Fashion show and the economy

So... I've been in a bad mood tonight. Thinking about the current economic situation really makes me angry. REALLY ANGRY. I get mad because it's not our generation's fault. We are answering for the mistakes of our parents and their parents. So as much as I love their generation -- they effed us up!

I'm done ranting about economics.

You know what I'm feeling right now? Belted shirts/dresses. I love them. I know it's been around a while (and we've all seen it done) but this technique seems to solve many common wardrobe problems. This seems to hide problematic tummy issues, and don't make you feel self-conscience about it. Right?

Also, on Emma Stone's shoes -- I LOVE THEM! They are absolutely way too cute. The zipper adds a little bit of flair to a rather simple strappy heel. Of course, they're Jimmy Choo (which means I immediately love them), so I'm sure they're worth every penny she paid for them. I'm also crushing on her bangle cuff. I'm totally gay for her outfit right now!

However, I'm really bothered by the fact that fashion magazines are doing sections of "recession acceptable" designer finds. Not that they're doing them, but that it's not really recession acceptable. Less than 5% of people can afford a $195 bag for back to school. Granted it's better than $500, but it's still not recession acceptable. Thanks for looking out for us though.

Pa (my mom's dad) had back surgery today and he did wonderfully. :) I'm so proud. The doctor's did a great job, and he's in no pain anymore. Yay for modern medicine!

Well, I'm really hungry so I'm going to bed. That way, I can sleep and when I wake up it's time to eat again. Night guys. <3

Lauren Rose

Ranting

Life is strange, right? Strange in a good way, though. I don't think life would be as fun as it is if it wasn't strange.

I've been nostalgic for a couple of years. Thinking back to the good ole days... I would think "I was so much happier back then. I was so much more encouraging in high school. I never worried about stuff back then." First of all, this is in no way productive in getting back to the place that I obviously want to be. On a way more surprising note, I realized something today: I'm much happier now. I used to be so emo. I would mask it with happiness and encouragement, but I wasn't really happy. I think I'm happy now. Sure, there are things that I would like to change, however, I am content on where I am and working diligently to improve where I need improvement. This may not seem like a large thing to anyone else, but it's a huge deal! I've been struggling with this concept for years and it finally came to me today. Just out of no where.

Also, I've realized my issue with society. Everyone wants to be sad. No one would admit this, but it's true. Americans dwell so much on the negative. They want other people to get as mad as they do about the situation. They want people to tell them they're right. THEY AREN'T!!! Don't bring that crap home. It makes your family, friends, roommates, partners, etc. unnecessarily stressed out. Thus spreading your crap to the world. Then they'll spread the crap you gave them and thus perpetuate the cycle. Unnecessarily. You're problems, more than likely, are not that big of a deal. People don't have water to drink. They have to hide so they're not captured by militant groups. They are forced into the sex slave market at age 8. But we want to complain that we didn't get our way at the photo-copier. We want to whine that we weren't recognized as we thought we should be. Bollocks! That's what that is.

I am going to bed now. Sleep time.
<3 Lauren Rose

Gaining an inspiration

Well, hello world.

Today's been a long day. I got up (after about 4 hours of sleep) and went to Shorter to help with move in day. It was so hot! I was trying to find the positive in the situation, but I could not. I mean, I had good company, so that's good. Then we (Rob, Jill, and I) went to visit Nikki at work. Then we went to eat with a ton of people. Then back to Nikki's work. I came home really fast and took a shower because my cousin LeAnn is in town for Army Reserve training. She'll be in Iraq in January. We went and ate dinner. Then went to the movies, and have returned home finally. That's a lot to do in one day.

I found my work out inspiration. I know that sounds wayyy dumb, but I have to have a reason to keep me motivated. Obviously my own health is the number 1 concern, but there has to be more than that. So here goes: Scarlett from the new G.I. Joe movie. She's awesome. I need to be bad a... like her. I will one day.

I'm off to bed. Church in the A.M. Then LIFE group. Yuck. Is that bad to say? I mean, I think it is, but I don't care. I love my church, I'm just not feeling getting up in the A.M.

<3
Lauren Rose

An Island and Four Senses

Well, well, well...

Today I've been sick. I went to the gym with Nikki and all was going well, until I got on the elliptical machine. I became so sick. I do not know if I've ever felt worse in my whole life. It wasn't because of the gym, it was different. Whew. Anyway, I'm feeling pretty much better now.

While at Beck's going away party the age-old questions was posed. "If you had to lose one of your senses, which would you choose?" I've been asked this question tons of times before but I've never put too much thought into it. Here's my list of why I could not live without each sense... this might get kind of senseless (don't judge my terrible joke).

• Hearing -- Well this one seems rather self-explanatory to me. I could not live without music. Let me rephrase this: I could not live without ever hearing music again. If I had never heard it, this might not be that difficult. You would never hear birds singing again. Never hear children laughing. Never hear someone say "I love you again". This would be close to impossible for me to choose to give up.
  
• Sight -- Sight seems like an obvious one to want to keep. Living your whole life as a seeing person and then giving that sense away would be really difficult. You could never see a beautiful guy again. A sunrise. The smile on the kid's faces in Saba. I would never again get to see Well's Bay. Sadness would ensue.
  
• Smell -- This is the most important one to me. I love smells. Even to not be able to smell bad smells would be sad to me. Never smelling cologne, Christmastime, autumn leaves, rain in a garden, hot tea on the stove, Saba Spice, pineapples, Thanksgiving dinner, my perfume, London, Greek food, garlic. Ooo man. That would be a sad life to know it and then lose that.
  
• Touch -- Touch has always seemed like a obvious choice to me. I mean, what's touch without the meaning behind it, anyway? Well, then I came to the snag of sexual pleasure. This may seem like a shallow and senseless reason to not choose touch, but it is my only reason.
  
• Taste -- This is the one I've chosen. I would much rather see, touch, smell, and hear the food than taste it. Smelling is half the fun of food, right? I may not be currently acting like a good foodie, but it's my decision

Decision made.

I miss Saba. The kids, the people, the sun, the wind, the smell, Big Rock Store, Ting, Johnny Cakes, everything! I need to go back soon. I cannot believe that we didn't go this year. It seems wrong. Those kids don't have very good influences for them on the island, and we were absent this year. We suck. I feel like I'm letting people down left and right. Anyway, I'll be back next year.

Well, kiddos... I'm out.

<3 Night all.
-Lauren Rose

A rant and a dream

Well hello there.

I am back. Today has been a good day. I went shopping, then worked out, then ate, and then watched Mamma Mia.

I love Mamma Mia so much. It's everything I want to be. I want to be in Greece. I love everything about Greece. I love the laid back lifestyle. The sun. The beaches. The colors (whites, blues, oranges, yellows). The food. Ooo everything. I am hoping to get to go there this summer. On a dig. That would be absolutely the best.

I am currently uploading all of my music onto my computer. I had an embarassing 272 songs on my computer. I'm up to 430 something right now. I should have a fairly good collection when we're finished. This should be good.

So here's something that has been bugging me recently. I cannot stand complacency. I, as a college student, understand the expectation to become complacent. Everyone seems to be against you. They, of course, would never say that and would deny any such claims -- but it is true. They yearn for you to fulfill that stereotype. Fall into the dregs. Sink lower and lower. Hit rock bottom and stay. Grades slip, hygene slips, interaction is almost nonexistent, and the sufferer's diet consists almost completely of Ramen and Koolaid.

I refuse.

I refuse to become that. Not only college complacency bothers me, though. People who feel like they'll never "get away" because they "can't". That irks me. Maybe I'm surrounded by this because I live in a small Southern town and I went to a small Southern high school. Most everyone left high school and went to the local community college and work at a small restaurant downtown. I understand this may be "right" for some people and I may be currently suffering from being overly judgemental, but I cannot deal with people like that.

I'm off my rant now. Just please don't become complacent folks, ok?

I had the absolutely best dream I've ever had last night. It was so real. It involved the Jonas Brothers. Yes, I know. I'm 21 years old and I act like a 12 year old. I can't help it. I think it makes me cute :). Right?

I'm learning a lot on Unwrapped tonight.

Alright. I'm going to bed. Maybe I'll be able to relive that dream again. *crosses fingers*

Night all. <3
Lauren Rose

Food and Archaeology (and Artichokes)

Well, hello world!

I am here. I am nervous about this blogspot. I have never successfully kept a blog. This could be a new world for me. We'll see.

Today, I went with Nikki, Lily, and Mom to see Julie and Julia. It was so good. I loved seeing Paris. I loved seeing the food. I loved the music. There were so many good things going on in that movie. The entire feeling of the movie was inspiring. I feel like I should now cook through her cook book. The movie made me realize something: I love food. I'm in a tough place because I need to lose weight (who in America doesn't?) but I absolutely love food. I love everything about it. The smell. The taste. The nostalgia it awakes. The memories. You know when you walk into the store and you smell a little bit of sage and something sweet accompanying it? It takes you directly to Thanksgiving Day 1989. Right? You smell Earl Grey and sweet biscuits and you're transported directly back to High Tea in London. It's an absolutely breathtaking experience we are allowed to have daily.

I thought this love of food would be a problem in the weight lose endeavor... however, upon reassessment I think it will help. I love good food. Normally when you go to a restaurant to eat, you're getting something mass produced and uninspired. You can inspire your own food at home. Whatever you're feeling can be brought to life with a nice creamy hummus or a wonderfully savory fritter. I think I can do this. I think I can love food and lose weight. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

As cliche as this sounds coming from a youth of the nation: I think I've figured out what I want to do for a career. I want to be an archaeologist. I can do that, right? I've always been interested in digging, and I was looking at the Archaeology Magazine in Barnes and Noble and I could not put it down. I needed to read everything. That's a good enough reason to pursue a graduate degree, right? Haha. I, like most college students, need guidance. I need to know that I'm making the right choice, however, no one can decide that but myself.

Graduate school? At least 2 more years of school. US or abroad? Doctorate? There are so many decisions that no one ever preps you for. They may mention that a decision has to be made at one point, but they never tell you anything other than "follow your heart". I get it. I get it. I understand that is technically true but it seems like a cop-out occasionally.

On another note: I am always sick. I'm not upset about it because I'm used to it now... I just wish I had an answer. I don't even technically need a solution -- I just need to know.

Well, I'm going to bed. I am so sleepy right now. I think it's because I definitely did not get enough sleep last night and I slept on the floor because Katie was over. Night everyone (the conditional everyone.)

<3 Hope your day is great!
-Lauren Rose

Last Blog Merging Post

Am I a new person? I think not.

I am working on myself, though. (That sounds funny coming from a girl wearing a wife beater with no bra). I need to be more positive. I need to be more organized. I need to be more encouraging to others. It's kind of weird to think that people look up to you when you see all of your own flaws. While I was gone this weekend (I went to Cedar Pointe theme park), Lee told me that I was the reason that he is who he is now. That's enough to shake a person's soul. I mean I go around thinking that no one cares. Not that no one cares about me, but that no one cares what I do. However, I guess that my actions do echo to others. Wow. Profound, huh?

This is a short one tonight because I am so tired.

I went to see Joe about my stomach pain. He doesn't have an idea as to what it is, but he took 7 viles of blood and I'm doing poop tests. Those aren't embarassing at all.... I just hope that whatever it is, there is something I can do to make it better. He also gave me the absolutely awesome news that my metabolism is 1/4 of a normal person's because of my parents. Thanks guys!! I need to lose some major weight, he told me. As if I didn't already know. I'm just saying... when someone is fat they do not like being reminded that they are so. I'll be ok. I'm going to do it.

I had a great time this weekend. I, of course, didn't ride anything but I had a good time watching people enjoy themselves on the rides. I liked being able to help out by holding stuff. Being with the youth group is very refreshing. I like those kids. :) They're fun people. I'm really glad that, even if it's not ideal, the youth group is flourishing. They are growing, and that's good. I remember when it was just me and Lee in the youth group. Nikki had moved away and TMoss didn't speak to anyone at that time. And Beck did a good job with the group. They're really going to miss him.

I'm going to play a little Name That Tune with Bertha before sleep.

Night kiddos!