doodles

Oodles of Isabel on her 28th Birthday!

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This is my second post of the day.

Can you believe the best day ever has 2 parts? And this post is dedicated to the one and only Isabel.

And of course there’s a story to go with her unbridled majesty. Isabel was the first friend I made in high school, she listened to cool music, was incredibly pale… and she drove to school in the most awesome station wagon this side of the rocky mountains. My story about her this year comes a few years after we met…When were seniors we had a class trip to Disneyland that lasted all night (A California tradition). Our parents both liked to terrify us, the way parents do… and told us not to fall asleep on the bus because we would certainly be molested. And being good Catholic girls we totally abided by our parents rules. We stayed up the WHOLE night, the entire bloody night. And we stayed up the whole bus ride back as everyone else slept, and out other friends boob popped out of her shirt. Thank goodness we were up because that sucker got covered up big time. Needless to say when we got back to my house we were delirious, and the worst part is that neither of us could sleep. So we decide to pass our still awake hours by watching “Center Stage” (which was lovingly borrowed from Christine.) We put the tape into my cool tv/vcr combo and let it play. And my mother assumed we would have fallen asleep in about half an hour once we were in my room watching this teen flick. Well, I can’t even tell you what that movie was about, I just know that we laughed the whole way through it like the delirious unmolested children we were. It was one of the most fun days ever recorded.

And I didn’t laugh that hard ever again until we watched the French Canadian version of “Bring It On” which was re-titled “Le Tout Por Let Tout”.

Happy Birthday Isabel you are really the best friend a girl could ask for and the best person to laugh through a movie with!

I am such a big fan of those awkward photos. And if anyone could take one, it could be Isabel.

And yes I still draw you in Weezer shirts after all these years… I would like to imagine you own like 40 of them. And you have them for all occasions. In fact I cannot wait for you to have your wedding day Weezer shirt… and since you don’t really have one, I will totally make it for you.

Happy Isabel & Christine’s birthday everyone!

♥Lauren

An Ode to Christine on her 28th birthday

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Today is actually one of my favorite days.

No, not because of Good Friday’s meatless promises.

But because it’s my bff’s for life’s birthdays! And as always I would like to share a little tale about one of the best people I know. I am a very lucky girl to have met Christine in the freshest moments of the new century. She had an impressive vocabulary for a teenager, and at the same time she had the most unintentional orange hair I have ever seen. In fact at the moment we started giggling I knew that I had met someone of significance. And 13 years later we are still gigglier than ever. Now we don’t pass notes in class, but we pass texts during work. And we still play the same word games that tickled our fancy in our teenage years. We may have jobs, family issues, and bills to pay. But when we are together we can be as silly and girly as our hearts desire.

Happy Birthday Christine! You are the best co-conspirator a girl could ask for.

FUN FACT: The 28th birthday is the pirate birthday!

Have the best year ever, Christine. And Happy Christine & Isabel’s birthday.

♥Lauren

The Pajama Game

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I’m going to make a confession.

It’s been kinds chilly at night so lately I have tried to make sure I go put on pajamas before I go to bed. In true California fashion I usually just tanky top and pajama shorts. But sometimes I have to pull out the real serious stuff…

It’s like having my own personal Christmas every evening.

I feel like I should be more ashamed of this but…. they are just so so comfy.

♥Lauren

Another slice of Cake(s)

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Hi internet!

Today I had a kinda crunchy day. No, that was not a typo. I was rear-ended when trying to get an affordable lunch. All  I can say is neither me or the girl have any serious problems, just some achiness. Also,the lunch didn’t really taste like the majesty of savings I had anticipated.

But… there is always a brighter side. So I tried to think of something I could draw on my salvaged work paper… Something that would make me smile as I drew? And then I thought of pretty much the best thing ever… I could draw an extra fancy drawing of one of my readers!

And today that person is the lovely, hilarious, and well written Cakes McCain of “Pasta For One”!!!!

Although I have never met her in real life, I feel like Cakes is a sister in the world of girly activities. I think she’s super amazing for running away from North America for that sunny peninsula of a country… Italy! In the land of the Pope, she set our to find love and fortune. I mean how romantic of a notion is that? Who does that nowadays? Answer: Awesome people. And although she has now re-graced the soils of America, all of her Italian adventures serve as a hilarious anecdote in the world of dating and being a young woman of the world. Some other quick reasons I adore her… She understands the importance of “13 going on 30” in a grown up woman’s life, she knows how to Wang Chung, she has given me some stunning advice about enjoying my own life… and most importantly, she shares her world in a Bridget Jones like fashion, with hilarious results.

I do suggest you READ HER STUFF! It’s really funny, and sometimes the visual aids she uses to describe things will make you snort in your cubicle, at lunch, or even while you are sitting in bed with a cat. It’s really happened. And it’s happened more than once.

Also, I have been trying out a few new drawing styles and I’m testing it out with this doodle. It’s a little fancier than my usual blog stuff… So, I hope you like it Cakes! It was very fun to draw. And it’s been really nice knowing you in type.

Illustrated Cakes was the best part of my afternoon!

Now that I know all of you have read her blog, and marveled at her illustrated spaghetti of love. I hope you totally get why I have such a good time reading and knowing this fabulash lady. And maybe the next time I doodle a reader it may be you!

♥Lauren

I got carried away…

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I find myself prone to flights of fancy more than others. I don’t know if it’s a problem, but it happens every once in a while.

You look at me, and you realize I’m currently not totally there.

We were just having a striking conversation and I was just talking about Sandy’s shoes from ‘Grease’. Or how adorable Paul Rudd is and then… BANG it happens. I’m gone. Where am I???  I’m not exactly sure, but it is the place that all the doodles I draw live at. It’s a really great place, I actually highly suggest everyone should go there. But since you probably cannot I’m going to kind of give you a quick tour.

So picture it, I’m sitting right next to you… Someone interrupts and starts talking about tree triming…

And then I get really quiet… You look at me, and I don’t respond. Where in the world is my brain? My mind has made a daring escape to avoid all the boring you are now listening to. I may even be at the circus eating kettle corn and staring at the sparkly outfits of the trapeze artists. Just wishing I was flying through the air with the greatest of ease:

*smile, blink… continue to stare into space*

Then it shoots into space lands smack! I’m on the moon. I’m looking at the stars from here and boy do they look different. Is that a Jack in the Box all the way down there on earth? ***Checks breifly back into reality***

Are you engaging in this conversation about tree trimming? I have now reached a new level of not paying attention… is there any chicken on the moon?:

*giggles*

And basically if you are still in that conversation I’m ignoring…. let’s chart a submarine and splash into the briny deep. Yep there are fishes down here? I wonder if I could make a space helmet for a merchicken?

*Stares to the left of you*

I’m going to say my lack of attention for really boring things is not my fault… well maybe it is. I just have so many thoughts they all just jumble around until…

*fiddles with paper*

Oh my cats are just so fluffy. But we must return from my brain trip before I am committed. How long have I been gone? Oh, how did we get on the subject of politics? Wait, what? You are going to have to backtrack a little bit for me…

I’m so sorry I just got carried away with my brain thoughts

Annnnnnnnnnnnnd that is what happens to my brain at least once a day.

♥Lauren

My winter coat

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I know weather is a different story everywhere. But bear with me.

But really the best thing that has happened this week is  pope hats on all the things in my office SPRING.

As a resident of California, I find my Rainbow Brite lifestyle very much aided by the weather. We may only have 2 seasons here (fall and summer)… but boy, are they glorious.

Spring has arrived and brought with it some very missed sun. I was beginning to get a little bummed because I was in major need of some Vitamin D.

Via: Tumblr & the Lennon-McCartney catalog. And quickly on this subject if I were a Beatle I would most definitely be a Paul.

And then all of a sudden here comes the sun (another Beatles reference so soon) most gloriously, when I needed it the most. The sun has returned and I felt very animalistic about the whole thing, I have wanted to be outside so badly being ion my office nearly brings me to tears. I was so lost in all the gray days, I was beginning to think I could warm myself from the yellow on my stapler.

This yellow stapler of my heart is available at POPPIN. I suggest you get one in every color.

But sadly my stapler emits no warmth. All it can really do is bind paper and make me smile.

Okay now that I have talked about the sun I feel like everyone reading it is probably like:

And with that out of the way, I bring you to today’s doodle:

Let’s just take them right off and throw them into the ocean!

And happily share I only have 1.5 hours before work is over… Then I’m off to the desert to get lost until Easter…

Oh no… hold up. I’m just visiting my sister for the weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Hopefully your work week is over and even if you are in 2 feet of snow… I hope you get to see even a little sun.

♥Lauren

If you have nothing nice to say…

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*cricket sounds*

Right now I’m going through one of those if you have nothing nice to say kind of moments.

And dear Internet, I need some help before I get really mad.

I am really at the end of my tether with this bad time coworker of mine. Everything is everyone else’s fault, everyone is undermining and being mean to them. They can say mean and rude things, but no one can say anything back without basically being the anti-christ.

Actually, no Internet. I will correct myself… I don’t work with Taylor Swift… but there is a special place in hell reserved for me according to this person. And, as long as they are not there… I will take it.

The worst thing is lately, I have been having such a great time in the office. Let’s just say… practically all of our office supplies have homemade top hats, or pope hats.

And then it happened. Today was the last straw when the fun police swooped in, and my personality became the issue. My personality! I’m sorry I’m too cheerful, and try to make the office a nice place to be in. I’m sorry I leave little notes and happy things around the office.

Actually, wait  a minute. I am not sorry. I am not sorry for a damned thing. And for the risk of becoming really mad I will say nothing else. I’m going to retreat for the rest of the day, just to maintain some cheer.

Snarky side note to said coworker: Why don’t you just go talk about tree trimming for another 20 minutes? Everyone found it really captivating last time… and by everyone, I mean no one.

But don’t think I”m giving up. I will survive. And  tomorrow I’m coming at you with the sparkly fury of Rainbow Bright. And you will be my murky dismal.

♥LAUREN

It’s Alright

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Okay I’m going to give everyone a break right now.

That email your’re typing- stop it.

That show you’re watching- pause it.

That excel spread sheet- I’m not even going to say anything about that, because that window should already be closed.

I’m only going to steal about 3.5 minutes from your day anyways!

Now, since I have your attention. As we all know I try to live my life as a bit of sunshine in this weary ole world. I can’t do it all alone so I rely on friends, and music, and anything super joyous (I’m talking to you 50 cent mustache machines). I am a big Matt & Kim fan because their music just shouts joy of the roof tops, it hands out flyers for frees sandwiches on the street, it is like the prize in a cereal box. Their songs, in short, can make your day. And when you are in a great mood you can help others get to rad places too.

Just trust me watch this video.  And…

1. Try to stop yourself from wanting to do this at home (it’s really hard, as a constant tosser and turner I wish I was doing something this cool.)

2. Find me those underpants Kim is wearing. They are so my style.

3. Enjoy it because everything is going to be alright:

Oh and wait… don’t think I forgot the doodle:

This is my present back to Matt & Kim for all the joy they gave to me!

♥Lauren

Notes from Shopgirl

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I am one of those girls who really likes romantic comedies. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy the Die Hard Franchise or a movie about an exorcism here and there.

BUT.

When I’m feeling kind of cruddy there is nothing better than watching a silly light movie. And I’m not really feeling all that cruddy today, just tired from hours of dance practicing last night. Did I tell you that I’m taking classes internet? Yes, by this time next year I plan on being the best Tribal Belly-dancer I can be. Until then, I can use a dance break. And this dancing gal fancies a night with the one of the best Romantic Comedy duos of all time (just my opinion):

Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan:

This is like pulling out the big guns in the romantic comedy universe, btw.

And even though I have seen it a million times tonight I’m really excited to watch “You’ve Got Mail.” It’s just a million little things about that movie that I cannot wait to see. As an ex-librarian I can say with complete honesty, Kathleen Kelly’s bookstore was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced in a movie (Yeah I know the cinematic masterpiece of the LOTR, etc. I was based on a book not full of them!) “The Shop around the Corner” was this magical place that inspires children to love reading for all their lives with the intricate care, nicely sorted books and Steven Zahn. I had a bookstore like that as a kid, and although everything is digital in this world, I wish that this kind of place was available to every child (and that their parents would take the time to share places like this with them.) And then there is Joe Fox, he was just so charming, and broke my heart when he was in that elevator  with the man “who knew exactly what he wanted, and I found myself wishing I were as lucky as he.” Also he made me want to  laugh so hard when he was tricking Meg Ryan into being totally enamored by his screenname even though he was such a jerk to her in person. Actually, almost every line in this movie is one of my favorite things. And although most of them are credited to the smooth styling’s of Mr. Tom Hanks… I want to share my favorite quote from a little lady who likes to call herself Shopgirl@aol:

Every girl pretty much everywhere wants to feel the way Meg Ryan does when she says this.

And if any dude would like to say some iteration of this to me after a whirlwind day of eating churros and playing tennis in the beautiful Californian outside we live in, I would very much appreciate that.

Also, and more seriously, is there a cuter line from a romantic comedy? When Harry Met Sally? Sleepless in Seattle? While You were sleeping? It Happened One Night? Sixteen Candles? And if you are going to quote the Wedding Planner “You saved my… shoe” please don’t unless that is your favorite quote from that movie…and also if that is your favorite quote you really like shoes.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

♥Lauren