good times

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

A little something for Thursday

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I haven’t much to write today I’m kind of brain dead at work. The only thing I’m useful for today is singing WHAM! songs to people on the phone:

Me at work right now. (Image Courtesy of: http://fyeahmindyproject.tumblr.com/)

And I have no context for the following doodle except that it is very true:

I want this dress so bad… unfortunately I don’t have Salma Hayek-like connections.

I really wish I was dressed up more right now… except I thought it was going to rain so I wore pants instead of a really cute dress. I was told by someone who went outside that it did rain, and not to feel sad about my pants wearing day. But somehow I feel like I missed an opportunity to wear a dress big-time today.

I hope someone out there is living the dream for me.

Also this dress is hyper real and I would like it to wear to the grocery store and such.

And one more thing this silly little drawing is for people who thought yesterday’s post got a little too serious :)

♥Lauren

FAQ’s with Lauren

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Do you ever get asked a question so many times you came with a personal FAQ. I wish I did then I wouldn’t have to answer the same questions over and over.

Especially the annoying ones.

So: FAQ’s about Lauren

Are you really that short?

  • Yes, I am 5′-0″ and I still choose to wear flats. Also I have to cut off like 8″ of pants when I buy a new pair.

Come on… is that a weave?

  • Sadly, no. My hair is real, and all mine.

Is your personality for real?

  • Yes, it is. Sometimes I know I’m a little perky for my own good. Conversely, I am also a troublemaker. Mischief and Shenanigans are truly synonymous with my existence.
Let’s be sneaky sneaks!

Does everyone know about that thing that happened to you at work?

  • Yes, I am that girl that really cruddy thing happened to. And now I like being walked to my car by not creepy people.

Do you just love “Family Guy”?

  • Sorry, I don’t watch Family Guy, I just don’t get the humor.

Are you really Jenna Rink?

  • I do like the movie “13 going on 30,” a little too much. And my new coworker sometimes thinks I live her life, but that is only on Tuesdays- Thursdays. But I do plan on being Flirty Thirty and Thriving in a few years.
Pretty much me all day…

Tell us about Enrique Iglesias!

  • Enrique Iglesias did squeeze my butt when I hugged him. He smelled good and is more handsome that pictures can show him. Also he has a firm grip.
I can touch your butt, and you won’t even complain. But don’t let creepy dudes do it…. okay,

 

Do you have a boyfriend?

  • I am single. If you would like to inquire more please see the attached doodle:
And then maybe they will just sulk away and leave me alone in my alone-ness.

But life is never that simple. Actually, I never thought until right now how hard it must be to be Jennifer Aniston. Imagine all the questions she has to answer about how single she is, and how no one likes her… and how Enrique Iglesias never grabbed her butt. I bet her hair dresser is all over her singleness, and so are the waitresses at the restaurants she goes to, her cousins, that really prying Aunt… just can’t get enough about it.

But then again she has all sorts of money and got to kiss Paul Rudd for money… so her life is actually really fantastic.

And, I would trade the entire Enrique Iglesias thing for some Paul Rudd time.

Yeppers… me just all over this. Our hair is just so wavy the possibilites are getting better. 

♥Lauren

(images besides mine, courtesy of: Tumblr)

The Rain

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Sometimes I find it so hard to be stuck in a place I don’t necessarily want to be in. I think everybody has this feeling. And it’s not that I am literally stuck in the worst place. I am just kind of sitting at a crossroads. I don’t know what I want but I do know that the outcome I want is… happiness.

I am like everyone else in that way. I just want the happy.

Now I can be happy in pretty much every situation, it’s true. It’s really just the perspective I keep to stay sane.

And even the worst days have things to be happy about.

Like yesterday we lost our lunch table and I had to eat lunch alone at my desk. Well I can say that it was cruddy and I didn’t get to see the outside at all yesterday until after 6.

Or I can say I got to draw at my desk for an hour… And that is where this little friend came from:

Dolly Parton is one of my favorite people. She really gets it in a totally awesome way. And by totally awesome way I mean “flashy clothes and big boobs.”

So although everyday may not be the best put up with it, live in it, and enjoy it. Because rain isn’t so bad when you are waiting for your rainbow.

And the best things about today is that it’s sunny, and I got to eat chicken fingers and make Jonathon a birthday card.

And hopefully my rainbow will be here soon. And yours too! I am not stingy with my joy.

Happy Tuesday! I hope it’s really wonderful ♥ (Image Courtesy of: Tumblr and NBC)

♥Lauren

2013 is going to be Awesome

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So I’m back at work.

I’m sorta reeling from the sad knowledge that I have to sit for 8 hours a day again, and for my inability to wear yoga clothes to work… as I spent several days in the last week sporting some of the most bad-ass pajamas you can imagine. Penguins with popcorn, cats with little hats, neon green and gray yoga pants that would make David Lee Roth a little jealous. I’m all class in the jammy jamz department! I’m also realizing that I will not have any time out of my work confines until I vacation at the end of the year.

AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

That sounds so far away now.

Anyways… back to me in my cubicle. Everyone is talking about stuff as people in offices do. Apparently we’re moving locations in March. And actually, I’m getting a window… Imagine that, a window for little Ole’ Me! Back to the windowless rectangle I work in… some professional is doing something, and of course there is always someone trying to gossip. Is it sad that I’m used to this as my existence?

Well I’m just going to get past all of this, this year. And I will get through it with wit, smiles and far far less tears than last year. This is not the first time I will admit to get through my days I rely extensively on my imagination, and I promise myself this year that when things get ugly around me I’m going to take to my imagination and make something good instead of getting upset. And the silver lining in all of this is when I imagine things maybe I can make somebody have a giggle or two at my doodles. With that I present today’s doodles:

Cubicle thought time with Lauren is brought to you by Lauren’s crazy brain!

And then maybe someone else will ponder the current actions of Stevie Nicks. Which will start a whirlwind Stevie Nicks revolution and then people will be dressing like her… the mall will be covered in sparkly black shrouds, and then everyone will hate and simultaneously love Lindsey Buckingham, and we will all have sweet sweet necklaces:

I have been thinking about Stevie Nick’s a lot lately. Anyone else want to see Fleetwood Mac this summer? Anyone else really love the song “Rhiannon” or “Go Your Own Way?” They are personal favorites.

And then maybe someone will be driving and will smile at a stranger (and totally make their day) because their mind is being regaled by the thought of a sheep in Alpaca wooly sweaters:

This sheep is so handsome… He’s practically the George Clooney of the sheep community.

And everyone who reads this blog, thank you. I hope your new year is incredibly wonderful… and full of great and unusual thoughts and experiences. If you have some you need to share. Just drop them here. I am a recycling center for weird things.

Also all this weird I just recorded here reminds me of a truly fabulous quote:

Image Courtesy of: If you wish it- Tumblr And Lewis “Why is a Raven like a writing desk?” Carroll

♥Lauren

Isabel Stare-A-thon 2012: Exponential THON

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Today is the final day of staring, glaring and gazing at the one and only Isabel.

Since I have not been as up to date this year on my staring logs. I have decided the best way to share how much staring at Isabel means to our office. Cue the romantic music.

The guys in the office are really into the whole event:

It’s been really hard to get work done in the office because people cannot literally look away from the live Isabel feed on the computer. The professional loves that the stare-a-thon can be integrated into his cubicle time:

And then there is Jonathon… our new coworker:

Jonathon preparing to stare

Has not only caught the staring bug:

But he also made this years staring slogan:

Yes, I work with some really weird dudes. And well, they could be doing worse things than staring. So as long as the star-a-thon is on we’re all safe… wait, it’s over.

Happy Stare-a-thon Isabel!

2012 Isabel Stare-a-thon, out.

♥Lauren

Make It Big!

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Noel and Liam Gallagher.

The Jackson 5.

Hanson.

Debarge.

All musicians that make beautiful music with their family members. Notice who is not on that list, Christie & Lauren… And for all you jazzy readers out there, that would be me and my sister.

So we may not have the rivalry of Liam and Noel… nor do we have the stage presence of the Jackson 5. Actually we barely know how to play instruments. But that is not the point, it shouldn’t stop our musical dreams.

Christie and I have discussed the possibility of taking our love of WHAM! on the road. And calling ourselves “LADY WHAM! a Wham! Experience”… but we have one very important problem:

Wham! Bam!

Now if my brother wants to be the Andrew Ridgely… We can get this show on the road… but I have a feeling he may not want to… because he doesn’t want to revisit his time with “the mullet”:

But Tony could totally pull this off!
Image Courtesy of: FANPOP!

Anyways, we will probably never resolve this issue… and time can never mend the careless whispers of a Wham! coverband.

Have a wonderful day everybody…. and yes, I would make the better George Michael.

♥Lauren

The Acheivement

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I did it. I really did it.

I finished my sketchbook 176 pages front and back. A whole year of doodles. An entire year of my existence chronicled in my jazzy doodling style.

I am going to be partying and enjoying the fact that I actually finished something… instead of giving up at 90%. I’m feeling good about this and maybe I can actually finish all my other projects….

Oh wait… I didn’t finish them because I was doodling:

Thank you little sketchbook. You were amazing. And I highly suggest to anyone out there who likes to doodle to keep a book. It becomes part diary, part planner, and 100% thrilling to look over. Like for example July was an awful month for me. But November was really rad.

And your book can tell you so much about what was happening in your life! It was there when I found out what Shepard’s pie is. When Enrique Iglesias grabbed my butt. That time I really wanted pancakes, and the time I decided to live in a blanket for as long as possible. That night when my life became a romantic comedy. It was there for the finale of Mad Men. It was there when I couldn’t stop laughing, it was there when all I could do was cry. It was also there apparently when I was studying for tests, passing notes to my friends, and when I had to draw a rooster in love. It was an amazing doodle year.

Actually this year has kind of been amazing. And it’s all in my book. I know this post was a little braggy. But It’s an accomplishment for me. New book ahoy! Also Yonadab is right my book is full of secrets but it is a doodle cryptix.

I miss you Amber!

♥Lauren