the buried life

inspiring, touching, uplifting... not necessarily the words that come to mind when you think of the lineup of shows on mtv. but the buried life is all those things and more.

the show follows a group of four guy friends on their journey to cross items off a list of 100 things they want to do before they die... from attending a party at the playboy mansion to helping deliver a baby. there's also a twist: for every item they cross off their list, they help a stranger accomplish something on theirs.

when i first started seeing ads for the buried life, i was interested, but i thought to myself c'mon, it's mtv... how good could it be? i decided to tune in anyway, and i'm so glad i did! the guys are relatable, hilarious, creative, and fearless. the ways in which they are able to help other people are amazing and totally inspiring. i look forward to watching their adventure unfold every week.

take a few minutes to watch the promo video below and check your local listings for air times :)

xoxo,

lesley

snow days

i adore snow days.

as a kid, i remember the excitement of rushing to the window the morning after the weather man called for snow to check and see just how much had fallen (and the disappointment i felt if there was none!). when i was a freshman at the university of maryland, we had three snow days in a row (they aren't very good at dealing with snow down there), and it's still one of my favorite memories of college. now, as an adult, the idea of being "snowed in" is still thrilling... a day where we are encouraged, expected to stay inside with our loved ones, not worrying about our day-to-day responsibilities.

this past week, we had two major snowstorms. the snow just kept coming... so much that my husband's company actually shut down for a day. a true snow day! it was fantastic, and we took full advantage... just like we would have when we were kids. we curled up on the couch in our snuggies, watched movies, ate chicken noodle soup, drank hot chocolate with marshmallows, and even ventured out to make snow angels.

i think everyone should have a snow day every now and then... even if you live in a place where it never snows! take a day off and spend some quality time exploring the great indoors with the one you love :)

xoxo,

lesley

senseless beauty

i spotted this bumper sticker on my walk home from the train station yesterday, and it totally made my afternoon. it seems so rare these days to see a bumper sticker that's not political or sarcastic, and this one had such a lovely message.

the world could always use more beauty and kindness... so randomly, senselessly put some out there today :)

xoxo,

lesley

you are beautiful.

if you haven't yet seen the you are beautiful project, please, please go visit the site today. i promise it will make your day better.

here are some words from the project's statement:

the intention behind this project is to reach beyond ourselves as individuals to make a difference by creating moments of positive self realization. we're just attempting to make the world a little better.

intention is the most important aspect of the you are beautiful project in its idea of purity. nothing is sacred. everything that has a perceived value becomes commodified. we work extremely hard that this message is received as a simple act of kindness, and nothing more.

basically, the idea behind the project is a group of anonymous people who go around putting up installations with the message "you are beautiful" in public places. and i have to say, this is one of the most beautiful things i've seen in a long time. here are some of my favorite images of the you are beautiful project in action...

click here to see more beautiful photos.

xoxo,

lesley

you are awesome!

here is a note i left in my shopping cart at the grocery store last night.  this was actually one of my favorite submissions from the free encouragement project, and i thought it would be a fun message for a disgruntled cart boy or stressed out shopper to find.

xoxo,

lesley