Lauren from Texas

I’m so sporadic with these things. However, I was out last night with my mom for an early Mother’s Day celebration, it’s Friday, & I’m beat. So a meme it is!

Current Book(s): The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery. I love the way she writes. It’s so flowery & old-fashioned. It’s as though she’s trying to cram as much as she can into each sentence. I owe much of my vocabulary to my childhood obsession with Anne of Green Gables.

Current Playlist: Battle Studies by John Mayer. I don’t know what it is about him, but when I got Room for Squares in high school, I never looked back. He was & still is one of my top 5 favorite singer/songwriters. You can tell me “But Lauren, he’s a douchebag!” all day long, and I will plug my ears and sing “Why Georgia” at the top of my lungs. Battle Studies is brilliant & I feel like he keeps reinventing himself with every album, while still staying true to his original style. And I like that. I really do.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: No shame-inducing guilty pleasures?! Either I’m getting better at disciplining myself, or I’m getting better at ignoring guilt. I’ll let you be the judge.

Current Color: Red. My KitchenAid, Nars Jungle Red lipstick (sent to me by my dear friend Reen as a birthday gift), a pair of red wedges I’ve broken out for the summer… yeah, it’s my favorite right now.

Current Drink: My favorite treat is a coffee from McDonald’s. I’d rather have a McDonald’s coffee than a Starbucks. THERE, I SAID IT. To me, the coffee is just as good or better & is half the price. Coffee shouldn’t cost more than lunch. (However, I will still go to Starbucks for a Cinnamon Dolce latte or other specialty drinks. Although they quit making their Espresso Truffle recently, and I was NOT happy about that.) Anyway, in the cold weather I love a small hot coffee with 2 creams 2 sugars, but now that the warmer weather has taken over, my vice is a medium vanilla iced coffee. Mmm.

Current Food: Anything that doesn’t require 50 steps. Life has been stressful lately, & at the end of the day all I want is simplicity & good flavor. I’m also on the manhunt for a couple recipes with which I can use my new KitchenAid! I think I will break it in this weekend.

Current Favorite Show: The Marriage Ref is climbing my list, definitely. It’s so funny & never ceases to make us feel very, VERY normal. My go-to classics are still: The Biggest Loser on Tuesdays & The Office on Thursdays. And Chopped on the Food Network is always on my DVR.

Current Wishlist: Is it too much to ask that the next place we live has a nice kitchen? Yes? Okay.

Current Needs: A smooth sale of our home & a new little place to live. I have visions in my head of where we’ll be next; some good, some scary. We’ll be hunting for a place soon, so expect updates on our house-hunting adventures.

Current Triumphs: The inspection of our home went well, only one tiny thing to fix! Full speed ahead!

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: If John Mayer & Taylor Swift really are dating, I might have to punch the wall. Am I the only one who finds her really, really annoying? Also: she can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Yeah, I said it. Her songs might be cute & catchy, but once I saw her live on SNL and oh my goodness. PITCHY CITY.

Current Celebrity Crush: No one really sticks out to me right now. I would say “John Mayer” but that would mean that the answer to THREE of these would be about John Mayer & I’m not OK with that.

Current Indulgence: We’ve been trying to eat healthier lately, & have been fairly successful. We’ve substituted our frequent ice cream binges with frozen yogurt, I have been buying tons of fresh fruit & veggies, & we’ve been eating lighter as a whole. But cheese? And wine? Forget about it. We’ll make a plate with a couple different kinds of cheese (don’t worry, no American), some berries or grapes, and whole-wheat crackers. Devoured with a glass of Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon blanc & we’re pretty much in Summer Heaven.

Current #1 Blessing: That I am somehow managing to keep it all together while in the middle of what has been the most stressful time in my life for a long time. I don’t want to go into it (maybe sometime, but not now), & I did have a bit of a meltdown last Saturday, complete with lots of crying & irrational thoughts. But for the most part, I have been able to think positively, shut off thoughts that aren’t so, & try to enjoy the good times I am given. That is huge progress for me. HUGE.

Current Slang or Saying: “What does she think about how she’s feeling?” (For Lyndsey & anyone who has watched this video.)

Current Outfit: I’ve been pairing my skinny jeans with anything & everything. It’s almost too hot to wear jeans during the day, so before I abandon them completely in favor of capris & sundresses, I’m trying to get some wear out of them. They’re strangely comfortable & go with everything! Like I said before, I’ve never had a pair, so for those of you who have been wearing skinny jeans for years, bear with me. I’m a skinny jean newbie.

Current Excitement: A beach trip with some of my favorite girls very soon! Also looking for a new place, although that could be chalked up under “Current Thing Causing You Stress” as well. And of course,  our trip to Napa/San Francisco in June! I am desperately in need of a vacation.

Current Mood: Happy it’s Friday. Trying to look at the beautiful weekend ahead & not the ugly, nagging things my mind tries to go to so quickly.

Current Link: I just got a [the nest] account. Not really sure what to do with it, but I’ve heard that it can be a great tool. So we’ll see! If you have an account, add me as a friend!

Happy Friday! What are your plans for this weekend?

[images via: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

I haven’t done one of these in awhile, and even though as a general rule I don’t like memes, this weekend/Monday kicked my tail and I need a break.

Friday, on the way to my brother/sister-in-law’s house, RIGHT AFTER I posted about my near-death experience(s), an irate driver intentionally tapped into our car on the freeway because Michael wasn’t going as fast as he wanted him to. He sped away & we called the cops, but HONESTLY. How many car-related incidents can happen to a girl in the course of a week before she swears off driving?

The rest of the weekend was spent lying low & continuing the work we began on our house the previous weekend. We need probably one more weekend to finish the interior and really get the yard looking good, & then I think we’ll be ready to list this baby!

Current Book(s): I am ashamed to say none right now. I started New Moon sometime before New Years, hit a brick wall about halfway through, & haven’t picked it up since. On my To-Read list are Eat, Pray, Love (to see what all the fuss is about), The Shack (as soon as Michael finishes it), & Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession by Julie Powell.

Also: they’re making Eat, Pray, Love into a movie starring Julia Roberts.
If she’s in a movie, I go see it. That’s just the way it is.

Current Playlist: Bring on the powerful indie female artists: Lori McKenna, Tracy Chapman, Patty Griffin, Missy Higgins, Brandi Carlisle, Ani DiFranco, Kris Delmhorst, etc. (Sorry about the rough quality of some of those videos [I'm weird & actually enjoy a rugged live video from time to time]; some of the songs didn’t have official videos.)

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Ice cream sandwiches. I bought a box last time I was at the grocery store – is there anything better than ice cream sandwiched between 2 cookies?! Not a day has gone by that I haven’t indulged in one. There’s something kiddish & summery about them. I like it.

Current Color: Grays with color. Purples & grays… purplish grays… greenish grays… you get the picture. I got this nail color for my birthday & am currently wearing it. While it’s not very “springy,” there’s something chic about it. I’m loving the metallic/matte finish (OPI calls it “suede”). I’m hanging onto it for a few more weeks.

Can the next place we move look exactly like this? Please?

[I am deleting the Current Fetish question for the time being, probably indefinitely. I don't have the endurance or the caffeine in my bloodstream to deal with it right now.]

Current Drink: A small coffee from McDonald’s, 2 creams, 2 sugars. The best part? They fix it for you! OK, I lied, the best part is that it’s only $1. It feels like a splurge because I’m not making it myself, but it’s a recession-friendly splurge. Win!

Current Food: Simple, easy foods. I’m in the middle of doing the 30 Day Shred every day for 30 days (completed Day 14 yesterday), & between work, exercise, & house stuff, I’m constantly looking for simple foods to make for dinner. Whether it’s adding fresh crushed garlic & sautéed mushrooms to a jar of pre-made spaghetti sauce or throwing together sloppy joes & a simple salad for dinner, easier is best for now.

Current Favorite Show: I am really loving the Marriage Ref, minus the week before last with Madonna (gag) & Larry David (double gag). Last week with Jason Alexander & Martha Stewart was hilarious! If you’re not watching it, you should be.

Current Wishlist: I asked for gift cards for my birthday so I could get a few things I’ve really been needing, which include: a new iPhone case, a laptop sleeve of some kind, & a travel (weekend) bag. Hoping to have a little money leftover for some books & maybe an outfit or two.

Current Needs: An afternoon off? It’s hard to work all week AND weekend! I need some down time.

Current Triumphs: Hello, completing 2 full weeks of the Shred! It’s not easy to work out every day, and I’m proud of myself for that kind of discipline, even if it’s only for a month.

[In case there was any confusion, that's not me.]

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: My flower beds. They’re all dried up & dead from winter. Babies, I’m coming for you this weekend! I keep thinking of cute little yellow and purple flowers. A trip to the nursery is also in order.

Current Celebrity Crush: We saw Bounty Hunter this weekend, and I think I have a crush on BOTH Jennifer Aniston (hello I would KILL for her flawless body) & Gerard Butler (goes without saying). Quite an attractive couple. I hear they’re dating now? Is it just me, or does it seem like she kind of dates everyone? I have to hand it to her though, the woman has good taste.

Current Indulgence: Online shopping. Since I have gift cards to spend, it’s fun to browse around. Not usually something I take the time to do, but it never ceases to blow my mind that pretty much anything is available via Amazon or like sites. Just type it into the search bar and something will come up, I guarantee it! (Disclaimer: I don’t promise it will be exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s still an adventure. And no fighting traffic & crowds!)

Current #1 Blessing: My husband. Last night, I was stressing out about moving & leaving the place we’ve lived & the home we’ve created for the past 2 years, & so that wonderful man said to me: “Baby, home is wherever we are together.” ::melts into a puddle:: Seriously though, it’s hard to be stressed with sound logic like that.

Current Slang or Saying: “The thing about it is” or “Here’s the thing” – prefacing anything & everything I feel I need to explain further. Corlene pointed it out to me, but you know what? I heard her say it too, several times this weekend. JOKE’S ON YOU, CANADA!

Current Outfit: That weird in-between wardrobe. Is it warm enough to wear capris? Is it too warm to wear a sweater? Will I be freezing in the morning & burning up in the afternoon, only to freeze again in evening? Oh Texas, how I love your insane unpredictability. It makes me feel as though we’re blood-related.

[Also not me.]

Current Excitement: Finishing the house & having time to do stuff on the weekends again. Also, we might be visiting 1 or 2 of the schools Michael has been accepted to very soon, so I’m all butterflies-in-my-tummy over that. It’s exciting, yet scary. Yet exciting. Yet scary. Moving on.

Current Mood: Is overwhelmed a mood?  Overwhelmed with all that has to be done this week & weekend! One thing at a time, Lauren, one thing at a time.

Current Link: listography: life in lists. I love lists. No, I don’t think you understand. I spend half of my life making lists. I love crossing things off of lists. It’s so satisfying. It’s nice to have a little space online (instead of on my desk) to have them all spread out. It’s so neat & clean… and dare I say cute? Here’s mine, in case you want to see how crazy organized I am: http://listography.com/laurenfromtexas

[Images via: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8]

Current Book(s): Right now I am reading a TERRIBLE piece of chick lit. Really, it’s so awful I am embarrassed to say what it is. I am probably violating some Code of the English Majors by reading it, or even having it in my house. Someone gave it to me (I won’t name names), and it’s been on my nightstand for literally forever, and I recently picked it up out of boredom. I wish I were smart enough to spend my reading time more productively, you know, with Chaucer or Faulkner or SOMEONE MORE TALENTED THAN JAMES PATTERSON. I have said too much.

Current Playlist: I discovered Lala.com the other day, and I kind of like it. 10 cents for a “web song,” meaning you can listen to it in your web player, which looks a lot like iTunes. I am ALWAYS on my computer, since I work on the internets by day and am a blog fiend by night, so the web player thing works for me. Take that, $1.29 songs on iTunes!

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: The Tyra Show. It’s sad how much I enjoy it.

Michael: “I don’t get it. Please stop watching it.”
Me: “It’s my thing. Just like ESPN is your thing. Leave me alone.”

Current Color: Lately all the clothes I’ve been buying are various shades of purple. And I’m OK with that.

Current Fetish: Dreaming up lingerie concoctions for our anniversary weekend, coming up very soon! Ooh la la.

Current Drink: I have been forcing myself to drink water at every possible opportunity. I know that I’m never drinking enough. I will be eating a grilled cheese sandwich and think, “Lauren, put down the chocolate milk.” I have to make sacrifices somewhere.

Current Food: I had a lunch date yesterday with my beautiful sister-in-law and adorable nephew, and we had mexican food. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of chips and salsa, especially after the whole wisdom teeth/dry socket thing, where I was placed on a strict 2 week chip hiatus. I’m making up for lost time, baby.

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Current Favorite Show: Sad to say, I think I am getting dumber with my TV choices. I’ve already mentioned Tyra, Biggest Loser is still a staple, The Office is a must, and I adore TV judges, particularly Judge Judy, Judge Pirro, Divorce Court, and Judge Alex. FEEL FREE TO JUDGE ACCORDINGLY. Pun intended.

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Current Wishlist: I still need a camera, but I am getting closer to my goal. Right now I am torn, so here’s a question: Should I go DSLR or get a fancy point-and-shoot? I am a moron when it comes to photography but I’d love to learn and I’d love to be able to take great pictures. Comments? Suggestions? HELP ME.

Current Needs: A hot cup of tea and for my body to adjust to Daylight Savings Time. Last night, I talked to my friend Corlene, who lives in Alberta, Canada. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: “I am so tired. We had Daylight Savings Time on Saturday. Do y’all have that?”
Her: “Yes Lauren. We are on the same continent.”
[...later in the conversation...]
Her: “Do you guys [meaning the US] celebrate Halloween?”

I think we both need to attend a “Learning About The US & Canada – Similarities and Differences” class.

Current Triumphs: Learning to focus on the things that are important and letting the little things go. Not fighting about things that aren’t worth it. Making better choices. Saying no when I need to. (Still working on all of these things, and probably will be for the next, oh, seventy years or so.)

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: My house in all of its filthiness. My goal for this weekend is some SERIOUS fall cleaning.

Current Celebrity Crush: Jillian Michaels. Don’t ask me why. Everything in me tells me I should hate her, but now that I’m a BL fan, I am developing a healthy respect for her. Dare I say LOVE? Maybe it’s too soon.

I just found this picture… is that her dog?! That makes me like her more. Except the dog looks a little chunky. Maybe she needs to start a Biggest Loser for chihuahuas.

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Current Indulgence: I am going to make Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Sheet Cake for a dinner at my parents’ house tonight. It has like eight sticks of butter in it. YUM. I feel my thighs growing just thinking about it.

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Current #1 Blessing: I know it’s silly, but my dogs bring me so much joy. Case in point:

Current Slang or Saying: HOT HAM WATER! Not really, but I was looking for another Arrested Development clip on YouTube and this one was so funny. I think I’ll start referring to everything I cook as “Hot Ham Water.”

“It’s so watery… and yet there’s a smack of ham to it.”

Best. Show. Ever. Thanks to Cio for introducing me to it.

Current Outfit: It’s been a little chilly lately, so I am relishing the opportunity to wear scarves, tights, and boots. Oh yeah, and sweatpants. Here’s what I wore Friday night to our blog meetup at Gravitas (which was really fun, hopefully more people can make it next time)!

Again with the awful pictures… time to get a camera!

Current Excitement: Our 2 year wedding anniversary on November 18th, and the weekend getaway we are planning. It’s been a long time since we’ve gone away together and stayed alone (i.e. not with friends or family), and I am excited to have 3 whole days of JUST us.

Current Mood: Hungry. Grumpy because I need to work out before I can eat. Nooooooooooo.

Current Link: I found The No Spend Month Challenge on Small Notebook while clicking around last night. Small Notebook is a great blog in general, and this was an older post, but it really inspired me to look for little ways to save money around the house. Michael and I are already on a budget, but there are always other ways to save. And in times like these, who doesn’t want to save a little (or a lot)?!

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I’ve decided to start doing this “Currently” survey about once a month, to document my least & most favorite things of the moment. That way, when I am eighty, I’ll be able to look back and see what I liked when I was 23. You know, assuming The Internet still exists.

Current Book(s): Baby Proof by Emily Giffin. Yes, I have a degree in English and still I read chick lit. Judge not lest ye be judged.

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Current Playlist: Pandora Radio. I will TOTALLY pay the 99 cents after the 40 hour mark (which I hit about mid-month) for unlimited listening the rest of the month. I know a few people who won’t. WHY?! It costs more to buy a Coke! And Pandora is so much more refreshing.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Candlelight bubble baths with soft music and a cup of tea. I know, I’m so cliche it’s painful… but it feels SO GOOD.

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Current Color: Gray. My gray Coach Garnet bag. Gray Mary Janes from last fall. Gray dress from Target. Gray is my new black.

Current Fetish: A fetish is something creepy, right? Here’s something: I LOVE to let Pancho lick my feet while I watch TV. Michael freaks out when he does it to him, and tells him to stop, but I let him lick to his heart’s content. I TOLD YOU I WAS CREEPY.

Current Drink: Rex Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon – it’s smooth and spicy and the perfect end to an evening. Oh yeah, and cheap.

Current Food: I made this for dinner tonight: Sausage Potato Casserole – SO good. Very savory. I also made some fried apples to go with it – gala apples, sliced, pan-fried with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. A hearty fall meal. With a healthy dose of fattening.

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Current Favorite Show: The Office & THE BIGGEST LOSER. As Chelsea said earlier, “The only good thing about Monday is that you are ONE DAY away from Biggest Loser.”

Current Wishlist: A new camera. All of my pictures are taken with either my iPhone or one of my MacBooks. I am in desperate need of a real camera.

Current Needs: My wisdom teeth to be removed. WHAT A COINCIDENCE; I’m going under the knife on Friday! Although I am pretty nervous, it can’t be any worse than my ER visit, right? RIGHT??

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Current Triumphs: Continuing my workout regime, even though swimsuit season is in my rear view mirror.

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: There never seems to be enough time in the day.

Current Celebrity Crush: The other day, I saw this picture of Gwen Stefani and my love for her was reignited. PLEASE can I be this hot when I have a baby? Please?

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Current Indulgence: I bought a Jell-O No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Dessert last time I was at the grocery store, and I fully intend to make it tomorrow night. And maybe eat the whole thing myself.

Current #1 Blessing: My friends, who keep me sane. Thank you for letting me vent on the phone for an hour and a half. Thank you for taking me to a late movie or trip to IKEA. Thank you for emailing me several times a day, just to be funny. Y’all know who you are, and I love you.

Current Slang or Saying: “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” You can pretty much bypass sharing any uncomfortable information with the use of this phrase.

Current Outfit: Anything I can wear with leggings.

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Current Excitement: One of my best friends in the world, Shelly, is coming home for a visit next month. She’s a military wife and currently resides in Germany, which makes having regular Girls Nights a little difficult. She’ll be here for a few weeks, and I can’t wait to shop, catch up, and drink coffee with her.

Current Mood: Sleepy. Relaxed. Full of potatoes and sausage and apples. Happy.

Current Link: Postcards From Yo Momma. YOU’RE WELCOME.

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