Texas Bound...Again!

In the true spirit of spontaneity, I am headed back to Texas this weekend.

I know, I know, I was just there. So how can I possibly be this excited to return? Texas is always magical. Even when I get to visit twice in one month - which NEVER happens btw. Yay!

Jamie has a client conference in Dallas. --> She claims a long weekend is necessary so she can experience first hand what this "Talk about Texas" is really all about. --> Last minute AA.com sale on weekend flights. --> Decide if we're doing this, we're doing it right. ATX included. --> Quickly text friends in ATX and email Mom begging to borrow car. --> Done! --> Flights booked, we're Texas Bound!

So in a matter of a few hours, I had planned my next trip to Texas...after just returning from Labor Day weekend! Yes!

Jamie and I have big plans involving, but not limited to. . . .

• Road tripping from Big D to ATX
• Longhorn tailgating with BFF Kayla and the rest of Bigham's (who I miss ohsomuch on game days!)
• Exploration of campus, the Capital and the UT Co-op because I can't let her leave without purchasing something burnt orange
• My fave Mexican food spots + mexican martini's.
• Downtown!

There shall be sunshine and Chick-fil-a and Target and general Austin fantastic-ness. And mostly, I just can't wait to share Texas with my Georgia friend! She's going to love it.

The Texas playlists have been created, the warm weather clothes + sandals have been packed. And tomorrow we'll be Southbound 35 to Austin.

Couldn't. Be. Happier. :)

I. Loved. The. Emmy's.

NPH as host + Singing + Dancing + Sarcasm + all my fave TV stars + Pretty Dresses = Happiness

I don't know about you, but I was highly entertained throughout the entire 5 hours I spent in front of the TV last night watching the Emmy's. Yes, of course I watch the red carpet pre-show. Fashion is absolutely one of the best parts of award shows!

Me and roomie Caroline ordered in dinner and happily settled in front of the TV to discuss our thoughts on the best and worst dresses. (sidenote: we are confused as to how Nini from Bravo's Real Housewives got a gig as a fashion consultant for E! who decided she should stand up there with Jay and give her [bad] opinions?)

Yay's for Julia Louise Dreyfus, Kate Walsh, Dana Delany, Drew Barrymore, Blake Lively (minus the braid!). Ehhh's for Kyra Sedgwick, Mila Kunis, Leighton Meester, Jennifer Love Hewitt.

And after then came Neil Patrick Harris! He was simply fantastic. So funny. And charming. And entertaining! NPH, I heart you. You stole (and saved!) the show.

Second to the host, I also really loved Kristin Chenoweth, who was genuinely surprised and happy with her Best Supporting Actress win for Pushing Daisies. Even though she was clearly overwhelmed by the moment, she was absolutely adorable. "Now that I'm unemployed, I'd like to be on Mad Men. I also like The Office and 24." She's so cute! Someone please write a part for her stat!

And thirdly, Ricky Gervais. He was effortlessly hilarious. So I'll leave you with this LOL clip of the presentation for the Best Variety Show Emmy by Sir Gervais himself. If you don't actually LOL, we can no longer be friends. It's that funny.

The 2010 Emmy's sure have their work cut out for them to top last night's show. No pressure!

So Lauren, what's your plan?

Well here's the thing...I don't have one.

Seems like the million dollar question lately. Especially after spending a long weekend in Texas. Everyone must know..."What's the plan? What are you doing? How long are you staying up there? Are you dating anyone? What's next?"

And you know what? I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. No plan! Yep, that's right. I have no plans for "what's next." And surprisingly enough, I'm ok with it.

I feel like I've spent so much time planning for "what comes next" in life. So much time in fact that my plans read like some ridiculous to-do list --

-- Work butt off to make middle school and high school basketball teams. . . .Max out schedule with AP classes to get more college credit. . . .Take college classes in high school to get ahead. . . .Write, edit, re-write college essays to get into UT. . . .Graduate high school with honors. . . .Ace entry-level advertising class to switch to Communications School and change major to Advertising. . . .Spend countless hours perfecting group assignments / prepping for presentations (résumé game-changers after all). . . .Get fantastic internship. . . .Complete degree. . . .Find big girl job in New York City. . . .Success to follow. --

Why the craziness? I don't know. Because that's just what you do? Set goals. Make plans. Move forward. Obvi.

For a long time it seemed like I was really focused on what came next. Plans for high school lead to plans for after high school, plans for after college, plans for a career. If life was a "What's Next" game, I'd surely have been a finalist. I'm kinda great at making plans.

And now? Now I find myself at this strange point in life where the plans just stop. I have yet to make any huge post-college life-changing decisions. Because really, I have no idea what's next. I know I've been lucky enough to do what I wanted to do all along. I am happy. And I'm learning to just roll with it.

A few years ago, it would have terrified me to admit that I didn't have plans for the future. (self-proclaimed control freak, remember?) And ok, it's a little out of character for me. And yeah, sometimes I get anxious for the "what's next." But for right now, I admit, I'm pretty comfortable just enjoying the ride.

Besides, who says you need plans anyway? There will be plenty of time for making plans when I'm older.

Cheers!

Texas Style

Diary of A Lovely Labor Day weekend. Texas-style.

I forget that being at home always = a jam-packed schedule full of running around seeing as many people as I can before I have to leave again. It's rarely relaxing. And rarely uneventful. I wouldn't have it any other way.


"Where's Aunt La La?"
I spent as much time as possible with lil miss Sloan. There are no words for her cutie-ness. I mean, really, she's a doll. Right? I love that she calls the swing a "weeee!" and how every word sounds like it's in fast-forward. L-O-V-E.


"Because she's a freak."
Mom, upon reviewing the color-coded monthly budget spreadsheet that I created to track my finances. Funny that the conversation ended with, "The formulas are all built in, huh? Why don't you send that to me?" Echoed by Les, "You can send it to me too." Some day they will appreciate my love for color coordination and managing numbers.

"I'm just sayin'..."
Les expressed her EXTREME dislike of this phrase that Mom and I both use -- "What does that even mean? 'you're just sayin'...' what? What are you just saying? And why are you 'sayin'?' It doesn't make any sense! Every time you use that phrase I'm going to ask you what exactly it is that you're saying!"


"No, the directions say NOT to do that."
Dad and Keith trying to install the new dishwasher. While Mom reads the instructions out loud. Word. For. Word. Hilariousness. They really did a good job given the slant of the hardwood floor and shortcomings of the water pipe. And from an observation perspective, hilarious. For future reference, I will always pay the $150 professional install fee to avoid the trouble. I am my mother's daughter. I will always be right and things will always be done my way. At least I know this.


"Hey, you're driving home, ok?"
Ummmm, what?!? Hey, remember that I DON'T drive? Especially not at questionably late hours after a night out in uptown. Lucky for us, I picked it right up like a pro. Leslee and Keith can attest to that. BAHAHAHA!


"Sydney, let's go get the mail."
This dog literally spins in circles at the front door until Dad walks over with the mail key. She will also whine at you until you acknowledge her presence and pick up her toy. Bratty brat. Good thing she's cute!


Tweet Tweet
@Les2013: Shopping with @laurenj27. She browses, I glance. We'll make this work!
@laurenj27: Just did some serious Labor Day sale damage at Gap with @Les2013! We are really quite good at rationalizing our purchases.

And those Texas things I won't ever get enough of...Daddy's homemade gravy & biscuits for breakfast. Sloan's laugh. Leslee acting put out that I'm in her space, but secretly welcoming the comfort of my bedroom light because she gets a lil scared of the dark. Mom falling asleep on the couch after insisting that we watch her show on DVR. Afternoons catching up with my grown up cousins. Keith & Shane's exchanges of "see ya silly."

Oh Texas, I miss you already!

gametime: obvious concerns

what? these weren't your first thoughts during saturday's game?



ok, give us a lil credit...we were concerned for the longhorns until the 3rd quarter when they thankfully decided to wake up and play. but we were also really concerned about the buckeye-lei-flowery necklace thing that the wyoming coach had going on.

good luck? tradition? hawaiian inspiration? huh?


please discuss.

The Boys are Back!

It's finally football season! Yes! And I couldn't be more pumped for Longhorn football this fall.

I mean, check out highlights of Saturday's season opener. Tell me you don't throw your hands in the air in celebration when McCoy completes a 78-yard pass to Shipley. Oh it's a good year to be a Longhorn.

The Boys are Back! Hook 'em!

oh i think george says it best...

-- i'll be somewhere down in texas if you're lookin' for me

drinkin' in that great wide open, soakin' up the summer breeze.

kickin' back & settled in with my family.

i'll be somewhere down in texas if you're lookin' for me. --

~ george strait

4 & 1/2 months without a trip to texas is tough. 4 months without leaving the city is tougher.

i require only a few things this weekend - in no particular order - (1) sunshine (2) chick-fil-a (3) sloan! (4) target (5) tex-mex and (6) a lil longhorn football. this is all i ask.

so for the next 5 days. . .i'll be somewhere down in texas if you're lookin' for me.

Good News...

. . . it's September 1st! And I can listen to Pandora for free again!

So very thoughtful of the kind people over at Pandora to email me personally and let me know I can come back. My 40 hours of free music for September starts over right now.

They must have known the sense of loss I experienced upon receiving the dreaded notification that I had exceeded my 40 hour free listening limit. Just for the record, there really isn't a suitable replacement. And fortunately for Pandora, I am a particularly loyal listener.

So thanks Pandora, I think I shall listen again. :)