thirteen.

 I promise to be back on top of things this week. ive missed being constant with my challenge- soo im gonna try to post every night this week no matter whaaat. begin now :)




day 13. take a picture of the contents of your purse. explain if needed. 




lucky for me- i just got a new purse last week and so it hasn't had time to gather lots of wrappers, receipts and papers yet. in fact- i only had one piece of paper from church today- proud of my clean purse indeed :)

from left to right.
1. make up bag. gotta have it. i spend 8 hours at school- i need a touch up in that time, sad but true. (sitting on top is my werewolf teeth of course! doesn't everyone carry those around?)
2. my bronzer right below my m/u bag...in case i need a pop of color on my cheeks.
3. nail polish. some times i have 10, sometimes 5, but always at least 1 in my purse. 
4. body lotion. its nice to have just a random little one to throw in just in case.
5. T.R. perfume. when i come up to salt lake i make sure to grab a perfume for the weekend- not always a must in my purse, but happened to be there because it is the weekend.
6. iPhone. the best thing in the entire world. dont leave anywhere without it.
7. comb. for purposes of brushing, combing, etc.
8. m/u brush. for bronzer and other touch ups.
9. gum. my new favorite Trident layers. 2 packs- cus its so delish.
10. wallet. im in need of a new one so bad...but gotta have that always.
11. skull candy headphones. in case i feel like hearing a tune from my phone- hit up the gym, or whatevvs.
12. the purse itself.  before this purse, i tried downsizing and that just sucked- i was struggling. so i upgraded to larger again.




*removed from the photo- my camera. i had to take the picture somehow!...but that too is always in my purse.

baccck. twelve.

day 12. A thought for the day.

everyday isnt perfect. and im not here to preach to the world about how im always happy- because im simply not. but i do believe in optimism and creating your own happiness. i think the only reason why i believe in it so firmly is because ive simply practice it every day i havent always been this way....back in the day little things ruined my entire day. i was content with being grumpy 78% of the time. i thought i was happy- from what i knew, i was happy. until one day i changed my mind. i was over my old grumpy self and decided to change. ever since- i know what really happiness is. everyday i have to work at it. its not easy and i wasnt born with the power to do so. i have to be grateful- i have to look for the good...and on these cold days with the snow coming in, its easy to want to "hate" the weather and hate utah...but then i realize im inside a warm cozy home...and im grateful. not to mention the snowcapped mountians look beautiful outside my window. the sun has peaked through today and although its brisk and too soon for winter, its a beautiful life.

twennie. won.

i took a little vacation is all. got a little busy. but now im back- ready to rumble.

this weekend was quite lovely. first off IT WAS MY DAY OF BIRTH. which is my favorite day of the year for reasons such as...

1. its like xmas- but only for you.

2. only you get presents...so unlike xmas, you dont have to ask the other person what they got as well.

3. its the best day on fbook ever- you feel popular even though you know you arent.

4. no one can be mad at you or be anything but NICE NICE NICE to you all day- cus they HAVE to be.

5. its a day you get to be selfish and not feel bad about it.

so anywho- my selfish side of me just came out a little but im not ashamed. i was spoiled rotten on my day of birth. i got to play with all my friends at din din the night before and party hardy with some provo friends. then i went to b-fast with my fam, had lovely frenchie toast. then went shopping ALLL day long with zachary and got so many new things :) spoiled. then we went to the best dinner of my LIFE at trio were the food melted into my mouth. so delish. then we went to Thriller which is always a treat. yeah i got scared so what. but it was non stop entertainment all day long. so exhausting- yet perfffect. i wouldnt have it any other way. im the luckiest 21 year old to walk this earth! oh and the party didnt stop at midnight. my mom made one my favorite dinners tonight and my sisster made me bts cake which made my heart so glad :) delish delish!

i really am so grateful to everyone in my life who makes my days more lively and exciting. my birthday was amazing because of all the people in my life who love and care about me- and i ADORE them. 

hap hap happppy birthday TO MEEEE :)

(oh oh, stay tuned : challenge nummba 12 to come tmrw)

on a scale of 1-10, its an 11

Day 11. Nicknames I have; why do I have them

Lala: its what my first niece called me as an easier way to say my name. has stuck with me every since.

Modie: this is probably my longest going nickname. ive had it since i can remember and it really is so different because it has nothing to do with my name. im a slow poke and so my dad used to say "mo-de-do-de-do" when i was being slow and then modie just formed from it. my brother-in-laws call me nothing but modie, they will introduce me as modie and i have to look at the person and be like, welll my real name is lauren. haha its a different one for sure but its very unique :)

Laurie/Laurie Lou: my parents have always called me laurie lou, or laurie and now zach calls me nothing but laurie...but he prefers to spell it "laury".

L: in highschool i used to be called this more, i think Rachie was the one who called me by L the most. and the meaning is pretty obvi.

of course there is lots of other little ones but for the most part i think those are my most popular nicknames. i love nicknames though, i think some are so clever and for some reason i feel like dads are the best at giving them. my dad is famous for handing out nicknames to all the kids and zachs dad too has a name for everyone. to him in lauren bacall (after the actress). maybe its just a dad thing that runs in their blood :)

doubledigit.

Day 10: What do you look for in a guy/girl?

 i could go on forever...so ill just list a couple qualities :)

Ever since i can remember liking boys, the one quality i ALWAYS noticed was if they were nice to others. Meaning they weren't the bully, they were nice to the kids who weren't as "cool" as them, they didnt make fun of less fortunate, and they didnt act better than others. Being the sensitive susan that i am, it broke my heart when i saw people making fun of others for things that they couldnt help. especially when it was a more popular kid- because someone like that has more power than they think...if they chose to be nice, people would respect that and would then think it was cool as well. so first and foremost, a significant other must always be NICE.

ive always hung around people who have a sense of humor. laughter is a must in my life. im crazy and sarcastic and hyper- i love being around people with that same energy that i can feed off and laugh a little more.

someone who is smart is a major plus. im not saying you have to be a genius- but a little sense of direction, and a pocket full of goals and plans is always impressive. 

fashion sense. call it shallow- but hey..this is my blog and what i look for, so thats why i can put whatever i want.- but as much as i love the beauty and fashion industry- sharing that passion with a significant other makes it all the more fun i say!

friendly. who wants to be with a dud who cant even hold a conversation for more than 2 minutes? not me. 

give me someone who is optimistic. i feed off of others emotions too easily that ive learned that i have to surround myself with positive moods and happy people. i need someone whose naturally a happier person- who doesn't dwell on the little things like i sometimes do, and who can make a bad day into a good one :)

hard worker. its not easy to be a hard worker- but i cannot tell you how grateful it makes a person when they work for what they have. a person who can work hard is someone who can go far in life- nothing more attractive than a person who committed and ambitious. 

and i know i could list a whole lot more...but lastly, attractive. i just gotta be attracted to the person im gonna look at everyday. he doesn't need to be attractive to the whole world, just as long as i find him to be beautiful then it seals the deal.

and bam! im so lucky i found this cute person to fit my descriptions perfectly :) zachary is thee nicest boy ive ever met. and after almost 4 years i still think he is the greatest thing in the world! 

nyne.

Day 9 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.

1. It's All Understood- Jack Johnson.  im stoked this came one because its my FAV jackj. song of all time. ever.

2. Little Lion Man- Mumford & Sons. just all around great song.

3. Missed The Boat- Modest Mouse. one of my favorites songs by them, probably in the top three from mm.

4. Winter Song- Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles. does it get much better than these two? absolutely not. LOVE.

5. I'd Rather Be With You- Joshua Radin. any song by him could pop up and i would be pleased. always in the mood for a little Joshua.

6. Stupid- Sarah McLachlan. i give all credit to my family. they are the truest Sarah fans and i just happened to jump on that bus with them along for the ride. brings back a whole lot of memories driving to cali...always was in the stereo.

7. Hot in Here- Nelly. life wouldnt be fun without a little craziness thrown in there.

8. Dark Come Soon- Tegan and Sara. you're missing out if they arent in your iTunes lib.

9. Insomnia- Electric President. oh happy day. this song is a gem times 10000000.

10. Knock Knock- Lenka. cutest voice award? award given. easy.

ate.

day8. If you could have any pet regardless of what it is, what would you want?


if you asked me this question a couple years ago, maybe even months ago i might say something crazy. like a little monkey, who doesnt love Abu? or a dolphin in my pool (that i dont have). but not anymore. because i have decided animals of that sort, should not be pets. they should be free in the wild, where they are supposed to be. sophie showed me all the cruel things that people do to dolphins and although they seem like such happy little things at Sea World and such, they are under so much stress. its not where they belong.  and after i heard the story about the lady who raised a pet monkey all her life, and then one day it went crazy and ripped her friends face off, never ever getting a monkey. dont get me wrong, i still think they are adorable and wouldnt mind seeing one one day in the wild and loving every minute of it, but a house just isnt the place for those little guys.
i dont mean to turn into such a animal rights activist, but i cant really help myself because i truly do love animals, i think they are very interesting.


so instead of letting my imagination take me for this post, i decided to go with a dog. and i dont think i settled by choosing one either because i LOVE dogs. not like some people, but i really do love my own dog and i just think they are amazing in general. there is something about the connection you have with them that is just one of a kind. and i dont feel guilty either because i believe dogs are ment to be pets.  there are exceptions and some dogs do go crazy, but overall- dogs do well inside a home and with people in general.


so i choose this little thing. if i could have one on my lap right now, i might pee my pants a little bit.  i just want to kiss his nose and pick it up in my arms and LOVE IT. one day it will be mineeee, allll mine :)


(dont mind the nerdy pink jacket.)

take a minute.

i didnt blog yesterday. you probably know. it was a hard day and a good day all in one. good- because i got to spend time with my friends and eat at the Dodo. i also had an amazing chat with my mom about life. my mom is always on the go- shes a busy lady because she is always helping others and never just setting time aside for herself.  i was lucky to catch her on a night when she didnt have a lot on her plate and we hate a long deep chat- i sure love and cherish those little moments. and i also got to see cute zachary for a minute which always puts a cherry on top of my day :)

it was hard though as well. my brother-in-law, Scott's, brother passed away. he had been struggling with cancer and was finally released of his pain mid-yesterday.  death is always hard for me no matter how close i am to the person. as much as i know there is a plan and that death is something that is supposed to happen- it is still hard.

for being only 20 years old, ive seen a lot of death thrown in my face. friends, school mates, family members, neighbors. its helped me realize how precious life really is. we get ONE shot to make it the best. ONE chance to be happy with what we've got. ONE is all we got. and for some of us, that one shot is long, and for others its very short. for the most part, we never know when our own lives will come to an end, or perhaps when the loved ones or acquaintances around us will pass either. as i said a little prayer in my heart for the jacobsen family yesterday on my drive to salt lake, i made a little promise to myself to make my days more enjoyable. laugh more, smile more, complain less, learn more, engage in more conversations, judge less, dance more. everyday is a gift, it truly is whatever we want to make it.  we all wake up on the wrong side of the bed- i know, its life, it happens- but what if, just what if..every one knew they only had one more day to live? the world would change completely. and so ive told myself to start living that way. it wont be easy- im not expecting it to. but the simplest things- such as smiling at others can make all the difference. and all im really striving for is a little difference.






ill continue my challenge tmrw :)
with all my love , xoxox.

7th heaven.

day7. Complete the sentence, "I am.."

I am Lauren.

I am full of thoughts and questions. I am hardly ever quiet.  I am happy with who I am and the life I live. 

I am sensitive to others and to myself.  I am smart.  I am part of a family who I care about more than anyone in the world.  I am in love.  I am surrounded by friends. I am always eating, but don't know how to cook.  I am addicted to music and fashion magazines. I am a mormon.  I am grumpy when Im tired and/or hungry.  I am hopeful for the future.  I am a child at heart. I am happiest when my days are full of laughing. 

six.

day6. what did you do today?


hm what did i do today.
ill share it how it was. 


most of my days i am surrounded by my friends, im laughing the whole day and on the hyper scale, im an 11, with a 10 being the highest. but today is a monday. which means for me, no school. which also means, ERRANDS and getting stuff done. 


woke up this morning around 11:30 am. - its my one day to sleep in and i take full advantage of it.
poured myself a bowl of cereal while browsing some new apps on my phone. 
downloaded the most addicting game ever called cut the rope. the little gremlin guy? SO CUTE.
then i hopped in the shower, didnt have time to wash my hair but still wanted to shower.
then i got carried away playing that silly game on my phone so 10 minutes before im supposed to leave to meet my family downtown at rumbi, im still in my towel, no make up...hair in a shower cap.
so i hurry and make do and head down to rumbi.
today is my sister adriannes birthday and so the sisters went out to lunch.
ill just put it out there- i dont like rumbi. not because i have anything aganist them personally...but rice bowls make me so naucious. the sight, the smell, i just feel a little sick after being with them for too long.  it all started when i was sick in california and threw one up. then got another one from lagoon then rode a ride and threw another one up. 
so they just dont settle well. 
so at lunch i felt a bit out of it. a little light headed and nausiated. but i ate some chicken nuggets and enjoyed just being with my fam. plus i got to sit next to beautiful ruby. and adorable parker who is full of so many questions and answers- just a breath of fresh air he is.
i then headed back home to take a real shower. 
i had 45 minutes before i needed to be at lunatic fringe for a consultation appt. 
i hurried and washed my hair and made it there on time. impressive for me. mind you, i didnt have make up on cus i washed it off again, and my hair was in a bun BUT i was on time. and thats what mattered.
i then proceeded with my errands and drove up to jiffy lube.
i feel like i go there a lot? hm anyways i need a new sticker for my license plate so i go to get my emissions and safety stuff checked.
failed.
lame. 
my brake light is out and its an electrical problem so i have to get it fixed somewhere else.
47 dollars later just for the check up on my car to fail.
then i headed home- played cut the rope for 45 minutes ( loser much) until i had to go teach my dance class.
my dance class is sometimes hard since they are only 5th graders, they wanna talk. i dont blame them, i talk all the time. but i needed something to bribe them to be amazing today.
so i took treats and we had a little competition all day and HOLY SMOKES they were perfect for me.
candy...the wonders it will do.
i then headed home to my favorite hour of monday nights. 90210! amazing. enough said.
after my show i made some delish toast with jam and packed up my car to head back to provo.
as im driving im doing a mental checklist in my head. im trying not to forget anything and im satisfied with myself as i check off my list in my head.
as i get to zachs house in murray, my sister calls me.
"laur you left your purse at home"
oooh. myyy. gosssh.
good thing nicole is so amazing and she met me half way so i wouldnt have to drive all the way back.
but i did decided to have a mini freak out...as zach calls them...for a good 10 minutes while i was driving back and zach quietly listened as i told him how annoyed i was with my self and how i didnt want to listen to any music i just wanted it to be silent, besides me complaining. he didnt get mad, he just let me complain. 
and then i said i was sorry and moved on with life.
after i showed zach, cut the rope, i chatted with him for a bit. told him i was sorry again, and drove back to prov.
now im here, in prov, in my bed and its not 11:30 yet so my goal is going to come true.


although today wasnt the funnest day of my life- i realize somedays just are errands and in the end it all blends together. but im grateful for days like these because even though i get frustrated, i still learn a lot and i still see tender mercies in the little things.

now time to sleepy. on to another great day trmw. xoxoxx.

five. 4.3.2.1blastoff.

i know i missed a couple days but life happens and you just pick up where you left off. and so im gonna do just that. pick up on question numero 5.

day5. Something that makes you feel better.

you can probably tell by now i have a hard time narrowing down my mind to just one thing- mainly because i think that if i just put one idea down, ill start to really think about it and then wish i put the other one down. so to spare me some sleepless nights, i decided to put the top three.

1. food. i cant even fight this one. if im in a bad mood- its usually because im hungry. my blood sugar is low and if i dont get food in my stomach im gonna bit someones arm off. its sad, but its true- it really does make a difference. so me being grumpy is usually cured just a moment after i pop delicious goodness into my mouth and all the sudden im back to myself, bouncing off the walls and loving life.

2. sleep. i love naps. i love sleep. i could sleep for days and dayys. i love my bed. having sleep in me just makes me feel so much beeettter :) this week my goal is to be in bed somewhere between10-11:30. so wish me luck!

3. and last but no least, someone who cares. im not always the best at this but im working of it for sure. when your having a bad day, usually (well i do) just want to ignore the person and just move on. it will get better by tomorrow and whining about it wont change it right? well, wrong. because sometimes the best thing when your having a bad day, is a friend that just tells you how much they love you and care about you. like i said, im not always the best at doing this myself but i do learn from my amazing friends and familys examples how much of a difference it really does make and because of their examples im going to work on being better at it myself :)

fours a crowd.

im not sure anyone follows my challenge besides kerilyn and soph- but HEY, here i am again, ready to take on another days challenge.

day4.What’s your guilty pleasure tv show, food, and magazine?

this was peazy. as in easy peazy. i LOVE guilty pleasures. and guess what? i dont even feel guilty about them :)

TV show: 90210. love it. love the drama. love that i dont have 1/35 of the drama they do. i adore the characters and love my monday nights all because of this little hour full of drrraaama. oh and pllllease, they do NOT look like they are teenagers but what show really does these days?

Food: muffins. straight up i cant resist them at crest. i walk over there with the mind set that im not gonna get anything- BUT once i walk through the doors and see that delicious blueberry goodness thing looking back at me- its all the sudden on the counter to purchase and boom its mine. i love em. blah blah blah give me blueberry mufffffins.

Magazine: Im gonna have to go with good old Glamour. nothing better than having a pool side view with the newest Glamour in hand. I like the mixture of fashion, stories, what have you, its all packed into one magazine!

bring on the guilty pleasures!

threeliddlebirdies

i know i knowww its like almost day 4. but ive had a busy day and now is the time to post about day 3's challenge.

ive been pondering todays question for a little minute..its a tough one.

day3. A picture and/or description of your favorite place in your world. And I’m not talking about like France or Greece. I’m talking somewhere you visit daily or atleast fairly often.

this was hard for me because so many things came to mind. theres lots of places i like to go- but then i looked at the question again and it said, favorite place IN THE WORLD. woah intense. so i thought about it and i feel pretty good about my answer.

home.

i chose my house (since i dont live there anymore i feel like its justified as a place i visit often, as i do).

ive grown up in the same house for all my 21 years of living. ive switched around bedrooms multiple times, watched it go under construction, create a new backyard, go from orange/red to a dark grey/green, expand in all directions, loose the best fruit trees ever plus many other trees, & even go from a place of 8 people to 4. Ive watched it grow up, ive watched it on days when its quiet, days when its loud, days when its sad, days when its a non stop party. ive seen people come and go and come back, ive watched shoes be taken off at the front and back door and get in trouble if they travel anywhere else. ive seen temper tantrums, ive seen tears, ive seen growth and ive seen miracles beyond belief. its the house that i grew up in- the place where i call home and the place i know where i can go to if i need somewhere to run to. I know its just a piece of architecture, a piece of work- and that most of the sentimental value comes from the memories, but i cant help but feel connected to every nook and crany, doorknob and all. i love that i have solid knowledge that i could get from one end, up and down with my eyes clothes in the pitch dark. its been a place of comfort, a place where love is found and shared. its not a perfect place, but its where my family was placed together in a tight knit to learn and grow and experience what a home and family is really all about.

and so THAT is why home is my favorite place IN THE WORLD.

(zach showed me this song and i thought it fit right in for this post:))

dos.

day2. A picture of one of your celebrity crushes and 5 things you would do with/to them. No questions asked.

woah look at them gettin crazy with this question. kidding- its G rated as always.

so like this was hard for me.

why? cus i have 2 celeb crushes (maybe more...probably more...okay more, but whatev). i am having a hard time choosing between the two- both seem extremely enjoyable and entertaining...so im just going to have to make a decision. right now.

and the winnnnnnner is .....

Ashton Kutch.

had too. i feel as if i chose someone over him- it would be like cheating& he would totally care.

things WE would do:

1. hit up d-land. ride some rides, watch some shows, have the time of our lives, get some character autographs of course.

2. have dinner in a private jet. nummy fabulous dinner.

3. go to vegas to see the O show at the bellagio.

4. show up to a premier and pretend were dating- JUST to see what would happen. gossip magazines front cover status.

5. tell eachother jokes. and when i say eachother- i mean him tell me jokes....so that i could laugh my head off all day and all night.

*ps. while this is all happening- i left zach with demi. he wouldnt mind.

runner up: justin timb.

he makes me melt for some reason. it all started in like 1st grade when he told me he wanted me back. he was always the cutest of the pack and ive made a statement by going to 3 nsync concerts JUST in elementary school alone. buttttt i had to go with my number one guy- until next time jtimb.

[while we are here i would just like to tell you that i only lost my purse once today...we are making progressions]

the challenge begins.

so because i like to stalk other blogs- ive been seeing a lot of this so-called "30 day challenge" pop up from blog to blog. so what it is, is a question for everyday of the month to blog about. easy. i decided today that i wanted to try it. why not. it gives me something to blog about and im all for stuff that can entertain me. so here i go. day 1. starting right this minute.

here goes.

day1. Your name and 5 things about you that no one really knows

well HI. im lauren. for those of you who werent already aware.

(this is me at my finest)

1. i still sleep with my baby blanket. you can judge- zach does.

2. im terrified of needles. for some reason, as of late, i get quesy around blood, needles, anything of the sort.

3. number one fear. well maybe not the first- buuuuut deff top ten- being stranded in the middle of ocean at night. i cant even begin to tell you how many goose bumps pop up when i think about it too long. my throat is closing in so im gonna go to the next one...

4. i have a hard time with copying. i know its impossible to never copy anyone because the world doesnt work that way- however i think if your going to copy someone you shouldn't copy with the exact same thing. (same color, same everything) i believe in taking it and making it your own. i know copying is a the biggest compliment but i cant help but get suppppperrrr annoyed.

5. as much as a love being with people, laughing my head off and what not- i love just being by myself and not having to do anything but entertain myself. a little alone time is necessary everyday and keeps me sane.

lets ramble, shall we.

ive been a tad brain dead. maybe its not exactly dead- but something seriously has gone wrong. i think i lost my brain- or it has been shut off. this past month ive lost my stinking flat iron (have to purchase a new one. shoot), lost my worksheet at school TWICE (one time had to start completely over, second time i lost it on the day it was due- luckily i found it), left my keys then walked all the way to my car and realized i dont have them, left my purse at school when i left for lunch. like whaaaaaat up brain where are you? its like i get so distracted by little things that in .0002 seconds, my minds attention has completely switched and i start leaving things and losing stuff. ive realized i need to snap out of it and stop being so spacey- cus i dont like spacey. in fact i dont like it at all, spacey is tackey and there is nothing more of a turn off then a dang space case. so from this point on-no more spacey lauren. after a huge cry fest before finding my worksheet i realized i have GOT to be more responsible- no more losing things...none of that. it will end now.

however on a brighter note- this week i was reminded of a goal that i decided not too long ago. being reminded of a goal isnt really a good thing i know, cus that means i forgot about it. but its OKAY, cus now i wont forget-cus im not being spacey anymore remember? WELP. it hit me again this past wednesday. i once upon a time decided that when im allll growd up with my own house, i will have a childrens library in my home. mounds and heaps of childrens books. let me give you some background info. begin...so when i was a wee soul, i adored books. theres just something about the fun little stories and pictures that just never got old to me. no matter how many times i read the same books over and over again- they were still just as fun. not kidding, every night, up until like my highschool days- i would grab a couple childrens books from the shelf, and read them before i went to bed. sometimes i would read ten in one night. i liked seeing the familiar pages and reading the stories that brought back nostalgia. as cheesy as it sounds- i feel like some books just always stick with you and make you feel a certain way. so back to present day. i decided that i want my own library of childrens books for my kids one day....and myself too. so i figured id start by buying myself a book every now and again to start my collection now. on a scale of 1 to 10, on how nerdy that is, i know its a 10 ...but i dont even mind it, cus im sooo pumped!