Goldiesays

Oh hey, may

goldiesays — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:37:00 +0000

I haven’t felt like blogging lately. I also haven’t really had the time. I set a goal for myself when the weather finally cracked to spend as much time outside as possible and I have done a damn fine job of doing so. I also have abandoned my monthly to do list monster creations and have focused more on just being. Tonight I spent the night with some of my very bests, under a hazy moon, with the first bug bites of the year taking place and the Cavs snagging the number one pick in the draft. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Tuesday.

Book Review: Once Upon a Gypsy Moon by: Michael Hurley

goldiesays — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:42:00 +0000

Is it Friday yet? No? Rats.

Oh well. Head on over to Vera’s blog Luxury Reading

You’ll find my review of Once Upon a Gypsy Moon by Michael Hurley and all kinds of other good stuff to make your day more enjoyable.

Cheers!

The sun is up, the sky is blue

goldiesays — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:03:38 +0000

Happy Saturday fools. Mike and I had an amazing dinner last night at Cabin Club in Westlake to celebrate our two year anniversary. Just realized too we’ve been in our house three years this month as well. It’s crazy how quickly time is flying. I have a bunch of running around to do this afternoon, a three year old of a friends birthday party to follow then another party at Dave and Busters. If I hadn’t read three books this week, I’d probably be salty about my lack of me time today, but ill make do. And everything is better in the sunshine.
Have a great weekend wherever you are xoxo

Good Morning Wednesday

goldiesays — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:17:44 +0000

The month is nearly through, and my lofty to do list is not completed. Shocking. The earth is trying hard to be reborn in Cleveland, I see my lilac bush, still just a baby, ready to burst soon, bulbs that were nowhere to be seen, are suddenly blinking in the daylight. It’s raining today, I’m fine with it because it matches my mood. Strange dreams and missed alarms on top of strange texts I don’t even want to deal with all have made for an interesting morning. While we have a mountain vacation planned for June, I can’t stop dreaming of the beach. And I think I’m willing to do whatever I need to get us there late summer. Yes, the lake is nice, but I need the salt and the sun.

April To Do List

goldiesays — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 02:04:19 +0000

I can’t get anything done without a list. Every month in 2013, I have written one in my notebook and every month they haven’t been completed. They have been close, but I haven’t completed one. I decided April, I would. No matter what, all items crossed off. And so, behold, my April list.

1. Try a new restaurant.

2. Botanical Garden.

3. Art Museum.

4. See at least one concert or play.

5. Ten pages of thesis.

6.Watch food documentaries.

7. Watch three foreign films.

8. Sit in the quiet room at a library with nothing but paper and a pen.

9. Finish two short stories.

10. Write ten blogs.

11. Finish the notebook I started at the beginning of the month.

What are your Springtime goals??

xoxooxo

Thoughts on a Thursday

goldiesays — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 23:27:10 +0000

In most cases, I forget about throwback thursday. I do however, love seeing people’s pictures and participate occasionally. Well I was at my parents on Sunday and spotted this gem. The above exhibit is me. In all my Senior picture glory. I posted it on Instagram and Twitter and had friends and family and high school friends I still keep in touch with comment on it. It’s not a bad picture at all, I think it’s just striking to see the girl I was and the woman I became. Above, Catholic school, probably 17-year old Lauren thought sitting in some leaves in khakis and lavender was a great idea. I would also like to remember the who cut my thick ass hair into a terrible bob. HELLO NO. Not pictured, my rose gold butterfly necklace from my high school boyfriend Dan. SERIOUSLY. I look, and no offense to anyone, that I am ready for a life of 4 kids before 30, a Republican voter registration and an active participation in a Church group. None of those happened. Thank god. And then I sit and wonder. What changed all that? Did anything? My friend Nick informed me this is “vintage prepster Lauren”. This would effectively, never happen again. I CRINGE AT THE VERY THOUGHT OF KHAKIS. And turtleneck sweaters? Not happening. Okay so let’s do a quick then and now:

Then: 17, Catholic School. cheerleader, matched my eyeshadow to my knee highs to my sweaters at school, smoked, liked mikes hard lemonade, believed all in organized religion (this would change soon after), wore khakis and lipsmackers, saved lunch money for beer, drove a red escort (suzy speedracer), was probably surface, surface surface.

Now: 29, don’t smoke, do not practice Catholicism, despise khakis and pastels, have tattoos, interested in books, music, art, cheese, champagne and wine, life, travel and fun, love sports, have a big mouth and a lot of opinions.

I don’t think I can say any one thing made any of these things change or happen or anything. I think, just to me, the contrast of who I was and who I became is striking. Did I like country music then? I know I liked rap, Tupac hung up in my locker. What did I even want to be when I grew up? I don’t know if I knew that then. I don’t know if I know that now. I still can’t do math, I still cry over dumb shit, and I still would do anything for the people I love with the bleeding heart of a kid. I remember going through a brief mean girl phase in high school. I didn’t stick with that. That’s not my nature. And I’m glad I learned and embraced being friends with everyone of all sorts. In a private school that’s not always easy to find and public school education earlier in my life, paired with my friends outside my school, helped as well. I think in a way, when I left high school and didn’t go away to school but went locally and worked and partied and met new people and got more into music and art and writing and thinking, I shifted. And I think when Amanda passed away, that was it. Life is short. And that’s, effectively when I stopped caring what anyone thought. I bet I always didn’t care, but my inner people pleaser, didn’t know how to say it. Now I do. And I think we all have a bit of the inner banker and the inner rockstar. As I sit in my office right now, I am looking at a picture of me and Amanda, she’s in a Marilyn Manson tank, I’m in an Ambercrombie tee. But I’m wearing a beaded necklace, not a rose gold butterfly. The shift was happening. So I look at the picture above, not as a what I could of been or what I should of been, but rather, just a wow. I’m cool with me. I’m comfortable in my skin. Dress me up or dress me down, I can find my place. I used to say I have a bent image of what I imagine to be a perfect future. Selling seashells on the beach, barefoot, tan, in a dress and tangled hair vs. a power lunch in Chanel, with martini’s and a active membership in the United Club and a Black AMEX card. I’d be fine with either. The girl above probably would be too. Life is a funny thing. For some people, it seems that their life is mapped out step by step. And often, those very carefully laid cobblestones are followed, with nary a toe ever touching the soft grass beneath. For others, we bend, we grow, we shift or we stay. There is no true way, no true way but you. If people wanna come along with you, great, if not. Go alone. And if you want a mushroom haircut and a khakis to go along for the ride. Why not.

xoxoxox

Beautiful Monday

goldiesays — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 02:12:28 +0000

Calgon has been around for a LONG time and I don’t know too many girls who can say they never used OR do not at least know the famous slogan, “Calgon Take Me Away!”. When tried and true brands emerge with fun, new products and ideas, I’m happy to check them out to see what’s up. I was sent and asked to review two products from the new Heart Calgon line. For all you Modern Family fans, Sarah Hyland, also known as Haley Dunphy on the show, recently signed up to be a spokeswoman for the line as well!

In the pic above, Sarah (who is super cute) is holding HEART Calgon in Hot Date body spray which is Warm Vanilla and Pear scent. I was sent this product to try and I have to say on reading the bottle I was like oh no!! (I am not a fan of vanilla ANYTHING unless it’s ice cream to be honest) but the pear cuts the vanilla perfectly and the scent is a perfect concoction of spicy and sweet. I should also not that I generally am not a fan of anything Pear scented either, but I really liked this product! Even though it’s a body mist, the fragrance is definitive enough to wear all day long. I was also sent a sample of the Fresh Start body lotion that is Crisp Apple and Lily scented. This lotion is is a bit more floral than I usually use, I generally go for a musky, dark scent opposed to floral but for girls that like a light, fruity scent that it’s TOO sweet, Fresh Start would be nice to pick up. The line also features Sweet Crush and Rock Steady too!

I like that Calgon came out with a line to appeal to a new generation of girls (and women), without straying far from their roots. It’s fun and fresh to see. I’m 29 and would happily buy this for both my preteen nieces as well as myself!

For more information on the new line check out: www.heartcalgon.com and also www.takemeaway.com for all of your Calgon classics.

The HEART line is available at Walgreen’s now and should be hitting shelves all over soon! Happy Spring!

Disclosure: I was provided the products free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.xoxox

Mid March Monday Take 2

goldiesays — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:06:43 +0000

Round two. Wrote a post a second ago and POOF gone. Is it Mercury retrograde still? Anyways, it’s a new moon tonight which brings all kinds of weird energies. Had weird dreams last night that I don’t remember details of or faces that were in it but feel like I should. I worked on the start of my thesis this weekend and cracked the 10 page mark. Feel the crack in my lull of creativity is filling. After feeling like a phony writer and a fake intellectual recently, it’s nice to feel the opposite. I have writing and reading goals to accomplish and I’m ready to go. I think the creative subconscious shuts us down sometimes on our quest for ideas and inspiration so we get a break from the constant mental barrage we deal with daily. We need to remember to drown out the sound of ourselves sometimes. Least I know I do.
And March is moving quickly and I have 3/10 items crossed off my activity/accomplish list. Not too bad after a paltry showing in February.
Have a great, productive, fun week everyone!
Xoxox

From the notebook

goldiesays — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:24:18 +0000

A cup of green tea with lemon,
Shared over Pink Floyd out of a styrofoam cup that will be passed down for generations.
An heirloom.
Ribbons on my wrist, faded like the power of some forgotten spell.
Intentions washed away in a quick dash of snow and cold.
Spring seems so very far.
Wish you were here.

A Valiant Effort

goldiesays — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:55:47 +0000

I was supposed to have a thesis date tonight and cancelled because I realized that I didn’t have one single thing in order and that instead of attempting to work, I would be shuffling papers around. So tonight I decided instead to organize the shit that has been tossed around my bag, sustained water spills and growing dust to lay an action plan. It’s funny too how fun school supplies can help make your task so much less daunting. So currently I am organized, have a minor and very rough outline of how I want to get some meat on paper and I’m ready to go. The laptop is charged, my house is cozy and my glass of wine at the ready. Except for the last 20 minutes I have gotten up and down and wandered around and looked at my stuff to be worked on. I do this before tackling a big paper or project so I think it’s a good thing. Goal of this Monday? Get my start done. Even if its a title page and my abstract. I need to see it and save it. I’m tired of making excuses on why the dumb thing isn’t done. Tired of having it loom over me. tired of brushing it to the side. Time to buckle down. Wish me luck! Xoxo