The Upgrade

Last year I lived in a dorm room. It looked something like this:

Bed

Desk

Closet

Spacious Room. (There's another bed to the right of the frame.)

Now I am a big girl. So I'm living in an apartment. And this is what my room looks like:

Dresser and desk

Dresser and Desk

Bed

Side A. That lone suitcase is the one thing I still need to finish unpacking. It has my tank tops, a pair of gloves, and two hats inside of it.

Side B. The door you see is the door to the closet. It doesn't open all the way because of the dresser next to it.

The closet. It's hard to get a decent picture of it-- there's maybe about 8 more inches to the left. Shared between two people. I have to actually put my shirts in my dresser this time around.

So I don't know how much of an upgrade the sleeping quarters ought to be considered. BUT I do have a decently sized kitchen, a living room, and there are 2 full bathrooms for the five of us girls.

I went grocery shopping yesterday and it was absolutely terrifying. I don't know how to do food. I got yogurt, fixings for salad, pasta, rice, tuna, pita... and I think that's about it. I'm already making another list. I need to figure out how to cook chicken. Right now I'm leaning towards boiling, because it sounds feasible. And then I can freeze it and stuff. Clearly I'm a pro...

So this is Lauren. Learning how to Live. Alliteratively, it appears.

PACKING

I've finished going through all the tops in my closet as part of the college packing process. This is what it looks like now:

THE YES! PILE

These are all going in the suitcase. And I had goshdarn better wear them at school!

The Mehhhybe Pile

This particular pile is characterized by indecision. I have to go through it again. Host a mini fashion show. Survey a statistically random sample. Primarily, MAKE DECISIONS.

The NO, Not Coming to College, but will Likely be Seen on Younger Sisters in the Very Near Future "Pile."

Rebekah has been crossing her fingers and making special requests. Even negotiating. I make her fashionable. Or rather, my rejects do. I just don't have room to house my Collection, so they tend to find their way into her foster care for neglected clothing system. Sometime, maybe I will document Rebekah's outfits over the course of the week and point out what in her ensembles are Lauren Originals. Maybe.





Items that will be on my wishlist for FOREVER

1. Hunter yellow wellies 
I hate wet feet. Therefore, I am a fan of rain boots. Particularly yellow rain boots. They are fun. They are classic. And Hunter just makes them look... Normal. No extra frills or fancy. Just fancying the boot.

(Photo from here)

2. Minnetonka Women's Calf-high 3-layer fringe boots
They are just... so cute. I really like them. A lot. They add style to any outfit. A tall boot is classy. The fringe keeps it casual. And Minnetonka is really comfortable.

(Photo from here)

3. North Face Coats
Easy explanation: I get cold. A lot. Easily. Either of these, in either black or brown. Currently undecided.

Link

Link

4. PEACOATS.
I'm obsessed. Every time I see a cute one, I want it. Cute buttons, toggle fasteners, nicely tailored, fun colors... Especially the fun colors.

Green

Yellow or Mustard

Purple or Plum

Red

White

Though, of course, charcoal and navy are terribly timeless and classy, too.

Words of Wisdom

"Though we might wish otherwise, the history of what might have been is usually not history at all, mixing together as it does the messy tangle of past experience with the clairvoyant certainty of our present preferences."
--Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers p. 105

Who would have thought such profound words could be found in a dry history book.

It's Adorable Tied with a Bow

This song is so cute. And it's even funny. And it makes my heart happy.

You may think that I'm talking foolish 
You've heard that I'm wild and I'm free 
You may wonder how I can promise you now 
This love that I feel for you 
Always will be 

But you're not just time that I'm killing 
I'm no longer one of those guys 
As sure as I live 
This love that I give 
Is gonna be yours until the day that I die 
Oh baby 

I'm gonna love you forever 
Forever and ever, amen 
As long as old men sit and talk about the weather 
As long as old women sit and talk about old men 
If you wonder how long I'll be faithful 
I'll be happy to tell you again 
I'm gonna love you 
Forever and ever 
Forever and ever, amen 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/randy+travis/forever+ever+amen_20114208.html ] 
They say time takes it's toll on a body 
Makes a young girl's brown hair turn gray 
Well, honey, I don't care 
I ain't in love with your hair 
And if it all fell out 
Well I'd love you anyway 

They say time can play tricks on a memory 
Make people forget things they knew 
Well, it's easy to see 
It's happening to me 
I've already forgotten every woman but you 
Oh darling 

I'm gonna love you forever 
Forever and ever, amen 
As long as old men sit and talk about the weather 
As long as old women sit and talk about old men 
If you wonder how long I'll be faithful 
Just listen to how this song ends 
I'm gonna love you 
Forever and ever 
Forever and ever, amen 
I'm gonna love you 
Forever and ever 
Forever and ever 
Forever and ever 
Forever and ever, amen


Forever and Ever, Amen
Randy Travis

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I used to want to be an art teacher when I grow up.

Instead, I have grown up to be a cry baby.

True Story.

Anything and Everything spurs the sprinklers.

It's so bad that my boyfriend bought me waterproof mascara, attempting to salvage his stained shirts.

The only problem with that is... Well. Some days I look at myself in the mirror, foundation and eyeliner on, and I say, "Lauren, you have nothing planned today that should make you cry." And so I reach for the old mascara. And then I cry. And then Colin's shirt gets a lovely black smear on the shoulder.

Waterpots should ALWAYS wear waterproof mascara, I guess.

Caught the Fever

I want to spend March 2-10th in Dublin, Ireland. The cost is $1,500.
I want to be in Turkey and Greece May 13-29th. The cost is $3,400.
And then if, July 1-22nd, I could be in London, and then in Paris, that would be just dandy. The cost is $4,400.

I also want to teach English in China. Or in Ukraine.

If anyone would like to be my sponsor, that would be just lovely.

It is all merely wishful thinking.

Packing.

I thought that I could pack for college again, no problem.

I thought that I could beat the system 

and stick it to the man. 

Sure, I will have only about a third
of the storage space in my apartment
that I had in my dorm last year,

BUT 

I now have the advantage

 of knowing what clothes I didn't really wear, anyway. 

I've been mulling over my favorite jeans,
dresses,
and skirts
 for months.

It should be quick,

 easy,

 and efficient. 

I thought I had it narrowed down to six or seven skirts and five or six dresses.

Seven, max. 

I was awfully proud of myself for my growth as a packer.

AND THEN I COUNTED.

I counted sixteen skirts and twelve dresses waiting to be rolled up and packed into my suitcases.

SIXTEEN skirts.

And TWELVE dresses.

So I went through them again.
And again.
And again.

SIXTEEN SKIRTS

And TWELVE DRESSES.

And I've reached a stalemate.
I like them all.
I WILL wear them all.
-- I WILL!

But I only have half a dresser... half of a closet...  And half of the floor space under a bed.

Oh dear.

Nom Nom Nom

I have a problem.

Since returning from our super-long five-week vacation where my darling grandmother cooked us three hot meals a day, doing everything from setting the table to cooking to cleaning up afterwards, I have wanted only to eat foods of convenience.

What is a food of convenience?

Let me give you some examples.
The cookie dough sitting on the table.
The pan of brownies sitting on the table.
The chocolate bar chillin' on the counter.
Convenience.

Dinner set out on the table also counts and is definitely healthier, but I'm still fending for myself the majority of the day.

Maybe someone should set a big bowl of grapes on the table.

Red, White, and YOU

As an informed, well-aware citizen, today I went to vote. It was the local primaries. Unlike an informed, well-aware citizen, however, I went to my polling location with absolutely no idea whatsoever what would be on that ballot. Brilliant, right? My mom filled me in on some of her opinions on the car ride, and as we stood in line looking at the sample ballot. 

My strategy in the booth?
Fill in the ones that are currently "in office" and seem to be doing a "good job" (according to my source).
Apply my mother's suggestions.
Leave many bubbles blank.
Vote for the person on the flier that the guy standing just outside the building handed me (good work, volunteers!)

I am ashamed.

I am the person that my under-voting-age self scoffed at.

Exciting News about Kansas City

"Mom, there are probably so many country stations, here!"