Kawaii

Goodbye, hair.

Laur: Goodbye Hair

Beth and I just got back from a hair consultation at the salon we're doing the photoshoot for in September. Shelly, the stylist that's working on Beth, deep conditioned her hair today and gave it a cut (just in preparation) and Stephanie, my stylist, consulted me on what she had planned for my style. She wanted to make sure that I was comfortable with what she had planned and wondered if I had any suggestions towards the look. Personally, I loved all the pictures she showed me and what she had to say. What I know right now: my hair will be cut in an even shorter way than it is now in a choppy, messy look and dyed (with streaks?) in reds, light browns, and gentle golds. Thank god, she said she wanted to stay away from any blonde coloring so I won't have to look like what I despise the most! (No offense to blondes, because some look beautiful, but the ones I've seen-- particularly the ones in Wisconsin-- are nasty looking with their fake baked bodies and poorly dyed blonde hair.)

Sunlight B & W

After waiting for Beth's conditioning for about two hours, we got the information we needed and left. (By the way, it's so cool to go into a salon, get work done, and then walk out without having to pay. That never happens.) We're going in for our "work" on the 15th and then the actual photoshoot is on the 17th, the following Monday. The part about this whole fiasco that bothers me is that I'm going to have to miss a day of classes because of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm normally all about skipping out on school and using every opportunity and excuse to do it, but... I hate missing school so early on in the semester. That means that when there's a day I don't want to go to class or a day when I can't because I'm sick, I won't be able to because of an afternoon photoshoot. It's a new experience though so I don't think I'll have any regrets.

I'll be posting pictures of our new hairstyles after the show or the day we get it done. It should be fun to see. I've never had my hair that short before.

"I wonder if they're twins..."

Tokidoki Kiss

I finally got the pictures of my whole Tokidoki bag uploaded. I know I've been obsessing over it for a few days now, but getting something this special and having such an experience in the process almost never happens... so I really take advantage of when it does happen. I feel really lucky to have gotten a bag with the whole scene print instead of the scene being chopped up. A lot of the bags there were like that. The postcard I'm holding in the other pictures is one of the free gifts I received. I forgot to take a photo of the fan too, but oh well. I don't wanna Tokidoki myself out. I'm sure I already have with anyone that's read my posts here.

Question: Is anyone familiar with fabric? Simone also signed the strap on my bag (white ink on a sporty black material) and I'm afraid that it's going to wash away if I use my bag, even if I'm really careful with it. I went to Jo-Ann's the other day and the employees there weren't much help. One of them suggested Scotch Guard so I bought that, but I have a feeling that the spray will only protect the fabric, not the ink. I haven't used it yet in fear of ruining the ink. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tokidoki Bag (front side)

I'm down at the apartment today. Beth and I had to go to the Union to get our books. Of course, only TWO of the six books I need for one of my English classes was there. I hate waiting for books to be restocked, especially since my first book needs to be finished by September 11th. I really wanted to get a head start on it. Beth's going to take Josh to a hair appointment so I get the place to myself. It's not too hot here so it's the perfect day.

On a side note: I love the looks Beth and I get when we walk side-by-side. It's the "hmm, I wonder if they're twins" look. Some people actually start to ask us if we're waiting for change at a register or at a streetlight, but then they decide against it and shut their mouths. I think it's funny and I'm never annoyed by it unless people blatantly stare. Then that just weirds me out.

Oh, Alice...

Alice In Wonderland

Alice: an obsession, a love, a fixation, a simple girl with a white furry white rabbit. Ah, I love Alice and her Wonderland. I'm extremely excited about the movies coming out about Alice. I didn't realize how soon they'd be out. I don't know a lot about them right now but I plan on doing a little research to find out more.

I've been pretty busy the past few days, which means my online time has been cut short. The next few days are going to be semi-hectic as well. Beth and I are going down to campus to buy books for our classes and then hang out in Milwaukee for a while tomorrow. Wednesday is set aside for finding school supplies for Thursday's plan, which is taking down all the stuff we'll be needing for the apartment and school. And then on Thursday we'll be going to the hair salon to see what's going on for the photoshoot in September. Sheesh, I feel tired thinking about this week. I usually just like relaxing right before school starts.

I've been having the time of my life with Shawn lately. I can't really explain it. I've always been connected to Shawn in some sense but lately it seems like we're even more in tune with each other than ever. I think part of the reason is because he's reaching out to other friends for fun, not just me. I mean, I love my time with Shawn but every person needs a friend outlet, a group of people to turn to for goofing off. Shawn and I have spent so much time together in the four years we've been dating that I think we've grown up too much at times. In the last year, we've learned how to balance our time between friends and each other. I think the fact that we've grown up individually has also helped. I've learned to appreciate my time by myself and with my close friends and I don't bother Shawn when he's out with his friends anymore. I used to feel, I don't know, jealous... that Shawn was spending time with people other than me. I'd text message the hell out of my phone just to get a response. It's different now. I don't need that recognition from Shawn 24/7. Yay, what a good feeling!

Through my head.

Here are some random thoughts/facts running through my head at the moment:

• 

  Lauren a la Natural
  I ordered the new Hi-Fructose (Vol. III) magazine and probably shouldn't have since I have zero money.
• My four year anniversary with Shawn is coming up and I'm desperate for money for his presents.
• I might possible have to sell one of my dolls to pay for Shawn's presents. I don't know how I'm going to do this since I already sold all the girls I wasn't attached to.
• Getting out of the house today would be peachy since I'm not on good terms with Dad (again), yet I don't feel like making the effort of getting ready to leave the house, mwa ha.
• Why has it rained every day since Beth and I got home?
• I like rain... a lot.
• I never realized how many people spend hours a day on Facebook. How? It's a nice but simple site so there's not much to do on there.
• I lost two more pounds in California and I didn't try (again). Eating healthy is getting so much easier.
• I gave my three piggies a bath and they were all angels. <3 them so much.
• Going to the apartment is on the top of my priorities list since I want to upload and edit full photos of my Tokidoki bag.
• Shawn starts school on Monday and I'm sad that I won't be seeing him as often.
• I'm in a surprisingly good mood considering how life has been throwing huge rocks at me lately.
• I think I complain way too much.

QotD: You Gotta See This

What movie would you really recommend renting or seeing this weekend?

Like I've mentioned before, I'm very picky when it comes to watching movies.

Brick

I don't go out to the movie theatre every weekend and pick a random movie to watch. At most, I see about six movies a year in theatres because most of the mainstream movies that come out these days are pure crap. I have, however, seen two movies in the last two weeks (on DVD) that I really loved... that are now on my favorites list.

The first film is Brick, which was recommended to me by Misty. If I were to describe this movie, I'd say it's one long and beautiful poetic tangle of events that involve love, drugs, violence and suburban decay. It stars one of my favorite actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and another favorite actress of mine (whom I love and adore), Emilie de Ravin. Joseph is on a mission to find his love's killer and the story in which she was involved in slowly sucks him in as well. The way the film was made was extremely imaginative in my eyes, and the fact that it seemed more like an indie movie was probably the main factor that made it so appealing. So beautiful. I've seen Joseph in comedies, in romances, in all different types of scenarios, and this film really showed me how his dramatic acting skills are growing. Most people know Emilie from the show Lost, but I know her from a much earlier show in her acting career: Roswell. It was and still is my favorite show on tv, even though it was cancelled a few years back. She's always been the crazy teen and this one isn't an exception. Gotta love the twisted people...

Crash (Widescreen Edition)

The second film I fell for was Crash. (What's with the one-worded titles? I have no clue. I'm just drawn to 'em, I suppose.) This film won a lot of awards and was recognized by a lot of critics, which I know is a turn-off to a lot of the public, but I take critics seriously. I don't let them guide my movie taste but I do take what they have to say into consideration. This plot involved a long chain of events through several individuals whose lives are somehow intertwined through racism and religion, power and deceit. The themes of this movie were most likely what drew the critics to such positive opinions of the acting and plot. I don't blame them. Not only was the film packed with good actors (Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, etc.) but the way the story unfolded to the viewers is something very hard to grasp to the common person. As an avid movie watcher, I appreciate it when directors and writers treat me like an intelligent human being who care enough about the world to take stories like this one seriously. I don't want to get too much into the plot because I think it's one that needs to be figured out when seeing it for yourself.

I highly recommend both movies.

San Diego: Day By Day (Part II)

Thursday (8/17) The plane ride there went very smoothly. It actually seemed longer than the ride back. Beth and I met Kathryn's roommates, Chelsey and Alex. Chelsey was a real sweetheart and seemed like someone I'd be friends with at school, and Alex was a great guy. He was from Texas (I think) and had a faint southern accent. For the next few days, I remember hearing "ya'll" quite a bit.

Colors, I Love You.

Friday (8/18) I went to the beach for the first time in years. (It took us about an hour and a half to get to the beach because the parking was crazy.) The only other time I had seen the ocean was years back on a day when it was freezing in California. This time, however, I was given a chance to go INTO the ocean water. (I now know why it's called salt water. Blech. A few mouthfulls of it will really make a person think.) Kathryn and I stayed in the water for a long time. We floated with the waves and got carried across the surface. The ocean is no pool, that's for sure. I found out that I love the natural waves, not the fake ones made by people in hotel or house pools. What cheap imitations of something so wonderful... Anyway, after that, we all went out for icecream. Later on that night, Kathryn took just Beth and me out to dinner where I had the most amazing barbeque beef sandwich. It was a good way to start off our stay there.

God, You're Beautiful.

Saturday (8/19) Kathryn, Alex, Beth and I went to another beach. This one was deemed "the crappy beach" by Kathryn since it wasn't as popular as the previous one we had been to, nor did it seem to be taken care of as much. It was Kathryn's favorite beach though and it became my favorite as well. There was something simple about it that I found very beautiful. The ocean stretched out forever and hardly anyone was there. The waves were even bigger than the other day but the water was freezing. We didn't stay in long. It was so blue... Later that night, as a going away dinner (Alex and Chelsey were moving out the next day), Alex made an amazing dinner for all of us girls and himself: chicken in a lemony sauce and seasoning with pasta.

Sunday (8/20) (Refer to my last entry for a more detailed description of my Tokidoki day.) I met Simone Legno that day and had a bittersweet time in Los Angeles.

Monday (8/21) Kathryn dropped Beth and me off at a mall in downtown San Diego. It was the first time I realized that, oh yeah, malls weren't going to be in-door in a place that is always 70 degrees and sunny. After the mall, which basically had all the stores that exist in Wisconsin, we wandered around the streets and found a vintage thrift store. An adorable guy owned the store and talked to me while Beth tried on clothes. He was a designer and had made a bunch of the clothes in the store. Pictures of music albums (the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs being one of them) and John Travolta in 80's movies donned the thick painted orange walls. That was probably the one time I felt like I wasn't in Wisconsin anymore. Everything else in San Diego seemed a little duller in color than the midwest and felt basically the same... except for this store. Beth and I had fun shopping for about three hours but the last two and a half hours were extremely boring after that. We waited in Starbucks until Kathryn called to let us know she was coming to pick us up. Later on that night, we watched Crash, which was an amazing movie. I'll probably mention it in another entry sometime.

Cali: Thrift Store

Tuesday (8/22) As our last whole day there, Beth and I wanted to both rest and enjoy ourselves. Kathryn dropped us off at another outdoor mall (still so crazy to me!) and we shopped for about five hours. *dies* I ended up buying presents for Mom and Kathleen. We got bored after about an hour of shopping beause, yet again, we realized that all the stores in California were basically the same as the ones in Wisconsin, all except for the crazy-expensive stores like Macy's and Saks. Beth and I bought Kathryn a thank you present at Build-A-Bear: a stuffed doggy in a doctor outfit (since Kathryn is in school to become an OBGYN, which yes, we tease her about still). We didn't know it but Kathryn had the same outfit on a koala bear from BAB. She loved that she had two of the same. It was our last night there so we took the night pretty easy. We watched tv and talked until we fell asleep.

Wednesday (8/23) Beth and I woke up early for our flight back to Wisconsin. There was a little turbulence on the first plane to Denver but other than that, we arrived in Wisconsin a lot earlier than expected. On a side note, the baggage claim for airports is just disgusting. They screwed up the place where our plane was supposed to pick up our luggage... twice. It took us a half hour just to find the right place. I'm happy to be home though.

Grr, Sweeties!

Overall, both good and bad things happened during my vacation. I didn't get into the details but I have a feeling they'll come up in upcoming entries. California was nice but I don't think I could ever call it a place I'd want to live-- for myself, at least. I know how Kathryn loves her state and how much other people adore it and that's great for them but it's not my first choice of residence. I love the four seasons of the midwest and the east coast and can't imagine living without all the rain, all the snow, all the changes in the weather, that take place here. Having sunny 70 degree weather is nice but it's like having Christmas everyday... I don't think I'd be able to appreciate the changes in weather and lifestyle the way I've learned to at home. I did, however, realize that I love to travel and see new places. I plan on doing it a lot more so I can get a better feel for what I like and dislike about the world. <3

San Diego: Tokidoki Style (Part I)

I'm happy to be back home. ^_^ I figure that since I had so many different experiences in San Diego, I should probably split up my entries so I can organize my thoughts.

Bittersweet on the Sidewalk

This entry is dedicated to my Tokidoki experience. When Beth and I arrived in California and Kathryn picked us up, Beth casually mentioned my wanting to go to Los Angeles for Simone's signing that was taking place on Sunday. Kathryn thought it sounded cool and said she wouldn't mind driving the three of us to L.A. I couldn't believe it. I was so unbelievably happy. When Sunday rolled around, we all got up early, made the pilgrimage to L.A., and waited for the fun to start. (The photo to the left is of me holding my new messenger bag while I waited in line on the sidewalk to see Simone. I think that was the only smile I made that day. Another photo of me was taken of me looking miserable on the sidewalk-- a good counterpart to this one.)

Well, the fun never exactly started. I was pumped. They seemed pretty excited, too. On the drive there, I noticed that I was starting to get cramps-- not a good sign. I tried to put the thought behind me and focus on the next few hours that were ahead of me but it wouldn't work. As soon as we arrived in L.A., spotted Terra (the store Simone was signing at), and found a parking spot, I darted into Terra. There were about ten people waiting in line outside to see Simone but I still had about 20 minutes until he would start seeing people. The store allowed customers to still come in so they could purchase Tokidoki merchandise they could have signed. I went right to the counter to find a Tokidoki messenger bag. (Oh, I knew what I wanted.) I looked at a couple of bags and picked a bright pink one that had the cutest designs on it... ever.

Simone Legno

As happy as I was to get it, I couldn't help but look around for the bathroom while I paid. After I did that, I asked an employee to use the bathroom. The employees seemed skeptical about taking me back, but after some hesitation, one of them agreed to take me back to the only bathroom. On my way back, I looked into a room on the left and saw someone-- Simone sitting at a table with a few other people. I grinned, thinking how cool it was that I got a sneak peek at him before anyone else could. After that, I went into the bathroom and found a surprise: I was lucky enough to get my period. YAY. I was pissed and the cramps had only started to hit. When I opened the door, this huge bodyguard was standing to my left. He had appeared out of nowhere. He must have sensed my surprise (and my distress) because he asked, "Are you oh kay?" I told him I was fine and smiled. Beth and Kathryn waited for me outside and I joined them to wait in line so I could officially meet Simone.

Simone With... ME.

Let me add right now that I'm not a normal girl who gets normal periods. (Sorry to any guy that comes across this entry.) When I get mine, I get it bad. I get full out sick: fever, cramps, throwing up, etc. I had to rush to the Indian food restaurant a few stores down just so I could throw up and then go wait back in line. They let a few people in at a time and after about two hours of waiting (even though there were only 20 people there at the time) I finally got to meet Simone. He was so incredibly sweet and bashful. I loved it! He had what I expected: a thick, Italian accent and adorable piercings. When I gave him my Lesportsac bag to sign, he decided to personalize it for me even more by adding a picture of a flower/cactus with slanted bangs because I had slanted bangs. He pointed out this by saying something like, "See, I made flower have slant bangs because you have slant bangs." Simone then proceeded to point to my hair. He signed TWO parts of my bag and the free Tokidoki bag I received for making a purchase at Terra. This bag is one of my prized possessions.

I was in heaven.

My Tokidoki Bag!

I was in heaven for about five minutes until hell hit. From then on, I could barely walk or not throw up. Since we were in L.A., we were far away from home so I couldn't go lay down. Instead, Beth and Kathryn suggested that we go to the mall a few blocks down and get some food-- they figured it would help how I felt and looked. I ended up having to lay down in the middle of a parking garage because I almost fainted right before we got on an elevator. We later walked around the mall asking, no, begging, people for Advil or Midol but no one had anything until we found a girl behind a makeup counter with some Tylenol. At the food court, while Beth and Kathryn were getting food for themselves, I called Mom and just couldn't help but cry. I had been looking forward to a day like that for so long... and it was ruined because of a stupid period. The pain was unbearable and it was hard being so far away from home with no comfort whatsoever. She helped calm me down and, thank god, we left soon after we ate. I didn't start to get better until half the trip home was over with.

The day was wonderful and beautiful, horrible and ugly, all at once. So bittersweet... yet all I can think is: I love my Tokidoki bag. Now there's the most optimistic thing that could possible come out of someone after a day like that. (I'll post photos of my whole bag later on...)

More about the rest of my trip will be added tomorrow.

So close to a place I call Heaven.

I know my last entry was going to be my goodbye-for-six-days entry but...

Simmy Up Close

Let's face it: Wisconsin has no good attractions in it. There are no good restaurants, hangouts or stores that would make it a worthy place to go for vacation to. You would figure that California would be different, right? Well, it is but it isn't. I just just looked up a bunch of stores that I remember having all the hobbies I love: Blythe dolls, BJD's, vinyl figures, etc... and guess what? All of them are located in Los Angeles or San Francisco, not at all near San Diego. Because Beth and I won't have the right transportation to get from city to city, there's no way that we'll be able to get to those places. So basically, I'm going across the country to visit a new place and I'm still going to be cut off from the things would make my vacation perfect.

Oh, and even better... I just found out that Simone Legno is going to be in Los Angeles THIS weekend at a store called Terra. That means they'll most likely be carrying Tokidoki merchandise too-- and I can't even see him or go to a place I like to call HEAVEN.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about going and I'm not trying to complain. I've never really been on a real vacation before so this is a big letdown at the last minute. It's just so unfair that I get so close and yet so far away to what I really want to see and do. Argh!

Added: Oh kay. I've cooled down since I originally posted this. I think I was just stressed out with packing and all the stuff I had to get done. I feel better now! Patience is a virtue. <3 Anyway, I'll miss everyone... have a good week. ^____^

Hello, San Diego.

Here's a photo of me... so you don't forget what I look like. *sniffy*

Laur (me)

Well, this is goodbye until a week from now. Beth and I are going to be leaving for San Diego tonight and I'm not sure if Kathryn (the friend we're staying with) is going to have internet access. If she does, I don't want to be too rude and use her computer all the time.

I'm excited! Plum is coming with me. Mum picked up some candy for us to take on the plane. (Hopefully it won't get taken away, haha.) I'm really hoping that they'll allow me to bring my ipod on board. Mum called the airport this morning and the lady said that it's 50/50 as to whether it will be allowed or not. Shawn is coming to the airport with us, which I thought was pretty sweet. He's kind of acting like we're never going to see each other again. I mean, we've had weeks where we haven't seen each other, and I won't even be gone a full week. I guess Shawn just gets more attached every now and then. I guess I don't mind though; it shows he really cares.

Brick

Besides my trip... I watched Brick last night (thanks, Misty!) and I loved it. I haven't seen a lot of good movies this year so it's always a present when I find a movie that I love/enjoy/worship. Everything about, especially the dialogue, it was extremely poetic, yet rough and intense. That enhanced the story's plot in a different way that most movies today are filmed and made the characters people I felt I knew (or wished I knew). God. I love beautiful movies.

I'll be taking a lot of pictures in California that I can post. I'm looking forward to seeing the ocean so expect a lot of pictures with me frolicking in the waves. Tee hee.

AIM vs. Yahoo *gasp*

It's funny. I've used the Yahoo messenger a handful of times and I always seem to forget how much I like using it afterwards.

Plum's Dress

AIM has always been my main squeeze, heh, so I feel my loyalty tug whenever I think another messenger service is better. I have to use Dad's laptop at home and it doesn't have AIM installed. I don't want to chance Dad freaking out about a download going wrong so I'm using the Yahoo one. I just love it. I like the way a user can design their own avatar, the smoothness of messaging, and it doesn't seem to cause as many problems as my AIM service does. In other words: I don't keep getting disconnected.

I added my Yahoo username to my contact list on my journal. *points to the column* I'm thinking of using it more, just because. Add me if you wish. ^__^

Besides my recent Yahoo obsession... tomorrow is going to be surprisingly busy for me. Amanda called the other day and said tomorrow was the only day this week she could hang out so we'll be doing something, although I'm not sure what that "something" entails. Kathleen invited me to Central, her high school, so she could give me a tour. I've only been to Central once before (to visit Kelly) and I really liked the atmosphere, so it should be pretty fun. Shawn just asked if I could hang out tomorrow so my night will be dedicated to Shawn Time. And besides being with all my lovelies, I need to make sure I have things in order for my trip on Thursday.

Bethy, Pretty in the Waves

I can't believe I'm leaving for San Diego in just two days. I'm excited to see the ocean, as corny as that sounds. I haven't seen it since I was really little. The closest I've come is dirty old Lake Michigan, which I just happened to see a few days ago at Jordan's going away party. I didn't know the water was from Lake Michigan or I wouldn't have been so excited and giddy to put my feet in it. Beth informed me later that it was, indeed, our special lake. (Ewww, sewage and chemical water! Go government of Wisconsin I love so dearly! Thanks for keeping us citizens healthy and safe.) What can I say? I love water and I was drawn to it.

Beth hates the picture of her by the lake but I think it's beautiful. It's very rare to capture beth in a full blown smile. She usually tries to strike a model/dramatic pose (where, of course, she looks completely sexy) but I was given the gift of surprise and a genuine smile. This picture made my day. It's amusing how things like that make me so happy. Thank you Vox, journal love of mine, for letting me post pretty photos.