tedauren vacay: meeting ashton!

so, i should just say this up front...there are a lot of vacay recaps coming.

and they are all out of order. so deal with it. aight? awesome. :)

so, a couple of weeks before we left on our trip, i found out that a lovely blog friend of mine would be in LA the same time we were going to be there! since miss ashton is so awesomespice, she coordinated her work trip so that she could meet ted and i for dinner!

remember that ted thought it would be cool to walk to the restaurant that we were meeting ashton at?

remember how he greatly misguaged how far the restaurant was?

remember how we walked 45 minutes with me in a skirt and tall boots?

remember how we laughed about it the entire way there?

awesome.

remember how the stinking rose was the coolest restaurant ever?

remember how i was totally inspired by their wall art? must.do.that.in.my.house.

remember how ashton and i found this creepster fertility chair in the bathroom?

remember how we took a picture of it?

remember how i didn't sit on it and avoided contact like the plague?

awesome.

remember how ted and i loved ashton?

remember how there were no awkward pauses in the conversation?

remember how we wished she lived by us?

remember how i miss her already?

you don't remember any of this because you weren't there?

awesome :)

old fashioned.

I am a "people watcher". I like to watch and observe how people interact with each other. Yesterday I had a man come into the office and ask me where the drinking fountain was, and if we had any paper cups. I directed him to where he could find a water cooler, and a few minutes later he returned with a cup and sweetly handed it to the woman he was with. I was deeply touched by this simple gesture. I also witnessed an older man struggle with his cane, over to the passenger side of the car, in order to open the door for his wife. And they say chivalry is dead...

 

 

I often overhear conversations of women talking about how we need to be powerful, and strong and never slave over a man. And while I agree to an extent, I feel the most empowered when I do something for my husband. When I come home from a hard day of work, I am not expected to make a homemade meal for my husband. I choose to, because it makes me happy knowing that I am taking care of the person I love.

 

 

The other day when I was making dinner, I was thinking about how our relationship isn't about who wears the pants. It isn't about who brings home the bacon and who does the chores. It's not about who handles and pays the bills. It's not about expectations. We are a team. We help each other. And we do things for each other, because we want to.

 

 

I thought about all of the things Ted does for me. Like coming home from a meeting, with the intention of doing the dishes, but finding him drying them because he decided to do them himself. Or finding that he had taking the parcels I needed mailed, to the post office without me even mentioning it. Walking on the side closest to the street when we are on a walk, because it is safer for me. Or putting his hand on the small of my back to let he knows he cares.

 

 

Call me old school...but doing things for my husband not only shows him that I care. It's empowering.

tedauren vacay: huntington beach

i miss the beach.
especially huntington beach.

i miss napping on the beach, next to tedward.

i love my instant camera.

and my overpriced bathing suit.

that is all.

tedauren vacay: the taping

so here is the story behind sterling and i becoming BFF:

so, i have this glorious friend, obviously sent from the heavens to gift me with VIP tickets to a "Sonny With a Chance" taping.

when i got the email from Alexis, offering to get me tickets, i may have squealed a little bit.

so, i informed ted that we were going to a taping. and he agreed.

and here we were before we left to experience gloriousness of freakin awesomespice:

and here i am REALLY obviously excited.

OBSCENELY excited, if you will:

and if you thought i was excited then, you can imagine my excitement when i saw this.

and yes...the heavens opened, and the choir sang:

are you sick of the word "excited" yet?

because i was EVEN MORE EXCITED here...waiting.

yes, those are DOUBLE thumbs up. yep, i went there:

so, the taping was amazing. and magical.

and the set was a lot smaller than it appears on tv. like...small...like whoa.

if you want a recap of the episode, i wrote a recap here. otherwise, i will just give you the basic rundown.

so, we were seated in the front row, right in front of the major set. so basically what i am saying is, we had awesome seats. we were also the only young married couple in the audience. so that means we ruled. obviously. hahaha!

they shot about 4 live scenes, and each scene took about 5 takes. when they were in between takes they would play music from a DJ and the actors would dance around and sometimes sing along. It was pretty funny. And sterling slept in his actor's chair on the side. It was hilar.

When they were done shooting the live scenes, they showed us the pre-recorded scenes that were too hard to shoot live, and we added the laugh-track to them. It was harder than I thought.

but, awesomespice :)

after the taping was done, they let us come up and meet the cast!

ted and i thought we lost my camera, and i started to panic...and while we were looking for the "lost" camera, all of the people flooded the actors, and we were basically pushed to the back of the mob line.

and since i am a baby, and was too afraid to approach the actors, ted took pictures of them.

while i cried like a baby in the corner, and sucked my thumb.

kidding.

here is demi lovato:

i am jealous of her face.

here is a sorta decent picture of brandon:

he has the best fashion sense.

here is tiffany:

and she is basically the most gorgeous girl on the planet.

here is doug:

who i have a nerd crush on, for having such an awesome tshirt.

ted had a nerd crush, too.


and then i spotted sterling behind the MOB OF GIRLS.

and at this point i started saying:

"um...ted? we can leave. i don't need a picture."

"seriously...let's just go."

"i don't want to meet him."

and then ted said:

"you are an idiot. get over there and ask for a picture."

"no. we are NOT leaving until you meet him."

"stop being a baby. you will be PISSED if you don't get a pic."

"fine. im going to go talk to him."

so ted walked us over, pushed through a sea of girls and crazy moms with ginormous cameras and made me kneel on the ground (the actors were behind the audience bar) and ted said, "hey sterling!" and sterling looked up and said, "hey what's up?" and ted said: "this is lauren, and she loves you. can i get a picture of you two together?" and sterling looked over at me, smiled and said, "Of course!" came over, took the pic, and i said "thank you" and he said, "seriously, no problem!" smiled and then we were best friends. hahah :)

and here it is again, because let's face it...it's just the coolest:

and here is a instant picture, for good measure. because i only took like 63 instant photos on my trip. why NOT have one of them be of sterling? dude.

so that was my adventure.

and while we were leaving, ted managed to get the stage crew to give him an entire pizza.

i can't make these things up. people love us, i guess.

mission accomplished:

yes, that is me.
and yes, that is sterling knight.
we are pretty much bff now.
that is all.

lauren's mail bag...(edition like 5 billion)

Dear new little polaroid friend,

I hope you enjoy your life with your 4 polaroid cousins that currently live on your shelf in my house. Since your model name is "Sun"...shall we name you Sunny? I think we shall. I currently am kissing the feet of my brother Ty for finding you on the shelf at Goodwill. Let's be best friends.

Love, your mama.

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Dear Condom shopping,

Yeah, I just went there. I am pretty sure the embarrassment I feel when purchasing you is very similar to the shame a man feels when he has to purchase tampons for his woman. I walked

past the aisle of shame about 4 times, making sure no one else was in the vicinity before darting to the right package (no pun intended...srsly) yoinking it, and getting the heckspice out of there. Only to my dismay, I ran into a man. Literally. Dropping the condoms on the ground. I can't make these things up. It's ok to *facepalm* right now. I did. And then bought myself a piece of chocolate to drown away in my sorrows. It's the mormon way of getting tipsy. Love me through it.

Love, the source of the facepalming around the universe.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear art wall,

You look mighty marvelous, if i do say so myself.

I would take credit for hanging each of you up, but let's be serious...I watched tv as mama hung them all up. I basically said "work you slave!" and she did...i may have had a whip just in case she didn't comply. But that's besides the point...you look marvelous.

Love, the slave driver.

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Dear the show called "I didn't know I was pregnant",

You piss me off. HOW.CAN.YOU.NOT.KNOW.YOU.ARE.PREGNANT?! *facepalm*

Love, pissed off woman.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sterling Knight's hair,

I am still in awe of the difference a hair cut makes. Observe:

I mean, really...that is just fascinating. Further proof that Lauren's theory of shorter man hair being better. It just is. It's more...manly? I dunno. But it is definitely more hotspice.

Love, me...the proofer of all proofiness.

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Dear me,

You are a genius for making "his and her" homemade pizza all in one:

Ted could eat all of the fatty saturated fat he wanted, while you ate avocado and fresh tomato. Pat yourself on the back. Don't mind if I do...

Love, meself.

YOUR turn to write a letter in the comments for the mail bag :)

I ♥ my dad.

today i gave a talk in church. on father's day. about my fathers.

want to know how nerve wracking that is? it's never wracking, like whoa.

to prepare for the talk, i spent the last two weeks making a mental list of the qualities my earthly father has, that align with the qualities of my Heavenly Father.

and you know what? making that list wasn't hard at all.

i took that picture of my parents last night, with my new friend "stuart" the instant camera.

it makes me happy that my parents are so awesome...and the opposite of lamespice.

i won't write out the talk i gave today, but i will give you the list:

1. attentive to my needs.

2. taught me the importance of work.

3. a source of comfort throughout my life.

4. showed me love throughout my life.

my dad is the nicest person you would ever meet, and always thinking of others.

he is the best dad, and the best husband to my mom.

i have been blessed to have been raised by such a wonderful man, and i love him a lot.

tonight we are having hawaiian haystacks for dinner, per my dadda's request.

then i will gift him with these:

i searched far and wide for the very best vintage ties for my dad.

i even found a vintage Christian Dior tie for...*drum roll*....2 dollars!

a different tie for every sunday each month :)

happy father's day, dad face. you are the bomb diggity bombspice.

what do you love about YOUR dad?

leonardo difreakincaprio ohhaiiloveyouuuu!

can we please just hold the phone for a second and please talk about leonardo dicaprio?
because we really need to. i mean, really, like whoa.
 
you know how everyone remembers their first crush? (here is me waving hi at ryan from kindergarten)
well, i wanna talk about my first celebrity crush of all time. (happened with titanic...oh hai jack dawson!)
 

 
dude.
leonardo dicaprio can do NO wrong, in my eyes.
 
leonardo is one of the very few celebrities that ted and i can both talk about without one of us making fun of the other for thinking he is legit. matt damon is also in that category, but we aren't talking about him today.
 
here is why i love leonardo:
 
1. first and foremost, he is an amazing actor. a few weeks ago i asked you who your favorite actor is...well, leonardo is mine. what role has he NOT excelled in? Even back in the "Growing Pain" days when he was a teenager, he was the bomb. he is the bomb at EVERY role.
 
2. he is low key. have you noticed that he is a celebrity because of his acting, not because of his crazy private life? i respect this. YES, he dates a lot of models...but he isn't all showy about it. he wears jeans and crappy tshirts and old baseball hats, basically every day. he is a normal person, that just happens to be an amazing actor for his job. why can't other celebrities do this? i don't get it.
 
3. his face. the obvious reasons. duhspice.
 
so what is the point to this post? to be annoyed that he hasn't won an academy award. somebody give this guy an award! DUDE!
 
am i right, or am i right?

berkley illustration

i am completely aware, and 100% okay with me being excentric and quirky.

i realize that some of my clothes are different than others...

that i say silly words...

that i love silly things...

and that i decorate my home with random things that inspire me, but make others laugh.

about 8 months ago i ran into an artist via the internets and i was blow away their work.

i loved the whimsy of the prints, and i KNEW i had to have some eventually.

yesterday i FINALLY purchased a few prints and i want to show them to you.

yes, they are whimsical and random, but they are SO me.

i just thought this print was so hilarious.

who goes around ♥ a zombie? it's brilliant.

it made me think of "Shaun of the Dead"...hilarious movie, BTW.


i also bought these three...

1. because i LOVE llamas and their funny faces. especially after "Emperor's New Groove"

2. this goat was the first print i saw from Berkley Illustration, months ago. it got me hooked.

3. i have loved foxes ever sing "Fantastic Mr. Fox"...i can't fangirl over that movie enough.

and last, but not least...this little otter.

you know how much i love otters...they are so precious!

and isn't this little guy so dapper?

love your tie, dude.

thanks Berkley Illustration for helping me make my office so much more awesomespice.

a BBL friend: vanda vintage

i love making new friends online. it is seriously the happiest thing ever. srsly.
one of my newest friends runs a fabulous online vintage shop, vanda vintage.
i purchased my first item last week because i knew it would be perfect for the outfit i planned out in my head for a very special adventure that tedward and i are going on in california.




isn't it the cutest top ever? i love love love.

well, when i opened my package, she had gifted me with a little prize in the form of the most adorable polka dot blouse! i almost shed a tear because it was so thoughtful, and honestly...i had a crappy night last night, and it was the perfect timing for a pick-me-up.



i wore this top with this vintage pencil skirt, and vintage leather pumps, to work today. i got a few compliments when i ran errands at lunch :)

everyone check out vanda vintage. BEST shop owner. AWESOME customer service :) Thanks Caron! love ya, girl!

my husband is cuter than yours.

reasons why my husband is the cutest:

1. his dark curly hair. look how handsome it is.

2. he looks so awesome with or without glasses.

3. he puts together perfect outfits after years of schooling from me.

4. and when i ask him to come help me with something outside, he shows up with a bowl of cereal

needless to say, he wasn't able to take a picture of me...

he was busy eating some frosted mini spooners.

onepicture/threepictures

my two best guy friends.

(brother ty & husband tedward)

i've been thinking about father's day this week, since it is coming up.

these two might not be fathers yet, but they are going to make great ones.

they are my bestest friends, and wonderful examples in my life.

who are your favorite men in your life?

ps...dad, i love you...but your post is coming later.

california loooove.

so, i love california more than is probably humanly possible.

basically what i am saying is i have super-human love for the state.

i wish i had many many many bones so we could live there in complete bliss.

 

 

well, in the near future tedward and i will be vacationing to southern california for a week.

i would tell you exactly when if i wanted you to come ransack my house, or try to track me down in cali...but i appreciate safety, so sorry.

anyway, we are going soon, and i would like your help with something.

 

 

i would like you all to list your FAVORITE thing to do in southern california.

it can either be your favorite restaraunt (swanky...or laid back) or a place to visit, or something to see.

i want to have the best and most enjoyable cali trip ever! this is for an early 2 year anniversary, so help us out :)

 

only requirement, you can't say disneyland. because we are already going there.

we are staying in beverly hills, but we are willing to drive a distance.

ready, set, go...

sunday outfit details...

what i wore to church on sunday...

thrifted, vintage leather saddle shoes.

i still can't get over the fact that i found them in perfect condition.

thrifted, vintage scarf worn as a headband.

my favorite hootie owl necklace, gifted to me by the lovely ashton for my birthday :)

what did you wear on sunday?

weirdest brownie recipe ever.

i love when my readers email me happy little messages. it seriously makes my day...srsly.

so last week i got an email from Morgan, and she had read that i loved Betty Crocker Low Fat brownies.

well, she decided to pass on a super crazy brownie recipe. she warned me, and told me to just try them even though they sounded really scary. but, since she promised i wouldn't die and that they were in fact AMAZING, i decided to be try them out!

so after a lovely afternoon laying out by the pool, i had a hankering for a brownie.

i decided it was the perfect time to try the suspicious brownie recipe.

so i gathered my ingredients:

yes, those are the only ingredients.

please keep reading. i beg of you.

so you take a can of black beans and thoroughly rinse and drain them.

you then put them in a blender or food processor...


you add a cup of water to the beans...

and you puree for a long time until they are completely smooth.

add the slop to the bag of brownie mix...

mix together and add some chocolate chips for good measure...

and then taste test. you won't believe it...

where the heck did the bean taste and offensive smell go?!


it tastes AMAZEBALLS!

srsly...i am not kidding you.

bake according to the box instructions...and you get this:

the most PERFECTLY textured and tasting brownie of my life!

and sooooo low in fat! there is no oil OR egg! just a lot of protein.

dude...i am fangirling over these! and ted said they were his favorite brownie of all time.

morgan, THANK YOU for sending this gem of a recipe to me! i owe you my left leg, or something.