Heya, Sparky!

Final Signoff

2011-10-13T21:33:00.000-04:00

You've noticed by now...

          ...the post that haven't been written
          ...the flashbacks that haven't been posted
          ...the stories that haven't been told

But I think you deserve to hear it from me. You guys deserve an ending that is thoughtful and respects all the time you've poured into this blog and into my little corner of the world. After nearly 2 years I'm putting this little blog to rest. And after nearly 2 years of reading along on your part, I hope you'll indulge me for just a few more minutes...

Reasons Why

A few weeks ago I went to PodCamp and sat in seminars about all things blogging and online. It turns out a weekend I thought you reignite my blogger's heart actually ended up giving me peace about walking away.

Every seminar harped on one issue over & over... WHY? Why are you blogging at all? Why did you start? And the answer to that question should drive all the when's and who's and how's. The truth is, my why doesn't apply anymore.

I started Heya, Sparky! because I felt like there was a fire in me that had gone out. In order to get it back I wanted a way to document the good in life on a daily basis and remind myself of all the things that helped to spark that fire. And it worked for a long time. I have loved sharing pieces of my life on here, telling stories about nothing and the biggest things and the weird things and the everyday things. It helped to teach myself how to be happy again after losing grip during a crazy time. Now that WHY is a habit whether I document it or not... it's turned from a blog theme to a way of thinking, which is a really good place to be in.

But lately it's started to swing the other way. The blogger's guilt. It's not as easy to set aside time, and so when I do post it's not as good as I want it to be. And then I feel almost as bad as if I hadn't posted at all. There are so many people I've met here that I adore, the last thing I want is for this to be a place where I'm resentful and hurried and unappreciative. So it's time to let it go.

In the Meantime

I want to be a better reader. I want to pour the time I do have into OTHER people and their nooks of the blog world. I haven't been as good a friend as others have been to me, and it's time to reverse this.

I want to create things, make my home beautiful, and cook special meals.

I'll be running again. In fact Tink & I are training for a very big, long, terrifying race. Barring any injuries, major life changes, or bouts of actual sanity, we'll be training for a half marathon in the Spring. Yikes!

And I'll be investing in my church. Every Wednesday there's a group of the most wonderful people you'll ever meet sitting in my living room, talking about God & life & people & world suck & hope. There are books to be read, study to happen, and people to love... & I can't think of a better way to spend my time.

A Final Request

I don't know if this will be forever. I still have plans for "someday" and all the things it could hold. A little handmade shop, a new adventure, or even just another WHY for another time. Something tells me that eventually I'll be back, although probably not under the Sparky name. But it would mean a lot to me if you'd keep this little blog on your reader so that when that day happens I have a way to tell you.

Ok. Deep breathe. This is the hardest part....

Thank you for being here. From times when I was deliriously happy to times when I was a wreck, you guys have added to the joy in my life in unexpected volumes. I will still be around, but as "just Lauren" for now. No amount of bold or italic font would be able to hold the weight of these next three words so I hope that somehow you understand everything they're trying to say: I'll miss you.

much love,
Lauren

p.s. For you amazingly loyal Flashbackers, I don't want to leave you high & dry. So I'm handing you off to another Flashback host. I promise she'll take you in & give you a good home & love you just as much. (well maybe not as much as me, but pretty darn close)

Week 60 + Prize

2011-09-23T09:24:00.000-04:00

Ok I'm running behind this morning & don't have a flashback ready. I'll slap one up after work, so if you're on the late-bus too you can still enjoy it.

How about, to make it up to you faithful flashback-ers, we do a little prize?

Everyone who links up today will be entered to win a $15 Amazon card, just because I think you're wonderful. So send your buddies over to join in the fun & we'll all have a lovely Friday!

(prize drawn at random on Monday)

flashback time...

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

M-o-n-d-a-y

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Monday, Monday... Can't trust that day.

There's really only one good cure for a case of the Mondays, and that's a case of the giggles. Am I right? So in case you haven't seen it yet, enjoy the cutest video that I've seen in a long while. And what I'd love more than anything is if you guys would share some fun in my direction too! Leave me a comment with your favorite online laugh of the moment. Happy Monday!

Week 59

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

I've used plenty of facebook photos as Flashback material, but this is the first time facebook itself is the flashback. I would call this the FB caption that will live in infamy... or... people shouldn't talk about what they don't know.

And for the record, this isn't a real bone. :) It's a prop for the school dance back when I was teaching.

Oh you guys, indeed.

flashback time...

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

It's Fall...

2011-09-15T19:38:00.001-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

I don't care what the calendar says, today is the first official day of fall. The air is cool, the first leaves are on the ground, and my hoodies are begging to cuddle up. And while I've never been a fall fan, only for the fact that I know that dreary season follows whose name I dare not say for fear of waking it early... I promise to do my best to embrace the crisp air & savor the flavors of fall.

A Wicked Night Out

2011-09-13T17:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight I have plans for a Wicked good night...
I bought the tickets months ago & my night at the theater has finally arrived! I've never seen this show before (I know, I'm the last in Western Hemisphere), plus I always love a night on the town like a classy grown-ass woman would, so here's to making the most of it!

So what's on the agenda?

First is wardrobe. My incredibly talented friend, Kristen, custom made an infinity dress for last weekend's wedding so it will be take 2 for that hot little number. I just need to decide how to wear it, there are so many options!

Next up, focus on the details. Another blog I follow just posted today about Wicked Sweet Nail Polish Collection.... could that be anymore perfect?

And of course, a lady needs a proper escort for a night out. Who knows what could happen on the streets of Gotham City? (If you're an out of towner you might not know they just finished filming the new Batman movie here... which makes me totally geeky for that last statement! haha oh well) I've got the arm-candy covered, my good buddy Dylan will be playing the role of gentleman escort for the evening. Classy, right?

(hear no evil, seek to evil, speak no evil, eat no evil)

Have a good night, my pretties... and your little dog too.

I did what I came to do...

2011-09-12T20:43:00.000-04:00

The weekend started rough...
   -   There's flooding all through central PA
   -   The 3 hour drive was rainy & foggy
   - Turnpike construction meant nothing to drink but fruit punch

But by the end of the weekend I did what I came here to do... get 2 friends hitched.

Mission Accomplished.

The wedding this weekend turned out to be absolutely lovely. The rain held off & we got our boogey on. And I realized I'm too old to "get low". lol Wonderful.

Week 58

2011-09-09T08:33:00.002-04:00

If there's one thing you need to know about the 3 lovely ladies of F-Unit... we like to party. And we've got many years of experience under our belts. Before we reunite for a wedding weekend extravaganza, let's take a trip down memory lane.

Glory Days... or so we thought. But like a good wine,

I think F-Unit just keeps getting better with age.

Karaoke & strange facial expressions. They just go hand in hand.

I'm 90% certain we're singing "I'm I bitch, I'm lover..."

Tea time with the mad hatter. Pinkies up and brimmed hats.

We know how to do it classy.

I love you. No, I love YOU.

Eff it, let's dance.

Downtown & Grownup.

This weekend is the wedding I'm officiating for Fleegal's brother & I'm bringing Sama as my plus-one. That whole part of the state is having major floods, but the wedding must go on. So you can expect the next edition of F-Unit to be rain boots & formal wear. Classy. Always.

flashback time...

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

The Smarty-Pants Picnic

2011-09-06T05:00:00.000-04:00

Last month I whipped together another Festive Food Friday for our office's forced-socialization requirements. Luckily I've been able to raise the bar a little closer to the borderline of "actual fun" which I consider a huge triumph.

Smarty-Pants Picnic was a hybrid of summer fun & academia in honor of a co-worker's doctorate. Books & gingham abounded. Picnic favorite dishes with a side of trivia. And let's be honest... it was mostly an excuse for mustaches and monocles.

Please feel free to use any of my ideas for a party of your own.

Week 57

2011-09-02T06:00:00.001-04:00

This week I got to see a VERY dear old friend who moved to LA last year, & out of the blue she showed up at church unannounced & unexpected! It made my whole day... my whole week even!

No joke: I saw Amanda across the room & there was a table between us so I literally crawled on the table to get to her, I guess I got carried away, & next thing I know BOTH of us were on the table hugging. haha Actually Tink joined us up there too for a glorious, elevated, group hug. And I don't regret it.

Then on Wednesday when I was flying out for work, who did I run into? AMANDA. On her way back to LA. So we got a little bonus time to drink coffee & play cards while we waited for our flights. In what would does something so serendipitous happen? It was wonderful.

So now she's home again & the missing her part can start all over again. But I thought I'd show you a special memory of my special friend so that you'll be able to recognize her in the background of all your favorite shows & squeel the same way I do when I see her waiting for an elevator on Desperate Housewives or at a wedding reception on the upcoming premier of How I Met Your Mother.

This is us at prom. Actually it's us at a friend's wedding but we couldn't resist that backdrop to take the classic prom pose. Can you see why we get along so well? lol

And actually I have a photo from the first time we met too. I had no idea that this new girl Ray brought around (not an uncommon occurrence) would turn into such a good friend.

flashback time...

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

Craft Hope: Project 14

2011-08-30T20:13:00.000-04:00

This post comes coupled with a confession: I want to spread the word on something I don't have the energy to do myself. There it is out in the open... but there's no reason why I can't use this blog to just pass on a good idea even if I'm not heading up some crazy rally. So that's what this is, sharing the love in case someone else wants to pitch in on their own.

Craft Hope has another wonderful project going on: Christmas in Dixie

Christmas in Dixie is going to be passing out boxes full of Christmas cheer to people who have been effected by this summer's tornadoes & have lost all those precious family keepsakes on top of everything else. They'll be providing lights & ornaments & such to help people rebuild emotionally in additional to the physical & practical rebuilding... sometimes losing those precious family mementos are the hardest to bare. And all Craft Hope is asking for on our part is the stockings.

So if you have some time & want to give a little hand-crafted love I totally recommend it. You can go to their website for all the details, whether you're making one or hundreds, and mail them in by September 23rd.

Fall Colors + Walking the Line

2011-08-30T09:12:00.000-04:00

The mornings are chilly again, the kiddies are all back in school, & college freshmen are stumbling around grocery stores like baby deer learning to walk... it must be almost fall!

I've recently made a goal for myself: this fall I'm going to learn how to walk the line of put-together-casual. As a person who thinks they understand clothing pretty well this probably seems like an unexpected problem, but I'm noticing that I've segmented myself into 2 categories: Business Lauren, & Staying-In Lauren. Now that I'm in an office where I can wear jeans it's a problem. So prepare yourself, this probably won't be the last time I throw photos of myself on here for documentation.

Today I went for color combos that said "Hey, I'm a 27 year old professional, yet I like to kick it causal." How'd I do?

Coral * Navy * Moss

I forsee a Goodwill shopping spree in my future. Look out, colorful cardigans, you're in my sights. Maybe I'll even give one last try to the elusive skinny jeans. Eeek! Now I'm just talking crazy. Happy Tuesday, friends!

Week 56

2011-08-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

In a few weeks I'll be officiating a wedding for my best friend's brother, so I've been busy getting my sermon together & trying to not look like a total idiot on someone's most important day of their lives. You might remember that this is actually the second wedding I've done, the first was for my brother about 2 years ago. But I don't think I ever shared how my wonderful friends helped me practice...

That Nicole, my fake groom... & Tink, my fake bride... & that lovely veil the bride is wearing is actually a strapless bra. :) My friends are shameless & silly & there for me even at the most ridiculous times. And that's what I love about them. I only wish I had recorded Caitlin's (father of the bride) speech "These kids love each other more than tacos love sour cream." Our faux-ceremony really did help me prepare for the real thing, I might have to schedule another one to help prepare again. After all, it's been 2 years & I'm a little rusty.

flashback time...

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

Dreary Thursday

2011-08-25T12:31:00.001-04:00

It's a gross drizzly Thursday & I'm home sick. Boo. I think it's 2-parts stomach, 1-part dreary weather, and one-part build up tiredness. So I'm spending my time between my couch & tucked away in the corner of the coffeeshop sipping mint tea.

When I'm severely sick the only thing that cheers me up is Casablanca on repeat, but since this is a little more mild I've found smiles in a few places today...

Muppets + Music

Pinterest + My Dream Home

Have any feel-good secret weapons of your own? I'd love to see them today as I hang around.

Week 55

2011-08-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Let me start by saying that you guys are the best. I love that we have a little core group of flashbackers every week that I always see spreading the comment love, & it's awesome. And sometimes a newbie links up & that's awesome too. I know these aren't exactly words of depth, but I just wanted to reaffirm that I love everything about Fridays even when I have the random crap-out-week like last week.

And how sweet was it of the Godmother of Flashbacks to link up last week? Much love, Tia.

On facebook there's this new(ish) feature when you're looking at a friend's page you can click "see friendship" & it creates a mini wall of just the back-and-forth between the two of you. So of course I tested it out with my BFF & was so stoked with the photo it used as our profile. Possibly my favorite of us ever.

At first glance it might not seem like much. In fact at first glance it's pretty obvious that neither of us is showered or looking very good. But there's so much happening in this photo that speaks volumes about the nature of our friendship... like a Where's Waldo of our lives. I don't even think an explanation would do it justice... just know you're getting an extra special glimpse into what we love about each other. (cryptic enough for you? haha)

you know the drill...

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

In my day it was J.T.T.

2011-08-18T21:42:00.001-04:00

Back in college we had a saying, "When life hands you lemons, smoke them out of a hookah." So when my neighbor gifted me a chihuahua calendar, an impossible match for the current decor, I knew I had to find a way to turn this situation into something better. And as I flipped through adorable pup after adorable pup I realized something. Maybe this gift wasn't for me at all. Maybe the only one who can truly appreciate it is Natalie.

So we picked out the finest stud in the whole calendar & hung it up right over her bed. Just like I used to do with Teen Beat cut outs of Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Like mother like pupster.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-08-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

Cinematic Guilty-Pleasures.

All of the following I've viewed in the past week:

I really should have seen this decades ago. And with my love for old movies there's no excuse to have waited this long in life to see Singing In The rain. But I'm making up for lost time & have watched it 3 times since Friday without any shame admitting it.

Say what you will & judge me all you want, but nothing makes me happier than Glee. It's light-hearted & cheesy enough to give me a reality timeout, but snarky & sarcastic enough to be able to live with myself. And this was the first 3D movie I've seen since the days of red & blue lenses! I could practically taste the slushies.

Summer in Pittsburgh means movies in the park. And this summer they brought back some of my guilty-pleasure favorites... the original Batman, Indiana Jones, & tonight was the feature I waited all summer for: Jurassic Park. Gotta love a hillside of blankets, a cityscape in the background, & people to cheer whenever someone gets eaten by a dinosaur. It seriously doesn't get any better.

What Are You Loving?

Visit Me!

2011-08-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

The other week after my visit to Hershey I got to thinking... You know Pennsylvania has some pretty neat things to see. I guess I never noticed since I grew up here. And THEN I got to thinking... everyone should come visit me! So I've decided that you all should plan to take a roadtrip across PA, bring the family along, & stop by good ol' Pittsburgh to hang out with me. Ok? Ok!

I even decided to do all I can to help out by planning a little itinerary! Now you really have no excuse not to pack those bags. (ok you probably actually have lots of excuses why you can't come visit me immediately... like having a life of your own... but still, it'd be pretty fun, right?)

Start in Philly

You'll want to visit the Museum of Art... if not to tour, at least to run up the stairs while singing the "Rocky" theme song & get a photo punching the statue before you leave. That should happen before cheese steaks if you know what I'm saying.

There's lots for the history buffs... Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, & you're not far from Gettysburg or Valley Forge.

King of Prussia Mall is one of those crazy mega-malls that you need a map for & is filled with designers that make me feel intimidated to even walk by... I think of it more like a circus sideshow, but some people love it. And if you need a night out after spending thousands in Gucci, Philly's got that too.

For the kids there's the Franklin Institute which is a wonderland of science & the home of my annual school field trips. And not far from there is the Crayola factory too.

Mid-State

Stop to visit the Amish. It may sound weird, but trust me on this one. You'll never eat so good in your whole life & they sell some sweet wares. I personally recommend finding a toy shop in Amish Country, my parents still own some that we bought decades ago & they're awesome. And you older kids can laugh at the funny town names... Virginville, Intercourse, Bird In Hand, Blue Ball... he he he.

Hershey. It's all you need to know. The park will take up at LEAST a day on its own, & you have to spend some time at Chocolate World too... it's free & wonderful. And how about a chocolate spa, anyone?

The Burgh

Obviously first order of business is visiting me. We can squeel & jump & down together.

Next, I hope you like rivers... because we've got 3 of 'em. The Gateway Clipper is a fleet of tour boats & a nice way to get to know the city. We've got museums out the whazoo... Children Museum, Science Center, The Warhol, at least 3 Carnegie's (it's hard to keep them all straight), and more that I haven't even seen for myself yet.

Not too far of a drive & you can see Falling Water... you know that Frank Lloyd Wright house. I didn't grow up around here & even I knew what it was, so I figured you would too.

And even more than rivers, what we really do best is Sports. And there will always be at least 1 team in season. Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, take your pick

And that's just the start...

I can even list all you could see if you veered away from the main cities. The Poconos have their own world going on. And you could go see Lake Erie, I hear it's great. (get it? a great lake? har har) Lots of space for outdoor adventure activities...

It's a good state. It took me a while to realize it, but now that I did I want my bloggy buds to know too. AND VISIT ME!!!

Flashback Monday

2011-08-15T18:56:00.001-04:00

After crapping out on my own linkup on Friday I really owe a Flashback... even the best intentions won't log on & type up a post for you, as it turns out. But I've got a really great one to more than make up for it.

My Dad came to visit 2 weekends ago & brought along the family history book for my DAR application... along with a family history photo album which I didn't even know existed! It starts with photos of Wolcotts from just after the Civil War & goes right up to my baby photos & is more magical than I can put into words. My Grandpa included a written history starting where the family book leaves off & recounting what he remembers of his great-grandparent, lessons learned from his grandfather, letters written back & forth between them, & what it was like to grow up on the depression and war years.

It made me feel for a moment like a heroin in some novel where I'll discover a parallel of life's events and learn the secrets of a happy life from the lessons of my ancestors.

Letters from the 40's between my

Grandpa & his Grandpa

My Great-Grandpa's dance card from

his senior prom... filled with Great-Grandma's name.

My Great-Grandparent's wedding in 1924

Grandpa pushing Grandma in a

wheelbarrow on their wedding day

After telling a friend about all these discoveries she said something that really shook me awake... how her Grandfather said his biggest regret was not asking more questions. OF COURSE! I should be asking questions! Why haven't I been asking for stories every time I've seen my grandparents the past 27 years? Why have I not been trying to learn what life was like in a different time or what they've learned after seeing the progress of decade after decade? I've been missing out on all this without even knowing it.

So get ready, Grandparents, I want to hear it ALL.

Week 54

2011-08-12T09:50:00.000-04:00

I'm running a little behind today! *sigh* Please start flashing back without me & I promise to catch up a little later. Thanks guys!

much love,

Lauren

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

Summer Evenings

2011-08-10T21:47:00.000-04:00

Last night was the first evening in a long time that the air got chilly. It was the perfect night for a cookout and a backyard concert with twinkle lights. Tonight I drove a little out of the way just to get the skyline & lights when you come out of the Ft. Pitt Tunnel, there's nothing in the world that compares to it. I can almost feel summer shutting down & I just want to notice every one of these little moments before I can see my breathe in the air again. Summer in Pittsburgh makes me remember every reason why I fell in love with this city to start with, & it holds me over long enough until it's summer evenings like this again.

Week 53

2011-08-05T06:00:00.002-04:00

As I scrolled through old facebook photos wondering what kind of tales I could share with you all, I twice went past this one with a "Mmm". It was the only one that made an audible reaction, which might just be the truest test of flashback worthiness.

This is my mentor group on my 26th birthday. I know most people in the world probably aren't lucky enough to have any mentor group at all, let alone one as awesome as mine, and lately I've been really missing our get-togethers. The group started through my church & was only supposed to last a year... back then it was Sonja (far right), Sarah (middle), and me... but after it was time for the groups to end we decided against it. I guess we just weren't done with eachother. Lisa & Linda joined for a while, later Jen came on board, and I've loved having every one of those ladies... but there's just something really wonderful & special about the original 3, we've been through a lot together.

We laugh until we can't breathe, sometimes we accidentally set things on fire, we always have yummy food and plenty of wine and coffee, and we have a place to talk about things that really suck too. I guess I'm just feeling sentimental because I could really use a dose of that right about now. Luckily I don't think our group is "over", we just sometimes take breaks when life kicks in, but maybe in the fall I'll have my ladies back again.

Now it's your turn....

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

Hershey's Winner

2011-08-04T12:18:00.000-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

A quick update to inform you of our chocolate winner (yum!) My little gift goes to commenter #3 who happens to be a new reader! Maybe she'll keep coming back forever & ever now?

Bon Appetit, Laura!

"I would probably use mint and coconut for sure

because I love both of those things—although I'm

not sure how they'd taste together. And I'd probably

add a nut of some sort for a little crunch."

Laura, send me an email with you address & I'll ship your gift.
Thanks!
- Lauren

A Sweet Gift for YOU!

2011-08-02T20:57:00.002-04:00

Like any good friend, I didn't return home empty handed from my little trip to Hershey. I brought home a souvenir for my friends! And what kind of souvenir would would come from Hershey, aka The Sweetest Place on Earth? CHOCOLATE, OF COURSE!

That, my friends, is a chocolate bar that I made just for you. There's this place called Chocolate World right next the park that, when I was growing up, only had an Epcot-esque educational ride about how chocolate was made. And even when that's all there was, I LOVED IT. Now you can see a 3D movie, go to chocolate tastings, buy all kinds of Hershey's specialty items....

And...

Build you own chocolate bar.

Here's your chocolate connoisseurs reporting for duty:

And there it's dropping raspberry into your chocolate bar...

The final product & my gift to one winner is a bar designed by yours truly with milk chocolate, almonds, raspberry, and sprinkles on top. And all you have to do to win it is leave me a comment answering this question:

If you could design a chocolate bar using any ingredient, what would you use?

The winner will be drawn at random Wednesday afternoon.
Think sweet thoughts, I can't wait to read your creations!

Our work here is done.

a SWEET weekend

2011-08-01T20:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend I took a little trip to spend some time with a very wonderful friend of mine. Someone who I think you'll recognize...

...and then my memory card was full. haha It's probably for the best or that vlog could have gone on forever. Especially if you got me talking about how we saw New Kids on the Block that day.... not in concert, at the park. Right in front of us. In fact we kept running into them for like the first hour we were at the park... literally ran into them once by accident. So much random.

It was an amazing weekend. I'm totally tuckered out, but I enjoyed every second.

Together at last!

night swimming in a kiddie pool = glamorous

A day that will live in infamy

The faces of fear...

The source of the fear...

Hershey Park HAPPY

Dangerous Broads. Hide your gin.

Don't let the floaties fool you...

we're still dangerous broads who will take your gin.

Week 52

2011-07-29T06:00:00.003-04:00

Last night I hung out with an old friend, Sarah, & her new son... & it got me thinking of ol times in college. My gosh, things were so different then! We used to call eachother PIC = Partners In Crime & we got ourselves into all kinds of shenanigans. We were in the same sorority, were RA's in the same building, and when I moved to Pittsburgh she let me crash on her futon for a summer. We've been through all kinds of things together & my only regret is that I don't see her as often as I like.

It was crazy & wonderful to hang out & hold her baby... her baby! My how things have changed...

Then:

Lazy-Crazy Sundays, My Junior Year

ΔΤΣ Formal Senior Year

Radio Contest for Steelers Tickets... we lost.

Now:

Lauren, Sarah, & Dylan 2011

It's weird. And wonderful. I guess that's just life!

Now it's your turn....

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

Week 51

2011-07-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

I'm flashing back from the future this week... I'm off traveling for business but wanted to make sure the tradition carries on with or without me. I'm coming home from Atlanta, so let's just use that as my theme for a flashback quickie. (kind of lame, I know, get over it. ha)

A little layover on my way to the beach... & if there's 3 things I love it's vaycay, Sam Adams, & changing hair colors. So thanks, Atlanta, for combining them into one classic picture.

Just promise me that you'll all visit a fellow flashback-er. I usually make sure to visit every person who links up, so I don't want anyone feeling lonely in my absence. And who knows, maybe you'll make a new friend today?

Now it's your turn....

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love.

Time-Out to Travel

2011-07-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

(source)

Hello there my lovelies! I just wanted to give you a heads-up that I'll be m.i.a. for a few days. I've got some business travels ahead of me which means long days & little time to update the ol' blog. I'm leaving for Altanta in the morning, Tennessee at the start of next week, with a little camping weekend in between. Busy busy busy...

Oh and don't worry, I'll still have a Flashback Friday waiting for you. So stop back in a few days & leave enough comment-love for your fellow link-ups to make up for my absence. Thanks!

Just Spreading the Word... (update)

2011-07-19T09:00:00.002-04:00

Update at bottom...

So let me start by saying I have a few thoughts in general, & then info for local friends....

One of my biggest pet peeves is the "FML Attitude" that I see over the most trivial thing. I saw on facebook how when an acquaintance couldn't watch The Bachelorette because her cable wasn't hooked up it was an epic fail. And I kid you not, after the earthquake in Japan & it looked like waves were going to hit Hawaii, someone had the balls to post a FML over their future Hawaiian honeymoon plans in the wake of all those lives lost.

Friday my friends lost their home in a fire. 6 of them.

That night people got together to board up windows & sat on the lawn & had some food together. And there was not one FML to be heard. Don't get me wrong, it's a really rough situation & I know it's hard on them, but instead of self-pity they stick together & make plans for the future.In a situation infinitely worse than any one those fml-posters have ever faced, they have an attitude that's infinitely better. Just some food for thought.

And here's the part for local friends...

I just wanted to spread the word that Dylan's turned over his blog to be the update place for news on the Fairmount House. There's a link to donate some cash, updates of prayer requests, and just a place to process some thoughts. It sucks when you feel like there's nothing you can do, but I wanted to at least pass it on that there's a place for info.

http://www.ruinrenew.com/

Here's part of Carina's message from Sunday...

As we head into this first house-less week, please hold us in prayer in the following ways:

1. pray that inspectors grant us access to our home. this will not only help to give us closure, but also allow us to salvage what we can and move forward from there.

2. pray for wisdom as we begin discussing our options and making decisions, especially since we may have to make our decisions quickly.

3. pray over the coming meetings with the city, community organizations, etc.. that all involved will be filled with grace, understanding, and hope.

4. and most of all, pray that our small intentional community will continue to serve each other well, even through the loss of our home

I've been thinking today about how much more difficult this ordeal would be for someone without friends and family. So thanks again to all of you, for making this all more bearable and for loving us so fully.

UPDATE:
Lena just told me the gang could use some help washing the laundry that was able to be salvaged. It needs to happen quickly before they mold, remember everything was drenched by the fire hoses way back on Friday. So if you have a washing machine, don't mind hanging out in the laundromat, or can donate detergent & white vinegar... please speak up.

One Lucky Winner

2011-07-18T23:04:00.000-04:00

(source)

I'm wiling to bet that the lovely lady who just won my 50th Flashback Giveaway already knows it's her. Want to know why? Because she has the best luck of anyone I've ever known. Seriously, she wins everything, just ask her about it.

To be fair, I wrote everyone's name on a piece of paper for every entry they earned, numbered it, & used random.org as an unbiased way to choose. (I almost wrote them on individual papers & let Natalie choose. But every once in a while... not often... I hear a little voice that says "Lauren, too much.") And it picked lucky #4 which just happens to be....

Amanda

from

Breathing in the Wind

Congrats, girl! Thanks for always playing along & being a great bloggie buddy! Enjoy the gift card & find a way to pass around the luck!

Week 50 + A Giveaway!

2011-07-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

50 flashbacks & going strong... I think it's time to celebrate, my friends.

Flashback Friday was literally my first ever blog post, almost all my good bloggie friends were met as a result, by some crazy twist of fate it's now my baby, & now we've got a golden anniversary to celebrate! Oh life is good in the world of retro & polaroids.

So let's celebrate with 2 of my favorite things in the whole world...

Friends
Chins

If you haven't known me long perhaps you don't know about my affinity for scrunched up chin pics that make every person look the most hideous they've ever been... but I do, I just love them! haha They have their own category on my sidebar for cryin' out loud! And I've saved these extra special chins for just such an occasion, taken backstage from the last mystery dinner theater for additional ridiculousness.

SO GOOD!

And here's the part where I get to celebrate YOU: the most lovely friends & readers & reader-friends the blogosphere has ever known. (I'm a bit biased perhaps) I honor of 50 flashbacks I'm giving away a $20 giftcard for Amazon... who doesn't love to get their book-nerd on? I know I do.

I'll give you 3 ways to enter:
1 entry for linking up with a flashback of your own
1 entry for being a follower of Heya, Sparky! (leave me a comment to say so)
3 WHOPPING ENTRIES for anyone who includes a chin face in their blog! I would die of happiness, so I weighted the entries to make it worth your while. Leave a comment to make sure I don't miss it.

I'll draw a winner by Monday morning. Good luck!

Here we go again....

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love. You'll be happy you did.

In Case of Fire

2011-07-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

(source)

Sometimes as bloggers we all have moments where we read something adorable and say "aw I really like that... I'm totally gonna steal it!" And that's exactly what happened reading Amanda's blog today. But it's ok, I told her I'm hijacking her post like the brazen blogger than I am.

Her post was all about "If I had to suddenly leave because of a fire (because that was actually a possibility for her at the time... yikes!) what would I save?" Not being at risk of burning takes away a bit of the drama, but it's still good food for thought. Stuff can be replaced, but what would I be devastated to lose?

#1) This little lady would be the first thing I stuff under an arm, no question.

#2) My photo albums. I might be in the last generation who would list this, but until my senior year of college there was no facebook to house all these memories, so I have 21 years of my life & friendships stored the old fashioned way. I would be so heartbroken if I lost them all.

#3) Probably my computer. It's another portal where memories are housed, not to mention my portfolio & any evidence I've been a professional for a half-decade.

(source: We Heart It)

#4) Ok I know this is totally replaceable, but while I'm already throwing readily available thing in a backpack I'd probably toss in my box set of Sex & The City as well. Don't judge me...

Summer Drinks

2011-07-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I'm convinced the best people in the world live in Pittsburgh and are all my friends. It may seem unlikely to you, but I'm fairly certain of the validity of this theory. And while many of my peers would spend a Friday night at a pretentious club or trying to get laid, I spent mine drinking from mason jars & screaming about social justice in Israel. (haha what? It's ok, we can always hug it out after yelling about ridiculous things) But in one way we don't differ is that just like any other 27 year old we all probably have a drink in hand while whatever Friday night activities we're engaged in. (gasp! a good Christian girl like you? ...uh, yeah. I'm a Christian, not Amish.)

My current favorite summer drinks...

To Make -

Step 1) Crush fresh basil & put in a strainer. As much as you want, fill 'er up!

Step 2) Add 2 parts gin, 1 part lime juice, & 1 part simple syrup

Step 3) Pour over ice, enjoy with friends, & talk politics

To make -

...hell if I know...

Bloody Marys are a bit tougher, I recommend just going out.

Strangely the last step is the same... enjoy with friends.

So what summer drinks are you loving? I always love finding new ones to try!

Un parti français? Oui, s'il vous plaît.

2011-07-11T07:00:00.005-04:00

"I swear if she makes me wear a beret, I'm leaving" ~Lee

"Um, I don't really think I need to share a candle-lit dinner with my coworkers" ~Jill

These were the murmurings that could be heard around my office on Friday as I completely took over our monthly "Festive Food Friday". And they were shortly followed by phrases more along the lines of "Wow, you should do this for a living." and "Do you plan weddings?"

It's a classic pattern...

Lauren sees something neglected that could be done better
She takes total control
She goes way overboard to the point of people thinking she's ridiculous
Everyone has a lovely time.

And that's exactly what happened as we were transported to a quaint little bistro in France, if only for the afternoon.

And if you ever feel like having your own ~~Festive~~ (French) Food Friday, here's a little playlist I made to set the mood. Seriously feel free to steal any of my ideas & bon appetit!

Week 49

2011-07-08T08:00:00.004-04:00

Here we are again, another week of Flashbacks & I just realized I'm almost to 50! Holy cow. We should do something special next week, what do you think? Maybe a giveaway or something. Let me give it some thought & you just make sure to come back next week to see how we'll celebrate the big five-oh.

Ok, on to the flashback!

There's a certain self-awareness that comes with age, when you start to pick up patterns & understand there are just certain truths about yourself that will never change regardless of your choices.

Fact: If I don't see the ocean for more than a year I get an antsy feeling down deep in my bones that won't go away.

Seriously, it happens like clockwork. I've been feeling the call lately & looking for an excuse to escape, then I realize it's been since last April that I've had my toes in the sand & could smell salt in the air. I'm going totally stir crazy over here!! But I started a new job in May so it's no vacation for this lady for a few more months. In this respect I am totally my mother's daughter, & she must have been feeling the call as well because she just asked if I'd like to go to the beach this October. THANK THE LORD.

In the meantime I'll have to hunt down a lake with a fake beach, close my eyes, & do my best to pretend. And reminisce of course. 3 more months will fly by in no time.

2008 in Jupiter, FL with the roommate

I'm not really that skinny, but in a bout of low self-esteem I totally photoshopped it. lol Can you tell? I can't even find the original anymore so let's all pretend my waist is really that small. Ok? Ok.

2009 back in Jupiter with the BFF.

Completely UNphotoshopped but kind of wishing it was. haha

We "climbed a palm tree" for the coconuts. Translation: We picked them off the ground & then took fake photos on a tree our size.

2010 St. Augustine, FL

I spent the day alone at the beach... & it was one of the best days I can remember. There was literally no one else in eye sight. Just me & the waves... perfection.

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” --Jacques Cousteau

Now it's your turn....

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love. You'l be happy you did.

A Date with My City

2011-07-07T22:57:00.000-04:00

If I had to make a list of the things city people like, it would probably include

Small Dogs & Fat Cats
The idea of the arts, but actual attendance is for tourists
Judging your neighbors by what they put on the curb on trash night
Farm fresh produce without ever actually stepping foot on a farm

Last weekend I had a little me-time & decided to take a bike ride down to the Strip District. To any out-of-towner that must sound so dirty, but the strip is our wholesale / market area & on Saturdays it really comes alive with the hustle & bustle of people shopping for flowers, cheeses, produce, coffee, pastries... & Steelers gear.

On Notice

2011-07-05T20:20:00.001-04:00

It must be a good sign when your "On Notice" & "Dead to Me" boards grow out of date, clearly there's just not that much to complain about these days.

...or is there?

No, I actually wanted to PARDON the previous offenders who had served their time on my list. But along the way I couldn't help filling the void with some newbies. So silver Kia, refrigerator, & laundry aggression you're free to go. Mostly because I live somewhere new & you've yet to follow me. But enjoy your freedom nonetheless.

And as for the rest of you... YOU'RE ON NOTICE!

Pittsburgh Stop Signs - Are you kidding me? Are YOU kidding ME?! Why has Pittsburgh convinced itself that stop signs work differently here than anywhere else in America? Please, everyone, just approach the stop sign & the proceed in the order in which you reached it. This is not rocket science. And while I appreciate the "courtesy" of waiting at your stop sign for me to approach, only to wave me on ahead of you, we both could have been on our way to the next octagonal-negotiation in the time it took to figure out what the heck you're doing.

Bee Bites - Bites, not stings. Just when I thought I had gotten over my fear of bees & I thought we had come to an understanding... you help yourself to my lavender bushes & I won't bother you either... you had to go and throw away a beautiful relationship. You just had to tangle yourself in my hair for no reason, turning me into a whirling dervish with a soundtrack of a banshee, & leaving me on the ground with a bite on my ear. At least if it were a sting people would believe that it actually DID hurt. But no... now Dylan will always have the story of "How Lauren got taken to the floor by a bee that doesn't even sting."

Note: I considered putting all bees on notice, but I understand the honeybee situation so I'll have a little sympathy. This time.

Jillian Michaels - This is actually more of a preemptive on-notice, Jillian hasn't done anything personal to me... yet. But I've owned 30-Day Shred for almost 6 months now & am almost to the point where I'm ready to try it. But Jillian, you better watch yourself. I don't need any of your tranny-sass-monster yelling at me. Just play nice & we'll all get along. P.s. I don't really think you're a tranny... please don't hurt me.

4th of July + The Wolcott Family

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

All over America I'm sure other bloggers are cleaning camera lenses & hanging patriotic bunting in hopes of capturing a little slice of what family & country means to them. And I'll love perusing all of them, but I'd like to show you what it looks like to me... in a slightly different sense.

This is (obviously) the Declaration of Independence

And here it is again, only zoomed into the bottom left. Notice anything strange?

Yep, that totally says Oliver Wolcott. "Hey Lauren, isn't Wolcott your last name too? What a crazy coincidence!" That's no coincidence, my friends. My great-great-(I don't know how many greats)-uncle was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. We've also got some long-ago Governors in there, I guess the Wolcotts used to be kind of a big deal especially in the New England region. It makes a pretty good party story & typically the only person who can top it is Emma whose uncle is Michael Keaton. (I know you all just got twice as excited for Michael Keaton than ol' Oliver... no use denying it, I understand)

So lately I've been thinking of joining Daughters of the American Revolution. I'm 98% sure I qualify & I like the work they do with veterans, & hopefully someday that could benefit my hypothetical future daughter though scholarships.

(P.s I totally received a small scholarship from the Wolcott foundation so I'm pretty certain my kids would be a shoo-in for that too. I've practically got their college covered before I even found their dad. haha)

And if the lineage wasn't enough, I'm sure my obcession with First Lady & my ability to make kick-ass patriotic cakes would get me in. So I'll be diving knee-deep in genealogical research pretty soon for my application & might uncover some more family stories to share

So happy Independence Day, everyone! Have fun at your cook outs & fireworks, Uncle Oliver would be proud.

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."

Week 48

2011-07-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

With all the yapping I've been doing about my gardening inadequacies (not just on here, but we talk gardens at lunch every day in my office... it's fascinating) I was SHOCKED when I came across this photo! Who is that little girl learning how to care for greenery at such a young age? I couldn't be me... could it? I don't know where those early lessons went, but maybe someday when I'm an expert gardener I'll display this proudly as if I knew what I was doing all along.

Ok friends, you know what to do....

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love. I had so much fun last week meeting new bloggers & reading the stories, can't wait to do it again!

An Urban Oasis

2011-06-28T22:46:00.000-04:00

I have a dream to someday own a townhouse in the city, 3 stories high, brightly painted, coordinating shutters, pocket doors, & a rooftop deck where I can drink in the middle of the day & have a vegetable garden.

I'm currently pretty far from that dream, but I'm in training.

See when I first moved into my apartment, the previous tenants & friends of mine had to make one promise to me... that they wouldn't begrudge me when their whole garden died. I have the furthest thing from a green thumb & the garden I inherited was planted by Mother Nature herself. Seriously when I moved in all the neighbors stopped over to say hi & to make sure I was going to keep the garden, it's like a community landmark. So it's time that this girl learns a thing or 2 about working with the earth.

Here's what I've learned so far from my training...

Things that have spikes, grow from under the sidewalk, & strangle other plants are definitely weeds.
Bushes need no assistance. I like bushes. We're friends.
A few accessories in bright colors go a long way.
Even a so-so garden from a very inexperienced gardener turns brick into a little oasis.

And for the first time EVER... I have a fresh bouquet from my garden!

So I'm figuring it out. And someday when I have that dream house I won't have to start from scratch because I'll have all these years of gardening experience. Next year: Mission Veggies.

Hey green-thumbed friends, any words of wisdom?

Kindness of Strangers

2011-06-26T22:29:00.001-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

If anyone asked what I did today, I'd probably tell them how I worked in my garden & painted patio chairs a sweet avocado color. The details I'd be less likely to offer up was how I spent a ridiculous amount of time on facebook looking through wedding photos of people I know. It's just one of those days where I've let myself wallow a bit, & with each new wedding that's not my own I turn a little more into those romantic-comedy-supporting-role-characters I never wanted to be... you know the girl, the one who rates the happiness of her life by comparison to the milestones of others. In my mind I can't stand that girl, but on days like today I am that girl.

I know this falls a little outside the parameters of what this blog is supposed to be... "the things that spark my fire"... but you guys have always been so kind when I need a day to express how the fire is starting to flicker. But just wait for it, the story comes around.

So I'm going about my day in this funk & I start cataloging all the ridiculous, fictional reasons why I don't have any wedding photos of my own to overflow people's newsfeeds in facebook. This is what I like to call a bad idea. It will only take you further & further into a funk until you're a puddle.

It would take a force bigger than me to break up this downward spiral....
& that's exactly what happened.
Twice.

Two strangers, at separate times, on their own accord, hours apart... stopped me today just to tell me I was beautiful. TWO. One a young guy at the coffee shop who as I was walking out the door announced "You have such a beautiful smile. I just had to tell you that". The other an older middle eastern gentleman as I left the grocery store still dirty from gardening stopped to say "You are a very beautiful woman. God bless you, Miss."

Are you kidding me?! Is there a sign strapped to me that says "feeling insecure & self-destructive"? I don't know what their motivations were or why today instead of any other day, but they were perfectly timed little jewels of my day. It was the last thing I believed about myself & exactly what I needed to hear. And I'm about to go to bed feeling a lot better about everything just because 2 stranger took the time to say something nice.

Week 47

2011-06-23T23:37:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone, and welcome to the first Flashback Friday hosted here at Heya Sparky! I'm so excited to be hosting the link up... probably more than I should actually admit, there was a lot of jumping around & embarrassing myself at work... but I've loved Flashback Friday since Day 1 & take it as an incredible honor that Tia even asked me. So thank you to everyone in advance whose here to link up & tell some stories... you're all fantastic beyond words!

Ok, on to the Flashback...

Last weekend I visited the parents & came face to face with a set of photos I almost forgot existed.... here's a hint: There's twelve of them in the same frame, shaped in an oval, & are memorials to every embarrassing hairstyle I've ever had. That's right, the school photo-day collection. It's my own personal loop of shame & hilarity. The perms, the crazy fake background, the progression of how a strangely shaped little girl actually turned into a real person after all. And it only took 12 years. I'll spare you the full collection & give you my favorite 3 from across the ages:

Kindergarten. The last time glasses of that size can be cute. After that you just look like your Grandma or a hipster... which kind of look similar anyway.

Fourth Grade. That's right, you're witnessing a permed bowl-cut... the things legends are made of. And speaking of Grandmas, I expect to look like this again in my life, maybe in another 50 years.

Sixth grade. I finally traded the glasses for contacts, and the perm for a more Marsha Brady look. My self-awareness must have really kicked in after this because the rest of my photos look like a normal 90's kid in flannel, headbands & white eyeliner, but let's celebrate it for the glorious cluelessness it was.

So here's the 1-2-3 of joining in....

Share a flashback of your own. Dig through old photos & tell us a little story of days gone by. Click the little blue "Add Your Link" button below to link up.
Grab a button & add it to your post to let others know where the party's at.
Click click click... Stop by others' blogs who are linked up & leave them a little comment love. Half the fun is laughing WITH each other! Ok you can laugh AT me too.

Top 5 Sparks

2011-06-23T07:30:00.005-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

I've been officially blogging for a year & a half now, can you believe it? After a while you loose track of what used to be mile-markers or looking for any kind of round number to celebrate. It seems silly in the same kind of way you roll your eyes at couples who celebrate 4 month anniversaries. But on this nominally momentous occasion, how would you like to take a little trip down memory lane with me?

Ladies & ~~Gentlemen~~ (who am I kidding? Ladies & more ladies....) I present to you: the top 5 posts in Sparky history for your perusing pleasure...

#5 - C25K

The story of how Tink & I went from couch potatoes to 5k finishers. I can't remember another time in my life when I felt so proud of any accomplishment. It makes me remember what it felt like to love running.

#4 - Flashback Friday, Week 4

A love story for the ages: 3 best friends & a Valentine's tradition to remember.

#3 - Vlogging & Karaoke

You'll notice a trend with the top 3, they all involve being Germanic or embarrassing myself (apparently they're real crowd pleasers!) This one happens to be a combo. Who knew I had such skill to be absurd AND German at the same time?

#2 - Fastnachts Day

I don't blame you guys one bit for making this a favorite. Fatty balls of deep-fried delish... who can resist? Go ahead & get your Pennsylvania Dutch on while you give this one another look. Although I swear I just gained 3 lbs. from reading.

#1 - Please Vote

This post rose to infamy when my pup was in the running for a cutest baby contest. I'm sure it's still burned in most of your memories for better or worse. Voting became a fierce rivalry & this post was the launching pad to the polls. But all's well that ends well... aka my dog totally kicked those toddlers' asses.

Did I miss any other favorites over the past 18 months? Don't leave me out here on Memory Lane all by myself, I'd love to hear the posts you love the best. I think the period mix will be going down in history as a personal favorite. haha

Thanks for all the comments typed & friendships made over this year & a half... I don't have the most readers in the world but I'm fairly certain I have the best. Much love to you ALL.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T07:30:00.001-04:00

A birthday party to remember...

...because really what else is there to say?

Embroidered Gifts

2011-06-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

Well like I told you yesterday, my weekend trip to my parents' house was filled with certain events other than trips to farmers markets & Amish recipes like usual. But it did afford me the opportunity to stock up on ammo for more Flashback Fridays (sorry for not putting those photos back in their frame, Mom...) AND I got the chance to snap a photo of the present I made for Christmas but totally forgot to document before wrapping. Rookie mistake.

This was in the midst of my hoop art madness & I wanted to give my Momma a little piece of what I'd been working on. It's the closest thing to "artistic" I've ever done & was feeling really proud of my embroidery skills. So mom got 2 little gifts that represent me & my brother & it was nice to see them proudly displayed on the family photo wall. (the text might be a little hard to read from the photo but they both say "wish you were here" & have a heart worked into the design)

Pittsburgh

San Antonio (brother's home)

It gives me the itch to really get my craft corner set up & start creating again. (Notice I've moved up from a bin to a corner in my bigger apartment. haha) Once the craft-bug hits it's only a matter of time until I whip up other projects to share with you. Brace yourselves...

Remembering a Friend

2011-06-20T07:30:00.001-04:00

This weekend I took a last-minute trip across the state to my parents' house. Normally I'd come home with a camera full of photos from farmers markets & other small town delights I don't get to see often as a city girl... but the truth is I spent most of this visit at a funeral so there's not much along the way of fun stories to tell from my little road trip.

Ok so I know about half of you are about to redirect your mouse to your inbox & send me a barrage of questions and/or condolences *ahem, you know who you are if you thought about it... & I love you for it, make no mistake* I am just fine, don't worry. It was for a friend who was 95... at that point you celebrate an amazing life rather than mourn.

Barbara was & her husband Keith who passed about 5 years earlier were like an extra set of Grandparents to me. They were both the sweetest people, funny & full of life, WWII vets with lots of stories, & an example of what a great marriage looks like right up to the end. And Barbara never once missed a birthday, that card showed up with a $5 bill like clockwork up to & including my 27th this past March. I really wish I had a copy of their military photos from the 40's... she was a nurse, he was a pilot... you'd fall in love instantly if I showed you how beautiful they both were.

I'll be missing Barbara for sure, but I'm just happy she & Keith are together again. And I'm happy to have had them both in my life.

Repost: Week 6 (out of 45)

2011-06-17T13:24:00.001-04:00

Doesn't it figure... the day I get such a MAJOR shout-out from one of the coolest bloggers I know & creator of Flashback Fridays, I didn't take the time to write a flashback. If you go check out Tia's comments you'll understand why I had to immediately post something & then start jumping up & down.

So did you go read? Huh? Did you? Are you as excited as I am?

And my answer: OF COURSE!
I'm certain there will be more news & arrangements to come, but for now all I can say is YEEEE! (Oh and hi to anyone who may be stopping by for the first time! I hope you'll like it here... take a look around, kick up your feet, help yourself to the fridge...)

And enjoy a flashback of a flashback. (too Inception?) Perfectly timed for Father's Day...

Black & White was the theme for Flashback Friday this week. Not that we have to follow a theme, but it's kind of fun to play along. I totally recommend joining the fun if you have a blog of your own. Info at the bottom of this post

Like I said a while ago, I made a photo book for my Mom 2 Christmases ago & so I have all these old scanned picture of her & I. It comes in really handy for these Flashbacks. Anyway, this is my Mom & her Dad (my Poppop) &... me & my Dad. Awww. I really didn't know Poppop but I DO know a thing or 2 about being a Daddy's Girl.

Know what else I know a thing or 2 about? Beards. Let's just take a second to marvel at my Dad's beard... holy crap! That's like a Franco Harris beard. It even grows at the corners of the mouth, that's where all my students complain won't grow. haha Kudos, Dad. Sorry Poppop, maybe beards just weren't your thing. It doesn't make you any less of a man.

***************************************************

Have your own Flashback Friday! Post your link on the “Christopher & Tia” Blog to participate with other friends & bloggers. Community = Fun.

Me: A-Z

2011-06-16T07:30:00.002-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

A. Age: Closer to 30 than 20, but that's alright. 27. It's a good age.
B. Bed Size: Full. It's big enough for 2, but not so big that I feel lonely. Perfect for the single girl who loves sleep-overs.
C. Chore that you hate: Dishes. They will be the end of me. It's the only downfall of living alone is that it's never someone else's turn.
D. Dogs: haha As if you didn't know....
E. Essential start to your day: My morning mix-CD. Seriously it's been a key part of my morning ever since Emma made it for me. I tried switching it out once for variety & hated it.(get the playlist here)
F. Favorite Color: It's never just ONE color, I fall in love with COMBOS. Yellow & grey always gives me fuzzy feelings, peacock colors are F-Unit's symbol of friendship, & lately I've been really digging metallics.
G. Gold or Silver: Oh good follow-up question! Used to be just silver... but now I think gold for the summer & fall, silver for the winter & spring.
H. Height: 5'6"
I. Instruments you play: Air guitar, air drums, & human-bagpipes (thanks to Caitlin). In other words, NONE.
J. Job Title: Account Manager at an advertising agency
K. Kids: I used to really want kids... like a LOT. But these days I'm starting to think maybe not so much. Maybe that's just a self-defense mechanism for my aging uterus, but really at this point it's exhausting to even think about babies.
L. Live: Pittsburgh! Woot woot!
M. Mother's Name: Betty Ann Diehl Wolcott
N. Nicknames: L-Dubbs, Momma La, Dovey
O. Overnight hospital stays: When I was kid, but I don't remember much about it.
P. Pet peeve: People who don't understand how to use stop signs!!! Seriously the other day I watched a guy stop at the sign, wait there for 20 seconds until another car got the sign too, & then proceeded. People is Pittsburgh also tend to get there first, & then wave you through the sign. EFFING GOoooooooooo! They act like they're unsure what someone else will do when they get to the stop sign... news flash: THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO STOP.
Q. Quote from a movie: This isn't the Glichtman Barmitzvah is it? Mosha are you in here, no?
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: Just 1 brother... Sean-ay-nay. He's older & lives in TX.
T. Time you wake up: 7am. But I set my alarm for 6 every day thinking THIS will be the day I do yoga before work. It's yet to happen.
U. Underwear: Yes. What about it?
V. Vegetable you hate: Carrots. Blech!
W. What makes you run late: The lack of clocks in my house. And oversleeping.
X. X-Rays you've had: Knees. They kind of suck... my knees, not the x-rays.
Y. Yummy food that you make: I'm getting really good at cakes. YUM. Next step would be decorating them better.
Z. Zoo Animal: Monkeys & penguins. They're so ridiculous.

Period Mix

2011-06-14T07:30:00.002-04:00

I've been a sucker for chick-flicks all my life even though I fully understand how horrible most of them are. But there's always hope that maybe this one will be different, that it'll be that one break away that happens every few years & exceeds my expectations, so I go to see them again & again.

A few weeks ago I perpetuated the pattern & was pleasantly surprised that one was much better than I was expected it to be. "No Strings Attached"... you know that Ashton Kutcher/Natalie Portman one that looked god-awful? I actually thought it was really funny! And there was one scene in particular that had me laughing out loud by myself:

The thought of a period mix has given my the giggles at inappropriate times for the past 2 weeks, so it's about time I caved & made my own. So with the help of Emma & Kristen I present to you....

Music to Sooth Your Womb

(if you've got any more suggestions PLEASE let me know!)

The View From Where I Sit

2011-06-13T07:30:00.011-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

A few months ago I did a little play-along post about my office & the things in it. Nothing profound, just a goofy light-hearted post. Well I realized it's out of date because I'm in a NEW job with a NEW office & a totally NEW VIEW! Want a little tour?

This is Fritzwilliam, my work-husband.He's classy.

I like to surround myself with smiling faces & family portraits.

(left to right: Seder '10, Sam's wedding/F-unit, Mexico '09)

(left to right: Murder Mystery '10, Patches & Natalie)

And an old classic. It just wouldn't be my desk without these...

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to ask how the new job is going & show you care. I appreciate the support through what's been a really great transition. The job is going good & I'm actually VERY well suited for the position I'm in, which is really refreshing. I'm still not 100% acclimated to being a 9-5er, it feels like my whole day is over by the time I get home, but I'm pretty sure I'll learn to adjust any day now.

Week 45

2011-06-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

Today I got to thinking about how things change yet are still the same. Probably because I'm missing my BFF & wish that adult schedules weren't so difficult. But it's funny how even when you take a moment to look around & wonder how life got to be the way it is... for good or bad, and these days mostly GOOD... people are still the same. It's nice to know. As seen in evidence from my college years...

Things that change:

I used to have a tongue ring...

...and extremely long hair.... (...and used to dance in cages...)

Things that will never change:

I love dress up parties, being a lady, & black-&-white....

...& will always love Fleegal enough to tackle her to the ground.

Summer Send-Off

2011-06-09T12:34:00.000-04:00

Why are the best parties always correlated with people leaving? I'd much rather return to the era of just-because block parties, because there is always this moment of "This is a great party, we should do it again sometime.... oh wait, you won't be here".

But I'll try not to let that tarnish the otherwise best party of 2011 thus far. Lots of friends, the most sophisticated taco bar I've seen, live music, s'mores, games, & an overwhelming abundance of Klondike bars. It takes the sting out of the Muellers being all the way in Iowa, & gave me a chance to spend quality time with the Dugans & Keoghs who will also be leaving (but only for a summer).

So farewell my friends. And for those of you staying in Burgh, I've got a 6.5-person gap in my life that needs to be filled with camping, swimming, iced lattes, fireflies, &movies in the park. Who's in?

We're Kind of a Big Deal

2011-06-07T12:00:00.004-04:00

Friends... I don't mean to make you feel inferior about your own lives, but around these parts there's been some big news.

I'm talking red carpets & book signings big. A-list big.

Ok if not A-list then at least local celebrity& brag about it on my blog big. BIG.

First of all... I know you've all been waiting with bated breath since I first showed you THIS photo more than a year ago:

That's right... NATALIE MADE IT IN THE HIPSTER PUPPIES BOOK!!!!!!! I could not be anymore excited or proud of my furry little ball of angst! The book will be released on July 5th & rumor has it (aka email from the author has it) my copy is on it's way to my doorstep right now. Yeeee!!! You can get pre-order info from the Tumbr or just start camping out at your local Barnes & Noble at your leisure.

And while they're not NEARLY as adorable as my angel-face pup, the gingered & freckled Eddings boys do hold a certain charm of their own & have some pretty big news too. You might recognize Jeff & Ben from my Mexico photos, that's one of my pastors & his boys, & they're making a documentary about their quest to be the best mibsters in all the land. Ben & his friend Brandon just qualified for Nationals this week (I told you... big deal). So check them out, I'll keep you updated as the film progresses.

So what's been going on in your world? Go ahead, brag a little...

Mexico - Part 2

2011-06-06T20:04:00.001-04:00

So now that you know the basics of what we did on my little trip across the border, I'd like to elaborate on all I've learned. Liz started this little tradition of writing down the day's life-lessons (things like: The "Friday" song will annoy even people who don't know English), so I thought that'd be a cute way to share more of my trip.

10 things I learned in Mexico...

#1) Water-balloons cross barriers better than an English-Spanish dictionary

#2) I'm stronger that I think I am

#3) Yoga can save you from a world of pain

#4) If you work hard enough, a ham sandwich can be the best meal of your life

#5) City folk are easily amused

#6) The "lazy Mexican" sterotype is straight up bulls#!t.

...as my friends rip down a building with their bare hands...

#7) Man's-work is a myth

#8) How to count to 3 in Tzeltal

Un, Chep, O'Chep

#9) Mexico is built for people this tall... ...not that tall

#10) The man of my dreams is less than 5' tall

Mexico - Part 1

2011-06-01T22:45:00.000-04:00

Hola, amigos! I've returned from my Mexican excursion in one piece & in good health. I had such a lovely time, I don't even know how to go about putting it into words. Maybe fewer words are actually better, so if you'll allow me I'm about to bog down your computers for the next 3 days & show off where I've been...

-----

This is Matzam... it's a place that Google Maps has never heard of but I know it like the back of my hand. My friends live there & sometimes they let us share our lives together there. It's simple & remote & hidden away... & it's a second home to me.

Years ago we started helping them to build a church... they've outgrown theirs. In the SouthSide most of the church building have been turned into something else because the church had died, here they walk for miles through the mountains & overflow their building.

We literally dug the foundation & built the alter, but this time around out job was demolition.

Now you see it...

Now you don't...

We also taught Bible School to the kids of the church. Warning: viewing of the following photos will make your uterus skip a beat. (Unless you're a man & clearly uterus-free... in which case you might grow one)

So can you see why I love it so much? I'll tell you more stories tomorrow & just leave you with sweet dreams of these darling little faces. Beunas Noches!

To Blog or Not To Blog

2011-05-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

Today I've got 2 thoughts weighing on my brain.

The first of which is, HOLY CRAP I LEAVE FOR MEXICO TOMORROW! It hadn't really hit me til now, I'd say things like "Oh you guys want to do (insert activity) next week?" & someone would have to remind me I wouldn't be here. But I think the cumulative excitement that I should have been feeling for months has hit me all at once because I'm literally twitchy with anticipation. This time tomorrow I'll be in Mexico City waiting to catch the last of my 3 flights...and then I'll get to see my old friends, the other half of my church family, the part of me that never feels complete until I'm eating black beans 3x a day.

The other thing that I can't shake from my brain is the fact that I've been a sub-par blogger for an entire month now. An it irks me. I've actually been thinking about giving it up if I can't carve out the time needed to engage the way I want. When I'm only writing one a week, not interacting with the other bloggers I love, and when my reader hits the triple digits of blogs unread... it just feels defeating. But when I mentioned the possibility of stopping I got more of a protest than expected from friends.

So here's the deal... I'm going to take my time in Mexico to mull it over. And in the meantime it would really help me out if you guys could take the time fill out a little survey. And please be HONEST, you will not hurt my feelings with negative responses. I'm just looking for clarity... should I give up, man-up, or just tweak my routine? And hopefully your answers will help me decide that.

Thank you SO MUCH in advance for taking the time for this. And I'll talk to you again in one week when I return from the other side of the border!!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Why I Waddle

2011-05-16T20:08:00.000-04:00

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."

- George S. Patton

If you see me anytime soon, you might notice a slight waddle. That's because I am SORE! This is what happens when you run a race on sheer willpower & no training. But in a weird, twisted kind of way I'm feeling pretty proud that I just forced myself to run 5 miles without being prepared! I was giving myself a 35% chance of dying on the course & had memorized the medic stops on my leg of it, but I surprised myself with the lack of drama once I started running. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy, but I didn't even get close to dying. (Ok at one point I apparently lost control of my volume & quite audibly let out a "F*** this hill" & 5 other runners turned around to stare at me.... but that's as bad as it got, I promise.)

After I finished but before the sore muscles fully kicked in, Tink & I entertained the idea of a half marathon next year. Hmmmmm? If I can run 5 miles with no training, could I run run 13 if I had the discipline? I haven't fully decided or committed to anything, but the possibility is out there.

But while I mull over the what-if's of my abilities, allow me brag about concrete evidence of my achievement. MY SNEAKERS ARE TOTALLY WORN OUT. That probably don't sound like a positive, but it means I've put in more miles than they can handle, & it's an awesome feeling. They were my first major running investment & I used to check out the bottoms after every run to see my progress, silly as that sounds. So R.I.P. my bright pink NewBalances. You've served me well.

Movie Sneakpeek

2011-05-10T22:24:00.000-04:00

Tonight, Tink & I put on our best VIP faces & went to a little sneak preview of "Bridesmaids".

And HOLY CRAP did we love it! Ok it wasn't all that v.i.p. but it was at the theater only 3 blocks from my house, & free, & freaking hilarious. My friend (& now co-worker woot woot) Jill had the hookup & I'm so glad she gave me the pass. I'm not a film critic, but I did take one film class about 9 years ago so I think you can trust me... Ladies, you must round up your girlfriends & go see this. Tink described it as "The Hangover" for girls, & we're pretty sure the guys will react the same way we did for The Hangover with more cringes than laughs but who cares? It's not for them, it's for US and I laughed my butt off.

So grab the ladies, have a night out, & tell me how hard you laughed when you hear the words "It's happening... It's happening right now". And then we can all gush over how adorable the Irish cop is while listening to Wilson Phillips... because that's what we do.

Sunday Funday

2011-05-08T21:56:00.000-04:00

So much for thinking I'd be a blogging superstar on my first week of work! I'd bet you all knew better than I did how I'd be missing in action. Turns out starting a new job will suck the energy right out of you. But all is well & I'm loving it! And I miss you all so thanks for all the gentle prodding to come back to say hi, I love ALL messages even if they're about a lack of posts. haha

I had such a wonderful, refreshing little weekend. And I know soon my google-reader will be filled to the brim with all kinds of Mothers Day goodies, but before that wave I wanted to show you what single girls do on Sundays such as these... (after calling their mommas of course)

Breakfast with Friends

We got up early to get some delicious eats at Pamela's before church. If you're not from the Burgh but ever decide to pass through, you MUST get breakfast at Pamela's. Just ask the Obamas, they love it.

A Bit of Mischief

We had a little extra time before church, were hopped up on our morning caffeine, & were mere blocks from our pastor who we knew would already be in church. So....

Juvenile, we know. But they actually thought it was great & understood that sometimes we just show our love in strange ways. haha Also, we might be the only people to ever TP a house before 10am.

Me-Time

I've fallen in love with moon-manicures lately. I hear that having large moons on your fingernails is supposed to be a sign of intelligence so it felt appropriate for my first week of work. And now I just really like the way it looks, sometimes it's tough to find a good manicure for short nails. Last week was red, & today I took a little downtime to redo them into black.

Web Time

I ended the day helping Derek set up a blog/website for his music. It's not 100% perfect, but I think we're both pretty pumped about the state of things. It's simple, but pop over if you want to have a gander at what we've been working on.

Bad Blogger

2011-05-01T18:25:00.000-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

Friends,
I've been a bad blogger...

I took the past week off & envisioned going on adventures, taking lots of pictures, and typing up beautiful blog posts. But unfortunately time speeds up x3 when you're on a stay-cation & I suddenly realized it's over! I did have a few adventures, but not many pictures were taken. And I've spent hours in my favorite coffee shop, but no posts were written. So I'm sorry that I've neglected all you darlings for so long, but I've had a lovely week & can't force the smile from my face.

Tomorrow starts my new career & I'm hoping to settle into a new schedule with intentional time carved out for YOU. But until then just know that I'm doing well & accept my apologies if I haven't been able to make my rounds to visit your blog & leave some love notes. Tomorrow we return to your regularly scheduled Sparky.

Week 44

2011-04-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

I started the week with a video, maybe it's only right that I end it with one. Plus this being me LAST DAY at the old job, I spent a lot of time transferring files that had accumulated & I came across this little treasure from a few years ago. Apparently this is what happens when your game night goes too late into the wee hours, you start doing strange things. Like trying to pick up a cereal box with your mouth.

Some call it "Pterodactyl" but in this specific instance the game was appropriately named "Go. Lean. Crunch."

Re-Post: Passover Seder

2011-04-21T10:32:00.000-04:00

This is a re-post from this time last year. Friends got together for a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants passover meal where none of us knew what we were doing & had one of the best nights of all time. It seriously might make the top 10 nights of my life. Tonight we'll do it again, only slightly more organized. We've actually got 5 homes packed full of people... & I cannot wait.

______________________________________

What a perfect night in every sense. The weather, the people, the ceremony, the wine, the food... everything was perfection for our Seder on Thursday night.

We ended up with about 24 people, I originally was expecting only 9 so it came as quite a shock while trying to plan this crazy thing. But it all worked out beautifully! Beyond beautifully. We took turns reading from the leader's book, since there really weren't kids (just teens & "adults") we all participated in the family activities, & we just enjoyed.

Here's the rundown of the actual ceremony: get rid of the leavened bread hid all over the house, light the candles, 1st glass of wine (out of 4), wash hands. Then we went outside to the dinner table. Story of the exodus from Egypt & the plagues, the foods all told a part of the story: bitter herbs, matzoh, salt water, sweet apples, egg, etc. Another glass of wine, eat up the ritual foods, then time for real dinner. It was a fabulous potluck spread, I can't believe I worried we wouldn't have enough! Another glass of wine, but this time it served as communion along with the hidden piece of matzoh. And another glass of wine....

Party!

Some of us stayed as late as 1:30am, which was unexpected for just dinner, but we had SO much fun it was hard to leave! And there was still more wine that needed to be finished, of course.

You like that "Last Supper" reenactment? haha That was probably my favorite part of the whole night. That & talking bear. (don't ask)

But other than just having an amazing time, it was a meaningful night for me too. I feel like it helped me to understand a few things better

If I knew tomorrow I'd die, this is EXACTLY how I'd want to spend my last night. Lots of friends, food & wine.
Jesus' water-into-wine miracle... I totally get it now. I was so afraid we would run out of wine... almost panicked. "We'll run out & we need 4 glasses for the ceremony & everything will be ruined!" It would have been the worst thing that could have happened, so I respect Jesus looking out for even petty situations like that when they mean a lot to us.
No wonder the disciples fell asleep in Gethsemane... have I mentioned how much wine you drink? Seriously.
The people who arrested Jesus were Jews too, I believe, which means they'd be having the same meal time with their families. The whole ending of the Seder is hope for the coming Messiah... so basically they're going through the motions & hoping for a savior while at the same time plotting to kill him. Of course they didn't believe he was the same guy, but that's still pretty ironic & sad.

Anyway, those were just some of my thoughts on it. The Seder was the perfect start to a long Easter weekend that ended similarly: dinner with friends. And wine.

Handmade Arcade

2011-04-19T13:09:00.000-04:00

This weekend I stopped by Handmade Arcade, which is Pittsburgh's biggest crafty / creative-independent business fair. You know, the people we all want to be? A convention center full of them. And although I had mixed feelings (mostly centering around the thought that it's outgrown itself & there's no room for the little guys anymore... & a ton of the vendors weren't even local... that sort of thing) there was still a lot of great stuff to be seen.

Let's start with friends...

CLEODEE'S

along with Tadly Waldorfington

This is so beyond cute. Bethany makes plush squids, Scott makes animations... so the married couple teamed up to make an animated series about a squid. Go check them both out immediately... I'll wait. You can be Tadly's friend on Facebook like I am, or buy the "squid of the month club". <- If that doesn't put a smile on your face nothing will.

Laurie Trok

Ok I don't actually know Laurie, but I know her roommate who I was pleasantly surprised to see behind a booth as I walked around. All the jewelry was made out of lenses from eyeglasses, they were so unique & wonderful. Her blog has better photos than what I took if you want to check it out.

And there were lots of people who I don't know... but would like to.

YardSale Press

I told myself I could only buy 1 thing or I'd get carried away, so here's what I treated myself to... scrabble coasters! Aren't they the most adorable? I got enough to spell out "CHEERS" & now they happily live on my coffee table.

Benthandle Kitchenware

This little lady was such a doll, let her decorate your entire kitchen. How much do you love those mix-&-match felt placemats? I didn't get a very good shot of the rest of her stuff because I was too enamored with the placemats, but you can see some other on her tumblr.

Diane Koss

This shop seemed like the talk of the show. Everyone I chatted with later said "Did you see those monster hoodies?!" They are seriously amazing. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who made a purchase because they're a bit pricey, but they'd made a good splurge or gift.

And of course there were tons more that I didn't list, but these were just a few of my favorites. And now I'm going to daydream of a time when all of my friends are successful crafty business women & we can take over shows like this & live happily ever after.

Vlogging & Karaoke

2011-04-18T13:34:00.000-04:00

I've got a change of pace for you today. Check out these 2 short clips I made for all you lovelies.

And as promised, here's my karaoke performance. Also known as final evidence that I have no shame. haha My timing got a little thrown off at the ending, & I seriously can't sing, but you'll see all this for yourself in just a moment.

Happy Monday!

Funnyface Friday

2011-04-15T11:26:00.002-04:00

Funnyface Friday? I don't know, I'm feeling like a goofball today. This will not likely be a regular Friday theme, I like flashing back too much. Maybe it's butterflies from the Murder Mystery I'm in tonight, maybe it's because my kids brought me cookies at 8am, but I just want to push a bit of silliness your way. As if "the worlds hardest game" yesterday wasn't enough.

FunnyFace #1-

Alternate Title: How NOT to take jumping photos

(this is my first try uploading a gif

if it doesn't move, click on it)

As it turns out it's way harder than it looks to get a jumping shot at just the right time. But my mind works in probably a similar way as many of you bloggers that as soon as I've got news to share, I get an imagine in mind that I MUST have. So if at first you don't succeed, try try try try try again.

FunnyFace #2-

Alternate Title: Channeling Delta Burke.

That gigantic head of hair is the aftermath of our dress rehearsal for the Murder Mystery. Strangely it looks about the same height as when I had it pinned up. My goal was to look was to look like I belonged on the set of Dynasty or Designing Women. I think mission accomplished.

So those are my funny faces for today. Have any you'd like to share with me?

Happy Friday!

The World's Hardest Games

2011-04-14T14:18:00.001-04:00

(source: WeHeartIt)

This has been my last week EVER as a teacher. Wooo! So what am I using my fleeting time for? Instilling life lessons to guide young minds?

NOPE.

We're playing games. When I'm gone they'll get split up into other classes anyway, so I haven't taught a real lesson all week. Strangely (or maybe not so strangely) my little hellions act like perfect angels when there's no work to be done. So even though they're enjoying this way more than vocab lessons or research papers, I'm enjoying their attitude way more too. It's a win-win.

For my 12th graders we had the most grueling 4-day game of Monoply you've ever seen. Deals were made, hearts were broken, smack-talk was had, & in the end I bankrupted EVERY ONE OF THEM. (insert evil laugh here) And it felt GOOD. You don't mess with Miss Wolcott.

(true story: At one point I landed on free-parking which was stacked with money by that point in the game. I was so excited & my students were so angry that I ended up throwing the bills in the air & yelling "Woooo! Make it rain! What now?!")

For my 9th graders they were just given free periods, but we all ended up with a severe addiction to "The World's Hardest Game". That's literally it's name & I swear it's true. I cannot get past level 1 yet. It may not look like much but proceed with caution, I don't want to be responsible when you're sleep-deprived & unemployed because you can't take your eyes off the screen. But let me know how far you get, seriously. The best I've seen so far is level 12.

www.worldshardestgame.org

Suprise Luncheon

2011-04-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

Today, just about a minute before I grabbed my purse to head out to lunch, I got a phone call asking me to report to Pupil Services. Ugh, couldn't this wait til I got back? Apparently not...

It was my surprise farewell luncheon. :) And these folks know how to do it RIGHT. 5 crockpots, a veggie pizza, cake pops, more cake + ice cream, & my ultimate guilty pleasure... Mt. Dew. Now excuse me while I take a sugar-coma under my desk.

Memory Jars: San Antonio

2011-04-12T11:06:00.000-04:00

Remember these little sweeties I've started to make for all my adventures?

I didn't run off for a little Texan excursion without telling you, I actually had to backtrack but I really wanted to make a little San Antonio. My brother lives there & we visited for his wedding 2 summers ago. I wasn't making jars then, so I had to send my mom on a scavenger hunt of San An items that could fit in a glass jar last time she went down for a visit. haha

It's a different style than the others, but I'm really happy with how it turned out & the simplicity of it. Maybe this is a good place to hang my infamous disappearing Spurs necklace too?

Next Up: MEXICO JAR!!! Ole!

A Whole Lot of NEW

2011-04-11T10:41:00.000-04:00

You know those times where you wonder if a fresh start would feel like coming up for air? Well I'm finding out that's exactly what it feels like! There's so much "new" in my life right now & for the first time in a long time I'd actually qualify to be an optimist without a snarky comment in sight. (Ok, maybe a few... I wouldn't want you guys to not recognize me anymore!)

The new apartment you knew about. The home improvements you knew were coming. But I'm so over-the-moon excited to be announcing publicly my ...

NEW JOB! Yeeeee!!!

This has been a long time coming. Being young, there were a lot of firsts for me in this process & it's been a kind of stressful, scary time for me. In the past year was the first time in my life I'd ever interviewed for a job & not gotten it. (what?!) It was the first time I was ever on a serious hunt where jobs didn't just magically open for me. It was the first time I ever had to negotiate for what I'm worth monetarily... that was weird. And it was my first time ever resigning from a real, big-girl job. I think all these things might help you realize what a BIG DEAL this new job is for me. I'm moving on up! Like a grown-ass woman does. So I start next month as an account manager for an advertising agency.

And now I won't deny you photos any longer of the more tangible "new" in my life. Just some projects I wanted to share for you to oooh & ahhh over with me.

Remember the ugly dresser from my childhood? Well now both my dressers have a matching makeover...

And those awesome retro cafe stools given to me by a friend? Still as awesome, but they're now more at home with my style...

My beautiful coffee table that belonged to the mother of a friend now has a new companion end table! Bought from Construction Junction for $15. Boom!

And last but not least... a new color scheme. Well more like an extended color scheme because the living room paint perfectly matches my old studio! And now I have this gorgeous green color in the bedroom that I'm falling madly in love with. I'm a black & white photo kind of girl, mid-century American glam, which doesn't always lend itself to a love of COLOR. Or does it? (You can peek at the paint behind my dresser photo too) Let me know what you think. Marlyn & James seem to like just fine.

A Change of Address

2011-04-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

Hello friends, I'm still here! Buried under unpacked boxes & plastic bins, but here. I've wanted to take photos of the new apartment & some of the projects I've finally been able to complete around the house (thanks to my Mom visiting who never takes break or naps) but the house is still too disheveled to show it off. Soon though, I promise.

In the meantime, I thought I'd update your address books...

Almost Moving Day

2011-03-29T17:13:00.000-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

I like to give you guys a warning when I know I'll be m.i.a. for a little while. I'm not sure how often I'll get to the computer in the next few days because I'm moving apartments. Who knows, maybe I'll need blogging/procrastination breaks? But moving day is officially Thursday & I haven't done a whole lot yet. Yikes!

Thankfully my parents are coming in town to help me out, which is sweet. And of course I'll have my friends on hand too. I'm so excited for my new place! Not that my little studio wasn't darling, but this will be an upgrade for sure. And added bonus: it's not on the top of a mountain. haha Double added bonus: the previous tenants had my perfect wall colors already! Nice.

So I'll see you next week when I'm all settled in. And if you miss me in the meantime, maybe think about donating to my mission trip....? I added a donate button to the top right corner. Just think about it. And THANK YOU to those who already have! Expect proper thanks on its way.

A Humble Request

2011-03-28T15:24:00.000-04:00

I must have started typing, deleting everything & retyping at least 5 times so far. It's possibly the most uncomfortable I've ever felt writing a blog because this is something that comes so unnaturally to me. Maybe I should just cut right to the chase... I want to ask my friends, family, & maybe even anonymous blog lurkers to consider sponsoring my upcoming mission trip to Chiapas, Mexico.

I'm so beyond excited to return for my 3rd trip to Chiapas, it feels a little like coming home again. Every time I've thought to myself "Lauren, you work for a non-profit, you can't afford this" but I believe so strongly in the relationship we've built & the work that's being done that I decide to rely that somehow the funds will be provided. And so far I haven't been let down. Sometimes the money comes from totally unexpected places, but other times I think God provides by having people in your life who are able to give a little. Isn't that how it always goes for anything worth while... you give a little, I give a little, & somehow it's always enough?

So although I feel totally timid about this, I'm posting a button to my paypal account to accept donations. My biggest fear isn't that no one will give... if that happens it happens... my biggest fear is that I'll get an eye roll that says "C'mon Lauren, I gave to this trip 3 years ago, aren't you DONE there already?" But the truth is that it's never done which is exactly why it's so valuable. Which do you think changes the world more... 1) A one week trip to life buckets of concrete or 2) An ongoing relationship between 2 communities that continually pray for eachother, get to know eachother's needs & are able to address those needs in ways that would never be possible in 7 days?

To me the answer is clear. So please think of this less as me begging for donations, & instead please think of it as an invitation. I'd really like you to be a part of this mission too. Not all of us can do construction work or get the time off or stomach a bit of Montezuma's revenge (it happens). But this is way you can participate in the exact same work in a way that is every bit as important.

To learn more about what we're doing you can read...

This previous post about our trips
This page on my church's website
(scroll to the bottom & you'll get to see my goofy friends singing songs for some kids too. haha)
This Flashback Friday with some thoughts

You can make a donation to my PayPal here.

Any size donation is HUGELY appreciated, whether $100 or $1.

And if you want a charitable contribution receipt, just leave me a comment about that.

You can also mail checks directly to my church.

(again, just attach a little note about charitable contribution receipts)

Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community

2700 Jane Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

memo: Lauren Wolcott Mexico

I'm going to go out on a limb & just say thank you in advance... THANK YOU. And I hope I've fully expressed just how much I appreciate anything you're able to give.

much love,

Week 43

2011-03-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

I only have about a month & a half to be ready for my 5 mile leg of my relay team... & I'm totally NOT ready. Yesterday I ran 2 intervals of 1 mile each. On a normal day I'd feel good about that, but knowing that it's not where I need to be gives me a little panic. So today's flashback is to remind me of what accomplishment feels like, to remind me of how hard I worked for that accomplishment, & my mantra "Pain is weakness LEAVING the body!".

This was my first race. A 5k in the dead of winter last year....

A Few Treats

2011-03-23T15:18:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when you piss off the universe by going against nature & gushing about actually enjoying Monday mornings... the universe retaliates. Just for a little example: I tried to replicate my "get up & cook for the day" routine this morning, but only succeeded in setting off my smoke detector at 7am. (much to the chagrin of everyone else in my building I'm sure... go back to bed, you're not going to die) And a picture frame just fell on my head as I was typing. I could really use a little treat, how about you?

Treat #1 - Morning Love

Emma sent me the playlist of that morning mix she made for me. I'm telling you it really is perfect, so if you want to have your own wake-up cd filled with songs chosen for just such a time, feel free follow Emma's list:

Be (intro) - Common
Where is my mind? - the pixies
maps - yeah yeah yeahs
float on - modest mouse
hola hovito - Jay-Z
4 page letter - aaliyah
*home - Edward Sharpe and the magnetic zeros
the only living boy in New York - Simon & Garfunkel
the zephyr song - RHCP
Be OK (acoustic) - Ingrid Michaelson
*Good Morning (intro) - Kanye West
All you ever wanted - The Black Keys
The district sleeps alone tonight - The Postal Service
Buildings and Bridges - Ani Difranco
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Happiness is a Warm Gun - The Beatles
*We Know - Talib Kweli & Faith Evans (this was her wedding recessional)
Say it Ain't So - Weezer
New Slang - The Shins
He Woke Me Up - Sufjan Stevens
*Dog Days are Over - Florence and the Machine

* My current favorites

Treat #2 - Off-Season Love

If you know me at all you had to have known I'd share this on my blog.
Hines Ward on Dancing with the Stars!!

No joke, yesterday I bribed my students to behave with this video.

Also speaking of my Steelers in the off-season spotlight... I was reading an interview with Matthew Morrison (Mr. Shue from Glee & celebrity crush that gives me tingles), & here's how he responded to a question about whether or not he watches trash TV:

Honestly, I come home and watch ESPN. I’m a big Mets fan, I love the Steelers -- but I grew up playing soccer, so I love watching soccer matches.

I just fell even deeper into fictional-love.

Treat #3 - Redeemed Omelet

I'm about to drop a little knowledge on you. Even if you have a ridiculously failed morning like mine, it can always be redeemed... turns out you can microwave eggs into an omelet.

Just Another Day With US

2011-03-22T08:00:00.035-04:00

Oh here we go again, Lauren is blabbing on about how amazing her friends are. Yadda yadda, we've heard it before. But I am continually amazed & reminded just how lucky I am.

Sunday the Dugans were working on their new house that needed a bit of love & they're doing most of it themselves. I think a day of labor would be a test of friendship for a lot people, but for us it actually steamrolled into twice as many people as expected. We could be doing anything & as long as we're together it would be a fun day. It makes me wonder... How do people live any other way? How do they function? How to they get things done? How do they enjoy life without people like this who are there when you're celebrating but also there when you're scraping hummus colored paint from the walls?

When Dugan told one of the new neighbors "Oh just a few people from my church came by to help" he jokingly asked if he could join our church too if we do lawn work. And the answer is YES. Because I don't know any other group of people who will sand & scrape & rake all afternoon & still pose for a prom style photo at the end. And even if they do try to touch my feet & make me squirm, they're still my people. I hope that everyone has people like mine.

Monday Morning

2011-03-21T08:31:00.001-04:00

(source: We Heart It)

It's only taken 5 years in the working world, but I've finally had the PERFECT Monday Morning. (No, I didn't take the day off. ha That'd be cheating) It's a combination of the perfect mix CD & my "Be Better" for Lent plan.

Why did it take me so long to realize I absolutely hate my alarm clock? I finally switched to one with a CD player & asked my wonderful friend & master of mixtapes, Emma, if she would burn me a morning mix. She took so much care to pick songs that start soft & then energize, seriously it's like every track, so I don't startle awake anymore & hate the world. And the variety... oh baby... everything from Kanye & Jay-Z to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Indie I've never heard of before but am falling in love with. If mixtapes were a job Emma would be a millionaire.

Once I finished my little bed dance party (that sounds dirty... I'm just talking about jamming to my mix before I face the world haha) I had to pack up all my food for the day. So I actually COOKED before 7am, had an amazing breakfast & brought a lunch I can actually be excited for.

These next 2 weeks will be a test for me. I'm moving to a bigger apartment at the end of the month & I really need to push my running training to get back on track. So between packing, cleaning & running, I anticipate a lot of tired... hopefully a solid morning plan like this will help to get me through.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

2011-03-14T22:06:00.001-04:00

You win some, you lose some.

A recap of how I spent my birthday weekend...

WIN - Embracing your age

In fact I ended up embracing a few extra years too. I accept that 30 is only a few years away & said why not just celebrate it now? So a win for my faux 30th birthday, complete with the episode of Friends when they all turn 30 & my own solo to Jay-Z's "30-something"

WIN - My favorite restaurant

They don't even have Isaac's in Pittsburgh so as soon as I saw the sign I started drooling, I had my high school graduation dinner here, I love it THAT much. It was like a trip down memory lane for my taste buds.

WIN - Baking all day with your girlfriends

When you're with your BFFs you could be happy doing anything. We ran errands, drank outside mid day, baked something spectacular, watched TV... & we had the best time doing everyday things.

LOSS - Making bets after a few beers

I won't tell you the details... let's just say it involved a running start, a sore bum, & enough momentum to lose a shoe. A win for having such amazingly reflective shoes though.

WIN - A slice of heaven

Chocolate & Guiness cake. A layer of Amaretto cream. A layer of blackberry jam & marshmallow fluff. Buttercream icing. Are you drooling yet? I'll try to round up the recipes for you because this was possibly the best cake of my life. And we made it ourselves!

LOSS - Store bought dough

You'd think with all our baking escapades we could handle some additional pizza dough. Instead we opted for the cheap store bought one in hopes of making a specialty shape pizza. But the dough wouldn't even roll out. Total fail.

WIN - Delivered pizza

Instead of our pizza disaster we ended up with a ranch, beef, onion & fries topped pizza. We really should have just ordered that from the start.

LOSS - Not being able to make the weekend last forever

Week 42

2011-03-11T10:04:00.000-05:00

One of my most favorite blogs you've heard me rant about before is What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear? which is 100% dedicated to Glee's Emma Pillsbury fashion. I'm an addict. I want to BE Emma & I pretty much love everything she's ever worn. Well lately they've been doing a feature where "if you like this: ___, then you'll probably like these items too: ____". So that's the inspiration for this flashback.

If you like this sailboat cardigan of Emma's....

Then you'll love this sailboat outfit of mine...

See? I'm like the original Emma Pillsbury before her character was even created! Score 1 for Lauren.

Photo Challenge

2011-03-10T09:53:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying.... I'm not a photographer. Nor do I think this photo is anything special, it was taken on a crappy cellphone. But I am a joiner so I decided to play along with a photo challenge that a bunch of friends are a part of. And before we have a resurgence of what happened the last time I entered Natalie in a contest, let me also note that pets were specifically invited to be a part of the baby contest. Deal with it haters, my furry baby is legit.

The Paper Mama's Photo Challenge:

Simple Beauty

Doesn't my little pup-face angel look so sweet cuddling her babydoll? It's all an illusion of course. A minute later she actually shred the thing to bits. But for one brief moment she was such a sweetie that I had to capture it.

Here's the moment following....
Carnage. The look of satisfaction at the end is my favorite.

The "Be Better" Plan

2011-03-09T22:10:00.000-05:00

It's lent. And that means people everywhere are posting facebook statuses about giving up chocolate & pretending that fish isn't a meat. 2 years in a row I've given up alcohol for lent, which was really refreshing the first time around but not really a challenge anymore. Time for a new lent plan.

As I was thinking over all the things I could give up or add on, I kept coming back to one thought: I just want to be better.

Winter's been a tough one. It shows in my attitude, in my energy level, in my waistline, & in my snarky comments. But I know myself well enough to know that I function best when I'm healthy & on top of my game. Lent is about spiritual sacrifice & discipline which leads to growth, but I feel like amping up my everyday discipline will put me in a better place for that too. I'm not adding on additional goals, I'm just trying to meet the ones I should already be following but tend to slack on. Healthier mind & healthier body so I can have a healthier spirit.

Fastnachts Day

2011-03-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Carnival, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fasching, Fat Tuesday, or whatever you call it where you're from! Where I come from, it's Fastnachts Day.

Growing up in Eastern PA I took a lot of Pennsylvania Dutch traditions for granted. I've never had to make fastnachts or a shoo fly pie because they're sold everywhere, even in the grocery store. But without even crossing a state border it's a different world in Pittsburgh. Every year I pout about not having fastnachts available & usually eat a normal doughnut out of bitterness.

Well not this year. For my 5th Fat Tuesday in the Burgh it's time to take matters into my own hand, strap on an apron, & fry some ridiculously fatty balls of delish.

I went with Fleegal's family recipe which is your typical flour, sugar, eggs, milk, etc with some cinnamon & cloves. There's another variation I'd like to try next year made from potatoes where you have to wait for the yeast to rise & can control the shape... but this was easier & a good introduction into frying. I've never fried anything in my life, but fire hazards be damned I gave it a try.

I learned a few things on my first fastnact adventure....

A little heat goes a long way. When your tub of crisco says "medium heat" they really mean LOW. Otherwise your apartment will fill with smoke & your first batch will immediately brown while the center is still batter. .....or so I'd imagine *ahem*

Let the dough sit a little while. This might have something to do with the baking powder? But after about 10 minutes I noticed the dough was much more solid. So I let my 2nd batch sit a while & they ended up much less crustacean shaped than those in the pictures.

Fastnacts are not compatible with my lifestyle. It's really impractical & slightly ironic to BUY fat for a day where tradition tells you to use up the old fat in order to get rid of it for lent. Also I didn't own any metal scoops & plastic melts so I ended up scooping them with my cheese grater, as you can see above. And I had to buy paper towels specifically to dry them, normally I use real towels to clean. But I imagine it's a good thing to be ill-prepared for deep frying in your day-to-day life.

So enjoy your one annual day of church-sanctioned reckless abandon. Tomorrow starts Lent & I've got some hefty plans for myself. But not today. Today I eat fastnachts.

Weddings, Hats & Chins

2011-03-07T10:19:00.000-05:00

This weekend my friends got married. Which means celebration & friends gathered, the only ingredients needed to equal a good time. And as promised, I held true to my plan to BRING BACK HATS with the help of a little shop called "Yesterday's News".

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty happy with how the outfit turned out! And although one friend did mention that I looked a little Amish, I got so many compliments from total strangers who hunted me down to say "I saw you at the ceremony & had to tell you how cute your hat is!" And so begins the hat revolution. But I won't be able to take full credit, because check out the lovely Emma rocking some fly headwear of her own....

I might be the worst guest on record. I didn't even get one photo of the bride & groom yet have an assortment on my table goofing off! But take my word for it, Elise was lovely. And as for us... well we entertained ourselves just fine. Sonja was my plus-one & made the whole day more fun. I ate marrow out of a lamb bone on a dare (& it wasn't bad!), & of course it wouldn't be a major life event if we weren't taking chin pictures. God, how I love the chins!

Someday I'll make a coffee book of just chin pictures called "The Days of Our Lives" to chronicle all our most important life moments through chins.

Week 41

2011-03-04T11:17:00.003-05:00

Subtitle: Nerds

Ok here's the thing... I'm not used to being a nerd. I'd classify myself as one of the "cool kids" if I may say so. Is that totally shallow & narcissistic? I don't mean it in a "I'm better than nerds" way because in some ways I am WAY nerdy too... just not in your typical dungeons & dragons kind of way. More like the squeel-over-vintage-pyrex kind of way. Or the know-way-too-much-celebrity-gossip kind of way. Which I know doesn't make me cool, I'm just going to move on before I put my foot in my mouth any more.

My brother on the other hand (& it's ok to say this because he'd totally agree) is a nerd. Which is why he'll make way more money than I ever will & could defend himself in a sword fight... both equally important qualities. He's the computer genius who sometimes forgets to talk English to me when discussing programming, he's the guy who read all the Tolkien books way before they were movies, & he's the guy who actually owns a kilt for the Renaissance Fair.

Busted. Ok fine, this is one GIGANTIC piece of nerdiness I have to own up to. I love the Renaissance Fair too. And it's all Sean's fault! I went once in high school expecting to scoff at the whole thing & hate it... but we had a total blast! And, as you can see, I did eventually cave on the costuming too by the time I was in college. *sigh* It's my secret shame. The mocking may now commence.

Lost in Computer Land

2011-03-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

(source: We Heart It)

I feel like I've been spending an unusual amount of time staring into the wonderland of my computer screen lately. But there are just to many things to explore & read, I can't help it! Exhibit A- that photo I just used 10 seconds ago! Tell me if that isn't the cutest little office you've ever seen?! And there's more... oh so much more...

This 'missed connection' my friend sent me. Not only is it hilarious, but he send it to me because he says it sounds like my writing. And it does! I swear if I lived in Seattle & had any sense of smell, I'd think it was a journal after a bout of amnesia.

This blog from my friend Jen. It cracks me up, all about mind games you play while running to make it through. Read about her epic race to be faster than rush hour traffic.

This design I did for my friend is launched as phase 1. We'll update it later with an interactive map to view her photos by state, that'll be phase 2. Seriously check her out though, her photographs are incredible.Click on the children category if you want your heart to melt right out of your chest.

This blog from another lady who's calling for a hat revival! Go girl! Also you'll probably become instantly addicted, she takes thrift store finds & turns them things you'd actually want to wear. Love it.

This post is a few weeks old, but I was so excited that Kyla showed off the post card I sent her! It's geeky & silly to be so pumped, but deal with it because I am. Obviously I'm the Pittsburgh post card... as if you didn't already know.

So what are you kids loving out there in computer land today? I'd really love to see...

First Day of Class

2011-03-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is for all you friends who have drooled over craft ideas with me, who have given a loving home to something I've made, or have told me "Will you open an etsy already?!" *ahem Chana*

Consider this the first real step. I'm not the kind of person who likes to jump into things half-assed, I need a plan to feel confident. So starting today I'm taking an online class all about starting, surviving & succeeding in the world of independent creative business. Yeeee! My goal is to fund the trip to Israel I've been planning for Christmas 2012. I know that's a long ways off... maybe by then I'll be rich & famous & best friends with Martha Stewart. Or maybe it'll totally flop. Or maybe I'll just reach my goal & that's it. There's really only one way to know for sure... here goes!

eU2charist

2011-02-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

What I'm about to tell you is so bizzarre that you can be sure it's true. There's no way my brain could come up with something so silly. Last night, my friend Sama & I attended a eU2charist.

Eucharist- a Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper by consecrating bread and wine

eU2charist- a communion service, or Eucharist, accompanied by U2

Yeah... we went to a church service where they played nothing buy U2 music. Originally I just went for the freak show element, but we actually had a really good time. They did a pretty decent job! Plus this was at Sam's home church so it was nice to be supportive of a place she's connected to. But if you would have ever told me about 6 years ago that someday Sam & I would be entertaining ourselves by going to church together, I'm sure I would have laughed hard enough to make whiskey come out my nose.

Here's the really nice thing that won me over by the end of the night... U2 has said the only royalty required to play their music is you must take a donation for missions. I like that a lot. And as much as I feel out of a place in a church that big, where everyone is clean & behaves, & clearly they're doing fine financially... it was refreshing to see how much they DO with those gifts. The presentations on all the ways their church is supporting brothers & sisters in more difficult circumstances than our own made me forgive them for acting like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is an ok church song. haha

All I had with me was my little kodak camera, but I tried to record some of the action. Lighting & sound quality be damned.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

In the Name of Love

Why should Brits have all the fun?

2011-02-24T11:41:00.001-05:00

I'll admit it, I'm one of the gossip-hungry ninnies who read everything they can about Prince William's wedding. Embarrassing but true. And I know way more than I ever should about Kate Middleton. And do you know what I love the most about her....?

The hats.

Ohmagosh the hats! Why have Americans completely dropped the ball on formal hats? We did so well up until the end of the 50's & the all of the sudden goodbye gorgeous, colorful, feather-topped hats. Now you have to be British or Southern Baptist to pull it off. And oh how I wish I were British or Southern Baptist right about now.

I think it's time for a hat revival. I'll be going to a wedding next weekend... & of course summer is the season of weddings... & there's Easter in a few months. Let the church-hat shopping begin! I've always thought the trick is to start small until people make comments like "You're such a hat person!" & then you can get away with any hat you want...

Of course if I really had the lady-balls for it, you know I'd actually be in something more like....

What IS that?!

2011-02-22T12:23:00.001-05:00

Ladies, I need some help.
I'm aging. I'm 26 years & 11.9 months old. I understand that my skin is going to change, the process is already started. My question is HOW DO I MAKE IT STOP? haha And my dearest mother is no help in this department. She always tells me to age gracefully. Gracefully doesn't help what's happening in the corner of my eye, MOM.

So here's my question girls, what IS this that's happening? It's not really wrinkles, more like a weird texture happening. And before anyone tells me I'm crazy & imagining it, I have photo proof.

See what I'm saying? The picture isn't grainy, that's my skin. Zoom in as much as you like, I swear I'm not making this up. It's subtle, but it's a weird texture happening only there by my tear duct. You can't see it from a distance or with my glasses, but I'd kind of like to address it now while it is subtle.

So any suggestions? Tips? Magic spells?

Week 40

2011-02-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

I've been out of the Flashback groove for a few weeks, it's about time to get back on the horse. So when going through the picture catalog in my brain I kept coming back to 1 photo in particular.

#1. This was taken in March my freshman year.... MARCH. See that sundress? That's not normal for March. But I still remember that freak heatwave & how the whole campus came to life. Something similar is happening in Pittsburgh right now. It's been BEAUTIFUL in February for a full week, which kind of freaks me out because all the trees are still dead but I slept with my windows open last night. Thank goodness for a break from winter!!!

#2. Last night I went to a sewing class & had a really great time. And see that dress I'm wearing? (again, it's all about the sundress today) I made it. Well my mom really made it & I helped... which I didn't realize until this year when I tried to sew something & realized I had no skills or knowledge of my sewing machine. Hence the sewing class

#3. I have to remember to be kind to myself. A lot of times I'll look at pics like this & think "Look how skinny you were! Look at that jawline & your arms, why can't you be thin like that again?" But then I really remember when it was taken & realize I was SO HARD ON MYSELF back then too. I never believed I looked good & was probably so skinny b/c I was terrified to eat in front of my boyfriend. (my fault, not his) . And even at my very thinnest I was still a size 12, that's just my frame. So not much has changed in 8 years... I'm still not kind to myself, I still judge myself by the numbers rather than by my health, & I still wish I was something else. Grow up, Lauren. You shouldn't compare yourself to an 18 year old, you're almost 27. And life is good. Remember that.

Answers

2011-02-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

Well played, everyone. I can't believe how many people guessed correctly, even without 100% confidence behind the answer most of you got it! Ready to see what's true & what's just a total lie?

TRUE! Being a band geek has its advantages & it took me to Europe twice. I went to Ireland as a freshman & a year later did a 3 week tour which took me to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, & France.
No, I was never a mascot. I WISH.
I don't even know all the English words to "We Didn't Start the Fire"... but there was 1 over-achiever in high school German that did learn the words & perform it for extra credit. It was pretty hardcore.
Only ONE person *ahem Allison* thought I got married over spring break. haha I don't think she believes it, probably just wishes it was true. But that'd be a great story, right?
Most of that story is true, except I didn't have the plane ticket & apartment. I was going to move home with the parents & start to job search in Austin, but then I did get hired on my last day & had to take all my boxes out of the car again. Not quite as dramatic.

Truth & Lies

2011-02-16T14:39:00.000-05:00

So my bloggie-buddy Emily tagged me in a little game of "one of these things is not like the other". Basically I'll tell you 5 statements, but only ONE of them is true. Can you guess which one?

I was a band geek (color guard, actually) & because of that I got to take 2 different trips to Europe & visit 6 different countries by the time I was 16.
My first job when I was 15 was as a mascot character for the Reading Phillies. They were the local minor league team & I'd dress as "Screwball" & walk around the stands.
I know all the words to the German version of "We Didn't Start the Fire". We had to learn them for my high school German class with Frau Buch.
I got married by accident once on spring break... well not by accident, I drank too much & thought it was funny. But we had it annulled the next day so it doesn't really count.
I planned to move to Austin after graduation & on the last day of my Pittsburgh internship I got hired, canceled my plane ticket & apartment, & stayed here.

So which one is the truth? Leave me a comment if you've got a guess, I'll tell you the answer tomorrow.

And to keep it going I'll tag 3 friends as well...
        Alyssa from AlyGatr's Everywhere
        Chana from Mamma Town
        Amanda from Breathing in the Wind

Have fun with this little game, ladies! (& if I didn't tag you but you want to play along, just do it!)

Flowers in February (photo heavy)

2011-02-15T08:00:00.004-05:00

Maybe the Groundhog is right after all with this early spring prediction because Pittsburgh has had some unseasonably warm days lately. Thank goodness for sunshine! But all the sunshine in the world still isn't going to bring green to February trees. So some friends & I took advantage of a nice day & went for a stroll around Phipps. It was a really nice pick-me-up in the middle of gross winter. Flowers, palm trees, gardens.... ahh...