BRB

Re-evaluating my life right now.

Blog posts may be spread out (even more than usual). 

Please don't hate me.

Or unfollow.

I promise I'll be back soon.

Hopefully with something awesome. 

I'm crossing my fingers and saying a prayer.

I'd appreciate it if you would too.

I love all of you even if I don't personally know you.

Thank you for your support.

PS: Beth @ Home Stories A to Z is having a pretty sweet giveaway for you DIY-ers...don't enter because I want to win go check it out! ;)

Puppy Love

I am a self-proclaimed "dog person". But it's almost more of an obsession. When I was younger my family always lived in rent houses, so we couldn't have pets. I got away with a small bunny for a while in first grade, but my parents gave him away to someone with a farm. I'm convinced they sold him to a keychain factory, but they've stuck to their farm story. Every birthday, I blew out my candles and wished for a puppy. Every letter to Santa included a puppy in my list of Christmas wishes. 

When I was 11 we moved into the house my parents live in now, and I finally got a puppy. His name was Max, and he was the most loved Westie you have ever met. 

Unfortunately, he suddenly got very sick one day and we had to put him down. I was there until the end, and was crushed. For a few years my parents were dog-less; then a woman from church asked if we wanted her dog. She worked and couldn't take care of him the way he needed, and her little girl was getting tired of him. That's how we acquired Louie. He is seriously my parents' third child, their pride and joy. He's a great cuddle buddy, runs like a greyhound around the living room when he gets excited,  has an entire basket of toys, sits on your laptop if you're not giving him enough attention, loves to go for walks  mad dashes around the neighborhood, and is the smartest dog I've ever met. Can you tell I love him?

But now that I'm at college more than I'm home, my apartment can get kinda lonely sometimes. The Boyfriend's great, but sometimes I just need a small fluffy to snuggle with. I have a serious case of puppy love. I go to our city's pet adoption website at least once a week, and frequent the pet store at the mall so much they probably think I'm trying to rob the place. But our apartment complex is mean and makes residents pay a kajillion dollar pet fee. Plus once school starts I won't be at the apartment much, and it wouldn't be fair to a puppy if I left it alone all day. So for now, ooh-ing over the animals will have to do. Maybe I'll start volunteering at the animal shelter or something. Stray fluffies need love too!

Have any pets? Tell me about them! I love hearing everyones' stories. :)

Have a Fantastic Friday! 

Seersucker in the South

After spending a few days in the South, you're bound to notice both women and men wearing seersucker. While it can quickly become a little bit "5 year old on Easter Sunday" for me, I definitely don't hate it. It's preppy and great for the summer.

Neely at "A complete waste of makeup" is giving away a monogrammed seersucker coozie...Go check her out and enter to win!

Happy Independence Day!

Let's go to the Beach Beach, let's go get away

That Nikki Minaj song is terrible but so catchy...darn. So I'm linking up again for Friday's Fancies @ LongDistanceLoving. Sorry posting is so sporadic...I'm at camp right now and our campers arrive in 1 hour yaaaayy!!! But that means most of my posts (if they happen at all) will be short and written on little sleep and lots of caffeine. Bear with me. Thanks y'all!
Here are two beach looks: One for the active beach-going girl, and one for the glamazon. Because I consciously attempt to dress modestly, I hope these outfits reflect that somewhat. I know you can't wear jeans and a sweater to the beach, but I try to at least somewhat cover up. I'm at the beach to have fun, not get googled at. ;)

Which one of these looks speaks to you? 

Weekend Recap

Even though it's already the middle of the week again (I seriously cannot believe it), here's my recap from last weekend. Thursday afternoon, Little Sister, The Boyfriend, and I drove home to spend the weekend with my family. 

Friday was our beach trip to Galveston with friends...between sand castle building, failed kite flying, getting knocked over by the huge waves, and rubbing sand on each other, we had a blast. And only a little bit of sunburn. 

The rest of the weekend consisted of watching movies, cat-napping on the couch, playing Apples to Apples until we were silly tired at 1am, eating a lot of my Momma's great food, and enjoying Sunday worship services with my home church family. The Boyfriend and I were pouting when we finally had to leave, but I had work yesterday so we had to be semi-adults and come back. Boo. :P

On a happy note, yesterday was my last day of work for the week. Frog Camp training starts today; I can't wait to facilitate the TCU class of 2017 as they begin their college life! So pumped!

Motivation on a Monday

So...I've been bad. No I'm not talking about the fact that I haven't blogged in 5 days, although that is pretty bad. I've been bad because I haven't worked out in over a month. And while I was home I ate a lot of butter and sugar. And when I say a lot, I mean even Paula Deen would say "Oh my stars". My Mom is a true Southern woman, so I didn't stand a chance between dishes like homemade mac-n-cheese and Texas sheet cake. Oh, dear. 

BUT...beginning today I am going to get back into the swing of things. That means healthy eating and working out. 

Insert my newest workout motivation:

Click on the photo to go to their site, and watch the video. I couldn't help but smile while watching it. They don't time it, and proceeds go to a local charity. What could be better?

Anyone else in? Lemme know, especially if you're in the DFW area. 

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Lions and Tigers and Bears!

In less than an hour, Little Sister, the Boyfriend, and I are going to the zoo! Of course I did the zoo run in April, but I haven't actually walked around the zoo since my freshman year of college. It's definitely time I visited the animals again. In honor of our zoo trip, here are some cute animal-themed photos that I found and loved. Rawr!

  via, thebeautydepartment

via, mycakeschool

via, bananarepublic 
Sadly, this cardigan was from the MadMen collection at BR, and is no longer available. :(

via, rifle paper co.

via, whatiwore 

 

via, michaelryandesign

via, elizabethmckay

Well, I'm off to pick my 2 favorite people up. It's zoo time!
Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Currently...

Got this cute post idea from Designed to Love , and thought it would be perfect since I have a crazy case of writer's block.

I am currently...

{reading} The Great Gatsby
This was one of my favorites in high school, and since the movie is coming out this Christmas (check out the trailer, it looks fabulous) I decided that it needed to be read once again. After this I continue through the Harry Potter series with The Prisoner of Azkaban.

{watching} Pretty Little Liars
New episode tonight, but I'm waiting to watch it with Mom and Little Sister when we go home on Thursday. Love. This. Show.

{anticipating} The beach!
Little Sister, the Boyfriend, and a couple of our best friends are going to Galveston for a beach trip this Friday, and I could not be more pumped. It's the first time we've been this summer, and we're gonna have a blast. High of 93 and mostly sunny = perfect beach weather. I'm already planning what to pack in the cooler. I'm thinking bottles of homemade sweet tea, chocolate chip cookies, fruit, and chips. Any other ideas?

{laughing about} God's way of working things out
Hi, my name is Lauren and I'm an over-worrier. But seriously, if something can produce stress you can bet I'll stress about it. Lately I've been wondering why things have turned out a certain way, doubting decisions, and just really hating myself. Then last week things started falling into place, and are continuing to do so this week. It just makes me laugh because I can almost hear God saying, "See Lauren? This is what happens when you stop trying to control everything and give it to me."

{listening to} Fluffy music
Oh you know, One Direction, "Call me Maybe", songs with a crazy beat...they're almost required for summer. Lots of in-the-car karaoke and dancing will ensue. Obviously.

{eating} Breakfast at my desk
For breakfast this morning it was Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, along with half a tablespoon of chia seeds. Chia seeds are so weird. I heard someone compare them to fairy eyeballs one time and haven't recovered. They're okay if I just don't think about their sliminess. *shudder* At least they're healthy, right?

{working on} Re-doing my dining chairs
I've been working on them for 3 weeks, but I'm still not finished with those dadgum chairs. Lemme just say that you've never faced a challenge until you decide to spray paint chairs on a tiny rental apartment porch. Anyone have a tutorial for removing spray paint from surfaces? Oops.

{wishing} I was off of work

Little Sister is currently at my apartment, probably eating a PB sandwich and watching a movie while still in her jammies. And the Boyfriend is most likely doing something similar. I, however, am in a chilly office with pretty much nothing to do. It's a super slow day, and I'm practically the only one here. Now I can't complain too much because obviously I'm lucky to have a job. But while it's great to make money and be self-sufficient, part of me wishes I was with the two people I love most right now (besides my parents). At least I get off soon. 1 more hour until freedom!

Friday's Fancies: Pretty Little Liars

I don't watch much TV. I don't have cable, and could honestly care less about most shows that are on right now. Pretty Little Liars is the exception, big time. I love the drama, I love that it's a little bit spooky (try watching it alone at night and you may agree), and I love the outfits. 

I envy Hannah's glamour, Emily's comfy cuteness, and Aria's ability to pull off even the most crazy outfits. But even when reading the books, I related most to Spencer. She's a stressed out overachiever with a stubborn must-win attitude, and I kind of love her. Maybe that's because I'm a lot like her. She's also a pro at looking polished and preppy.

Here are 2 outfits Spencer has worn recently that I decided to create:

 

I like these looks because they're easy, yet put-together. Perfect for going to class, running errands, or  casual Friday night fun.
I am so pumped for this weekend. Rodeo & BBQ with The Boyfriend's parents tonight, then road tripping with the Boyfriend tomorrow to pick up Little Sister from camp and bring her back with us. You don't know crazy until you get Little Sister and I together. The best part? She has no idea we're coming to kidnap her. Yay, surprises!
Happy Friday!

It's OK Thursday

{It's OK...}

*To go to Target multiple times a week

*To roam around Central Market on a weeknight just because you have nothing else to do

*To be annoyed by the immaturity of teenagers, even though you're not much older than them
(was I really that annoying?)
*To be ready for bed by 9pm (yawn)
*To LOVE grocery shopping just as much as cooking
*To be completely UN-inspired - some days are just like that
*To turn on your fan and wear a minimal amount of clothing so you can turn your
AC off as much as possible
*To eat that ice cream even though you haven't worked out in a month
*To justify the not working out by lending your sister your only pair of running shoes
*To want chips and salsa every. single. day. Hey, it's practically a vegetable! ;)
*To have a little bit of doubt sometimes. Just don't let it stress you out, kay?
*To really be looking forward to a 6 hour road trip, even if it starts at 2:30 in the morning
*To look in the mirror and say, "You are awesome and smart and beautiful". Just try it.

What are you Ok with today?