Monday Mingle!

Hi guys! I'm back after my two week hiatus! Exciting stuff ahead though (at least I hope it's exciting....I was excited) so stay tuned. It's Monday Mingle time now though, so pop on over to EightyMPHmom and visit Jen and the rest of the mingle folks! I'm going to go ahead and apologize in advance for how long mine is...I just got really excited. :) Password as always, is: misadventure. Enjoy! (And thank you Vimeo for choosing a frame in which I look like I'm about to sneeze. That's so attractive. *eye roll*)



Untitled from Lauren on Vimeo.

Why My Life Rocks Right Now

Alright.  So as I'm sure you all realize by now from reading my incessant whining less upbeat posts, I've had a few rough patches over the last year.  Well not right now my friends.  Not.now.

Reason #1
I'm an avid fan of Project Runway.  LOVE me some PR.  Last week they had the Campbell Soup aDress Your Heart challenge (and yes, the "a" is little...I'm not just dumb) and had some really cute dresses.  Well, I went to go see how much they were selling the limited run of the winning dress for, and saw they were auctioning off the rest as well.  ...  I totally WON ONE!  The one I really liked too, AND a total bonus, it'll probably fit me just fine.  Maybe a little alteration needed, but it's not a size 4, and neither am I.  :)  So in 4 to 6 weeks this is going to arrive at my door:

*shoes and attitude not included*

I just loved it.  I think it's so retro and cute.  :)  Can't wait to see it in person!  And for the record, this woman totally rocked the dress, and part of me is sad that the participants didn't get to keep the dresses made for them.  But I'll wear it proudly!

Reason #2
So I've always wanted to participate in one of those murder mystery parties.  I think it would be so much fun.  My inner Harriet the Spy really wants the chance to solve a mystery.  Well.  Come to find out my town does a city-wide murder mystery every year, and the local businesses who want to participate get to have one employee represent them as a suspect.  Guess who got to represent this year?  Yup, I did!  AND, guess who was the killer?  Yup, ME!  Me and my "half-sister" in the game.  We were the Gruesome Twosome.  :)  And this year the game was set in 1944, so to look the part (and have an opportunity to shamelessly post pictures of myself) I had this lovely getup:

I got everything but the hat for $22 at the thrift store.  And also, I think pin curls are my new best friend. :)  There is going to be a picture in the local paper of me and my "sister" handcuffed by the sheriff, lol.  My mother is so proud.  ;)

Reason #3
I'M GOING TO THE OLYMPICS!!!  For not really being much of a sports fan, I live for the Olympic games.  I was born during the summer games of '84 and I haven't missed watching any yet.  A fact I'm quite proud of.  I have always, *always* wanted to go to an Olympic games.  Really, I'd like to be an athlete (feel free to laugh at me, it's ok), but just going to be part of the experience is something I've really wanted.  Thanks to my good friend Autumn (*waves* Hi Autumn!), I get to go this year.  Am I excited?  #@$! yes I'm excited!  She wound up with an extra ticket and called to ask if I wanted go.  I was practically packed before she got the sentence out.  I was, in fact, ready a month early (story on that some other time), so I've gotten all worked up and excited twice now, lol.  You can be sure there will be TONS of pictures, and I will try to keep good notes so I can come back and tell all of you how freakin' awesome it was.  Vancouver here I come!!!  :D

Writer's Workshop

Alrighty.  Like I sometimes do, I am participating in this weeks Writer's Workshop brought to you by the lovely Mama Kat.  The name of the game is you choose from a list of prompts (either one, a couple, or heck, all of 'em if you're feeling ambitious) and write about it.  The prompt I chose this week is:

A List of Dos and Don'ts

Do....
- make dumb jokes even if you think they aren't funny.  Chances are you'll brighten someone's day.  :)
- dance to the song on the radio.  Especially if you're at work.  (Provided you won't get reprimanded...but who would yell at you for dancing?)
- make snow angels whenever you get the chance.
- exercise.  You'll feel better.  (That's more to myself than anyone, lol)
- send your friends cards randomly.  Everyone loves snail mail that isn't a bill!
- dress up.  Just because.
- stick up for your guilty pleasures.  (Ha, I should list those.  But I'd like to keep you all as my friends...sooo)
- eat tomatoes with mayo on toast.  Weird.  But so good.
- find yourself a pair of footie pajamas.  You'll feel so awesome.  Mine are Cat in the Hat.  :)
- have a place you go no one knows about but you.
- put your music on shuffle and see what happens.
- write a story for the sake of writing.
- go visit the friends on my blogroll!  They're all amazing!

Don't....
- wear so much perfume you choke those around you.  It's one thing to smell nice, it's another to asphyxiate the people you come in contact with.
- complain that necessities are so expensive, and then go to the casino/bar/arcade/what have you and spend your paycheck.  That is a big shot to your credibility.
- think that just because there is snow on the ground it is an open invitation to park where/however you feel like.  You are still sharing space with other people, be courteous.
- think that your small contributions to the world aren't effective.  Every little bit is important.
- sneeze with a face mask on.  Trust me.
- get in a shopping cart and think someone isn't going to take off pushing you on a ride of terror.
- decide that buying a bunch of new clothes and putting it on the credit card is a good idea.  Eventually that card is going to want money, and that is a very, very sad day when the bad idea realization kicks in.
- be afraid to be spontaneous!
- make fun of people that can run faster than you.
- forget the little things.


This is probably the most random, spazmatic post I've written, lol.  But anyway, those are my lists!  (Or the start to them anyway.  Oh, and by the way, spell check tried to correct spazmatic to spermatic....um, no, not what I wanted at all.  Thanks but no thanks.)

Have a great day guys!

Memoir Monday: The Gulf

Hidey ho everyone!  This week I thought I'd try participating in Memoir Monday again, brought to you by my buddy Travis.  This week he's doing photo memoirs!  WOOT!  Which makes it super-easy for me, cause I have tons of pictures.  And I'm lazy.  It's a win-win.  So here is the picture I chose to share with you today:

I don't have some epic, exciting story really to go with it, but here's what it is.  When I was on tour with Montana Rep, we went all over the country.  This particular picture is from my first visit to the Gulf of Mexico.  Clothes laying on the sand as I ran out and splashed in the dark ocean waters with my friends very late at night.  And no, it was not skinny dipping, lol, I was under-dressed with my swimsuit, but I thought the cast-off clothing and heart in the sand was a nice picture to remind me of that evening.

Go visit Travis and check out all the other photo-memories from around the blogosphere!  Happy Monday!

Photos!

In my haste yesterday driving in to pay my student loans (don't you just love student loans?  I just love them.  They rock my face off.**) I got absolutely pulled into the moment by this landscape.  It reminded me of some mystical fantasy land.  I was so taken by it, in fact, that even though I was pushing getting in by closing time, I stopped on the highway to take some pictures.

It's these moments that make me glad I live where I do.  How many people get to see this driving in to work?  :)  I hope you guys enjoyed them too!

**Please note that this whole sidenote is absolute DRIPPING with sarcasm.  Loans in general are the bane of my existence.

Just another day

And here we go again, trudging along with another week.  And it has been trudging,  hasn't it?  Or is that just me?

Dear Mother with Both Literal and Figuratively Sticky-Fingered Children:
I am sorry for you.  I am.  I don't like to have to follow your children around and make sure they don't hide things in their pockets.  I am even more grateful that you are very kind and understanding about this, and try your best to keep an eye on them as they run in 17 different directions and you're trying to just get what you came in for.  You are a stronger woman than I.  I wish you much luck.

Dear Older Gentleman with Elf Ears:
Noticing this today really made me smile.  And you were so kind too.  I always knew you existed.  Never had a doubt.

Dear Vodka Man:
I am sorry to refer to you by that but I do not know your name.  I really do enjoy when you come in.  You are always so cheerful.  Some folks don't feel the same, but you are always welcome to come talk to me.  And your jokes today?  Totally worth it.  Laughed for a good 5 minutes.

Dear Fellow Who Said He Was Just Trying to Make Everyone's Day:
You did.  Job well done sir!  :)

To My Lovely MM ladies:
I will probably not be around until late tonight or Wednesday.  Sorry!  Monday and Tuesday are just horrifically long days for me.  I love you all!