good times.

let me take a moment to tell you about the crazies i had the pleasure of interacting with this weekend...

[1] it was 50% off day at goodwill this past saturday, and it was a zoo. obvi! it's just how it goes. people hear about getting stuff for dirt cheap, so they flock to the building of awesome, cheap crap that smells like pee. anyway...so i'm there, and i'm chilling by one of the dressing rooms while my mom tries on some clothes. and this lady comes up, literally dragging her child behind her. yes...literally. and you can tell she is agitated. and she let's out this huge sigh, because apparently waiting a moment for a dressing room is inconceivable. i knew of an open dressing room, so i go "i think that dressing room is free, but you will need someone to unlock it for you." you know, just trying to help a sistah out. well, she rolls her eyes at me, and goes, "whatever, chick" and then proceeds to take off her shirt, right there! she took off her shirt...exposing her sweat stained bra and muffin top. (why do some middle-aged women wear the lowest jeans possible? this i do not understand.) i just stood there aghast. it must have caused me temporary brain damage because it just occurred to me that i didn't tell my mom this story. she would have loved that story. hope she is reading it now. and i am glad she was in the safety of her dressing room and didn't have to get temporary brain damage like me.

sidenote: also, "whatever, chick"?? what is this? 1997?

[2] while i was driving around running errands, i pulled up alongside a truck. my eyes wandered lazily to the truck (you know how it is) and then they almost bulged out of their sockets upon viewing something so astounding. A SHRUNKEN HEAD! yes, a shrunken head was sitting on his dashboard...and dude...it looked real. it looked like it could be his grandpa or something. i about died. and then i sped off quick, as to not make eye contact with the man, and have him hunt me down and shrink my head to adorn his dashboard with his freakin little grandpa head.

sidenote: shrunken heads remind me of harry potter. the movie. the 3rd one. the end.

[3] you see that photo envelope up above? do you see the message? funny, huh? it gets better. there was sticky note inside of the package that read, "yes, the girl is weird. but develop all photos even if they suck bad." part of me thinks it's hilarious that she thought i was weird. and then other part thinks she is an idiot for leaving the sticky note in the envelope.

sidenote: too bad the photos didn't suck at all.

bestie lindsay has the cutest kiddos.

thank you, lindsay for having the cutest kids alive...and letting me take their photos!

i just loved how these photos turned out. don't their little faces show so much emotion? i love.

i think this is a good time to announce that i have chosen a major.

and it's a major that i hadn't initially considered, but once i chose it, it was sort of a "duh" moment.

i will be getting a BA in Fine Arts, with an emphasis in photography.

i'm really excited to embark on this adventure. i know it will be hard, but it will be very worth it!

as most of you know, i have never had any photography training. i can't wait to learn, and to improve my skills!

also, my main focus will be on film, and not on digital photography.

i want to focus on bringing the film option back to clients! make it my own signature, i guess. ha!

anyway, i wanted to give you all a heads up and let you in on my excitement :)

thank you for being supportive! ya'll are awesomespice.

xo!

facebook messages

you know the phrase, "if you didn't get a photo, it didn't happen"?

 

 

that's how i feel about facebook messages.

 

 

and all of your faces are like, "uhhh whaaaaaaa?"

 

 

and i'm like, "calm your butts down. let me explain before you pop a blood vessel."

 

 

facebook messages. what's up with those? yes, i understand the need to offer a way for facebook friends to privately exchange words, but even after i typed that, i felt like i was talking about something shady going down. i can see it now...a creepster looking man, sitting in his study surrounded by thousands of books that are probably fake and lead to dungeons and torture chambers, slowly drumming his fingers together under his chin as he mutters, "hmm...yessss...privately exchanged words." yes. that just happened. all because of facebook messages.

 

 

so why do i hate the facebook messages so much? well let me tell you.

 

 

i am lazy.

 

 

the end.

 

 

just kidding. there is more of an explanation than just that. but we really could have left it at that, and it would have been epically awesomespice. anyway, i hate facebook messages so much because i forget to check them. and then they pile up. and then i check them after like 8 months...and i have literally 546 messages. and they are all long messages. and they are all really sweet messages. and i'm like, "crap." i'm like "crap" because if facebook messages didn't exist then people would have sent me an email instead. and then i would have known the message existed. and i would have responded. and then 546 less people would hate me.

 

 

so, as you see...in my world, "if it's a facebook message, it didn't exist." very much like that time ted and i LITERALLY ran into Orlando Bloom, and it was awesome. and no one believed us because we didn't have a camera.

 

 

also, i realized yesterday why we never get invited to people's wedding receptions. i always thought it was because people hated us, and thought we smelt bad. turns out it's because i had 67 facebook messages that said "OH MY FREAKIN GOSH!!!!!!!!! WE'RE GETTING MARRRRRRRRIED, SEND US YOUR ADDRESS!" yeah, totally missed that one. also, i miss being that enthusiastic about gathering addresses. because these days, when i'm hunting down someone's address? yeah, i want to punch a baby*.

 

 

*not literally. but if you didn't catch that drift, then i literally want to punch you.

 

 

the end.

scenes from the weekend

♥ aren't rocks so awesome? and beautiful? i love rocks. but not rock candy. hate the texture. random?

♥ i love when everything i try on at Goodwill fits perfectly. it's like a magical leoploradon of awesomespice.

♥ vines are also beautiful and awesomespice. can you guess where these vines live?

♥ red velvet and coconut cupcakes from The Coffee Shop. why does coffee smell so good?

♥ such a beautiful weekend of great weather!

♥ ted told me he wasn't going to get me candy...um...so he got me 7 bags of candy. whaaat?!

♥ baked shrimp po'boy. all from scratch. too bad the deveining thing sicked me out so much.

♥ are you sick of seeing these shoes yet? i love them.

busy bee giveaway: inner circle photography!

i have a GREAT giveaway for you, today!

one of my darling sponsors, Miranda of Inner Circle Photography, is a wonderful photographer based out of Michigan.

she has such beautiful, clean photos! i am a fan of her style and swagger :) yep..i just said swagger!

here are some of my favorite images of her's:

so beautiful! and can i please have that dog? SO cute. reminds me of the cute doggy in "Tron"!!

anyway, Miranda is offering a free photo session of your choice WITH a $100 printing credit! WOWZA!

so if you live in Michigan or surrounding areas, or are willing to travel, please comment letting me know what your favorite easter candy is. yes...easter candy. yes...i realize it was last week. whatevs!

the giveaway ends next wednesday!

something i am learning is that we can't really control the cards we are dealt.

i have never talked about this on the blog, because i have been too ashamed to, but about a year ago i quit school. yep, just flat out quit. i was having daily anxiety attacks, and i was extremely stressed all of the time. i wish i had been one of those superwomen that can be married, have a full time job, and go to school...but alas, i am not. and i am still ashamed of that fact.

i went from being top of my class in high school, having a scholarship, and maintaining a 4.0 for 2 years in college. and then i got married. i guess people were onto something when they told me i wouldn't finish college once ted and i got married. but i didn't believe them. but then again, i hadn't acknowledged that i had a serious anxiety and depression problem, either.

and then things happen...don't they always?

without going into too many details, in therapy i was forced to acknowledge a truth i have always known subconsiously, but refused to believe. and it was hard. it's still hard. tears upon tears have been shed, and while i hate to face this fact, i'm going to.

i hate working. i wish i could stay at home and raise our future children without the thought of having to work another day in my life. especially at a job that makes me feel like my brain is an egg on a frying pan. but, the cards have been dealt...and i will make the most of it.

i'm going to go back to school. but what to study, is the question! i love art, design and fashion...but i don't want a career in one of those fields because i fear that they would go from being a hobby, to a chore. and that would make me incredibly sad.

so far i have come up with these:

[1] psychology - when i took a psych 101 class, i LOVED it. it was probably one of my favorite classes i have ever taken. plus, i love to help people. it's in my nature. i think i would be really good counselor. maybe i could even be an art therapist?

[2] graphic design - i think it would be a really neat skill to have, and a fun job.

[3] dietitian - i have always been very into eating healthy, and i think i would really love this field.

i have to admit...i feel a bit ridiculous that most people my age are already graduating, and i am still trying to figure my life out. sigh...

destroyed disposable camera

so, a few weeks ago i picked up a 7 dollar disposable camera from walgreens and decided to destroy it.

i took a few matches, and held the flame to the small little plastic lens, and waited until it bubbled and morphed.

i took a red permanent marker and colored the entire surface of the flash.

and i poked holes through the entire camera to create light leaks.

after i finished the roll, i stuck the camera into the freezer for 4 days.

and then i turned it in to be developed. here is the finished product:

so amazing, huh?! people do so much with editing to try to create these distorted looking images, and i created it with 3 matches, a marker and a 7 dollar camera. i feel pretty happy about it. which image is your favorite??

booth + bones

the weekend was wonderful and our easter was extrodinary...

that's why i am a lazy bum and didn't edit any photos from this weekend.

but they will be coming tomorrow, and we will be joyous and happy and all of those kinds of words.

today i would like to speak to you about my new favorite tv show.

 

as you most of you said, ted and i loved "prison break" but the 1st and 2nd seasons were definitely the very best.

we loved it to the end, but it was sort of an emotional rollercoaster that kind of gave me stomach aches from anxiety!

anyway, after we finished the show, sierra was just finishing "bones"...a show that i had seen a few episodes of, and thought was enjoyable.

she told me i HAD to watch it from the beginning, and since i trust her judgement 100%...i started it 3 weeks ago.

 

 

and now i'm in the 5th season. yes...you may laugh at me.,

actually...on second thought, you may not laugh at me.

the show is cleverly written, and the humor is dark (my favorite kind)...

i love every single character on the show, and that never happens to me. i usually hate at least one person.

the main character, temperance brennan is so ridiculously awkward, it's awesome. i love awkward people and situations.

the other main character, seeley booth (aka Angel from Buffy, haha!) yeah, let's not get started on him. i just love him. the end.

and now i will join in with everyone else who has seen "bones" in saying...

 

"WHHHHHHHY AREN'T BOOTH & BRENNAN TOGETHER!?!!!!!!!!?"

 

 

the end.

bambi eyez commission

i would like to take a moment to discuss the beauty of the following piece of artwork:

[1] can we talk about how perfect this is?

[2] i like how i look like me...but barbie-fied. does that makes sense?

[3] love that ted is leaning in to kiss my cheek. this happens on a daily basis, so i love.

[4] the beatles quote? PERFECTION!

[5] love the watercolors!

[6] um...hi...LOVE that little feather necklace i'm wearing. presh!

some of you may have noticed my sponsor Bambi Eyez, on my sidebar. if not, you are in for a treat! Emma is a glorious artist from Australia, who is also married to a Teddy :) when i first saw her art, i fell in love. i love how unique her style is, and how perfectly she captures the mood. i'm super excited that she just recently opened an etsy shop to sell some of her prints. they are so reasonably priced, and so lovely. this print is one of my favs!

you can find emma at:

her blog

her site

her etsy

excuse me while i obsess over our poster-sized art :)

scenes from the weekend

do you like how this "scenes from the weekend" and it's like the middle of the week? yeah, awesomespice.

so, remember when i interviewed tedward for a hilariously awkward youtube video?

well, we are doing it again. except tedward is interviewing ME.

so send in your questions in the comments!

daily outfit: colorblock

isn't that a precious dress? i snagged it for 3 bones at my favorite vintage thrift store. let's not talk about how the store is going out of business and closing it's doors next week. yeah, let's avoid that topic.

instead, let's talk about the dimple on my cheek in the photo above. while i was editing these photos i was amazed by my dimple. why was i amazed, you ask? let me tell you. you see, back in 9th grade, at the end of the year, my honor's english class teacher gave each of the students awards. they were silly and had nothing really to do with our intelligence at all. i remember being annoyed at my "awards" because i thought they were just shot out his butt or something. he said, "lauren gets the award for very best hair, and for the prettiest dimples." now let me tell you...my hair was a piece of bull crap back in the day. like, i can't believe i braved even leaving my house. so i was astonished he gave me that award. and then on top of that, "best dimples"?!?!!? what the, with a slice of cheese on top?! i had never seen a dimple on my face prior to that moment in 9th grade...nor had i seen a dimple on my face since that moment in 9th grade. until now.

when i edited that photo, i seriously almost fell out of my chair and died. apparently i have dimples, but only when i do a certain expression. and since i don't carry a hand held mirror around and stare at my face at all moments during the day, i had no idea.

have you met me in real life, and seen my dimple? seriously, i want to know. because i have been calling my 9th grade teacher a liar-face for like (counts on fingers)....NINE years. wow, i feel wretchedly old.

anyway, have you ever been given an award in school that was totally undeserved and you knew it, and you just wanted to kick the person that gave it to you in the shins? i have another one for you. at the end of 9th grade (i see a pattern here), my cheer squad had an awards night. yeah, i was given "best toe-touches". um...i know for a fact i had the worst toe-touches on the squad. like...i even asked my mom, and she agreed. i wish i had been given an award that was true. like, "tallest mormon girl on the squad". i'd just say tallest...but that wouldn't have been true.

the end.

craving a snack?

it's getting hot here in mesa, az [sadly].

and when it heats up, my appetite changes.

i crave chilled beverages, and light snacks over a regular meal.

the other day, after ty and i went to Hoodlums to buy some records, we decided to hit up Pita Jungle.

let me just tell you...Pita Jungle is up there with my favorite restaurants. so light and delicious and healthy!

but we weren't too hungry...mostly just parched.

here is what you order when you are just mildly hungry:

please order the homemade lemonade. it's like crack. DUDE.

and also order the cilantro & jalapeño hummus and the roasted bell pepper hummus.

all you will need is the small size...and you won't even be able to finish it, but you will wish you could have.

you can thank me later.

the end.

zach is more talented than ty & i.

it's no surprise that zach made the all-state choir this year, since he made it as a freshman last year.

but we were all pretty excited for him, regardless.

probably because ty and i suck and never even made the regional choir. EVER. ha!

whereas zach literally has perfect pitch, and probably could make the ladies swoon if he sang to them.

anyway, this year the all-state performance was at ASU's Gammage Auditorium.

i always get excited to go to Gammage because one of my favorite architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, designed it!

(crappy photo...i know) can you spot zach?

zach did a great job! we were just sad ted couldn't be there. he always works on saturdays. bummer.