a double feature movie review

this weekend has been jammed packed. friday night my friends and i went to see the social network. CAB (campus activities board, the group who sets up fun things to do all over campus) was hosting a free showing. the movie started at 9, but we got there at 8:30 and it was already packed. although the group i was with had to split up, we still all manged to get seats.

 

i was interested to see how the movie was because i've heard so many different opinions. it was way better than i was expecting. i think they made mark come off as way more ruthless and cold hearted than he appears in real life (at least, when i've seen him). and justin timberlake really isn't that great of an actor, i'm sorry. (please honey, go back to singing.) but overall, i really liked the movie. it moved at a god pace and had its really funny moments. i'm not sure how much of it is 100% true but i'm assuming most of it is. i think one of the reasons it was so interesting was because it really showed just how much facebook has influenced our lives. some of the stuff they did (like repeatedly checking to see if the girl he had friend requested had added him), made my friends and i laugh because we all knew that we secretly did it too. i'd totally recommend it to people looking to see it.

saturday morning i was hanging out with a friend when she mentioned wanting to go home for a night to spend time with her mom. she's about a 2-hour drive away from the campus while i'm about an hour away and she passes by my house in order get home. we had originally planned to go home on friday this weekend to see our families but plans got changed so we weren't going to go. somehow, the trip ended up being on for saturday night so we packed tote bags, grabbed our dirty laundry, and headed home. my parents were super excited to see me (i miss them a lot when i'm gone, plus i miss my puppies too). my mom cooked dinner, then she mentioned they had rented a movie. on an earlier trip back home we had wanted to see "eat, pray, love" but didn't have the time so this time she had ran out and got it.

 

the movie was really interesting. it's not my favorite by a long shot, but it def makes you think. julia roberts is wonderful (her laugh is so beautiful, and so iconic. i love it) and i liked some of the other supporting cast members. this movie is also based on a true story about a woman going to go find herself. my favorite part of her journies through italy (the food looked divine), india, and bali were the people she met. it was like everyone she met had their own little story that helped her figure herself out and i loved the idea of being so globally connected to all these amazing people all over the world and how you can help others while helping yourself at the same time. however, i did feel sad for liz, the character julia robets plays. it's no secret i'm trying to figure out my life, my place in the world, who i am, and all that stuff. some people may say i'm too young because i'm only 18, but i think it's a great time to start exploring the world. liz, who i'm assuming is in her mid-30's or 40's, never did that and she seemed so sad, almost pathtic at times. some of the stuff she was just figuring out then, i've already learned. we're both still trying to use it now though. once again, i'd recommend this movie although i feel like it would be more catered to people trying to find themselves or searching for that extra little bit of motivation.

this weekend was so great. i got to have fun with my friends, yet i still got to come home and see my parents and puppies. (oh, and i got a super cute new cardigan i may try to post a picture of soon!!) ;) what did you do this weekend??
xoxo, Lauren

Merry Christmas!!

The past few days have been filled with lots of shopping and getting ready, then enjoying Christmas with my family. My mom and I traveled down to GA, which meant we didn't have very many decorations. :( The first few days down here were filled with running around and shopping. We found a cheap fake tree to buy and decorated in some super cute ornaments. My sister flew in on the 24th, just in time for us to have a small family Christmas. I'm putting up a few photos from Christmas morning, then I have a few more things to share at the bottom. Sorry some of them aren't the best quality. The camera was being passed around by my family. :)




our adorable tree with our presents around it.

 



we found the most adorable stocking for my sister and myself. she had the bear and i had the penguin.

  


this is when i was demonstrating for my sister how to appropriately show off for pictures

 


even the puppies like to get in on the Christmas excitement

 





my dad and i (plus the puppies) after all the gifts had been opened.





For now that's about it. The next day (the 26th) we went to the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium. The WOC was kinda (really) boring but I had fun taking pictures, and of course I totally loved the aquarium, as per usual. My plan is to post about both of those trips in the next few days but we'll have to see. My laptop has no internet access, for some odd reason so I have to use my mom or dad's laptop when I can. I also want to post a few pictures of some of my favorite gifts I got (a super cute sweater!! a mini cupcake maker!!). And with the new year coming up soon, I want to post a little about my new goals and resolutions. Hope you all had a great Christmas. Any exciting or sweet stories you want to share??

xoxo, Lauren 

The Madness has Started Already

I'm finally home!! My stats exam went okay today...I think I knew about 2.5 out of the 4 pages of problems, so here's to hoping for a D+ or C-. I know it's sad to some but math just isn't my subject. My English exam, on the other hand, was crazy easy and I finished in a little less than an hour. All we had to do was memorize 20 terms we've learned during the semester and write examples. I was quite proud of myself for being able to include 3 of the Grey's Anatomy characters, the Cast of Glee, Brittney Spears, and kittens, among other things, in my examples.

Traffic was crazy on the car ride home and we brought a friend of mine, Damian, along with us as well but it's worth it to be home now. The puppies flipped out when they saw me. I'm pretty sure Phoebe (the darling in my banner) just about threw her hip out again she was so excited. It's great to see my mom but a little sad knowing I have to take her to the airport tomorrow to be with my grandparents and I'll be here alone. At least my grandpa got through his surgury okay.

Like I promised though, I'm already adding new stuff to the shop. I finally got around to finishing my first project I decided to make. It's an adorable gingerbread man headband that I'm already in love with. :) Tomorrow I plan to start work on some new ideas and head over to Kroger to stock up on baking supplies. I'm thinking that hopefully I'll be motivated enough to possibly do my first ever DIY?? Hmmm...guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out. Until then...check out the new listing and tell your friends!!  :)

xoxo, Lauren

Finals!!

Life has been a little crazy since around Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving itself was chill, but all the shopping, planning, and events I did with my parents were a little much. Then I came back to school where we had one week of learning followed by...

FINALS!!!!!!!!!!

I can already tell you that finals and I do not get along. This past weekend was spent having a little too much fun (nothing illegal, think ice-skating with friends (cute boy included), then staying up till almost 6am in the lobby of our residence hall talking and playing "Apples to Apples") but needless to say that doesn't result in much studying.

I wasn't too worried about my theater, english, or history classes but stats and art history had me working up a sweat. I just finished art history at 12 and I'm not feeling too badly about it. Of course, that usually means you bombed it so I'm trying to stay positive. Stats is tomorrow and I'm hoping that with the help of a graphing calculator, my trusty cheat-sheet, and thoughts of going home dancing in my head I'll be able to get through it. The only bummer is that means tomorrow I officially finish my first semester of college and go home for a month. I don't want to leave my friends here!!

On top of all this, I got a call Wednesday morning from my mom that my grandpa fell the other night and broke his femur. He's in the hospital with surgury and weeks, possibly months, of rehab in front of him. My mom's leaving Saturday to stay with my grandparents in NY and my dad has a business trip so I guess I'll be in the house by myself my first week of break. If anything, it leaves me with plenty of time for crafting.

I'm really looking forward to break. A time for more posts, crafts, baking, and hopefully babysitting for some extra $.

xoxo, Lauren

Creativity Must be a Family Trait

A few weeks ago over fall break my mom asked me to take some pictures of her pottery. I was happy to do it. She's been taking pottery classes for over a year now, and she's started to get really good. I love how every time she finishes a new piece she brings it home for me to see and critique. Of course, I always tell her I love it and usually ask to keep a piece. It's cool that we have something in common to talk about. We both love arty stuff like that and both support each other in everything we create. These are a few of my favorite pieces of hers. Enojy!!



This is one of my favorite pieces. I use this bowl at craft shows to put my business cards in.




This is a soap dish we use.

This is a bowl that sits on the kitchen table that we put sugar packets in.



These are 2 bowls she made to put a plant in. I love being able to tell people she made the stuff they see around the house.

On the left is a little bowl we use for sugar packets on the kitchen table. It looks so pretty when the light hits it. On the right is a bowl and shallower bowl she put a plant in. I love how I can tell people she made the items they're looking at when they're in our house.