I don’t even know where to begin so I’ll start by saying ‘m deeply sorry for disappearing. My blogs mean the world to me, but 2021 kicked my butt. PERIOD. Drama went down at my retail job, & when I could no longer handle the stress mentally & physically, I put in my two weeks. The cherry on top of being unemployed was not getting a job I really wanted three months after applying. I made the decision to enjoy the last two months of the year & do something I never do: enjoy family time during the holidays! In typical Lauren form, I didn’t keep my promise. Well, technically my family did make some great memories in November & December. However, my workaholic tendencies reared their ugly head, & I worked myself into the ground. I’m so exhausted & need a vacation from my two-month vacation, as ridiculous as that sounds. Going into the new year, I have one potential job on my radar. I’m terrified & want to throw up every time I think about going through the application process again, but my sad bank account is pushing me forward. I have no choice! I have to get a job NOW. I’m feeling a fresh wave of nausea talking about this so let’s move on & take a look at what productivity I did manage during 2021:
• My college photography throwback series continues on Instagram; I post on Memory Monday, Take Me Back Tuesday, Wayback Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, & Flashback Friday.
Let’s take a look at the numbers: I ended 2021 with 488 art blog followers (down from 497), 475 lifestyle blog followers (exactly the same), & 322 subscribers + 154.3K views (up from 293 & 140,868).
I could let those numbers discourage me, but there were things in 2021 that were beyond my control. It wasn’t possible for me to be more active unless I wanted to make myself sick so, in the wise words of Elsa, I’m choosing to Let It Go. I’m currently looking for a work-from-home job which would give me more freedom to be creative on the side. If all goes well, you’ll hear from me again very soon. 💕
It’s a gross understatement to say 2020 was a rough year so I won’t say it. Instead I’ll look forward to the new year with cautious optimism & lots of prayer. Speaking of prayer, I recently heard Joshua Aaron’s Hebrew cover of the song The Blessing, & it is a spiritual experience. It’s the perfect prayer to lead us into the coming year so I recommend you find a quiet spot, close your eyes, & let the song wash over you. Wishing you & yours a healthy 2021! 💙
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” ’ “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”– Numbers 6:22-27
Yevarechecha Adonai, VeYishmerecha • The LORD bless you and keep you • יְבָרֶכְךָ יהוה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
Ya’er Adonai Panav Eleycha ViChuneka • Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you • יָאֵר יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
Yisa Adonai Panav Eleycha, VeYasem Lecha Shalom • The LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace • יִשָּׂא יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
Yehi chasdo aleicha le’alfei dorot • May His favor be upon you to a thousand generations • יהי חסדו עליך לאלפי דורות
Mishpachtecha viladecha • Your family and your children • משפחתך וילדיך
Dorotecha achareicha • Your generations after you • דורותיך אחריך
Rucho telech lefaneicha • May His presence go before you • רוחו תלך לפניך
Letsidecha achareicha • Beside you and behind you • לצידך, אחריך
Misvivecha belibecha • All around you and within you • מסביבך, בליבך
Hu itcha • He is with you • הוא איתך
Baboker uvaerev • In the morning in the evening • בבוקר ובערב
Betzetecha uvoecha • In your going and your coming • בצאתך ובואך
B’sivlotecha beoshrecha • In your weeping and rejoicing • בסבלותיך ואושרך
Hu itcha • He is for you • הוא איתך
Hu itanu im kulanu • He is for us, He is with us • הוא איתנו עם כולנו
• The world lost Kobe Bryant & his daughter Gianna along with Alyssa, John, & Keri Altobelli, Ara Zobayan, Christina Mauser, & Payton & Sarah Chester. Kobe was my favorite athlete & one of my biggest inspirations; I still don’t have the words to describe the deep sorrow I feel or how much I miss him. 💔
“The ABC Murders” by Agatha Christie ( ✔️ Clairvoyance – Read a 5-Star Prediction ✔️ Tome Champion – Finish One Book ✔️ Magi Might – Read a Book With Purple on the Cover )
Let’s take a look at the numbers: I ended 2020 with 497 art blog followers (up from 486), 475 lifestyle blog followers (up from 472), & 293 subscribers + 140,868 views (up from 274 & 121,601). I must admit those numbers are extremely disappointing & feel like a slap in the face after a year of work. Even though I wasn’t very active creatively, I put my all into every single blog post & video I produced. I’m letting my self stew in misery for a bit, but then I’m going to suck it up, hold my head high, & do better in 2021.Onwards & upwards! ➡️ ⬆️
📖 This Bible verse feels very appropriate after the year we just endured so I’m leaving you with Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to break down and a time to build up; A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain and a time to lose; A time to keep and a time to throw away; A time to tear and a time to sew; A time to keep silence and a time to speak; A time to love and a time to hate; A time of war and a time of peace.”
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*Note: I don’t like to label things as “trashy” because I consider that insensitive to both author & reader. I did a google search for “trashy YA” after both Twilight & Vampire Academy fell through, & this book popped up. I went with it because it was available to me on Scribd.
– N o v e m b e r 1 2 t h t o D e c e m b e r 1 1 t h –
*Note: Even though I didn’t win the Disney Plus Dream Job contest, I decided to continue with my 30-day marathon. You can expect a variety of throwback shows & beloved movies as well as my thoughts on the brand new app.
*Note: I worked most of December & got sick so some of my holiday content was SUUUPER late.
After my Disney Plus failure, I decided to get back on the horse & try again. I entered the CenturyLink Hallmark Movie Dream Job contest, and . . . I lost again. 😂 I made lemonade out of lemons & did a “25 Days of Hallmark” marathon. Each day I picked one old Christmas movie & one new one from a Kurt Adler advent calendar, amounting to 50 movies total. Enjoy!
Farewell to Carl Ruiz (chef), Carol Channing (actress & singer), Caroll Spinney (Big Bird & Oscar the Grouch puppeteer), Lee Mendelson (Peanuts producer), Luke Perry (actor), Gabe Khouth (actor), Georgia Engel ( actress), Peggy Lipton (actress), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Rene Auberjonois (actor), Rip Torn (actor), Robert Forster (actor), Russi Taylor (voice of Minnie Mouse), Ron Leibman (actor), Stanley Donen (choreographer & director), Tim Conway (actor & comedian), & Tyler Skaggs (Los Angeles Angels pitcher).
Let’s take a look at some numbers from the past year: I ended 2019 with 486 art blog followers ( up from 431 ), 472 lifestyle blog followers ( up from 420 ), & 274 subscribers + 121,601 views ( up from 244 & 88,153 ). To be honest, those numbers are disheartening. I didn’t see significant growth in 2019, & that is a knife to my heart. That being said, I accept partial blame. Even though some rough patches were out of my control, others fall on me. I felt unmotivated for most of the year which led to getting behind on work & producing content months after production. It was a quarter life crisis that really got to me, & I’m determined to be much better this year. This is a new decade, a new chapter in my life, a chance to refocus & reap more fruit from my labor. 2020s, I’m about to kick butt & take names. Watch out! 💥
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It is time to say goodbye to the past year and look ahead to a brand new chapter. Out with the old & in with the new! I know this has not been a great year of consistency on my blog, and for that I am deeply sorry. I can only promise to try my very best to do better in 2019 and move on. Walk with me down memory lane & see what my year looked like:
Farewell to Anita Shreve (author of “Stella Bain”), Aretha Franklin (singer), Barbara Bush (former First Lady), Billy Graham (evangelist), Burt Reynolds (actor), Charles Lazarus (founder of Toys “R” Us), Dorcas Reilly (creator of green bean casserole), George H.W. Bush (41st president of the United States), Jerry Maren (Wizard of Oz), John Mahoney (Frasier), John McCain (politician & Vietnam War veteran), Kate Spade (designer), Ken Berry (actor), Ed King (co-writer of “Sweet Home Alabama”), Luis Valbuena (baseball player, former Los Angeles Angel), Mike Taylor (Walk Off the Earth), Nanette Fabray (actress), Penny Marshall (Laverne & Shirley), Scott Wilson (Walking Dead), Sigi Schmid (former LA Galaxy coach), Stan Lee (comic book editor, publisher, & writer, co-created Dr. Strange & Spider-Man with Steve Ditko), Stephen Hillenburg (creator of Spongebob Squarepants), Steve Ditko (comic book artist & writer, co-created Dr. Strange & Spider-Man with Stan Lee), & Verne Troyer (Austin Powers movies, Jingle All the Way, & Men in Black).
Let’s take a look at some numbers as inspiration for the coming year: I ended 2018 with 431 art blog followers (up from 357), 420 lifestyle blog followers (up from 346), & 244 Youtube subscribers / 88,153 views (up from 188 & 72,815). I look forward to growing my internet family in 2019. Onward & upward! ➡️ ⬆️
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I did it! With 45 minutes to spare on New Year’s Eve, I completed both of my reading challenges for 2016. Here is what I read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge:
I told myself I wouldn’t do it, but here I am. I’ve decided to once again do the Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge. Keep reading to find out my tentative list for the twelve categories.
📚 A Book You Chose For the Cover – The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi
I found this gem in my local library’s teeny tiny used bookstore. The bright yellow bird against a blue background hooked me, and the murder mystery synopsis reeled me in. I’m trying my best not to build expectations, but I really hope this book is as good as I want it to be.
📚 A Book With a Reputation for Being Un-Put-Down-Able – Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about this book. Some people have said it’s one of their favorite books/duologies ever written. Of course I’m going to start with the first book, but I am optimistic that I will be purchasing book two very soon.
📚 A Book Set Somewhere You’ve Never Been But Would Like to Visit – The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
Fun fact: I am dying to visit Egypt!! Egyptology is one of my favorite subjects to learn about.
📚 A Book You’ve Already Read – The Rook by Steven James
The Patrick Bowers Files series is AMAZING. To be fair, I’ve only read the first two books, but how could it possibly go downhill from there?? I would actually like to read a few of the books in this series in 2017, but I’m setting the bar low so I don’t get too stressed. I want these reading challenges to remain fun!
📚 A Juicy Memoir – In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox by Carol Burnett
DUH! Who wouldn’t want to read behind-the-scenes stories about The Carol Burnett Show?!
📚 A Book About Books or Reading – Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett
This book is part of one of my favorite cozy mystery series. It has been on my shelf for a few years, and it’s about time I got around to reading it. Fun Fact: The main character’s cat is named Miss Marple. How cute is that?!
📚 A Book in a Genre You Usually Avoid – The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
I rarely read and enjoy contemporary books outside of the mystery genre, but I’m willing to give this book a chance since it revolves around books.
📚 A Book You Don’t Want to Admit You’re Dying to Read – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
I’m not embarrassed about this book. It’s just weird to admit that I’ve never read such a beloved series. My aunt was kind enough to give me the first book for my birthday so I will definitely be reading it this year.
📚 A Book in the Backlist of a New Favorite Author – Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar
I received all of the books Tessa Afshar has published thus far as Christmas and Hanukkah gifts. I don’t want to set myself up for failure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I finish all of them before January 1, 2018.
📚 A Book Recommended by Someone With Great Taste – As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers
My friend Gabby recommended the Mark of the Lion series years ago, and I finally got around to reading books one and two in 2015. The experience was so unbelievably mind blowing that I had to take a break. There is no longer a good excuse so I need to pick up book three NOW.
📚 A Book You Were Excited to Borrow or Buy But Haven’t Read Yet – The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
I am on pins and needles waiting to read this book. I’m going to watch the movie with my brother first since that’s what I did with Gone Girl. I realize that sounds like reader sacrilege, but I’m not your average bibliophile. Watching the movie first or liking it better doesn’t bother me. ;)
📚 A Book About a Subject or Topic You Already Love – Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
I haven’t actually seen the musical yet, but I am obsessed with the story and soundtrack. I liked The Wizard of Oz growing up but fell out of love with it for a period of time. Listening to the Wicked soundtrack every day has made me fall back in love with Oz, and I am ready to read the story that started it all. I am on page 32 and loving it so far. 💚
Continuing to stew in nostalgia, I watched this movie Thursday night, and it did not disappoint. The influence of Sherlock Holmes is evident in all the right ways. The overall style and vibe is Victorian and dark, and the dialogue is witty. There are easter eggs that are sure to put a smile on your face:
1. Mr. Holmes resides at 221 Baker Street. Basil resides at 221 1/2 Baker Street
2. Basil’s small, cozy home is located under and resembles Sherlock Holmes’ residence.
3. Basil’s name refers to an alias of Sherlock Holmes and actor Basil Rathbone known for his film role as Holmes.
4. Basil’s wardrobe and personality are obviously inspired by the famous detective. The cape, hat, magnifying glass, and quirks are all there.
5. What is Holmes without Watson?? I give you Dr. David Q. Dawson, the mouse version of Dr. John H. Watson.
6. Sherlock Holmes’ shadow and voice make an appearance. Because Basil Rathbone had passed away before this movie was made, an audio clip from a previous film was used.
This was meant to be posted on December 26th, but alas it was not. C’est la vie! I am about to take you on a journey through my family’s Christmas adventures hence the photograph reminiscent of “Polar Express” courtesy of Jeannette Oerlemans. I must start with Christmas Eve because we committed the ultimate sin: opening presents. I felt serious anxiety and guilt after doing so. However, after some research, I realized that many people open presents on Christmas Eve. Definitely did NOT know this!! I feel a bit better but do not plan on making Christmas Eve present-opening a tradition. It feels sacrilegious! Moving on to December 25th, 2014. Since the presents were already opened (Oh the shame!!), we slept in a few hours before getting ready and venturing into the outside world. We saw our annual Christmas movie which was “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” Much anticipated and sooooo good!! A satisfying end to an amazing trilogy. Fun fact: Each installment of the Hobbit trilogy has been our Christmas movie for the past 3 years. After the movie, we headed over to our Christmas lunch/dinner destination: Sizzler. I know, I know. Holiday meal of champions! In our defense, not much was open, and we are not able to cook in our current living space. After the 2 1/2 hour movie, we were starving and ready to chow down. Bad news. Sizzler was PACKED. Apparently that was not a very original idea. We drove around the shopping center praying that something else was open. Guess where we ended up? Eating Mexican food while listening to un televisión. My parents and brother were almost done with their food by the time my torta came out. I was pretty annoyed, but it was HUGE and very delicious. We ended the day in pajamas watching “The Santa Clause” 1 & 2 and eating Christmas goodies from grandma. Christmas 2014 was definitely unconventional, but it was fun day spent with family. I will never forget it!
Blogmas 2014 is now officially over. See you next year! Stay merry readers. Only 359 until Christmas…
Good evening readers! So, here’s the deal. I am once again feeling less than jolly tonight, but instead of being “Bah Humbug”, I want to improve my mood. We are going to have some fun and do some Christmas-themed quizzes together. I have chosen one quiz from each of my favorite quiz websites. Feel free to explore and find more on your own. Warning: they are addictive and will take up hours of your time. Let’s do this…
Which Christmas decoration fits your personality? “You got a Christmas Tree! Everyone and anyone can feel the awe and majesty that you can give any room. And it is in that moment, that the beholder knows that it is finally Christmas. You are the decorations of decorations, as you yourself, are in turn decorated again with hangings, lights, and ornaments of all shapes and sizes. From house to house, you are incredibly personal, as no two of you are alike. Some like you so much, they don’t take you down until Spring!” I have no words. This is both the funniest and the most flattering compliment I have ever received. I am obsessed with Christmas time so I don’t have a hard time believing I ooze Christmas spirit. But awe and majesty? That makes me sound pompous. Here is the link to the quiz: http://www.playbuzz.com/avibwx10/which-christmas-decoration-fits-your-personality
Which foreign Christmas tradition are you? “You are throwing food at the ceiling. In the UK you’ll be shouted at if you don’t eat the food put in front of you, but in Slovakia you’ll be expected to throw food at the ceiling. It’s thought that a spoonful of turkey and gravy lobbed at the ceiling on Christmas Eve by the head of the household will predict how much luck the family has the next year. The more food that sticks to the ceiling, the better their luck. Unless, of course, you’re the person who has to clean it up.” What does this say about me? Apparently I get major holiday mood swings. Fair enough considering my love/hate relationship with Christmas spirit this year. Here is the link to the quiz: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jackdanielsuk/which-foreign-christmas-tradition-are-you?b=1
Can we guess your favorite Christmas movie? “It’s a Wonderful Life. Forget about all these newfangled holiday movies – you’re into the classics. You love a feel-good movie with a message, and every time a bell rings you’re positive an angel gets its wings. You like nothing more than gathering around the TV with the people you love to carry on the Christmas tradition of watching George Bailey learn how to appreciate life.” False. This is not my favorite movie, and I do not hate modern holiday films. However, I do love feel-good movies with a message, and I do treasure traditions shared with family so this result is 50% inaccurate. If you are wondering, my favorite holiday movies are “Old Fashioned Thanksgiving” and “Nativity Story.” Here is the link to the quiz: http://www.zimbio.com/quiz/7kYouobapL1/Can+Guess+Favorite+Christmas+Movie
I hope you enjoy these quizzes as much as I did. Feel free to comment and let me know what result you got and how you feel about it. Stay merry readers!
– Lauren Michele :)
What does December have that other months don’t have? The letter D.
How did Scrooge win the football game? The ghost of Christmas passed.
What kind of motorcycle would Santa ride? A Holly Davidson
Why was Santa’s elf depressed? He had low elf esteem.
What did the reindeer say before beginning his comedy routine? This will sleigh you.
Lauren Michele ❤️ 
