weekend.

 

you can't even see it in this photo...which is why i posted this one first (for my family who is probably going to cry. see it's not that big!!!!) i got another tattoo this weekend, with this lady:

 

i've been wanting to get something on my wrist for a long time, but i was torn cuz i had SO MANY IDEAS. i finally settled on one: guess which one is mine:

 

if you guessed the candlestick, you win bragging rights! everyone has been so surprised the tom petty lyrics one isn't mine. i do want a tom petty tribute tattoo..but i want one on my other foot.

i would have gotten it done last weekend if i didn't remember how much the foot sucks getting done. sucks! 

 

ally being brave.

 

i love love LOVE it!!! it's so cute. & more girly than i was expecting. & it didn't even hurt..bonus.

happy weekend for sure! 

Peace, Love and Pizza

yesterday i was able to see my best friend, emily, & her boyfriend, erick, for a short lunch & thrifting date. even though em now lives in ogden, our lives have gotten so busy that i truly treasure the little time we get to spend together!
i took her to lucky slice (my fave pizza place in ogden) & showed her the wonders of 25th street. for those who don't know, this is where i spend the majority of my time... & money. 

erick & emily quickly understood why as i took them to two of my favorite little shops, sock monkey'n around antiques, & olive & dahlia.

a shelf i wanted...really bad.

us outside green the world. as you can see, i couldn't resist purchasing a couple things (socks, that were so cute, as well as a wooden owl.)

emily's awesome fish-eye of lucky slice!

i have to draw on the chalkboard wall every time i go there. just cuz..

*ahem* my birthday is in november.....

all in all it was a lovely time seeing miss emily. i miss her, & wish we had more time to ourselves.

weekend lovin'.

the highlight of the weekend was going to see the lion king at capitol theatre on saturday night. it was my dad's christmas present to all the kids, and it was a lot of fun! our family has always loved musicals growing up, and so far i've been lucky enough to see phantom of the opera in san francisco, les miserables in new york city,  as well as phantom and the lion king in salt lake city. it was a lot of fun to hang out with the family and get to see the epicness! i love musicals.

here's a dark picture of ray and i waiting for the lion king to start.
thanks dad!

i also got to see miss emily beth today!! that is such a rare treat and something i always get excited for. she's such a great person and so much fun!
this picture was taken exactly a year ago, at general conference in salt lake city. i remember the whole day as if it were yesterday, mostly due to the funny but kind of scary car wreck we got in on the freeway on the way down from logan! so crazy. i love this picture nonetheless.

ALSO.. this started up again today...

WIN. i only wish i had recorded it..

a better place, a better time

it's safe to say that i miss
-emily
-fun winter days in logan
-my rotty zeus
-my long hair
-when life was way, way easier.

perhaps it will get that way again...soon.

fingers crossed that this will all blow over,

and i can go back to happy, carefree, optimistic lauren.

my summer through a video camera.

watched my friend mike feed his piranhas... crazy.

cruising in the back of a truck with odin [oneida, idaho].

idaho falls with hannah. and filming old people busting a move.

so. much. fun.

smoke rockets on the fourth of july.

and so many other great memories.

you know, i've been talking crap on summer 2010 all summer long. but in retrospect i quite liked it despite its hardships. this summer i

-learned who my real friends are

-let myself go

-found myself again

-got a job at starbucks...and i love makin' coffee.

-reacquainted with people i love

-spent more time with family

-watched countless sunsets

-played outside in the rain, in the sun

-live music

-barefoot.

as much as i'm ready to say peace out summer 2010, and don't ever come back..i'll remember the little moments that made it easier to get through.

a new favorite quote.

God gave us memories, that we might have June roses in the December of our lives. --James Barrie

the dodo's.

desiree and i at the dodo's concert.

the twilight concert series has easily been the best part of my summer. spending every thursday with kaysville and logan friends together, listening to live music for free. it does not get much better than that.

definition of a good friend.

lately i've been thinking about my friend aaron.

i don't want to get sappy... because that's not how me and aaron are.

in fact we don't even really hug. haha.

and yet this person has come to mean more to me than most of my other friends.
ever since i moved home from logan i've found myself missing him the most.

it's funny, he used to be so mean to me. he used to make me cry, make fun of me, etc etc.
i never thought i would like the kid. ever.
we became friends a couple years back, after the name-callings and such ceased. but even then i never thought he was that big of a deal... how very wrong i was.

lately i've realized how much i need aaron. the kid has my back unlike any person i've ever met. it's ridiculous.
he is proof that there are such things as decent men in this day and age. that's hard to believe, especially after all i've been through. yet he proves it time and time again, by being a genuine person who never wants to cause harm to anyone. respectful of women, a great listener, fun, and patient, he is there to help you get your mind off things any day of the week, and never expects anything in return.
i try to be there for him as much as he is there for me, but i'm pretty sure it's impossible. he never asks for much from anyone. the kid is one of the best and greatest friends you could ever hope to have.
i have no idea how i got lucky enough to have him fill the shoes of "best friend". and he's done a fantastic job of filling those shoes. he's proven to me that there is hope, good people, and fun times in my future.

love.

i just love this little kitty.

i didn't see her all weekend and i missed her!

i ended up going up to logan for the weekend, which was good because i work the next few weekends, and won't be able to go up.

highlights from the weekend:
-staying up far too late... both friday and saturday night
-sleeping with persephone the dog. who is adorable, by the way.
-ally lighting her hair on fire. [hahaha. kind of a traumatic experience. hopefully
will be funny at a later time..]

-dancing to the faint, modest mouse, and old crow medicine show on aaron's porch.
-aaron's porch in general..my favorite place in logan.
and last but not least.... i got to see:

the one and only SOREN!!!
i was very sad to say goodbye to soren, as i blogged/whined about a few months ago.

he came out this week to visit from new mexico, and i think it's safe to say that all of logan was super excited.

he is so great!! a genuine good person, who wants nothing but the best for everyone in life.
if only everyone were that way..

BEIRUT.

yesterday was kind of a bad day at first.

but luckily i had something to look forward to...that was how i got through my day.

and FINALLY, after a ridiculous afternoon consisting of tears and flat tires,

i went to beirut with my good friend patton.

[notice the suit and bowler hat. win.]

beirut just happens to be one of my favorite bands. and they came yesterday as part of the twilight concert series...so it was free. the best kind of concerts are the free ones.

and of course, they didn't hesitate to amaze me. 

they are definitely incredibly talented. if i could sing like the lead singer... or play the accordion.. life would be so good!

taken by hannah.

spot mike in his bowler hat.. and you can see just how close we were.

it was breathtaking. i can't wait to see the dodo's next week!

a sneak peek..

at my fourth of july weekend so far.

luckily the fun isn't over, and tonight i get to sleep on the streets of provo

for the parade tomorrow!!!

but so far it's been an unforgettable weekend [as the fourth always is].

i love this holiday.

chilled at the park with patton and odin

this kid is my favorite.

fireworks, of course!

cache valley cruise in on main street in logan.

more pictures later..but it was a blast!

happy fourth!

it's good to be home.

a couple days ago i got to hang out with this gorgeous woman.

desiree!!

it's been far too long since i have seen her. you see, desiree has always been my best friend. no matter how much time we spend apart, she is always there for me. and now that i live home i can't wait to see her more often!! 

dance in 5th grade. hahah.

we go way back.

15 years old.

love her!

and everyone else i have forgotten about in kaysville..

however, i am excited to venture up to logan this weekend for the cache valley cruise in.

newgate mall.

yesterday i went on a mini road trip with my cute friends hannah and nayda. we drove to ogden and i mostly watched the other two shop... [oh how i hate being poor]. we had a lot of fun walking around a mall much bigger than logan's.. and found a crazy store filled with some of the ugliest formal dresses we've ever seen. so of course we had to find the ugliest dresses we could find, try them on and take some pictures.

hannah lookin' sexy.

my dress was a lovely barf colored number.

nayda's was a hideous wedding gown.

hahahaha.

such great fun.

where has the time gone?

someone told me the other day that summer is almost half over.. i was not ok with that. where has the time gone?? i need summer to be here always. it's by far my favorite season, and while this summer has been a rough one with some unexpected bumps, i've had some amazing friends with me every step of the way. here's what i've been up to as of  late:

enjoying the sunshine with miss hannah.

staying up late with friends [jake and ally].

also notice i cut 10 inches off my hair. i love it! which is surprising,

since i've had long hair for... about as long as i can remember.

being silly with ally.

she's my new roommate, btw. i quite like her.

playing with this adorable little kitten.

hannah got her last week and named her gabbana.

but our other friends are trying, unsuccessfully, to change her name

to "frederick".

my friend from kaysville also got a puppy this weekend.

meet havok, the purebred blue heeler.

havok and gabbana seem to get along quite well.

random car rides.

it's been a busy summer, but it's been so fun.