la la la lauren

Circa 4 days ago

2012-01-11T14:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, 4 days ago, this was happening...

NEW APARTMENT KEYS! Yessss!

It's true.

After Coppell, Austin and New York, New York addresses, I now have my very own Dallas address for the first time in my life. And I'm pretty excited about it.

I'm also sharing a lovely 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom / walk-in closet / washer-dryer included apartment with this birthday girl. YAY!

After a veeeeery full day of moving, we celebrated Lindsey's bday at Neighborhood Services Tavern - quite literally right around the corner from our new place.

More updates and photos to come once I get some order back in my life. For now, I have no overhead light, lots of boxes, bare walls (you know how I feel about those...), and several bins full of shoes that need to find a home in my glorious new closet.

YAY!

i'm just wondering...

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

...why i think it should take 30 minutes to get everywhere in dallas. not the case. i am always late.

...when i'll stop thinking daddy should make me breakfast every saturday morning.

...if driving into unshielded sunlight can make you sick. is that a thing? i think i suffer from this.

...when i'll stop missing new york.

...why i sometimes need to prioritize the rest of my day at 6pm. so not cool.

...when i'll get better at making big kid decisions without input from my parents.

...when those lunges will stop making me sore in boot camp every week.

...why i think the speed limit on every road in our town is 45mph. it's definitely much lower. meep.

...why i always seem to want chick-fil-a the most on sundays, when they are closed.

...when i'll start packing up my life again because i'm moving this weekend. procrastination queen.

Overheard in New York City

2012-01-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

This conversation with New Yorker Andrea (aka the future Mrs. Langus!! YAY!) made me giggle lots.

She didn't ask if they both knew the same Lauren in Texas. She also didn't take a photo. Because well, that would have been just sliiiightly inappropriate at dinner. No?

However, it was decided that we'll assume a few people I know in NY were having dinner next to each other. And they didn't know that they had a mutual friend in Tejas. Because that's just the kind of small town New York City is, you know?

Oh Manhattan. The biggest small city I know.

So here's a funny story...

2011-12-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last Friday before Christmas, I had a morning pedicure date with Mom.

It was a perfectly normal Friday morning - except I didn't have to work. I had lunch plans with former NYC roomie, Julia. Then an afternoon date with another favorite New Yorker, Bethany.

So there I was. Festive gold polish selected for my toes. Chit chatting with Mom. Flipping through People magazine. Simultaneously tweeting, checking emails, texting. You know, all normal, daily multi-tasking things.

And then something happened. Something you never think will happen. Because you are not really that accident prone...

...I mean, maybe you fall sometimes while just walking normally. And maybe you get stuck in your puffy coat with a broken zipper every once in awhile. And maaaaybe you lost / had your iPhone stolen from a bar about a year ago...

But those things aside, not reeeaaally that accident prone. Right?!

And that's when it all happened. In slow motion.

People magazine slipped out of my hand. Floating down into the pedicure water.
Instinctively, I reached down to save the $4 magazine.
Simultaneously, beloved and slightly more pricey, iPhone 4 slips from my lap, falling down down down, directly to the bottom of the pedicure tub.
I might have screamed a curse word.
My pedicurist definitely squealed.
My sweet mother was shocked to silence.
The owner rushed over in lightening speed to grab the phone before anyone else could think about reacting. He grabbed a towel, removed the cover, and offered up a fan to help dry it out.
ohmygosh. no.

The rest of the pedicure is a blur -- Wait, I'll have to buy a new phone. I can't NOT have one. Great. It's Christmas, how ever will I find a new iPhone in a store, they're probably all gone! Oh I am definitely not up for an upgrade yet. My iPhone 4 is only 1 year old! I'll have to pay full price! Ahhhhh! How will I surviiiive?! -- Not dramatic at all.

I somewhat remember thanking the nice staff, paying and shuffling out with pretty gold toes. After googling "what to do when you drop your iPhone 4 in water", watching videos of people dismantling their phones, deciding if I took my phone apart there was no way I'd ever ever get it back together again, I ended up jotting down Julia and B's phone numbers just in case. Turning my drowned phone off. And stuffing it into a bag of rice for as long as I could stand it. Sigh.

After 24 hours of being disconnected, I decided it was time to turn my phone back on and assess the damage.

It's on!
Ok. That's a good sign.
Now. Emails? Check. Tweet tweets? Check. Google maps? Yep. Safari? Good. Words with Friends?? Oh whew, maybe I'll be ok?
Mom calls. It rings! I answer.
OhmygoshIcan'thearanythingthroughthespeaker. No really. The speakers don't work? Seriously?

So. I have a phone. It survived. I can text. I can email. I can do everything I need to do. Except...and I mean, this is a small but...I can't really so much talk on my phone. Awesome.

Hope no one was really hoping to hear my voice any time soon. I'm outta business.

Awesome. x2.
Rarrrr.

**UPDATE!**
In recent developments, the speaker is magically working again. For the time being at least. I am currently able to have a conversation on my phone (brilliant!).

I am not however, able to play music, or HeyTell messages (sorry friends!) or use headphones. Perhaps in a few days, those speakers will come back to life too! No? Wishful thinking? That I could submerge my iPhone in pedicure water and come out with zero casualties?

Fine. But I'm not happy about it.

Some Holiday Baking

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

I did a lil baking this holiday season.

What can I say? I'm very domestic these days.

I was invited to a cookie exchange party a few weeks ago - what's that? Never heard of a cookie exchange? Neither had I. Turns out, there's not much to it really. Just bake a few dozen yummy cookies and be prepared to share your recipe with the other gals!

I decided to whip up some of Miss Betsy's gingersnaps for the occasion. While I hadn't tried them before, I'm usually a big fan of all Miss Betsy's recipes. And I had special plans for these snaps.

They were super simple and quick. And I added a toffee twist! By dipping the snaps in melty chocolate, then coating in crumbled up Heath bars. I can't take full credit for that creativity - thanks for the suggestion mom!

After a few hours of baking, cooling, dipping and coating, I ended up with a Christmasy bowl filled with delightfully professional(ish) gingersnaps!

They turned out to be quite tasty treats and were a success at the Cookie Exchange. New friend and blogger Michele, wrote a cute post about the party here - complete with photos of all 12 cookies for sampling AND the milk / cocoa bar. I mean, what's a cookie party without some milk?

Here's the recipe!

Gingersnaps by Miss Betsy

¾ cup Crisco shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup molasses

Cream together in mixer

ADD

2 ¼ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Cream some more

Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour or longer, covered.

Roll dough into balls the size of a walnut, place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

For an easy chocolatey twist:

Melt semi-sweet chocolate, dip an edge of a snap, coat in Heath bar crumbles

Lay on wax paper to cool.

Makes 4 dozen.

Oh! And since we were in the baking mood, mom and I took a shot at some peppermint white chocolate fudge. It was good in theory. And it might look festive and delicious here, but looks are deceiving. Don't be fooled. This was a massive fudgey fail. Eeeek!

I suppose I'll just stick with cookies. :)

Leslee + Keith {lovebirds}

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

11.19.2011

The Big Day.

Sister's wedding day was SUCH a blur. One long, exciting, emotion-filled, magical, absolutely amazing blur. Better pics to come soon once Les gets them in.

But for now, since I have delayed this post much much too long, allow me to set the scene(s)...

Dallas, Texas.
A Loft Hotel.
The bride's suite / hair salon.
Call time @ 6:00am. (ouch)

Scottish Rite Library & Museum.
The Bridal Suite.
Call time @ 2pm.

Where she stood and looked at herself in the mirror talking about how pretty she looked. hahaha

Bridesmaid gift! Kate Spade "mrs" necklace + super crafty scrapbook = tearful success.

Waiting to see Daddy for the first time. Tears.

Necessary!

My sister, the Bride. She's stunning.

The Ceremony.
This is when they say "i do!"
Call time @ 5pm.

It's go time!

The Reception.
Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Marcom!
This is where we all lose track of time.

A dance line entrance...with a few props of course. A first dance as husband and wife. A daddy-daughter dance - with a twist! A mother-son two-step. Some toasts - one from me! (but don't ask what I said, I have no idea! I hope it was charming and endearing...we'll have to check the video!) Some wishes. Some twirls. A few tears. So much happiness.

And now the party begins!

And then they were off!
Mr. & Mrs. Marcom!
Married! Hooray!

Everything was perfect. And beautiful. And wonderful. And I couldn't imagine it being any more lovely. I cannot WAIT to share the professional photos, they are fantastic. Joseph Mark was nothing short of amazing.

So much happiness. So much more to say, yet so very delayed on this bloggy.

For now, I shall leave you with this gem - the finishing touch to Les' Bridesmaid scrapbook!

Bridesmaid morning after mug shots. You're welcome.

Idea + signs courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Davis (center). Photos courtesy of Mrs. Kristen Buchanan (center, left). Photoshop skills courtesy of Ms. Kelsey Mezzenga (center, top) & her design-savy pal. Remaining giggles courtesy of Ms. Calli Bailey (top left), Ms. Danielle Olson (center, right) and Ms. Kami Marcom (top right).

Cheers to Mr. & Mrs. Marcom!

Love!
Maid of (Dis)Honor, signing off.

Leslee + Keith {the rehearsal}

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

So let's back up a lil bit, shall we?

Just a few weeks. 4 to be exact. To the most lovely wedding weekend ever. After 11 months of planning, shopping, decision-making, semi-stressiness and lots of excitement, it was finally finally here.

First up - Friday Prep Day!
Starting with 5:30am boot camp. I know what you're thinking, we're ~~crazy~~ hard core.

Ok, fine. This is when the real party started. Mani / Pedi's with the bridal party. Where our niece Sloan decided to steal the show with her cutieness. Naturally.

And that night - The Rehearsal!
After making sure we had all the wedding ceremony motions down(ish), it was Rehearsal Dinner time.

There was some wine, some silliness, some gift-giving, some tears, a sweet sweet slideshow with photos dating back to kindergarten and lots and lots of celebrating. Also, Sloan fell in love with Les' bridesmaids. And they with her. Our adorable 3-year-old niece, she almost stole the show...almost.

Goodbye fiancé and friends! See y'all tomorrow! For the wedding day!

Christmasy

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Love Matt Wertz's new holiday album, especially love this song.
Good thing he put it to video so I could share.
Makes me miss New York lots! New York is the best ever at Christmastime.

Christmas in the City! LOVE!

an update

2011-12-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

oh heeeey. apologies for my unintentional bloggy hiatus this past month!

apparently this often happens this time of year...see last december. however, once you throw in a sister's epic wedding week + holidays + other new texas life things, appears things get even busier!

lindsey so kindly requested that i get back to bloggy business and write something soon - plus she needs things to read. she even offered her own suggestions for an editorial calendar. staring with a lil thing like my sister's wedding. ohhh? that little thing?

so while we're waiting on that update, here's a post i half-wrote a few weeks ago and then got distracted. by something terribly important i'm sure. like christmas music on spotify. or kendra scott earring sales.

here's to the end of this month-long dry spell. stay tuned for more soon. promise.

scene:
gloria's on greenville
catch-up happy hour with some of my fave new yorkers
andrea & brian
who were in dallas for thanksgiving

after a good hour of non-stop chatter...

brian: "i think that your accent is coming back..."

lj: "is it?!?!?"

brian: "it is."

andrea: "well it must, being around all these texans all the time!"

lj: "it's true...it's no longer cute when i say "y'all" at work"

i suspected this would happen.

my favorites.

2011-11-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

i couldn't help but share the below super important / ridiculous twitter conversation with 2 of my friends last week...

jamie in atlanta
angie currently in south africa
i am...well, i am clearly in dallas

HAH! just re-reading it makes me giggle!
oh. and for the record, #smh = shaking my head. surely me and jamie aren't the only one's who were unaware of this new, yet google-able hashtag?!

AngieAway Angie Orth

2 weird emails today. No, you can't put your content on my site FOR FREE. Yes, I'm a real journalist, with real stories and everything. #smh

laurenj27 lauren johnson

@AngieAway I just had to google #smh ...apparently I'm out of the twitter loop since leaving NYC. I used to be so in the know! :/

AngieAway Angie Orth

@laurenj27 I think I know that because of my close interaction with teenagers, haha. I have an unusually large amount of them as friends.

AngieAway Angie Orth

@laurenj27 Um... also. I just looked at your Twitter and had to FOLLOW you. Any thoughts on how that could've happened?

jamieleanne jamie martin

@AngieAway @laurenj27 i googled #smh too!

laurenj27 lauren johnson

@jamieleanne @AngieAway HAHAHA! this makes me feel better...

laurenj27 lauren johnson

@AngieAway did you UNFOLLOW me?!? are you trying to let me know that my tweet tweets are most boring these days?? gasp!

AngieAway Angie Orth

@jamieleanne @laurenj27 OMG it also says I'm not following Jamie! THE WORLD IS CRASHING TO AN END. SAVE YOURSELVES!

AngieAway Angie Orth

@laurenj27 It makes NO sense! You're still on my BEST FRIENDS list. I am utterly at a loss. I think Twitter had a stroke?!

laurenj27 lauren johnson

@AngieAway @jamieleanne BAHHHH! best friends, yeah right, don't even follow us on twitter..gonna guess this has something to do w/ new name?

AngieAway Angie Orth

@jamieleanne @laurenj27 Nope. @BigAppleAngie no longer exists! Same account, just different name. Except my best friends got axed.

jamieleanne jamie martin

@laurenj27 @AngieAway i bet @BigAppleAngie is still following me. #smh (is that the proper usage? i don't know teenage internet slang.)

laurenj27 lauren johnson

@jamieleanne @AngieAway @BigAppleAngie #ftw

AngieAway Angie Orth

@laurenj27 @jamieleanne I don't think so... no one else is off my list from what I can tell. B A N A N A S

AngieAway Angie Orth

@laurenj27 @jamieleanne BTW, I'm giving up OMG for the rest of my life. I feel like 30 is too old for OMG. The other abbrevs shall remain.

Unfair Influences

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the facts --

Lauren
I like freshly polished finger nails. I paint my nails at least once a week. (at least I'm not getting weekly manicures!) I am particularly fond of Essie nail polish and you'll never catch me with a color I can't name on my nails.

Leslee
She likes statement earrings. Lately, she's loving Austin designer Kendra Scott jewelry and typically checks the online sales every week...just in case there is something she needs.

a) We both have weekly "routines" related to the above.
b) Les bought me a great pair of purple Kendra Scott earrings for my birthday last summer. (loved them!)
c) I bought her Essie Chinchilly nail polish a few Thanksgiving's ago.
d) Les judged me for painting my nails "like every day!"
e) I judged her for "ohhhh, look at these!" every day.
f) We now live in very close quarters. And things (like the above) that we once used to gchat / text about, can now be seen / discussed in person. Natural influences, right?

So what started as perfectly innocent individual preferences, has now progressed into mutual influences.

HOWEVER. Two key facts to note...

g) Essie nail polish is $8 per bottle.
h) Kendra Scott gems are upwards of $45 PER PAIR. (when on SALE via Gilt / kendrascott.com)

Ummm...just me or does this sisterly "influence" affect me sliiiightly more negatively than my nail polish issues rubbing off on her??

After 4 months, this is our combined stash...we have problems.

And this is my most recent polish love - Cocktail Bling. From the Essie winter collection. Good, right?

Here are Leslee's latest colors (all purchased since I took the above pics...) - I support this new pretty nails habit. :)

a couples shower {costume edition}

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

for the final celebration before The Big Day (this is the 4th wedding shower, for those of you keeping track at home), a few of the austin bridesmaids hosted a full-fledged halloween costume couples shower for leslee and keith!

talk about a wedding shower with a twist, totally loved it!

the guests of honor - danny zuko and sandra dee

there were a variety of characters in attendance. and a variety of "how well do you reeaaaaallly know each other" games - that were quite hilarious. there were gifts that they actually got to open together - which caused lots of excitement. there was an orange cake with a story to tell. and there were glow wands - my personal fave of course.

happy costumey couples shower to les and keith! next up: The Big Day! :)

lots of love,
the law

a fall getaway...

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

...to atlanta! (also affectionately referred to as, the ATL)

i took a lil fall break halloween weekend to visit former new york bestie, and current georgia peach, jamie!

can't believe it had been over a year since our last rendezvous in new york. and while emails, texts, skype and the occassional phone convo are super easy ways for us to stay in touch, there's nothing like hanging out with one of your very best friends for a few uninterrupted days.

jamie lives in an adorable little house with a red door. one i've seen in her bloggies and was so excited to visit in person!

oh and i finally got to meet this boy. the one who makes my friend so smiley and giggly. naturally, there were high expectations for our overdue in-person intros and i can confidently say, this boy did not disappoint... :)

we took full advantage of the gorgeous fall weather and spent an afternoon at uncle shuck's. where there were goats. a hayride. corn shooting. and a pumpkin patch.

where we also mastered the corn maze and it's check point challenges. both of them in fact! it was the llama with the wrench at the tool shed in case you were wondering...we suspected as such. that llama was quite suspicious looking...

we also do brunch really really well. we love brunch! atlanta loves brunch like we do too. 1st up - parish in inmen park. food, excellent. decor, just lovely.

and on sunday, we brunched at west egg. with pimento chessey grits. and delightful lattes.

also! looky what i found in jamie's half new / half new york decorated bedroom in her little house with the red door...

photo booth pics with me and bethany! from the joint bday party J and B had in the lower east side...about 3 years ago. some of our fave shots!

B! we have a spot riiiight next to a fave photo of this charming gentleman. i'd say that's an important place to be!

i heart her. and her little house with the red door. and her city that loves brunch like we do. and her boy that keeps her giggling.

thanks for a very happy atlanta weekend J! xoxo!

Some things from last week

2011-11-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

Last Monday I spent Halloween night trick-or-treating with Princess Aurora and her neighborhood friends.

The Princess was MUCH too busy twirling around and running to catch up with her friends at the next house to pose for any of my pictures. Princesses are very busy and important after all.

And for Baby Ty's very first Halloween, he was the cutest lil skeleton I've ever seen.

Last Wednesday one of my fave singer song-writers was playing at House of Blues. I've seen Andy Davis something like 3 or 4 times in New York. So I begged my sister to come with me. (in her grad school world, she doesn't really "do" week night activities...but like I said, I begged)

But how could I NOT go? Especially after this twitter exchange happened...

laurenj27: i would like to go see @andydavis at house of blues on wed night & i would like someone to go with me. @lindsayann_nyc @susanloyd MISS YOU!

andydavis:@laurenj27 @lindsayann_nyc @susanloyd help this girl out!

Lindsay Ann and Susan are my singer songwriter buddies. We saw Andy with Andrew Belle and Trent Dabbs with the Ten out of Tenn tour last fall. We've seen Andrew Belle and Tyrone Wells multiple times. I miss them!

It was a pretty great show, as always. Loved it. Thanks for going with me Les!

Burnt Orange & Boots

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is the Texas State Fair.

Home of Flecher's Corny Dogs. All things fried - like oreos and guacamole.

This guy with his Dickies jeans and 10 gallon hat, Big Tex.

And most importantly, home to the Texas / Oklahoma Red River Shootout.

This year, I didn't watch the big game from an NYC bar at Stout or Hill Country. This year was the year of my return. To Texas. And to the Red River Shootout. This year I was right in the action.

Live from the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park:
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Sadly the Longhorns did not quite deliver on their end of the deal. It was sad. But I love the Horns and I will continue to cheer for them even when it's kinda hard to.

Texas!

Bevo!

Football friend! Hey Linds!

The Texas Longhorn Showband of the Southwest. That's right. They are very official.

She twirls fire batons. It was the halftime battle of the baton twirlers.

Hey Case! It's a growing year. We know this. We still love you.

Alright, so the game didn't turn out as we'd hoped. The day was only half over! After a morning of sportiness, we switched gears a few hours later and headed out to Cowboy's Stadium for a MUCH anticipated concert!

Next up: Taylor Swift!

Confessions...it was my 2nd Taylor concert. And Lindsey's 4th. What can we say? We can't help but heart her!

She puts on a super fun show. And her sparkly, twirly costume changes don't disappoint. She wore 9 different dresses this night. But not like I was counting or anything...

Telling you...everything is just better with boots.

There she is! Hi Taylor!

In dress #2, one of 2 princessy gowns.

Dress #4 red sparkles. About to beat up on that bell dropping from the ceiling.

Dress #6 purple twirly. Slowing things down. At her tree.

Dress #7. Black sparkles. With special guest, BOB! Singing Airplanes.

Encore! In Dress #9 princess gown + Dallas Cowboys jersey.

We were really happy to have glowy sticks. Necessary.

We totally love Taylor!

Whew! It was one very long Saturday! Filled with sportiness and sparkles.

Love Texas. Love Taylor. Love spending the whole weekend with Linds.

:)

ali + chris {an austin affair}

2011-10-20T11:15:00.000-04:00

10.01.11

the day that ali married chris

at the ohsogorgeous laguna gloria

in austin, texas

where the weather was beautiful

the venue was charming

every detail was lovely

the bride was absolutely glowing

the groom gave the most genuine speech

and the sorority sisters reunited to dance the night away in style

love. happiness. cheers.
<3

Introducing Tyler Allen

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Oh looky who made an appearance last week!

Only 6 days late...or maybe just right on time?!

Meet my new nephew.

Tyler Allen Johnson

10.6.2011

He is just perfect.

10 little fingers. 10 little toes. Sweet little face.

Baby Tyler and his mom are happy and healthy.

So are dad and big sister, Sloan.

Here they are before Sloan gets to meet Ty for the very first time!

We are all very excited that he's here!

With Nai Nai

And with LeLe

He is pretty precious.

And think it's safe to say that I'm completely in love.

Welcome to the world Baby Tyler!

We are all so so happy to meet you!

just the gals {a bachlorette weekend}

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

the sitch:
sister's much-anticipated bachelorette bash weekend.
new braunfels, texas.
at a pretty fantastic house on the guadalupe river.

the gals:
20 of them.
ranging from future mother-in-law to elementary school besties.

the rules:
non-existent.

scene 1 --
the bachelorette, maid of honor, mother of the bride and aunt -- southbound 35 on a beautifully sunny friday morning.

upon arrival in new braunfels, the group surveys the property, and finds themselves quite pleased (read: EXCITED) with where they'll be spending the next few days.

after a full tour and a quick lunch, the pool awaits!

and the main room of the house gets a bachelorette makeover - la la la lauren style. everyone gets their own purple tumbler. fabric pennant banners are hung. chalk signs are drawn. now the weekend of celebration can officially begin.

scene 2 --

8pm. all gals are gathered on the patio. the grill is fired up, burgers all around.

bartender shauni takes over, mixing up drinks so tasty, even the mother of the bride couldn't resist.

oh! and there was a big weekend kick-off surprise in the form of a new louis!

scene 3 --
10pm-ish? about time to really get this party started. music blasts. kelly expertly teaches the girls how to dougie. which launches a full fledged bachelorette style dance party...moved outdoors to allow for more...elaborate dance moves? like...posing?

scene 4 --
another perfect 90 degree, blue sky, sunshiney day. girls are possibly a bit bleary-eyed from the previous evening's dance party. nothing some sunglasses can't cure.

it's time for rafting the guadalupe river. 18 girls pile into a bus, hop out at the river, load their coolers / koozies / selves into 5 big rafts, each grab a paddle, and they're off!

scene 5 --

girls gather after a dinner of mom's famous chicken enchiladas for a bachelorette lingerie shower. again, la la la lauren style. a dessert buffet of delicious treats homemade by the bridesmaids. a delightful pink champagne punch, and just a few surprises.

surprise #1 -- a special video visit from the groom, keith! who answered some "bridesmaid approved" questions. and made everyone giggle with his "playin' it safe babe" responses.

the bachelorette cried a lil, bridesmaid calli cried a lot, the mothers of these two managed to hold it all together.

surprise #2 -- a special custom made bachelorette featherband from the lovely (and incredibly talented) mrs. kathryn beck. who lovingly fashioned this pretty little accessory with very little guidance from the maid of honor other than..."something sparkly and bachelorettey!!"

she's a gem. check out all her designs at her katbeckdesigns etsy shop. big fan.

scene 6 --
post-lingerie festivities, on to a night out at gruene hall, the oldest dancehall in texas. 21 lovely ladies all rockin' their cowboy boots and bachelorette party beads and definitely ready to dance the night away.

drinks in hand, the gals took over the dance hall. dale watson - the cowboy singin' on stage - took an immediate interest in such a big group of pretty girls. he made sure the bachelorette was whisked off her feet the moment she walked in the door.

she waltzed with a nice old man...

she two-stepped with this handsome bachelor while her ladies danced with his bachelor party boys.

there was a pretty intense rendition of cotton-eye joe that had the whole dance hall on their feet.

and there was bachelor #2, who also happens to be tying the knot on november 19th.

she was a very giggly, very happy bachelorette.

until she thought she had lost a button on her new bachelorette party dress. then she was sad.

but those sad faces didn't last long.

a few minutes later she realized that the buttons on her new party dress were all the same distance apart. so she couldn't be missing a button. then she was happy bachelorette again.

this whole button misunderstanding could have been a result of the gruene hall sangria. or the wine. definitely not the beer. she doesn't drink that. even in cowboy boots.

21 pretty girls + cowboy boots + live country music + gruene hall = bachelorette party night success!!

scene 7 --
post-gruene hall dancin' back at the house, there was some make-shift photo booth fun. easily one of the most entertaining activities of the weekend. never underestimate the power of some dress up clothes, props and chalk board paint.

the bachelorette even coined her own weekend catch phrase. believe it derived from a jersey shore reference to the phrase "let's be honest"...transitioned to "lezzzbehonest"...and eventually to...

and then the dance parties were over. the boots were tired. the treats were gone.

a few more hours by the pool soaking up the texas sunshine the following day. then the girls loaded up their cars, hugged and laughed and said they couldn't wait for more fun at the wedding.

the bachelorette packed up her lingerie. the maid of honor wondered how she was leaving with more supplies than she came with. the mother of the bride was glad she is good at tetris and could make everything fit in the SUV.

they all waved goodbye to the cutest little house on the river, called to thank the owners for a lovely weekend at their lovely river home and vowed to organize a family event there in the near future.

end scene.

happy happy bachelorette bash weekend to sister and bride-to-be leslee!

let the countdown to mrs. marcom begin!

love youuuuu!

a bridal shower {the second}

2011-09-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

leslee's second shower was hosted by mom's sweet friends, miss betsy and miss earnestine.

(not pictured because my camera battery died. MOH fail.)

sidenote: these ladies also hosted high school graduation parties for each of us. they are pretty much the best.

petit fours! with calla lilies! all about the details.

this was a recipe shower.

filled with lots of pretty (and practical!) kitcheny things. plus each guest's favorite recipe and what les (and keith!) will need to make them.

let's just say les' reactions to unknown kitchen contraptions were pretty fantastic. she was visibly excited about everything -- regardless of knowing what it was or how to use it. but excitement, she sure didn't lack!

this basket of goodies was filled with everything she needed to make veggie pasta!

note: in trial run, this was made. and eaten. with no leftovers. thanks to miss cindy!

little known fact about my sis --

her left-handedness makes her quite terrifying with scissors. or knives. or anything sharp.

it's really frighting to watch her open her gifts. everyone holds their breath hoping she doesn't seriously injure herself in the box-opening process.

this time around Bridesmaid Sarah "leslee proofed" her box. previously opened, then re-closed with regular tape.

no sharp objects required. brilliant sarah! :)

and then my camera died. so if you see my mom. tell her to send me her pictures and i'll amend this post.

oh wait, I see her every day? and still haven't gotten them from her?

alright. i'm on it.

two showers down! two more to go!

I Remember

2011-09-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

September 11th, 2001
"The whole world's changed today"

And I remember everything.

I was a senior in high school. I had 1st period flex, no class. I listened to a CD while I got ready and in the car on the way to school - no radio, no TV. I was preoccupied by thoughts of the disagreement I had with my boyfriend the night before. (Sigh.)

I remember I walked into my high school completely unaware that an airplane had just smashed into one of the twin towers at 9:46am. To be honest, I didn't even know what the twin towers were. I was 17 years old.

I remember how I was met in the hallway at the top of the stairs by my friend Jenna..."have you seen this?!?" I had no idea what she was talking about. Airplane? New York? Was it an accident? How does that happen? I walked in to 2nd period Government just in time to see the 2nd plane hit the south tower at 10:03am. The classroom was silent.

The rest of the morning was a blur. I remember my friend Melissa coming into my 2nd period class. Her mom worked for Delta and was on a flight from LA. No one was sure at that point if there were more hijacked planes aimed at more targets. She was terrified. We were all in shock.

I remember the bomb threat that was called in that day. Our whole high school spent the entire afternoon outside in the stadium and field house while the bomb squad was called in. I remember how we had no idea what was going on. And that we were not allowed to go back into the building for the rest of the day. But we weren't allowed to leave either.

I remember finding my mom and sister in the field house. Asking my mom what was happening? Why? Was this bomb threat really real? And why couldn't we all just leave?

I remember how that afternoon I was still caught up in my own personal all-encompassing boyfriend drama. I was so completely oblivious to the nightmare unfolding in New York that I'm almost ashamed to admit it.

I remember finally being released from school and sitting on the couch that night next to my boyfriend. Glued to the TV, watching replays of the 2nd plane hitting its target, seeing the pentagon smoking, hearing reports on a suspected flight that went down in Pennsylvania, watching and re-watching the horror of the towers collapsing, the smoke, the New Yorkers running from the wreckage.

I remember how I went to fill up my car with gas that night...just in case. In case of what? I don't know. But it seemed like a full tank of gas would keep me prepared for the "just in case."

I remember how that night my mom said to me..."ok, you're never moving to New York now..."

..................................................

Four years later on July 7th, 2005 I remember running very late for my summer school class at the National Gallery in London, England. I remember trying to run into the Gloucester tube station, only to be met with floods of people exiting, trains weren't running...but no one knew why.

I remember the buses flying by filled with people and how we tried to hop on one, so we wouldn't be in trouble for missing class. I remember being so very thankful that we didn't get on a bus. There were bombs there too.

I remember thinking...not here, surely not here. Terrorism knows no national barriers.

...................................................

The following year in 2006, I remember my first September 11th as a New Yorker. On the five year anniversary of that terrible day. I remember the stories my New Yorker co-workers told. Of where they were. What they were doing. How they were affected that day. Stories that brought the nightmare and terror to life on a whole new level now that I was a New Yorker too.

...................................................

Today - ten years later on September 11th, 2011 - I remember.
I know we all do.

Found this page in my senior scrapbook - A newspaper clipping collage

So much pink! {ok, and a bit of red too!}

2011-09-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I made the drive south to Austin.

Just me, my pretty car and my newly downloaded Eli Young Band "Life at Best" album. (it's real good BTW!)

Anyway, the whole reason I went to visit...no, not for a football game this time...gasp!

It was Kayla's very first Baby Shower!

College bestie Kayla, and her husband Fordy are expecting their sweet baby girl - Camby Paige - in just 2 short months.

When she called me to tell me she was pregnant last spring, I squealed and said..."YAY, and I'm moving back to Texas this summer!" Or actually, I think it was something along the lines of screaming... "YouStopItRightNow!!!"

And then I told her I felt like I'd be heading back south soon. And truly was still just a feeling at that point.

But good thing I did!

Or I would have missed this fantastic celebration!

Kayla's sis-in-law Laura and her fellow hostesses sure do know how to throw a lovely shower. It definitely wasn't their first party...Everything was perfectly decorated and perfectly planned and perfectly lovely.

Blue, Red and Pink...all Cambry's nursery colors.

With a table full of all Kayla's favorite foods! Seriously, everything she loves from mini mac & cheese to strawberry shortcake. All right there on the pretty blue and red table.

And there were so many pink presents! Baby Cambry will have so many cutie clothes. And plenty of necessary pink things. She is already so very loved.

But the best part of course, was being in Austin to celebrate with my sweet friend. So much life to catch up on and so much happiness to share. It's good to be home.

And I can. not. wait. to meet lil miss Cambry ohsosoon!

two month updates

2011-09-07T09:00:00.002-04:00

alright. it's now been 2 months since my move to texas. think it's time for a quick life update.
family time.

2 months in, i've decided i'm perfectly content living at my parents house for the time being. (at least until les gets married!) and i'm getting quite used to being around the fam more. they were after all, the largest draw in getting me back to the lone star state. so i'm totally ok with this. especially all the time i get with this little one...she's my fave.

waking up early.
while i don't know if i'll ever really get used to this, i am much much better at it. and at getting to bed earlier. why are both of these things so hard for me??

my sister, the bride.
i didn't know that i could be more involved in this wedding planning business than i was from nyc, but turns out i could. i've been quite the busy party planner myself for her bachelorette bash that's coming up in a few weeks. it's been really fun though, i wouldn't trade it. here's a lil preview of what i've been up to...let the 11 week countdown begin!

driving.
a gchat conversation with friend matt...

Matt: yea i read your tweet about fidgeting with XM stations the whole drive home and thought 'thats exactly what someone who is just getting back to being acclimated with driving needs to be doing'

what? i'm getting better at multi-tasking while i drive! i even did a lil road trip to austin last weekend. all by myself. but more on that later.

knees.
definitely scars. from this lil event. don't think these are going away any time soon. i'm so cool. i wish there were a better story...

gym.
almost every day. advantages to a slower lifestyle i suppose. my sister claims it was impossible for me to be healthy with that crazy fast life i had in nyc. yeah yeah yeah. starting next week...5:30am boot camp. apparently i'm super workout ambitious in the south too.

in summary.

gchat love from former roomie lindsay ann...

Lindsay Ann: you were in love with texas first. and it will take some time for you to get to know each other again.

it's true. i do love texas. very much. and after my northern hiatus, me and texas are getting to know each other again...maybe on more grown up level.

i think i like where our relationship is headed.

:)

city girl

2011-08-31T13:00:00.001-04:00

first, erin (the new mrs. denniston!) is back from her and chris' super exotic honeymoon (read: trip of a lifetime)! yaaaay!

second, she sent me these words of wisdom after reading about my conversation with her friend andy at her wedding.

quite fitting, no?

funny...i feel like i've always said this about texas. "you can take the girl out of texas, but you can't take the texas out of the girl!"

but it appears that i will also quite passionately defend new york city as one of the greatest places in the world. probably for forever.

which i suppose means i shall now always be a city girl.

ok. so maybe a city girl...with a lil texas sass!

thanks e! :)

Almost Time.

2011-08-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

For Longhorn football!

This year I'm back in Texas for football season. (Wooo!) And this means weekend trips to Austin, and tailgating, and Texas / OU weekend at the fair and lots and lots of burnt orange.

So! I'm especially pumped about football season this year. So pumped in fact that I almost don't mind that my boys aren't even ranked as a top 10 team. Almost.

Oh did I mention the Longhorn Network? Pretty pumped about that too. So is my fellow Longhorn Matthew McConaughey.

It's almost time!
Hook 'em Horns!

a bridal shower {the first}

2011-08-25T09:00:00.002-04:00

it's starting! it's starting! all sister's wedding-y fun!

leslee's very first bridal shower was a few weeks ago. it was a pretty brunchy shower at our sister-in-law berit's house. and it was quite the success!

muffins and fresh fruit and egg casseroles and cupcakes. oh my.

i mean, how cute are those monogrammed cupcakes?! surrounded by lil brownie bites that berit decorated herself. we love anything monogrammed. these were an especially sweet treat!

also loved the mimosas with dainty little strawberries. (nicely done cousin kenz!)

we played a funny little candy match game that i whipped up.

the saying - "post-wedding bank account"
the matching candy bar - "zero"
the winner - keith's mom

who upon receiving her zero candy bar responded, "no kidding..." and with a glance over at my mom "...should i give you half?"

bahahaha!

and of course there were presents! so many new kitchen things!

place settings, platters, mugs, white wine glasses, red wine glasses, cutting boards, knives, pitchers, mixers (one small, one large!), napkins, coasters, dish towels...whewwww this girl is going to be set in the kitchen!

wait, are we sure she knows what to do in a kitchen? kiiiidding les! kind of.

les and her hostesses + hostess helpers
mrs. ruth, sis-in-law berit, les, cousin mackenzie, and aunt cyndi
they're the best. (we missed you ash!!)

love!

with keith's sweet sister kami and future mother-in-law (!) kim.

pretty bridesmaids. sarah and kristen. all the way from new braunfels and austin for a weekend-of-fun!

pretty high school friends. audrey, tyler, les, nicki and brittany.
i've known these girls forever. they're so grown up! when did that happen?

the bride-to-be gets 2 rings! one has lots of sparkle, one just tastes yummy...and might be a lil bit sticky. :)

happy first bridal shower pretty sister! let the wedding festivities begin!

Accidentally front row

2011-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Band Perry came to Dallas a few weeks ago for a free concert.

A gchat convo...

Lindsey: lauren. have you heard about this free Band Perry concert next week?
LJ: yes! next monday? at gilley's?
Lindsey: yes. i kind of hate that it's on a monday. the doors open at 7pm.
LJ: true...monday's are kinda bad for concerts. but we could do dinner first.
Lindsey: we'd have to.
LJ: so how do we get these free tickets? wait...do we need a code?
Lindsey: no i don't think so. did you check the site?
LJ: yes. we need a code. it's really too bad. bc now i've convinced myself that i need to go.

And then a text message a few days later...

Linds: still wanna do that concert next monday? i got tickets!
LJ: ummm, YES YES! let's do it.

And so began Monday Fun-Day. Complete with guns and boots. (don't judge me...105 degrees is much too hot for boots. these ladies have serious dedication.)

Who says everything is bigger in Texas?

By some strange turn of events, we ended up in the very front row. We're still a bit unsure as to exactly how this happened...

All I know is that we swipped our IDs, received very official wristbands (detailing our full names, time of entry, venue name...very official), were asked if we were all together, told to hold up a minute for special seats by a very enthusiastic man with a bandana, were ushered through a blocked off section...that happened to be riiiight in front of the stage.

And there we were! Accidentally front row!

Where we got a good close up of the set list. Very important to know what's coming next.

And then for more surprises.

The Band Perry was going to be performing this very show for Jimmy Kimmel Live. So that was even more cool.

I mean, they said Jimmy Kimmel Live. But they didn't quite clarify if the concert was airing live, or if it was being taped for a later live show. It was quite confusing. But we cheered on cue like they told us to anyway. We were front row after all. Front row comes with cheering obligations.

We left Gilley's completely in love with those Perry's. That Kimberly has some serious sass. We're fans. Of her...and of her sass.

They were pretty great live. Both from the front row and from their pre-recorded performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Also, according to Linds..."you guys can't believe magical tv words like 'live'..."

:)

A Happy New York Wedding Weekend

2011-08-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

I know, I know, it's only been a few weeks since I left NYC...definitely too soon for a reunion trip. HOWEVER.

Certain events are worth making the trip back for, even when you feel like you just left. And this trip was absolutely worth it.

Erin -- Friend, Gator, Boozy Bruncher, Karaoke Queen, Upper West Sider.

Married New Jersey-ian, Air Guitar Pro and Rock Band King -- Chris

And I just couldn't miss their New Yorky celebration!

I met my world traveler friend Angie at the Newark Airport on Thursday night. Quite perfectly timed, I might add. 3rd visit in 7 months! We are getting so good at this.

Oh hi NYC, I have certainly missed you!!!

After a day of mani / pedi's, shoe shopping (for Angie, not me. duh!), SoHo lunching with Bethany and the girls from work, and wandering through the West Village (read: happiness), it was time for the Rehearsal Dinner.

Rehearsal dinner / welcome party NYC style.

It was at Boat Basin on the UWS. Right on the Hudson. So perfect!

The bride-to-be was glowing and gorgeous. As expected!

Followed by a full-blown after party at the Hudson Hotel. On the Penthouse Terrace. With dancing and singing and much more celebrating.

Here's the view...

My goodness I love this city.

And I love these girls!

Even if we can't speak much during football season...or basketball season...or during the Heisman ceremony. Silly Gators.

Someday we shall meet at the National Championship and it shall be epic! :)

Saturday was spent brunching and catching up with my favorites. And lounging at 9A.

Finally got a table at Tipsy Parson in Chelsea. Me and Bethany have been wanting to go since it opened. Soooo worth the wait. I highly recommend. Do it.

Another former New Yorker friend Michelle - you know, the 3x NY Marathoner? Yes, that one. Michelle met us at 9A juuuust in time toss her bag down and run out the door for the wedding...straight into a summer rainstorm. Bust.

Quintessential New York Moment #1

Angie: Well crap. What are we going to do about this rain? It's going to ruin my hair. That can't happen.

LJ: Agreed. Taxi. Get it.

Michelle: (running across Broadway in her heels trying to shield her hair from rain and wave down a cab at the same time) Taaaaaxiiiiii!

Angie & LJ follow suit...also in heels

Angie: It's just like the old days!

Random man sitting on a Broadway bench laughing at 3 twentysomething girls running across Broadway wearing their heels in the rain trying to hail a cab

LJ: (After safely settling into dry cab) Can we just pause for a moment and laugh about what just happened?!

Angie: And how 'bout that man who was laughing at us?

Michelle: Gotta' love New York.

Upon arriving to the park, it was still raining.
And we had one umbrella to share. We paused underneath a large tree in hopes that the rain would slow down a bit. No luck.

But Angie did find a hot dog cart guy and got herself a hot dog before the wedding. Classic.

When the rain didn't slow up, we decided to take our chances. Huddled underneath Angie's round-the-world beat up umbrella, we power walked / skipped to The Boathouse. In the rain. We are so New York, it's not even funny.

Despite the less than ideal rainy conditions, we arrived at The Boathouse in plenty of time to wait in excitement for the much anticipated ceremony to begin.

And oh my. How quickly we forgot about that pesky rain. We were at The Boathouse! In Central Park! For our friend's wedding! Eeeee!

Erin was the most stunning bride. She and Chris were beaming. Nonstop.
Well, except when she cried through their vows. Then I cried. And everyone cried. Because it was just so sweet! And perfect!

After the ceremony, we were encouraged to "Eat. Drink. Be Married." during cocktail hour. Where we also enjoyed the crab appy's. And the tuna. And the shrimp. Ok, so the food was good.

We took our seats at the Meatpacking District table for the reception. Surrounded by Erin and Angie's super fun Tri Delt sorority sisters and their men.

Quintessential New York Moment #2

Andy (one of the Delta's husbands): I mean, New York is pretty great. But I don't think it's a great place to live. Only to visit.

LJ: Why do you think that?

Andy: It just seems like it's more work than it's worth. Don't you think?

LJ: Oh Andy. You're talking to the wroooong girls. We both lived here for a very long time. We love it here very much.

Michelle: Yes. It's the best place in the world. It's worth it.

LJ: It's absolutely worth it.

And then they arrived! Mr. and Mrs. Denniston!

There was amazing food. And soooo much of it. There was an amazing band. Who covered everything from Journey to Adele to Black Eyed Peas. Their microphones sparkled. Loved them.

There was all kinds of dancing. All kinds of laughing. All kinds of silliness on the dance floor.

Cheers to Mr. & Mrs. Denniston!

A very happy New York wedding weekend.

One that this former New Yorker, and current Texan, is ohsoglad she was able to experience.

Lots of love to E and Chris!

It's time.

2011-08-10T09:00:00.003-04:00

To talk about the heat.

It's been 38 days since I moved back to Texas.

And every single one of those 38 days has hit temperatures over 100 degrees. Usually 90 degrees by 8am, and holding strong at 100 degrees till midnight. Seriously.

Seems we're reaching all kinds of records this year, triple-digit 100+ degree heat for 38 straight days now. We're set to break the 1980 heat wave records over the next few weeks.

Days 100 degrees or higher in 2011: 44
Consecutive days 100 degrees or higher in 2011: 38

Days over 100 degrees in 1980: 69
Consecutive days over 100 in 1980: 42

The 5 day forecast this week looks a little something like this.

And the 10 day forecast...well, it's the same.

Brilliant.

Who in their right mind moves to Texas in July?!?

Apparently I do.

I am thankful for central air conditioning and ceiling fans at home. And the AC in my car. And at my office. And in every single store / restaurant / building in this great state that keeps me from melting.

In the midst of this record-setting Texas heat wave, I surely do not miss those NY sauna-style July-August subway rides. I don't miss the humidity that makes my hair a messy mess all summer. And I don't miss walking into a stuffy apartment with no air circulation.

But I might be dreaming of last January. With blizzards, biting cold, infinity scarves and puffy coats.

Re-learning how to live in the south

2011-08-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

22 years as a Texan. 5 years as a New York-Texan.

Apparently 5 years away was enough to make this all seem a lil bit new.

Just a few things I've noticed in the 4.5 weeks since my return to Texas....

It's no longer charming to other people when I say "y'all". Imagine that? Guess it's no longer a talking point when everyone else says it too.
But! I forgot how much I love listening to southerns talk. Especially the boys. I find their southern twang quite appealing.
8:30am is awfully early to be at work every day. And where is my iced coffee cart guy when I need him?!
Also, my always sunny disposition? Yeah, it's not so much a differentiator here. Everyone else here is cheery and happy and smiley. And they all speak to you in the elevators.
Other elevator etiquette? Ladies are always first entering the elevator, no exceptions. And ladies are always first leaving elevators, no exceptions. This is new.
I miss walking. Never thought I'd say that. In my new Texas life, I spend most of my day sitting. From car, to desk, back to car. Ugh.
With the lack of walking on a daily basis, I seem to be out of practice. Oops.
Speaking of cars. I'm not a very good driver. Or parker. I swear I used to be.
And I might have gotten in a fight with a gas pump last week. What am I doing here?!?
On the other hand, I smile every time I walk up to my car. It's so pretty. And I own that!
Singing along with the radio. This takes practice. And focus. Was I always so off-key? And I'm so used to my tunes blasting through headphones, I didn't realize how loud I like to listen to music.
Wearing heels! Oh I've missed them. But I'm not very used to wearing them for long periods of time. Good thing it's summertime and I can ease into this with wedges.
I would comment on the heat, just cause. But that would be too expected. And the extreme temperatures are off-set with constant AC. So that's a different argument for a different day.
The pace. It's slower. Not so "go, go, go" all the time. It's kind of tricky because I like the "go, go, go" and I hate to miss out and always like to be busy. But this new strangely normal-paced life? Yeah, I think I could get used to it.

did you see this?!?

2011-07-28T09:00:00.003-04:00

did you see? last night on So You Think You Can Dance?!

ohmygosh.

melanie and neil. melanie is my fave this season. neil is one of my all time faves. she's amazing. he's amazing. together they are really amazing. (he's not so bad without his shirt on either, huh? you're welcome for that.)

oh! and then melanie and sasha closed out the night with this brilliant routine.

if you didn't see it, now you have.
loved it.

friday night

2011-07-26T09:00:00.001-04:00

oh just a completely normal friday night now that i live in texas.

and i'm ok with it.

Too much stuff

2011-07-25T09:00:00.004-04:00

Upon arriving to Tejas with boxes and boxes full of my stuff, it became immediately apparent that there was serious work to be done here. Moving all these things into a room already full of more things...a bit problematic.

These are just a few particularly humorous things I've found during the massive clean-out I'm doing to my room at my parents house...

I don't even know what to say about these things. Can I blame my mom for keeping them? No? Ok. Then I can only ask that you please don't judge too hard.

Longhorn Notebooks
I used one of these to take notes in almost every semester in college. (what? necessary.) When mom packed up my stuff in Austin after I left for NY, guess she brought these with her.

And now here they are, 5 years post-undergrad, juuuust taking up space. Her excuse? "What if you need them?" Aww, that's cute mom.

Princess Shoes + Tiara(s)
Both worn at Senior Prom. There were also no less than 3 (that's right, THREE) different tiaras located around my bedroom. Who am I?!? Ok, now I'm judging me.

Tiara #1 - I think it was from a birthday party...

Tiara #2 - Worn by a teddy bear?

Tiara #3 - Halloween, of course. (there's also a wand...) Now modeled by Bunny.

HOWEVER...

Turns out, being super-princessy is quite convenient when your equally princessy 3-year-old niece comes over to spend the night. Don't you think? :)

Today's Tale: So Graceful

2011-07-21T09:00:00.002-04:00

So about walking. Apparently after a few weeks in Texas, I'm a bit out of practice.

Walking back from a morning iced coffee run to Whole Foods with Lindsey yesterday morning, the following took place - as if in slow motion...

Mid-conversation with Linds.
One last step to go on a seemingly normal, but really quite tricky, set of concrete stairs.
Complete misstep down the last step.
Immediately hit my knees. Hands following.
No coffee was lost in this tragedy. No sunglasses broken. No wallet dropped.
I'm a pro-faller.

Lindsey: OH! LAUREN!!!
LJ: (from the ground) ummm....shit.
Lindsey: ARE YOU OK?! WHAT HAPPENED?!?
LJ: Ohmygosh. I'm fine. Just...maybe...a little bit bloody.
Lindsey: Oh it's fine! You can't even tell!

Lies, Linds. Lies. But I love you for trying to make it better.

Upon further investigation, it appeared that my knees were in pretty bad shape. Yes, knees. As in, both of them.

This incident was followed by a few hours of meetings and one particularly uncomfortable agency-wide gathering where I stood for 30 minutes, leaning against the closest wall, with stinging knees thinking..."I'm bleeding at this stairwell meeting with everyone in the damn agency standing here..."

Finally, my gashed up knees stopped bleeding. Then I texted mom...

"Today's casualties."

She was not amused. My phone rang immediately for an explanation. Oops.

Later, while sitting next to a co-worker.

He pointed at my knees "Ummm....?"
My response, "Oh yeahhhh, it's terribly embarrassing. I fell walking back from Whole Foods."
Him, "Today?!?"
"Yes, this morning. It hurts."

And then a gchat convo with Les...

LJ: I was going to hit the gym...but miiiight have fallen on the stairs today and messed up my knees pretty bad. So wanna see Horrible Bosses instead?
Les: WHAT? Ohmigosh Lauren...
LJ: Yeaaaaah. I'm so graceful.
Les: You fell down the stairs today and I got a speeding ticket. good day all in all I'd say
LJ: Oh good. We're quite the pair.

I am so cool.
27 years old with gashed up knees...because I fell down the stairs.
They'll be torn up this way for at least another month.
Awesome.

I really love my mom

2011-07-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

True or not true: I am the worst daughter of all time. Here are the facts. You decide for yourself.

My mom --
who I adore,
who has been ~~not so patiently~~ patiently awaiting my return to the Lone Star State for 5 years,
who didn't really think she'd be able to make the trip to help me pack up my apartment,
who caved and bought a buddy pass from our wonderful friend, Shirley, once she heard how disappointed I was, so that she could come help her daughter move,
she is my hero.

Mom flew standby to NYC on a Tuesday. Armed with bubble wrap, heavy duty packing tape and an empty suitcase.

She carried boxes from 81st Street to 89th Street while I was at work. Because I surely hadn't started packing. Or taking anything off the walls.

She carefully packed my life into 8 massive 75lb boxes on a Wednesday. While I was again at work.

She handled...well...she dealt with my 2 week countdown freak out(s).

She took a Thursday Riverside Park walk up to see Grant's Tomb (which was very cool). She met me for lunch in SoHo. She saw my view of the Hudson River. She met my friends from work who I talk so much about.

She graciously reminded me (and my friends...) that this was in fact the SECOND time that she had packed up my life for me. Turns out, when I swiftly left Austin in pursuit of this New York dream after graduation, she and Daddy packed up my Austin apartment and drove all my things back to Dallas that June. I'd kind of forgotten that. Oops.

She went with my guy-with-a-van to FedEx where she shipped all my boxes / my life back to Texas on a Friday. Then she got lost wandering around Central Park. (bahahaha!!)

She went to the airport on a Saturday with 3 very heavy suitcases packed full of my things in tow. And then had to come back to my apartment 5 hours later when there were no flights out of LGA. Sans suitcases, thankfully. She came to my birthday party with all my New York friends.

She went back to the airport veeeeery early on a Sunday. Where she sat for several hours with no way out. She flew to DC. Sat several more hours. Then thankfully to Memphis. Then finally home to Dallas. Where she was exhausted and probably glad to be rid of me and my messiness.

In return, I gave her a gift card to Starbucks for all her morning coffees, paid for every meal I could and bought us tickets for one last Broadway musical.

Oh. And I came back to Texas.
Fair trade, no?

Love you much Mommy!
You're absolutely the best. And I just don't know what I would have done without you!
<3

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

2011-07-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

I think Friday Night Lights might be my favorite show on TV.
I love Texas high school football. I love Coach Taylor. I love Tim Riggins. And Matty Saracen - aka QB1.

And I'm completely devastated that last Friday was the series finale. I won't lie, I cried through most of it. Don't judge me.

I'll miss Coach T and his weekly words of wisdom. Good thing I own Seasons 1 & 2 and believe I will be purchasing the remaining seasons quite soon.

For now I leave you with this farewell promo, sending the boys out in style...

Adjusting.

2011-07-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

Chaos. That's how my life felt as soon as I arrived in Texas 12 days ago. Absolutely chaotic.

Not surprisingly, things are a little messy right now. That's all. But I'm figuring it out. Slowly.

Everything here is familiar and comforting in so many ways. This is the house I grew up in. These are the streets I've driven down a million and a half times. These are all my things and this is my room.

But so much has changed. I am not 18 anymore. I haven't lived in this house, in this town, with these people, or this close to my family, in almost 9 years. But now I do.

Exciting? Yes. Disconcerting? Quite.

In the midst of all this Texas-style change, I feel a little bit lost. Like I've left a huge piece of my grown-up self in New York. With my old life. But this is Texas. This is home. And it's familiar and strange all at the same time right now.

And that juxtaposition is kinda messing with me. But I'm adjusting.

Once I get rid of all these boxes and find a way to bring some of my New York self into this room and into the new life I'm building here, I know it will be less messy.

And I'll be back to my normal cheery bloggies very soon.
Until then, hold tight. I'm adjusting.

Exit Strategy

2011-07-02T11:00:00.001-04:00

I have one day left in New York as I write this.

Only one day. And I'm an emotional mess. Not so much because I'm sad (although I am...very). But mostly because I'm so incredibly blessed by the life that I've had here.

I've decided there is no exit strategy for New York.

How do you leave this city? Where everything is crazy fast, where there are always a million things to do, places to see, adventures to have? A city that never fails to keep surprising you? This city pulls you in. Opens your eyes. Changes you.

I love New York City. I love the life I've been blessed with here. And oh, have I been blessed.

By some provision of the Lord, this urban world a thousand miles away and a thousand times different from where I grew up has been my home. It's a world where I'm comfortable, where I threw myself into unknown and ended up finding so much more than I imagined for myself.

So while there is no "good" exit strategy for leaving this city, here's mine:
I'm taking a chance. Just like I did when I moved here. I'm daring to imagine a different life for myself. I'm taking a leap...and hoping with everything I have that I find new footing.

If I've learned anything in these past 5 years, it's to let God be God, to accept that his timing is perfect. And trust that He has great things in store for me. So I'm trusting. Even though I'm scared and seasons of change are hard.

After 5 unforgettable New York City years, I'm embracing this change and looking towards a new chapter in my life. I'm letting go of the familiar, of the big kid life I know and love, and hoping for something different.

And in my time here, my only hope is that I've influenced someone. I hope that I've been a light. I hope I've been an example and I hope that I've made a difference.

Tomorrow -- I'm Texas bound from LGA. One more time.

Blank Walls

2011-06-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

I want to write about New York.

I want to write about leaving New York. About everything I'm thinking, everything I'm feeling, everything I'm looking forward to and everything I'm leaving behind. But the words won't come.

So instead, I'm sitting here staring at the blank walls of what used to be the most fabulous New York bedroom ever. With high ceilings and huge windows and beautiful hard wood floors. But now the walls are bare, the shelves, closets and drawers are all empty. And all my things that once decorated this pretty room are now packed into boxes on a truck to Texas.

I'm restless. I can't sleep. I can't write. I can't do anything. But stare at my bare walls. And wonder what's next. For them. For me.

I want to write about New York.
And I will. Once I can get past the blank walls.

27 on June 27th

2011-06-27T09:00:00.004-04:00

Today is my Golden Birthday.

I don't really know what this means exactly. But according to Wikipedia (my trusted source for all ~~useful~~ unnecessary information) --

A person's Golden or Grand Birthday, also referred to as their "Lucky Birthday", "Champagne Birthday" or "Star Birthday", occurs when they turn the age of their birth day.

So if this is a milestone noteworthy enough for Wikipedia to mention, I do believe it is something worth celebrating.

And celebrate I shall. Probably with champagne. Because while I like the sound of Gold on my Golden Birthday, I also really like the sound of champagne. Perhaps I can combine the two and celebrate my Golden Champagne Birthday. Yes. That I like.

Cheers to 27 on the 27th!

Reflections on Five Years

2011-06-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

Dear New York,

It's been 5 years since I arrived here from Texas. Fresh off the highs of college graduation and ambition. Almost 22 years old, so excited for a new urban life, bright-eyed, determined and just slightly terrified. It didn't take me long to get used to your hot summer days, public transportation, crowds, horribly inconsistent weekend subway schedules and surprisingly comforting street noises.

I've spent 5 crisp New York falls watching Texas football games at bars cheering alongside too many other burnt-orange-clad Longhorns to count. I've managed to get through 5 of the coldest winters of my life without significant depression, with several snowy adventures and ice skating under the stars. Spent 5 holiday seasons mesmerized by the magic that floats through the streets at Christmastime. Then watched these 5 seemingly unending winters finally fade to springtime, bringing warm sunshine, brightly colored flowers and a renewed spirit to the city.

I've explored every borough. Fell in love with the charm of the West Village. Spent the night in Rock Center in hopes of scoring tickets to SNL. Watched summer movies in Central Park. Seen more Broadway shows than I can count. I even served Jury Duty. I've visited Philly, the Hudson River Valley, Atlantic City, the Jersey Shore, Long Island beaches, the Hamptons, Cape Cod and Washington DC.

I'm so very in love with you, with my life here. With all my amazing friends that truly make this place my home.

After 5 years of our relationship, it is very difficult for me to break this news to you New York. And it's with a very heavy heart that I tell you I am leaving. I know, you probably didn't see it coming. I was surprised too. But you knew the time would come when the South would call me back. And it's time.

So I guess, all this to say...After 5 years of New York City life, I'm going back to Texas.

I still love you New York. But my heart has always been in Texas. You can bet I'll be back to visit often. After all, you're not going anywhere.

xoxo,
lauren

Oh Santorini. Sigh.

2011-06-25T09:00:00.005-04:00

Santorini, Greece.

Supposedly one of the most romantic islands in the world. Good thing I was visiting with my bestie...and not my boyfriend.

The story of how we got to Santorini from Mykonos is quite eventful. We were supposed to leave on a ferry at 2:30pm. However, there were some technical issues - that no one bothered to explain to a crowd of at least 100 people - and the boat didn't actually leave until 9:30pm. I guess there are worse places to be stranded though.

We made friends with a lovely Aussie couple, killed time eating salted caramel ice creams, and Angie might have napped. Good thing she carries around that dodgy blankie with her.

The view coming into the Santorini Caldera is supposed to be quite lovely. We of course wouldn't know since it was about midnight and pitch black when our ferry finally arrived at the bottom of a very steep cliff. Sad.

We spent the first night in Perissa. Explored a bit the next morning. And then went on to our next stop - Astarte Suites - overlooking the caldera. All I can say is, wow.

The pictures don't even do it justice! This place...this place was absolutely stunning.

We went on an adventure to visit Red Beach. However, this beach was noooot so condusive to beachy lounging. It was more like the surface of Mars. Or the sun. Whichever analogy you prefer. It was very pretty though.

Note to future Santorini travelers -- Rent a car. Or one of those scary ATVs.

We had our hotel drop us off at the beach, but then we couldn't quite figure out how to get back. We considered walking (over those hills?! nope), hitchiking (legal here?), a bus half-way to our hotel (and walk the rest of the way? with no directions?). We ultimately settled on begging a restaurant to call us a taxi.

They were very concerned about us. So they gave us free wine as we waited. Hah!

We also began referring to our sunset and wine dinners as quite "ro-tic." That is, romantic...but because it was just us 2 girls, we had to take the "man" out of it. Awesome? Yes, we think so too.

Breakfast on our terrace before heading to our next hotel included a "surprise" nutella pastry and a smiley. Yes, a meal on the terrace AND chocolate for breakfast. Like.

And then we were off to Fira, the main city in Santorini, for the last few days of my visit. Much more touristy than Mykonos. And there were donkeys. We'll get to that story later though.

Our hotel in Fira could not have been any more charming. I loved the courtyard. And those red doors.

Each room is a little "house." And we had a pretty fantastic balcony. On the edge of the cliff overlooking the caldera.

The Santorini donkeys wear bells, so you can hear them coming. Angie was trying to focus on writing, but I kept running to the balcony when I heard the bells. "Donkeysssss!"

And then there was the Santorini sunset.

Which was so incredibly gorgeous from our balcony. Where we were treated with Santorini wine and cheese while we watched the sun go down. Angie promptly put some classical tunes on her iPhone - a lil mood music - and we enjoyed our last "ro-tic" evening in style.

The lighting was so incredible, we just couldn't resist a lil Santorini sunset photo shoot. We have well over 30 pics from these few hours, but I'll only leave you with 2 of my faves.

Oh, and the sunset of course. Love.

We rode the cable car - or funicular - down the cliff to the port for more adventures. I'm fascinated by these cliff houses. Who built these? Who lived there? How do they have electricity? Is it like a cave inside? Mind-boggling.

"Funicular? That's not a real thing. You're making it up."

Angie looked at me with the below face. Like I was the crazy one. SHE was the one using made up words, not me. What's wrong with "cable car"? That's nice and simple and self-explanatory. Funicular? Ridicular!

The view of Fira from the active volcano in the middle of the Santorini crescent. We didn't quiiiiite make it to the top. A 30 minute uphill hike? Nahh, this is plenty high enough for me.

After the volcano, our boat took us to the hot springs. We forgot our towels. Oops. And I somehow convinced Angie that we didn't come all the way out here to look at the hot springs, we must swim in the ocean! She was skeptical, that water looked coooold.

Good intuition. It was very cold. And real salty. But now we can say we swam in the Aegean Sea!

To round out our Santorini adventure, we decided a donkey ride back up the cliff to Fira was probably necessary. I mean, how bad could it be? Santorini is known for this! We had to!

Our donkey driver was the angriest Greek man we'd met in our travels. He yelled to the donkeys, he yelled at us, he yelled at passing donkeys coming down the cliff. Angry!

"Shhhhh" "Not donkeys, burros. Burros!" "No photo! Photo after!" "Shhhhhh"

I'm sorry sir, but I did not climb up on this donkey to not have photos of the experience. So yell all you want. I will continue to take these pictures.

The entire 20 minute experience was terrifying. Did you know donkeys are competitive? Bet you didn't. My donkey and Angie's donkey were vying for the leader spot. I would get ahead, Angie's would speed up and cut mine off. Then she would be in front, and mine was not having that at all.

"No running donkey! Slow! Stay away from the cliff walls! Wait! I can't control youuuuu! Are we done yet? Why would anyone do this?!"

Terrifying. Terrifying I tell you. As soon as our feet were safely back on the ground, there was a stampede of burros! Angry donkey driver + competitive donkeys + 20 minutes up a cliff = terrifying.

And then...it was time for me to go. Noooooooo.

Goodbye friend / world traveler / crazy adventurer. I shall leave you now to your alone time. No more pretending to listen to me when I talk (bc I'm always talking). Back to your quiet and solitude and independence. I know you think you won't miss me, but I know you willllll.

Do I have to?? Can't I just stay?? Ok. Fine. I'll go. But I'm not happy about it.

So long Santorini. P.S. I think I might love you.

Well...except for carrying my ridiculously heavy suitcase up massive hills. I did not love that part. That part was rough.

Real life awaits.

But not quite yet. Just one more small stop before heading home.

I had a very long layover in London. And I studied abroad in London in 2005. I haven't been back since then. So even though I was worn out, and it was hot, and my shoulder bag was heavy, I spent the majority of my London layover strolling around the city I fell in love with 6 years ago.

Funny how quickly the city all came back to me. I was suddenly completely familiar and comfortable. So many memories. So much fun. I remembered why I loved it here. And how after living here, I decided city life was definitely for me.

London was the best ending to one incredible adventure.

Greece was everything I thought it would be and so much more. It was endless laughter, sunkissed skin, a salty breeze, new friends, feta cheese, killer sunsets, a blue and white paradise.

I loved it there. Every minute of it. Especially the "ro-tic" ones.

Miss you Angie! Thanks for letting me come to play with you for a little while! See you state-side. Soon!