unplugging.

 

i've had a super bad attitude lately, & i think i may have finally come to terms with WHAT is causing my negativity.

everyone knows how addicting social media can be, especially facebook, & i've realized in the past few months it somewhat consumes my life.

the other day i was walking to school with my nose in my phone, & something someone posted ticked me off, like it tends to happen every day.

i looked up & realized there were blue skies out.. & it was a beautiful day. but i'd hardly realized that because i was so consumed in what was going on online.

so with that i've decided to take a much needed sabbatical from facebook.

i'm sure i'll be back... it's so addicting, you know. but for now i'm just sticking to school, work, sleeping & hanging out with luke.

you can still find me on twitter cuz i have to have it for my job: @laurgardner13

you can also find me on instagram: @laurgardner because i'm still way too addicted to that to give it up.

but i'm hoping the lack of facebook in my life will bring about a more positive attitude.

i have to say so far it's been mostly funny. people think deleting your facebook is some "cry for help" or something. i've gotten several text messages along the lines of: "lauren! your facebook is gone! are you ok?" or "noticed you nixed your facebook. just wanted to check in with you."

i giggled so much! it really is crazy how much social media is used to measure other's behaviors. like, deleting someone off your list is the ultimate middle finger to your relationship.. & corny vague statuses are all you use to describe your life.

giggle, giggle, giggle.

anyways. 

i'll keep you posted on how my much needed "sabbatical" goes.

i do miss photos of my family, so hey family! if you're ever bored, you could always send me some picture messages :) or we can facetime! i am all about that form of technology, especially with my brothers living so far away.

 

a good read.

if you're feeling rather bored, & perhaps wanting to get inside my head a bit, check out this blog post i stumbled across the other day, that made me feel a lot better about how different i am.
so while my friends are busy saying things like, "when in the world are you getting engaged?" or "how come you & luke never want to have kids?" i'm thinking "why do people feel the need to ask? why do i have to explain myself?"
& yes, unless there's a SERIOUS accident, there will be no babies.

versatile blogger award!

AMY, over at the thoughts & tales of amy k has nominated me for the VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD!
i am so happy she loves to read my blog as much as i love to read hers. check it out if you haven't yet. she's brilliant! i won a marilyn monroe wall jammer from her not too long ago, & it currently resides in my bedroom. i love it! thank you so much for the nomination, amy!
in exchange i must nominate 10-15 blogs i love, according to versatile blogger rules & such. here we go:
1. melissa at "my soul is the sky." she was my roommate my sophomore year of college, & her blog is full of creative hair & makeup ideas, not to mention her lovely life with her awesome husband & puppy doggie.
2. jamie, over at daises & dandelions. her positive views on life are more than invigorating. what a beautiful soul she is!
3. emily, over at LIVING & LOVING, who has been my best friend for several years. not to mention i have been told on more than 1 occasion that we look alike, & who wouldn't want that kind of compliment? her blog is simple, beautiful & brightens my day every time i read it.
4. the pineneedle collective, aka where i get all of my DIY ideas (they are so brilliant!)
5. nicole, over at THIS IS ME. her brother is marrying my sister, & she is just darling. i love how open minded she is, & how she speaks her mind.
6. the gallo's, who have no idea i exist, but are so lovely. they are a beautiful christian couple who just adopted a young girl from uganda. basically my ideas of adoption instead of having my own children came from them.
7. taylor, my adorable cousin, who is headed to USU (AGGIES!!!!!) this fall. i couldn't be more proud of her. her blog is adorable. she reminds me so much of me when i was her age.
8. nikaela, a beautiful photographer, over at rose & crown. her photography will make you think. promise.
9. susan, my amazing sister-in-law, always seeing the positive side of things. plus, she has the cutest baby in the whole world. i love my little nephew preston!
10. vanessa, my other sister-in-law, whose blog i can't get enough of because she documents the wonderful time her family is having in texas. i miss them more than words can say.

blog crush.

have you read the blog rose & crown? it's a beautiful photography blog, focusing on the little things in life.

i absolutely love it, & i think you will too! click the link...you know you want to.

lyrics 2 live by.

found this lovely website while procrastinating my homework the other day. lots of awesome bits & pieces of songs to help you make it through the day. check it out, i think it's an awesome blog!
hope your day is going swell.

a good cup of joe.

working as a barista, it has become fairly obvious to me over the past year how truly important a morning cup of coffee is to some people. to some, it is the deal maker...the difference between a good day and a bad day. when they enter our store, we know their drink, their name, and what's going on in their daily lives.
i found a blog that very appropriately describes the true art form of coffee and espresso, and have been obsessed with it ever since. the coffee experiment is a beautiful blog about coffees around the world.
check it out!

beautiful.

one of my favorite blogs, mocking bird posted reasons i love record stores earlier this month. i loved her beautiful photos and thoughts about record stores and must say i completely agree. it's a whole different experience when you're shopping for vinyl!

hope everyone is having a lovely friday. i'm spending mine, once again, at my internship. it's been so stressful the past couple weeks! but still a lot of fun, and i'm hoping all my work will pay off at the end of the summer. as i always say [ok, i've never said this until now] work hard, play harder.

day six.

complete the sentence "i am..."

strong
carefree
scatterbrained
optimistic
hopeful
disappointed
free
stressed
happy.

15 days of blogging.

 for one of my classes we have to do an assignment called "15 days of blogging." this consists of 15 days of steady blogging about a certain topic. this assignment has already taught me 2 things: 1. i hate being told what to blog about. (haha). 2. i'm not all that interesting of a person! haha.
but regardless, i'm excited for these next few posts, along with a few posts of my own, without being told what to blog about. :] enjoy!


day one: your name and 5 things people don't really know about you
my name is lauren and i'm pretty much an open book. however here are some things not everyone knows about me:
1. i am a closet history nerd. i love the history channel, studying politics of the past and even writing papers about such. i find it incredibly interesting and fun!
2. i am ridiculously accident prone. i have broken my finger running into a wall, cracked my elbow longboarding, broken my nose three times, and fallen down stairs/curbs at least once a week. i spill on myself and stub my toe daily. (my little sisters love to make fun of me). my most recent epic fail was in logan for a hannukah party, when i slipped on black ice and ate it. hard.
3. i'm fairly certain i was born in the wrong generation. i should have been a teenager in the 60's or 70's.
4. i have a bucket list of things i'd like to do before i die, including road trip to mexico, meet brandon boyd, volunteer in a third world country, and open my own bookstore/coffeeshop. a couple things i've already achieved off my list: go sky diving, meet damien rice and learn to play guitar.
5. i don't plan on ever getting married. weirdly enough i've never quite seen the appeal to it. 








tomorrow i get to post my celebrity crush...yay. happy wednesday!