love, laura

oscar predictions cont'd

2011-02-09T21:56:00.003-06:00

9. The Kids Are All Right: you know why i dug this movie? because it was raw. to me it was not a movie that pushed political views; living "green" and gay marriage can be topics that people discuss or debate - but the movie wasn't about pushing the boundaries of what is considered "typical" - because "typical" is relative more than ever. it was a movie that shows how the difficulties of marriage and family life are (most of the time) equal to they joys it brings. Julianne Moore's monologue at the end was perfect.

"..marriage is hard... Just two people slogging through the sh*t, year after year, getting older, changing. It's a f*cking marathon, okay? So, sometimes, you know, you're together for so long, that you just... You stop seeing the other person. You just see weird projections of your own junk. Instead of talking to each other, you go off the rails and act grubby and make stupid choices..."

i believe everyone can relate to the fact that relationships (between spouses, parents/kids, siblings, best friends) can sometimes feel like a marathon. and this is coming from someone who is morally against running. the kids certainly are...all right. fourpointfive stars.

PS. this movie was a magical land where Mark Ruffalo's character was figuratively* the fonz.

*i'm trying to cut back on using the word "LITERALLY" because i literally say it all the time. dammit.

oscar reviews; or: i'm so cultured...see??

2011-02-09T12:45:00.004-06:00

i'm almost finished checking off my movie list for the films nominated for best picture. i love...LOVE...this time of year. it wasn't really until i graduated from college that i got into movies or awards season in general, but there is a direct correlation between my interest increasing and beginning my relationship with netflix. so here are my thoughts on this year, in no particular order:

1. Black Swan: I watched this film on the very front row of the theater after sitting at happy hour drinking margaritas, so while my neck and eyeballs were strained, i didn't notice it as much because everything was slightly funny. I thought the movie itself was great - which is hard for me to say, because when i describe a movie as "great" i want it to mean that i was inspired, my heart was warmed, and i felt a connection to the cast in some way. this is not the case for Black Swan - most of the characters pissed me off, ballerinas are kooky, and i left the theater thoroughly disturbed. BUT in a make-you-think sort of way that was very fantastical and raw and captivating. four stars.

2. The Fighter: overall, the movie wasn't a new idea to me. it was an "against all odds", "fight for your dreams", "i found love in the midst of said dreams which multiplied the sexual chemistry between us", inspirational sports movie. but wow...Christian Bale blew me away. he and Melissa Leo were unbelievable and Amy Adams' little bah-ston tough cookie accent was 50% endearing and 50% you-are-annoying - which is what the director was aiming at for her character, i think - so mad props, people! oh, and Marky Mark...thanks for being hot 'n sexy. four stars.

3. Inception: uh...awesome. i was completely captivated by this movie in every single way possible: cast, dialogue, action, plot, the whole bit. Leonardo Dicaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt frickin' tore it up. crazy creative.... five stars.

4. The King's Speech: slap me in the face and call me the joker if this wasn't one of the most heart warming stories i've ever seen on the silver screen. i absolutely loved it. Colin Firth, what a performance. Helena Bonham Carter, magical. I typically don't get into period pieces on royal monarchies, but everything about this movie made me happy. maybe it was the acting ensemble, maybe it was the incredible husband/wife partnership, maybe it was the unique "against all odds" scenario, or maybe it's because half the time i tell stories, my friends probably feel like they're having to sit through The King's Speech - i don't know, but i related, i relished, and i revered this m-m-movie. five extra twinkly stars.

5. The Social Network: well of course i'm biased, but this movie will serve as the definitive benchmark of the 2000's. few people on this planet are unable to tell you A) what the internet is B) what facebook is, or C) that life as we know it is forever changed by the developments of the former points. it was an excellent portrayal of young, naive, developing intellectuals who are tired of being treated like kids and don't just want to be "the next (fill in the blank pioneer person)", but to be the person that people aspire to be the next of. five stars because i felt like i was part of this story.

6. Toy Story 3: the fact that the third installment of a series is this critically acclaimed is accomplishment alone. with the exception of epic trilogies (Star Wars, LOTR, Godfather, etc), sequels usually suck. the cast changes, the plot is super far fetched, and people have lost interest. but not TS3 - any children's movie that is equally captivating to a child and an adult at any life stage is a succes. the pixar geniuses strike again. four stars.

7. True Grit: i'm going to be honest. i liked it, i did, but the horse was what took this movie from good to great for me. yeah yeah, TYPICAL LAURA, i know. but the more i think about that damn horse and what he meant to that girl - AHH, i get chills. for me, everything goes back to that horse - he was with her through the whole journey, he was there when she felt abandoned, he was there to make her feel like she was in control of something, he died for her and saved her. that horse had frickin' True Grit, just like the rest of the cast (which was extremely enjoyable to watch, might i add). four stars plus one horseshoe.

8. Winter's Bone: (crickets...crickets)...well, i'm not sure how to explain this: i had no clue what was going on until the credits were rolling. true story. it is one of the slowest movies i have ever seen, and i would say that 80% of the "action" in the film occurred in my own brain when i was analyzing bits and pieces of the plot. i was so-so about it during the movie, but driving home from it, i thoroughly enjoyed thinking it through and realizing the unseen details of the story. i will confess however, that i feel this spot on the ballot should have gone to The Town (to which i would give five stars). four stars.

the two remaining nominated films i hope to watch in the next week. i just received "The Kids Are Alright" in the mail today and i'm still mentally preparing myself for "127 Hours"...wish me luck.

love/miss/namaste.

The Ice Age (or...Why Working From Home RULES)

2011-02-02T11:10:00.006-06:00

As most of you are aware, Dallas has been hit with an avalanche. Not really an avalanche, but what basically happened was that the temperature went down below 25 degrees and there was a sleetish, rainy, snowy substance that fell from the sky causing a layer of ice to coat every surface of the city. Did you know that the last time they shut down DFW International Airport was on 9/11? That means that this ice wasn't messing around.

Truth be told, my ice wreck from last year was the best thing to happen to my department. When this year came around, it was all over the office..."Let's not risk it. Remember what happened to Laura last year..." And for that Fossil Eyewear, I say, YOU'RE WELCOME.

So here we are, day 2 of working from home. I must say that it has truly been divine. I've been able to get work done on my home computer, do a ton of reading and journaling, and I have not changed out of my jammies in...well, we're approaching 40 hours now. I feel like I'm getting a small glimpse into the life of both our outside sales reps and my dog. It's awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't choose to be trapped in my apartment for long periods of time very often, especially since we're almost out of milk and toilet paper. I just know that this will be over soon so I'm soaking up every bit of exquisite alone time I can before the temperature climbs back up to bearable. I can't even explain how lovely it has been to not be on any schedule, have zero agenda, and just sit and do the quiet things that stir my affections for Jesus. The ice has made me think a lot about how I don't do that enough. I let busyness and my to do lists turn me into someone who doesn't "have time" for the Lord, and I'm terribly convicted. Who's kingdom am I living for? How much more could I be if I was as committed to him as I am to my selfish schedule?

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." Gal 5:7-8

Thank you, Father, for sending this beautiful ice.

love/miss/namaste.

SLI - A Review

2010-12-06T21:29:00.003-06:00

Last year, a friend and I (let’s call her Persethany) were feeling pretty down in the dumps. We were lost; 2 twenty-somethings in a new(ish) city, trying to figure out…literally… how to do life. We tried everything, but after countless trendy happy hours, a full head of hair extensions, and one SPCA-adopted kitten, we became desperate. What did we have to be so down about? We had jobs. We had a few friends. We had a nearby mall. Why were we feeling so hopeless? How do we fix this? So we did the only thing we knew to do: peruse the self-help section of half price books.

I won’t give you a full review of the book “Quarterlife Crisis”, but let me just say that we did not get through half of it and were worse off for that miserable half we did read. “Here’s Maggie. She is 26 and has a great job, great friends, and a loving family. But she wishes she could sit in her tub and read Sylvia Plath…All. Day. Long. She’s just like you, a total loser.”

Thanks for making be feel better, Quarterlife Crisis assholes. You’ve just given me a laundry list of folks who are better off than us, but still cry themselves to sleep and are basically biding their time before retirement and subsequent death. That $6.50 could have gone toward a gaudy necklace from forever 21 or 2 bottles of the finest Aldi Winking Owl, but no…we were swindled like a couple of tourists.

Imagine our joy when we began to meet more people in Dallas, namely 2 ladies not unlike ourselves who joined us for a Mexican getaway this past summer (we’ll call them Pam and Maudra). The four of us bonded almost immediately over wine spritzers and our own secrets, which has led to us spending a lot of time together. Pam began reading So Long, Insecurity (SLI) and after a chapter of it, decided it was probably a good idea to share it with us – and thus, our book club began.

I’m not going to sit here and say that I am cured of all insecurity or that I was even painfully insecure to begin with…but the combination of this year of maturation and hearing the simple and beautiful truths in this book have allowed me to really evaluate myself and think, hey…I’m not as crazy is I thought was (or actually was in 2009).

If you deal with even a small shred of insecurity; if there is something you don’t have that makes you think, “if I can just get that, I’ll be ok.” If you lose sleep over a fear of losing something; if you have made a fool of yourself simply because you either feel like everything is your fault or anything someone says to you feels like a threat…pick up this book. You can email me if you want to, but I’ll probably just tell you to call your best friend, pour a cocktail, and cry it out. And after doing that repeatedly doesn’t help, pick up the SLI. Sure, it’s a little wordy and she goes on a rant about Victoria’s Secret…but still, it’s a great read.

Bottom line: there is nothing on this earth that can give you true security. We are souls who were made to bring glory to a mighty God who loves us more deeply than our human minds can comprehend. To find security is to find it in the Lord and know that He is enough. It is so much easier said than done, but something that has truly affected me is just learning about Him. I once heard someone quote, “The heart can not love what it does not know.” To know the Lord well is to love him intensely. The pursuit of His character has put everything into perspective: I belong to the Lord and He is good. (Matt Chandler said it wonderfully here).

One of my favorite parts of this whole story – we all took the cover off the book when we were reading it because having Beth Moore’s face and “SO LONG, INSECURITY” plastered all over it made us feel a little…silly. We’ll say silly.

Love/Miss/Namaste.

surprise!

2010-09-19T20:56:00.007-05:00

hello, blog world? it's me, Laura.
didn't expect to see this little post, did ya? well friends (if you're still out there), i'm returning, if just for the night, to this little website. i know it's been a long time. forgive?

i'm not even going to give you a recap of what's been going on since march. i couldn't if i tried. so just let's have a fresh start. OR let's pretend that i'm a teacher and take summers off. here goes...

the pumpkin spice latte i drank the other day is serving as the turning point into fall for me. i must say that this summer is one for the record books in terms of fun-had, but i have a good feeling about fall. sure, it's still blazing hot outside. but am i going to start wearing my over-the-knee boots and printed scarves? you betcha. a little shin sweat never hurt anybody. it's fall! and that means holidays, Hanson, and my quarter b-day.

actually...one event i will recap for you is Oktoberfest in Addison, since that is an autumn activity. if you don't know what Oktoberfest entails, #1 i feel sorry for you, and #2 you should probably look it up so you don't miss out next year. so anyways, a big group of us went to the festival with our beer steins, listened to a live polka band, ate bratwurst, and drank some Spaten. there were frequent "CHEERS!" and mug-clanking, spontaneous arm wrestling, chicken dancing, aggies throwing up their horns... let me tell you, it was crazy. no lie, my neck is actually sore from the throw-back motion i now apparently do with my head when i find something particularly hilarious. truth be told, this is an event that i will no doubt be attending annually for the rest of my natural life.
this is andy. and this is the face he made pretty much all evening...except that one time in the photo below:
as you can see, everyone in this photo is having the time of their life. even the person taking this photo is having an awesome time, obviously, since the people in this photo are barely recognizable in all their blurred glory.

and that's all i've got really. i'm sorry it's not much. but maybe, just maybe, i'll post again before January. or maybe i'll kill this blog altogether and just send these in emails straight to ivy. #selfdepreciating

love/miss/namaste.

un-privatizing for 2 seconds

2010-03-09T00:02:00.002-06:00

since i have been a superslacker and haven't written a post since privatizin' myself, i don't feel so bad about lifting this secrecy for a little bit. also, to my surprise...a few of my friends have been asking about the blog and whatnot and i realized i didn't actually have everyone's email address. so here's your shot to be added to the list. it's kind of like when you're standing outside of a really hip club trying to get in and you get to cut in line because you're name is on the VIP list. except not really. but send me an email (ldudney@gmail.com) or leave a comment and i'll make sure you get to cut in line and leave the hoes on the curb.

a few things have happened since my last entry, but don't be scared because these events will be recounted in upcoming posts:

- i went to connecticut and boston; espn headquarters, john mayer concert, etc.
- i had major face surgery aka wisdom tooth removal.
- i survived both of these events, barely.
- i saw jay-z live HOLLA.
- i went to austin for the lonestar alum party and got to see dani and ava. fantastic.
- i looked up my phobias on the internet: agoraphobia, androphobia, autophobia, cleithrophobia, defecaloesiophobia, dentophobia, erotophobia, iatrophobia, lockiophobia, melissophobia, odontophobia, ouranophobia, selachophobia, social phobia, zelophobia.

i have tons of phobias, which scares me.
anyway, i'll get back with some legit material soon. until then, love/miss/namaste.

no more looking at my privates

2010-02-15T10:00:00.006-06:00

it's time to lock it up, no more slutting around all over the internet. my melodrama is not for everyone. i mean, i love chihuahuas and follow snooki on twitter so i might want to keep my...unique musings under wraps. goodbye random blog stalkers and hello to the new readers!

and i was right. the magic snow that dallas had was my good luck charm: i had a very nice valentine's day weekend. i always hate being so bitter about valentine's day - it's not because i feel sorry for myself or i'm jealous of all the lovers out there - i just think it's sort of ridiculous. the kind of love i want to be celebrating is the nitty gritty, selfless, raw, unglamorous, everydays that you share with the people that God's placed in your life to get you from one day to the next. and not just for one day, you know? don't get me wrong. i think hearts are awesome and the color red is super, not to mention the random sweet treats people whip up...i found some chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge last night, no doubt left over from my roomie and her bf's valentine evening. hope it's ok that i stole one. but all in all, v-day just isn't my cup o' tea.

i was so excited to get to see the wonderful ivy + troy duo on saturday night. seriously, these people are love. they just are. good gracious i'm sappy today. it must be because i watched the last half of the Holiday last night and bawled my eyes out toward the end of it. i don't know what it is about that movie but it always plucks on my heart strings.

please see below: ivy and troy welcomed their first pet, Pepper Ruths a couple months ago and she's so sweet i could die. i finally got to meet her and i'm absolutely in love. i adore puppies. they smell so good, i don't know what it is i just want to squeeze them to pieces...in a loving way.
and of course, in the spirit of the day of love, i've got to give a shout out to my funny little valentine, Boston. i have a freakish and borderline unhealthy relationship with my dog, i realize, but i'm an only child so quirks are to be expected.
to all my valentines near and far, i hope you know how much i love you and am grateful for you (on all days).

love/miss/namaste.

wintry mix-a-lot

2010-02-12T13:19:00.013-06:00

i don't know if you've noticed, but Dallas is buried underneath a boat load of snow. breaking news people, you're getting it here first i'm sure. i've appointed myself snow historian for the week, so here are some photos of our ski lodge...i mean, condo.

kh digging her car out on thursday morning.

we left work early (me, because i'm nursing a little sinus infection coupled with a duck cough) and after a little nap and green tea, i began what any normal person would do on a day such as this: movie marathon... helloooo, snuggie! sure, i'll take 2 scoops of ice cream!

good thing i was by myself for the movie marathon. i watched 3 movies and one of them had a SUPER awkward sex scene in it...and those make me wildly uncomfortable. i don't know why, but intimate scenes in movies make me cringe like i just peed my pants. i think it's because i'm wondering what the other people who are watching the movie are thinking and if they feel awkward too or if they think what they're watching is cool or clumsy or ...i don't know. i get all freaked out. i'm always that girl in the theater who ducks her head down and puts her hands over her eyes and ears and whispers, "sick!" or "oh for the love of God please don'-...ew." the latter was specifically during Crazy Heart. and if you've seen it, you know what i mean...good flick though. anyway, don't even try to figure out why i have this issue because there is no real reason for it except i'm just maladroit. and no, i've never walked in on my parents. they did it one time and it resulted in my birth and that's that (just kidding, i'm not that crazy). they love each other very much and i'm sure things are great with them and i can't believe i'm still typing about this and i'm going to go throw up now.

sorry, back to the snow.

snow is awesome and also my favorite color.

nighttime view out our living room patio. i tweeted it because it looks exotic.

this is the view from my room upstairs.

daytime view

it's funny how everything looks so much more beautiful with snow everywhere. even passing a strip mall on the access road, i thought to myself, "well isn't that a lovely little establishment, how quaint!" i felt like i was vacationing in colorado or something. i bet touristy ski places look just as boring as home without snow. but probably not.

i want to make a snowman when i get home today. there's tons of snow on my terrace, hopefully it doesn't jack up my new swanky furniture.

bos has the right idea. she's staying nice and warm in the bed.

and the picture trail ends here: at work, slosh city.
and in case you're wondering, i notified HR and security about my little impostor friend. after i told them my story, they said Richardson police was being notified (shudder).
on that creepy note, i'd like to wish you a happy valentine's weekend through clenched teeth. because the only feelings saint valentine stirs up within me are those of awkwardness and disappointment due to misplaced expectations of less than exciting circumstances. although the one truly great valentine's day i had was during a random snowy weekend with some great friends in high school. it was the week of 3 consecutive slumber parties. classic. maybe the snow will be my magical lucky love-day charm.

so i probably won't watch schindler's list like i did last year.

love/miss/namaste.

creeps : Laura as moths : flame.

2010-02-10T22:00:00.004-06:00

i wish this weren't true, but it is. i am a creep magnet. see, i have the words, "I AM NAIVE AND NEVER ASSUME THE WORST ABOUT PEOPLE AND WILL PROBABLY TRUST YOU" written on my forehead, illegible to anyone but delinquents.

i also do not have the ability to think quick on my feet and fall epileptic when confronted, be it a homeless person saying, "one dollar...is that ALL you got?!" or a dude at a bar probing me for my phone number, "i'll just call your phone right now so you'll have mine..." and yes, both of these incidents have happened and both predators got what they wanted. uuunfortunately.

anyway, creep #1 was at the slip inn. i'm not going to put this story in writing because it haunts me to this day. i will say this: Randal, you are a disgrace to all men everywhere and your mother would be ashamed of you.

creep #2: i'm with 4 girlfriends at a bar on greenville. as soon as we walk in and begin ordering our drinks, a huge, i mean gigantically tall man grabs my arm and asks me to dance with him. me, always up for having a good time, oblige him and we two step to the live band that was playing. he dipped me and everything! it was hilarious (ivy/whit/shiv know that this is not the first time i have done this). anyways, after the dance, i go meet my friends at a table nearby. guess who comes with me! oh yes, franklin. his name is franklin. this is extra funny, because i told him that my name was frances...which basically meant that we were made for each other because his name is frank and his grandmother's name was frances too. oh yeah! and he has a lazy eye and is probably 42. so i'm making small talk with franklin and liz (thank God for her) and he asks me if i like to dance because according to him, i'm awesome at it. i say i like it alright... but then he starts listing all these "cool places in Dallas to dance" and tells me that he wants to take me to them. i said that i wasn't sure how my boyfriend would feel about that...you know... we're practically engaged and he just happens to be out of town (ahaha, that lie is just funny). franklin assures me that we'd only go dancing as friends. right. look me in the eye with your good one and tell me again, cowboy.

creep #3 was disturbing, it happened yesterday. i was walking in the parking lot after work when a grey car starts driving AT me and then slows to a stop right beside me. it's a man in some sort of cop uniform...

cop: hey, how's it going?
me: just fine...how are you? (he's a cop, you have to be nice you know)
cop: doing great. just patrolling the area, there have been some break-ins reported around here. do you know of any break-ins lately? have you heard anything?
me: no...i just know that there have been some recently.
cop: yeah. you'll probably see more police patrolling the area, both in cop cars and street cars like myself. so what company is this?
me: fossil.
cop: oh yeah, fossil. how long have you worked there?
me: a year and a half.
cop: cool. the two guys who own the place, have you ever been to their houses?
me: no...
cop: MANSIONS, man. mansions. hahhaha!
me: i'm sure.
cop: so what's you're name?
me: Laura. (should i have said Frances like i usually do? wait no, that's only in bars and he's a cop...but still...he's creepy as frick)
cop: nice to meet you, Laura. my name is Jerry. well, i'll let you get on. have a nice night.
me: (bewildered) nice to meet you too, bye.
*conversation edited because i don't feel like typing it all out.

WTF?!

i'm sorry, but since when do cops in civilian cars corner women in parking lots when it's 35 degrees out? i'm literally standing there in the freezing cold, carrying several big bags and sound like an elderly man because i'm coughing like a duck (i have a sinus thing). and this dude is trying to shoot the breeze? mind you, his car is completely unmarked and there is absolutely nothing in the car besides his bag of fast food. by that i mean there was no radio equipment at all. not even a walkie talkie. you know what i think? i think i was about 2 minutes away from being in his trunk next to a crowbar with duck tape over my mouth.

i am 98% sure he was an impostor. i reported the incident to security and HR because it gave me the heebie jeebies. my coworkers all agree that was scary shit (sorry mom, but you know it is).

i always wonder why creepers zero in on me. i've been told that i have a very approachable face...by these 2 dudes i met at karaoke night last week. they were nice. blah! see? there i go again. i need to stop handing out benefits of the doubt like a girl scout and start being a bitch or i'm going to end up inspiring an episode of CSI.

love/miss/namaste.

weekend funsies and an important annoucement at the end.

2010-02-08T11:24:00.004-06:00

on saturday, our beloved dirty patricia graduated from Baylor Law School. it was so much fun to watch her walk the stage and scream our faces off and then spend the afternoon together...ivy, april and caleena were all there so it was a lovely little reunion.

trisha is pretty badass, she knows the LAW. she's going into family law so she'll probably be the one helping me adopt all my babies. thanks in advance dirty p!

she's a graduate!

also, i started the big purge of my belongings which means i'm basically running a boutique out of my condo. i'm not even kidding. goodbye, reason #5 why i'm an awful adult!

**Important announcement: I'm going to make my blog private, so no more peep shows. I'd like to be able to write about hilarity without worrying if someone is going to be offended/make fun of me later for it. If you're not already following me, send me your email address and I'll add you to my list of approved stalkers. i know there might be 3 of you out there. I'll give you until...February 15 to decide if you want in on this mess.

let me know: ldudney@gmail.com

love/miss/namaste.

5 reasons why I am the worst adult ever.

2010-02-04T09:22:00.004-06:00

i recently realized that i suck at being a grown up. sure, i've got some redeeming qualities, but they haven't really been able to make up for the fact that i'm barely competent at living my own life as a functioning adult. i've always had a safety net, and it's name is fred-and-charlotte. thank God for them. thank GAAAAAHD.

1. bills: at the condo where KH and i live, all bills are in my name. when we moved, i had our cable and energy services switched to our new residence and all was fine and dandy - or so i thought. i also pay our bills online because i'm cyber-savvy and my generation is hopelessly dependent on the internet (i am exhibit A). so after 3 months of living in melrose place, i realized that the address on our bill is not the address of our condo. WTF?! who's condo are we funding?! who's paying for OUR energy?! why, God, WHY??! then, we get a notice on our door from the energy company that the previous tenants used (that has been our energy provider all along) saying they're shutting off our energy unless we pay the balance for the last 3 months. well punch me in the crotch and call me clueless because this is just spiraling out of control. *this situation has since been resolved, more or less, but not without teeth-gnashing and hyperventilation. and Green Mountain energy owes us $700.

2. mail: i have so much of it that i don't know what to do with it all. KH doesn't receive mail at our place so i'm the one who checks it. not only do we have mail coming in for the previous dudes who lived here, but the owners too. not to mention all those coupons. ugh. i end up putting it in a huge bundle in a canvas bag and toting it back and forth from work to home every day in hopes that i'll have time to sort it. i finally gave the previous tenants their mail - in a shoebox... and i've been going through my own. guess what i found?! a notice from BofA that they were canceling my credit and debit cards and were sending new ones! AND i found the cards! from back in october. i didn't realize i had gotten all this in the mail...so back when my cards stopped working at McDonalds and Forever 21, i spent some time at BofA trying to resolve what i thought was a major situation then. i can't help it if the cards were in unmarked envelopes! it would have helped if they had said, "ENCLOSED IS YOUR NEW BANK CARD, DUMBASS!" on the front. then i would have cracked that crap open...

3. wisdom teeth: i still have them. do you know when my oral surgeon recommended me to get them out? summer of 2002...the last time i saw him. see, i'm an avoider. if i don't want to do something/face a situation, i retreat. it's unhealthy, i realize, but it's been working out OK...until the situation i have to face is a million times worse. BURN. anyway, the reason i have been freaked out is because back in 2002, i had oral surgery on my lip to remove some ruptured salivary glad or something (i don't remember)...but what i DO remember is being CONSCIOUS while he sliced open my face. also, right before he scalpeled me, i stopped him...

me: wait wait wait!!! i can still feel things!!! don't cut!!!
doc: hmm...i gave you a shot, you shouldn't be able to feel it...
me: uh...well i CAN. see?? (violently poking my lower lip)
doc: ok...um...i guess i can give you another shot just to be safe.
me: UH. YEAH.
then my mom picked me up and took me to sonic and i felt better...but STILL. that's messed up, right?

so i go to my consultation the other day, this little trauma fresh on my mind, and sat through a cheesy video about wisdom tooth extraction and possible risks. doc comes in and tells me i've got 4 impacted wisdom teeth that should have come out 8 years ago and i've got the risk of dry sockets because i waited so long. i can barely understand him, his voice is deep and his words run together a bit. also, he's got a crick in his neck and can't turn his head. at all. looking at my x-rays through the ceiling light was rather difficult to say the least. BUT DON'T WORRY. i won't need to be put under. i'll be consciously sedated, key word here being conscious. WHAT KIND OF UNDERGROUND TORTURE FACILITY IS HE RUNNING HERE?!?! at this point, my natural instincts are kicking in, so i just nod and say o...k.... and walk out of the office very fast-like. doom is coming for me on February 26.

4. cooking: for some odd reason, i have lost all ability to prepare food in a kitchen. let me rephrase that, prepare food for someone in the kitchen...

- meal #1 - a frozen pizza. i take it out of the oven to let it cool. i am notified that it is not cooked all the way and immediately snub the notification. only when i stick my finger in the frozen center do i realize that i had the oven on 325 instead of 425. awesome.
- meal #2 - potroast. i'm not going to throw my mom under the bus here, but i am. if charlotte dudney ever tells you to use oven bags, tell her that you will only use them to hold the mediocre meal that was cooked inside them as you take it to the dumpster. also, i made leaf soup. note: when making homemade dressing, do not pour the entire concoction into a salad bag, it will end badly.
- meal #3 - GRILLED CHEESE. why? why, God, would you let this happen again? how many nights have i made myself (and others) grilled cheese without a hitch? and now...now...i have managed to botch the easiest meal known to man to prepare.

my woman card has been taken from me officially. sorry, dani. i failed you.

5. clutter: this is a lifestyle condition that i have tried to combat through changing apartments every year. i justify that in moving, i'll get rid of things i don't need. what a cute thought, buuuut false. my job also perpetuates this problem because i get free stuff all the time. i'm the trinket queen. i can barely clear a path in my room to walk from bed to toilet and i've been sharing my bed with a 5-pound chihuahua and a pile of clean clothes for which i have no home. it's actually quite comfortable to snuggle up to. i might as well get used to it, because the previous 4 points i have just made will inevitably result in that pile of clothes never being replaced by a husband.

love/miss/namaste.

austin-tatious

2010-01-27T17:27:00.009-06:00

i took a little 24 hour jaunt to my favorite place last weekend to help dani celebrate her 24th birthday. i hadn't been back since october 4th, so i've been itching to get back there for 110 days. almost 4 months. not ok.

i just love how i feel there. i'm not sure if it's that i'm more familiar with the area or i'm in my comfort zone...but i get instantly more secure, confident, joyful, inspired, what have you...when i barrel down 35 and see this...that'd be the view of campus/downtown from the highway. west-sideeee.

i rolled into town just in time for a lovely dinner at shady grove to celebrate dani and then went to a friend's apartment afterwards. they picked up 40's for us and it was my first experience drinking one - dani made sure we drank them out of paper bags so it was legit.

we played taboo and rock band. most of the taboo rounds went something like this:

michael (the clue-giver): ok, uh...SCANDAL. SEX TAPE. BLACKMAIL...
matt (a guesser): PROMOTION!!
michael: correct.

after belting a little alanis (me) and rage against the machine (dani), we headed DT for a little mooseknuckle action (of course). it was really nice to chill, visit old hangouts, and just be there. happy birthday my beautiful dani!! i loves you mucho.

i also had the privilege of staying the night at the house liz and i lived in senior year. caroline still lives there, lucky little ho. it was the place i lived in the shortest amount of time, but lots of awesome shiz went down in there...so it holds such a special place in my heart. not to mention it was badawesome. many thanks to caro, can, and alyssa for the use of their most comfortable couch.

THEN i met up with the person who pretty much got me through college emotionally...and that'd be april. i'm not kidding you, we kept each other sane most times. one lunch or dinner with this chick and i was footloose and fancy free, lovin' life and thankful for her presence. we ate at magnolia cafe on south congress (another favorite must-go-here ATX spot).

so co

goodbye for now, austin. i promise i won't stay away so long this time.
love/miss/namaste.

the coolest thing i've seen in a long time:

2010-01-21T17:16:00.002-06:00

thanks, etsy.

love/miss/namaste.

boom boom pow

2010-01-16T17:35:00.002-06:00

i could tell you the story of how i was strutting around work in my adorable booties and then bit it hard in the huge main hallway sending a stack of papers scattering all over the floor and CC laughing uncontrollably...

or i could tell you the story of how i was gingerly gliding down my stairs to watch a movie with a dude and then slid down about 4 stairs on my tush while clutching the rail as hard as i wish i could hold on to my dignity. but i'm not gonna do that either.

instead, i'm going to tell you a story of triumph: i paid off my credit card this week. POW. i finally made the last payment from the smallish debt i got myself into last year when i was flirting with depression and got hair extensions and enough forever 21 clothes to outfit an entire teen movie. my debt is gone, my hair is sort of long again (although it's black and i look like snooki) and i am feelin' fancy.

i came home this morning to get a massage with my mom and grandma - real nice. we attempted to cleanse ourselves from all the toxins in our body by drinking lots of water, but then we went to snuffers. oh well. now i'm just chillin' at home with fred and charlotte and it's good times. i love 'em a lot.

love/miss/namaste.

do you know who hates 6AM spin classes? God.

2010-01-13T21:34:00.003-06:00

i have been getting so much better at working out it's ridiculous. it's like jillian michaels possessed my body or something. but not really, because i'm still the same lazy ass i've always been, i'm just adding frequent workouts to my weekly activities so i can slowly but surely get some actual muscle on my bones.

so anyway, i'm in love with yoga class. i go at least twice a week. i'm pretty sure it's my favorite because it tricks you into working out. you start out in complete stillness just breathing and then the next thing you know you're muscles are shakey and burnin' like the sidewalks in july. then on wednesdays, CC and i go to that 24 lift class where Legs (the instructor) blasts our bodies until we want to slap her face and then hug her at the end.

i have been avoiding the spin classes though, i'll admit. i hear they are quite difficult and require serious endurance...so naturally i said, "nerp. not for me." but my roomie was all, "i'm going to the 6AM spin class tomorrow! let's both go! come onnnn." and i don't like to say no to people (except for STOP RIGHT THERE, 'the other sister' style), so i agreed.

thursday. january 7, 2010. i wake up at 5:45AM and am shivering in the car by 5:50AM (slept in my clothes for minimal morning effort). it's icy out, i know this, so i take caution to use the service road route instead of getting on the highway. i turn left onto central expwy and begin to accelerate for mere seconds before breaking to stop in front of 2 busted up cars that were blocking the entire road. except WTF??? i am not stopping?!?! JEEP, WHY ARE YOU FAILING MEEEeeeeee! crunch. calypso slams in between an SUV and some piece-of-crap white car. the space between the two vehicles was wide enough for me to pass through, but not without contact. it was the worst on my side, i lost the fender. no damage to the right side of my car. but guess who conveniently moves his piece-of-crap car SECONDS after i come skipping down the road of doom? white car dude. so now i've got a car to fix, dignity to find, and i don't even have a toned ass to show for it. i went home and sat on the couch and whined to my mom on the phone until i had to go to work and sulk some more.

tuesday. january 12, 2010. i wake up for a second attempt at spin class. KH and i walk out the door and begin the freezing-frick shuffle to the car. something falls. it's KH's iphone, we pause. i reach down to grab it and there it is: a completely shattered screen. the thing that makes this all the more tragic is that she treats that phone like it is the egg of an endangered animal. and she had only just received the cover she ordered for it after over a month of iphone nakedness. i kid you not: God is completely opposed to spin class.

so after KH's phone suffers major wounds, we hop in the car (thank you Jesus for her heated seats) and make it to spin class just as it begins! the last 2 bikes are on the front row (sarcastic hooray!) and on KH's left is this super buff chick who makes me want to cry. on the other side of me? a grunter. all i'm going to say about him is that it was rhythmic and made me wildly uncomfortable.

oh. but not as uncomfortable as the actual "bike" aka: instrument of crotch torture. 60 minutes we cycled. 60 minutes i cursed my bones. sitting on that seat and peddling was probably one of the most agonizing experiences i have ever put myself through. i even tried to put my little towel on the seat just to provide myself some shard of cushion but no. no. you go back and forth between standing and sitting, and that towel did exactly what i wished i could do: leap off that bike seat into the fetal position.

all that to say, i'm honestly proud of little dudsie for making it the whole time. i pushed myself as far as i could go and endured an hour-long class that was actually enjoyable (minus the grunter, the screeching instructor, and the horrible techno tunes). truth be told, i was planning on bailing after 30 minutes. i thought i couldn't take it anymore, what with my pubis bone being corroded...but then in the middle of the screecher's god-awful mix tape, Beyonce starts telling me to push through. so i did. i did it for her.

all in all, it was a pretty good day.

love/miss/namaste.

an afternoon at the office

2010-01-13T09:04:00.004-06:00

this happened yesterday:
as usual, CC and i were singing lyrics back and forth in our cube. then it turned into an email chain that looked like this:

we always surprise ourselves with how many random song lyrics we know. we can go for a long time. anyways...

ME: danggg, we are such good rappers.
CC: i know, we're like salt 'n peppa
ME: who would be salt and who would be peppa?
CC: well...peppa was kind of a ho...so probably you.

it's the little things that get you through long days in a cubicle.

next up: why God hates spin class.

love/miss/namaste.

christmas in jackson hole

2010-01-03T15:28:00.008-06:00

this is the first year that my dad has had christmas off since before i was born. obviously holidays that are geared toward "togetherness" creates busy schedules for pilots. it's the nature of the business you know. it never bothered me growing up...all you have to do is move christmas to a different day, no bigs. i have always been annoyed by those christmas movies that center around whether or not someone's parent is going to be present on christmas eve/day. you know the ones: workaholic father, adorably disappointed kid, the parent's choice... i think those movies are ridiculous. did you know that you can actually celebrate christmas on the 26th of december and it does not change it one bit?? stupid brats who have no regard for the fact that their parent is actually working that hard so that they can buy them sh*t really chap my shorts. come on, precocious little menace. the world doesn't revolve around you and your lofty holiday expectations. you'll still get that barbie bicycle or the tonka truck...know why? because your daddy got a paycheck. anyway. i digress.

sooooo since my dad had his heart attack and is out on sick leave until the spring, we decided that we'd take a little family adventure vacation to jackson hole, wyoming, have a little white christmas for ourselves and get away just the 3 of us. it was short and sweet and action packed. the two full days we were there, my dad arranged for us to take tours of yellowstone national park and the hot springs on snowmobiles...

we got picked up by our guide around 6:30 the first morning. he was driving one of those 15 passenger vans with a couple other families who had already been collected from their respective hotels. i kid you not, this dude looked like a hybrid of Johnny Depp and Val Kilmer (circa 1986). we'll call him Johnny Kilmer (see below, i know right?!?). he was also crazy.
Johnny Kilmer is originally from arkansas, which you can immediately detect as soon as he opens his mouth and words come out. he is insanely friendly and outspoken, so mix those qualities with southern hospitality and comedic relief and that is a recipe for a Laura swoon. uh oh!

he's one of those dudes that is a reckless adolescent trapped in an adult body. i'm not kidding, he feared nothing. he'd whip the snowmobiles around with authority, man. he is a true outdoor dude. the things he said yielded a "WTF??" glance between my mom and me about 95% of the time. he told stories about "tacklin' a cy-ote that was takin' a dump by the side of the road" and "grabbin' a big ole crow and tuckin' it under his jacket and lettin' it lose in the bar just to see how people'd react," and such. there are really no words to respond to his remarks, only "ha..haahahha...ok...." here's another:

JK: "Yeeah. ever wunce ina while, i gotta check peoples fay-ces fer white spawts 'cuz that thurs the beginnin's of frawst bite. i knowed a gah who's nose got it and it dun turned black and fell awff. this wun time i was huntin' and decided to get in the lake and gave myself hah-po-thurmia, ya know. just so's i'd know whut it felt like. mos people don't know when they's got it 'cuz wunce you get it you think you're hawt so ya take off all ya clothes."
My Dad: "So you just sat in freezing cold water and gave yourself hypothermia?"
JK: "Yeeeah mayn."

this was nonstop randomness for 2 days.

we had a blast on those snowmobiles. the first day, we traveled over 100 miles throughout the park. each of us had our own snowmobile and we rode like little ducks in a row. i had issues keeping up with the group because i'd get caught up looking at the lovely landscape daydreaming, pretending that "1901" was the soundtrack of my journey. other times, "let it ride" by ryan adams would be playing in my head and i would feel like a badass sittin' back gangsta on that sno-mo, marshmellowed out in about 34 layers of clothing. cause i'm cool like that.
we stopped and walked around the sulfur springs where scalding hot water bubbles in patches beneath the snow-covered earth - it's so cool but it smells like farts. i walked behind my mom on the trails and every 5 seconds she was either hitting the snow off a tree branch or kicking the snow mounds like a little kid who leaves destruction in his wake. "um, mom...what are you doing?"
(she innocently looks back and grins) "i just can't help myself."my parents were giving me a hard time about driving so slow and not keeping up with the person in front of me, but... SORRY. sno-mos aren't the easiest machinery to operate, you pull the gas lever and lurch forward like a kid learning to drive a stick, then as soon as you let off the gas you basically come to an immediate complete stop no matter how fast you're going. it's tricky, ok? so it would only be appropriate that the most cautious driver would be involved in the only collision 5 minutes before we returned the vehicles. yeah. i rear ended my mom and my hood popped off... let it ride indeed. it was not badass.

nevertheless, we enjoyed the rest of our journey unscathed. on the way up, johnny kilmer was offering his usual ridiculous commentary: "awwwlright. we're comin' up on sum sulfur springs so don't think somewun dun fawrted in the vayn." ok...thanks....
we got to the park to begin snowmobile journey #2 and rode our sno-mos up to the granite hot springs. it's a natural outdoor hot tub! the water comes out of the earth at 112 degrees right in the middle of an atmosphere of 10 degrees. changing into our swimsuits and walking down to the pool was borderline unbearably cold but totes worth it. after our sno-mo adventure, we were ready to be back at our hotel for some r&r for our last night in the JH. we were mysteriously the first family to be picked up for the day and the last to be dropped off... hm...could it be that johnny kilmer felt a special connection to us? it's possible...
we said our goodbyes and went to the room. i threw on sweats as we prepared to go down to the hotel restaurant for our last meal in town when, out of nowhere, dad's phone rings. minutes later, with a bewildered expression, my dad reveals that johnny kilmer will be joining us. what in the sweet name of mary??? our tour guide wants to hang? sorry parents. i need a minute to spruce.

i felt totally awkward about it because i mean really...who has game when their parents are sitting inches away? come on. i have the tendency to be epileptic around dudes as it is. but oh, no worries. after he's chillin' with us for a few minutes i realize that he's not there cause he thinks i'm a cute out-of-towner...no no. he's got a man crush on my dad. see, he's an aspiring pilot.

ego deflating. i return to dallas with my tail between my legs and ready to begin my "better men in 2010" mentality.

merry late-christmas, loves. i hope yours was filled with happy memories, awkward family stories, and love. thanks for coming, Jesus!

love/miss/namaste.

NYResolutions Part 2

2009-12-31T09:14:00.003-06:00

before i tell the tale of my Christmas in Jackson Hole and the shenanigans that i got myself into there, i'm going to finish up my resolutions for 2010 in what i like to call the "2009, Get the Frick Up Out My Life" post:

1. be clean, starting with the cube and hopefully expanding to include my room, i don't know. i don't know if we'll have enough time.

2. soooo...a little late in the game last year i decided to implement my 52 in 09 plan. the outcome was 50% successful because i chose some real long books and got a teensy bit distracted. BUT i am re-implementing this year's to be more attainable: The Big 5-0 in Twenty-Ten.

3. i've worked out more in the last 3 months than i have in the last 5 years combined. "LD, that is sad and pathetic. how are you not a contestant on the biggest loser by now?" well, i'll answer you: i've got skinny genes. (pun? yes.) i am also a monet: from far away i look alright but up close it's a bit disappointing. i'm not trying to be all self-depreciating, but there's a good type of thin and a no good type of thin (the kind that involves zero muscle mass and a cheesy ass - i'm sorry if that was graphic)...so now that i have a gym membership and my very own yoga mat and a workout buddy (CC - boss bff), i am kickin' it into high gear! never again will i move into a new place and be embarrassed that i can't lift heavy things!

4. number 4 is a list within a list. but it's something i've been working on for a few months now. it's my "30 before 30" - 30 things i want to accomplish before i turn 30. marriage and kiddos aren't things one can really count on or exercise a dominant influence over, so i'm not sweatin' it...i'm giving myself goals that i can control while i'm waiting on the universe to throw me a bone in the "fate" arena.

5. aaaand drum roll. not really, this will be anticlimactic: Here's to Better Men in 2010!

love/miss/namaste.

cubie love and NYResolution #1.

2009-12-22T17:11:00.007-06:00

i'm a messy person, i just am. so to kick off my list of new years resolutions, i'm going to start with keeping my cubicle clean. if i surround myself in a less cluttered environment, i'm bound to experience less stress in my life. right?! if i clean my cube all my problems will be solved! LOL!

to do lists...my favorite thing. especially on tuesdays when i title it: Tue-Do List. aaaahhahaha!

"you are small and good" - you read that right.

crap. it's just everywhere. i think there's a fall 2010 eyewear collection in there somewhere...

i mean, everywhere.

i can't believe it's been 19 months since i started working here. the above photo represents 19 months of crap building up since i started. i am a hoarder. but not in 2010.
*please ignore the photos from that-time at the beginning of that post and focus on the fresh, clean cubie toward the end. i'm a masochist, MWAHAHA!

love/miss/namaste.

breedism.

2009-12-21T22:16:00.006-06:00

i realize that my last post was pretty dramatic, so i need to follow up with a subject that i'm equally passionate about: my dog

if you know me even the slightest bit you know that i'm obsessed with my dog (see above, my work computer). i love her so much i cry sometimes and whisper to her, "i hope you live until i'm 97 and we die at the same time." i even talk to her in a strange voice i can't control. boston is more than my pet, she is part of my identity...and my life has never been the same since that blissful day in august that dani and i brought home our little brother & sister bundles. i've been bossie's mama for over 2 years now and i can honestly say that my life would suck without her (yes, i just watched the glee finale for the 3rd time).

but one thing i just want to get off my chest is that breedism hurts. if you have judged another person for the type of dog they own, you are a breedist. if you look at boston's and my family photos and immediately think, "ugh, that dog is rat" you are a breedist. and this offends me.

i'm mainly speaking to the people who think that if a dog isn't a lab or a golden retriever, or any other large hunting dog for that matter...it's not a real dog. you know, the dudes who act all smug about small "girly" dogs. well listen up, pal: i'm tired of feeling like i need to defend my choice of canine to you, because i don't. do you know how many times someone's asked me what kind of dog i have and upon saying, "chihuahua," this person (usually an arrogant know-it-all dude) goes, "oooooh. you're one of thooooose girls. ahahahaha!" excuse me. but since when does owning a chihuahua make girls ditzy hobags who run around in heels and mini skirts wearing matching rhinestone necklaces with their furry best friends who are probably named 'nikki' or some crap? paris hilton: she is to blame.

do i like big dogs? absolutely! do i hope to have a huge awesome dog someday and name him bogart after the famous humphrey? for shiz! am i mature enough to know that owning a dog that outweighs me and attempting to offer it a full and happy life in a small condo with no backyard is irresponsible, or dare i say, reckless? you betcha.

one last question: can you conveniently zip up your border collie in the front of your puffy vest and bring her shopping with you so you don't get lonely and stressed during the holiday rush at a busy mall? prob not, bra. not that you'd want to. you're too badass for that.

what i'm saying is, just because my dog has a semi-high-pitched bark and won't go dove hunting with you doesn't mean she's a waste of space. she is always there for me when i need her and she is the cutest freaking thing on this earth, not to mention, incredibly photogenic (LOL!). and she is not, i repeat NOT, a rat.

awesome emo pic of bos.

if you own a big (or popular) breed of dog, i think that is great! i'll probably want to come over to your house and play fetch with it and hug it like a person. i'm not accusing anyone of breedism (cough, cvh), i just want to put this message out into the great cyber universe and speak up for those who can't speak in a human language. and speak for myself 'cause i'm tired of this crap. every dog deserves to be loved and respected... i shouldn't have to say, "no, no, it's not like that...she's actually really cool!!" 5 minutes after i meet a new person and reveal my life story to them. you know?

and while i don't consider myself a cat person only because they make me sneeze my face off - they most definitely make lovely companions too. i think cats are mad-cool, furreals (pun intended!).

oh! and i just realized after writing this post that ivy is getting a little chi of her own - and i can't wait to meet little pepper ruths!

love/miss/namaste.

ps. i promise that my next post will neither involve my hopelessly pathetic obsession with song lyrics or be a rant about a made-up social issue derived by the rude comments i get from guys.

sorry, that last post was a doozy.

2009-12-17T14:55:00.001-06:00

i can't play an instrument, but i can listen to music real good.

2009-12-17T10:34:00.006-06:00

my parents met when they were both in the high school band. my mom played the flute and my dad played the trumpet. still, my dad is a very musical person. he is a self-taught pianist, and can pretty much pick up any horn and blow sweet sounds. me? no such blessing.

it's safe to say that i'm drawn to all things musical. i grew up listening to my dad bang on his keys most mornings as i got ready for school, and would often sing along with him other times he'd play. i'm pretty sure i got my quirky taste in music from my dad. i can't resist belting out a wild, "cause he's LO-VIN, TOUCHIN' ANOOOOTHERRRR, NOW IT'S YOUR TURN GIRL TO CRYYY, NANANANANANNA..." or the classic, "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis. i'm not the girl you come to for newness and i sure don't think i'm a music connoisseur. i just know what i like.

and we all know my dating habits.

so when dani suggested that we make mixes for each other, i got pretty pumped. she and i have very different music tastes, but i love exploring new things and sharing my loves with others, so this idea was stellar to me. when she came, we both admitted to have made mixes on our computers, but we hadn't burned them so the exchange never came to fruition. it's alright, though, because i've decided just to post it here so that everyone can share it.

this is not a mix of favorite songs, although they have become favorites. this is a mix of songs that have been particularly speaking to me during this season i my life, for better or worse. you could probably even classify this playlist as just a collection of depressing songs - which in essence, it is - but they make me happy, and here's why i think they do:

you know that book, the 5 languages of love? well i took the test a couple weeks ago which revealed that my #1 love language is touch, and my close 2nd is words of affirmation. stick with me, cause this might get a little complicated:

the way i listen to music, music that i really connect with, is a physical experience. music is one of the reasons i probably won't answer the phone if you call while i'm driving. sometimes i feel like the music comes out of the speakers and envelops me, i breathe it in and it fills my lungs. it wraps around my head and goes into my ears and sinks into the wrinkles of my brain and i feel it's tight hold on my body from the inside to the outside. the melody swirls around in an unseen waterfall of colors and flowers and objects from my imagination - anything from faces to places to trinkets that hold special meaning to me...and i really do feel like i'm being touched. then, when the words take meaning in my head and i'm able to relate to them, i feel understood. lyrics give me the affirming words that i crave so much. in music, i am loved. dramatic much? prob.

all this to say, i'm no musician - but i appreciate music like it's my job. so here are 18 tracks who've been loving me for the last few months...it's getting pretty serious :)

1. Heartbreak Warfare by John Mayer (from Battle Studies)
B and I have joked that John Mayer interviewed us (separately) to gather material for this album. Sad but so, so true. "Disappointment has a name, it's Heartbreak."
2. Something's Missing by John Mayer (from Heavier Things)
"...how come everything i think i need always comes with batteries? what do think it means...?"
3. Where I Stood by Missy Higgins (from On a Clear Night)
"i don't know who i am without you, all i know is that i should. she will love you more than i could, she who dares to stand where i stood."
4. Wait it Out by Imogen Heap (from Ellipse)
ok, after every, i mean every line of this song, i want to say, "i know, right?!" it's so well written and encompasses so much of how one feels during a quarterlife crisis: "pain on pain on play repeating. with a backup makeshift life in waiting. everybody says time heals everything, but what of the wretched hollow? the endless in between...are we just going to wait it out? / all i want, only one street-level miracle. i'll be an out and out born-again from none more cynical."
5. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac (from the Dance)
because everybody knows that "thunder only happens when it's rainin' and players only love you when they're playin'." sing it, stevie!
6. I Feel it All by Feist (from the Reminder)
this is upbeat and awesome and liberating. "i'll be the one to break my heart / i know more than i knew before, now i know i'm gonna win the war." i dare you not to swing your hair to this little ditty.
7. Sentimental Heart by She & Him (from Volume One)
the lyrics prettttty much speak for themselves, but if you haven't listened to the haunting voice of Zooey Deschanel, you don't know what you're missing.
8. Tymps (the Sick in the Head Song) by Fiona Apple (from Extraordinary Machine)
ahahahaha: "i'm either so sick in the head, i need to be bled dry to quit...or i just really used to love him, i sure hope that's it."
9. Get Him Back by Fiona Apple (from Extraordinary Machine)
this is kinda vengeful....but it's great fun to sing along to...
10. Thieving by Lovedrug (from Everything Starts Where it Ends)
no words, just sounds to describe this: it involves me closing my eyes and sighing loudly.
11. Champagne High by Sister Hazel (from Fortress)
"where will i be when i stop wondering why?"
12. Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch (from Time Without Consequence)
this dude is awesome. become a fan.
I want to tattoo these lyrics on my person someday: "my salvation lies in your love."
13. Let it Be by the Beatles (from Let it Be)
needed to be here. it just did.
14. Free Fallin' cover by John Mayer (from Live in Los Angeles 2007)
i am a massive tom petty fan, totally dig him and those heartbreakers. but the first time i heard john's (yeah, we're on a first name basis) cover of free fallin' it was like i heard it for the first time, no lie. my eyes welled up with tears and i just kept repeating, "and the good girls go home with broken hearts. and the good girls go home with broken hearts. and the good girls go home with broken hearts..."
15. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer (from Continuum)
...
16. Cry On Demand by Ryan Adams (from Demolition)
i just close my eyes and think of you.
17. Mockingbirdsing by Ryan Adams (from Cold Roses)
this is one of my favorite ryguy songs. so lovely, "love her in the ways you want to be loved..."
18. Shadowlands by Ryan Adams (from Love is Hell)
this is one of those songs that gets physical, it lets me clear my mind completely. sit alone in your car or room, turn this up as loud as your eardrums will allow and just let the song happen to you. you really can't experience the instrumental last half of the song without being... affected.

love/miss/namaste.

sorry to disappoint.

2009-12-14T21:43:00.005-06:00

but sparks did not fly. don't get me wrong, fun was had. there was a fantastic group dinner at chuy's, 80's night at lotus, mini golf, sister hazel...all great, wonderful things. but i just wasn't feeling the romance. and that's ok! i didn't get jumped, murdered, or anything awful like that. it was just a bit awkward. like, sofa king awkward.see? we totally had fun. i let him beat me in mini golf.

anyways, i think it's just that i'm not attracted to the european type. you know: thin, uber trendy, real serious about dance moves, mysterious accent, etc. honestly, show me a chubster who can't dress himself and wants to curl up on the couch and watch sportscenter with me...and i'm down for the count, swoon city. i wish i was kidding.

but i would have to say that this sister hazel concert was definitely the highlight of the weekend. they were phenomenal, i forget how much i love that band. they were rockin' it too. the lead guitar player was ridiculous. i loved how much fun those dudes looked like they were having up there too. they were genuinely having a blast, laughing and jammin' out. so sweet.

i also loved their opener, tyrone wells. he was cutie with some pipes and lovely lyrics. i have definitely become a fan...check out sea breeze...

sunday afternoon was spent on the terrace. bos and i laid outside on the couch and read for almost 3 hours before falling asleep. it was dark when i woke up...and it was awesome.

and so another week begins.

love/miss/namaste.

so...this is random...

2009-12-10T23:16:00.008-06:00

after the week i've had, it will be nice to have a good fun weekend. i'm not going to sit here and type out my sob story about how i feel like a horse who's had a carrot dangled in front of it's face. but i'll tell you that i wish i could take a big bite out of that friggin' carrot, chew it up, and then spit it out right now. that's neither here nor there, i've got something loads more juicy:

me and the rooms in London

ho-k. so remember when i went to london? weeeeell, there is a little tidbit about that trip that i ever-so-slyly left out of the blog. i may or may not have met someone while i was there (gasp!). this person may or may not be an adorable australian. let me explain.

the international adventure crew (KH, holly, jill, me)

my roommate, travel buddy, and all around great friend KH was the most excited about going to london. me? i was ready for barcelona (and rightfully so...wowza). but see, in college, KH studied abroad in london for 3 months and while abroad, met some fabulous people. one in particular she developed a relationship with. i will not disclose the details of said relationship because it is no longer of the romantic persuasion and she has since moved on. however, the second evening we were in london, KH had set up a dinner with this old friend whom she hadn't laid eyes on in 2 years for a little catch up. jill, holly, and i had no agenda, so naturally we were all totally stoked to have dinner plans with a local. this local brought a friend.

oh don't you worry. we rocked barsa. clearly.

he was really cool and actually went out with us after dinner (by himself!). he showed us some london hot spots, we all did a little dancing, and it was also the night we discovered how frickin' bad awesome london cabs are! the back seats face each other like a limo! it's mind blowing, really. anywho, this adorable australian (who i will not refer to in this blog in abreevs because AA is not a fitting connotation) invited us to a party the next night as well. i'm not going to sit here and tell you that we fell in love...not like jill and scotty...but there was definitely flirtatious energy. he's a complete gentleman and i'd be lying if i said that i wished that we could've just skipped spain altogether and finished out the trip in the UK. but we didn't, i loved spain, and that's that. here's where it gets interesting:

we email. it's nothing scandalous. there's no mush. i basically have an international pen pal who i happen to have fond memories with from 2 london evenings. who also has an adorable accent and seems to be very intrigued by my boring life. i'd say we email about once a week. some weeks, it's every day, other times we'll go 2 weeks without contact. there is no drama or awkwardness, we're just there. we've talked on the phone a bunch of times and text a bit (lord knows what my bill looks like but mom and pop haven't said anything yet...ok yes, my parents still pay my phone bill. i keep telling them i can do it!! but i'm also an only child and single and whiny about it so they love feeling like they still take care of me, it's a win-win. don't judge). why is this all surfacing now, you ask? well prepare to change your skivies cause this one'll make you wet yourself: HE IS COMING HERE. TOMORROW.

yes, you read that right. my adorable australian from london is flying in tomorrow to spend the weekend with me. "can i just pop over for a visit?" he says. i'm all, "yeah right dude. sure, come on over!!" - that was me being sarcastic and disbelieving. welp, he done it. sent me his flight information last week and by george, he'll be here at 7PM tomorrow for no other reason than to visit me...and the other girls, of course, but i'm the only one he emails. how freaking nuts is that?

ok. so yeah, i am worried that it might be awkward. i don't really know him and i haven't seen him since may. we're just friends, but after talking to reeds-the-relationship-genius, i'm a schized out...neuroticism is in full force. do you think he's a serial killer and will murder me in my sleep?!? do you think he's brought a wad of cash that he's expecting to leave in an unmarked envelope on my dresser when he leaves?!? is he gay and thinks we're besties?! (ok...i'll tell you for a FACT that the last conclusion i jumped to is false. hey hey) - but from a guy's perspective (correction, reeds' perspective)...these are my options. i'm either dead meat or will be the bearer of bad news when he starts unpacking his massage oils.

or maybe he's just a really nice guy who's genuinely interested in visiting the US of A (for only the second time in his life) and is just happy that he now has a friend here? maybe i've tricked him into thinking that i'm a completely normal and sane person who is sometimes fun to hang out with? who knows. but the first thing we're doing when he lands is hittin' up chuy's. the only thing i have to offer in the form of culture is a good plate of tex-mex and a margarita. cheers mates!

i'm goint to definitely be tweeting this trysty experience, complete with twitpics for evidence that i'm not making it up. i have a feeling that the next 48 hours is going to be hil-ar-i-ous. all signs point to laura being a liiiittle less than stealth. wish me luck.

oh, and if you're wondering what became of jill and scotty (the dude she met at the party we went to in london)...they are now in a serious relationship. they rendezvoused in san fran for 2 weeks this summer and she'll be spending some time in australia with him later this month. fairy tale shivonne-style? yup.

love/miss/namaste.

watch this vid.

2009-12-07T14:34:00.000-06:00

and be encouraged.

send it up.

2009-12-04T11:23:00.002-06:00

when you get a moment, send up a prayer for the chandlers. matt is the pastor of my church here in Dallas (The Village) and he's undergoing brain surgery as i type this. pray for comfort, strength, and healing for him and his family (wife and 3 little ones)...as well as wisdom and precision for the doctors.

my heart is full...and i am thankful.

lmn.

a genda.

2009-12-03T12:53:00.004-06:00

since the first weekend in december has big shoes to fill (cough, hanson), i'm going to set the bar at a mediocre height as to not be completely disappointed...although it's looking like it will be pretty legit.

tonight after yoga i'm going to see a screening of Up in the Air with bethany (who i've been begging to break into the blogworld...). i'm stoked because it looks like a really great flick and george cloony is fantastic...speaking of, he's also the voice of Fantastic Mr. Fox in a film of the same name. it is SO funny, i highly recommend it. especially if you grew up reading Roald Dahl books like me.

tomorrow night is our work christmas party and word on the street is, this hooptie is gonna be off the chain. there will be vino flowin' and perhaps even a designated dancing area. don't worry, i'm probably going to wear another onesie i've got tucked away for such occasions and who knows, maybe i'll add some sequined accessories. i don't know if i'll have time.

saturday will be a shopping day with 3 of my best friends, LC, lizzie and the aforementioned should-be-a-blogger bethany. (LC, if you're reading this, you need to be a blogger too. do it for ollie) of course, we'll be watching the big 12 championship but there is also another shindig going down....

Liz introduced me and some other friends to 2birds1blog "the sardonic voice of 20-somethings everywhere". it is literally the funniest collection of writings i have ever read. sometimes when i'm reading it by myself i will bust out laughing and thank God for these people. if you've never read it before start with the fan favorites, they are hysterical. one of my personal favs is this. and you're welcome. anywho, the blog is based out of DC and meg, the main writer, has planned a "Jager Ball" for this saturday for all her readers to come out, mingle, and meet her and the other bloggers. since going to DC for just a blog party is not a feasible option or responsible decision, reeds has decided to head up a satellite party - that's right. dallas 2birds readers will be able to have their own Jager Ball and do a little mingling of our own. srroooooo....if you're in the area and love that blog OR if you haven't read it but like to have fun OR if you just started reading it 45 seconds ago and are now hooked and live in dallas, come to Quarter Bar this saturday at 8PM. also, reeds and meg may or may not have a tryst going on since the inception of this planned gathering...

sorry, no more encounters with CN...he's makin' himself pretty scarce around these parts. or maybe he's just busy. or maybe the awkwardness is all in my head. probably. but maybe not...

love/miss/namaste.

oh. hey, december.

2009-12-01T21:41:00.002-06:00

well it's december first. and i lay my head down tonight knowing i tried my best, but i did not do my best. see, i had another encounter with CN.

after work i went to 24hour like a good little yogi (wannabe), so i got home around 7:28. it was dark. the rain fell steadily as i threaded the needle of my jeep in reverse into my parking spot at the condo. [sidenote - i suck at driving, but i guarantee i can park a car better than you]. i was chatting with my mom on the phone, when all of the sudden, i spotted him under a large umbrella watching his dog defecate 20 feet from me in my impeccably parked car: cute neighbor.

me: "mom i gotta go...cute neighbor."
mom: "say no more" click.

i quickly and carefully removed my (thank goodness, only 2) bags and closed the door. CN walked over to me and asked if i'd like some umbrella. this dude is seriously chivalrous, i'm swooning right now...he always seems to be helping me with something or other... anyway, i pop underneath his umbrella and decide that i'm going to be cool, calm, collective Laura and charm the living daylights out of him.

me: "thanks, you are so nice. how have you been, i haven't seen you around in a while?"
CN: "oh i was in iowa for the holidays, i just got back last night."
me: "are you originally from there?"
CN: "no, but my parents live there now. ellie loved it, she got to play with her cousins." (ellie is his black lab, i was petting her)
me: "oh cool. so.... did you drive...or..."
CN: [smiles] "oh yea."
[crickets]

pause. OF COURSE HE DROVE YOU SORRY EXCUSE FOR A COHERENT HUMAN BEING. action!

me: pretending that the last 20 seconds didn't happen..."thank you so much for your umbrella services." [he walked me all the way to my door! swoon and a half]
CN: "no problem at all" (quick smile, complete with sparkle teeth noise at the end of orbit commercials)
me: "i seem to be having bad luck with the rain lately. i keep forgetting to bring my umbrella with me when i leave my house. it's just hanging on my door handle and i never remember to bring it...
...and i just got this new patio furniture and i don't want it to get all soggy so my room is completely filled with all the cushions and stuff...so..."

oh lord. i've done it again.

CN: "yeah...ha...well, have a good night, Laura." walks away, probably confused. i kid you not, this is exactly what went down.

i'm not sure what i was trying to accomplish by sharing that information with him. it made sense in my mind, but when it came out there was an obvious disconnect that left me clumsily rambling. maybe it was my way of trying to lengthen our conversation? or maybe i just wanted him to be aware of my new sexy patio set (see previous post and be jeal, suckas). maybe i was so in shock by his repeatedly chivalrous encounters with me that i had to keep talking so i don't just stare. either way, i went inside and palm-slapped my forehead in disgust. i might as well have told him that i learned how to do the bug pose in yoga today. that may have turned things around...

irony - do you know what word i spelled correctly to win my 6th grade class spelling bee? answer: Awkward. i wish i was joking. lots of people forget the first 'w', but me and that word...we tight. obvi.

love/miss/namaste.

goodbye, old friend.

2009-11-30T09:44:00.009-06:00

as readers of this blog (all 4 of you), you are aware of how much i looked forward to the month of november. now that today marks the end of this blessed month, i'd like to pay homage to it, November, for being so good to me.

i mean, it started off with hanson...i love them so much i will fight you over it.

THEN, my bestie came in town for the weekend to help me celebrate my 24th birthday. this is her cutting the pineapple for our special pinas (we soaked them in coconut rum for 2 days. delish!)
see below...me excited for KH's and my party. yes i wore a onesie and yes i kept walking around saying, "do you think i look like a stripper?" to which the poor cornered person replied, "oh no of course not..." yeah, thanks.
uh...need i say more?
well i will anyway. new moon blew my mind. i was squealing like a piglet right along with all the other tweenie boppers every time taylor OR rob was in a scene. hell, a middle aged crazy woman even stopped me in the bathroom and said, "THAT IS A COOL F*CKING SHIRT." oh how i love getting passionate compliments.

of course, the lovely new mother and bestie-o-mine, dani came for a visit...bringing that precious little bundle, ava :) we all had a fabulous friendsgiving! here's us at cafe brazil, ava's first restaurant experience! don't worry, i tweeted it.

one detail that i have yet to mention/reveal is my birthday gift from my parents....ta-da!

check out that patio set-up! it's so comfortable and there's even enough room to have a camp-out slumber party if i want to! i spent a few (3+) hours reading by candlelight with a glass of red on saturday evening and then got up to do it again in the morning with a cup of chai tea. is this the life, or is this the life? i predict many good times out here with people i love. and check out the fantastic wall-hanging that lizzie gave me - it completes the patio perfectly, i say.

(joshulyn took one look at this photo and says, "girl, that is SEXY." - you are right, my friend).

don't think i forgot about imogen, no no. check out this snippet i caught at the show...

Mm, whatcha say? That you only meant well?
of course you did.
Mm, whatcha say? That it's all for the best?
of course it is.
Mm, whatcha say? That this is just what we need?
you decided this.
Mm, whatcha say? What did you say?

oh heaven on earth, i looooove imogen. she is speaking to me lately. i'll have to throw another track's lyrics up here pretty soon because literally after ever line, i go, "i know, RIGHT?!?" genius.

aaaand Hello, December. I hope you know what you're up against.

love/miss/namaste.

post-thanksgiving report

2009-11-30T09:07:00.006-06:00

man oh man, i love thanksgiving. i could go on and tell you all the sentimental reasons why it really is the best holiday...family, love, giving thanks, etc. but that's what you expect from me. well i'm not gonna do it because if you know me well enough, you know that i am a sentimental, emotional person in my heart so put away your tissues, this won't be a sappy post.

i think thanksgiving is a great holiday because you don't have to give people presents or cards. there's no uncomfortable...'well...she gave me a card last year and i don't want to not give something errr, i don't know, frick, i'll just give everyone a pair of sunglasses!!' TG isn't about that, no. the awkwardness is left back at your last card-giving event. you can get by with making a sentimental speech or saying an especially heartfelt prayer at dinner or even afterward while you're all laying around in a glutenous stupor. oh how i love it so.

this year, the dudney family celebrated this blessed holiday with 4 people and 4 canines. that's right, a dog for every person. grandma brought TJ over (her shit-zoo) and since the addition of penny to our family, there's a dog for every human who wants one on their lap.

how cute is my mama with her penny girl? so regal.
at any given time, you will find these two fused together in this very position...whether my mom is cooking, sitting, riding in the car, or even on a "walk".

umm....this is awesome.

can you believe that it's christmastime already? i sure can't. you know how i know that the seasons are a-turnin'? the billboard right outside the turn-in to our condo was changed from the scared-looking powerade dude to santa. coke santa, that is. ho ho ho!

i also wanted to share this tidbit with you. i call it, "the running of the hounds and father". preeetty much every time i visit my folks, my dad says, "shall we run the dogs?" to which we all agree and walk to a small field nearby and let them all off the leash while my dad runs around with barking, frantic dogs nipping at his heels. it's hysterical really. one of my favorite dudney family traditions. you're welcome.

love/miss/namaste.

friendsgiving

2009-11-25T10:05:00.009-06:00

the first annual Friendsgiving was this past Sunday. my dear friend liz invented this lovely occasion so that we could share this special holiday with those who are near to our hearts. she did an amazing job planning the whole event, made place settings and even cooked the TURKEY. i just adore her, she's the kind of person that will always be one of your bestest friends. (thanks for a fabulous evening, lizzie!)

we had a crazy-delicious spread. SO. MUCH. FOOD. the lovely LC hosted the gathering for our party of 7 plus 2 baby girls. dani was able to make the trip all the way from new braunfels...ava's first vacation! i had the pleasure of having these two at my condo for a few days. we played house :) and it was lovely.

LC and her precious Liv

mamas and bff babies

love them. how beautiful are these two?

they are besties already, Liv and Ava grabbed each others' hand and held on tight!
no, it wasn't staged.
jk.

me and Liz, the Friendsgiving guru and all-around wonderful lady.

i'm so excited about having 2 Thanksgivings. i'll be going to arlington tonight to spend the day with my parents and grandma tomorrow. we always have a really small Thanksgiving with just the 4 of us. it's not a Thanksgiving like those crazy holiday movies with tons of people and food and noise, but it's ours. the ratio of people to dogs is 1:1 and that's how we like it. i'll be sitting in a big green recliner with dogs piled on me, listening to battle studies (and other mellowness) and reading a book (i went to half price books yesterday and went a bit nuts, i used a giftcard that ivy gave me for my bday. she knows going there is like therapy). my dad and grandma will be on the couch watching the golf channel. mom will be in the other green recliner with other dogs. it's home.

love/miss/namaste.
and thank you.

irrational post.

2009-11-17T12:39:00.002-06:00

the only thing i hate more than regret is hindsight.
because sometimes, the two go hand in hand. think about it.

now, i know that everything happens for a reason. i know that God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. i know that i can't control anything, especially the past.

but i like talking about hindsight about as much as i like talking about my last gyno appointment. pesky little frick.

i guess you just have to wait for the HS to kick in and hope it throws you a bone.

LMN.

yep...

2009-11-16T17:01:00.004-06:00

i'm that corny/excited to see the midnight showing.
team edward.
jacob is hottt though.

love/miss/namaste.

today is my 24th birthday

2009-11-12T11:17:00.004-06:00

i forgot that today is when my driver's license expires too. i really wanted to retake my photo when i got my new one - since i've had this one for the last 6 years. then i started thinking about how sucky going to the DMV is and i decided to just renew it online. sure, i'm 18 year-old kidlaura and wearing my HS hoodie, smiling like i've got the world figured out - but hey, i really really hate going to the DMV.
i also got to thinking about where i was in life during the time my last license was issued. fall of my senior year in high school (cue Vitamin C's Graduation song). i no doubt went to lunch with Andrew (my DBF*) and it was probably to chicken express where i got a kid's meal. we had likely blasted jessica simpson's "with you" and sang at the top of our lungs around 2.5 times by the end of the day (i can let my hair down, i can say anything CRAZY!!)...he always drove my pimped out explorer (sub woofer, what what) because i suck at driving. we also have the same great taste in cheesy pop songs to this day. every time we hear that little party in the USA jingle, we get each other on the horn. anyhow, after school volleyball practice probably made me hella tired (because even though i fake-ran, it was still hard work). i probably had a conversation with Elizabeth (my other best friend) about how scared i was that i wasn't going to get into UT and it was the only college i wanted to go to and wah wah wah...calculus blows...wah wah wah (this signifies tears)..ooo he's got his shirt off...blah blah. she'd always tell me that things would be ok and then we'd eat watermelon laffy taffy (the kind with the seeds that were pretty much just black chunks of sugar*) together in her mustang with the sunroof open watching football practice. then we'd gossip about boys (those being her bf at the time and this dude i had met at church camp that i had a monster giddy-school-girl crush on*). those were the days,

you know, the days before husbands and babies and "real" jobs and rent checks. back when those things were hopes and dreams that were distant enough not to terrify you or leave you crying yourself to sleep in the fetal position on a bed with no sheets while a psycho-chihuahua licks your face raw (i know you know what i'm talkin' about...no? maybe it's just me). i digress. but i guess what i mean is, even then i didn't know how great i had it. the tears i cried then were about stupid crushes that i wanted to be more than they were...and making sure i went to the right university so i could become an adult someday. i had it easy.

but then, aren't the tears that i cry now over the same things? a broken heart and fear of heading in the wrong direction? yup. which should really piss me off right? cause it's like GREAT, i'm still a drama queen who stresses over the same things with slightly different variables. but it also just makes me laugh at myself. i treat "finding the one" like i'm a leprechaun trying to find a coveted pot-o-gold and my future like some sort of cosmic crap-chute. i acknowledge that God is in control but i secretly resent that truth because i think if i could just get that ONE thing that i want...

but one day i'll have the things that i wanted in the previous paragraph just like how now i have the things that i needed the paragraph before (notice, i got what i needed, not exactly what i wanted). there will always be something else to cry about, cause we all know i'll do it. it's just nice to know that even when i do have bad days filled with worries and fears that i'm always surrounded by such happiness. singing in the car with andy, munching on laffy taffy with liz, happy houring with KH, cracking jokes in my cube with CC, watching my best friend walk down the aisle and stand next to her while she says her vows...it's the things that make up your everydays that get you through your life stages gracefully (although sometimes not so much graceful as it is clumsy).

so even though i'm not at all where i thought i'd be or who i thought i'd be by the age of 24, i can still say that i am happy and i love my everydays.

love/miss/namaste.
ps - sorry for the heavy post. might be a quarterlife crisis. or just a stirring in my soul. who knows.

*DBF = dude best friend, we were basically inseparable. we made shirts with our faces on them and everything, we were that cool.
*I had 7 cavities that year. I wish i was kidding.
*I am pretty sure most of our "relationship" was made up in my head, which explains why I'm so neurotic today. I will think twice before letting my kids to go church camp...
jk. sort of.
also, just another example of how USUALLY, the dudes that I LIKE either a) don't live within a 100 mile radius of me, b) don't really give a crap about me, or c) all of the above at the same time. burn.

birthday "week"

2009-11-10T21:53:00.002-06:00

it is common among young women (myself included) to engage in week-long birthday activities. i am aware that it only took my mom A day to birth me, but sometimes it takes a birthday lunch, birthday happy hour, birthday dinner, and an all-out shindig for you to feel like you've gotten all that celebrating out of your system.

now being a valentine's baby has its perks and it's drawbacks. it's great because it's right before the holidays and fall is such a lovely time. i also get to share it with lots of people, so there's a ton of action. my roomie's birthday is nov 9 (it was yesterday) and mine is the 12th (thursday) and our big throw-down is this saturday, so we are literally celebrating for a week straight. not to mention a few other friends with b-days (real sad i'm missing whit's MJ party...) and we're pretty much in business. it is kind of sad though, because things get hectic and as soon as you're birthday's here...it's gone again and someone else is blowin' out candles and you're chopped liver.

but hey! no worries, because me and kh's superawesomeparty is happening this saturday and all 3 of you who read this blog are invited! i won't talk it up too much, but i will say that it will involve some stellar dips from costco and pineapples that will blow your mind.

on a completely unrelated note, i had a moment of extreme discomfort, confusion, and even a little anger today at yoga. CC was feeling a little under the weather and KH was down for the count after her b-day happy hour the night before, so i got my namaste on solo after work. i was pretty excited for the class to start, sitting there all "meditating" about it, but then when we start the warm up...the yoga instructor turns on a song that she says is one of her favorites: the celine dion titanic ballad. are you kidding me?? i'm supposed to be clearing my mind of all the crumudgens (direct quote from yoga instructor), and i have to listen to NEAR, FAR, WHEREVER YOU ARE....and picture leo sinking into the cold, dark ocean while winslet lays on a door freezing alive and completely alone?? where is ENYA?!? does she REALIZE my current state? i sure went to crumudgen city after the first verse.

i was proud, though. i pushed through and actually went through an entire class forbidding myself to cut corners (i had to focus like never before) and i really did notice a difference in my body. after over a month of yoga/lifting classes, i am stronger. i am more flexible and i do enjoy it. i am engaging in a steady regaining of my mojo.

love/miss/namaste.

dudes are (and should) be running away from me.

2009-11-06T14:09:00.003-06:00

don't get me wrong, i know i'm not smelly or mean or totally skanked out... i am just too neurotic at this time in my life (trust me, i just looked up the definition. #2 is me for sure). let me give you an example:

we just moved into a new condo, it's really swanky and has been compared to melrose place on numerous occasions. there's a guy who lives near us who is undeniably attractive and friendly and has a black lab. he's said hi to me and kristy and her bf a few times and once, he even helped me carry in a large area rug. of course, after he offered, i nervously replied, "oh no, i got it. thanks!" and then awkwardly attempted to lug a 9x12 chunk of carpet in addition to the giant handbag and iphone i always seem to have glued to my right hand. being the adorably attentive neighbor that he is, he just came over and picked up the dragging rug and said, "really...you look like you're having some trouble..." fail, laura...why must you always refuse help from cute strangers? why why. anyhow, that was encounter #1. kristy and luke think i should hook it up...but i'm not so sure. he seems a bit preppy (as in, he wears nice polos tucked into slacks. so he definitely has a good job, knows about the stock market, and probably eats lunch at places i've never heard of). or that's the story i've made up in my head.

the other night, after a grueling workout class, i had to swing by the centennial (nearby liquor store) to pick up a bottle of wine for our boss' "wine of the month" christmas gift. as i was walking in, cute neighbor was walking out with a couple of cases of michelob ultra. i say a quick "hey", and he strikes up the conversation by asking me to remind him of my roommate's and her bf's names (he remembered MINE...does that mean something? is he going to ask me out for coffee...for as long as we both shall live...?). i remind him of their names, he says, "oh yeah, that's right. i saw him after he had just played a soccer game, they seem cool." uh..."yeah, haha they are haha" (what the frick kind of response is that laura? get on your game and stop making yourself look like a stupid teenager who has an inappropriate crush on her dreamy science teacher). but that was it. we turn and walk our separate ways.

when i get home from the centennial, guess who's conveniently taking their black lab out for an evening potty break? none other than CN. i think to myself, "self, he TOTALLY knew you were going to be a few minutes behind him at the store. is it possible that he came out to walk his dog because he knew he'd catch you on your way into the condo? that is a definite possibility. or his dog just had to pee...but i'm gonna go with the former!" so i open my door and begin unloading my bags (for some reason, i had 3 or 4 at the time). black lab comes over to sniff me...was that totally staged? perhaps...and i pet her, then continue loading tote after tote onto my shoulders. CN says, "so are y'all about settled in?" ...."ALMOST!" i semi-shout as i'm facing the inside of my car, reaching for the bottle of christmas gift wine. by the time i turn around, he's already started to walk up the stairs to his place. probably because he got the feeling i didn't want to chat, but in reality, i was merely scrambling to load up so fast so that i could catch him! curses.

i walk in the door and tell KH my sad tale of awkwardness and disappointment.

KH: me and luke think you should TOTALLY date him!
me: i don't know, he seems kind of sophisticated. i'm not sure i can handle that.
KH: come on, Laura, you won't know until you get to know him. invite him to our b-day party next week!
me: great idea! but wait. i think it might be a lost cause. when i saw him at the centennial he was carrying 2 cases of michelob ultra, which could only mean 2 things: he is either a super health nut who works out all the time (in which case relating to a corner-cutter such as myself would be like someone trying to tell me that Hanson isn't that awesome...and we all know that doesn't end well). OR, he has a girlfriend and they drink it together and work out all the time and have perfect lives already. see? i lose again.
KH: wow.

so, in the duration of 30 minutes, i have speculated that 1. this guy is super smart, sophisticated and therefore way out of my league. 2. already thinks i'm one of those people who doesn't want help and is an awkward teenie bopper giggler 3. he has a girlfriend already and she is probably perfect and why would he even give 2 craps about a neurotic girl with a equally neurotic chihuahua?

all i can say is, NO WONDER.

love/miss/namaste.

cut them corners

2009-11-05T09:45:00.002-06:00

i recently got a membership to 24 hour fitness. this is a huge step/commitment/undertaking for me because 1. i haven't worked out on a regular basis since i was in high school and in the best shape of my life, 2. when i start something, i rarely see it out to the end...i usually get SUPER into it at first, buy a ton of accessories (crap) to accompany my new obsession, and drop it once i realize that i'm just mediocre at it. and 3. i'm always complaining how busy i am, so fitting in a workout routine into my melodramatic life seems like trying to fit another necklace on my adorable fabric-covered cork board (shameless DiY plug).

plus, i'm a corner cutter when it comes to working out, which has resulted in an abnormally weak core (people are always talking about "strengthening your core"...psh), shotty joints (because i rest on them when i get tired...all. the. time.), and a body that is basically made up of bones with a layer of skin over them and a butt that looks like it's filled to the brim with a substance that can only be described as "fluid". i'm telling you, in HS, i perfected the fake run...which is basically a walking march with flailing shoulders. i once tried to workout with FBF* when he was doing this "belly-off" thing and i barely made it through the warm-up. not endearing. i also have a bad back, which i excuse for my poor form in exercises targeting glutes and quads...but then i think to myself, is my bad back a result of said poor form? chicken or the egg?! i don't know.

so anyway, CC and i have been hitting up the classes at 24 hour. we like the yoga at preston center on tuesdays, the instructor is legit. she has a really calming voice and uses phrases like "heart space" and "push away the negative energy," so we know we're getting our money's worth. on wednesdays we do the 24Lift class at royal, which is a total body "lean muscle building" workout where you use a barbell, dumbells, a step and a mat...purty intense, my friends. this is a tough class for me, which i make visibly obvious throughout the duration of the hour by my strained facial expressions and whispering the syllable "shiiii" after each set (according to CC)...which usually causes both of us to crack up and get a simultaneous ab workout. the step class at the location right by work is out of the question...we spent 30 minutes hopping around like a couple of apes trying to keep up with all the MILFs in bebe workout gear and then gave up.

i'm hoping that by at least sticking with these 2 classes, i'll cut corners less and less. although it will take me longer than the average 23*-year old to get back in shape, i'll get there...sacrificing my lower back and joints in the process. c'est la vie.

you may be asking, "hey, what happened to lyric week?"
well...i'll tell you: posting hanson lyrics, i realize now, makes me look like i'm either trying super hard to show my artistic-ness or that i'm trying to get a boyfriend (because i'm obviously single if i'm posting that nonesense). especially because my next 2 picks were if only and fire on the mountain. i'll let you check those out for yourself...but you probably won't. i just like 'em, especially the former...

love/miss/namaste.

*FBF - former boyfriend.
*i'm going to be 24 in a WEEK, boomshackalacka.

why are people stupid?

2009-11-03T13:58:00.004-06:00

i like to read us weekly, i just do. i also love to hate liking it, for reasons like this:

Taylor & Taylor: A SECRET ROMANCE

referring to Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautneywautney (you know, the hottie werewolf who was undateable a mere 4 years ago, but i'd still hit that). my question is, if said relationship is a "secret romance", then why is it on the cover of a GD* magazine? i'm just sayin'.

*gosh darn, or whatever.

what i dressed up as for halloween:

2009-11-03T09:44:00.009-06:00

WWIIILLLLMMMAAAAAi was Wilma Flintstone...homemade

heather was a butterfly/ballerina...adorable

penny was a witch :)
also - her surgery went well. we found out that she was actually pregnant...which, in her state was life threatening. she probably got jumped when she was living on the streets (that makes me tear up...poor thing, she's still a puppy!). the vet said that while obviously the puppy (there was only 1) would be half chihuahua, it looked really large and would definitely kill her if we went through with the pregnancy. plus, it was probably all sorts of unhealthy, since when we got penny, she had a tapeworm AND ringworm... it was a very sad situation. my dad picked her up from the vet today and she's doing really well. we're all kind of sad about the whole thing...but we're really glad she's ok now.

bos was my little pumpkin

HANSON
aka. best night ever.

at one point in the night...
Liz: "Zach is HOOOTTTTT"
Zach: "Thanks"
Liz: "he talked to me. did you hear that?"

love/miss/namaste.

I Will Come to You, from Middle of Nowhere (1997)

2009-11-02T16:43:00.003-06:00

when you have no light to guide you, and no one to walk beside you
i will come to you, oh i will come to you
when the night is dark and stormy, you won't have to reach out for me
cause i will come to you, oh i will come to you

sometimes when all your dreams may have seen better days
and you don't know how or why, but you've lost your way
have no fear when your tears are falling, i will hear your spirit calling
and i swear that i'll be there, come what may

i'll reach out and take your hand
i will come to you.

(shout out to my homies)...that part's not in the song.

snippets of Get Up and Go, from Underneath (2004)

2009-11-02T16:30:00.002-06:00

what could i give when you've got all you need?
and she looks at me and all i want's a little free
every time i look at you it makes me see that it's alright, it's alright
we'll get away, be in love, we can make it better
all we need's a little time for us to get together
happiness is just a step away and it's alright, it's alright

just a girl like you, and maybe just a guy like me
maybe we can take a walk on the wild side
take a look and see, get up and go

seems like love has always found a way
but there's only so many hours in a day
all that i know is that you're here with me and it's alright, it's alright
won't you tell me that you need me so bad
you are everything i've never had, oh
every time i look at you it hurts so bad
and it's alright, it's alright.

(dear God, please send me a boy who says nice things like this to me. thanksiloveyou.)

in the spirit for lyric week.

2009-11-02T15:58:00.002-06:00

hi there.
my last post / recent events have given me a great idea: lyric week.

i don't consider myself a connoisseur of anything, but i know what i like and what inspires me. my personal choices may not be your cup of tea, but you may also read and think, "hey, i dig that too. we have something in common." and then we can exchange inspiration sources (which is something i love to do). also, i just went to see my favorite band last night: Hanson. now i will go on a rant, please excuse me.

do i understand that they are a boy band of the 90's who had their biggest (by that i mean, most widely known) hit single before 2 out of 3 of them hit puberty? yes. were they in their awkward phase when they got the most media attention and MTV air time? yes (but lets be honest with each other here, it was the 90's. we all looked like dunces). do they write all their own music? yes. have they come out with albums consistently over the last decade that keep getting better and better, yet all songs remain timeless? yes. do they spend a great deal of their time and energy serving the underprivileged and forgotten children in Africa? yes. are they stand-up dudes who have wives and children and could care less about being famous, only wanting to contribute positivity and hopefulness to the world through their art? yes. are they smoking hot? absolutely.

so i'm sorry if when someone says, HANSON, what are you, 11? or, HANSON, are they STILL around? and i fire back using 4-letter words. if Hanson is not your music taste, that is completely fine and understandable, music is subjective and i get that. but if you have all sorts of "hilarious opinions" of them when the only song you've heard was MMBOP and the last time you listened to it you were wearing ginkos and sitting in the back of a suburban while your mom drove you to the mall, then you are ignorant. just sayin'. i'll get off my high horse now, sorry folks. i have a lot of "Hanson-is-a-really-legit-band-and-i'll-prove-it-to-you" CD compilations to burn this week, so that has me all worked up. the funny thing is that chances are, if you're reading this, you're not one of those people (because you're my friend). i just had to get it off my chest, you know?

that being said, it's laura's lyric week! first up: hanson favorites, of course.

love/miss/namaste.

lovin' this.

2009-10-30T13:56:00.005-05:00

imogen heap, that is.

first train home
bodies disengage, our mouths are fleshing over
as hiss and echo gain, irises retreat into ovals of white
the urge to feel your face, in blood, rushing to paint my handprint
and frisbee one by one; your vinyl on laminate, i'm desperate for some kind of contact

first train home, i've got to get on it
(to catch, to catch, to catch-catch)
first train home

temporal dead zone where clocks are barely breathing
yet no one cares to notice for all their yamming on, i clam up to hold it together
i want to play-do waveforms in the hideaway
i want to get on with getting on with things
i want to run in fields, paint the kitchen, love someone
but i can't do any of that here, can i?

first train home, i've got to get on it

so what? you've had one to many
so what? i'm not that much fun to be with
so what? you've got a silly hat on
so what? i didn't want to come here anyway

what matters to you, doesn't matter to me
what matters to me, doesn't matter to you
what matters to you, doesn't matter to them
what matters to them, doesn't change anything

got to get on it
first train home

(i have this on repeat)
and i'm real excited for nov 17 (!!!)

hump day

2009-10-28T10:29:00.003-05:00

this weekend was nice and laid back. i went to paul's gallery and saw his stellar photos from the trips he's taken to the Sudan and DC (i need to get some photog lessons, stat). after that, i was feeling sort of down so i went to my parents' house to hang out...which always makes me feel better. [also, a sweet email from shiv really lifted my spirits too :)]. the next day, i woke up to my dad walking into my room in full vader-gear, breathing like james earl jones...my mom holding a chihuahua, giggling behind him. that's why i come home.

they also went to their own halloween party last weekend. they are legit. the dog never leaves this spot.
puppylove...
i also had the pleasure of puppysitting my friend joshulyn's chihuahua, flip. he is so precious and got along well with bos. they pretty much napped on their respective couches all weekend. i felt like i lived on a chihuahua farm or paris hilton's closet.

i am also doing a lot better. i have really great friends who are always there for me and i'm so lucky to have such wonderful people surrounding me from all over the world. i've decided that i'm not going to be sad and weepy anymore, because that's not good. and i don't even know why i'm even that upset anyways. the more i think about it, the clearer things become. maybe that's because i've moved into anger...which is also more funny. now i'm able to laugh at myself and realize that i have to be somewhat of a decent person if the people who call me their friend are those i esteem so highly... i mean, i must be pretty great if my friends are absolutely INCREDIBLE, right? thanks friends, you're lovely.

November is going to be the best month ever. i'm SO ready for it to GET HERE.

- Hanson with Hellogoodbye on Nov 1 with reeds and some bestfriends.
- My 24th Birthday! Plus other birthdays too...
roomie and I are going to have our birthday shindig as our new condo debut party :) it's almost finished. and IVY is coming to visit me!!
- Imogen Heap at the Granada on Nov 17. yes.
- New Moon releases on Nov 19, you better believe i'm going to the midnight showing...and a pre-party with my twilight girls before
- FRIENDSGIVING...dani and ava are coming up from NB for a visit! we're all going to LC's place for a feast with friends and babies :) so excited
- Thanksgiving :)

I'm sure there are lots of other funsies that will happen in the great month of November, but those are just some highlights. october, get out of my life! i'm done with you. you're not even the 8th month, poser.

love/miss/namaste.

i needed this.

2009-10-23T15:41:00.008-05:00

so i've had these plain black flats for a while now. i've never worn them since they were purchased from forever21 for 14 bucks. see below, sad and boring.

so i decided that instead of trying to sell them to buffalo exchange never having worn them, i'd modify them to be wearable (for me, anyways). a trip to hobby lobby, a tube of super glue and some acrylic gems later, i was able to create my own version of jeweled flats.
VOILA!! and there you have it. my friday afternoon get-me-through-the-day activity. now i'm looking for other things to bedazzle. next up: a little notebook i keep in my handbag. i write everything from to-do lists to bible verses...or anything i want to remember. obviously i had to make it sparkly.i still have some jewels left over. what next....

happy weekend. let's try to make it a good one, eh?
love/miss/namaste.

photos being worth many words, part 2

2009-10-22T10:11:00.013-05:00

goings-on in october...last weekend i was able to get a little R&R at my folks' house. they were in portland for a wedding (one of my childhood friends, i was sad i didn't get to go...but i think a wedding would have sent me over the edge). it was really nice to lay around with my puppies and do nothing. i needed it bigtime. the past few weeks, i've been suffering from a bit of stess cardiomyopathy. if you don't know what that is, google it. maybe i'm being dramatic...but i really can't help it. if you've seen me in the last week, you know i'm not joking.

the newest addition to the dudney family: Penny Lane

Penny Lane and Boston, the chihuahuas of the family

a couple weeks ago, my mom and i took an innocent trip to petsmart to pick up some dog food. upon entering and reading the sign "pet adoptions today"...we knew we were in for some trouble. especially because my dad was out of town.
we saw this little precious and immediately fell in love.
she had been picked up about 2 weeks prior to this adoption day and was found in the woods. this baby had been living on her own in the wild...can you imagine? she was all skin and bones and fur, totally emaciated. it wasn't a hard decision for us, she was unloved...and we had just enough to go around. she's doing great now, on some medications and getting along well with our other dogs :) we love her very much.

AVA JAMES DIAS!
i was so excited when i got to make a little visit to see this niece of mine when i was in austin for ACL. she is a bundle of love and i'm crazy about her. dani is a beautiful mother and i absolutely can't wait to see them again.

dani and daugther love.

ACL. day 3.

ACL. day 2. rainfest.

ACL. day 2...one soggy mess.
i could go into detail about the ACL aspect of the weekend, but it will turn into a rant that would leave you to believe that i was miserable. i was, but i wasn't ungrateful for the experience. i got to see whitney AND ivy, which are rare occurrences. ivy and troy were in town for her brother's 21st birthday. on saturday we all stayed in a hotel suite together...have you ever slept in a king sized bed with your best friend and her husband? i have.

festive house key.
our new condo is FANTASTIC. we seriously love it.
hopefully we'll have it up-and-running in the next week or two.

so that's pretty much it for my life recently.

not pictured noteworthy tidbits: gym membership at 24hour fitness. going strong...worked out 3 days/week for the last 2 weeks. i've done yoga (in love with it), a step class (not so in love with that) and a lifting class (which burned me from the inside, in a good way). CC and i have been working out together, which is so nice. having a partner makes it easier and more motivating. i'm trying out cycling on saturday so we'll see how that goes. i've also cut out chocolate and alcohol from my diet. i'm going to get my life together. mark my words. oh, and my friends are the best. so completely wonderful... i'd still be curled up on my bed-with-no-sheets lying in a pool of my own snot and tears if it weren't for them. so, thanks friendlies.

love/miss/namaste.

they say a photo is worth a thousand words

2009-10-22T10:00:00.007-05:00

so here is part 1 of my blog-catch-up.

goings-on in september...

me with little olivia (daughter of lauren, aka "sweet tooth camp"). i like to call her ollie :) look at that tongue! there is a video at the bottom of the post - too cute for words.

alysha's apartment (she was a lovely host for dani's baby shower). dani's friend skylar had made a mold of dani's ava-belly, so precious.

showering babyava with some lovin'.

some sodas, upon dani's request :)

this video is hilarious, manily because you'd think the 3 of us had never seen a baby before. lauren, bethany and i are huddled around liv with our iphones capturing her...be prepared for ridiulous "ooooh's and aaaawww's". we can't help it. we're girls.

love, miss, namaste.

hi

2009-10-15T14:01:00.003-05:00

if you know me really really well, you know that i am having a bit of a rough day/week/month/year. i am needing some prayer right now bigtime.

this weekend i'll be going to my folks' place to dogsit (we got a new dog who is being nursed back to health...photos to come when i feel better). aside from watching the OU game with some friends in dallas, i'll be resting up at home. i need to catch up on reading and will most likely watch the following movies:

- 27 dresses
- happy-go-lucky
- legally blonde (if i start feeling really bad)

all in all, i have a new found respect for jennifer aniston. i wish i could ask her for advice. i am so dramatic.
love/miss/namaste.

AVA JAMES DIAS IS HERE!

2009-09-30T13:44:00.002-05:00

On September 29, 2009 at 7:16PM, Ava James Dias was born in Austin, Texas. Mama Dani is doing great and Daddy Weston is updating the world with his twitpics :) She is 6 pounds 11 oz and cute as can be. Dani did beautifully, she went in for a checkup yesterday and the doctors told her that she was in labor...Ava wasn't supposed to arrive for 3 more weeks. I think she sensed that mommy was uncomfortably pregnant and wanted to give her a break :)

I can't wait to see this precious miracle on Friday! And I get to see Lil Liv tomorrow! I love being Aunt Laura...I promise to always have gum.

love/miss/namaste.

faux (dread)locks

2009-09-17T13:29:00.002-05:00

after hitting my morning blogs / inspirational sites, i saw a little snippet on how-to faux dread locks. i think that some dreds look kind of awesome...so i was really curious. i tried to do twist dreds once in high school and people made fun of me. but since i woke up at 8, took a shower and was in my cube by 8:35, i decided to give it a try when i was home for lunch (since my hair looked a mess anyways). i am an adult now and can take peer ridicule a bit more gracefully since graduating HS and college.

kristy did not likey at first...but i think it's because dreadlocks have a negative connotation to her...but i promised i'd start calling them "my twists" and they are growing on her. friend poll: yes or no?

honestly...i will probably continue to do "my twists" regardless of the poll. because i like them.

also, check out those rosy lips...CC and i are rocking the lipstick today and we are sassy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DARLING AUSSIE SHIVONNE, I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU TERRIBLY!

love/miss/namaste.

moving time = Laura's crazy comes out

2009-09-15T13:34:00.002-05:00

kristy and i are moving in 2 weeks (squeal!) and we've got to start planning our home decor. so, of course my little brain has been churning with ideas on how to arrange our new CONDO. in the living area, the large wall is beautiful exposed red brick and the floors are wood. so to give my roommate a glimpse into what my vision is for this room, i made this little inspiration board. tell me what you think:

we've already got a couch and a love seat (both black - grr, but we'll make do). i have big plans to paint a few things yellow, recover a couple wing-backed chairs and throw pillows in new fabrics and purchase a sweet accent rug. but rugs are frickin expensive. anyone have any ideas?

anthropologie has some LOVELY ones (click it to see), but i'd rather not spend the equivalent of one month's rent on a rug (insert irritated foot-stomp). perhaps if everything else i use is DIY...

not many people i know LOVE moving. especially not as much as i do...after moving 7 times in the last 5 years.

on a more personal note...there is nothing new to report with me. my daddy is doing great, he had his first cardiac rehab appointment yesterday. he said it was him + a ton of oldies headed straight for the grave...he felt bad. he hopped on that treadmill and cranked it up and all the nurses were literally in shock. he's an iron man. i'm not lying.

i'm excited to go to austin for the 3rd week in a row on friday! hook 'em horns. revenge is ours.

next post will be dedicated to dani & ava's SHOWER of love! it was SO beautiful :)

love/miss/namaste.

oh no she didn't...!

2009-09-02T20:28:00.007-05:00

yes. yes i did. i got my tattoo.

bethany, joshulyn and kristy accompanied me for moral support as i experienced this milestone in my life. it. was. awesome.

and for those of you who wanted to be there (i wish you could have been!), here is the extensive documentation:

when we first walked in, i gave my camera to joshulyn and my iphone to bethany. erik (the tattoo artist) was very confused by us.

joshulyn begins clicking photos of me...as soon as we walked in the door.

erik: "what's with the camera? is she going to be doing that... the whole time?"

me: "probably. as if the tattoo isn't proof enough that i actually got one, we need to document the experience just to be thorough."

here i am in the big chair! notice that i am smiling...it didn't hurt HALF as bad as i thought it would. honestly, the anticipation was the worst part. the tattoo took a little over 30 minutes, but it was a breeze. i'm usually a big wimp...but it was NOT painful. now, on the top of your foot or your wrist, i can see why that would be not so comfortable.

totally pumped.

i knew i've always wanted a lily as my tattoo, ever since i went off to college. as stated before, i love how lilies are used in the bible to describe beauty and illustrate how the Lord always provides. i found a few images of lilies online that i used for inspiration and then sketched this little 3-flower cluster design, which erik then spruced up just a bit. i'm so happy with it.

here is the tat happening in real life.

(gotta love that new iphone 3GS).

the final product...

this is me the next morning at work. doesn't it look totally normal? i mean, there was no skin irritation, it wasn't at all gross the next day and it was only a little sore. it felt like a sunburn on top of a bruise. now, it's healed beautifully :) and to be honest, it's in the perfect location for me. it's completely visible when i want it to be and when i need to cover it up, i just wear...clothes. my mom is kind of (really) pissed about how i'll look in a dress on my wedding day...but i'm kind of (really) stoked about it.

oh yea...and for the record, my dad had his (minor) heart attack before he found out about it. my parents are at peace with it because they are amazing and love me (for some crazy reason). that is also why i waited to post about it until i told them. my dad came home from the 'pital this morning and he's doing great, just tired. he hasn't gotten a good night's sleep in a few days. being in the ICU is like trying to sleep in a vegas casino...so much beeping. he's more or less back to normal now! seriously, God is good. so good.

so that's it!

love/miss/namaste.

so...this week has been abnormal.

2009-09-01T23:33:00.002-05:00

i received a panicked phone call from my mom on monday as i was walking out the door to go to lunch. she told me that she needed me to meet her at arlington memorial hospital immediately...because my dad was there. all she knew was that he was having heart trouble and after having both grandfathers pass away from heart attacks, i was thoroughly freaked out. my amazing roomie (and coworker), kristy, drove me to the hospital just to be safe. i got to the cardiac intensive care unit and found my dad's room, my mom was already there. he was in the bed, hooked up to all sorts of machines. he smiled at me when i walked in and held his hand out to me, i took it and proceeded to cry just because i was so relieved to see him well. so here's what happened, according to my daddy:

he had just finished working out, as he usually does every day. when he was stretching, he felt a really intense pain in his chest along with nausea like he'd never felt before. he didn't want to go anywhere all sweaty and gross, so he took a shower (he says you can't go to the ER with dirty underwear). thinking that the pain was very unusual, he drove himself to the hospital. once he parked, he waited for a few minutes because the pain began to lessen and he thought it would be silly to waste people's time on a simple case of heartburn. but luckily, he went in anyway. as soon as he said the words "chest pain", he was whisked away in a wheelchair for an EKG, which revealed some trouble. he said that after the 2nd EKG, everyone was in full force, swarming and scrambling around him like all the doctor shows you see on TV. they told him that he had either just had a mild heart attack or he was about to, so they went to work on the blockages. he had 2, so they put in 2 stints up through his groin. no surgery, which was great. by the time my mom and i arrived, the whole ordeal was over and he was fixed up. we later found out (this morning) that it was indeed a heart attack but there was no permanent damage, which means that he'll be able to be back in the cockpit in about 6 months. he'll have to do cardiac rehabilitation for the next 6 weeks (which will probably be a joke since he works out every day and is in incredible shape), but he is good to go.

it's so strange, though. my dad is one of the healthiest people i know: he exercises every single day, eats pretty healthy and is really active...low blood pressure, low cholesterol...this whole thing is attributed to family history. it was so odd being in that intensive care unit, seeing all the other patients who were extremely old, decrepit, immobile. my dad didn't belong there. older, more sickly people have heart attacks. not fred.

but i guess that's the difference with my dad. after he has a heart attack, he's just hanging out in the room, cracking jokes, walking around the unit asking for pudding and listening to music to drown out the incessant beeping of all the monitors. he really is amazing. he actually felt BAD about inconveniencing people.... what a kook.

we are so lucky that he was at home when this whole mess happened and not on a trip or in the air. God was really looking out for him (and my mom and me) on this one. we're really excited that he gets to come home tomorrow. thanks to everyone who was and is praying for him and my family this week. we really appreciate all the support and love and feel so blessed to have amazing people to lean on.

oh yea...and the hospital was the first time i saw my parents after getting my tattoo, which they found out about after a while. not exactly how i wanted that to go down...but what can you do?

love/miss/namaste.

PS. summer review: book/music/movie.

2009-08-30T22:13:00.004-05:00

ok, there are 3 little ditties that caught my eyes and ears recently and i would like to share them with you:

1. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran: i read it this weekend and loved it. my friend robbie recommended it to me and let me borrow his...but after i read it i had to buy a copy of my own. there are so many beautiful passages, here's just one...

"Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself. But if you love and must needs have desires, then let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips."

fell in love with the whole book.

2. Jason DeRulo, Whatcha Say: so we're all just having a good time, dancing at Cretias last night...digging the DJ...when all of the sudden this song comes on. it was a sick beat infused with Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek. and it blew my mind. click on that link and listen to it. right now.

3. 500 Days of Summer: ok, i saw this movie a while ago, but let it be known that it is one of the best movies i've seen in years. it ranks up there with amelie, it's that good. the reason i'm bringing it up now is because aaron only gave it a B+, and i must dispel the rumor that it is a B+ film. this was a movie that caused me to continue thinking and reflecting on it long after i walked out of the theater: it was real, raw, heartbreaking and hopeful. it's a movie that speaks to the cynic AND the romantic...both of which i consider myself to be...it just depends on the day. joseph gordon-levitt was adorable (not in a sissy way...more of an irresistible way) and zooey deschanel. was. amazing. goseeit.

love/miss/namaste.

august end update

2009-08-30T21:41:00.006-05:00

i am shocked at how quickly this summer has flown by. it has truly been a whirlwind. i started out going to london and spain, celebrated my one-year at fossil, watched my best friend get married (and all the other events that surrounded the big day) and have grown to really appreciate Dallas and the wonderful friendships, new and old, that i have both here and around the world. now it's about to be september and even though it'll still be scorching hot here...we're moving into fall. can you believe i STILL have yet to lay by the pool at my apartment...or any pool for that matter? too busy.

i did, luckily, get a chance to go to the lake with kristy and her family. we had a blast just laying on the boat, doing a little wakeboarding and watching her nephews swim. those kiddos are a couple of cuties! i really hope that i have a few boys of my own someday :)

cason and bryson...diggin the lake

i also had a bit of an action-packed week, what with dinner parties, kickball practice, happy hours and all that jazz. my mema was in town from florida so i got to have lunch with her and my daddy one afternoon and then dinner at my aunt and uncle's house one evening.

mema!

so by friday (after happy hour with joshulyn), i was exhausted. so i just took it easy on the couch with a book and then called it a night early. this was also due to the fact that i had to be at the kickball fields at 7:45AM on saturday morning for the corporate challenge kickball tournament. we spent ALL day out there and after 5 games, Fossil took home the bronze. it was good times.

today was lovely too! joshulyn, aaron and i went to the village this morning (dallas campus...yay!) - it was SO nice to drive 15 minutes to church as opposed to the 40 it was taking me to get to the highland village campus. and when kristy and i move at the end of the month...i'll be even closer. score.

after church, J and i went to cafe express and sat on the patio for lunch, it was a perfect afternoon. i also went to half price books and bought a couple shorties. i came home and sat on the couch with bos for the rest of the day and read A Grief Observed by CS Lewis. i really liked it...very haunting yet comforting. i will definitely re-read it throughout my life.

so that's it for the catch-up.

love/miss/namaste.

morning love.

2009-08-21T10:15:00.006-05:00

back when i lived alone, i used to go to bed fairly early and wake up around 6:30 (which is remarkable because i don't leave for work until 8:15 and it takes me 20 minutes to get ready). i'd get up, make some coffee, read a bit, reflect, walk boston and just get the morning started off with myself. it put me in a happy mood and i generally had better days because of it.

well, now all that has changed. i actually have more than 2 friends in dallas(!) and therefore more plans. i am not able to control my sleeping patters, so i revert back to my natural night owl/groggy morning person tendencies. but this week, i've managed to get up before 6:30 2 out of the 5 days this week. it's been beautiful. this morning i was woken up by a lovely thunderstorm around 5:30. bos and i laid in the bed and snuggled until i started the day around 6. magic. my new goal is to try and get up early enough to at least have a half hour to myself every morning before work (not including get-ready time). we'll see how i do...

something else i have noticed about myself recently is the fact that i am not the same person i was in high school...in fact...i'm quite the opposite. i'm sure this happens to a lot of people, but i'm just now noticing specifics:

- athleticism: all i DID was play sports/work out in high school it seems. volleyball, softball & golf were my extracurricular activities as well as my free time hobbies. now, i work out once in a blue moon (and drink more of those), and i am usually more sore than i am hungover after nights out because of dancing. this is pathetic. what's worse? i'm "trying out" for the fossil kickball team for corporate challenge. my good friend austin is the captain...and i'm probably cutsies. no lie, i will most likely be cut from kickball. i am just not as hardcore as i used to be.

- learning: i was a great student in high school, but it was always because i felt like i HAD to be...not because i wanted to be. i basically did what i needed to do to get out of there and what i learned didn't really make an impact on me because i didn't care for it to. i enjoyed science alright...i wanted to be a DOCTOR (a gyno for that matter. can you imagine, ME, in medical school? hell to the NO). but i don't feel like there was a lot of passion for me there. now, i feel like i'm a sponge. there are so many things i want to learn, read, experience. i enjoy learning things because they are interesting to me, not because i will be tested on it later. one regret i have is not reading more in high school (and even college) and turning to cliffs notes to get by. MISTAKE. i really should have appreciated it more then...like i do now.

- taste buds...things i hated in HS that now i love: sushi, honey mustard (and many other condiments), coffee, jalapenos (that are stuffed), meatloaf, soups, cottage cheese, diet coke...the list goes on.

everyone changes. i think it's pretty important to recognize ways that you've evolved as a person over the course of you're life. and just think, in 5 years, you'll be different than you are today! that's kind of exciting :)

one last thing...i got this new app on my iphone called colorsplash - you can make your photos black and white, but leave parts of it in color. it's really cool and very addicting. here are some i think are cute:

sleeping in the car with her pink collar on

kristy and i in london

my pup with her tongue out.

love/miss/namaste.

affirmation

2009-08-19T23:23:00.011-05:00

i've been wanting a tattoo for a really long time. and if you're close to me, you know that because of the fact that i am an over-committer, i always go all out. the desire for a tattoo started out being something small that could not be seen (when i was a senior in high school)...then i moved on to something small that was in plain sight but not entirely noticeable (college)...to now. now, i have the mentality: "why would i get a tattoo that no one could see?" why?

the actual tattoo art has never changed. i've always wanted a lily because they are my favorite flower (it also reminds me of 'lovely' which is my favorite word)...i also love that they are mentioned in the new testament in similes describing beauty (song of solomon), then again in the old testament to illustrate the fact that God always provides (matt 6:28/luke 12:27).

i want this lily on my left shoulder...not so much on my back, but up on the shoulder/almost arm. in my head, i am thinking that i will eventually want to add on to this to have sort of a pretty floral design with a bird or a butterfly...something very feminine and inspired by nature. many people are trying to talk me out of this. "but what about when you're old?" well...i won't be wearing tube tops when i'm a saggy old hag. and i bet i'd be a badass grandma anyway. "but what about you're wedding?" well...i want my wedding outside and i WANT it to be visible on my body in my wedding dress. "but what if guys don't like it?" i will not be marrying anyone who isn't 100% in love with all that i am.

so the logical solution was to get a henna tattoo just to see what a design would look like on my skin. if it looks silly...then there you go: no tat. i really was expecting to get the henna and realize that it will look ridiculous and back out. but then joshulyn told me that she knew of a place, so after work today we went and got tatted up (henna, that is):

i'm getting my camera ready to take a photo of joshulyn: "ok, i'm going to make a face like it hurts so it looks like i'm getting a real tat."

they do not hurt one bit. actually, it is kind of nice.

joshulyn workin' it after she got her wrist-tat. loving it.

i didn't really care about the actual design that was on me. what i really wanted was something along those same lines in the location that i wanted so i could just see what it looked like on my body.

and i'm digging it.

i didn't so much like what she did...but i liked where it was...what it could be...

when i scrapped off the goop that had dried, the henna paint that was left over was so faint that i could barely see it. it was like it was never there. i became very sad and decided that the real thing must happen very soon. but don't be scared, no no. i'm not getting a sleeve or anything, people. i'm not getting color. i'll be starting out with my simple lily and see what happens.

(ps. the lily image on my blog title is the actual design).

and that's what's going on in my world. riveting, isn't it?

love/miss/namaste.

blog suckage.

2009-08-17T01:26:00.002-05:00

people have started to call me out for neglecting my blog. i have been unbelievably busy lately but now i'm back in action and you all can suck it.

i just posted 4 in a row, all centered around ivy's wedding and the events leading up to it (because it has been a HUGE part of my summer and i've loved every bit of it). but when i got home from houston on sunday last week, i must admit that i was sad. i had the post-bestfriend's-wedding blues. spending 4 days with those girls was such a tease. i really do love living in dallas, but i miss them. unfortunately, a lot of my friends live in cities spread across the globe. going back to work on monday, realizing that it would be a very long time until a reunion like that happened again put me in a funk. it's so weird when change is happening all around...people are getting married, graduating and starting new lives, having beautiful babies, traveling the world...and here i am, snuggled up with my chihuahua writing about my stupid hairstyle or my quest to read 52 books this year. i should probably do something interesting with my life ASAP. either that or distract myself.

luckily, the week was packed with fun things to do and even though i was still in recovery mode from the wedding week, i managed to survive work and even a retreat this weekend! the village church put on a singles road trip, so after work on friday i hopped in a van with some folks i didn't know and headed north on 35. aaron went on the trip too, and we were able to meet a lot of other people who go to the village. the group went up to oklahoma city, where we stayed at camp grounds, chilled by the lake, played some games and hung out. it went really well despite the fact that i'm socially retarded in large groups. i'm not shy, but i'm introverted - which are two very different things. all in all, i'm really glad i went :)

also excited for a relaxing week ahead. not a whole lot going on...seeing paper heart tomorrow night with my movie buddy, reeds (also known as austin). kickball tryouts for the Fossil corporate challenge team on thursday and Cibus for HH. totally diggin this place right now, i'm pretty sure it's going to be a weekly event...if you live in dallas, you are invited.

i think i'm slowly but surely getting over the blues. my next trip isn't until october for ACL (weee!) so i have lots of time to take it easy and do my thing. list as follows:

- really slacking on my reading and it's making me sad. i'm not quite on track to get to 52 in a year...so if i could get to 40 by new years i can start again :)

- super excited about my guitar learning...aaron hooked me up with a tuner (because i suck at that part) and i'm working on learning some tunes. starting with some simple stuff...

- tattoo: this has been in the works for years now and i am finally doing it. phase 1: lily.

- KH and i are moving to our new digs at the end of september, get excited.

it's 2:14 and i'm still awake on a sunday night. what the hell? why can't i sleep at NIGHT? i am not cut out for normal person hours.

love/miss/namaste.

ps. i got the new iphone 3gs and it is blowing my mind. boom.

the wedding.

2009-08-17T00:03:00.009-05:00

the day of.

after sharing a bed with ivy for her last night as a singelton...complete with prayer, tears and ivy almost pushing me off the bed in the middle of the night...we have arrived at the big day.

the bridal suite is swank: there's champagne, strawberries, an official beauty chair, a flatscreen and tons of mirror space. we had a blast getting ready...

trisha and i pre-makeup

hair and makeup for all the girls ends up taking way longer than expected, so things go a bit awry on the schedule. instead of being at the church in time to take some photos, trisha, whit and i roll up to the church 10 minutes before the ceremony, run up to the bride room in our robes and throw on our dresses. and then it's go time.

ivy and her matron and maid of honor (that's me!)

walking down that aisle to stand next to my best friends was surreal. i can't even describe the feeling i had when i watched ivy walk toward us, it was so intense...so heavy. we are adults, doing adult things. ivy and troy are making a commitment that will last for the rest of their lives and forever. seeing her walk down the aisle with her father toward the man of her dreams made my heart burst. i have really never been so happy for someone...for two people. you bet i cried. and it was not a pretty cry - it was an embarrassing cry.

but we all regained composure and watched as our best friend wedded her prince charming. they were so great! the ceremony was absolutely perfect, and now they are husband and wife.

the TEXAS maids

now complete...and with one married lady!

weird.

but a good wierd.

after the ceremony, the 4 texas maids and travis made our way to the reception. here's whit and trish getting excited for the party :)

the reception was a blast. it was like everything was coming to the crescendo. i can't imagine how amazing it was for ivy and troy. i mean, the 4 of us had been in houston living and breathing this wedding for a little under a week and we were beat! ivy worked so hard to put together such a personalized and unforgettable wedding...we'll be talking about it for years to come for sure. and not to mention ivy's helping me plan mine whenever i get around to it.

once the dj made the announcement that we could make requests, you better believe that we were the first ones in line to make sure MJ was gonna play. dirty diana (patricia), PYT and billie jean got the party started...in our opinion. ivy's bro was awesome, he had the moves down and stole the show :)

we danced like maniacs. we found the basketball boys. we made some interesting decisions.

after the reception we head to our hotel (troy's friends were staying at the same place...i wish we could say that this was a coincidence). we go to baker st. pub, which is next door to our hotel. after a long, crazy ride (with travis as our chauffer), we get out and whitney realizes that she's left her bag.

whitney: "it's not here. SHIT. what am i gonna do??"

trisha: "don't panic. when was the last time you had it?"

whitney: "i set it down when i went to pet the donkey."

....

laura takes off her sandals and begins putting them on whitney's feet: "here, just wear these...we don't have much time, we NEED to go." (exchanges a glance at trisha who is equally desperate to get to the pub and out of the car, while putting on moccasins).

we are still in our bridesmaid dresses. we go inside and trisha buys a round of [drinks]. i become brave. we spend the next morning at starbucks laughing at ourselves and the afternoon sending text messages that say, "we really are nice girls, i promise."

but that's what happens when you get us together and one gets married :)

i didn't come to college to find my husband. i came to find my bridesmaids.

mission accomplished.

(because ivy met hers in high school and we're all still single, HEY HEY!)

so many emotions packed into just a few days. it's hard to believe we were leaving austin over a year ago and now watch as our ivy marries her true love :) i can remember her talking on the phone with him, crying because she missed him, and seeing them together and knowing that they were going to make it. and it's only the beginning :)

love/miss/namaste.

the preparation: post 2

2009-08-16T23:22:00.005-05:00

the day before THE day.

ivy has planned a beautiful bridal luncheon for the bridesmaids, mothers and aunts. we meet for lunch and ivy gives us gifts! she's the best bride. we all got matching monogrammed robes that we wore on the day-of. it was cutesie for sure :)

the girls.

after the luncheon, we went to get mani/pedis together. it was so strange, one minute it was scorching hot and then next it was a torrential downpour. anyways, we got through it and primp for the rehearsal dinner. this particular rehearsal dinner is a toast & roast for troy & ivy, so we prepared a skit to perform at the hooptie-la. hence the empty drinks below...we were nervous.

we have a blast at the rehearsal dinner. the 4 of us sit at a table together and reminisce. troy and ivy have such a unique story, we were just in awe. 6 years together and they are still so in love, so passionate...that certainly doesn't happen every day. i always say that i have a virtually unattainable view of love for 3 reasons:

1. my parents.

2. the twilight books. yep, you read that right.

3. troy & ivy.

after hearing heartfelt speeches, seeing hilarious videos and power point presentations and performing our own skit...we are emotional. i'm talking, we're huddled together like cold puppies who don't have a mother. crying (a little).

we are also beginning to think that ivy lied about troy having basketball boys come to this wedding. she has been talking them up for months. luckily, trisha makes a sighting near the bar and this actually happened:

trisha orders wine. she turns and sees a very tall drink of water behind her. she assumes he is one of troy's teammates (correctly) and makes small talk for about 8 seconds before turning and walking away saying, "well, tomorrow night...try to keep up."

she scurries back to our table, tells us this story and we all die laughing. we are smooth.

the preparation: post 1

2009-08-16T22:50:00.007-05:00

words truly can NOT describe the events that took place between August 4-9, 2009...but i'm going to try. here goes.

i left work on tuesday (8/4) and arrive at ivy's house around 10PM to be greeted by a tidal wave of excitement that is shivonne glenn and ivy ikpeme (then). we hug it out and are very happy because i haven't seen shivonne since...oh...DECEMBER 08. can't be mad at her though, she's been in the outback :)

wedensday consists of picking up the wedding dress (!!!) she inspects it, loves it, and we take it home. it looks like a dead body in a pink tarp.

back at wedding headquarters, the bride and groom have a dance lesson with rosemary, who is teaching them a little jig to do for their first dance. it was awesome :) boy can move!

then on thursday, titi sandra hosts a kitchen shower for ivy. by far the best shower i've ever been to. there were tons of ladies, GREAT food and lots of laughter. then i caught these two in the kitchen...

that, they are pouring, is some really nice tequila. we have margaritas during the shower (tequila is added to the cup)...but little did everyone know...the punch was already spiked (sandra later told me). ivy got some awesome gifts from many people who adore her.

we finished up the shower with a few rounds of tequila shots and we are feeling good.

then it's bbq time at the ikpeme's. ivy's been talking up troy's friends for months (seriously, months) and we are stoked. but apparently not all of them arrive until friday. we become sad.

but...we learn some salsa and meringue moves and have tons of fun with the girls and ivy's family. it's so nice to be together again.

the bach.

2009-08-16T21:29:00.005-05:00

although ivy has been married for over a week now, i am going to write a little post about her bachelorette weekend. it went as follows:

friday night, we roll into town and begin the festivities at trisha's condo. michael jackson is dead and we are sad. but we're reunited, so we're happy too! at this point, it is ivy, haley, whit, trisha (april for a bit), and me. we have a little champagne and the crew walks to this awesome little house-turned-bar. we had some beers and played ping pong, hula hooped and monopolized the juke box. a little later, a guy comes over to our table with a flyer for a michael jackson tribute event. we all look at each other and know what we have to do: call a cab and go.

we arrive in east austin (shady) at a warehouse that has MJ videos being projected on a huge white wall. they only serve tecate and patron.

we dance.

after we exit the warehouse, we realize that we are in east austin. we must get a cab and we must get it fast because shady dudes are approaching us. trisha is yelling, "DON'T MAKE EYE CONTACT!" as 2 guys are headed toward us saying inappropriate things. suddenly, a cab comes screeching around the corner in front of us and we all jump in quickly and yell, "DRIVE."

we go home and sleep very well.

saturday, we wake up and the entire entourage meet up at austin's pizza on the drag. there's about 15 of us. we give ivy her photo scavenger hung list and begin the quest...

that evening, we have her lingerie shower and troy gets tons of cute (i mean sexy) stuff. for each item she received, we came up with a corresponding dessert... so when troy orders strawberry shortcake, he's gonna GET strawberry shortcake (if you know what i mean)

we had reservations at cuba libre for dinner, where we ate some fantastic tapas and drank some martinis. super chic. ivy and i were giggly by the end of dinner.

afterwards, we visited our old friend: 6th street. he greeted us with open arms and we hit up all some of our old spots and some new ones too. we watched this cover band at speakeasy called The Space Rockers - middle aged dudes in spandex jumpsuits and helmets singing 80's and early 90's classics. we stayed there for a while.

of course, we hit up blind pig.

then over to cheers for some special shotties. april insisted that we all had orgasm (shots) and ivy needed a blow job shot:

as you can see, it was well documented. check out that form.

we wrapped up the weekend with brunch at taverna. it was SO great to hang with all the girls, celebrate ivy's final days of debauchery...and the facebook photos are pretty sweet.

plus, we get to reunite for the WEDDING!

isn't she the loveliest of lovelies?

love/miss/namaste.

this weekend blew my mind.

2009-07-19T22:46:00.002-05:00

post & pics to come. i really miss my friends.

2 weekends in austin and now i'm depressed.

love/miss/namaste.

how do you DOO?

2009-07-14T16:39:00.005-05:00

it's that time of year.

the time when i get the urge to snip. don't worry - i am not going to chop it off. no no, it took me too long to grow these locks - i just need an update.

so naturally, i've been perusing photos of my favorite people for inspiration: rachel mcadams, penelope cruz and zooey deschanel. duh.

rachel mcadams is a chameleon. her hair has been long and blonde, short and dark, red, even some pink highlights (i WISH i could pull off blonde/pink)...
i think the winner for me is zooey - she's pretty much awesome. i've had this hairstyle before and it was one of my favs (that being bangs). the one i had in college was pretty polished like the pic above, but the winner is:

bangin' casual.

i'm keeping my color the same (perhaps i'll darken it in the fall), but in about 45 minutes, i'm getting some whispy bangles and a trimmy trim trim. usually i cut my own bangs...but that rarely turns out the way i envision...

can you tell i'm bored when i'm posting about my stupid hair?

oooo baby, baby

2009-07-14T14:25:00.005-05:00

this weekend i got to go back to austin to spend a lovely afternoon shopping with dani and alysha - we registered dani&daughter at target and babies r us. we had a lot of fun with our little scan guns :) who knew babies needed so many accessories??

we were worn out by the end of the day. it was HOT. i can't even imagine how exhausted dani was - she's a tough cookie! it was so wonderful to spend time with her, i hate not being nearby :( our pups got to be reunited for the afternoon also, they are a couple of kooks.

i can't WAIT until dani's baby shower. alysha is doing most of the planning and i know it will be fantastic - dani will be all set when that little cutie pie comes (october 20!!!). i'm pretty sure dani will be a rockin' mom. she's one of the most thoughtful, loving and nurturing people i know - not to mention all-around inspiring. i love her with all my heart.

april - i'm so sorry i didn't let you know i was in town this weekend, but don't worry! i'll be spending ALL weekend with you for the bachelorette festivities :) which i CANT WAIT FOR!! it will be a grand reunion - i am really needing it right now.

love/miss/namaste.

2009-07-09T10:58:00.001-05:00

and when the groove is dead and gone

we know that love survives

so we can rock forever on

you're in luck!

2009-07-08T16:57:00.003-05:00

hey everyone,

my friend, Austin, just informed me that it's cow appreciation day this friday, july 10 - and if you dress up like a cow you get free lunch. check it out here - and download your costume kit.

moo

since tuesday

2009-07-06T11:37:00.008-05:00

it has certainly been a crazy week, so i'll start with last weekend.

haley threw ivy a date shower - all the gifts were dates for troy and ivy to go on. it was such a lovely shower, haley's house is absolutely adorable and she's a wonderful hostess! i got to stay with ivy all weekend and hang out, which is always a good time. i miss her so much! joshulyn rode to houston with me again, so it was great having a travel companion. we jammed out to michael jackson and basically made ourselves hoarse with some destiny's child, alicia keys and mariah carey - it was a great drive ;)

my bridesmaid dress is back from alterations! isn't it lovely? i love the color and the silhouette...it's just perfect. gonna have to get a pair of spanx and tape myself in the top. we can't have any mishaps on the dance floor, you know.

one of my big accomplishments for the week was cleaning. i had been having trouble sleeping and i think it was due to the fact that my bedroom and bathroom had just gone awry. here's the before and after of my room:

yikes.

aahhh.

all this to say, i had a bit of a setback on wednesday. i started feeling very sick and went straight to bed when i got home from work. on thursday morning, i felt like death but got up and went in to the office anyway. i lasted about 30 minutes before i couldn't take it anymore and was sent home by virtually everyone who saw me (i looked like something from the thriller video). i stayed in bed all day. we were supposed to all go lay by the pool after work and have some drinks in preparation for the long holiday weekend, but i was too sick to move. i ended up calling my mom to come pick me up and she took me to the doctor. i couldn't even sit up on the dr's bench, i just lay lifeless answering their questions. i had a 104 fever so they gave me some tylenol, swabbed my nose and throat, took blood and x-rayed my chest. then the dr came in and this is exactly how it went:

me: "well, doc, what's the verdict?"

doc: "ok laura, your mono test came back negative, as did your strep test. but, i'm sorry to say you do have the flu."

me: "swine?"

doc: "no, its just human."

me: "well i could have told you that before i walked in here."

then they have me a shot in my ass that hurt like a big dog. i'm not lying, it was so painful. i imagine that's what a vampire bite feels like, judging by how they are described in those books i love... except it was in my ass.

so i stayed at my parent's house all weekend and posted up in the living room. here is my little haven:

so sadly enough, i did not see any fireworks. i watched a few on tv before i had to run to the bathroom and puke up my dinner.

on friday, we all watched a good 2 hours of the dog whisperer and i decided that i was going to whisper our dogs. i did a little experiment with daisy and the treadmill. both days i was there, i put her on it for 5 minutes - she actually walked on it! it was amazing. cesar said that nervous aggressive dogs need to expend their excess energy in order to become more balanced. the funny thing is, daisy did better walking on the treadmill without the leash than when she was on it. she just trotted along without a care in the world - we were cracking up the whole time. boston wasn't having it, she would go stiff and just let the belt take her right off the back.

go daisy!

so here i sit, monday afternoon. just chillin on the couch. lucky i'm sick too, because bos got sick last night and i was up with her for most of it. i was sitting with her on the floor and then woke up this morning with bos in my arms...on the floor next to my bed. needless to say, we slept in a bit.

my to do list today:

- check my work email - done

- blog - yep

- start my new book, the time traveler's wife

- watch a couple flicks

- repeat.

love/miss/namaste.

tuesday shmoozday

2009-06-23T19:14:00.006-05:00

it's tough move into a not-so-good week when you're coming off a great weekend. today was hard - it's inexplicable to anyone i don't work directly with, so i'll leave it at that: it was a hard day. i'm just lucky to be surrounded by some really supportive people who encourage me and make me excited to still come to work every morning.

brady came in town this weekend to hang out - we had a ton of fun! jazz on thursday, aboca's on friday and amigo's on saturday. we ate pretty well :) aboca's is an amazing italian restaurant near our apartment where you bring your own wine. absolutely incredible food. we spent saturday at my parent's house just chillin outside with the dogs and lounging around.

bos loves going on walks. we take her and daisy to the little park near the house and let them off their leashes to run around - they totally dig it. here's bos catching her breath after a good jaunt - i love that she's smiling :)
my cousin emily is in town from florida, i'm really glad i got to hang out with her these past 2 weekends! she's gorgeous and growing up really fast. and isn't my mom beautiful?

ps. can i just say that my parents are the best people ever? they just celebrated their 30 year anniversary and still completely adore each other. my dad made a book on his mac filled with photos of them from the last 30-plus years (they were high school sweethearts). he also made a dvd slideshow - i get choked up every time i watch it. fred and charlotte are the bomb, seriously. and their prom picture is SO funny!

my dad is the best. he's probably the most thoughtful man in the entire world - he loves making people smile. i love the way he loves my mom. he's so smart, so supportive and so loving. last week, he picked up boston and took her to the vet for me because i was so busy with work - and took care of her like she was his own child. he just knew how much that means to me, so he selflessly does things like that all the time. fred. is. amazing.

i've also inherited my quirky music taste from him...one thing i've always loved is 80's goodness. so imagine my delight when i realized that my favorite cover band, LC ROCKS, plays shows at the sherlocks in addison on a regular basis!! dallas just went WAY up in my book. i always used to complain that going to see LC Rocks at sherlocks on wednesdays was one big thing i really missed about living in austin. now my life has changed - bethany and i got to rock out this saturday: complete with fist pumps, beers and cougars on the prowl. gotta love it.

deal of the day: after work i went to half price books (correction: i had a beer with christy and amber...THEN i went to half price books. i spent $27.58 and got 22 books*. boomshackalacka.

keep it real, y'all.

love/miss/namaste.

*they aren't bullshit books either. HPB was just having a crazy clearance 50-cent sale. i seriously hit the jackpot.

jazz under the stars

2009-06-19T10:47:00.003-05:00

so dallas is pretty cool.

it's taken me about a year to warm up to it, but there really are some fun activities here (and not to mention some pretty great people). one of my good friends from work, joshulyn, had the brilliant idea of going to jazz under the stars a couple weeks ago. the dallas museum of art puts it on every thursday evening in may and june - there's a big stage and a jazz band that plays for tons and tons of people sitting on blankets and lawn chairs. the first week we went, jordy came with us and we had a blast! it was so wonderful just to sit outside, chat, enjoy some vino and each other's company :)

last thursday it was rainy, so jazz was canceled. but this week we got to go! brady is in town for a visit, so he and i met up with joshulyn and some of her friends. we ate and talked and even danced a little. i'm so sad that there is only one more! we'll have to find some more fantastic events like this one...

our little picnic

brady was a trooper - we sat on the concrete for about 2 hours (he had just driven in from Austin). this was his second night of outdoor musical activities. he went to blues on the green in Austin last night. laura was jeal.

the fabulous joshulyn - she's so much fun, toward the end of the night we went to the front of the stage and jazz-salsa-danced our little hearts out :) we're very excited for next week too!

weekend time! well, in about 6 hours...

love/miss/namaste.

pretty peachy, i suppose

2009-06-17T22:23:00.005-05:00

poor bos got sick. she's been up in the night with tummy problems and hasn't eaten food in a while. today she was acting very lethargic, so my dad popped into my apartment after lunch to check on her. he ended up taking her to the vet who discovered that she had a fever from some sort of virus. she got a shot and some meds and my dad says she's already prancing around their house. i shall have to pick her up soon. i don't like sleeping without her :(

she's a little doo-doo bird, as my boss likes to say. quite literally, this weekend she rolled around in something that was either excrement or dead - needless to say, she stank. here's my mom and me giving her a little puppy shower:

my little (or, not-so-little anymore) cousin, Emily, is in town for the week visiting from florida. she's 14: likes boys, the twilight series, and texting. so pretty much she's just like me, only 9 years younger ;) i got to bring her to the village on sunday night and she and my dad came and ate lunch with me today. i got to show her my godawful cubicle and a little around fossil town :) it's been nice hanging around with her, she's so sweet. we're all getting mani/pedis on saturday, so that will be loads of fun!

speaking of my godawful cubicle... these last 2 weeks have been downright insane. there's just always something to be done or a meeting to go to or an email to send. despite my cubicle being horrendous and my days being busy, i'm really lucky to have some great coworkers - friends - to hang around. it's completely understood that i think KH is the bomb - roommate, duh. then there's christy and i having our singing sessions throughout the day and constantly laughing. jen will come over and do a silly dance in our cube and have a chat (mostly about rob pattinson) :) and tara is such a great person to talk to, so insightful. our little 6-pack cube is pretty sweet...and we can always count on amber to pop some corn to share! aimee is absolutely wonderful too - she brought her daughter, piper, in for a bit at the end of the day while she had to finish up some things. the most precious little 3 year old ever! so beautiful, looks just like her mommy :)

she LOVES posing for pictures. we had a little photo shoot in the cubes. how can you resist a sweet little voice saying "take my picture" over and over?

kissy face.

i am in love with toy camera.

love/miss/namaste.

to your point...

2009-06-12T21:23:00.003-05:00

i recently posted about how my trip to london and spain had given me the travel bug. now that my condition is super serious, i'm revisiting my original vacation plan from before the europe trip was a possibility: a mini US tour. whitney had said she'd totally come with me... but then she started making some trips to cali and i randomly bought a plane ticket to london, so that idea had to be put on hold. well...i've been back for over 2 weeks now, so it's time to start planning the next adventure:

see photo below. i'm thinking i need about 6 days to make this happen, which means it needs to happen around a national holiday (perhaps july 4th weekend or labor day weekend) so i'll only have to take 3ish days off.

stops include shreveport, jackson, birmingham, atlanta, NASHVILLE and little rock. and the open road. just call me sal paradise.

who's with me??

love/miss/namaste.

visitations

2009-06-09T23:17:00.010-05:00

so many fun goings-on at the moment. last week was hellish at work, so a nice weekend with ivy was just what i needed :) my friend joshulyn rode down to houston with me, we talked most of the way and realized that we have so much in common. i really dig her.

i just love being with ivy, she is so much fun and we always giggle non-stop. her family is so amazing too, they just make you feel so at home. i think my spanish improved significantly :) i feel so lucky to have her and everything around her in my life - i'm so drawn to her, she is literally dripping with inspiration and doesn't even have to try. (ok, figuratively, i know.)

haley and i got to go with her to her first bridal gown fitting! i don't want to post anything too

revealing, but here's a few tidbits for your viewing pleasure:

haley and i with our bridesmaid dresses - we both have to get them taken in a bit, but they are absolutely gorgeous! (thanks for not making us look like freakshows, ivy!)

this is Titi Sandra, we went to her house on Sunday for a little cookout - BUENO.

i was going to include this fabulous photo of ivy, but i don't know if she would want it on the net for everyone to see before the wedding. it's this divine shot of just her hand on her hip (you can see her ring) in her wedding dress. you can't see the whole thing, it's only a tease - but i need bride approval, you understand.

last update, but not least, we have welcomed little miss Olivia Kate Johnson into the world! i was SO sad that i wasn't here for her birth, but i got to meet her on her second day of life (yesterday):

mommy Lauren!

look at that face. we're all in love.

aunt Laura :)

aunt bethany - photo sideways, my apologies

and there you have it, folks. quite the eventful weekend. it's going to be a beautiful summer, i can feel it.

love/miss/namaste.

gotta love that blogger

2009-06-05T16:17:00.002-05:00

i had written the below post while i was in barcelona, but for some reason it never published. but low and behold, it saved to my drafts folder! now you can read my 2nd (and only other) vacation blog post and it doesn't have to be me trying to remember things after the trip is over. that post was written in the middle of all the action.

sad story: since i have returned from vacation, i have become bitter. it's really depressing because i typically do not like to have a bad attitude, but i find myself just feeling pissed off. i loved the trip so much, it was so inspiring to be in a brand new place so different from my home. everything was lovely, it was like being in a dream. the people i met and the experiences i had over there really shook me up. i caught the travel bug, it's quite serious and i hope it's contagious - i'd love travel buddies.

but the whole reason why i'm bitter is my own fault honestly. i never studied abroad because i got too attached to Austin. i stuck with one major because that's how you graduate on time. i finished school on time because that's the responsible thing to do. i frantically searched and landed a job right after college. literally - my first day at fossil was the monday after i graduated (on a saturday)! now that i've been working for a year, i realize all the things i WISH i could go back and do, for instance:

- double major in design in addition to merchandising. take more art / photography / graphic design / music appreciation courses.

- freaking study abroad. everywhere.

- take 2-6 months just to backpack all over europe after i graduated. it's really not that expensive if you're smart about it.

- do yoga and learn about the lifestyle - and live it.

- once i did land a job, be smarter about money: actually contribute to my savings account and build an emergency fund.

- be cooler.

i hate the concept of regret, so i'm just going to say that the above is the advice i would give to a freshman in college. i'm still young, so who's to say i can't accomplish all that? there's a community college minutes from my apartment that offers all kinds of classes. i still have a job (thank you, jesus) and i can start being smarter with my money. and traveling. oh, how i will be traveling for the rest of my life...

shivonne, you're a freaking genious.

love/miss/namaste.

don´t worry, i am alive

2009-05-19T19:40:00.003-05:00

the last 2 days have been an absolute whirlwind. i don´t mean to worry you by saying that it is a miracle i haven´t just keeled over already.

london was incredible. i seriously think that i want to live there one day, if only for a few months or a year. the last night we were there we danced all night at a club, then went back to our hostel and chatted with the dude working behind the bar until about 5am. we have made some awesome friends along our journey, our new "mates" are so sweet. friday and saturday nights we averaged about 3 or 4 hours of sleep...and then we came to spain.

so our flight to barcelona was 3:15PM. we needed to take the tube to the train station that takes you to the airport. we left the hostel after having one last brew with the mates a little after 1. there was a mix up with our check in once we got to the airport, we were rushing around confused lugging our things, with 3:15 rapidly approaching. jill and i split off to try and pave the way for kristy and holly, just knowing (and hoping) that we´d just meet at the gate. my carry on was probably 40-50 pounds and apparently loaded with small liquids. jill and i watched impatiently as the lady methodically removed everything from my bag one by one, wiped it with some terrorist-finding wand, and then put it all back in. THEN we had to go through another security line and remove our shoes. picture this: jill and laura sprinting through the london airport BAREFOOT, screaming, "gate 16, do you see it?" and carrying insanely heavy luggage all the while. we were the last ones on the flight. there was NO way we should have made it.

we arrived in gerona and took an hour bus ride to our hostel in barcelona. this hostel is a little bigger and very friendly. we dropped off our things and grabbed some tapas and sangria on a patio and came back to the hostel around 11, just as the crew was headed out. we freshened up in the room for about 10 minutes and joined the 20 plus people headed out. we had a beer at a hole in the wall bar-lounge and met some great people. girls from tennesee who are just travelling around, here from italy and on the way to germany. guys from canada on a study abroad program. a dude from baylor! so many cool people, we all became instant friends. after that, we went to one of the biggest night clubs in barcelona...just to give you an idea: it didn´t even OPEN until 1AM, and the event that we were attending was called "nasty monday". we pay 10 euro to enter and redeemed our ticket for 1 free drink and then hit the dance floor. until 5AM.

we literally danced, jumped and sweated buckets until the sun came up. probably one of the funnest things i have ever done. the music was crazy loud and amazing. it wasn´t hip hop music, it was just DANCE music. (my fossil friends will appreciate this: imagine me doing my rave dance...for real...for 5 hours). unbelievable.

today we woke up and walked. and walked. such beautiful sights - we had some sandwiches at a little shop, stopped into some artsy stores, had some gelato and stopped at a supermarket for bread, cheese, salami and cerveca and hit the beach. we ate and slept in the sand. so beautiful.

with all this excitement, my body has decided to reject me. i woke up with an awful sore throat, aching muscles and an overall weakness that just got worse as the day progressed. by the time we left the beach, i was doneski. i felt like i had the flu (hopefully not swine) and so i layed down while the girls grabbed a bite. they brought me back a delicious wrap :) i´m really hoping i can recover by morning, i HATE being sick, and i hate it even more that i´m in one of the most beautiful places on earth. say a little prayer that i´m cured soon!

sad news: spain has a very bad pickpocketing problem. we experienced it today when holly got her wallet stolen right out of her bag that was strapped to her. money, id´s, passport, cards, it´s all gone. figuring that out right about now...

i. love. london.

2009-05-16T09:41:00.002-05:00

we are having an absolute blast over here. yesterday we saw buckingham palace, the houses of parliament, westminster abbey, the river thames...it has all been lovely. every scene is so picturesque. we've also mastered the london underground - you should see us navigating this city like champs. it's so much fun.

our hostel is pretty funny. the ground floor is a traditional english pub called "the green man", we actually checked in at the bar. everyone here is pretty nice to us even though we monopolize the bathroom (yes, that was singular). our room is on the top floor (of course), so in order to get there, we have to go up 2 ridiculously steep, narrow stairs. with all the walking and up and down, i feel like i've been on a stairmaster for the last 48 hours. this is the best workout i've ever had. or perhaps i should say that i SHOULD have been working out to prepare for this adventure. it's tiring however you look at it.

the weather is nice, in the 60's with some wind and sprinkles every now and then. it's actually been sunny the last two days! really gorgeous. last night, we ate at this ultra chic restaurant in covent garden called fire and stone - we ordered a bottle of wine and some pizzas to share. jill and i had the "capetown", it was so delicious with a little kick to it. if you know me well enough you also know that i definitely paid the price for that meal the next morning...

then we went to a london dance club and did just that: danced our hearts out. they play more or less the same tunes over here, so we fit in nicely ;) we'll most likely do a repeat of that tonight, especially because today is jill's birthday! our group dynamic is wonderful, we all get along so well and it's making the trip that much more hilarious.

kristy pretty much summed it up last night when we got home, she said, "ladies, this is only night 2 of 11."

YES.

love/miss/namaste.

i'm fleeing the country!!

2009-05-13T11:41:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, May 13: depart Dallas 7:40PM

Thursday, May 14: arrive in London 10:30AM

Barcelona - Monday through Friday

Madrid - Friday through Monday

Monday, May 25th: arrive in Dallas. the saddest day of my life.

cheers!

love/miss/namaste.

so i have this crazy idea...

2009-05-08T18:31:00.002-05:00

last night i went to a coffee shop called crooked tree with my friend joshulyn. we just sat and sipped and read our books and had a lovely time. i had such a happy and peaceful feeling just sitting on the couch, it was downright inspiring. as we were leaving, joshulyn says, "i think it would be so cool to own a place like this and just run it." i say, "YES! that is a dream of mine." i then get in my car and start thinking, why not?

and i haven't stopped thinking about it since.

these days, we are under such pressure to work hard in school and get the best job you can and climb the corporate ladder. our generation has a heavy sense of entitlement and success is directly related to salary or position. our parents have been telling us, "you can do WHATEVER you want, you can be the BEST you can be." interpretation: you have the potential to have the best (respectable) JOB. while my parents did fuel the fire in that regard, my dad also stressed the importance of LOVING what you do. he says, "if you get up in the morning and dread going to work, that's a problem." don't get me wrong, i love my job. it has been the perfect fresh-out-of-college, learning, growing, maturing position for me. i won't be putting in my 2-weeks notice in the near future...

i realized that i have gotten everything i have ever WORKED for: this job.

think about it: while you are a student, all you are concerned about is graduating to the next grade level. in high school, it's all about busting your ass to get in to the college you want (for me, i worked HARD to get in to Texas). once i got there, i chose a major and went for it. those 4 years i spent at UT i was, among other things, working towards a degree that will get me a job. so, my first 22 years of life i have been working toward this point of stability. welp, now i'm here...how anticlimactic!

i have gotten everything i have ever worked for...but why? it seems like i have gotten everything i think i SHOULD be working for. it's all confusing in my head, but my conclusion is...i am making it my life's goal to own/run a coffee shop. that epitomizes what i want to DO in this life: work in a place where people come to inspire and be inspired. a place where art and music and words and harmony come together and dwell. a place where the whole point is to just be still. and drink coffee.

tara, another friend from fossil, has also had this dream for a long time. we planned and conspired all day. tara, joshulyn and i are basically business partners now. i'm making this my new project, it may take me til i'm 30, but someday i want to be in the coffee shop business. i'm getting giddy just thinking about painting the walls...

love/miss/namaste.

holy frick

2009-05-06T18:14:00.002-05:00

i am leaving for the uk in 7 days and i have so much to do. i need to make sure i have a power converter or adapter thingy so i can plug in my laptop...but it's different in the uk and spain so i don't know what to do. i guess i'll just have to go to the apple store and have them help me (i love the apple store, by the way. such a calming atmosphere. i feel such positive energy and end up leaving swinging my arms wildly and clicking my heels). anyone taken their laptop overseas? hell if i know how that works.

we have booked all our hostels and flights. it took us FOREVER to decide on a hostel for London. actually about 8 hours. we seriously researched hostelworld.com from 12-8PM on sunday. the hostel we went with is called "Bestplace at Paddington". the little ad for the place said: BIG DRINKERS WANTED! STAY HERE IF YOU LOVE BEER! but it's in a great location and also close to a tube station. the cleanliness rating was pretty low and i'm scared. most of the reviews were positive, except the one that read, "there was crap in the toilet and the sheets on the bed gave me a rash, but other than that, it was a blast!!" awesome. i saw some sleeping bags at academy for about 8 bucks...so i may be investing. i'd like to avoid rashes altogether.

as i said in my tweet, we decided to cut out paris from the trip. i'm pretty sad because i've always wanted to visit, but i'll save it for another time. now we're going to spend 4 nights in London, 4 nights in Barcelona and 3 in Madrid. i am absolutely sure that we will be l-i-v-i-n.

i also need to do a pre-pack to make sure that i don't take too much. i need to keep it as light as possible because you know i'll be on a rampage at those london shops. kristy and i plan on packing early and practicing lugging out stuff around by taking a lap around our building. we'll look like tools but it'll be good preparation.

ok, so here's my list:

- buy adapter/converter/something to charge my 'lectronics.

- buy chlorox wipes for those dirty ass hostels.

- buy sleeping bag to avoid the clap.

- do 100 crunches every night. and maybe some moves that make my ass look less cheesy.

- pack for the dry run and take a lap to make sure i can carry all my shart.

- watch happy-go-lucky.

DAY OF:

- finalize packing.

- take a shot.

- pop a tylenol pm.

- board flight and pass out.

just kidding. i don't mess with pills...

love/miss/namaste.

tidbits

2009-04-27T21:44:00.003-05:00

i'm a bit scatterbrained at the moment. but it's not a stressful sort of scatterbrainity...it's like when you're room is sort of messy, yet you know where everything is because although it's a cluster F, it's exactly the way you've organized it...? well anyway, there's no way i can write an organized post, so i'm just going to write out tidbits in bullet point form and see how it goes.

- floated the guad with roomie this weekend in new braunfels - super fun. got to see dani and little willow for a bit and it made me all warm :) i really love her. the river was total insanity, but still quite fun. we got those pre-bottled margaritas that they serve you on planes: "the tequila's in it", says the bottle, and they ain't kiddin'. it was cute.

- milkshakes from chick fil a are so frickin good. they go down so smooth, like butta.

- ivy's recommendation of "eat pray love" did not go unnoticed by me last year and i've finally gotten around to reading it. it's wonderfully written and beautifully raw. i've been really inspired by this author to explore new ways to strengthen and deepen my spiritual life. the practice of yoga has always been super intriguing to me, not just the fitness aspect, but the lifestyle of it. i tried meditating yesterday. it was nice to just sit still, let the thoughts flow, breathe steadily and let the calm come. then concentrate. very soothing - i slept better than i have in a while and woke up early and ready to go.

- i've got friends here in dallas, i do. i really like them a lot too, but i can't help but feel lonely sometimes. that's all.

- music make me so happy. i really believe that there is a wonderful connection that can occur between a person and a song. i'm just drawn to lyrics that i feel* it's a bond that i get in my head and can't explain well.

- we're leaving for europe in 2 weeks and i have been eating like i've never seen a bikini in my life.

- the village church may or may not be gaining a dallas campus! by this, i mean there will be a dallas campus later this year, it is just not official yet. i went with some home group girls to the worship/info/prayer session tonight and it was very encouraging.

- work is working. pretty busy few weeks i've had, but i'm livin and making do. i have an awesome boss and some pretty sweet friends at work that make it a really fun atmosphere, i can't complain.

- i got a brochure in the mail for Richmond Community College (just minutes from my apartment) that had their summer course schedule. i'm thinking about taking some classes there over the next few semesters. maybe photography. oil painting. perhaps yoga. definitely the dog obedience class through their rec center...

imagine all this swirling about between my ears and you'll understand me. for about 45 seconds. love/miss/namaste.

*see playlist below :)

ok, i've fallen off the wagon yet again.

2009-04-22T18:59:00.002-05:00

oh don't worry...i'm still done with dudes. i just mean that i haven't posted in a while. things have been out of control here lately. work is nuts. i'm getting ready for europe. reading all the time. there just aren't enough hours in the day, you know? i'm lucky though. i get to fill my hours with a job that i enjoy and planning MY own vacation and reading books that i choose. still, i wish there were more hours in the day that i can fill these lovely activities with.

so, twitter is awesome! i really like it. it's linked to my facebook now so i'm all cyber-connected. putting myself out there or something.

i went to see 17 Again with some girls from my home group on sunday after church. i honestly wasn't expecting much - but i LOVED it! that zac efron is adorable. and by adorable, i mean i want to jump him. hot damn. i have a magazine photo of him in my cube and it makes me happy. him and scott speedman. oh, and robert pattinson. duh.

love/miss/namaste.

ps. i'm done with dudes

2009-04-08T19:29:00.002-05:00

no, i'm not becoming a lesbian. i'm just going to read more books.

this feels like a win-win situation to me.

icky icky

2009-04-08T19:02:00.002-05:00

sometimes you just have one of those days, you know? i mean, it wasn't awful. it just wasn't good. but since i'm trying to model my life after Poppy from 'Happy-Go-Lucky', i'm going to try to giggle it off and focus on the happy.

this morning i went to the corporate store (its open wednesday mornings and friday afternoons). i resisted the first time kristy asked me, but then i caved when i heard they had new dresses. as it turns out, they have this maxi dress in two different colors that are actually IN fossil stores now. for $3 (it retails for $78). i should be jumping for joy, right? well...yes and no. see, on the day that we got 50% off at one of the local fossil stores, i went in and bought one of the colors - for $40, thinking i got a GREAT deal. then i go to the corporate store not one month later and it's on the rack for $3! did i buy the second color? yes. am i a little pissed that i paid $40 for the other one? of course.

to any non-fossil person, i sound like a huge brat i'm sure. we really are super lucky not only to get great deals all the time, but to be able to walk downstairs and go shopping twice a week for great merchandise. but i've become desensitized. when i look at a bag that retails for $350 and they sell it in the corporate store for $75, i scoff and refuse to look at it again until they mark it down to $50. i get PISSED when i buy something for full price...well, sort of....and then i see it for 3 bucks. grrr...

i suppose if you average the two costs of the dresses, they average out to $20 each. that ain't bad. but it SHOULD have been $6 total....

now i'm off to read until the american idol results show is over so i can start it and fast forward the parts i don't like :) go kris allen!

love/miss/namaste.

two posts in one day...

2009-04-04T09:53:00.003-05:00

ivy tagged me in another one of these blog thingies, she's so crazy :)

i have to list 5 things about myself that i think are sexy...

1. eye contact. it's all in the eye contact.

2. i think my pj's are sort of sexy. at the corporate store at fossil, they've had men's button down shirts on sale for a dollar (yes, a dollar). so i got a few big ones to sleep in. they are really comfy.

3. something about music is sexy. i don't play an instrument and i don't know a whole lot about music, but sometimes when i listen to particular things i feel sexy. and i like to dance and sing alone in my room :)

4. i'm going to steal one from ivy: i'm a pretty playful person.

5. i'd like to think that i'm not openly sexy. i don't really want to try to be sexy, because not trying and actually being sexy...is sexy. in my opinion.

alright, alright

2009-04-04T09:34:00.002-05:00

i apologize for leaving a month and a day between posts. i promise i will be better. here is a quick recap of the goings on:

- i am right on schedule with my 52 in '09 book readings. i'll be finishing up #7 today.

- my dad signed me up to do this money managing class online (he and my mom did it and said it was very informative). i am learning a whole lot about saving and budgeting, which is great because i literally do not know where my money goes every month. i am bad. but now i have a budget so YAY! i am good

- legends of the fall is one of my favorite films now.

- i still love twilight and if you make fun of me, you'll get a bite to the jugular.

- i still really love my job. sure, sometimes i get fed up with people or get stressed out or annoyed at certain situations. but at the end of the day, what i do is so much fun - AND cool. i spend afternoons at the mall for competitive research and inspiration, i develop sunglasses that ultimately end up all over the world, i get to work with awesome people who encourage me and teach me so much every day - AND i laugh a lot. seriously, my boss christy and i are constantly giggling and singing things to each other. she is one of the most hilarious people i know. i'm really lucky to have such a great relationship with my boss. Fossil has it's drama, but i'm really happy where i am right now.

- last but not least: KH AND I ARE GOING TO EUROPE!! we booked our first vacation! this is a huge milestone for me. all vacations i have been on have been with my parents. THIS vacation - i didn't even ask them - i just booked it. know why? because i can. i am 23, who knew??

here are the details:

we fly from DFW to London direct on may 13 (arrive may 14) and spend a few days there. Then, we hop over to Paris for a 2-day jaunt (we are allocating the least amount of time there because neither of us speak the language and we are afraid of french people). we found a really cool "see paris in 2 days" itinerary online that has some great suggestions. THEN, we are going to BARCELONA. I am so freaking excited about Barcelona. we'll spend the most time there before we head over to Madrid to fly home. we'll be gone for 12 days :) it. will. change. my. life.

so, shivonne, you are an inspiration! if i don't come back, send a search party.

love/miss/namaste

my fix

2009-03-02T09:13:00.004-06:00

lately i've been feeling quite restless with myself. it's an overwhelming feeling really, that feeling of...where is my life going? i'm not stressed out about it, i'm not sad, i'm just...restless. i've come out of this 'sick of school, sick of learning, i just want to have fun' phase of my post-college existence and have had this craving for a richer quality of life. at first, i thought this restlessness would get the best of me and that i would never be able to quench it, but i've come up with a few methods for my fix, which have subsequently turned into addictions.

1. "52 in '09" - my plan is to read 52 books in 2009. i decided this about a week and a half ago, so for a while, i will need to be averaging 2/week to catch up. i'm halfway through my 3rd book and feelin' good. I've read the first 2 Twilight books and am about to finish On the Road by Jack Kerouac. If you have any favorite books you'd like to recommend, give me a shout out ;)

- on a side note, i really love Twilight. like, really love it - i've gotten 2 of my coworkers to be vampire-obsessed with me, and 2 more are about to break. we've seriously turned into a book club of sorts.

2. beef up the netflix - i've added every film that has won an academy award for best picture over the last 20+ years or so (and many that were nominated). not to mention, movies with actors/actresses who won for their performances. i have truly started to appreciate cinema for what it is: a beautiful, living art form. i'll average about 2 movies a week (probably more). mindless chick flicks are going on the back burner for a while...unless they happen to have won a prestigious award. no offense to the romantic comedies (although it IS my favorite movie genre, after all).

3. i'm currently planning a few domestic vacations: Seattle, Washington - it is supposed to be very similar to Austin (swoon) and it's by the water. i've been doing a little online researching and i'm sold - definitely will be spending a weekend there in the next few months (ivy...we're doing it). i'm also planning a road trip that involves Nashville and Atlanta - i think Whit is going to be my accomplice, which will be a thrill ;) that will most likely be a 5 day adventure. KH and i also want to take a mini-vacay someplace where we can lay and soak up the sun and sip some margs. cozumel? cabo perhaps? it's in the works. now, about saving up the dough to get me to all these places....

so that's my simultaneous 3-step program. constantly reading, sporadically watching films, and perpetually planning trips. i'll let you know how it helps my curious case of restlessness :)

love/miss/namaste.

happy love-day

2009-02-14T11:53:00.002-06:00

i'm really glad i have wonderful friends, i am so thankful for my adorable parents, boston is the best dog in the entire world and my roomie is so amazing.

good things. good things. i'm feeling the love.

can you see right through me? i'm trying really hard not to be my usual v-day-hater self. especially because i am so blessed. my life is a gift from God, anything else i get is gravy.

my plans for the weekend:

- spa treatment with the roomski

- mani with my mommy

- going out on the town with roomie and friends :)

maybe i'll watch schindler's list...i did get it in my netflix today...

love/miss/namaste

10 truths.

2009-02-05T09:07:00.002-06:00

so ivy tagged me AGAIN :) and i have to list 10 truths about myself. which is ok because i have to write a facebook note listing 25, so i'll just have some overlapping information.

1. i want to have a lot of kids, probably brangelina-style. i've been thinking about that a lot lately.

2. i like singing - in the shower, in the car, in bars. i'm kind of shy about it because i don't want to be that girl who thinks she's good at singing and then everyone makes wide eyes behind her back because she's godawful. i know i'm not anything special, but i think i'm alright. i've always wished i could be a singer.

3. i am really good at impersonating people. sometimes i think i should audition for SNL.

4. i wish i was 3 inches shorter. i think short people are cute, not to mention lucky, because there are more guys that are a lot taller than them. and i like to feel small.

5. i hated reading in high school. the only book i think i read all the way through was A Tale of Two Cities (which i enjoyed) and in college, i hated reading even more (except my fashion textbooks, obviously). i felt like being rebellious because i hated being TOLD what to read. now i regret it and wish i was more of a reader.

6. i WISH i was cool enough to be a music and movie snob. i try, but i'm a poser.

7. i am embarrassed to say that i'm an only child because i'm scared that i fit the stereotype. i hate the stigma that goes along with it, i envy people who have siblings, and i HATE when i have to come out and say that i'm an only child to someone, and they go, "OOOOOOOOOH, i see."

8. it is really hard for me to just have a 'friend'. you're either one of my best friends, or you're an acquaintance. i am way too open with people and want to know everything about a person (and want them to know everything about me) to just have 'friends'. i would much rather have a few really really close friends (or small tight groups of friends) than have a ton of 'peeps'.

9. i think making out is super fun.

10. i don't take super good care of my teeth. sure, i brush them before i go to bed, but i'm not a regular flosser and sometimes i just gargle mouthwash or pop in some whitening gum in the mornings to fake it. scratch that, practically every morning. probably shouldn't have said that after disclosing #9. dumbass.

love/miss/namaste.

freaking february

2009-02-02T10:27:00.002-06:00

january was a flash. can we just skip right over to march? i am so not in the mood for february this year. this is the month when people get a little nuts and i don't like it one bit. never have.

sorry that was so short. i literally have nothing to report (as you can see from the previous post). maybe i'll get more interesting in the next few days....

love/miss/namaste.

check it out:

2009-01-29T15:40:00.002-06:00

have you ever had one single thought that turned into a million other thoughts, and then before you know it, you're thinking of something completely random? let me walk you through the last 30 seconds of my brain:

what should i write about in my blog today? there's absolutely nothing going on. i have zero plans tonight, which makes me kind of happy because earlier i almost had a panic attack thinking i had plans that i forgot about (but then peacefully recalled that i didn't). oh well - i'll probably eat the rice i made at lunch today for dinner along with some red vino (KH and i made stir fry last night and had leftovers for lunch, we didn't have enough rice so i made more, resulting in double leftover rice). i absolutely love red wine, i could drink it every day. i love rice too. in asia, they make rice wine - which is sake. mmm, sake bombs are the best. it was so fun when we had them at sushi sake a couple of weeks ago. kona grill has really cheap sake bombs during happy hour! i love that they have a reverse happy hour - that's really convenient for the frugal folks like me who like to go home and have a rest after work before venturing out. which is why i'm excited about the reverse happy hour we're going to tomorrow night at Sangria. hopefully i will still get to go, my car did not start this morning so i need to get it fixed tomorrow. i could write about that, but it will probably just make me look dumb because i know nothing about cars and it's probably my fault it broke. man, i hope i get to try Sangria's sangria. we drank it at fireside pies (delicious) just before we saw the fray on monday night. oh i dearly love the fray. alas, i've already written about them in my previous post. sigh.

and there you have it. 30 seconds in my brain starting with having no plans, ending with the fray...again. sorry - no new material. but if you want, you can check out the other blog i created that is not about my personal life at all! it's about cool things instead.

this may be more interesting...

love/miss/namaste.

the fray = the best

2009-01-27T10:24:00.002-06:00

ok, obviously not the ultimate best. i can't ever say what my all-time fav band is just yet. but the fray is definitely up there. KH and i saw them at the house of blues last night and it rocked our world. we went out to a little place on henderson called fireside pies, split a pizza and drank some sangria and then went to the hob - such a fun date night ;) and a musical treat to our eager ears.

if you don't like the fray (i will fight you), or haven't heard much of them (which is highly unlikely), i want to tell you why i love them. and they have a new album which comes out on feb 3. you have probably heard their new single "you found me" - which is an incredible song. KH heard them discussing it's meaning on kissFM yesterday and it really blew us away.

the song is speaking to God - and it's the touching on the question that all people of faith probably ask at least one point in their lives: "why do really bad things happen to good people? why do we suffer?" it's a question that i'm sure people who don't believe ask too, but in a different way. i highly encourage you to read or watch an interview with isaac slade and the rest of the band when they discuss the lyrics to this heartwrenching track:

i found god on the corner of 1st and amistad

where the west was all but won

all alone, smoking his last cigarette

i said, "where you been?"

he said, "ask anything."

where were you when everything was falling apart?

all my days spent by the telephone that never rang

all i needed was a call that never came to the corner of 1st and amistad

lost and insecure, you found me

you found me lying on the floor, surrounded

surrounded, why'd you have to wait?

where where you? where were you?

just a little late, you found me

you found me

but in the end, everyone ends up alone

losing her, the only one that's ever known who i am, who i'm not and who i wanna be

no way to know how long she will be next to me

lost and insecure, you found me

you found me lying on the floor, surrounded

surrounded, why'd you have to wait?

where were you? where were you?

just a little late, you found me

you found me

early morning, the city breaks

i've been calling for years and years and years and years

and you never left me no messages

you never send me no letters

you've got some kind of nerve, taking all of our......

lost and insecure, you found me

you found me lying on the floor, surrounded

surrounded, why'd you have to wait?

where were you? where were you?

just a little late, you found me

you found me, why'd you have to wait

to find me?

KH said that in the interview, "amistad" is a reference to God as our first friend (amistad means friendship). while God will always find you, at times he waits. but never to "teach us a lesson" or let us suffer because of anything we've done - this is just the world we live in. it was once a pure and sinless place, but we let satan get the best of us and the world stopped being perfect. but something satan didn't account for was the better place God's preparing, where everything will be right, darkness can't touch us. and we are able to see small glimpses of heaven in this world, giving us hope.

i've been a little emo lately. can you tell? maybe i'm losin' it?

seriously, though. tell me what you think about this song. i love discussions of a spiritual or musical nature. when they combine - i get happy.

love/miss/namaste.

unfaithful.

2009-01-26T09:41:00.002-06:00

KH and i took a road trip to Austin this weekend. it was SO nice to be back, i hadn't been since September 21st. one thing i realized about myself was that i am an austin snob. some people are music snobs, some are movie snobs...but i, my friends, am a HUGE austin snob. here's why:

- i believe austin is the best city there is. if you try to tell me otherwise, i will fight you. in a cage. to the death.

- i hate going to places like Chili's when i'm there. that's lame. freaking go to trudy's or you're stupid. or magnolia cafe. or kerbey lane. or blue star cafe. or anything...but chili's.

- there is no dress code. austin is one of the most inspiring places, fashionably speaking, yet "what you wear" or "who you wear" in austin is not something that defines you or puts you in a specific group. there is no uniform there. austin fashion is simply a reflection of your character and what inspires you as a unique person. that's why i love fashion - and that's why i love austin.

- there are always people outside. there is always something to do. whether you're shopping on south congress, biking around townlake, running in a half marathon (or just trying to navigate around roped off streets due to marathons - like me), you always see people out and about. the city is BUSTLING. it is bustling, people.

- there is just something about that tower that makes my heart melt.

and the list goes on and on....but that's just a glimpse of my snobbish tendencies (i know you know what i'm talking about). and since i've moved to dallas and fallen in love with this city too, i feel like i'm cheating. i literally feel like i am being unfaithful to the city who raised me, who nurtured me and grew me into the woman i am right in this moment. i'm being unfaithful to the place where i made some of the best friends i will ever have - the place where friendships turned into lifelong love affairs. the place where i first fell in love with a boy and experienced that can't breathe, can't sleep, can't-live-without-you feeling. the place where i found MY jesus - the one who lives in my heart. i'm cheating on the place where i learned to be a grown up so that i had the capability to move and start a career. i am eternally indebted to the wonderful gifts that austin, texas has given me the past 5 years.

[so, austin, i'm sorry for leaving. forgive me for being unfaithful. i do love dallas, but this place will never replace you. i'll come home someday, promise.]

love/miss/namaste.

playing catch-up:

2009-01-22T12:00:00.004-06:00

let's see, what's new with me?

i cut my bangs (i did it myself, very tedious work).

i like having bangs because i almost feel like i'm hiding behind them. which is nice sometimes.

i also have orange hands again, thanks to mysticing myself. oh well.

things in dallas are really nice. my roomie and i are having a ball, we've been visiting new places and meeting new faces. rhyming as we go.

i suppose one thing i could talk about is the fact that due to these tough economic times, i am so lucky to have a job. let's hope i still have one in 30 days.

KH and i are going to see the Fray on monday at the house of blues...very exciting! we like to go on dates with each other :)

SHIVONNE & CHRIS came to visit this weekend and it was so fantastic! i got to meet the english boy who's stealing her away, and i gotta admit, he's pretty cool. KH and i made a mexican fiesta (the first time chris had ever had enchiladas - and KH's are the BOMB) and we had margaritas and played some GH World Tour. we went to a lovely brunch at taverna on sunday before they headed out to the lubb. bottomless bellinis...yum! all in all, that chris is top notch in my book. i may fold myself up in shiv's suitcase and hitch a ride down under...

since this blog ain's SO public, i suppose i can speak candidly about my current situation. that situation being heartbreak - which sucks, by the way. i feel sort of like i'm slowly suffocating - like i can pretend it's not there if i want to, but then it grabs hold of me and i lose my breath. i'm just glad i have some really great friends to lean on, and i know that i'm not alone.

love/miss/namaste.

new post soon, promise.

2009-01-13T22:54:00.002-06:00

i really do like this blog...it's just sometimes i forget i have it.

i promise to write in it more. if not for my friends to read, then for my own outlet to express the crazy in my brain :)

update on me:

Dallas is lovely. i've pieced together a map of the city (taped together on my dining room table) and made a list of all the places i want to go here. i will never be bored. i'm determined.

Fossil is marvelous. still loving the work - so lucky.

more to come...

love/miss/namaste.

tagging? what? i'm confused.

2008-12-19T18:54:00.002-06:00

ok, so i am not quite sure what this whole thing means...but here is the 4th photo from the 4th "event" (i don't have albums, my photos are divided into events on iphoto) on my computer:

no lie. this is actually the photo.

and now to explain myself: this was taken during last christmas break when brady and i were on one of our many drives back and forth to austin/arlington/hamilton etc. i decided it would be entertaining to wrap my scarf around my head and pose as a ninja to scare brady as he was driving. it was less scary and mostly ridiculous.

this past weekend was AMAZING. expect some crazy photos to be posted on facebook :)

love/miss/namaste.