Just Doodlin’

The Oh Oh Overload

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You know this time of the year is a magical time. The leaves turn, the nights get longer, people are a little nicer (to your face)… and the Lauren is always stuck in the office missing these previously mentioned things.

I have been so busy these last few weeks that I actually have dreaded taking the days off I had previously planned. This Friday I plan on not going to work and I plan to celebrate my birthday, so I need to figure out how to make a whole new day somewhere in between that can be filled with work. I think if anyone can do it… it could be me. I would like to call it Blergsday. I am in need of a Blergsday miracle.

I have work up to my eyeballs, no one wants to Wang Chung with me, and some people at my work are even gossiping about me (for real). This basically means, I’m too awesome for them to handle. And their lives are really really boring. Trying to deal with all of this while simultaneously trying to figure out if I found the lid to my pot.. is really stressful!

Any who I also have to admit that I actually had to do something even more terrifying to make sure I don’t neglect my blog, my birthday,  my doodle time, the holiday I created about my friend Isabel, and my other responsibilities. I made a calendar with a drawing matrix and scheduled events. I this I just made making doodles a  professional commitment… how is this happening to me? How is it you can get so busy you have to schedule in fun? Is this real life?

 

 

♥Lauren
Also shout out to my brother and sister-in-law. I haven’t heard from either of you for what feels like forever. I hope your vacation was awesome. And I ♥ you all.

Every Pot has it’s Lid

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So many people who know me know I like funny things… and that includes funny people.

My love of 2012, Amy Poehler has inspired me in so many ways this year, and although she herself has had a trying year. She just keeps making things better for everyone.

She has these really great videos for girls, and she sincerely gives stellar advice. But good advice is really just good advice, so have a watch right here:

In this video, after I dried my tears on the closest carpet samples. I realized Amy shared a really beautiful saying in the video.

“Every Pot has a lid.”

every. single. pot.

Now I know this saying is probably old fashioned and directed from grandmothers to girls they deemed spinsters at 21. But as a girl who usually feels like a unicorn trying to board Noah’s Ark, I totally get it. And someday when looking through the mounds of mismatched lids, I will find one that works. I think everybody will. So needless to say, I found this saying really wonderful. It’s sweet and I think it makes a really cute doodle:

And remember one more thing that I have learned from Amy that is so, so important:

“No one looks stupid when they’re having fun.”

– Amy “the love of my 2012” Poehler

Go out in the world and be wonderful.

♥Lauren

The Fortress of Solitude

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I have been having a bad time at work. Because I haven’t been being myself or being honest. I have not been giggles and Wang Chung. I was being the person I thought everyone would rather me be, and I was making myself miserable.

Yesterday, I found out that even though you make situations really bad, it can all be fixed. And sometimes that person you think hates everything about you, doesn’t really… just some where your words and actions got lost in translation and made things worse than they ever had to be. And sometimes you can’t choose how important certain people are to you, and although it can really suck. It can also be really awesome sometimes…

Anyways, last week and yesterday until lunch I really just wanted to be alone… Because 6 personalities in 1,000  S.F.  (that is including a bathroom and storage) is very hard to deal with. Especially when you are fighting with 1/5 of the people you work with.

I contemplated working in a more secluded spot… so logically I thought working in the Fortress of Solitude could really work out for me:

But alas… we couldn’t figure out how to link up the phone with all those large ice crystals. And, I don’t think I would have survived very well in solitary confinement. and none of my coworkers agreed with this doodle.

Here are the reactions of my coworkers:

Dab: “That’s such a freaking lie! I just don’t see that working out for you”

Professional: “I think it wouldn’t be solitary for very long. Actually you are the only person who could probably unsolitude the fortress of solitude”

Amber just knowingly giggled.

I guess I should probably invest in a batcave… especially if I can be there with Joseph Gordon Levitt.

 

Today was a good day. I hope you had a good one too.

♥Lauren

Burning Questions about Cracker Night

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Today is Monday and since I live in California there is nothing special happening except I’m working on my new website/store/superpavillion for the most awesome things on the whole internet!

I wonder if I was in England or Australia if today would be more exciting? True story, my mind is effectively not in my office or even in my country at all, but approximately 5600 miles and 7400 miles respectively. And my head is boggled by a holiday supposedly celebrated in these countries, Guy Fawkes Day/Cracker Night.

If anyone can answer any of the following questions I would be eternally grateful.

Do you really celebrate it?

Do you really call it Cracker night?

Do you wear fancy clothes or V for Vendetta masks around town?

Do you eat crackers (the baked good) while watching firecrackers?

Do you really burn things in effigy?

I know I could google my answers… But  I’m kind of against google searching right now, as I think it is too easy of an out to not think things through or really investigate an answer. I’m far too guilty of googling things I want to know but don’t want to think about, and I’m putting a stop to it. So if you are out there and can help my brain thoughts… please give me a shout out. I’m just an girl in the world… who really wants to know the truth about Guy Fawkes day.

CRUNCH CRUNCH. CRACKER NIGHT

♥LAUREN

Where is my mind?

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I have been very scattered lately. I have all these ideas floating around on loose leaf paper, and post-it notes. I have accumulated so many of these scraps my desk at work and at home is beginning to look like I’m starring in a remake of “Memento.”

I actually even have physical post-it notes on my phone. and they are written on front and back. I am aware of them every time I pull my phone out… because as many people have told me they make apps that negate my use of actual post-its. But lets just be honest, if I have to click around on a screen to find this graphic post it note… I’m not going to remember it if I’m in a rush. And true story I have digital post-its on that program from May, and those things are still incomplete.

No problem in 3 months I’ll be wondering what I meant by “incandescent toboggan” and your digital reminder will be lost to the world…

You may be saying to yourself right now… why are you having a traffic jam of thoughts in your imagination? And I will tell you, I have let myself get busy. I tell myself that if I get it half done I can finish it later. And later just isn’t showing up. I’m so stressed at work my hair is graying, and I find myself nearly passing out from exhaustion at 7:30. Yes 7:30, I can barely make it past the time the elderly are watching Wheel of Fortune. Also trying to figure out the business end of all the projects I’m trying to start right now is also killing my brain. I realize the reason I didn’t go into business is because I frankly find it confusing. Numbers and marketing? No thanks, I just want to bust out some of my thoughts with the free crayons I got at lunch.

And they are freaking crayola’s… FOR FREE. I FEEL LIKE I JUST WON PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE OF CHILDISH ART SUPPLIES!!!! In my day they would just give you those knock off really waxy crayons… kids these days are all about the name brand.

The only thing that has been calming me the last few art-less days is listening to music. However now my imagination is mixing with the sweet sweet melodies and the next thing I know I am preoccupied with my ideas again, and then out comes another sheet of paper, another post-it. And the vicious cycle continues. You can’t comprehend how much I don’t want to be looking at these ceiling plans and renderings. They are trying to consume me with their evil stringent rules and budgets.

Anytime my coworkers have talked to me in the last few days they first have to break me from the spell of Joy Division, New Order or Of Monsters and Men to get in a word to my brain… and even then it’s questionable if I can soak in what they are telling me. My brain is lost in the music:

Tonight I vow that I will make time for my artistic needs. Hopefully this will clear up my brain so I can get more done for the big Friday rush. And seriously… does anyone have a post it? I have this great idea about a…

♥ Lauren

Halloween Greetings

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Happy Halloween everybody!

I am a usual merrymaker so I of course love a holiday where I can dress like a superhero and eat candy until I pass out.  Also I’m a big dork who still likes to dress up and pile her hair until I feel like I can rival the natural glow of a young brunette Dolly Parton. Earlier in the Halloween season I went around with my good friend Nancy and we dressed up as everyday people:

Here we are dressed as Pinup Wonder Woman and the World’s sexiest Fire Fighter. Our everyday heroes.

Tonight I find myself dressed like the world’s shortest amazon, yep I finally had no excuse to reveal my real identity of Wonder Woman. Not a surprise to my readers as I already shared earlier this year that my work has practically made me a Wonder Woman.

And since I went out on Friday and Saturday, let’s just be honest… I am a little too lazy to go out on a Wednesday. Especially because one of these days… I’m going to get to work on time. So I got to have the joy of passing out candy to tiny children dressed like a rainbow of princesses and a myriad of video game/cartoon characters. They were adorable, and yes I was judging children on their manners.  I was thrilled when a this one Red Riding Hood told me to “have a lovely holiday.” I was quite taken with her, she was top on the list of what I hope my children do someday in the future, you know when I get around to baby-ing. And quite candidly I was totally shocked by a little boy who was dressed like Woody from Toy Story wanted to give up his life with his parents and move in with me. Frankly, I have a feeling his parents need to worry about how much he liked a girl in red lipstick and big hair giving him candy. He just walked into my house like he belonged there, his mother said “I think you have a friend.” And I nearly took him to watch the episode of 30 rock that was rolling on my tv. I mean I was running out of time for all this trick or treating stuff…. Tina Fey was all up on my television being fey-licious.

And oh yes, let’s get to the doodle. Now that we discussed the reverse kidnapping, and future child manners that happened earlier tonight…

Remember if you get into any sexy mishaps… we’re there on the double to rescue you from dangerous sexy things. That is quite possibly the worst slogan ever.

 

I hope that you find yourself out in the world tonight having fun and enjoying the holiday of mischief and merrymaking. But don’t stop tonight… tomorrow looks great for mischief too.

♥Lauren

Doodler’s Anonymous

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So the Professional moratorium on my mischief has not been successful. Telling me that I have to be good is like asking me to be bad. And it’s totally my own fault, I give into the temptation of me.

So anyways as certainly as my cubicle neighbor has a Gangnam problem, I have a problem with the good old paper and pen. I just realized I have nearly filled my 2012 doodle sketchbook. that is 176 pages front and back… and 1-4 doodles per page side. I only have 7 pages left, and the front inner cover and back cover are already filled.

Hi I’m Lauren, and I have a doodling problem:

I would get help… but I’d rather just draw about it

♥Lauren

Crimes Against Professionalism

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Today I accidentally put the subject line as a CC:’d correspondent. This is a big problem, not just because the email would send me one of those undeliverable pings, and everyone would see my error… But because of the “Proclamation of Professionalism”

That means there is a “Professional” imposed  moratorium of my mischief at work while our new coworker acclimates to the environment, that means not mentioning the 3 Professional NoNo’s:

1. Oprah

2. Doodling/This website

3. No excess giggling, etc.

The lack of these 3 things totally activated the Lame-o-meter in my brain. So until I am released.. my next posts will be from professional prison. Where I spend my time whittling architectural scales, cleaning up the world’s filthiest kitchenette and of course singing rad 1980s/ early 90s songs (they can’t take those from me):

 Someday, I will be free again to doodle and cavort around… And then I shall sing “I wanna dance with somebody” for all the office to hear!

Until then… I will work on my underground doodles…

 ♥Lauren

It’s never too late… for lobsters

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Today I’m really excited because of several things.

-Being at work was a real dream today. I witnessed my coworkers get in a really heated conversation about religion, I somehow changed the subject to Greek Mythology… I got a lot of work done, and checked over. And did mention I sneaked in some creative moments while my computer over-reacted to life.

-Tonight, I eat clam chowder. And since the weather is a little crisper in California now than it usually is… this chowder is going to be a real treat.

– I am wearing a red leopard sweater that makes me feel like a million dollars! Which I got from Vintage Dreams… and I love it and I love Lucy, the owner of the store. Who earlier this year gave me some great advice about being worth more than the mess I found myself in at the time, and to “Never waste your prettiness on people who don’t deserve it”. I am eternally for those kind words, also I blush ♥.

-I get to see my bff in all her glory today, and she will have a plethora of pens to my notebook of paper. I hope we laugh so hard that we cry. And cry so hard we laugh, and eat candy… I could use some candy and a drink.

– Yesterday I received 3 books in the mail! 3 WHOLE TANGIBLE BOOKS!!!! Now I may not be Belle or anything like that, but I felt like singing when I saw that Amazon box sitting in my living room filled with leafy knowledge. I brought one of those books to work, and I feel like a queen.

– I was reminiscing about an art exhibit I saw early this year the California Modern Exhibit at LACMA and created a new goal for myself. To own an incredible swimsuit that has an incredible lobster on it. I would wear it all the time, and probably under my clothes so I can Superman into my lobster swimsuit when necessary…

“Is that a lake? I feel some swimming coming on”. *rips off dress to reveal lobster swimsuit, and proceeds to jump in water*

This could be a really cool thing actually…

And to my coworker that keeps calling me a lobster… I think this was inspired by you. Also I still don’t get why I am a lobster? Is there any reason for this?

And if I am a lobster because of a reference to “friends” you suck so much, that I cannot fully explain with words. Also you don’t really suck, I just don’t want to be that person’s “lobster” they are too much to deal with.

♥Lauren