Hey!
Just letting everyone know that I have switched blog websites! It’s still the same blog (awesome, sarcastic, and straight-up fabulous), just a different address. The old one was giving me trouble, so I put it in it’s place. I’ll keep the old one up for a couple of weeks, but for new posts, check the new one!

the address to the old site is www.dreamingoutloudphotography.wordpress.com
(i know, it’s a mouthful.)

the NEW address is www.DOLphotogblog.blogspot.com
so write that down in your diaries! or in your day planner! or your calendar! or your palm pilot! or your wall!

Thanks kids! Stay excellent.
(sorry, no photos this time)

10 things …

1. I love looking through old pictures and seeing how much things have changed since then. How much I’ve changed.

2. I love driving down the road with the windows open and my hand sticking out feeling the wind rush through my fingers like satin.

3. I love the feeling I get when my voice finds its place in a song.

4. I love the warm, cozy feeling of a campfire on a cool summer night with the cicadas singing their hypnotic, droning song in the background.

5. I like the fact that my mind is bursting at the seams with my own little world, one which I spend more time in than I do the real one.

6. I love walking in the woods alone with no one but the trees for company. They seem to have less problems than everyone else.

7. I love capturing the world as I see it through the lens of my camera.

8. I love releasing the words fighting to get out of me on blank pages.

9. I love feeling music pulse through my veins,  keeping time with my heartbeat, and feeling the joy or sorrow that comes in the melody.

10. I enjoy the feeling of laughing with people I love, but I also like the quiet, thoughtful solitude that comes from shutting my door on the world for a few hours.

a day with the Youngs …

I actually have something to phlog about! hooray.

as I’m sure most of you know, (since  I posted it all over facebook and twitter) I recently had the immense pleasure of taking a little road trip down to Indianapolis with the lovely Abigail and Sydney Young to go see Adam Young in concert. Aka: Owl City.
Two words: FAN. TASTIC.
I was an Owl City fan before, but as is the case with most bands, they are 1,256,975 times better live.
Abigail, Sydney, and myself started our trek to Indy around noon,  and got there around 2:30. And we didn’t even get lost! Thanks to my wonderful navigators. (for anyone who doesn’t know me well, I’m positively TERRIBLE with directions. It was a miracle we didn’t end up in Wisconsin or something.) We hung out at the mall, got lunch at  Steak N’ Shake, and then headed promptly to Starbucks after we finished eating. We then proceeded to have a mini photo shoot with all of our Tom’s. Needless, to say, we got a few strange looks from the people passing by us on the sidewalk.

FAVORITE picture of the day.

never a truer statement.

By the time we had finished the wonderful heaven-like coffee/chocolate goodness that is better known as a Java Chip frappucino, it was time to head down the the concert.

When we walked up to the doors, the security people asked to check our purses. Then the lady checking mine noticed my camera slung over my shoulder, and told us Abigail and I couldn’t take our cameras in because the lenses came off. Apparently, she thought we had knives, or bombs hidden in the very objects we were hoping to capture this spectacular evening with. And guess who didn’t think to pack my small pocket camera? That’s right … ME. So I was stuck using the camera on my PHONE (which sucks heap big) for the concert. That put a slight damper on things, but it was soon remedied by the sweet sound of extremely loud, fantastic music.
The first band was called Unwed Sailer. The first ten minutes of their show went by, and they still hadn’t started putting any words to their music. It was about 5 minutes after that, that I realized it must be an instrumental band. Duh, Olyvia. They we actually really good. Nice sound.
The next band was Matt Kearny. I only know one or two of his songs, but he was really good.
Then … the moment had arrived. Owl City came on the stage.
What is normally one or two guys recording stellar music in a recording studio grew to a 6+ person band. Complete with a violinist and a cellist. Mix that with drums, guitars and a few synthesizers, and you have yourself a GOOD show. Adam Young was absolutely adorable to watch as he sang and got into his music. You can tell he’s really good at what he does, and it was neat watching him worship Jesus on stage in front of the crowd. Even though half of them were most likely pretty tipsy. (don’t worry, we weren’t). And I thoroughly enjoyed worshipping right along with him.

my lovely travel buddies.

my view for about half the show. just my luck.

He played for about 2 amazing hours. We started our journey home around 10:30, and only got SLIGHTLY lost. But, once again, thanks to my navigator, (who remained calmer than I) we found our way again. A very nice lady at a respectable looking gas station told us we were right on track. (thank the Lord). And it was easy-peasy from there on out.

All in all, it was a stupendous day. I would definitely recommend anyone even considering going to see Owl City to DO SO. or you will regret it forever. Seriously.

i’m not really sure what to phlog about . . .

as stated in the title . . . this is just a random update, because i felt like i was way overdue for one.

most of the reason i don’t update very often (for those of you who go into a deep depression during the long periods of time between updates) is because my life is so incredibly monotonous that i never have anything to blog about. seriously, people. the only places i go are work and church. and while the World of Retail produces many wonderful and exciting experiences to share, none of them are that thrilling. although most are highly entertaining. ask me about them sometime.

so what exciting new information will this blog contain, you ask? well, i will try to think of three things that are new in my life (if i can think of that many) and mayhaps post a few random pictures that i have taken recently that have no connection to this post whatsoever.

here goes nothing.

1. i am currently planning a road trip to Indy to go see Owl City in concert in about a week and a half. i’m pretty gosh-darn excited about this. to say the least.
2. i have just recently been reminded of another reason i hate summer (not to sound like a downer) . . .  the people that come into my place of occupation during the summer . . . oh, man. let’s just say, i’m terribly disappointed with this generation’s ability to communicate. they seem to think that staring at you (or something else) will make you understand what they want. i hate to break it to you folks, but i am not a telepath. even though it would be freaking boss if i were a telepath, i am not. so use the mouths the God gave you. i try and resist the urge to stare back, but sometimes i can’t help it.

ok, enough ranting.

3.  (and on a more serious level) recently, i’ve been feeling a strange mixture of hope and longing. for what, i’m not sure. but i just get the feeling that God has something huge planned for the near future and i’m so excited to find out what it is or who it involves. it feels like the calm before the awesome thunderstorm, like my life is just about ready to start. and i hope it happens soon, because i’m getting impatient.

there, wasn’t that thrilling?

random: the guy sitting at the table next to mee in starbucks, is smoking and i can feel his cigarette smoke coating my lungs. maybe if i have a coughing fit, he’ll get the hint.

i don’t know why, but there is something magnificent about taking pictures of the sky. i love the fact that i can only capture a tiny portion of it in my camera lens. it makes me feel small and insignificant, but in a good way.

wake me if you’re out there . . .

new shoes!

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Can you miss something you never had? Can you love someone who was never yours?

Where do we draw the line between hopeful dreaming and hopeless fantasies?
What do we say when words are not enough? When the longing causes physical pain that cuts like a thousand knives to the soul. 
Can you feel my heart beating in time with yours? Can you feel my love across the oceans?
I would give anything just for one minute.
An entire 60 seconds of your hand in mine. Just knowing you were there beside me.

 Can you hear my song for you?
Reaching the heavens and dancing with the stars.  Swirling in the deepest oceans. 

I scream it across the vast distances between us. I sing for you. Can you hear it? 

I see us sitting under the trees, the shadows from the golden sun-filtered leaves dancing on our faces.
Curled up in your arms, knowing perfectly well there is no place on earth I would rather be. 
I see us standing on the beach, watching as the waves gently roll up and kiss our toes.
Watching as the liquid gold from the sunset melts across the dark waters. Your hand keeping mine company.

I can’t get you out of my head. I know it’s foolish to dream. I want so badly to hear those words, the words everyone longs to hear.
I want to feel them wash over me like rain on a summer night. I’m ready to stop wishing.
Reality is a lonely place. I’d much rather live in Daydreams.  When I am There, I am where I want to be. With you.

 When you open up your ears, you’ll hear the song I sing.
The melodies perfectly woven together and the words running into each other, eager to be set free. I’ll be waiting to hear yours.

 I’ve never been more ready. 

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, bright Heaven’s Sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Oh, God, be my everything, be my delight
Be Jesus, my glory, my soul satisfied.

King Jesus, you satisfy.  

Happy Mom Day

you know why they say “happy” mothers day? because my mom is happy that i am her daughter. thus, she is a “happy mother”. mystery solved.

our Mothers day consisted of our family crashing on the couch in front of the tv for several glorious hours.

because i’m probably the lamest daughter in history (and not a very good gift-giver), i didn’t get my mom anything. although, i did take a picture off the wall in the living room of us girls, put it in a bag, and told her i got her something. she didn’t think it was very funny.

sorry i’m such a bad daughter, mom.

then, we went out to Chinese with my grandparents. as always, when my sisters and i get together in a public place… there was lots of humiliation heaped upon my poor mother. Alex, Taylor, and I sat at the opposite end of the table from my parents and grandparents laughing at dirty jokes and stupid stories.
we have a tradition when we go out to Chinese restaurants … whenever we crack the fortune cookies open, we read the fortune, and then end that sentence with, “…with your pants off.” you should try it sometime, it makes it much more interesting. tonight, my grandmother won the prize for ‘Most Awkward Fortune’. i believe it read, “you will be most successful in your personal affairs” … yeah. you do the work yourself. feel free to LOL.

while we were up getting our 2nd round of food (or was it the dessert round?), we found the sign posted on the spit shield.

“enjoy our pastry, enjoy your life.”

dramatic. but, thank you.

anyhoo, just wanted to say Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers out there reading this. especially mine.
i love you, mom. thank you for all that you do/have done/will do. sorry i don’t tell you that enough.

**these pictures were taken on my high-quality, state of the art, top of the line , whopping 2 mega pixel phone camera. that’s why the quality is so lovely (not).

Springeth hath Sprungeth

Spring is here.

the very short window when the weather is beautifully bearable and the people who hate roasting in the boiling temperatures of summer (aka: ME.) take every opportunity to go on looong walks. because it’s too dang hot to do anything outside in the summer.

and i’m probably one  of the few people who enjoy the rainy days. most people would get depressed. i think it’s great. and i love how the air smells like a rainforest after a good thunderstorm. but i really can’t compare it to a rainforest with accuracy, considering the only rainforest i’ve ever been to is located in the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.

speaking of thunderstorms, here’s a good suggestion for those who feel they are taking life too seriously . . .

dance in the rain.
it is the most euphoric, carefree experience you will ever have.
it was raining this New Year, and i was coming home from my party at 12:30 in the morning (do i know how to live it up, or what),  i took a minute or 10 to stand in my driveway with my arms and mouth open to the velvety skies.

i’m not sure how i got started talking about dancing in the rain … Olyvia’s ADD brain is kicking in. or maybe it’s the 2 Starbucks frappucino’s i just downed.

awesome story about said frappucino’s:
i ordered a mocha coconut frapp (something i’ve never had before… STUPENDOUS. tastes like a freaking Almond Joy in a cup. hello.) As i was obnoxiously slurping the last drops of wonderfulness and whipped cream from the bottom of my cup, the barrista says, “excuse me, ma’am … i made your drink wrong. i just made you a plain coconut frappucino. here’s the mocha coconut. It’s on us.  Sorry for the mistake.”
NO PROBLEM.
summary: i polished off a coconut frapp, and they immediately handed me a mocha coconut one.  both were equally delicious, i might add.

[day 16 ... i don't even care anymore]

my apologies yet again for being painfully and inexcusably lazy in updating this here blog.

before we venture any further … i’m sad (and slightly ashamed) to confess that i will no longer be doing the “3o day photo challenge”.  and for all you people out there with that smug “i-knew-she-couldn’t-finish-what-she-started” grin on your face (aka: mother), wipe it off your face this instant and let me explain.
the assignments for the remaining 14 days are complete and total lame-sauce. with a capital ‘sauce’. you should all be grateful that i’m quitting now – you’d be bored to tears with each new post. as i was reading through the list sometime last week to see what the next photo assignment was, i was disappointed at how boring they were. and no, i’m not creative enough to think of some on my own. at least not 14 straight days. that’s a lot of thinking, folks.

all this to say, no worries … i’m still going to blog (be honest, you’d miss me). and i’m looking forward to taking on new (and hopefully not so long) photo challenges. if you have any suggestions, or things you’d like to see more of, please do leave me a comment!

and now, for the last assignment in the 30 [or 16 for pansies] photo challenge. mourning is acceptable and only natural.

DAY 16: a picture of someone who inspires you:

Aaron. freaking. Gillespie.
(mom, i swear ‘freaking’ is his middle name.)
i had the privilege of seeing this awesome dude in concert a month or two ago.
fan. tastic.
i was blown away with his passion and his fire for Jesus.  and anyone who can take that passion and turn it into music is inspiring to me. he recently had a new worship album come out (which i promptly bought – check it out!) called Anthem Song.  it’s so encouraging to see someone who is willing to give everything he has for Jesus and not be worried about what the world will think of him.

and that is who inspires me.

plus, he has a stellar nose ring.

[day 15]

half way done!

day 15: a picture of something you want to do before you die.

go to Ireland. hello.

i don’t know what it is about that place that allures me … but i want to go. heck, i want to go everywhere in Europe.

the fact that it’s so freaking old and all the history there fascinates me.

plus, the have great accents there.

[day 14]

day 14: a picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Josh. Frickin. Groban.

need I say more.

ok, so realistically, i couldn’t imagine life without his cd in my car.

bff’s 4ever.
lolz.
rofl.
ily.
brb.
g2g.
omg.
jk.
idk.

and any other of those lazy abbreviations. : )