This is a bit of a mouthful so please be patient with me. I’ve been inactive in all creative aspects of my life so don’t feel like I abandoned this blog for something else. I have been in not just a creative slump but also what I would call a life slump. We are nearing the end of a decade, & I feel like I’m going through a personal crisis, questioning my purpose in life & what I’m meant to be doing. At the end of the day, I am an artist at heart so none of this will be going away anytime soon. Writing keeps me sane, especially at times like this. That brings me to the next part of this saga.
A little less than two weeks ago, my dad drove himself to the emergency room. Three days later, he had open heart surgery. The next day he woke up with amnesia; it isn’t an extreme case but serious enough to require slow, detailed sentences & repetition. One week later he was able to come home, still showing signs of memory loss. To say my family is emotionally drained & physically exhausted is an understatement, but we are walking hand in hand through this journey & taking it one day at a time. Every day he shows signs of improvement, & I cling to those glimmers of hope because the lowest moments have brought me to my knees sobbing in prayer. Perhaps that’s where God wants me to be more often. I am so grateful for the overwhelming amount of prayers & outpouring of love. I know my dad is the best so I’m glad other people think so too. 😉 Onto the last part of this update!
I know this is a change of tone, but hear me out before you roll your eyes. Disney & reviews.orgare offering $1,000 in exchange for watching 30 Disney movies in 30 days on their new streaming service Disney+. First of all, this would be a bright spot in my life after a sad ending to the month of October. Second, I am a Disney fanatic & binge-watcher extraordinaire, the perfect candidate for this “dream job.” Third, that money would be an amazing gift to me & my family. This is where I need Y O U R help so pay close attention. The application process includes social media following & a video reviewing my favorite Disney movie. The video is not on Youtube yet, but you can start clicking on each of my links & following me. What are you waiting for?? GO GO GO!!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading everything I had to say. I appreciate everyone who has supported this blog. It means the world to me. 🌍 I promise it won’t be long before I’m back with a new post. Keep an eye out! 👁
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My clumsiness is no secret, but I have outdone myself. If you’re even the least bit squeamish, LEAVE NOW JUST IN CASE!!
1. On Friday September 15th while folding clothes at work, I looked down and realized my arm was scratched and bleeding; I still have no idea when or where it happened.
2. On Saturday September 16th while carrying a heavy sign at work, I stubbed my toe. It hurt momentarily, but I didn’t think anything of it. When I put the sign down, I realized my toe was bleeding… A LOT. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it seemed; my toenail was only partially split, and the bruise caused very little discomfort.
3. Fast forward to Thursday September 21st. I was preparing my usual breakfast: coffee & a blueberry bagel with lactose free cream cheese. The cream cheese was brand new so I slid my finger around the container to loosen the lid. What you think happened did happen and required immediate medical attention. Nothing a quick patch up couldn’t fix! I went back to preparing my bagel and found myself uttering these words: “Dang it! I got cream cheese on my band-aid.”
4. I can’t remember the exact date, but I know that sometime that same week I tripped going up the stairs and scraped my leg in two places. I can’t even remember the last time this happened to me so it was bound to happen sooner or later. The bruises are still visible.
One, two, three, FOUR accidents in one week. That is quite possibly a record! The embarrassment is long gone so feel free to laugh at my expense. If you don’t want to laugh at me (I appreciate your loyalty), laugh at this girl. ⬇️
Carrying a large bag of trash and a medium sized cardboard box, Lauren walks down the creepy hallway and opens the door to the alley where the dumpsters are located. She looks for the brick used to keep the door open and finds nothing. The door will lock upon closing if she walks away to put the trash in the dumpster. She frantically looks around for something to keep the door open. She uses the trash bag as a temporary solution while throwing away the cardboard box. Resuming the search, she looks in all directions, her gaze eventually landing on her feet. It is the only way! She reluctantly removes her Italian-made boot, places it in between the door and door jamb, and moves as quickly as she can to and from the dumpster in one boot and one Hanukkah sock. She makes it safely out of the alley, and the boot fulfills its task without a scratch.
What does that title even mean?? Patience young padawans. Let’s look at some of the facts:
🕸️ A certain witchy drama is getting a reboot; yes, I’m talking about Charmed.
🐘 A continuation of the 1995 film Jumanji premieres at the end of 2017.
🌟 All is well with the Force because new Star Wars movies are being produced & released.
💰 DuckTales is coming back to television! The reboot will premiere on Disney XD this year on a to-be-announced date.
👠 Fashionistas could step back in time & fit right in because many of the current trends were pulled from previous decades.
🎤 Gwen Stefani and JoJo released albums last year, a first for both since 2006.
⌚ If names like Andy Griffith, Buffy, The Cheetah Girls, and The Parent Trap ring any bells, you might want to make space in your schedule for binging sessions because Netflix has what you need. Two seasons of Fuller House, a Full House sequel show, are also available.
📺 TeenNick airs retro Nickelodeon shows overnight, a programming block known as The Splat.
✨ The classic animated Disney movies are one by one being made into live action films. So far so good!
👾 The demand and availability for retro merchandise is widespread and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
That is just the tip of the iceberg, but you get the picture. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear about nostalgia. I’m not sure of the main cause. It could be adults missing the carefree days of childhood; you don’t truly appreciate what you have until it’s gone. It could also be consumer attitudes turning against the present-day options in media and merchandise. Personally, I think it’s a bit of both. To clarify, no fault lies with the evolution of technology & entertainment. There’s something endearing about what we grew up with. Those memories are ingrained in our minds and hold a special place in our hearts. Enjoying something from the past is what I imagine time travel to feel like, a transportation of mind, body, & soul; bliss takes over the senses along with admiration for a way of life without the advances of the present. Here is an example. Most of us can’t live without a cellphone in our hands, but I think we subconsciously miss a time when they were nonexistent. Each household had one stationary telephone, and phone calls were special. There are problems as far back as history goes, but this topic is less about politics & society and more about the ideology of “simpler times.” When circumstances become overwhelming, we revert back to when life was, in the mind of a child, simple.
I heard about the library of fragrance during Vlogmas last year from youtuber Zoella. The idea of buying scent versions of fragrances both conventional and out-of-the-box intrigued me. I bought seven Christmas scents to test.
Close your eyes and imagine lying down on the couch admiring the lights and ornaments on your family’s Christmas tree. The woodsy smell of evergreen hitting your nose is exactly what the Fragrance Library has reproduced. If you need Christmas in your life year round, this scent is the perfect match for you.
I love eggnog so I was hoping to like this fragrance. I expected it to smell like eggnog, but it smells more like vanilla with subtle spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc). The scent is pleasant, but it isn’t what I was expecting or wanting.
This fragrance is everything I expected and more. If you aren’t a huge fan of gingerbread, I would still recommend you try this scent. The soft ginger smell is distinct without being too strong.
I don’t drink cider, but I know what it smells like. This fragrance is spot on. If you sprayed it into the air and closed your eyes, you would swear you were holding a piping hot mug of apples and spices. I don’t usually like apple scents, but this one isn’t half bad. I don’t hate it!
This scent messes with my mind. When I first took a sniff, it smelled fresh and clean, nothing too distinct. When I closed my eyes and took several more deep breaths, I could smell snow. Snow doesn’t even have a strong scent so I don’t know how this was pulled off. This isn’t my favorite scent, but it definitely grabbed my attention and made me think.
This scent is so hard to describe because I don’t have any reference to compare it to. It definitely smells of fresh ground spices. There is a warmth to the scent that reminds me of what I feel when I look at an orange jewel. Look at the picture below. That is what Frankincense smells like. I know it’s weird, but that’s my impression of this fragrance.
I thought this fragrance would be hard to describe considering the difficulty I had with frankincense. Au contraire! Myrrh does smell of spices, but it’s much more of a distinct masculine scent.
This company is worth looking into. The scents are well made and true to their names for the most part. I also appreciate the variety of sizes available. I was able to get what I needed in sample sizes and save money. I can’t wait to buy more fragrances!
I feel like a bear who hibernated through the spookiest month of the year and awakened just in time for the holiday season. I am currently watching Christmas movies on Hallmark whilst enjoying open windows & a cool Autumn breeze. Allow me to elaborate on where I’ve been. I had a cold for two weeks in September; when it went away, I thought my illness quota for the year was fulfilled. WRONG!! A little over one week later, the flu took me by the throat and refused to let go for a few weeks. A lingering cough wrecked my throat and made it really hard to talk. Of course that has no effect on a blogger, but it sure does put a damper on Youtube productivity. I still have a little bit of a cough, which is annoying beyond verbal description, but I am healthier and more energized than I was last month. I have a few more updates for you so keep on reading.
• I turned twenty-three on November 5th. Physically, I don’t look my age thanks to Baby Face Syndrome, but I am right on track mentally; I spend most of my time stressing about adult decisions and responsibilities. Growing up is awesome! 😭 In all seriousness, I had a fantastic birthday. I watched Christmas movies in the morning, ate Greek food with my family in the afternoon, visited Barnes & Noble in the evening (I may or may not have walked out with 2 books), & watched Impractical Jokers with my brother before bed. Not a bad day! 😊
• Allow me to introduce you to my new obsession: zoo live cams! For people who can’t afford frequent trips to the zoo, live videos of eight different animals are available on the San Diego Zoo website. Go ahead! Give in to your curiosity and take a peek! Hint: They are more active during the day, tigers excluded.
• I’m almost done with the 2016 Reading Challenge. I only have two more categories to complete. I will be posting a detailed update soon; in the meantime you can follow my Pinterest board and see all the books I’ve been reading.
I also joined the reading challenge on Goodreads by pledging to read at least 45 books before the end of the year. Find me using this link to see what books I have read:
• I reached 100 subscribers on Youtube!! From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far. I can’t wait to see what else the future holds. If you aren’t already subscribed, follow the link & hit the red button to become a member of my Youtube family and receive notifications every time I upload videos.
My channel is lifestyle just like this blog so I’m positive you will enjoy the content. Subscriptions are free and only require a Google account, Gmail included. I would really appreciate your support! Blogging brings me so much fulfillment as a writer, and Youtube is the whipped cream on top of a creativity sundae. 😄
• Fear not fellow Christmas enthusiasts! Artmas & Blogmas are already on my radar and officially in production. Due to my retail job, I might be a little more absent than usual this year, but I will be posting come hell or high water. Sit back, relax, & take a trip down memory lane to mentally prepare.
Normally I steer clear of discussions involving ethnicity, but I saw a video the other day that frustrated me and can keep my mouth shut no longer. The whole point of talking about prejudice is promoting appreciation and respect for people from every corner of the world. No one ethnicity is better than the others. This world is so large and diverse and intriguing. I constantly find myself searching the internet for hours learning about different countries. Cultures are fascinating to me, especially those that make up my own heritage. I’m proud of who God made me to be therefore I physically hurt when I see people ashamed of and unhappy with who they are. I was watching a group of people take DNA tests on YouTube the other day, and one man was upset with his results. He wasn’t upset in an explosive way, just disappointed. His results showed that the majority of his ancestors came from different parts of Europe. His exact words were “I’m just a… basically just a white guy. I’m a little disappointed. I thought I might be something cool.” Of course he has the right to be disappointed, and it’s not like he flipped out or overreacted. I don’t want to blame him directly because he didn’t do anything wrong, but I do want to make a point. Europe consists of more than 40 countries and shares a land border with Asia. It is anything but boring, and labeling European as “white” is a disservice. Aside from my Sephardic heritage, I am European (as far as I know). I am Jewish and Spanish on my mom’s side and English, Irish, and Scottish on my dad’s side; additionally, there is a possibility of Arab ancestry on my mom’s side and French on my dad’s side. I have no problem identifying as Caucasian, but it isn’t a label I use often because my heritage deserves much more than a shallow adjective. I encourage each and every one of you to dig beneath the surface and learn as much as you can about your heritage. If you feel pressure to be ashamed and not care, don’t give in to the pettiness. Set a good example by appreciating where you come from and respecting where others come from. If your attitude and heart are in the right place, that is the best you can do.
Wow! I really need to do a better job of balancing my blogs. I set out to write an even amount of posts on each but always end up focusing on one or the other. Sorry about that! If you want to see what I have been up to, go check out my art blog: https://laurenmichelephotography.wordpress.com/
I am back and ready to do some reflecting. My family has been reunited for 3 months and finally, as of earlier this month, live in a house. We were previously living in a loft above someone else’s garage, a space meant for two people max (+ a small child). It feels amazing to spread out, have my own room, and not live out of boxes. There are many day-to-day things that I took for granted before. I don’t want to make this some cheesy promise that my outlook has changed, and I will never take the small things for granted again. I am human, and I will mistakes, However, the adventure I have been on these past few years has definitely taught me to be grateful for the mundane. I have an actual bed to sleep in, not an uncomfortable couch. I have a closet and a dresser, not boxes and suitcases. I have my own sink, and the shower has hot water. I have plenty of space to exercise without tripping over a box or having to let someone pass me. I have cable and Wi-Fi, not a DVD player and internet the speed of a snail. I have kitchen appliances, not just a microwave for ramen and a refrigerator for sandwich ingredients. I have the choice not to balance my plate on a pillow and eat on the couch because there is a table. The list goes on and on. Those struggles are nowhere near being the worst that could happen, but they were hard to go through just the same. The past three years were not easy, but I will cherish the memories for the rest of my life. Getting up at 4 am with my mom to hike and take landscape photographs for my portfolio so I could graduate college and reunite with my brother and dad. Eating ice cream and watching movies with my mom in the one and only furnished bedroom in our old house. Having Christmas dinner at a Mexican restaurant because the loft didn’t have a full kitchen. Squeezing four people onto a three person couch for family movie night.
I must ride on to my next adventure (guess the reference, and we are instant BFFs). Have a great week! I will be back very soon.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene
“Things may never go back to normal. You may need to create a new normal. And that’s okay.” – Unknown
On Monday I left Texas, my home of 13 years. My family’s 6-bedroom house provided shelter to 26 people, not including me, my parents, and my brother; I always had extended family around me. On Tuesday I arrived in California, my new home; my family currently lives in a one-bedroom apartment above a garage. Quite the adventure we are on!! The picture you see above is my room, an empty room bursting at the seams full of memories. It is amazing to recall all the things that took place in that space: Babysitting, beauty transformations, concerts, counseling, dance practice, dreams, doll shenanigans, dramatic dress up, DVD viewings, emotional breakdowns, exercise sessions, fashion shows, fights, hide-and-seek, 2+ hour phone calls, illness rehabilitation, internet browsing, late night reading, outfit planning, schoolwork, and sleepovers. One last thing: Me and my best friend Gabby officially became friends in that room thanks to “Lord of the Beans.” I moved to Texas when I was 8, and I am now 21. My middle school, junior high, high school, and college years took place in that state. Many different struggles and transitions took place in that house; perhaps now you have a better idea of why it is so special to me. It is bittersweet to move on, but I will always carry the memories with me in my heart.
Treasure each moment readers! You never know when you will be uprooted and replanted.
Lauren Michele ❤️ 