Lauren From Texas

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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