lyric of the day

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

--Bob Dylan

thought of the day

How we live our days is...how we live our lives.  

--Annie Dillard

polyvore collage

So I found this website a while ago and I absolutely love it! Polyvore lets you make a digital collage--focussing on fashion, but you can upload your own images that you find on the web to make it even more personal and unique. Its a fun way to express yourself and not as messy as other artistic outlets, so have fun!

Me by hansi777 featuring Alexis Bittar jewelry

Here are two of mine.

Feminine Rock by hansi777 featuring Alexander McQueen shoes

thought of the day

What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know, except in so far as a certain knowledge must precede every action. The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do: the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die. ... I certainly do not deny that I still recognize an imperative of knowledge and that through it one can work upon men, but it must be taken up into my life, and that is what I now recognize as the most important thing.

--S.K.

my home design #1

One of my friends recently asked me what my home/design/decor style was...and I couldn't really articulate it--I feel like it varies based on what space I would be living in.  So I've begun a small series of my home inspirations, basically themes I like for where/how I want to live--once I can afford it.

Dream home pictures #1: Inspiration: Lofts...I love lofts with their huge spaces and vaulted ceilings and the idea of a huge blank canvas to build in walls wherever you want.  I love the huge windows and tons of light...and the juxtaposition of the smooth pillars, wood floors, and white walls verses the rustic brick walls and natural wood beams--I LOVE texture.  I also love the industrial ceilings where you can see all the electrical stuff*(technical word) and vents, etc.  Old town here I come...someday....close enough to the beach and yet, I'll get the NY lofty feel that I love.  In general, I love anything oversized, maybe because of my obsession with Alice in Wonderland, tangent, but anything humungous: a big mirror, huge painting, huge beams, a huge clock--I just think it looks neat, especially in such a vast space.  

Also, in general I have a pretty clean and simple approach to decor.  I don't like a lot of stuff(junk); it makes me feel claustrophobic.  I like pieces that make a statement or have a story (ie. huge/vintage).   

morning traffic report

I really don't understand why the radio traffic reporters seem so surprised by the traffic at Culver or the slowing on the 55N, or the 405 moving "at a snail's pace" every morning.  Is it really that surprising when you announce it every single morning?  It is at the very least entertaining listening to the shock and surprise that a regular and consistent slowing brings to the traffic reporter though.

Who needs talk radio when your local traffic reporter is so enthusiastic and entertaining!

car wash

In an effort to be more responsible/be an adult I decided to finally wash my car after months and months of neglect and barely so often a drive through car wash at the gas station, but needless to say my car has been dirty for close to a year, at least.  And when I said I washed my car, I meant the guys at the fancy car wash down the street washed my car--yes, I splurged on a 60-ish dollar car wash, but after a year of filth, I resolved that this was a good investment.  In an attempt to stay committed to my decision to be more responsible and take care of my car--essentially the vessel which carries my friends and I to various places near and far, I got suckered into purchasing a package deal, i.e. pay $100 now and get 6 car washes later.  I partially regret this $100 splurge, but I'd like to reframe it as an intelligent long-term investment.  Here's to car cleanliness!  

the good life

Sometimes I find it strange how impressionable I am, or maybe how easily God speaks to me through something as simple as a movie.  This evening I watched A Good Year with my mom and it reminded me how much I long for that life.  There is this strange deep yearning for a life filled with the simple joys and pleasures of good conversations, good food, good ambiance, good views, good stories, good times.  A bit slower than how I’ve grown up.  No expectations for equivalence or extravagance….just living life with people you love.  

This is a wine induced jot, either in a state of complete honesty at the core of my being or the projection of the idealization of the movie in my mind…either way, in this moment I think it might be the most wonderful thing to uproot my life for an adventure abroad, living in a villa on a vineyard in Provence.  There was something so inspiring, energizing after finishing that movie.  All I want to do is read, discuss human nature, life, God, etc. and lay by the pool all day, drink red wine and eat good cheese and walk around the vineyard at dusk, while hearing grandiose stories that could only in part be true, all the while French love songs serenading the soundtrack of my life. 

Salute to the Handsfree-Talker and Walker

Okay, so most people are generally annoyed by the "Hands-free talker and walker" who appears to be a crazy person talking to themselves and gesticulating to the air.  I find myself diligently searching for their tiny earpiece sometimes hidden by their hair to confirm...yes this is a normal person on their hands-free device talking to another human verses a crazy person or an alien that I should be wary of.  This morning I was pleasantly entertained by a hands-free-talker-woman at Starbucks who could have been uprooted and placed in a lecture hall or a at a podium giving some political speech and you would never have known the difference based on her air-preaching.  If there was a competition for hands-free talking, I would definitely nominate her.  The two minutes of waiting for my coffee was definitely an entertaining experience--I was captured and convinced of whatever she was talking about.  So, thank you hands-free-talker-walker-woman. 

The Bean

This morning I got called by name and asked what I wanted at my favorite coffee place, I've affectionately termed 'the bean' (the coffee bean).  There is something about being called by name, especially by someone you do not even know that makes you feel special.  I think deep down we all just want to be known, and this morning 'coffee bean guy' made me feel known.  Thank you mr. coffee bean guy!

god

Sometimes I forget who God is, who He has been to me, what I know to be true about Him.  Sounds a bit crazy.  If one knows God, how can one ever forget who He is.  Maybe its our own sinful nature, predisposition to disobedience, maybe that is what fogs our state of knowing.  When the world continues to encourage lies, which are perpetuated in our own minds.  ahhhh!  Please help, God.  Trust seems like a black and white type of thing, but it just turned grey and now I'm trying to figure out what the grey means, what to do with the grey, how to live in the grey, to trust in the midst of the grey.

Expectations

Growing up I always thought I would do something great, be someone amazing.  Here I am on the brink of my twenty-fifth year of life and feel as though I am not meeting these expectations.  Getting older is a humbling experience.  The thing is is that I don't want to die to these expectations.  I've decided that I am going to be a do-er.  

Evil Tongue

I find myself having difficulty loving people well--without getting too personal or ranty (yes this is a word, because I just made it up) I've been confronted with some interesting ideas lately--thanks God.  

First, I get this weekly e-mail from GOOP (a.k.a Gwyneth Paltrow, www.goop.com), which is kind of amazing.  I thought this was a cool article about gossip and talking evil about others--I don't agree with everything but there are some good thought provoking nuggets in here so I had to share.  I especially liked what Cynthia Bourgeault and the Zen Master had to say.   Read on.  http://www.goop.com/newsletter/30/

Also, I've been going through Romans and came across this verse 12:9-21, along the same thread. Things Lauren will be contemplating: how does God want me to love people?  how can I love people better?, how can I love people well?, how do I love the people I find difficult to love?

thoughts?

Room #1

I'm going to dive into this blog beginning with a bit of self discovery...I've been waiting to be inspired and it finally hit me--yea!  Recently a friend was over at my house and asked me if I had just moved in.  Perplexed, I said no and informed them that I had lived there for about a year.  Then my friend commented on how sparse and disheveled my room was.  I had never really thought of my room as disheveled, but then I began looking around making mental notes: pile of clothes on desk-thing, bags upon bags in the "bag corner", stacks of books along side of bed, papers/bills/magazines on top of dresser, paintings/etc. to be hung on walls.....hmmm....

Once I really began to take in the disarray that is my room it was overwhelming.  Maybe I had just gotten used to the piles and the the messes here and there.  What I really need is storage for this stuff.  If all of the stuff had somewhere to go, my room would actually look clean!  My bags for sure need a home.

Goal #1:  Bag management (ikea, T.J. Maxx???)

Also, my room feels kinda barren, sterile, not really me, just a bunch of stuff and blank walls.

Goal #2:  Create a space that is more me.  

Before Pictures: coming soon!