Red Robin

Change

2008-03-26T12:21:00.001-04:00

Things are changing, so.... I am moving to a new blog, go check it out! Piper

JUNO -

2008-03-12T19:04:00.003-04:00

Anyone Else But You - Michael Cera and Ellen Page

2008-03-12T18:48:00.001-04:00

Just got this CD yesterday and I am in love with it

Juno

2008-03-10T11:12:00.002-04:00

Just got the new Juno sound track and I love it!

"If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea."

Taking advice from all sides

2008-03-10T09:51:00.004-04:00

My life is moving. I am feeling loved and wanted for the first time in a really long time. I am smiling, laughing and being silly like the old me. My friends are constantly commenting on how much my personality has come out since... well someone isn't hanging over my head and making fun of me. I realize all the people around me are loving me for who I am, for all my little quirks I have and all my weird ways. I realize there is nothing wrong with having quirks, it makes me different and makes me who I am. I am starting to fall in love with the woman I am and the person I am becoming.

I took a break from the internet this weekend, since my power and internet went out on Friday night I thought it was a sign from God I shouldn't be on the internet for awhile. So my friend and I made a pack that we wouldn't check our e-mail or facebook all weekend. I got to publish my post since it didn't go through on Friday, but that was it. I thought I was going to go crazy not checking my e-mail, but I now realize I don't need the internet like I have been using it. It will just cause trouble for me and lead me places that I didn't want to be in the first place.

This weekend was busy, again Friday didn't go as planed. I was suppose to go on this art walk that St. Augustine art galleries hold every first Friday of the month. You go walk around to all the art galleries downtown and drink free wine! What is better than free wine and art?

Saturday I had to drive back to Orlando to grab the rest of my stuff from my old apt. That was not fun :( Sunday I got to hang out, I cooked an awesome meal of Orange fish (orange roufy), and it was really good! For people that know me this is really great, I don't cook. I like to cook when I know something is going to come out good, but I don't like to take the chance of ruining it. I took that chance last night and it turned out really great, I will probably cook this dish again!

Love and Hate Friday

2008-03-07T18:28:00.005-05:00

So I am copying love is blonde on her love - hate Friday. I am having one of those days that starts off really great, the middle gets really rocky and the end is amazing. So here we go:

love: When I do my hair all nice and pretty

hate: When I do my hair all pretty and it decides to storm outside

love: When my boy sends me really sweet text messages

hate: Going to sleep alone

love: Being back to the size I was in high school

hate: People who can shell it out, but can't take it

love: Karma, it's a bitch!

So as you can see I had a really up and down day, tomorrow I get to see my bestess Brit, and I am so excited!

Ok side note, my power went out so:

hate: when the power goes out and you can't post on your blog for 24 hours

love: Being loved

2008-03-06T21:16:00.003-05:00

Today was my relaxation day! I went over to my moms house and we walked the dogs on the beach for about an hour. There was an amazing breeze and I even got some sun! My small dog Sasha couldn't handle the walk and I ended up having to carry her back home, she is such a baby, uh.

After that we went and had lunch at the Oasis, it was really fun to watch all the bikers there and some of them had some really awesome bikes! It is bike week in Daytona, FL and St. Augustine gets most of the bikers before the weekend starts. I never liked it that much because I always get so nervous when I am driving around bikers, I am afraid I am not going to see them or something. But now I love looking at all the different bikes and wish I had one!

Then tonight I went to a spinning and pilaties class. I was really disapointed with the spinning class. I have been to my share of spinning classes and every time I go I always want to walk out because I am so exhausted and don't think I can go on any more, this is what I love about it! When the class is over I feel like I have acomplished so much.

This class was not like that, we had one section where the instructor pushed us, but that was about it. For the next class we did pilaties, I have never done pilaties and wasn't really sure what it was. I still don't really know what it is, but according to the instructor I am a natural! There was a lot of slow breathing and crunches and leg lifts. I liked the second class better, maybe it is because I was getting complimented on my form, or because we got to lay down most of the time! I am now watching Lost and loving it as always! Man you never know what is going to happen next...

Kick Boxing

2008-03-05T23:57:00.003-05:00

Tonight I went to a kickboxing class with my sister in law. This was my first kickboxing class and before I went into the class I thought hey I am in shape and young, this will be easy. It started off easy enough with some stretches and a couple of kicks to the bag, but then when she had us do double time, that is when the burning in my legs started. When we moved onto the left leg I thought it was going to give out! Earlier in the day I had ran 2 miles and then worked my abs and arms out, so I was pretty tired. Towards the end of the class I was a sweating machine. It really felt good to work out again, but now I can't sleep :(

The Sword

2008-03-05T09:45:00.011-05:00

So I know I have been vague about what is going on in my life and I think the truth is, it all hurts too much.

I know I told you I just moved to St. Augustine, which is the town I grew up in. I am now starting my life over.

Here is a short story of it all: See I was in this relationship for 7 years and I got married at the young age of 21. I was married for a year and a half to what I thought was the man of my dreams. I thought wrong, the man of my dreams turned out to be a lying, cheating, hurtful person. Now the sword he put into my heart just keeps getting deeper and I am trying day by day to remove it.

A couple of months ago I started a new blog just documenting my feelings and what I have been going through. Some of it is kinda dark and that is why I didn't post those feelings on here, but if you would like to read it just let me know and I will send you the address.

Oh the dreaded week...

2008-03-04T20:12:00.003-05:00

This weekend I decided to venture out of town to go visit a friend. It was such a nice relaxing break from all of the drama going on in my life. I went in to the weekend not wanting to not have a plan for anything, and it turned out really nicely. I got to see a new town, drink wine, and lay out with one of my best friends. Monday just came way too fast and I now find myself back to the hurting, tears, and arguing. Why can't it always be the weekend?

On a side note I got my camera back and posted some new photos on flickr, go check them out!

2008-02-27T00:02:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged in forever. My life has been crazy and I have not had time to write down what is going on in my life.

Friday was my last day of work! I have hated my job for over a year and I am finally done with it! I was so excited to sleep in, but now that I can my body wants to wake me up at 7 everyday. I think it is because I have had so much on my mind.

Yesterday I moved to St. Augustine, but moving was the death of me. I started packing on Friday and wasn't done until Monday. It was probably one of the hardest things I have had to do, it took me so long because I couldn't see through all the tears. My mom showed up with her boyfriend on Monday late afternoon, we get everything packed up and start to drive only to find out the bearing on the trailer was broken. I don't know anything about cars, but I know that it took about 6 hours to fix that thing. I ended up leaving Orlando around 2:20 and got to St. Augustine at 3:30 in the morning. Today I just unpacked everything and made my new place feel as homey as possible. I think I want to cut off my knee's and calf's because they hurt so bad, moving out of a two story and into a two story is the worst.

So yeah now I am in St. Augustine and I am hoping for sun tomorrow so I can start working on my tan!

"And she finally stopped playing their song, when she realized she was dancing alone"

Dance like no one is watching!

2008-02-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

While growing up I was fortunate enough to try many activities. My mom wanted me to be active and I guess find my talent. I did gymnastics for 4 years, piano for a little while, played clarenet for 3 years, was involved in winter guard for 4 years, and danced off and on my entire life. Out of all these activities I am always going back to dancing. Dancing makes me feel alive and free. I have done all types of dancing such as ballet, tap, modern, african, jazz, and I took a couple of ballroom classes. Ahh how I miss it all so much.

This weekend I went out with a couple of friends, we chilled at the bar and then decided to dance a little. As I looked around at the dance floor I saw all the different types of dancers. There are those ones that are really speratic with their movement and it seems like they have a tottaly different song playing in their head then what the DJ had just put on, then there are the ones that are to shy they hardly move or are leaning against the wall just watching people. There are the crazy dancers, the sexual ones that just air hump everything, and then there are the super drunk dancers that are just falling over ever 2 sec.! I love to watch people dance because most of the time you can really see their personality come out and you see people just having fun and enjoying themselves! I know I just let go, enjoy the music and smile!

Day of the Dead

2008-02-14T21:22:00.001-05:00

Dear Valentines day,

I hate you. You suck

Love,

Lauren

Zebu

2008-02-13T20:38:00.003-05:00

So I know this is a random post, but I was recently introduced to this really cute animal. It is called a Zebu. Pretty much this is a humped cow, but it is so cute! Take a look at this baby I got to get up close and personal with!

Dog Love

2008-02-11T11:27:00.000-05:00

I went to St. Augustine this weekend and got to bring Dakota with me. I took her out on the beach sunday morning and I can't even explain the joy it brought to her, here are some pictures and you can just see the happiness on her face!

Confessions (part 1)

2008-01-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

I always want to be dancing. When no one is home I jump and twirl around my house with such joy! Sometimes I am really good and sometimes I just do it to get all the frustration out!

I hate to cook, but if I am re-creating a dish I love it and get really prideful that I actually made something edible!

I want to grow my nails out so bad, but something stressful comes along and poof they are gone.

Sometimes I wish I could just pack up my car and drive somewhere. I wish I knew people in every state and I would just go and bum a night with them.

I am very scared of the dark and still see things and get scared when all the lights are off.

I am a very shy person, but I have been trying to overcome it my whole life and have just learned to step up when I need too.

Serving up fresh lemonade!

Such sad news

2008-01-22T18:23:00.000-05:00

So tonight I sign into my mail and find out Heath Ledger died. He was only 28 years old, his maid found him dead in his bed. The police are thinking he overdosed on sleep medication, but don't know if he purposely overdosed or if it was an accident. I am so sad, I love him as an actor, he was the lead role in "A knights tale" and "The Patriot". So tonight we will mourn the death of beautiful Heath. We will see him again in the summer of 2008 when "The dark knight" comes out, a sequel to "Batman begins", he stars as the joker. Heath we love you and will miss you.

Kate Nash -Foundations

2008-01-18T16:53:00.001-05:00

Foundation

2008-01-18T16:49:00.000-05:00

So my world is being turned upside down and side ways right now. I have been trying to find some new music and this is what I came up with. If you wanna share any new artists you have found let me know and I will listen.

Here is Kate Nash. Enjoy!

Where do I go?

2008-01-10T00:03:00.000-05:00

Nights feel more normal, whatever normal is these days, but when the morning comes it all falls apart. It slowly breaks and by noon it is shattered in the pit of my stomach. If I sleep until the sun goes down I will be ok, crawl back to the cave and hide until it all goes away.

2007-12-20T10:25:00.000-05:00

So this will be quick,

I am lusting bad for these boots. Uh, I wish they were a little less expensive and I could justify buying them. They are from Frye which is a wonderful boot company, they come in black and brown and are just so beautiful!

Back to the daily grind

2007-12-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

So let me just catch everyone up on my very uneventful, yet good weekend! Well Friday night was a Holiday party a co-worker had for all the employees. Let me first start off by saying this co-worker has been nothing but mean to me since I started at the company over a year ago, but she did decide to ask me to plan this party out. Well being the push over I am I set up a pot luck dinner and did the job to the minimum! None the less, the party was fun! Well add a bunch of wine and beer at 5:30 and you can have fun any where! After the party my husband and some friends of ours went down town to our new hang out, because it is a free cover, The Lodge. I really am starting to like that place a lot, really makes you feel like you are in Colorado in the middle of winter, sitting on big comfy couches and downing shots! So yeah lets recap real quick, drinking at the Holiday party + drinking lots of shots = Lauren not remember where we went after the lodge. Anyways when I woke up the next day I could have sworn I got into some huge bar fight, I had bruises and scratches all over my body. Before I could talk to my husband I had made up this whole story in my head of how I got raging mad and just started throwing punches and knocked a bunch of people out and walked away with some bruises and scratches. I was the talk of the town! Come to find out we went to chillers after the lodge and drunk+3 flights of stairs+ 3 inch heels= falling down the stairs and getting really banged up!
Well so that was my exciting Friday night, I know you all are jealous!
So on Sat and Sunday I wanted to keep it low key. On Saturday I went and laid out at the pool. Yes people, I laid out at the in the middle of December and I was sweating.
Later that night I went to a fabulous bridal shower and then just kept it mellow for the rest of the night. Sunday I laid out again and this time I thought I got more sun, but I am still white, but at least not pasty white, just white! Then last night I watch Hostel II which was so disgusting and scary at the same time. Everyone should see it just to have the experience of an upset stomach just from a movie. I had my eyes closed for a lot of the movie, but I made it and with no night mares!
Til next time, Peace!

F.F.F.

2007-12-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

Well Good Friday to you! Well you guys know what today is! Fabulous Finds Friday, today I am showing off some of my new clothes I just got for my trip to New York! Oh my gosh I am so excited. I mean of coarse I think things that I bought are fabulous, that's why I bought them!

Lets start off with my coat:

I got it from Old Navy in GA

it is a frost free belted anoraks coat it is water resistant and has silk lining. I got it in cream.

Then I got some beautiful Isaac Mizrahi Black Leather gloves!

These gloves are Vintage inspired with pink fleece lining the inside, uh fabulous!

(some reason it won't let me post a pic, so here is the link)

Made to extend past the wrist, these lined gloves are finished with scalloped edges and decorative stitching

And the last thing I got was two turtle neck sweaters from gap! One in black and one in cream. I still have a ton of shopping left to do before we leave, but I am happy with where it is starting!

One thing that I really love about Christmas is Oprah's favorite things show! I love how she purchases all of her favorite things from the past year and hands them out to her studio audience.

So here are some Fabulous finds by Oprah! I went through all of her favorites for 2007 and just picked out the ones I really liked! ENJOY!

Ciao Bella Blood Orange Sorbetto
Ciao Bella's Blood Orange Sorbetto is made from all natural ingredients including sorbet and blood oranges shipped straight from Sicily. "I love it because the flavor is just so refreshing," Oprah says.
Buy the Ciao Bella Blood Orange Sorbetto

Ugg Australia Crochet Tall Boot
"I bet every truly dedicated Oprah watcher knows what my feet cannot live without," Oprah says. This slouchy knit boot keeps feet comfy and cozy in three colors: black, sand and rum raisin. The UGG boot's famous sheepskin sock lining is like walking on a cloud.
Buy the Ugg Crochet Boots

Planet Earth DVD (this was on all the time at my house when it first came out!)
The Discovery Channel's 11-part series Planet Earth is an awe-inspiring view of the spectacular world we live in. More than five years in the making, filmmakers shot footage in 200 locations in 60 countries around the globe. "I'm telling you, it is the most magnificent series you will ever lay your eyes on," Oprah says.
Buy the Planet Earth DVD Set

LG HDTV Refrigerator
Oprah's giving the most expensive gift in Oprah's Favorite Things history to her loyal viewers in Macon—LG HDTV Refrigerator LSC27991. It's a top-of-the-line, high-tech entertainment center with a LCD TV, DVD hookup, radio and slideshow option to display your favorite digital photos.
With the press of a button, you can also access your five-day weather forecast and view more than 100 built-in recipes. LG has even volunteered to remove our lucky audience members' old fridges and either recycle them or give them to families in need. "LG has literally thought of everything!" Oprah says
Buy the LG HDTV Refrigerator

Perfect Endings Cupcakes from Williams Sonoma
Sam Godfrey, the cake genius behind Oprah's 400-pound 50th birthday cake, is bringing his sweet treats to the masses for the first time. Perfect Endings Cupcakes can be shipped anywhere in the United States and come in three fabulous flavors: red velvet with white icing, chocolate with chocolate sprinkles and coconut.
Buy the Perfect Endings Cupcakes

Buffington's

2007-12-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went and did a photo shoot in Valdosta, GA. The photo shoot was for a cute new Vintage clothing store called Buffington's. Brian and Brooke Buffington are the new parents to little Jet and the new owners of Buffington's! If you are ever in GA on I-75 get off on exit 18 and take a right, it is a pink house off of plum st. Their store is a cafe and a vintage clothing store during the day and at night they transform it into a place for bands to play acoustically. Here are some of their vintage threads you can buy at the store and you can check out more photos on my flickr!

A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover

2007-12-04T10:40:00.001-05:00

2007-12-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

Hey guys I am back, I know it has been forever and a day, but I got inspired to write again. I think you sometimes just need a break from things. Well I have been super busy with Holiday things, my friends and my husband and I are going to New York for Christmas, so I needed to get a lot of that figured out. This past weekend I went to GA to do a photo shoot for a new clothing, cafe, band venue spot in little Valdosta, GA. My husband went to this amazing concert so I decided to bring my mom with me. I thought this would kill two birds with one stone, she has been giving me a really hard time about not seeing her and what better way to spend time together but a road trip! I decided to burn a couple of CD's for the trip since I don't have an ipod due to a terrible run in with a dogs mouth about a year ago. I had to burn a couple of CD's because not all the files would convert to MP3's (which is the best way to go!) I knew and listened to all the bands I put on the CDs, but when I started to listen to them I really grew a whole new appreciation for their music and really fell in love with a couple of the artists.
The first band is AFine Frenzy the lead singer Alison Sudol is so amazing. You can tell she is very Irish and it kind of brings me back to my roots! I will post the video for one of my favorite songs of hers!
The next is Joss Stone. I have always loved the blues and soul of Joss Stones music, but I think I had an epiphany. I have been asked so many times if I could choose a theme song for my life what would be? Well Joss Stone's "Right to be Wrong" would be it. Every word is me and how my life has always been! With verses like, "I've got a right to be wrong My mistakes will make me strong I'm stepping out into the great unknown I'm feeling wings though I've never flown" ahh she is amazing and just makes your heart sing!
The last one is Feist. This spunky Canadian is amazingly creative. You have probably heard one of her songs as an ipod commercial "one, two, three, four".
As I was driving down the high way dancing and singing to her crazy songs I realized she is really weird! I think that is why I like her music so much, because a lot of her songs seem like something I would write. Her music makes me feel normal in a crazy world and don't we all need that sometimes in our lives? Check out all of these amazing female artist! I will be posting photos from GA as soon as I am done with them!

New Puppy!

2007-11-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

So here are the pictures of the new puppy!

We decided to name him TOBY!

I am sure there will be lots more pictures to come, but he would not stay still for me!

Now I feel bad I haven't posted any photos of Dakota, uh well maybe another day when I am not so tired.

Family

2007-11-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving... is a traditional North American holiday to give thanks at the conclusion of the harvest season. To me Thanksgiving is food, travel, turkey, fall, leaves, orange, and FAMILY.

On Sunday Nate and I went over to Fashion Square mall, if any of you know this mall you know it is a crap mall, but we had to return the tux that Nate wore in our friends wedding this weekend. As we waited out side for the store to open I started up the conversation about thanksgiving (for the millionth time). We haven't decided which family we are going to see and thanksgiving is only a couple days away. As we sat there thinking about it we realized no matter where we were going, it would probably be a depressing day.

We were going to his grandmothers in Seabring because she is not doing very well, but then Nates mom had to go to the emergency room last week and is still in bed receiving antibiotics for a staff infection. His parents told us that they still might be going to seabring, but I really don't think his mom should travel. On the other hand we can go to my grandparents house and have thanksgiving there, which is normally a good time and we can invite Nates parents over. We would still have the stress of seeing his mom, but we would only have to travel an hour and a half not four hours on the busiest travel day of the year. As I sat there, in our crappy mall, I realized that Thanksgiving is about family and how we are giving thanks for the people in our lives. I also realized that growing up kinda sucks and it really sucks when people we love become sick. We both agreed that no matter what we do the most important thing is to spend time with our family! Sometimes this is easier said than done. I love my family they are great people but sometimes I can only take so much of them. Most of the people in my family are very opinionated and mostly about my life. I know they are just helping me out and giving me advice that they wish someone had given them, but when it comes from your family it is different. I guess I just see it that since I am so comfortable with them I can become more agitated and annoyed with them. It even seems that way with really close friends, you feel comfortable with just telling them that you don't want to hear it and they continue to tell you their opinion! For this Thanksgiving, no matter where I end up, I am going to try and just enjoy every ones presence and enjoy the person that they are. I am going to try and take every little quirk and suggestion and just turn them into a positive, this Thanksgiving is just going to be about enjoying my family and the people that they are!

F.F.F

2007-11-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

Since I missed Fabulous Finds Friday last week, I knew I had to do it this Friday!

Last night my husband and I got another pup. There will be many pictures up in a couple of days, but just haven't had time. So this F.F.F is all dog inspired!

We will start off with a little humor and this had me cracking up!

It is the Humunga Tongue toy

This will make you go dog wild! It is so funny.

Some of my friends dressed their 3 month old as a hot dog for Halloween, it was so cute!

We got a little boy, but if Dakota (our girl dog) wasn't 75lbs I would try and put her in this adorable thing!

Ok so enough with the out fits. My last Fabulous find is the best yet. Nate and I travel a lot and also love to take picnics when we can. This design makes it super easy to bring your pooch with you on all your trips! It is called the Charlybox and it is design to Carry their food and water and then it turns into dishes for the dog to eat and drink out of! Brilliant!

Working it!

2007-11-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have been off and on sick for the past 2 weeks now and this means I have been to firefighting training only twice. I am suppose to go at least two times a week, but that has not been possible. I have still been working out, but I am defiantly not up to the push that they give me. I have been doing their work-out that they make us do, but at my own pace. I have also been trying to get as much cardio as possible and I hate running out side. I love the elliptical at my gym so I pretty much stick to that, but I never know how I can mix it up. I found this great work-out for the elliptical on Fit Sugar , they also have many healthful tips that they up date everyday!

So here is the amazing work out!

0-5 min lvl 3, Warm up

5-6 min lvl 5

6-7 lvl 5, back wards

7-9 lvl 7, forward/no hands

9-11 lvl 10, hands/ SPM 135-145

11-13 lvl 6, backwards

13-15 lvl 8, forward/ SPM 145-155

15-17 lvl 6

17-19 lvl 8, forward/ SPM 145-155

19-21 lvl 6, backward

21-22 lvl 6 forward/ no hands

22-24 lvl 10, hands/ SPM 135-145

24-26 lvl 6

26-29 lvl 8, backward

29-31 lvl 8 hands/ SPM 145-155

31-34 lvl 8 forward/ no hands

34-35 lvl 5

35-40 lvl 3, cool- down

I like to print it out and put it in front of me so I can keep up. This schedule really makes the time go fast! A key to doing any cardio is to monitor your heart rate and make sure you are staying in between your target heart rate. Your target is between 65% - 85%. Here is the formula to figure out your target heart rate.

220 - your age = your heart rate at 100%

take that number and multiply it by .65 and that is your heart rate at 65%

take your 100% heart rate again and multiply it by .85 = your heart rate at 85%

example: 220 - 23 = 195 65%=128 85% = 166

so I stay between 128-166when working out, my warm up is usually at 50 - 60% and I try and move up through out my work out.

Staying between your target heart rate can burn the most fat and it is an easy way to track the progress of your work outs.

Go out and challenge your self!

Tag, your it!

2007-11-13T10:32:00.000-05:00

So I have been using the Nablopomo randomizer a lot lately and came across this blog, Binary Blonde. She had a fun tag game on her blog that I wanted to start too. So here are the rules:

Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
7 Random and/or Weird Facts About Me

1. I have never been to the west side of the country.

2. When I go shoping I always take things from the back of the shelf.

3. I am an only child

4. Sometimes I wish a hurricane would come so I could sleep for 5 days straight

5. I color cordinate my shirts, that's when I actually hang them up!

6. Grocery shoping stresses me out (there are way to many choices)

7. I want to start a no kill animal shelter one day.
Ok so here are the blogers I am going to tag!

Becka
Alexis
oh how lovely
love is blonde
Fat Free Vegan
[redacted]
Hostess with the mostess
Go out and share the blog love!

Worry Wart

2007-11-12T15:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't written in a couple of days. I feel like my head has been spinning and when I do get a chance to hold it still it isn't for very long. I am totally failing this Nablomo thing but anyways with the holidays coming up there is no way I would be able to catch up, so I will do my best and call it at that! I haven't really been inspired to write lately, maybe it is because I am busy, but the one thing I know it is is stress. I never used to get stressed out at all, as my mom would put it, I was too laid back, I needed to at least worry about my future. I wouldn't worry about anything, I would just let life deal with it's self and that is how it was suppose to end up. Lately in my life I have been such a worry wart I have let the stress in and now it won't go away. It is getting so bad I am starting to have anxiety and get sick over the smallest of things, i.e - going to training, or work, or even out with my friends, I worry worry worry.

So I was reading up on anxiety and wanted to find some statistics about it. This is what I found:

This is the most mild form of anxiety: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

it is found in 6.8 million people

and women are twice as likely to be affected

(there are many forms of anxiety but this is just one)

As I was reading there were many cures most of which just summed up, TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF, and RELAX!

try and find a relaxing out, like bike riding, painting, writing, jogging, or even taking time to watch a movie. Well my week is packed, so that won't be happening anytime soon for me, but maybe someone can relax for me! What helps you relax?

Trust - a guest's perspective

2007-11-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

I'd like to introduce myself to you, I'm Nate, the husband of the beautiful girl who's smiling face greets you every day. a little background as to who i am: first and foremost i'm a husband, but the roles i play in my life are infinitely eclectic. i am also a musician(drummer to be specific), a photographer, a student (i graduated from ucf but it took so long to get my B.A. that i'm going to hold on to that title for as long as i'm alive i think), a nerd, a rogue(if you don't get it, don't ask) and i love to rock a feaux-hawk. I was honored that my wife would ask me to write for her today, and thought i'd share some thoughts that have been on my mind, about a specific and important topic to me: Trust.

what do you put your trust in?

is it possessions, or people, or knowledge, or ideas?

a child clutches his blanket and it brings him warmth and comfort as if he was still being held by his mother's arms.

are we any different? we all have our vices, our comforts, our escapes, our dependencies.

we have shoulders we cry on, friends we lean on, drugs, hobbies, exercises, and toys we turn to when our insecurities get the best of us.

what do you turn to when things get hard? who do you put your faith in when you can't see the best in yourself?

more importantly... who trusts in you? who do you know that fights everyday of their life to put on a smile, to have hope, to actually find reason to trust in people after so much hurt and a lifetime of pain and abuse and people that have taken advantage of them time and again?

trust is a funny thing. putting your life, your hopes, your dreams, your secrets, your vices, and your future into someone else's hands is a great responsibility, one only surpassed when someone places their lives into yours.

trusting someone can be exhilirating, confusing, and terrifying, while at the same time it is pure, comforting, and brilliantly simple.

Take an opportunity to let someone in, or take some extra time to listen when someone tells you what's going on in their life. you may find that by putting your life into someone else's hands will make you feel alive in a way you'd forgotten was even possible.

What to do?

2007-11-08T09:13:00.000-05:00

So last night I couldn't think of anything to write about. I brought up the idea of my husband maybe writing on my blog for one day. This seemed very logical because in the past he has said he has wanted to write a blog and of course he is a way better writer than I am. I asked if he would honor me and be a guest writer on my blog! He was too tired and told me to write what Becka wrote about, I guess I was suppose to re post and didn't know it. And then I read Alexis' blog and she did it so now I really feel like I need to! So here is Lauren's MeMe

I Am...

a lover

strong

weird

hugable

dependant

funny

and sometimes depressed

I Want...

a goal for my life

to be content with what I have

to be truly happy

I Have...

a loving husband

the quirkiest dog alive

I Wish...

too much

I Fear...

death

life

not living to my fullest potential

cancer

I Search...

for better ways to express myself

a new wardrobe whenever possible

buried treasure!

I Wonder...

if my dad thinks about me

what if..

why people do the things they do

how I can do the things I want to do

what our country will be like when I have children

I Regret...

trying so hard then failing

I Love...

the smell of fresh laundry

when little kids laugh

knowing I am loved

I Ache...

for women in Africa

starving families

and tortured animals

I Always...

fall down, but can't always get back up

make people mad

feel judged

I Sometimes...

lie in bed and want to stay forever

wish I had special powers

I Dance...

to forget

to feel like a child again

to impress!

I Sing....

in the car to all the songs even if I don't know the words

too much for Nate

silly

I Never....

care enough

love enough

do enough

I Rarely...

tell people what I am really thinking because they would think I was crazy (just ask Nate)

I Cry...

into my pillow

under the sheets

in my car

I Am Not Always...

there

I Lose...

at everything, except Nert's for some reason

I'm Confused...

by our world and what we have done to it

I Need...

hugs

someone to tell me it will be alright

an exploring partner

I Should...

love myself more

love others more

live in the moment

I'm Thinking...

so now people know me

man this took a long time

Etsy Finds!

2007-11-06T19:01:00.000-05:00

So I am just going to feature this amazing artist I found on Etsy. You can find her at Helloberlin her jewelry is very vintage and her love for metal really shows through her work!

Check it out yourself, here are some of my favorites!

My Drunken Monday!

2007-11-05T17:42:00.000-05:00

I randomly got really sick last night and it followed into today. I am starting to feel better, but not a 100%. Since I didn't eat at all yesterday and logically thought I should at least try and make myself eat I called my friend Becka and asked if she wanted to go to our new favorite cafe, The Drunken Monkey, she of course said yes and off we go. We needed to stop by target first to get the much need items of a sweater dress and heart rate monitors! (which I will probably be writing about again when I have a chance to use mine!)

While at target we had a strange feeling of being stocked and then out of no where Jeremy (Becka's husband) pops around the corner! We invite him to lunch and now we really are off to lunch!

Before arriving I wanted one of their delicious vegan soups, but none sounded appealing today. They switch them out day to day so just depends on your flavor. I decided to go for there homemade turkey panini's! Becka got their eggplant marinara sandwich and vegan zucchini bread and Jeremy got the turkey panini and a cup of crab bisque!

If this is making your mouth water you need to head over to the drunken monkey and try out all of their delicious sandwich and soup choices. Or you can just go there for a great cup of specialty coffee!

Look for my photography's business card and Becka's Arbonne card which we left today!

Hope you had a great Monday!

Good Morning!

2007-11-04T03:57:00.000-05:00

Since I have been working out a lot more than usual I decided to make a hearty and healthy breakfast for me to eat every morning.
I wanted to share the recipe with you guys. It is super simple and can be frozen and reheated to eat whenever you want it!

Egg, Cheese, and Broccoli casserole

what you will need:
-10 eggs (you can add or subtract from the recipe depending on how much you want to make)
- 1/3 cup of half and half
- 3-4 cups broccoli
- 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese ( use whatever cheese you like the best)
-salt, pepper, and additional seasonings if wanted (I added a little bit of spice, because I love it!)

*Fill pot with broccoli and water and bring to a boil
*pre-heat over to 350
*let broccoli come to a bright green and then drain into a colander. ( Broccoli will be undercooked, but will bake later in over)

*mix eggs, half and half, and add salt and pepper and spicy seasonings if wanted
*Put broccoli in bottom of casserole dish
*add cheese on top
*pour egg mixture over broccoli and mix with a fork so the cheese can mix in
* place in oven and bake for 45 min.
* I let mine come to room temp. before placing in freezer.
*slice and microwave once ready to eat
* ENJOY!!!!!

Woohoo

2007-11-02T14:11:00.000-04:00

So I have had over 100 visitors to my blog and I am so excited.(I know I am a dork) It really makes me feel excepted, and that I am not just talking to myself online!
When I started the blog I didn't think anyone would even look at it, or even take time to read it. Thanks guys, makes me motivated to post even more!
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am starting off the weekend right, I am going to the Eisley and Mute math concert tonight! SO EXCITED!

Our Mother

2007-11-01T18:47:00.000-04:00

I went to Veg Fest 2007 last weekend with my friend Alexis and my dog Dakota. I wanted to take photos, but trying to hold my 70 lb dog at the same time just wasn't working. On the way back to the car I saw some beautiful trees lining the street, here are a couple of them. There is also a Spicy Sweet potato recipe at the bottom!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

*Use one sweet potato per person

- pre-heat oven to 430 or 450 for crispier fries

- slice potato into thick wedges (steak fries size)

- put all the slices into a bowl and add some EVOO

-add oregano, cayenne, and chili pepper (or everglades seasoning) to the bowl (season as much as you would like)

- mix with your hands until seasoning is all over potatoes

- put potatoes on a baking sheet until they are evenly spread apart

- sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon

- bake for 30 to 45 minutes until brown
Then you have some very yummy and health fries!

Happy Holloween?

2007-11-01T08:56:00.001-04:00

Lets start off on Tuesday night when a light bulb went off that tomorrow was going to be Halloween. I was astonished that I really forgot about it. Halloween is was one of my favorite holidays. I love, love, love the color orange and pumpkin spices and how the leaves are falling, well in some parts of the country!
I realized that this Halloween was going to pass right by me and I would probably not even eat one piece of candy or carve a pumpkin.
In the morning on Wednesday I decided that I would dress up a little and when I mean a little I just grabbed some cat ears from my closet that I had worn last year. I got to work and come to find out I am not the only one that forgot it was Halloween. It makes me sad because as we grow up our priorities change and some things that were at the top of the list, aren't even on the list any more.

I spent Halloween literally going through hell. I was with the Orange County Firefighters recruitment process. They had us doing push ups, leg lifts, and jumping jacks on the cement road. I was hauling wet fire hoses back and forth in mud that was filled with spiders and ants. Which I have several bites to prove! I was constantly on the verge of throwing up.
As I was washing the grass and dirt from my aching body I realized I have a long way to go to become a Firefighter and right now that is my priority that is at the top of my list, not Halloween. I did get to spend some time with some great friends, even though I probably wasn't very fun to be around! So I hope some of you had a Happy Halloween!

Here is my costume for next year!

F.F.F = Favorite Finds Friday!

2007-10-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

Ok I know I haven't posted in awhile, I have been super busy with work and not to mention some off scheduled events this week. But now it is Friday, and I can't wait until it is 5 so I can go home! Because it is TGIF I thought I would bring you guys some of my Favorite Finds of the Week!

*Here is my first find : It's from, Trendy Stores.

It is a bowl that hangs on your wall and you can put flowers in it! I want one, but I really want to put a fish in it, man that would be so cool to have a fish bowl just hanging on your wall! And it is so great because then my cat couldn't get to it!

*Second find of the week : Bright and Bold
I want this for my living room, well I guess I should just say my house because I live in a studio! I love the iron they use and the font, I just want to hang them all around and remind me what life is really about! Living, Laughing, and Loving!

*Third and last find(well I have lots more, but gotta save them for next Friday!): Shawn Lovell
She such an amazing artist! Her work is so beautiful, but she is based out of California. Her are just a couple things from her portfolio.

If you couldn't tell by these pictures I am into birds at the moment, I don't know if it is because of my photo company name or not!

I love searching for new and interesting finds!
Let me know if you have any that you love too!

Have a great Friday!

The Wednesday Letters

2007-10-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

I started reading this book yesterday called the "The Wednesday Letters".
In just the 3 chapters I read I was drawn in and almost in tears. The book is about an old couple who own a B&B and one night they both die in each others arms, ahh so romantic. They have 3 adult children and they come home to arrange the funeral, then they find boxes full of love letters that their father wrote to their mother each week on Wednesday. As they begin to open and read the letters, the children uncover the shocking truth about their past.
In addition, each one must deal with present-day challenges. Matthew has a troubled marriage, Samantha is a single mother, and Malcolm is the black sheep of the family who has returned home after a mysterious two-year absence.
This book really reminds readers about romance and inspires others to start their own "Wednesday letters" I know we could all use a reminder of why we feel in love with that special someone!

Georgia

2007-10-21T19:12:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went with my husbands band, Altar White, to Valdosta, GA for two different shows. Here are some pictures from the show at a little local cafe in downtown Valdosta! You can see more at Red Robin Photos

Modern twist on an oldie

2007-10-18T20:09:00.000-04:00

For two weeks I have been wanting to try this recipe I found from Martha Stewart. Being the busy girl I am, I have not had a free moment. Finally I had an excuse to make this hopefully delicious meal, we had company coming over! I made a lighter version of a chicken Potpie! So here it is for you to try too, don't worry it is super easy, and will work with just veggies for all you vegetarians out there, and you can make it with soy milk for the vegans!
I did change the recipe around a little bit, I added my own seasonings, and I didn't use chicken on the bone (it freaks me out) I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and add what vegetables I wanted, like zucchini and a mix of corn, green beans, and carrots. I probably would have added more, if my husband wasn't so picky!

This serves 4

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halve (12 to 14 each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk, or soy milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 phyllo sheets (each 12 by 17 inches) thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly; discard skin and bones. shred meat, and set aside.

2. While chicken is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add carrots, onion, and thyme; season with salt and pepper, and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.

3. Remove from heat; stir in peas, lemon juice, and chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 9 inch deep-dish pie plate. (I used one of my large glass Tupperware so if I had leftovers it would be supper easy to put away)

4. Remove phyllo on a work surface. Using a paring knife, cut out an 11-inch circle from the stack; discard trimmings. ( I didn't have to cut my phyllo, I just used the scraps and placed them around) Stack 2 circles on work surface, and brush gently with 1 teaspoon oil; repeat with remaining circles and oil. Place phyllo stack over filling, and press down about 1/2 inch from the edge so phyllo fits inside rim of pie plate. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let potpie cool 15 minutes before serving.

Prep: 40 Minutes Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Everyone has a secret...

2007-10-17T10:21:00.000-04:00

Last night my husband and I went to target, he was getting a movie and I was trying to pick out a book. I searched and searched, and couldn't decide on something, so we left. Well now I am at work (bored) and wanted to look up popular sellers on amazon.com. I found a book, and it looks so intreging I can't wait to go get it! It is called "a lifetime of secrets"
The book is a colection of the past three years. The author, Frank Warren has invited people to send him creatively decorated postcards bearing secrets they have never before revealed. He has some of the secrets on his blog www.PostSecret.com, and he has three other books that are bestselling: PostSecret, My Secret, and The Secret Lives of Men and Women.

The post cards are hand made and some of them have fun secrets, and others have very moving secrets like these two that I selected out of the many he has posted on his blog. I hope you all go out and read this book, I know I am! Let me know of any books that you are reading at the moment, I love suggestions.

Elegant seasonal cocktail just in time for fall

2007-10-16T10:50:00.000-04:00

In laue of my new love for pomegranates, I found a wonderful cocktail that I really want to try! I just found it at Self and thought I should share it with you!

This recipe is from a Sushi spot on L.A.'s famed Sunset Strip.
Besides raw-fish delicacies, innovative beverages are served up at the lounge like space. Hipster tipplers can sip the restaurant's Pomegranate Cocktail, which is rich in poly phenols, antioxidants that help protect your ticker.

Makes 4 servings.

6 oz premium vodka (Blowfish Sushi uses Han Soju, an Asian spirit)
2 oz seltzer
4 oz Triple Sec
4 oz pomegranate juice
2 lemons, juiced
1 pomegranate, seeded

Combine vodka, seltzer, Triple Sec, pomegranate juice, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker over ice; shake. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with pomegranate seeds. Save leftover fruit for nibbling.(Which I love!)

Blowfish Sushi, Los Angeles, CANutritional analysis per serving 244 calories, 0.1 g fat (0.02 g saturated fat), 21 g carbohydrates, 0.3 g protein

This cocktail will make you the talk of the neighborhood!
Let me know if anyone tries it, and how it comes out!

Cheers to the enviroment!

2007-10-15T22:54:00.000-04:00

So I told you I tried a lot of new things this weekend, and one of those new things was a Pomegranate. I have been wanting to try one for a while, but did not want to fork out $4.99 for one. Becka and I went to the farmers market this Saturday and found them for $1, I was so excited! Since I have never tried a pomegranate I only got one, big mistake. I loved it, and so did my friends. This is my new found snack and love! So as I was eating the delicious fruit, I realized that I should try and plant the seeds and make my very own pomegranate tree! Hopefully I will have luck in this endeavor, I am not known for having a green thumb. After researching how to grow a pomegranate bush/tree, I read my friends blog about Blog Action Day and thought it would be so great if people took the time to just plant one tree for the environment!

So in woo of the environment I want to challenge everyone to go and plant a seed, bush, or tree! Make our world a better place!
Cheers to you Mother Earth!

Some new yum yums

2007-10-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

So this weekend was a weekend of many new things.
But, since I work full time, my week days arent very exciting! So I will let you know about the rest of my weekend throughout the week!
Ok, so I branched out and tried a new recipe. I made a Vegan green bean casserole. I am new to this whole vegan thing, I just wanted it to be low in fat and healthy, so I made it vegan! I got it from Fatfreevegan, but I made it a little different!

The Best Vegan Green Bean (and broccoli) Casserole (Lauren Style!)

Beans
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon table salt
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces ( I used about half of this)
( in a seperate pot (or you can wait until your green beans are done) I boiled up some broccoli the same way with the salt, but broccoli doesn't take as long)

Bring the water to boil in a large pot. While it's heating, cut up the beans. Add the salt and beans to the boiling water. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Drain beans in a colander, and then spray for a minute with cold water to stop the cooking. Let them drain in the colander, shaking every now and then to get off all the water.

Sauce

*10 ounces mushrooms (I don't like mushrooms, so didn't add them!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
generous pinch cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Fresh pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 cup soy creamer

Trim and discard the mushroom stems and chop the mushrooms into pieces. Spray a non-stick pan with canola oil and heat it. Add the mushrooms, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are very soft and exude their juices. Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and add to the mushrooms along with the sherry. Simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens. Add the soy creamer and simmer until thick, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the beans.

Topping

1 1/2 slices whole grain bread ( I just used the bread I had in the cabnet which was 12 grain, it tasted good with the nuts)
1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3-ounce can of French fried onions

Put the bread, margarine, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Pour into a bowl and add the onions. Stir to combine.

To assemble:
Put the green beans into an oiled casserole dish and top with the onion mixture. Bake at 425 F for about 15 minutes. If you are not serving this right away, refrigerate the topping separately. Bring to room temperature before sprinkling the topping on the casserole and baking for about 20 minutes or until hot throughout.
(I found it got a little too crispy cooking it for 20 minutes, I would do 15 next time!)

This recipe came out so great I really want to do it for thanksgiving! It passed the vegan test, and she doesn't even like green beans, thanks Alexis!

Ok, so off to bed gotta be up at 4 tomorrow morning, will share something new tomorrow night!

The Beginning

2007-10-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

Ok so this is the beginning, I just started reading blogs and thought they were pretty cool, you can write down your daily,weekly, monthly thoughts and then share them with the world.
I thought it was neat reading other peoples blogs, but never thought that I would do one, well here I am!
My husband and I are in the process of starting a photography business (RedRobinphotos) and I thought it would be great to show off our photography! I don't just want to put photography on my blog, I will be also sharing things I think are interesting, and hope you think the same thing!
Well I have to give credit to Becka and Alexis who have amazing blogs, and I hope mine can be just as good!