So we're going to have a little fun here. I want us all to share our Number One funniest college story. We all have them. We all did something totally random or silly in college that makes for an excellent story. I have a great one.
A few friends played a GREAT prank on a guy we knew--they totally cleaned out his room in his apartment. I mean, they took EVERYTHING--furniture, clothes, light & bathroom fixtures, mini blinds, tacks out of the walls, etc. Well, so he started threatening all of them by putting notes on their cars that said, "Be afraid." At this point I got involved, and we stole a beloved bench of his, taped the words "Be afraid" on it with duct tape, and spray painted it orange so that the words were left when we took the tape off. It was brilliant.
My dad has a good one, too. He and a friend went camping one weekend, and when they got back, all of the things in his friend's room had been taken and placed upside-down on top of the stuff in my dad's room. They found out who did it and decided to get him back. So in the middle of the night, my dad went and charged up a little electronic car part, taped it to the guy's doorknob, and ran a wire from it down to a puddle on the floor that extended underneath the guy's dorm room door. Then they sealed an envelope, slit open the narrow end, filled it with shaving cream, and slipped the open end under the door. Then they dropped a big dictionary on the envelope so that the shaving cream exploded into the room, and the guy got up, furious, walked to the door, stepped in the puddle, grabbed the doorknob, and got a nice, big shock. Ha! Elaborate and ingenious.
So I want to hear your stories, too! Maybe a prank you pulled or one that was pulled on you. Add a comment!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Something You Probably Didn't Know About Me
So I don't think many of you know this, but I am a total Dave Ramsey nut. Do you know who he is? He's a talk radio host who has a show (and an empire) about helping people get out of debt. I have always been a numbers girl, had a budget on Excel since I was 16, etc. (yes, I'm a nerd--we already knew that), so listening to financial stuff is already interesting to me. But what I really like about him is that he really helps people wherever they are and gives them hope, and I also like that everything he says is just plain common sense.
I got introduced to the whole Dave Ramsey thing when our church in Houston hosted one of his seminars. Nathan and I went to it when we were engaged, and it really helped us have a game plan for how to handle our money after we got married. I totally believe in his system, because not only is it common sense, but it is Bible-based and WORKS. In fact, my parents and Ken & Meredith went to a seminar last fall on our recommendation and they're all on the plan, now, too. We're all going to be all financially healthy, and that honors God because you're being a good steward of his gifts.
Anyway, if you want to check it out, the website is www.daveramsey.com. I also subscribe to the membership website, where I go and download all 3 hours of his radio show every single day to put on the iPod. I listen to it (along with my Arbonne Learn & Burns) on my commute, while I do dishes, etc. It's good stuff, and I have learned a ton.
I got introduced to the whole Dave Ramsey thing when our church in Houston hosted one of his seminars. Nathan and I went to it when we were engaged, and it really helped us have a game plan for how to handle our money after we got married. I totally believe in his system, because not only is it common sense, but it is Bible-based and WORKS. In fact, my parents and Ken & Meredith went to a seminar last fall on our recommendation and they're all on the plan, now, too. We're all going to be all financially healthy, and that honors God because you're being a good steward of his gifts.
Anyway, if you want to check it out, the website is www.daveramsey.com. I also subscribe to the membership website, where I go and download all 3 hours of his radio show every single day to put on the iPod. I listen to it (along with my Arbonne Learn & Burns) on my commute, while I do dishes, etc. It's good stuff, and I have learned a ton.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Wish I had something more interesting to say about myself
Well, it's been a while since I posted a new blog entry, so I have been trying to think of something interesting to say, but nothing is coming to mind. :) All of the interesting things are happening in my friends' lives rather than mine, so for lack of anything else to write, here is a summary of others' goings on:
1. My excellent friend, Liz, graduated from law school in San Antonio this weekend. She is an amazing person. About three years ago, she spent 7 months in Myanmar as a missionary and befriended several Buddhist monks. She has kept up with them, one or two have converted to Christianity, and she is taking a "Monk Tour" this summer to see them all, which she has opened up to others who have followed her journey the last few years and would like to go meet and serve these monks in person. The whole thing is pretty dang cool.
2. My friend, Courtney, has a really funny baby who is in love with shoes. She walks around all day saying "shoes, shoes, shoes." I think that's hilarious for a kid who is barely a year old.
3. Ken and Meredith just moved into their new house in Dripping Springs. Apparently they found an awesome antique table and hutch in their dining room that were not there before--how cool! They also got an amazingly cute, fuzzy kitten and named him Tobias (you Arrested Development fans will think that's really funny).
4. A lot of our Bible study friends here in Boston are leaving us in the very same week. Caleb and Kendra are moving home with their new baby to Washington state for the summer, Dave and Bonnie are moving into their new house a ways out of town, Carey and Bethany are going to Italy for Carey's internship with Ferrari, and Ben and Julie are leaving for their Mediterranean cruise then moving to Dallas. It'll be a quiet summer in terms of the MIT Eastgate Bible Study!
5. Daniel, Nathan's brother, quit his job at Schlumberger as a field engineer in Mexico and is now looking for work in Atlanta, where he went to school. It looks like Atlanta will always be his home, or at least his preferred home. Anyway, I guess 24-hour shifts were not his idea of the ideal career.
6. Andrew, Nathan's brother, graduated with his master's and is starting his Ph.D. in counseling this summer. Craziness! Take a break, brother!
7. Matthew and Emily set a date for their wedding--March 8, 2008.
8. My friend, Johanna Johnson, is finishing up school in NYC. I don't know the name of her school, but it's basically Broadway school. She pretty much learned how to be a star. She already had the most magnetic stage presence--I can't wait to see what she ends up doing. She tried a different career path for a while, but she just couldn't shake the acting/singing/dancing bug, so she and her husband moved to New York. I think it's ridiculous that they have been up here for 2 years and Nathan and I haven't seen them yet. Funny fact: Jo and I got engaged around the same time, and we met one day in Waco to introduce our fiances to each other. We just knew the guys would like one another. So we all walked into the restaurant, and lo and behold, they say, "Hey Matt, how are you?" and "Nathan, what's up?" Turns out they already knew each other! They were in neighboring boy scout troops. Small world.
1. My excellent friend, Liz, graduated from law school in San Antonio this weekend. She is an amazing person. About three years ago, she spent 7 months in Myanmar as a missionary and befriended several Buddhist monks. She has kept up with them, one or two have converted to Christianity, and she is taking a "Monk Tour" this summer to see them all, which she has opened up to others who have followed her journey the last few years and would like to go meet and serve these monks in person. The whole thing is pretty dang cool.
2. My friend, Courtney, has a really funny baby who is in love with shoes. She walks around all day saying "shoes, shoes, shoes." I think that's hilarious for a kid who is barely a year old.
3. Ken and Meredith just moved into their new house in Dripping Springs. Apparently they found an awesome antique table and hutch in their dining room that were not there before--how cool! They also got an amazingly cute, fuzzy kitten and named him Tobias (you Arrested Development fans will think that's really funny).
4. A lot of our Bible study friends here in Boston are leaving us in the very same week. Caleb and Kendra are moving home with their new baby to Washington state for the summer, Dave and Bonnie are moving into their new house a ways out of town, Carey and Bethany are going to Italy for Carey's internship with Ferrari, and Ben and Julie are leaving for their Mediterranean cruise then moving to Dallas. It'll be a quiet summer in terms of the MIT Eastgate Bible Study!
5. Daniel, Nathan's brother, quit his job at Schlumberger as a field engineer in Mexico and is now looking for work in Atlanta, where he went to school. It looks like Atlanta will always be his home, or at least his preferred home. Anyway, I guess 24-hour shifts were not his idea of the ideal career.
6. Andrew, Nathan's brother, graduated with his master's and is starting his Ph.D. in counseling this summer. Craziness! Take a break, brother!
7. Matthew and Emily set a date for their wedding--March 8, 2008.
8. My friend, Johanna Johnson, is finishing up school in NYC. I don't know the name of her school, but it's basically Broadway school. She pretty much learned how to be a star. She already had the most magnetic stage presence--I can't wait to see what she ends up doing. She tried a different career path for a while, but she just couldn't shake the acting/singing/dancing bug, so she and her husband moved to New York. I think it's ridiculous that they have been up here for 2 years and Nathan and I haven't seen them yet. Funny fact: Jo and I got engaged around the same time, and we met one day in Waco to introduce our fiances to each other. We just knew the guys would like one another. So we all walked into the restaurant, and lo and behold, they say, "Hey Matt, how are you?" and "Nathan, what's up?" Turns out they already knew each other! They were in neighboring boy scout troops. Small world.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Blog Peepers
Okay, you people. I know there are a lot of you who check this blog and never comment. Do you know what you are? You are BLOG PEEPERS!
"What is a blog peeper?" you may ask. Well, a blog peeper is someone who discreetly reads other people's blogs without ever participating in the discussion or leaving comments.
But what you may not understand is that leaving comments makes for a much more lively and interesting blog experience, for both me and you.
So here is a lesson on how to comment:
1. Read a blog entry
2. Think of something interesting to say (you can read Courtney's comments for tips)
3. Click on "Comments" at the bottom of the blog entry
4. A box will pop up. Enter your comment in the blank. If you also have a blog on blogspot, you can log in. If you don't have a blog, though, you can still comment--it will just list you as "anonymous." If you don't log in, just be sure to write who you are so that we know.
5. Hit "Publish."
That's it! It's so simple. So, you blog peepers, you no longer have an excuse. Get to commenting!
"What is a blog peeper?" you may ask. Well, a blog peeper is someone who discreetly reads other people's blogs without ever participating in the discussion or leaving comments.
But what you may not understand is that leaving comments makes for a much more lively and interesting blog experience, for both me and you.
So here is a lesson on how to comment:
1. Read a blog entry
2. Think of something interesting to say (you can read Courtney's comments for tips)
3. Click on "Comments" at the bottom of the blog entry
4. A box will pop up. Enter your comment in the blank. If you also have a blog on blogspot, you can log in. If you don't have a blog, though, you can still comment--it will just list you as "anonymous." If you don't log in, just be sure to write who you are so that we know.
5. Hit "Publish."
That's it! It's so simple. So, you blog peepers, you no longer have an excuse. Get to commenting!
Friday, May 11, 2007
I'm a Dork
So Nathan just called me and told me that, in his words, "You are obligated--OBLIGATED--to write a blog about your keys."
Sigh.
So I had lost my keys for 2 days. I could not fathom what had happened to them. I retraced my steps, searched through the lost and found at the grocery store, looked everywhere in our apartment (thinking the cats may have dragged them somewhere), and couldn't find them. So Nathan agreed to help me look.
Then, as I was brushing my teeth, I heard a jingling outside the door. "Guess where I found them," he said. "WHERE?!" "In your purse."
WHAT?
Yes, he found them in my purse. I am a dork. They were in a pocket I never use, and the pocket is pretty small, so when I shook my purse, they didn't jingle because there wasn't room to.
Argh.
Yes, Nathan, I am a dork. But at least I haven't tried--and failed--to tear a phone book in half.
That will never die. :)
Sigh.
So I had lost my keys for 2 days. I could not fathom what had happened to them. I retraced my steps, searched through the lost and found at the grocery store, looked everywhere in our apartment (thinking the cats may have dragged them somewhere), and couldn't find them. So Nathan agreed to help me look.
Then, as I was brushing my teeth, I heard a jingling outside the door. "Guess where I found them," he said. "WHERE?!" "In your purse."
WHAT?
Yes, he found them in my purse. I am a dork. They were in a pocket I never use, and the pocket is pretty small, so when I shook my purse, they didn't jingle because there wasn't room to.
Argh.
Yes, Nathan, I am a dork. But at least I haven't tried--and failed--to tear a phone book in half.
That will never die. :)
Living a Life Worthy of the Calling We Have Received
Okay, we are going to play a new game. It's called Blog Tag. In order for this entry to make sense, you have to go read Courtney's blog entry called "Excellence," but before you read that, you have to go read her friend's blog (which is linked from Courtney's). So start with the friend, then Court, then come back here. Then this will make sense. Convoluted? Yes. Fun? Of course. It's Blog Tag.
What we are talking about is excellence. How do we strive for excellence, not only in our professional lives, but also in our personal lives? How do we have enough energy to not only perform our job well but also excel in our relationships, our home life, our ministry?
Personally, there are definitely things I let slip at home because my energy has been sapped by work. I absolutely hate that a regular job steals the best part of my day. I don't like that it gets the best part of my energy. But realistically, can we really be superwomen and come home and make dinner and be perfect housewives and work on our marriages with our husbands who are equally as busy? And do we do a good job of maintaining strong outside relationships with friends? I have noticed lately that correspondence with busy friends is sparse, as close as we may have once been, because everyone is busy. I find that I simply cannot do everything excellently, and since I'm my dad's offspring, I am part perfectionist. But the truth is I simply cannot be everything to everyone.
One of the ways to instill sanity is to put up boundaries in your life. But some boundaries are out of your control to establish. Courtney pointed out that you cannot say No to certain things at work. And because you want to be a good employee, you tend to do a great job at work but then not be so organized or driven at home, since that's your place of refuge. She suggested we put up some boundaries at work in order to balance our excellence at our job and outside our job. But the problem with that is that boundaries are not often well-received at work. So how in the world do you live a balanced life? How can you achieve excellence at everything?
Honestly, I know this is a total plug for my business, but for me the answer is Arbonne. Owning an Arbonne business means that once I have a solid team working with me, I can be pulling $5-10k/month and working 15 hours/week. And that means time freedom. That means I get to CHOOSE my boundaries. I get to choose when I work and how long and with whom, and I get to choose when I spend time doing things that are either eternal or make life rich. I can choose excellence in every aspect of my life, including, but not limited to, my work.
I also see my business refining my character. It helps me "live a life worthy of the calling [I] have received" (Eph 4:1) by making me others-focused and a servant. It has also made me develop patience, faith, trust in God, and higher expectations of my own potential for excellence. Arbonne is one of the vehicles through which I am learning how to live up to my potential in Christ. And the most fulfilling part of my job is that I get to help others refine their character in the same ways. In Arbonne, I get to encourage excellence in other people and watch them achieve it, and I get to help people choose the boundaries in their lives.
Arbonne's not for everyone, and sometimes I get so caught up in the fact that it is so very much for me that I can't see why anyone would want to do anything else. That is pretty much me right at this moment. :)
What we are talking about is excellence. How do we strive for excellence, not only in our professional lives, but also in our personal lives? How do we have enough energy to not only perform our job well but also excel in our relationships, our home life, our ministry?
Personally, there are definitely things I let slip at home because my energy has been sapped by work. I absolutely hate that a regular job steals the best part of my day. I don't like that it gets the best part of my energy. But realistically, can we really be superwomen and come home and make dinner and be perfect housewives and work on our marriages with our husbands who are equally as busy? And do we do a good job of maintaining strong outside relationships with friends? I have noticed lately that correspondence with busy friends is sparse, as close as we may have once been, because everyone is busy. I find that I simply cannot do everything excellently, and since I'm my dad's offspring, I am part perfectionist. But the truth is I simply cannot be everything to everyone.
One of the ways to instill sanity is to put up boundaries in your life. But some boundaries are out of your control to establish. Courtney pointed out that you cannot say No to certain things at work. And because you want to be a good employee, you tend to do a great job at work but then not be so organized or driven at home, since that's your place of refuge. She suggested we put up some boundaries at work in order to balance our excellence at our job and outside our job. But the problem with that is that boundaries are not often well-received at work. So how in the world do you live a balanced life? How can you achieve excellence at everything?
Honestly, I know this is a total plug for my business, but for me the answer is Arbonne. Owning an Arbonne business means that once I have a solid team working with me, I can be pulling $5-10k/month and working 15 hours/week. And that means time freedom. That means I get to CHOOSE my boundaries. I get to choose when I work and how long and with whom, and I get to choose when I spend time doing things that are either eternal or make life rich. I can choose excellence in every aspect of my life, including, but not limited to, my work.
I also see my business refining my character. It helps me "live a life worthy of the calling [I] have received" (Eph 4:1) by making me others-focused and a servant. It has also made me develop patience, faith, trust in God, and higher expectations of my own potential for excellence. Arbonne is one of the vehicles through which I am learning how to live up to my potential in Christ. And the most fulfilling part of my job is that I get to help others refine their character in the same ways. In Arbonne, I get to encourage excellence in other people and watch them achieve it, and I get to help people choose the boundaries in their lives.
Arbonne's not for everyone, and sometimes I get so caught up in the fact that it is so very much for me that I can't see why anyone would want to do anything else. That is pretty much me right at this moment. :)
Screens and Such
So this morning I got up because I heard a strange sound, and usually that means that one of the cats is playing with something they're not supposed to be playing with. Livvy was on the bed, so I knew it had to be Viola. I walked through the house, calling her, and I didn't see her.
Then I saw it.
The screen in one of the kitchen windows was ripped from the frame along the top and one of the sides, leaving a nice big flapping hole, plenty big enough for a cat to jump (or fall) through. "Great. So now my cat is roaming the neighborhood. " I really was worried about her, because when I was a kid, we had our share of animals who got out and ran away, never to return.
I stuck my head out the window and called her, but I didn't see anything. This just confirmed my suspicion that she probably did this hours ago and is long gone. So I went downstairs, kind of panicked by this time, because I also realized that she could have gotten hurt in the fall and crawled off someplace to hide. I got to the area below the window and saw that some of Priscilla's flowers were flattened, so I knew she had definitely fallen out. I started calling her again, walking around the house, looking under the stairs, etc., and I finally found her hiding on the back porch. Once she saw me, she came out, meowing. She was completely unhurt, just a little dirty and spooked.
ARGH!
So now that I know Viola is okay, I'm really annoyed. We don't have central air, which means that when it is warm outside (like now), you really have to keep the windows open in order to keep the apartment from getting stuffy. And, of course, most people don't want to be hot at night. So my dilemma now is that I don't know what to do about this. Apparently, I can't leave the cats unsupervised with the windows open all the way. I left them open just a few inches when I left for work today--enough to keep a breeze going through the house, but not enough for them to do any damage.
Now I'm really thinking about getting them declawed, which is extremely common in Texas, but it's pretty much deemed animal cruelty here. The animal shelters won't even give you a cat if you intend to get it declawed. I also saw these silicone cat claw things online--you slip them on your cat's nails and they can't do any damage. If it keeps them from pulling the screen out, those might be worthwhile.
Anyway, I will have to take a picture of the screen and put it up for you to see. :)
Then I saw it.
The screen in one of the kitchen windows was ripped from the frame along the top and one of the sides, leaving a nice big flapping hole, plenty big enough for a cat to jump (or fall) through. "Great. So now my cat is roaming the neighborhood. " I really was worried about her, because when I was a kid, we had our share of animals who got out and ran away, never to return.
I stuck my head out the window and called her, but I didn't see anything. This just confirmed my suspicion that she probably did this hours ago and is long gone. So I went downstairs, kind of panicked by this time, because I also realized that she could have gotten hurt in the fall and crawled off someplace to hide. I got to the area below the window and saw that some of Priscilla's flowers were flattened, so I knew she had definitely fallen out. I started calling her again, walking around the house, looking under the stairs, etc., and I finally found her hiding on the back porch. Once she saw me, she came out, meowing. She was completely unhurt, just a little dirty and spooked.
ARGH!
So now that I know Viola is okay, I'm really annoyed. We don't have central air, which means that when it is warm outside (like now), you really have to keep the windows open in order to keep the apartment from getting stuffy. And, of course, most people don't want to be hot at night. So my dilemma now is that I don't know what to do about this. Apparently, I can't leave the cats unsupervised with the windows open all the way. I left them open just a few inches when I left for work today--enough to keep a breeze going through the house, but not enough for them to do any damage.
Now I'm really thinking about getting them declawed, which is extremely common in Texas, but it's pretty much deemed animal cruelty here. The animal shelters won't even give you a cat if you intend to get it declawed. I also saw these silicone cat claw things online--you slip them on your cat's nails and they can't do any damage. If it keeps them from pulling the screen out, those might be worthwhile.
Anyway, I will have to take a picture of the screen and put it up for you to see. :)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Journey Upward
The other day I was trying to describe (imperfectly) to my friend, Liz, my thoughts about moving upwards. Whether it's a spiritual journey, a business venture, a relationship, or just about anything else, you tend to think that when things start going well that they will continue going well--no hitches. The way I described it was that we think we are leisurely strolling up a nice, grassy hill. But the reality is that we're climbing a freaking mountain with lots of obstacles. It's not a straight shot up; there are cravasses to be dealt with. Don't you just hate character building? I do. That's what those obstacles are--they're there to build character and make the journey even more worthwhile and the pinnacle even more marvellous.
That email to Liz was a few days ago, and this morning I happened to follow a link to Beth Moore's blog, where I read this, where she talks about the journey to that pinnacle (in this case, her daughter Melissa's graduation from graduate school):
"The beauty of finding yourself at a milestone of any meaningful kind in life is not that the journey there was so pretty. Or so successful. In many ways, the mysterious beauty of the whole thing is that the "getting there" was so awkward, wobbly, inconsistent, and even down-right messy that most of the time, you thought you'd never make it. What makes life on this frightful sod so exquisite is God's merciful propensity to perform divine tasks amid deeply flawed people. To paint intricate colors on a torn-up canvass. We can recognize a miracle when we see one because we know that, for God to use us, redeem us, or complete one stinkin' thing of value in us, it would have taken nothing less. That's what He calls getting the glory."
Amen.
That email to Liz was a few days ago, and this morning I happened to follow a link to Beth Moore's blog, where I read this, where she talks about the journey to that pinnacle (in this case, her daughter Melissa's graduation from graduate school):
"The beauty of finding yourself at a milestone of any meaningful kind in life is not that the journey there was so pretty. Or so successful. In many ways, the mysterious beauty of the whole thing is that the "getting there" was so awkward, wobbly, inconsistent, and even down-right messy that most of the time, you thought you'd never make it. What makes life on this frightful sod so exquisite is God's merciful propensity to perform divine tasks amid deeply flawed people. To paint intricate colors on a torn-up canvass. We can recognize a miracle when we see one because we know that, for God to use us, redeem us, or complete one stinkin' thing of value in us, it would have taken nothing less. That's what He calls getting the glory."
Amen.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wow!
This is cool! It's doctor testimonials of Arbonne's products:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq5VsKgvUyM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
What has happened to me?!
Okay, guys, so right now I am so excited about something I have NEVER been excited about before. Those of you who have known me since way back when will be shocked and awed. Do you know what it is? Can you guess?
Gardening!
Okay, take a seat and calm yourself. I know, I know. It is very strange. But it does tend to go with this whole "Domestification of Lauren" process that has been happening over the last several years.
First, I got into cooking because I wanted to make really yummy muffins . . . then Cooking Light came along . . . then the famous Lauren's Quadruple Chocolate Rose Cake. Then the knitting thing took off.
And now, in part because I love yummy food, I am totally psyched about gardening. I am going to grow tomatoes, strawberries, basil, oregano, dill, rosemary, and (my current favorite because it already smells amazing) lavender.
All of this will be in pots on my most lovely back porch. I still need to get a strawberry pot, which is a very nifty contraption that has open pockets in the side of the pot, ideal for growing strawberries and herbs. The strawberries will go in the pockets and the herbs will go on top. The lavender and tomatoes already have their own pots and are at home on the back deck. Here is a nifty article on strawberry pots, if you haven't ever heard of them before (I didn't know what they were until recently): http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/knowhow/pp/strawberries/index.html
One side note: I will always love my native Texas, and I am fairly certain we will move back there in a couple of years, but there is no way I could cultivate lavender there. In fact, every attempt at growing herbs in the past has ended in bitter failure for me because of too much heat, too much sun, or too many bugs. This is one of the reasons I think I will have lovely memories of New England--it is bug-free-land. Seriously, y'all, NO MOSQUITOES in Boston. Anyway, I digress. . . .
So I am very excited about growing my herbs and tomatoes. No tomato tastes as good as a fresh one. And I'm pumped about having a huge supply of basil and rosemary, in particular, which I would cook with much more of if buying them from the store were not so expensive. Usually I am not a huge fan of dill, but I bought some anyway because it is so good on cucumber sandwiches.
Anyhow, you can see how my interest in gardening really has stemmed from my interest in food. Flowers? Pish posh. You can't eat flowers. Lavender is as far as I'm going in terms of flowers right now, and technically, you can eat that, too. Maybe later, once I get into gardening for gardening's sake, I'll enjoy growing flowers. But for now, it's all about food.
What's next? Sewing? Actually, I'd love some new curtains . . .
Gardening!
Okay, take a seat and calm yourself. I know, I know. It is very strange. But it does tend to go with this whole "Domestification of Lauren" process that has been happening over the last several years.
First, I got into cooking because I wanted to make really yummy muffins . . . then Cooking Light came along . . . then the famous Lauren's Quadruple Chocolate Rose Cake. Then the knitting thing took off.
And now, in part because I love yummy food, I am totally psyched about gardening. I am going to grow tomatoes, strawberries, basil, oregano, dill, rosemary, and (my current favorite because it already smells amazing) lavender.
All of this will be in pots on my most lovely back porch. I still need to get a strawberry pot, which is a very nifty contraption that has open pockets in the side of the pot, ideal for growing strawberries and herbs. The strawberries will go in the pockets and the herbs will go on top. The lavender and tomatoes already have their own pots and are at home on the back deck. Here is a nifty article on strawberry pots, if you haven't ever heard of them before (I didn't know what they were until recently): http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/knowhow/pp/strawberries/index.html
One side note: I will always love my native Texas, and I am fairly certain we will move back there in a couple of years, but there is no way I could cultivate lavender there. In fact, every attempt at growing herbs in the past has ended in bitter failure for me because of too much heat, too much sun, or too many bugs. This is one of the reasons I think I will have lovely memories of New England--it is bug-free-land. Seriously, y'all, NO MOSQUITOES in Boston. Anyway, I digress. . . .
So I am very excited about growing my herbs and tomatoes. No tomato tastes as good as a fresh one. And I'm pumped about having a huge supply of basil and rosemary, in particular, which I would cook with much more of if buying them from the store were not so expensive. Usually I am not a huge fan of dill, but I bought some anyway because it is so good on cucumber sandwiches.
Anyhow, you can see how my interest in gardening really has stemmed from my interest in food. Flowers? Pish posh. You can't eat flowers. Lavender is as far as I'm going in terms of flowers right now, and technically, you can eat that, too. Maybe later, once I get into gardening for gardening's sake, I'll enjoy growing flowers. But for now, it's all about food.
What's next? Sewing? Actually, I'd love some new curtains . . .
Monday, May 7, 2007
May Arbonne Specials
Happy Spring, everyone! (For some of you it already feels like summer by now!)
You may or may not have heard about the incredible things that hapened in Arbonne in April:
You may or may not have heard about the incredible things that hapened in Arbonne in April:
1. New products! We have new About Face foundation and concealer, Smart Nutritional Hybrids for kids and teens, and a whole line of color and aromatherapy for teens called FYI. All of the new goodies are so fabulous! You'll all get a new catalog in the mail this month, and you can also check everything out online:
https://www.arbonne.com/products/about_face/face/concealer.asp
https://www.arbonne.com/products/about_face/face/lineDefiance.asp
https://www.arbonne.com/products/weight_loss/hybrids/teens.asp
https://www.arbonne.com/products/weight_loss/hybrids/kids.asp
https://www.arbonne.com/products/fyi/
https://www.arbonne.com
https://www.arbonne.com
https://www.arbonne.com
https://www.arbonne.com
https://www.arbonne.com
https://www.arbonne.com
3. Success from Home magazine. Look for this publication at Barnes & Noble, Hastings, Books-a-Million, and other major bookstores. The May issue is all about Arbonne! You can read about the industry, our people, and our products. It even includes a 10-minute DVD that tells you more about our company. You can also check out Cecilia Stoll's story--she is the #2 income earner in Arbonne, and I am on her team. By the way, the network marketing industry was featured in O magazine this month, and Arbonne was a part of that, as well. I am so proud to be part of a company that is an industry leader.
That's the news! Now for our specials this month:
NutriMenC RE9 set for only $47.50Purchase the NutriMenC™ RE9™ REvolution set--a $118 value--for only $47.50 in May with every $75 SRP purchase. My husband will not shave with anything else.
https://www.arbonne.com/shop
20% off Figure 8 Vanish SetAre you ready for your swimsuit? Lose your dimples, and still have plenty to smile about!
Visibly smooth the appearance of cellulite with this advanced formula that visually tones and tightens the skin, and watch as your fitness goals take "shape." Get the Figure 8 Vanish™ Vanishing Act Set (Pre-Shower Cellulite Scrub & Contouring Cellulite Cream), regularly $85, for only $68 all month in May.
https://www.arbonne.com/shop
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Influence
It's interesting to think about what influences us. I've noticed this come up a few times lately in interesting ways.
For example, I've noticed that my writing style reflects whatever I'm reading at the time. I just finished Middlemarch, a Victorian novel, so I've been writing longer, more complicated sentences and using words like "ruminating" (see entry below). But when I read Hemingway, my sentences get shorter and choppier and more descriptive. It's weird how much I'm subconsciously influenced by what I'm reading.
(By the way, my friend Courtney was influenced by reading my blog--she started using the word "ruminate," not realizing until later where it came from.)
Also, I heard two quotes recently from totally unrelated sources that make the same point:
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
"Statistically speaking, you are likely to make, at most, only 10% more than the average income of the five people you spend the most time with."
Isn't that interesting?! Yet I do think it is true. The people we hang out with really do influence our thoughts and our world view. If I hang out with a bunch of complainers, I start complaining more. If I hang out with a bunch of depressed people, I start feeling like the world is uninteresting and pretty sad. If I hang out with upbeat, positive people, though, I start to see possibilities and opportunities all around me. If I hang out with negative people, I start to think that nothing would come of those opportunities if I went for them, anyway. If I hang out with spiritual people, I start to see things with spiritual eyes.
Wow, if there was ever an argument to spend more time with God, this is it! I'd much rather be influenced by the Holy Spirit than anyone else. We are "jars of clay," fragile beyond our own understanding or admission. C.S. Lewis even suggested that our mood today could be influenced by what we had for dinner last night (check out The Screwtape Letters & Mere Christianity). If I am that weak, I'd better pay more strict attention to what--and who--I invest my time in.
(By the way, if you are single, this is a really good reason to wait for a mate with impeccable character!)
Now that I've brought this up, I'm interested to know if you now realize something that you were influenced by that didn't seem so obvious at the time. Write a comment, if so. (By the way, you don't have to sign in to write a comment--you can do it "anonymously," but write your name in there so I know who you are.:)
For example, I've noticed that my writing style reflects whatever I'm reading at the time. I just finished Middlemarch, a Victorian novel, so I've been writing longer, more complicated sentences and using words like "ruminating" (see entry below). But when I read Hemingway, my sentences get shorter and choppier and more descriptive. It's weird how much I'm subconsciously influenced by what I'm reading.
(By the way, my friend Courtney was influenced by reading my blog--she started using the word "ruminate," not realizing until later where it came from.)
Also, I heard two quotes recently from totally unrelated sources that make the same point:
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
"Statistically speaking, you are likely to make, at most, only 10% more than the average income of the five people you spend the most time with."
Isn't that interesting?! Yet I do think it is true. The people we hang out with really do influence our thoughts and our world view. If I hang out with a bunch of complainers, I start complaining more. If I hang out with a bunch of depressed people, I start feeling like the world is uninteresting and pretty sad. If I hang out with upbeat, positive people, though, I start to see possibilities and opportunities all around me. If I hang out with negative people, I start to think that nothing would come of those opportunities if I went for them, anyway. If I hang out with spiritual people, I start to see things with spiritual eyes.
Wow, if there was ever an argument to spend more time with God, this is it! I'd much rather be influenced by the Holy Spirit than anyone else. We are "jars of clay," fragile beyond our own understanding or admission. C.S. Lewis even suggested that our mood today could be influenced by what we had for dinner last night (check out The Screwtape Letters & Mere Christianity). If I am that weak, I'd better pay more strict attention to what--and who--I invest my time in.
(By the way, if you are single, this is a really good reason to wait for a mate with impeccable character!)
Now that I've brought this up, I'm interested to know if you now realize something that you were influenced by that didn't seem so obvious at the time. Write a comment, if so. (By the way, you don't have to sign in to write a comment--you can do it "anonymously," but write your name in there so I know who you are.:)
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