Babies on the Brain!

Yesterday my friend Jessica had her baby shower and now I have permanently got babies on the brain. One of my favorite things about baby dreaming is the books we will read.I secretly stock up on books that I loved as a child at thiftstores so before my babies are even born they will be well read. And it got me thinking about great Baby names in Literature...

madeline, man and lucy how I love you!

Out of My Comfort Zone

My friend Amanda and I have challenged ourselves to do things out of our comfort zone.
So far we have come up with:
Zip lining
Kayaking
Building a House for Habitat for Humanity. Hammers and I don't mix, so we will see how that goes, maybe if they need someone to sew floral pillows or need someone to find sweet thrift store deals for the interior....

Any other suggestions?

PS. I am taking dancing lessons with one of my favorite couples and a poor unfortunate soul who I promised only to step on his feet seven times each lesson, pray for him.

You know when you think your doing oh so good?

And then it hits you like one of those wild pigs you see on Man vs. Wild that you may not be doing as good as you think you are? Its 3:30 in the afternoon and I am in my pjs, Sans Makeup, Sans Bra, Sans Decency. This week obviously has been stinky, well stinky is my pg word I am using, but its actually been a little bit more smelly then stinky. A cupcake would be nice right now, who am I kidding, a half a dozen vanilla cupcakes with pink frosting would be heaven. At the beginning of this week I decided it would be a genius idea to call the ex. Ok well I thought that it was God's idea, I read Hebrews 12:14-15 "make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Maybe he wasnt saying "Lauren you actually need to tell your ex boyfriend that you are bitter sad angry want to throw all his pictures into a large bonfire," but at 12:30 at night thats what I thought. In hinsight I see that he was saying, "Hey Lauren, why don't you pray for him tonight and ask me to take these not so nice feelings you have for him away." But I am impetious, I want what I want and then when I do it, I stop and think about it...so I called him and we talked, maybe not the best idea eh? So last night I think I learned this lesson, I got on my knees and I cried and cried and I prayed for him, for his girlfriend (yes yes yes he has a girlfriend, eww I know and she is nice and pretty which makes me say eww even more... ok backtracking) like real pray, not like the hey God if you have time bless him, but the God please bless him right now, please let him really grasp what you want him to do in the life, please let him be the best boyfriend ever to said nice and pretty girl, and then I called my best friend. Who in her infinete married wisdom (she is married to the most Godfearing, Kindest, Smartest man ever!) she made me write out a list. A list of qualities that I want in a husband. And it was great, cause I like my future husband, he recyles, holds my hand,he's freaking dreamy mcdreamy, and tall, and has a heart for missions, likes bike rides and walks, will surprise and compliment me, loves theme dinners and dressing up as famous couples on halloween (ok maybe he doesnt love that but he will do it for me)but most of all he will be the Spiritual Leader, he will put the Lord's will first and he will pray for me and with me and lift me up when I need it and I can't wait. But to quote yet another friend I need to be happy being single. And confession I am not. Another confession, I haven't been doing my Jan. Resolutions and its almost Feb, I know horrible. So I am starting over again, new beginning. Alright actually I feel much better getting this out of my system and I am sure all my friends who are on my speed dial are glad that I am too. So if you got through this novel which I now think will rival War and Peace I commend you and I will try to promise that I wont use this to vent again. I really need to step up my blogging. Like actually put some interesting stuff up here once and a while. Tomorrow I am going to the best burrito place in town and I cant wait! I hope your weekend is full of mind blowing goodness. xoxo

But When My Days Are Happy Pink Its Great To Jump and Just Not Think.
ps. please Lord can these days come roaring in like a lion.

The New Year is Happening!

Oh how much promise this new year brings. I am counting down the days till I can move back to California, home of fish tacos, bonfires, jamba juice, thift storing, beach cruisers, rockharbor and friends. By year's end hopefully a new job and a home out west. This year I hope I can learn to be still, to let God do instead of trying to do everything myself. So here's to the New Year, the good things promised, new friends, new adventures, a new me. I am oh so excited!
What are you doing to make this New Year the best ever? I will be posting my resolutions soon, with a special recipe that will make your new year even yummier!

New Year and New Beginnings

So Confession time, I am sitting alone in my parents bedroom puffy eyes and a chapped nose from crying, I would take a picture but its Christmas not Halloween:). J and I broke up and it was a long time coming, something I believe we both really didn't want, but needed to, to pursue life differently. I have let myself become someone I don't really like or want to be around and to carry someone with you through that is no fun either. But there is hope because I am in God's palm, and that is the best place to be. He says " For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and hope."(Jer 29:11) So I think this of all days is the perfect day to start new, the day that is filled with hope the day when the whole world changed, the day that we were given Jesus, to change our lives forever. Have decided that starting in Jan. I am going to do 10 new things every month, to push me through, to remember God's hope and to live life as the adventure I know it to be.

1. Read through the book of Proverbs
2. Get my hair done and actually try looking put together EVERYDAY
3. Run 4 out of the 7 days to prepare for the Half Marathon in Feb/April
4. Watch "He's Just Not That Into You"
5. Prepare a New Meal one day a week
6. Art Night, a night of making beautiful and maybe not so beautiful things
7. Go out with a different friend once a week
8. Start Learning French, go to the library and get some CDs
9. Make a dent in paying off the dreaded Credit Card, by putting 200 down
10.Join a small group at church

Ok so those are just baby steps, but it is going to get me out of the house, taking showers, and eventually the tears will stop, you know the postboyfriend blues, but I need to learn to laugh and to move ahead, because God isn't going to forget about me, he knows my dreams of getting married, adopting children and making pretty things, he knows these things and he knows things about you and he won't forget because he wants to bless us!

makes me smile everytime

this is and probably always will be my favorite christmas song. I can dance around in my santa socks all day to this...


speaking of things that make me smile, Santa can you please bring me this?

I'd like a pink helmet to match, possibly with a cupcake sticker on it, but I am not picky, and I promise I have been very good this year!
Its on sale

the traveling bug is contagious!

Let me start of by saying, I am terrified of flying,and not the cute oh look she's so nervous flyer... you know the person that grabs hold of the seats, says prayers outloud, and the ocassional eye welling up with tears person, the person that you pray doesn't sit next to you? Well thats me, except I sometimes will grab a-hold of the person next to me too, when turbulance strikes... did I mention my dad's a pilot? Did I mention that I have 15 stamps in my passport and fly quite regularly? How embaressing, but thats me everytime. And since my parent's live in Europe there is no escaping the dreaded plane, but I made it here safe and sound praise the Lord.
Here are a few snapshots from the vacation so far, which besides the flights, all 6 of them, has been utterly delightful and I know I am hecka blessed!

but the fire is so delightful

found at:
I recently received a beautiful calendar from one of my dear friends in the mail... how I love mailbox suprises... The calendar was of the artist Charley Harper, who I had never seen before. Wonderfully wimsical I have fallen head over heels! Hopefully you will too!

oh the weather outside is frightful!

Weddingness.

so last month, wow, its been oh so long since I have been on here, the bf and I took pictures for our dear friend wedding! how beautiful and easy the couple made it for us!

How Cute Are These?

check out these oh so cute clutches at ohsohappytogether

They are stink'n adorable. Now I have an excuse to go thrift storing to hunt for some cute placemats. Happy Wednesday! And Happy My Mom's Birthday!!

Things that Make me Happy, under the weather addition

I woke up with the sniffles and took a kleenex box to work, so what better way to get out of a funk then to think happy thoughts?

1.
image found here
I love love love this oh so much!

2. my favorite movie right now, I know I know it is has been out for a long time, but seriously so funny and cute.

and I just found this site that has make your own Up bookmarks, now who would love that? check it out here

3. Paperbackswap.com my all time favorite website. I have gotten crazy amounts of Martha Stewart books ( including Martha Stewart Wedding) and a bunch of teaching books all for the price of free. Thats right, all you have to do is post books that you have, that you don't want anymore and then when someone wants yours, all you have to do is pay for media mail shipping. You dont pay a cent for the books that come to you in the mail. Awesome huh?

4. The Goodwill clearance center. Seriously it never lets me down, and you pay by the Pound, 1.09 a pound. So amazing!

There, I feel better already! Hope you are staying free from sniffles and headaches. Have the most wonderful monday. I am off to eat green bean casserole, which isnt just for thanksgiving anymore.

Wasting Time

I am working on a locker art piece at school... and procrastinating a whole heck of a lot! here is the in process stuff.


this is a picture of my friends Brandon and Miranda, whose feet graced our presence a few posts ago. Seriously one of the nicest couples ever.

Speaking of nice couples, my favorite couple ever, the one composed of my bbbff (best best best friend forever)Katie, and her equally amazing hubby David need your prayers. Katie went into surgery today and David said everything went as smoothly as possible and that God is so amazing. But if you wouldn't mind throwing up your hands in prayer for them I would really be thankful! xoxo.

The BF would love this!

found here

now I just need to modify this for Mr. Monkey. How adorable would a dog wild thing be? Oh so adorable!

Help!

So I was reading thenest.com book about decorating and I found this incredible artist, Peter Sis. He did a poster for MTA a couple of years back, and alas it isn't for sale anymore... I can't find a large image on the web, but isnt it freaking amazing?



image can be found here
if anyone in bloggerland knows how to get a hard copy of this photo, I would love love love yo1u

Photo Shoots are oh so much fun!

Oh how I want to share all of their wonderfully adorable pictures, but M has yet to see them, so I will just give you a small sample...



speaking of samples click here to get your free sample of Kashi ceral. YUM!

Holy Canoli!

so I have been reading about this website for a while and just recently checked it out
restaurant.com

you can get ten dollar gift cards for four dollars, and 25 dollar gift cards for 15, oh so worth checking out, and Jess, one of the restaurants is very near your house, so we should all take advantage of this!!!

and did I mention J and I are obsessed with



seriously addictive.

my tummy is growling!

get the recipe here image from martha

double growl

My Daddy

image from here
my dad is the best, seriously.
he taught me:
-the value of a good book, and read me ever so many, and sat with me as I read painstakingly slow while learning how to read.
-to be honest, even when it looks like it might not be the easiest thing to do, like when I rode my bike into a parked car and had to walk sheepishly up to the house and apologize. yikes.
-to be kind, to love, to be able to cry. my dad's tough, but put him in front of father of the bride and he tears up with the best of us, and I love that.
-to be silly, everytime I here "wild thing, I think I love you" I picture my mom and dad breaking it down on the dance floor, or rather or living room floor dancing like fools, in the best way of course!

most of all I love you daddy-o