i want your love love lurve

consider myself cultured

while cleaning my room the other day, i came across this old notebook from like 2008, and inside was my so called bucket list..

kiss a stranger without speaking first
enjoy 15 minutes of fame
make sure everything in my house is my favorite [my chairs will not just be any ole chairs; they will be my favorite chairs]
marry for love and money
watch the ball drop for NYE [live, in time square]
cheer on the macy's thanksgiving day parade
live in a different state for a short period of time
consider myself cultured
watch mean girls everyday for a month, again
have a job i love
work with my sister and be able to maintain our relationship
go green
be known as the hostess with the mostess
send friends flowers monthly
enjoy doing RAK [random acts of kindness]
support a candidate for president
have blue eyed, brown haired babies
learn all the words to ice ice baby
be a leader for a good cause
never break traditions
stay 29 forever (once i get to that age. and only if i love that age)
give up something real for lent and never pick it up again
have pink in every room
drive a BA car [haaaaaaaahahaa]
learn another language

i also found a 21st birthday check for twenty dollars dated june 26, 2008!

talk about a lucky day..

enjoy the last few moments of january.
XO. lauren

miss elsie cake has a playlist that i just die for!!

go listen. i swear youll fall in love. ♥

the more you know

some would call me a girlie girl which is why what i am about to say may come as a shock to you. brace yourself... -i really like scars!- i feel like all scars have a story behind them and they each represent something significant in your life. well significant enough to leave a mark on your body for, possibly, the rest of your life. and its like, if you know what other peoples scars are from, then you reallly know that person. ya know? i used to think that of middle names.

i have a scar on my left eyebrow. i got it when i was like three racing my sister to be the first to answer the door. she won. i ran straight into the edge of a wall. i used to wax my eyebrow to that line (its vertical and very close to the start of my eyebrow) so no one would even notice that i had it, but my brow was getting too short. now you can clearly see the missing hairs and well, i kind of like it.

i have a scar on my left thumb. i got it senior year in high school at my friend bortkas house. we were meeting there to leave on a river trip. i was popping my thumb and my right hand slipped and i cut my hand with my other hands nails. it wasnt a very big cut, but the scab (ew i hate that word) fell off (sorry this is disgusting) so i now have a scar forever.

i have a scar on my left pointer finger. its located in the palm side and is the length of two joints. in april 2009, or maybe it was 2008, we had a luau party and rented a pina colada machine that was extremely heavy. as i was setting it down it slipped out of my hand and seriously tore up my finger. it hurt like a bitch and bled like a pig. heres a sweet pic of it from the night of the accident.

no, its not the best quality, but you still really need to see my finger.

i have a scar on the inside of my left heel. this one time, i was drunk, at a bar, in san antonio, wearing flip flops (i knew it was cold! and decided to wear them anyway), and got cut by a broken beer bottle left on the floor by some freaking idiot. i swear it was a sign from joan rivers reminding me that flip flops in 40 degree weather is both tacky and dangerous. anyway, i didnt notice the cut until the sole of my shoe was covered in blood. i did the whole "im sorry, i cut my foot earlier and now my shoe is filling up with blood" *drag leg away* thing about 20 times that night. (btw, name that obvious movie) this heel scar is by far my favorite and i really hope i have it forever and always remember that night at the ticket when i look at it.

reading this blog has provided a wealth of information whether you realize it or not. you know me much better than you did before, all my accidents that left scars occur ed on the left side of my body, and...well, thats all i can come up with.

xo. lauren

7 november loves

1. pumpkins! the smell of pumpkin: pumpkin candles, pumpkin hair products, pumpkin dump cakes. the look of pumpkins too: my perfectly fairytaled, fairytale pump, and homemade velvet pumpkins like these
2. the after halloween, halloween sales. sara and i got fake eyelashes for 25 cents (!!!) partially because they were 75% off and partially because the women at the check out could not do mental math. this worked in our favor so we decided to really stock up on them.
3. leaving the windows open. i looove the smell and feel of autumn air. and hopefully it will help with our electricity bill. fingers crossed!
4. the 10 day salute to sausage-WURSTFEST! this event is single handily the best weekend of the fall semester. i love everything there is about wurstfest: the anticipation, the date parties, the tons and tons of people you will guaranteed see there, a different crowd from the typical square rats, polka music, old german geezers who buy you beer, the whopping 17 dollar pitchers of shiner, booths and booths of sausage on a stick, fried oreos/fried everything, turkey legs, etc., the sweepstakes, the clever status/album titles on facebook, the pictures, and most importantly, leaving the best decisions behind and making the wurst decisions! i went twice this year and loved every minute of it. i hope that when im done and gone from san marcos (whenever that time will come), my friends and i will continue to reunite in new braunfels for this glorious occasion. here is a picture of hayley, sara, me, and amber from friday night that is not yet on facebook. eeks, i obviously spilled..
5. fall art from elsie. the bottom left is my favorite and im considering purchasing it. i love all of elsies stuff! i have some 'holiday art' of my own that i plan to create and will surly post pics when it is finished. get excited!
6. target had tiny pink tinsel trees. i could not pass them up. mine is already displayed in my bathroom and i loove it! i get super excited about christmas but never want to rush through thanksgiving. anyway, i already put one really small tree up and do not yet regret it. i also put pink lights on my headboard, but those are not christmas lights. they are all year pretty lights and they illuminate my room just perfectly. im pleased with this decision.
7. mini vacations, like last saturday. i went with 8 other girls to austin for a bachelorette party. it was pirate themed because the bride is 'walking the plank' in a week. everything was done so cleverly, like a treasure map of 6th street in search for booty. and all the costumes looked so good! we had so much fun and of course got lots of attention and "aarrrrgs" thrown our way but we completely embraced it. after our night on the town, we went back to the holiday in on town lake to stay. i loved our mini vaca. i have another one coming up this weekend: camping at lake livingston.

what do you all love about november?

XO. lauren

dear mr. perfect,

i hope this finds you well. im sure you are off saving the world somewhere. more realistically, you just finished doing architectural work for your dream company. soon i will open my cute little boutique i have always wanted. and with our creative powers combined, our house will be the best thing that has ever happened and life will be complete! along with our family: well have 3 kids, at least--just like the kennedys! ...i imagine this for us in a couple/like 10 years.

for now though, we have SO much fun together! we are both good at coming up with little random activities to keep us entertained. your adventurous spirit rubs off on me and keeps our relationship lively. and so does our sex life. i of course i love most things about you, but more specifically i love your sense of humor, values, personality, height, pit hospitality (and that you know what movie that comes from), ability to quote movies and lyrics, love for discussing hypothetical questions, taste in music, of course your family. and i appreciate more than you would ever know, that you think my eyes are beautiful but my most attractive features are my heart and soul (ha!). you love my laugh and find it contagious. and you think im rad and love that i am super cute!
the songs brown eyed girl, unusually unusual, love spell (pardon the anime in the vid and please dont let it ruin the song), and shes every woman, to name a few, remind you of me. it makes me blush when you bring up my name in conversations simply because your thinking of me. others find it cute and sweet, not annoying like it sounds. surprising me with fresh flowers makes my day. in fact, all your little surprises make my day.

oh and i know that things wont always be rainbows and butterflies and sometimes it will get complicated and difficult because well, i am sometimes complicated and difficult. i am completely hopeless when it comes to directions, spelling, technology, and mental math, i dont like ketchup or hot dogs, the only time i brush my hair is right after i get out of the shower, i can get pretty obnoxious, it takes me hours to get dressed (and you think, "sweatpants, hair tied, chillin with no make up on- thats when your the prettiest. i hope that you dont take it wrong."), im nosey, and i like to be catered to (and once again lyrics come to your head, "let me cater to you!"), i cuss too much, and i have some stray grey hairs. none the less, you think im a peach!

our ability to compromise, is not the least bit compromising, and makes our relationship work. well that, and we were totally made for each other. we are just swell together!

xoxxo. the love of your life, lauren

ps-where the F are you??!

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on a totally unrelated note: i have a hunch that i am one of the last people to discover drunk history but, if this is untrue and you have not yet seen these hilarious videos then go here and watch them immediately. especially volume 2 and 2.5 starring jack black. now, go!

is timing everything?

ive been talking about it a lot. and its a serious question. i mean, think about it. everything happens at a certain time for certain reasons...or so i believe.

i ride the bus everyday. and every time i get on (besides wanting to shoot myself in the foot) i look around at all the different faces. every ride is filled (to the point of people stepping on your toes, literally) with different people that get on and off that bus that wouldnt be there, on that specific bus, if their timing wasnt exact. maybe this kind of thing is purposely fated? maybe we are supposed to be on that bus with those people for a reason?
and this idea doesnt just pertain to buses. its every aspect of our life and every encounter we have...it wouldnt happen if it wasnt for timing. is this logical or am i just dreaming again?

again with timing, like carrie bradshaw, i wonder: would my life would be completely different if i wasnt perpetually 10 minutes late?

but more specifically, in a relationship, is timing everything?i have friends who think that two people could be perfect for each other but their timing could be all wrong and therefore, their relationship will not work out. i think that there are sensitive periods. like when learning to speak, relationships have to happen in a certain period of time that is good for both people. however, i dont think that two people that were so right for each other wouldnt work out just cause their timing was off. or at least i hope not.

timing is uncontrollable. the thing we can control is how we spend the time we have. so spend it well!

xo.lauren


oh and, last year at this time i was...
sike!

playlist ♥

broadripple is burning
-margot and the nuclear so and so's

thunder road
-bruce springsteen

the heart of the matter
-india arie

forever
-drake and friends

rock and roll
-eric hutchinson

dancing in the dark
-bruce springsteen

whatever you like
-anya marina

beauty inside and out

"she is caring and warm, always ready with a hug or an encourging word. you can't help but feel nurtured in her presence.

she loves this delightfully scented body wash because it does more than indulge her skin with irresistibly soft lather. it's also shown to moisturizefor 24 hours, leaving her skin feeling irresistibly soft and smooth.

her spirit is effortlessly beautiful. her skin loves JOHNSON."

-johnson's body care 24 hour moisturizing body wash

wishful

if there was no such thing as "inappropriate," the whole world would laugh a lot more simply from my stories. oh what a world that would be!

happy tuesday ♥

pretty words

a new york state of mind

now is the time. the moment you have all been waiting for..the new york pictures are ready to be seen!

while looking at the album, dont forget to look at the captions that took so much of my time. you can see them by clicking that little word bubble button at the botttom of the slideshow.

enjoy!

xo.lauren

some things i love

• the uniform project. the same dress is worn by the same lady in new york everyday for a year. accessories are used to spruce it up and exude her creativity. its done for a good cause and proceeds go to the akanksha foundation which is "revolutionizing education in india." this is the outfit worn on june 26 aka my birthday/the day after mj's AND farrah fawcett's death . you can go learn more and see all the outfits here.

• roommates being in town :) and dinner with funny conversations.
• new, wonderful finds on etsy like so. and i am totally in love with these..
  
  
• dreaming about summer vaca in nola.
• the san marcos sky tonight. every shade of pink, orange, yellow, and black were visible. but it never rained :(
• my new starbucks order (thanks in a large part to shelby). venti iced coffee. 1/2 a sweet-n-low. skim milk. AND sugar free hazelnut. its delicious. :)
• bright colors and cool posters...
  
  

• twitter.
• the anticipation of baby urban.
• my recent discovery of d-listed.
• going to bed early!

i hope your day was lovely!
goodnight.

XO. lauren

peculiar encounters

• one of my professors at cvs. i love seeing teachers outside of school. its like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs.*
• a lady that turned to me and said, "excuse me, were you in oklahoma two years ago?" the only thing i responded with was, "no." it didnt seem odd until i thought about it afterward.
• this may seem like a figment of my imagination, but i SWEAR that i saw a hasidic jew moseying through sewell park. this image took me directly back to a particular carriage ride straight through the crowd of people attending the israeli music festival in central park.
• dancing todd (a san marcos celebrity) may have been replaced by a younger dude with much swifter moves. or maybe todd just has the day off? either way, i feel uneasy.
• one of the best visitors ive had in a long time!

happy weekend,
lauren

*name that movie

my throat has been feeling super funny all day. not like a sore throat, more like there is just oil dripping back there. ..maybe i should have described it as a disgusting/greasy feeling instead of a funny one?
anyway, i was in need of some sort of drink besides water, and preferably with caffeine, my cure all. of course, our fridge contains of the college-girl basics: water, beer, old sangria, and even older orange juice. just as i was about to give up on quenching my thirst/oil drip, i saw a maroon bottle of dr.pepper hidden waaay in the back. im not a big fan of dr.pepper (unless its with amaretto) or non-diet drinks, but i was clearly desperate and it was that or the oj. i opened the bottle and sipped on my dp.
the whole time i was drinking it, i was wondering whose it was; my roommates dont normally buy sodas in bottles (except for jill who is on a big blue kick and you can only get those from select places, usually at the checkout!). another thing that perplexed me was that every drink i took, it seemed like i tasted alcohol. so naturally i just thought i was so used to dp and amaretto that it all just started to taste spiked...right? thats logical. well it wasnt the case. as i took my last sip i remembered where indeed the mysterious bottle of dr.pepper had come from. RIVER TRIPS! -when people dont want beer, they pack sodas mixed with rum to take down the river instead. im pretty sure that i just consumed an extra drink from some river trip that had already been "adjusted."
in conclusion: my throat still feels funny/disgusting/greasy and now im starting to feel funny too. haha. and our drink selection is back to the basics.

oh what a night.

living the dream,
lauren

guys and dolls,

if you had the best body in the world for just a 24 hours, how would you spend that day?

here are some images of goodies to oogle while the possibilites of perfection flood your imigation..

sweet dreams.

let

its so on

hi dolls.
i was flipping through the channels yesterday hoping to find a re-run of real world cancun. i havent watched real world religiously since they were in austin. that was my first year in college and my first year with cable. im pretty sure i watched EVERY show religiously that year. anyway, all of my hall mates would gather in our room on, i believe it was a monday (after laguna beach?), to watch the drama unfold. so this year, a girl i went to high school with is on the show. translation: addicted yet again.
well i didnt find 8 strangers partying in mexico, with every horrible decision caught on tape forever, but what i did was find was so much more than that. i found alexa chung.
after seeing the show only twice, i fell in love. and for the following reasons:

1. shes from london. which means im absolutely obsessed with her accent, she uses words like "rubbish" casually, and she emphasizes syllables differently than we do here in the states.
2. she is a model. which means she has wicked style, is insanely skinny/tall, when she crosses her legs, they are so skinny/lengthy that the wrap around each other like vines on a tree.
3. her set design is uh-maze-zing. i looove it. its all urban and earthy and totally chic.
4. her show is not bad either. i mean shes new, so her guests arnt exactly a-list but she makes things fun and asks off the wall questions. alexa also incorporates a lot of youtube/facebook/twitter into the show..still not sure how i feel about that.

i like alexa chung. im pretty sure you would all like her too.

just thought you should know.
XO. lauren

even numbers

the day before my 22 birthday, i got a fortune in my fortune cookie that read, "the coming year will bring you much happiness."
i think this is a sign from buddah seeing as i consider my "year" to begin with my new age. im excited about 22. everyone has told me it aint so great but i am bound and determined to make it the best year yet.

okay ill be honest.. i havent always had this mindset. at midnight, lauren started singing me happy birthday and i started to cry. and not because it was a sweet gesture (although it was haha) but because i wasnt ready for it. i was surrounded by fresh faced, green behind their ears, 21 years olds who still had their whole life ahead of them and there i sat, greying at age 22 and drowning in my sorrows.

the next morning, shelby called to wish me a happy birthday. i told her i was skeptical about my new age..as if i had a choice to turn back time or something? time is relentless. anyway, she asked if it was because i didnt have the "excuses" of a 21 year old anymore. thats when rick chimed in with a scruffy, "im sure shell think of one." and honestly, i hope rick is right. not that i find an "excuse" per se, but that i dont loose the burning desires to live life to the fullest like those perky 21 year olds do. there is just something about that number.

so now, i am trying to embrace my age. afterall, this is the youngest i will ever be. i really am looking forward to this year. maybe i just have a funny feeling because its an even number? the reality is, lifes what you make it and im going to make mine just spectacular.

--that all should have been written by a 56 year old. not someone at the ripe old age of 22. haha.--

oh and good news! we got wireless internet back. :)
we were mooching of our neighbors, but they decided to move out and we decided we needed to get our own wireless internet if we were gunna survive. so after four hours (almost literally) of trying to decide on a good name, we came up with possibly the lamest of all. and we even googled it! our competition wasnt all that steep (names like "den is thowed" and "apt 931" surround us) but we still felt the pressure of naming our very first wifi (if its even called that?). NERUAL. its lauren spelled backwards. i know, clever!

sweet dreams,
lauren