mic check... is this thing on?

Let's put it out on the table. I've been a pretty awful blogger for the past three okay six to nine months. I don't need to go back and count how many "whoops a month went by!" or "I need a breather" posts I've posted but lets put a microscope on this summer: since June 1, I've posted 10 times. Am I allowed to even call myself a blogger at this point? Don't answer that...

Here's the thing: blogging takes time and motivation. Thanks, Captain Obvious. Both of which I've been seriously lacking this summer. I took two really hard classes this summer, traveled a lot for work (managed to slip in some vacation there though), and have attempted to start planning a wedding. Attempted being the key word here. I feel like there are always at least 10 things on my to-do list and sometimes the weight of to-dos can feel like bricks on my chest. And you may not realize how much time blogging takes. Between taking pictures, editing, writing, designing graphics, and posting on social media, each post can easily take a few hours. So with what little time I felt like I had this summer, I didn't want to always spend it behind a computer or add anything else to my to-do list. I just needed a bit of a breather. 

The second part of this: the motivation. For me, blogging is a hobby. It started as something fun and creative to do and grew into a hobby I loved putting energy into. There is a whole world of bloggers who blog professionally and I quickly learned that route wasn't for me. I've got a great job that fulfills me and I wasn't reliant on this space to do that for me. Somewhere along the way, that lesson was lost. It is pretty challenging to put yourself out there in a world where the person next to you works with a professional photographer or spends the same hours a day I do at my day job to perfect their content and marketing strategy. It's becomes harder and harder to not compare yourself. And we all learned through Pinterest graphics, "comparison is the thief of joy."

During this little summer vacation, I've really missed this space. A Dash of Gold is a valuable outlet for me and my hope is that it is for you, too.  && I don't want to lose that so I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I'll try to post more regularly but promise to only post when I have something meaningful to share and not post just to post. 

I hope that schedule is okay with you :)  Thanks for sticking with me; you'll never know how much it means to me.

XO