What does Barefoot on 45th mean?

45th refers to 45th Street in Newport Beach, a favorite beach spot with family and high school friends. (That’s me, above, in high school. Quite the life, right?) The lifeguard tower in my logo resembles that of the “45th” tower.

Why do you blog?

I blog for a lot of reasons, some of which are completely self centered. Mostly, I love writing, and a blog gives me the avenue to do so for a small audience of people. I also like that blogging connects me to people who I’d otherwise never stay in contact, and introduces me to new friends from all over the country. Through blogging I’ve gotten to know several of Jonathan’s extended family members who I’ve never met, and developed friendships with Westmont alumni whom I didn’t know while attending college!

Are you on Twitter?

Well, yes. I am. (Sheepish grin). I have a love/hate relationship with the site. I started tweeting in fall of 2008 because my company wanted to see what all the hype was about. You can find me at www.twitter.com/lesleymiller.  I promise- I don’t just write about what I ate for lunch but I do sometimes gush about my baby and other topics you may or may not find interesting.

Do you mind if I lurk around your blog and never leave a comment? What if I lurk around and then leave a really rude comment?

I don’t really mind if you never leave comments because I completely understand that for the technologically challenged, leaving a comment can be complicated. But, I do hope that if you’re a frequent reader you will occasionally drop me a note about my posts.

However, if you happen to stumble across my blog, disagree with something I’ve written, and then leave a rude comment that’s not in the spirit of dialogue…. I will remove your post. I am a positive person and my posts are positive. If you choose to be negative or disparaging, you can go find someone else to bother.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

President of the United States, or an author and illustrator of children’s books. At least, those are the two answers I used to give as a kid. Some days, I’d kill to be a well known writer for Real Simple or Marie Claire. Other days, I want to write a book about friendship, community, family. These days, I work in marketing and I truly enjoy what I do. Someday, I’d also like to be a mom.

Do you ever work with brands?

In the last year or so, companies have started approaching me to write about their products. I find this very flattering, and I’ve taken a few of them up on their offers. However, this blog is first and foremost a place for ME- my views, my thoughts, my passions. I won’t try a product unless it’s something I could see myself using. I also won’t write about the product unless it really is wonderful. Companies that want to approach me to write about their product should send an email to: lesley@barefooton45th.com. Please read some of my posts and understand who I am before pitching your idea.