on top of the world

a lovely piece by michelle armas

there are times in our life when everything is going so well, we're so excited for everything, and we're just so on top of the world. that time is happening right now. i'm so glad my brother is living with us, i'm looking forward to this weekend spent in Boise, for a trip to Nauvoo in a few weeks, moving upstairs, starting classes again, and all of the little surprises that will happen in between. every once in a while it's nice to realize just how good you really have it.
and we have it pretty dang good.
xo lauren

New Eyes

i felt prompted to share this today, maybe it will help someone in the world.

The Third Eye
"Learn to see your husband through new eyes. True love has three eyes. One eye is dim, dim to his faults. A second eye sees him as the world does. This is an important perspective. Sometimes you must help him see the way the world sees him. A third eye sees him as no one else sees him, appreciates him as no one else appreciates him. Keep this eye sharply focused and you will observe many things to appreciate. Every wonderful wife has a third eye."
-Helen Andelin

 xo lauren

happy

t & i at his cousin's wedding a few weeks back.

happy is...
having cinnamon rolls for dinner.
living in a {temporarily} clean home.
leaving a love note on trav's truck at work.
making an almost completely perfect skirt,
and wearing that skirt for the next three days straight.
travis remembering to remove his muddy shoes at the door. he loves me ♥

xo lauren

life of color 7/30

scarf: thrifted | Go-Go tee: target | belt: thrifted | skirt: wet seal | shoes: F21
sometimes when i walk out the door, i feel like my outfit sings louder than i ever possibly could. today was one of those days. i am in love with color, i've always been drawn to more colorful walks of life and i believe color describes things that words aren't able to! color effects people in amazing ways, i even remember hearing that a certain football team painted the inside of their guest locker room light pink, because light pink is calming and soothing--exactly what you want your opposing team to feel like at the start of a game! oh i just love the amount of smiles that can come from a color.i certainly want color to be a part of my life for keeps.
peace & lovelaurendo you love color? lots and lots of color?

lilacs on the window sill

i picked some lilacs while on a walk with travis a few weeks back.lilacs are the best smelling lovelies i've ever smelti wouldn't mind if our home smelled like lilacs for the rest of forever.heck, i wouldn't mind if the whole world smelled like lilacs for that long.but, some people might. lilac haters, and the like.you know how it is.
have a good smelling day!

you know what i love?

i love when t & i decide last minute to see a late night movie.

i love running across the street to get to the theater. 

i love holding hands and laughing along with him.

i love walking slowly back across the empty street.

and i love when he pulls me into a dance, there in the street,

 he starts to hum a silly love song and i can't help but smile.

you know what i love?

i love travis oh yes i do.

have a lovely day today!

lauren

growing old

last night, while i was tickling travis so he wouldn't go to sleep, {i wasn't tired yet, so he shouldn't be either?} a thought plunked right into my head. now, my thoughts often plunk around but this particular one is a recurring plunker. so i thought i'd share. 

sometimes when i'm playing with travis, i get an image of the future. i can imagine him with no hair and me with  flabby boobs and us together. we're being silly, still. our kids are around us, and they all lovingly think we're the weirdest parents on earth. this recurring plunker is just about the long, happy life travis & i have ahead of us and the many moments we will create together.  i can't wait to love forever with him {smile}. 

and i am so grateful that my Heavenly Father has given me a way to do that.

little housewife.

earrings: charolette russe | scarf: gift | sweater: husband's | jeans: ae | shoes: haven't the foggiest

today the mail blessed me with april's anthropologie catalog. today my hair was inspired by this girl from the catalog, i thought her hair looked so very whimsical and fabulous. mama liked!
-------------------------------
i loved today, today i felt just like a housewife.
& since i've always wanted to be a housewife, that is a very good thing! i got all prettied-up and slipped on some heels, did two loads of laundry, dishes, and made cookies! which i ruined (kinda), but hey.
 nobody's perfect.
i loved today, i hope you did too!
-------------------------------
oh & i've actually started posting things on my tumblr! check it out here.

loving this feeling

yesterday, travis & i visited the temple.
i love going often, and i love more than anything going with that strong and gentle man that i married. we were able to help with sealings that day, and i was happy to remember all of the amazing things that trav & i promised to share between Heavenly Father and ourselves; the promises made on our wedding day.
Shortly afterwards, sitting quietly together, i was filled with an overwhelming feeling of love. i began to tear up a little as i thought of all of the love my Heavenly Father has for me, and even more when i thought of the love that He has for every one else. we are His, completely His. and we'll always be His, no matter what.
it's such a comfort to me to know that we have such a forgiving and caring Father in heaven.
all is well, because He is there.
just a thought for today.
i am happily overwhelmed.
enjoy conference weekend!
love lauren

dear spring,

i want to play outside, with my husband, without a coat. i want to picnic in a yellow slide like old times, and occasionally lapse into a make-out sesh. i want the feeling of a warm summer night. i want to run and jump and climb things-- i don't care what they are! i am dying here. please come soon.

love lauren

surely, everyone loves letters.

image via weheartit

dear husband, 

i love you so. i am so glad you are willing to wash dirty trucks for me time & time again.

dear pink skirt,

i am so glad i found you! twirling around & around the house with you today turned all of my thoughts into berries. and cream. 

dear list of awesome things from 2010,

please excuse my unwillingness to write you. even though you were filled with the most magical things in a young girls life, i just haven't had the time. it's not you, it's me.

dear list of awesomeness for 2011,

 you seriously are awesome. like WHOA. you are ghandi mixed with oprah in cupcake-form type awesome. & i think you'll be better than 2010, but don't tell him. he's the jealous type.

dear terrible dream i had last night,

it's not funny to trick a girl into thinking she married a man that is not her husband. not funny at all. especially when said man is scrawny and pimply. my two unfavorite things. yuck.

dear tummy,

why are you hurting mama? it feels like you're filled with angry elephants. i will not lie, if you had a baby inside of you, then this would be ok. but you don't. & it's not. please, let's be mature about this.

dear hair,

i almost cut you short short today. but then we realized that i was actually just going insane, and we bought vitamins instead. soon, you will be long long. & i will have fun everyday playing dress up with you. i can't wait.

dear husband, 

i love the plans that we're making together. i love love love them. thanks for stopping & staring today when i came in the room, it made me feel special. i love being yours.

yours truly,

lauren

it's like a castle, only way cooler.

trav & i visited the temple yesterday, 

tuesdays are the very best of days, after all.

i love to see the temple! I love the peace that is all around and the many answers I receive to my many, many questions. & going with the husband makes it all the more sweet. 

oh how i love the gospel! i am so grateful for the truth & blessings that surround me everyday.

yesterday i could just feel that Christ loves me, very much. i was a happy girl.

okay, so let's keep chuggin with that fashion thing.

scarf: anthropologie | top: downeast basics| vest: F21 | skirt: thrifted | shoes: thrifted

i like this skirt very much, because it makes me feel rather "mary tyler moore". and trav thinks his grandparents had an old couch that was made out of the same material, and i almost got offended.

but instead i laughed.

& then i ate the rest of his tootsie roll.

the end.

wishlist twenty ten!

knit necklace: made by the oma! | knit top: charolette russe | quarter sleeve top: old navy | jeans: american eagle | boots: ross

is anyone else tired of seeing pictures of me? {raises hand. and foot. and tilts chin up a little.}

yes. me too. 

let's look at pictures of things i want for christmas. 

{cause that's WAY more fun. hurray!}

i want one of these for my kitchen. here's to dreaming!

ohhh just take me to heaven! yes, i'm one of those married ladies that is excited beyond words about a kitchenaid... and it truly is just because it comes in blue. & yellow. & any other color of my dreams.

mark my words. i'll get one. someday.

also in my kitchen, i'll take one of these lady's prints, please.

yes. yes please.

anthropologie has now sells a collection of the classics, restyled with fabulous covers.

they would add so much to any bookshelf. my heart is yearning. basically.

 don't you think this fancy loveseat would fit right in with our humble abode?

yeah... i think so too. ha!

i just love the loud colors. such a fun piece!

& last but not least, i want to have my gallery wall. finished. 

mostly i just want a wall for my gallery to go on... but that's another story. i can't wait to look back on my finished project and smile. 

here are some inspiration photos.

i think trav could appreciate the use of antlers in the second photo. 

hunters. gotta love 'em.

ok ok. so what all of these things are my imagination's secret wishlist. 

and yes, my imagination's first sentence was "give me cookies NOW" and she's kinda spoiled.

but, the real lauren knows to be much more patient, and to wait for a lottery winning, or a lack of student loans before she creates just the home she wants.

what a fun adventure it will be.

what i really want for christmas, is to see my sweet nubs in arizona,

 to get a nice, long kiss from the man of my dreams,

& to remember that babe in a manger and the fact that he lives. 

oh what a wonderful christmas this will be.

i hope everybody gets good feelings this christmas!

peace&love

happy sunday, everyone!

hey guys! today i am playing the glad game.

so, i'm glad:

 we have cafe rio in the fridge

 we have brand new grown-up bedding! score! 

 i get to spend christmas in arizona in 21 days.

 i have a man to hold hands with whenever i want

i get to be with said man FOR.EV.ER.

a Heavenly Father whose loves amazes me everyday.

oh! & that trav & i have mad coloring skills.

 as you can see, trav's is a little more abstract imagination than mine. 

mine's more about love.

& boy am i glad to be in love.

what makes you glad?

peace & love

um. you might laugh.

t & i have a lot to be thankful for.

sometimes, we forget about those things.

but then we decide to ignore the snow outside, ignore our way-too-all-the-time jobs, when you  put too much salt in the terriyaki chicken, the fact that you don't have a puppy yet, ignore the little unhappy things that really don't matter at all. 

i have a lot of things to be thankful for. 

but, i was too busy having fun & cooking righteous stuffing to take pictures of what i'm grateful for, so i'll just share things with you from around the web.

first, this is one of my favorite families. ever. 

see the girl in the back?

the insanely hot one?

that's my best friend. i loves her. she got a new boy this week! 

yaya for her! 

her sister kate is the extremely imaginative photographer. check out here talent here.

a co-worker recently told me i look like this pup:

now, i could be insulted by this.
but i'm gonna go ahead and be grateful.
because, he looks lovable.
and i'm sure that's what my coworker was trying to say?

this is my little sis.

this is an old picca. she is all sorts of attractive now.
{not that she wasn't then. but, you know... it was junior high.}
anyway. she taught me how to make a penguin on facebook chat!
type in < ( * ) without the spaces.
it's a freakin miracle! also type :putnam:
i don't know who he is, but it's cool.
but don't try :oprah: :taylorswift: :jesus:
cause they don't work.

this is katie. i loves her too.

oh how i loves her.
she's funny. & going to BYUI. & an aspiring writer.
surprise! katie is me.
except that katie is tall. and has a rock goddess type bum.
anyway, read this post from katie. cause i laughed. a lot.

this is jill.

she is the single most interesting girl in the world.
i wrote an essay about her once.
yes, she's that fabulous.

anyway, jill is famous in a way. people just wish they could prescribe to her status updates. no big.
here's a few i thought i'd share.

I always want to be friends with the people that need shopping carts at the liquor store. I bet those people are fun.

Please stop telling me how poor you are via Facebook for iPhone

I know "Bambi" was just a movie, but I haven't seen his mom appear in any other roles and I'm worried.

Hostage or not, sometimes it's just nice to be held

"Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." (Wedding sniper with horrible aim.)

 Gone are the days when "slip into something more comfortable" didn't mean a Snuggie and Crocs.

I flirted with disaster.
One thing led to another and I think we're getting married

I think I might be the only person on earth who hasn't said a hoarder joke yet. I have a bunch, but I like to hang on to them

Beware a wolf in sheep's clothing? I say beware wolves in ANY clothing because if they can learn bespoke tailoring, our time has come

Hey, Mexicans. We were here fourth, so show a little respect

 

I'll say it again, if Taylor Swift put on black eyeliner and flushed her head in a toilet full of glitter she'd be Ke$ha

 

 Just heard a lady say to the mom of a 9 mo. old girl, "Your baby has a very grave, unusual face." JUST WHAT A MOM WANTS TO HEAR

 

 

I already lost my "I voted" sticker. It's ok though, I taped my iPhone to my shirt so people still know I'm better than them.

I'm starting to think campaign decisions were made with those foldy paper things little girls use to figure out which boys might like them.

I did my good deed for the day and gave a homeless man a house......an effing roundhouse.

"Chicken: the only thing you eat before it's alive and after it's dead"- dad

Scene: Dogs barking at UPS driver Him: All dogs hate me Me: Well, for what it's worth, I love you. Cue awkward silence. True story. <- Old status. Just happened again.

Only a prick says "Happy Birthday" without an exclamation point. If they're not yelling, they don't mean it.

 

 

 I'm glad they outlawed texting while driving. I can finally get some use out of this calligraphy set.

I put the 'toast' in 'toaster'. Then I take the 'toast' out of the 'toaster'.

My milkshake brings that one lactose intolerant kid to the yard, and he's like, "Meh"

yes, i know. i love some of the world's coolest people.

here's just a few people slash puppies i'm grateful for.

i hope you enjoyed!

don't shop too hard in the morning {wink}

peace & love

i don't have a title. sorry!

hippie band: madiSON's | sweater: consignment | ruffled top: F21 | cuff jeans: consignment | uggs: from my oma

today i had the day off from work! hurray!

hahaha! haha... ha.

no... i didn't. but i did work at 5 in the am.

i actually prefer it this way, i love our regulars.

 & apparently it snowed & snowed & snowed last night while we were sleeping,

because i was the very first to make footprints in the snow. {lifts her chin & smiles proudly}

proof:

boom baby!

i felt like a real winner.

that's all, folks.

did you feel like a real winner today?

peace & love

life lessons

this week i made myself a patch of egg salad.
i. love. egg salad.

oh my goodness.

there is nothing better!

mmm. come to mama.
as my taste buds were positively squirming with delight,
i remember just why i have a passion for a tea party sandwich. 

the year was 2000 & i was in fifth grade. it was lunch time, and Mrs. Gruenberg's class had just made themselves comfortable on the long tables of the cafeteria. Brittney Stapleton sat across from me, and had just displayed the contents of her lunch pale to the table.
"ewww yuck!" she exclaimed, as if a ziploc of cockroaches had mistakenly landed in her lunch.
"my mom made me egg salad."
by the look on her face, you knew this was bad mojo.
today was the day she would let herself starve.

now, i had a bit of a conundrum with this. i loved egg salad. more than any other lunchtime staple. it was my manna, the day mom made us egg salad was always a blessed day. but, was i wrong? being the little fifth grader i was, i didn't know what was cool. should i agree with her, and turn my back on my lovely egg salad? would that make me cool? but then i'd always have to turn down egg salad at school. what a waste. and it is hard to keep up with a lie, i learned that when i told Olivia Baker that i had a pet giraffe and seven bathrooms in my house. but, i want to be cool. and i should be like the other cool girls to be cool,right?
tentatively i opened my own lunch and said, "want to trade me for a tuna fish?"

"oh yes! tuna fish is the best!" said Brittney.
as we swapped lunches, i had a big smile on my face. sucker! 
in my opinion, tuna fish was the scum of the earth. and smelled worse.

on that day i learned that it isn't really cool to do what other people do.
i can be cool too, by just trying to be me. it's okay to be a little bit different.
all thanks to a simple egg salad sandwich.

peace & love

winner winner chicken dinner!

umm. one, two, skip a few?

so i'm gettin behind on my 30 for 30 posts.

sorry! we only get internet sometimes. our internet really is mean & cranky.

i think i should bake it cookies. yes?

cookies solve most problems. & husband would be happy.

hairpiece: gifted from a miss | button-up: F21 | sweater vest: charolette russe | pencil skirt: burlington | blue tights: gifted from a miss | mary janes: thrifted

'ello poppets!

how were your Sundays?

if they were like mine, you played with the cutest neices & nephews anywhere,

crunched your toes on lots of snow, ate lots of fudge & saw some old old friends.

if not, then you might have been very responsible,

& posted the winner to your little giveaway when you said you would,

& not have left your sweet cyber friends hanging. 

{hangs head in shame}

i'm sorry!

but i am pleased to announce: 

Bridget from "tales of me & the husband" as our winner.

cheers & cheers!

Bridget's randomly picked comment was:

 "annnd i pretty much love the one you wore in your wedding!!"

oh, thank you. & i love your presh family pictures!

seriously stealing that idea for mine.

when i get a little family.one day. *wishes with all of her heart*

bridget, email me your shipping info & item choice to laurenpulsipher {at} hotmail {dot} com.

 thank you everyone for your sweet comments!

may the odds be ever in your favor!

{that's a hunger games reference. you still haven't read it? sheesh. get with it, girl!}

have a thankful week, everyone.

peace&love

just a dream

image via weheartit

t & i have always dreamed of owning a hot air balloon.
a little oasis in the clouds, just for him & me.
there's something so romantic about a dream.
all of its magic lies in the hope of getting there
& then in the happiness of making it happen.

someday when we're all grown up,
t & i are soooooo getting ourselves a hot air balloon.
& you can each have a ride. yay!

peace & love

just a few things

first, i shivered when i walked outside today. WHAT?
winter is upon us, dudes.

 luckily it hasn't snowed in little boise yet, but it will.

 i feel it in my bones.

second, yesterday travis discovered we have a heater.

three months of cold feet & being too scared to get out of the shower,

and we had a heater all along.

i am so glad i married the man.

third, our heater makes a clicking noise.

it sounds something akin to rain on a window pane,

i run to the window sill everytime.

darn tricky heater.

fourth, i teach the cutest little girls in my swimming classes.

we're best friends.

today i was asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Well, no," I say, " but I do have a husband."

"Ohhhhhh!!" they giggle, and they were off.

Do you kiss him?

Did you were a dress like Gizelle?

Did you have a flower girl?

Do you have a big ring?

Do you love him?

Do you sleep with--

right about then, i cut them off. & told them to practice their backstroke.

little princesses they are. {smile}

fifth, i got a new scent for my scentzy {tropical tango}

& our apartment is basically hawaii.

that is all.

peace & love