are results or outcomes. I am working on this on multiple layers. I'll break them down for you.  1. Starting Seriously, just starting. Sometimes this is the hardest part. It's the first and maybe most important step you'll take. Cleaning up the kitchen after cooking is probably my LEAST favorite thing to do (well, other than dusting, I super hate dusting). But lately, I've been starting before I can even complain to myself i...

  Good morning! Today, I want to write about a few things that will ALWAYS make me happy. We need some extra happiness today, so I'll be looking for these things: 1. Coffee! In the morning, afternoon, evening, literally whenever. There is never a  wrong  time for a cup. It's the cozy hug in a mug you didn't know you needed. It's the flavor of the season (peppermint, pumpkin, or lavender depending on the time of year).  2. Coming home at the end of a long day. This is where my chaos and anxiety melt away into peace. I love coming home. My little family is here, greeting me at the door with wagging tails.  3. Reading/flipping through a magazine. Since I was in middle school, I have loved a good magazine. The articles and fashion- it's almost like Pinterest! There's something nostalgic about the glossy pages, flipping back and forth. Oooh, I could get lost in some.  4. Buying yarn! Looking at all of the beautiful colors, neatly wound up into skeins. It's such ...

   Good morning! I hope you're enjoying October as much as I am. Between all the regular, expected fall magic, now we get to put it all to  The Life of a Show Girl's  "The Fate of Ophelia"... chef's kiss, a perfect fall! I am excited for today's post! I am going to do another Pinterest board post! This is where I take some screen shots of one of my (many) boards on Pinterest and we look at it together! This is a way to get to see what's making my creative juices flow, what outfits I'm trying to recreate, and Audrey Hepburn photo is inspiring me. Let's take a look! So you'll see lots of coffee, fashion, Snoopy, and budgeting. I am really into these things right now. I have a brown fur coat that I can't wait to wear this year. I do want to try that apple crisp espresso drink. And I do love the excel spreadsheet for the monthly budget. Since we are in the middle of fall, I do have some fall inspired pins there. The little Snoopy with the leaf ...

  Good morning, reader! I feel a mindful essay coming on! Grab a coffee and maybe a notebook, because this essay has some numbered bullet points!  I have been thinking about discipline a lot lately. I feel like it goes hand in hand with attention span, self-awareness, and ambition. Is it becoming more and more rare? They say with smart phones, everyone's attention spans are diminishing. I have noticed this with myself sometimes. This is not a judgement- just an observation I've made about myself and the world around me. And I want to refine it for myself. I want to be disciplined so that I can live my dream life.  I am dedicating this post to 3 ways to be more disciplined in a world that has little to none. So, let's begin! 1. Why do you want this? I believe you should first recognize why you want to achieve something. Is it for your health? Is it for your career? Maybe it's less extreme than that. Maybe it's for your home to be decorated for Halloween. Whatever it ...

  Good morning, reader! Today, we are going to talk about 5 ways to turn a normal day in October into a MAGICAL day in October. This post is an easy-to-do gamechanger, so grab a cozy blanket, yummy warm beverage (in the appropriate mug as you'll read later on!), and settle in! 1. Enjoy the darker evenings! In less than a month, Daylight Saving Time ends here in NH. It's kind of already happening now, with the sky getting darker at 5:30. I understand some people reallllly don't like it, but it's happening anyway. Instead of letting it make you upset, embrace it! It sucks getting home at "night", I know, but honestly, it's  moody . It changes the scene- kind of like you're in a movie. Think of it as a cozy blanket you're putting on at the end of the day. Maybe I'm grasping for straws here, but it is something that we have to deal with, so let's make the best of it! 2. It's almost Halloween, wear your black eyeliner! I have always loved dr...

   OMG, it's Mean Girls day (October 3rd, iykyk) and Taylor Swift's new album is out! What a day!  I'm still processing the new album, but overall, I really love it! It's creative, catchy, fun, thought provoking- it's a masterpiece. I need to do a post to unpack it all! Even though I am off tomorrow, I do work on Sunday. Being the checklist lover I am, I have made a list of a few things I would like to achieve this weekend besides working (ugh).  1. Watch at least one of my fall/Halloween movies  2. Go shopping for some shoes I need to wear in the wedding later this month 3. Get all of the hot-girl squares I've been working on together for the cozy blanket I'm gifting to my mom  4. Get our Halloween costumes ordered.  5. Try to relax! This past week has been such a blur. I am hoping that having a handful of easy tasks will make the weekend a nice break from chaos from during the week. Today has been a nice start to said weekend.  I will see you ba...

  Hello and welcome back! It is Thankful Thursday , and as you know, I believe that feeling happy begins with feeling thankful. So, let's get happy! 1. I am so thankful for a new month, with new goals. I have recently been contemplating and praying about some new ideas I have. They're very early in development, so much so that they aren't even a thing yet! We will see what happens! 2. Seeing my family in a few weeks! I can't wait to be together again for a joyous occasion! 3. Seeing my friends a couple weeks after that! Two of my very best friends from Danville VA will be staying with me for a few days! I haven't seen them in over a year. I miss them so much and can't wait to see them! 4. The Pentatonix Christmas album coming out in a few weeks! I love all of their holiday albums. Even though it's not even Halloween yet, I am genuinely thankful for this Christmas album coming out. As much as I love fall, I love Christmas just as much... maybe more.  5. Taylo...

   Happy October 1! It is time to start thinking about Halloween fun such as, costumes, parties and movies to watch!  Today, I wanted to list some of my all-time favorite fall/Halloween movies. Now you'll notice I'm kind of all over the place. I love fall  themed  movies, not just the witchy, ghost, scary clown stuff. In fact, I am NOT a scary movie person at all, so you will NOT see any horror movies listed, although I have suffered through several double dates in the movie theater covering my face with popcorn and a large cherry vanilla coke! Anyway, let's get to the list! These are listed in no particular order 🍂 1. Scooby-Doo  The live action movie that came out in 2002. I just love that movie, and the sequel too! I'll use them both for one spot on my list. I loved the cast so much. They were family friendly movies that I still can enjoy now. These movies feel like my childhood.  2. Sweet Home Alabama This movie is just such a feel good, fall...