Five Ways to Get in the Holiday Spirit

5. Spend two weeks helping your boss perfect the holiday decorations at the Murray Hill Galleries, climbing ladders, standing on old windowsills, and balancing on top of rolling staircases while being wheeled from high arch to high window and back again, in the end loving the Winter Wonderland created...much more than expected.

4. Suggest and convince said boss to order and play Ella Wishes You a Swingin' Christmas, the best holiday album of all time hands down, at work every day.

3. Successfully bake Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving, slightly late but delicious nonetheless, and enjoy. I used this recipe, subbed whiskey and dark brown sugar, left out the orange, and used a dash of vanilla (a few walnuts too). The result was sinful.

2. Cook with apple cider. Do everything with apple cider. Smell apple cider; bathe in apple cider. John and I recommend this Roasted Butternut Squash, which we paired with chicken sausage and cabbage.

1. And finally, give the sweet Boyfriend who grew up loving Charlie Brown the gift you've been excited about for weeks and weeks.

Here we go, lovely friends. It's December!

Happy, happy holidays. 

The Butterball Hotline

Aaaaand now that dinner's over, have a laugh with my favorite non-existent people. 

The One (and Only) Moment I Don't Want to be C.J. Cregg Incarnate

A Gift From the Personal Sous Chef to the King of....Autosales

A Full Life at a Children's Zoo

With Many Wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving

Steamed artichokes from my boyfriend.

Hi friends! 

I'm a very lucky girl. John's steamed artichokes are a recipe passed down from his mom, and with her permission, I might even share it with you sometime. It was as good as it looks, and with a little dish of delicate buttery dipping sauce, we peel the flower layer by layer until we get to the always-celebrated (and worth the wait) heart.

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving, which is going to be Jewish for us this year; we're celebrating with an Orthodox family that belongs to a lovely friend of mine here in Cleveland. It's our first Thanksgiving together, and although I wish I could make the trip to see my family, we are going to make the most of being together in our new city and starting the holiday season off with cheer. 

A few surprises up my sleeve...

Right This Second

 1. My Wilco Pandora Station

2. Friend Grace

3. Puppy Dog Herbie

4. Boyfriend John

5. Amazing Harry Potter

6. Grapes and Plums 

from West Side Market

7. Saturday Night Dance Party at B-side Lounge

Herbie can catch!!

And we finally have the video to prove it. 

Please ignore the pile of magazines. They will soon be recycled.

Questions Shmestions

I decided I was going to be an opera singer when I was 16. After that, every decision was for voice. I went to the Governor's School for the Arts to finish high school (best move ever), I chose college based on the voice teacher I wanted, and I went straight into graduate school to be with the next teacher I wanted.

I was always proud that I knew exactly what I wanted to do; I had a plan. But then suddenly, at 25, when a lot of the people who didn't have it "figured out" at 18 are settling into their first salaried positions (with benefits, oh, how I long for benefits!!), here I am, asking a million questions and unable to decide which road to take.

Sure, a year of thyroid disease set me back. It altered my cords and still has me wondering if permanent damage was done. And needless to say, the economy isn't helping, either. How am I supposed to fund incessent application fees and audition trips to New York when I can barely find a full-time job to pay my rent?

But dedication was my strong point. Maybe I was waiting for my big, unwieldy voice to settle into itself, but I was determined to do it, no matter the cost. Has that changed? I don't know. I needed a break, a time to let the "damage" either heal or not heal, a time that I wasn't forced to sing for this or that performance - I would sing only when I wanted to.

I miss making music. There's a physical energy that I only feel when I'm singing. It's unlike anything else I've ever experienced. It's sastisfying to work that hard to create a nuanced and beautiful sound. Yoga brings physical satisfaction, but in a different way. It is the closest parallel as far as exercise goes, because it is indeed a fusion of body, mind, and spirit...but it doesn't do the trick. Singing is all of those things, too, but there's another crucial element - an attempt to express the inexpressible. The beauty and tragedy of the human experience that no one can quite find the words to describe? Enter poets, composers, and opera singers.

But then there are questions. Questions shmestions. Money questions. Getting a doctorate questions. Creative design questions.

There's nothing to do but take each day as it comes, enjoy my wonderful life with John and Herbie, and wait until something presents itself. Trusting is unbelievably hard, but also strangely satisfying. It feels good to know that everything really will work out.

And dare I say it? It's just not over until the fat lady sings.

xoxo,

Lauren

Furry Boots

My feet are already cold, and it's November. 

How will I warm them, you may ask? 

Although these may not be 

practical or animal friendly, they 

look amazing.

More practical;

still unattainable.

And......for my Converse Sisters!

It might be fun to be this girl.

What I actually wear in the snow. 

Here's to keeping your feet dry.

This Made Me Happy Today

The Sweetest Chalkboard Drawing from my Boyfriend

The Puffy Vest I got for Herbie ( Target )

My Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Kashi Cookies

The Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala Burger

Royal Blue Boots - for grocery shopping or high fashion

That my Pilates Teacher Both Kicks My Butt and Knits Gorgeous Scarves and Fingerless Gloves

Here comes the weekend. Yay!

The end.

Pumpkin

Today was for sleeping in, visiting Trader Joe's, and watching John conduct a Knussen piece at CIM. Now I'm hanging with Herb while making a weather-appropriate dinner: baked lima beans, glazed pork, and pumpkin cornbread.  I'm most excited about the latter, given my love for all things baked with pumpkin. Obsession might be a better word. 

Unfortunately, John's down the street getting the eggs I didn't know we needed.

Cheers!

The First Snow

The moment I've been dreading has arrived. Although the snow today was totally manageable, it was a little reminder of the winter ahead, and it got me thinking that I need to buy that parka and those snow boots sooner rather than later.

Doggie boots might become a necessity, too, as silly as I once thought they were. Salt leaves Herbs licking and scratching! It might be fine, though, because my dog loves wearing clothes. It just proves what I've been saying all along---he actually thinks he's human. When I told him he needed his hoodie for this morning's cold, wet walk, he literally stood up and pranced around on two feet for a minute in excitement.

When I got home from work today, John greeted me with sushi, and Herbie quickly found his way to my lap. See below. The two of them are really nice to come home to; I wouldn't have it any other way.

So excited to be off tomorrow!!
        xoxo,
            Lauren

Gloomy Day

It's raining again in Cleveland.

And sometimes I wish I had a Vespa.

Images by Blanca Gomez. Her prints are sold in her Etsy shop. They're subtle, yet so adorable!

Double Decker Dress Shop!

I've never been to Portland. But if I ever go, I'll be certain to explore Lodekka, a double decker dress shop. Yes...really! How fun.

I'll take a vintage thrift shop any day, but inside a bus from Liverpool? Yes, please!

Also, three cheers for Erin Sutherland for re-creating herself after losing her job. Read a great article here.

Happy Election Day!

J-U-S-T-I-N

My family loves basketball.

My dad played forever; I started when I was six; and even my mom played when she was young. Both little brothers have played their whole lives, and Dad coached us all. So, Justin's first college basketball game is a milestone for us.  We're so proud!

Our height doesn't hurt us. My dad is 6'4" - I'm 5'10" - and Justin is a regular giant at 6'6". He shoots well from the outside, but what I really love about his game is the passing. It's fantastic. Beautiful passes go to places no one expects. In the past, they've been known to surprise even his teammates.

Basketball was always special to my dad and me. It was our thing. It was the one activity we could always do together, just us. For years.

For that reason, this cheeseball segment from Father of the Bride has brought me to tears more than once...and not just because I love Steve Martin. Dad and I started with Pistol Pete videos and had a state championship somewhere along the way, and to be honest, I doubt I'll ever stop missing those games of Horse in the driveway.

So for the next four years, I'll be cheering for the Lee University Flames. Go Justin. If you're lucky, I might even give you the orange and white basketball I got when the WNBA popped up in '97.