Happy Tang-iversary!

This weekend was all about Mother’s and such. So shout out to all you mothers out there (that made me feel like I was on TRL). But this weekend also held other precious events like the 30th birthday of the most darling of all Nancy’s.

So today I will share with you 10 awesome facts about Nancy:

1. She is the master of buffets, this girl knows about eating all the delicious foods while still eating ample servings of vegetables, fruits and the incredibly necessary cake.

2. There is no one else I could imagine being fake engaged to on Facebook but her… we like when people congratulate us.

3. Nancy always fights for her rights. Every time there is something that just isn’t right, Nancy will be there with rationality and spicy anger. She is like a Magical Tangier Avenger. If she were a super heroine I think her name would actually be “The Tangy Avenger”

4. When we combine our artistic powers together we either get the best thing ever… or the most terrifying project you have ever seen. There is no middle ground. And no I cannot post pictures of our creations due to an agreement with Nancy, but I can say it does have giraffes.

5. She is a third degree Toast Master. She even as a Toastmaster made a speech about toast, while wearing a toast pin. That is like the matrix of toasts…

6. She is one of the funnest people to giggle around the world with. We were so famously giggle-glued to each other in college that people would interchangeably confuse us.

7. Sometimes if you convince her, she wears color… lately she’s been like a primary color dream.

8. She has no problem being a goof. Please refer to the picture of her in a Mickey Mouse hat holding a dinosaur in the sidebar of this site.

9. She wins awards like crazy. One of the awards she won was being the best project partner I had in school. I think she may be more proud about her work awards though.

10. Nancy may be a psychic because she always has things figured out before anybody else. (Also see #3, because this may be her secret power).

There are so many other rad things to add about Nancy, but I do not want to incriminate anybody. Especially myself. Rock on Tang-a-lang! And have the best birthday week ever!

♫Lauren

World Domination with Extra Cheese… Please

The title of this post is kind of verging on Evil Steve Urkel territory. But don’t worry there is none of that Stefan Urquelle stuff happening here. I just woke up this morning brimming with confidence and purpose. I even blasted through getting ready this morning because the world was just waiting for…. ME!!!!!!!!!! (That was my best Elle Wood’s scream, btw.)

But by the time I got to work after encountering every red light, (and some extra lights I think the city stuck into the roads today…) I had lost that spark, and for about .002 seconds I was totally lost. And then a new desire now coursed through my veins:

Tonight… there will be pizza!
♫Lauren

Missfit VS the Boys Club

I am a little weird. I am 26, I like to listen to Phil Collins at work, I am pop culture obsessed, I can talk in song titles (shout out to Jen & Tonic), and I have a cubicle that can rival the childishness of any Pixar employee. Problem is I don’t work for Pixar. I work in the “real world” and the “real world” is not like that Matchbox 20 music video with the same name.

The real world is kind of serious, and also has stupid social rules. Like no limbo-ing during the 9-5. Or actually maybe just my office. It’s such a boys club up in this office that it’s very obvious that sometimes me and the Amber just don’t really get what’s happening.

I think our new sashes demonstrate this:

I think there is nothing we can do except create an X-Men like community… I’m going to say I want to be Jubilee she gets a yellow jacket.
♥ and Lollipops,
Lauren

Unexpected Meatloaf

Today’s doodle is a part of the great things I have written down series. So the following may be a little weird:

Sometimes I let my mind wander… and it comes up with slightly off stories that make complete sense to me. Like, “unexpected meatloaf”. You could just imagine it… walking into a church and it’s pews being made of meatloaf, or winning a brand new car and finding out its really just car shaped meatloaf, or going to the County Fair and seeing the “Tunnel of Loaf”.

I think you get the idea.

Here is the doodle that sprung from this thought:

But really we shouldn’t stop there…Since this meatloaf was unexpected… what would have been my original intentions to go to a well. What would I need that water for? What if I was getting that water to make a refreshing drink and all I got was meatloaf?

When life hands you meatloaf:

And then my mind wandered to who would drink this concoction? Who do I know that likes both meatloaf and lemonade mixed drinks this much? Oh yes the only person who would drink meatloaf lemonade, the Professional:

This is so loafy!

And that is my brain thought for today, and also this is a really clear explanation of why my note taking for future doodles doesn’t always make sense.

♥ and Lollipops,
Lauren

STOP! Drawing Time!

I’ve been feeling a little scattered lately. My thoughts are racing, and I cannot even keep up with the ideas that I have swirling around in my noggin. So I keep telling myself, just write down your ideas in a clear manner and you can make the doodles later…

Then I look at my paper and it’s riddled with these half thought mysteries like: “Lobster show” or “that weird thingy” or “Snuffleupagus” and I have no idea what I was supposed to draw that was at the time so very awesome.

So I have learned that when I want to draw something I should stop everything I’m doing and draw. Just. Stop. Everything. This is great for doodles, but it may affect my work/life quality:

I hope I never want to draw something when I’m driving.

♫Lauren

Corny Jokes with Lauren: Vol. 1

Oh, hey there internet!
Happy First day of May. I’m sure everyone was enjoying all those Justin Timberlake jokes about “it’s going to be May.” But now that we are firmly planted in May… I think we all need a chance to have a highly specific giggle about an 1980s Pop/Rock group “Hall and Oates.”

And yes, just in case you were wondering I’m taking that joke on my new comedy tour called “Things only I find funny”…

Wait, Daryl Hall is totally into this joke too:

It's so true... hahaha. *clap clap*
-- Daryl Hall
photo by: by Matthew Becker

Change that tour title to “Things that Daryl Hall and I think are funny.”

Also here’s the song because I assume you are singing it by now anyways:

♫Lauren

Settling is for Pioneers

When people tell me their goals, plans, and dreams I get so excited… I root for them in secrecy. I am like a “Bring It On” cheer squad in my imagination for other people. I want to believe that if someone believes in you, you can do anything. And then it happens…somewhere down the road they tell me they are just not going to obtain that goal… so they are just going to file it away in a file cabinet of broken dreams.

There is something about that moment when someone else gives up on a dream that makes me really bummed. I want to shake them, and tell them all sorts of sayings about never giving up on anything you really want. Like Kirsten Dunst, when she tells that girl that the cheer team may not be gymnastics but the glory of cheer-leading is worth it. And because in my small view of the world, I think that giving up on things that could cause you incredible joy is what makes people bitter and sad down the road. And maybe, just maybe you will become a rodeo star, or make that piece of art, or save up the money for that thing you desperately want. If you do… there may be no one happier than me to see you get it.

I’m beginning to understand that this is my problem. Sometimes people evaluate what’s important in their lives and maybe the goal is on a completely different level than where they want to end up. And you know what, that is okay. But what I want to stress, I suppose is to make sure it’s because you that chose to shut that down that dream/goal, and not because someone else in your life is telling you that you can’t/shouldn’t obtain your goals. No one else should make you feel guilty for having dreams. I think I got a little specific there. And I just want to say I’m not really great with motivation (I’m no Kirsten Dunst here), but no one wants to be on the Oregon Trail with minimal oxen and malaria… if you know what I mean.

Keep your dreams alive.

♥ and lollipops,
♫Lauren

30 Rock, Chicken and my inner Princess

Today I will keep this posting brief… I have been up to my eyes in work today. So that is approximately 4’8″ of work.

Anyways, I found out that this week it is National Princess week. This new holiday is sponsored by Target, Disney and Julie Andrews. 3 of America’s favorite corporations. And then I thought about how people would celebrate a week devoted to channeling your inner princess. I figured I would be dressed by birds, showered with flowers, be hassled by winsome suitors, and be wary of the fruit I ingest. But that is actually not that different from the other weeks in the year…

So everyone out there, celebrate your inner Princess, or Gaston, or Meeko the racoon! I’m going to go watch 30 rock, and eat chicken!

♥ and Lollipops,
Lauren

The Grouchy Professional

So today I was being very good in the office, working on all the right things, saving and cross referencing all that I have to do… basically being an angel, okay. And then a certain coworker that I may have made into a meme comes on in, and is not so chipper. Being that I rode into work today on a unicorn of cheerfulness and good tidings. I thought I could do a little Lauren-y humor with him. And then I found out that much like a children’s story about a cantankerous coccinellidae I need to make an allegorical story about being grumpy… that brings me to today’s doodle. BTW this is not specific in anyway or is about any one of my coworkers:

or maybe it is.

The moral of the story is don’t be grumpy with the girl who knows Photoshop.

So everyone else out there in the big old internet, I hope you are having a lovely day. And if not… just make sure you don’t peeve a girl who can make a doodle of you in 30 seconds flat.
♫Lauren

P to the S: He’s not so grumpy now that he’s full of the lunch. But still the doodle is done… if you know what I mean.