Brain Works

Hello Everyone!!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've written. School this semester has been crazy stressful! Today isn't going to be a particularly happy blog post, so if you want pretty happy pictures click away now. It's not going to be sad, just me trying to sort out my thoughts.

Today I was trying to explain how my brain works to one of my professors because she wasn't certain if I was trying to force myself to see images during my meditations for a project. The truth is that I typically think in pictures and movies, and not so much in a dialogue, which I think is how other people typically think (though of course I can't know for certain how others think since I am not them). 

I think that the way my brain works is a result of me being both hyper sensitive and introverted. I don't mean introverted as simply being shy or quiet, but rather that I find small talk difficult and somewhat exhausting. I also find spending time with people for too long to be exhausting, whereas extroverts might be energized by spending time with people. Also, from what I've read online, being hyper sensitive is being extremely sensitive to sensory things such as loud sounds, rich foods, bad smelling food, and the emotions of both yourself and others.

I have certain textures that really bother me, such as creamy foods. I personally prefer foods that require chewing and produce a crunch. I also tend to be able to sense the emotions of others easily and even take on the emotion that I sense. I have tried multiple times to write down stories, but I always find it difficult because the stories play out in my head like movies and I don't know how to properly describe the situation in a written form. I think this is why I gravitate toward watching movies, rather than reading or listening to music. Movies seem to make more sense to me, though I do understand that describing something in written form can be more exact than casting a real person for a movie. 

Also, when I think in pictures and movies a certain aspect might stand out to me, but if I need to explain what stuck out to me I have trouble verbalizing my thoughts. It's kind of like something in the image or movie was gone over with an invisible highlighter. These movies and images are in my head, though sometimes this "highlighting" happens in actual movies, whether it was intended by the movie producers or not.

I don't think I'm crazy, I'm sure there must be other people who think the same way that I do, this is just the first time that I've really tried to analyze the way my brain works. I know that my boyfriend, Rico, thinks in a similar way, though he is more sensitive to music than to movies. He also thinks in images like I do and is hyper sensitive to different things, though opposite of me, he prefers creamy foods and chewy, crunch-producing foods tend to bother him.

Does what I'm saying make sense? Do any of you think the same way? How do you think if you think in a different way? 

Sorry again for the lack of postings. I know this is a really random post, it's just been bothering me today that it is so difficult for me to explain how I think. 

In the next couple weeks I have all of my midterm exams so I might be able to post more or upload more videos once my exams are done. I can hope at least. Hopefully you are all doing well and not as stressed about school as I have been this semester.

Until next time,

Lauren

Adventures in Girdwood, Alaska!

Hello Everyone!!

Wow, it's been about a month since I've posted anything! Sorry! Shame on me, I know. For those of you who haven't already seen it, I posted a vlog a couple days ago over on my YouTube channel. I'll link it here if you would like to watch it.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCvt8ImLaNI

So, about a month ago I went down to Girdwood, Alaska with my sister and her best friend. Here are some pictures from the road trip down and what we got up to once we were there.

Above is the Alyeska Resort and Hotel which is essentially where we went. We didn't stay at the hotel however, we just took the tram up the mountain and did a bit of hiking.

View from the (almost) top. My sister's friend and I were both worn out quickly because the hiking was so steep. My sister continued on like a champ even after her friend and I decided to stay put. Then we left Alyeska to go down the highway to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. There we were able to see elk, moose, black bears, brown bears, bison, a fox and many more animals!

Elk

Baby moose and a bull moose.

A couple of black bears eating their lunch.

A brown bear also eating his lunch.

A whole bunch of bison.

The cutest fox I've ever seen.

It was so much fun taking this little day trip with my sister and her best friend. I absolutely loved the views and the animals, even though the bit of hiking proved just how out of shape I am. I hope you all liked seeing the pictures of my adventure.

Until next time,

Lauren

Steady As She Goes

Hello Everyone!!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I've been getting my life in order. I was going to post a July favorites video, but as I'm writing it's almost August 11th, which seems a bit late for a favorites video. If you would like me to still make that video then let me know. 

I've decided that I don't like posting one long blog a week, it just seems too far in between posts, so instead I'm going to write smaller posts more frequently and see how that suits me. Also, videos take quite a lot of time and effort to put together and with the school year about to start I don't know how much extra time and effort I'll have for videos, but I'm going to do my best to get one up maybe once a week or every two weeks. We'll see what happens.

Now then, since I last wrote some very exciting things have happened. Mainly, I got a job at my university. I start training tomorrow and I'm so very excited! Hopefully it's as good in actuality as I think it will be. 

Another (somewhat) exciting happening is that I have started walking everyday. I walk for an hour which ends up being roughly three miles depending on the route I take. You might think I would try running or walking faster, but really my walks are meant to be leisurely and a chance to get away from electronics, which I seem to constantly use. The only exception is my phone, which I take to listen to music and track how far I've walked with the MapMyFitness app. I might start power walking or jogging if I get bored of my leisurely walks, but for now I'm happy to just stroll along.

Now, what is a blog post without some pictures? Here are a few from my walks.

I really love these ducks, mostly because they're as close as I can get to a cuddly animal at the moment. Unfortunately my fish aren't cuddly and my apartment isn't nearly big enough, nor do I have the money, to afford a dog or cat. I just have to settle with looking at ducks for now.

In this last picture I realize it's quite difficult to see, but that is a dog chasing a moose. 

A couple of girls were walking their dogs when they came upon this moose and one of their dogs ran off after the moose, which caused us all to try to get the dog back for twenty minutes. For those of you who don't know moose can be quite dangerous, especially when threatened or provoked. This moose also happened to have a baby in some nearby bushes, which is one of the main reasons it took so long to get the dog back. We didn't want to risk the mama moose coming after us, so we had to wait awhile for the moose to move on to retrieve the dog. Everything ended well though. The dog was put inside the girls' car without injury and as far as we could tell the moose and baby were frightened and annoyed, but unharmed. 

Hopefully you are all doing well and don't have any potentially dangerous moose run-ins. 

Until next time,

Lauren

State of Grace

Hello Everyone!!

Today I have a what's in my bag video for you! If you like these types of videos please let me know, and if you don't like these types of videos then let me know what you would like to see in the future. Here is a link in case the video below doesn't work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm0gGUMdLdo

Also, I went to my much dreaded dentist appointment, and it ended up being not bad at all. The dentist and assistant were very nice and amazingly enough I didn't have any cavities! The dentist even said that there's no need for me to get my wisdom teeth taken out yet, so I'm really happy about that.

Last week I also did what I said I would and bought tons of fruit and veggies!

Look at my beautiful cantaloupe, honeydew and strawberries.

I also made some really yummy pasta salad with whole grain pasta, broccoli, carrots and chicken.

I bought some apples, oranges, bananas, pears, plumots (a plum and apricot hybrid), and raspberries as well, but didn't bother to take pictures of them.

It has been so nice (and hot!) out lately that my sister and I decided to go back to Westchester Lagoon the other day. It was such a gorgeous day that I had to take a million pictures.

I hope you all enjoyed this post!

Until next time, 

Lauren

Summer

Hello Everyone!!

As promised, this week I have a haul video for you! I'm really happy with everything I bought and I  hope you guys like this video. Here's the link if the video below doesn't work: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHhvORpR2Gc

Also, the dreaded dentist appointment has been post-poned until next week. I'm somewhat relieved and somewhat annoyed about this as I was pumping myself up for the appointment and now I have to relax until it's time to pump myself up again. Does anyone else brush their teeth a little more often or a little longer when you know you have a dentist appointment? I've been going a bit crazy with the toothpaste and mouthwash over here.

In other news, I've decided I'm tired of eating out and spending all of my money on fast food so I'm going to be grocery shopping tomorrow with the aim of finding fresh fruits, veggies and anything remotely healthy that I think I can make into a good meal. My first plan is to make a pasta salad with tons of veggies in it. I love pasta salad during the summer since it's a cold meal, it's so refreshing on a hot summer day. Also, I really hope I can find some good raspberries and strawberries that I can put on oatmeal in the mornings or just have as an afternoon snack. Even Rico is getting in the healthy spirit, which doesn't happen often, and requested some bananas and pears! Obviously we're both more excited about fruits than veggies.

Other than that there isn't much else to report. Though the other day I did wake up Rico at 2AM because there was a huge bug in the apartment and it was freaking me out. Anyone else get freaked out by bugs when they're inside, but totally ok with them outside? Maybe it's just me. Anyways, Rico saved me from the bug whilst asleep and the next day asked whether or not it was a dream. He seemed quite happy with the fact that I needed him to save me, which normally I'm all for girls and women saving themselves, but I have to admit it's nice to let someone else do the saving once in a while.

I hope you all enjoyed my rambling on about food and monster bugs. Hopefully there will be no more bug attacks and we will all have a good week.

Until next time,

Lauren

I Want You

Hello Everyone!!

Long time, no write, right? Sorry about that, I've been sucked into the world of Minecraft, and I also have been shopping around for a new wardrobe. I don't normally do a lot of clothes shopping, but almost two years ago I gained quite a bit of weight and never bought clothes to fit my body so I've been living in T-shirts that I used to sleep in because they were too big. I've finally decided I want to be happy with my body so I bought some cute things that flatter my figure and make me feel like I look good. I'll be posting a haul video in a couple of days of everything I bought. 

In the mean time, I've just posted a new video on my YouTube channel about my nail polish collection. If nothing else, I really recommend you watch this video for the music, the artist, Tamara Laurel, has an amazing voice! I did put a link in the description box for her music's YouTube channel, and her music is available on iTunes as well. Here's the link if the video below doesn't work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQizR4APABk

Side Note: The nail polish I'm wearing in the video is Sinful Colors Bring it Sheer, which I am loving. And since I put in music rather than talking, my all-time favorite nail polishes are Sinful Colors Dozen Roses, China Glaze Seduce Me, Essie Peach Daiquiri, Sinful Colors Easy Going, and Sinful Colors Dream On. I know that's a lot of favorites, but I really love my nail polishes.

In other news, I finally put on my big girl pants and called the dentist! I'm not normally afraid of going to the dentist, but I haven't been to the dentist in two years. Gross, I know. Also, the last time I was at the dentist I was told I needed to get my wisdom teeth removed and I never did it. As they say in the movie, The Swan Princess, "This isn't my idea of fun". In any case, I went on Google and found a dentist here that accepts my insurance and made an appointment for later this week. I'm quite anxious to be seeing a new dentist because I've gone to the same dentist my whole life. Overall, I'm  just not looking forward to this appointment.

Other than that, I haven't had much going on. I did watch the movie Ender's Game and I really recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi movies. It's kind of a mix between Star Wars and the Hunger Games. Plus Harrison Ford and Hailee Steinfeld are in it. It's based off of the book Ender's Game, which I will be reading once I finish all of the Song of Ice and Fire series.

I hope you're all having a wonderful start to your week!

Until next time,

Lauren

Fancy

Hello Everyone!!

Today I have my June Favorites video for you! If you want more information on anything I did put links for almost everything in the description box. If you want to see some extra dorkiness then make sure to watch the ending. Here is the link if the video doesn't work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mcNHgXbSVU

Also, I have finished another DIY project which I am quite happy with. These are just some canvases that I've painted over with spray and acrylic paint and then taped a chevron-like pattern on so that when I spray painted the entire thing it ended up looking really cool. Here is the order of how making them should look.

Paint with spray and acrylic paints until you like the way your canvas looks.

Use painters tape or masking tape to create a chevron-like pattern, or any pattern you like.

At this point you will spray the entire canvas with spray paint, I just forgot to take a picture of this step.

And here are the finished results!

To make these all you need is canvas, acrylic paints, metallic spray paint, a plastic sheet so you don't get spray paint everywhere, disposable gloves, and blue painters tape. You might also want to get a face mask as the spray paint is quite smelly and could give you a headache. I also strongly recommend that you do all of the spray painting outside. I sprayed a little inside and the chemical smell spread throughout my house, and even when I sprayed just outside my apartment the smell still came in through the window.

I hope you all liked this post and if you make any of your own DIY projects then let me know! I would love to see them. :)

Until next time,

Lauren

Stay Beautiful

Hello Everyone!!

As promised, I have uploaded a video to my YouTube channel about my eyesight and my glasses. This video was requested by subscriber Lean OnMe and asks basic questions about my vision and what it is like to see with and without my glasses. Here is the link if the video doesn't work: http://youtu.be/RSuZZkMR9Cc

Also, since yesterday was the Fourth of July, I went out and about with my boyfriend to enjoy the festivities. On the night of July 3rd we drove out to Eagle River, Alaska to watch the fireworks there, however I didn't bother to take any pictures or video because I was not impressed with their display. Maybe I'm just too used to watching the fireworks back in Juneau, but seeing the fireworks here just didn't even compare to the Juneau fireworks for me. 

Then, yesterday we drove into downtown Anchorage to watch the Fourth of July Parade in Delaney Park. I really enjoyed the parade and the fair-like atmosphere of the park, though I was a little disappointed that the floats and people in the parade didn't throw candy out to the kids watching the parade. Do Fourth of July parades normally not throw out candy to the people watching the parade? Is Juneau really the only place where that happens? In any case, here are some photos of the parade.

Above is Star the Reindeer.

There were also pony rides, games, various activities and food stands set up in the park.

Rico and I bought a delicious funnel cake to share and then headed off to walk around downtown.

Afterwards we took a look around the Fifth Avenue Mall and I'm so excited that we're getting a Lush store there. I already know that I'm going to spend entirely too much time and money there. We ended up having lunch at the mall and took advantage of some of the holiday sales before we headed home.

It was such a lovely day and I'm already excited for the next Fourth of July. How did you spend your Fourth of July holiday? For those of you who aren't from the United States, do you have any holidays coming up that you're looking forward to?

I hope you're all having a wonderful week and I'll be back in a couple days with either a new video or blog post on my June favorites.

Until next time,

Lauren

Beauty of Uncertainty

Hello Everyone!!

Once again I've been on quite the DIY roll. This past week I was watching Jim Chapman on YouTube and saw his #DIYwithJim video where he showed viewers how to transfer personal pictures onto canvases. I loved this idea so much that I decided to try it for myself! The first couple I tried didn't turn out as well as I hoped they would, but as I made more they turned out better and better. I think these would make great gifts for anyone, all you need is gloss medium, a paint brush, canvas and a printed picture that you or someone you know would like to have in their living room, office, bedroom or wherever! Just remember to be patient and don't get discouraged if your first ones don't turn out exactly how you hoped they would. Here is the video from Jim Chapman's channel where I learned how to make these. Here is the link if the video doesn't work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUaR1aboRoU 

Here are all of my pictures that I made.

I love the last few that I made and I'm planning on making more. With the first couple that didn't turn out so well I'm going to reuse the canvases on a different DIY that involves using paint and tape to make a chevron pattern. 

This week I also decided to make make-up brush, eyeliner, and q-tip containers. I will admit that I spent an entire evening, about 4-6 hours, just tying the bows to my satisfaction. Personally, I love the way they turned out and if I find anything else I need containers for then I will definitely make more.

Pictured below is everything I used to decorate the jars. I bought all of the jars and ribbons from Michael's and I used the wide black ribbon to make the bows, and the cream, tiffany blue and thin black ribbons are all wrapped around the bases. The knitting needle I used to aid me in tying the bows, the scissors of course were used to cut the ribbons and the lighter was used to burn the edges of the ribbons to prevent any fraying in the future. I hot glued all of the ribbons onto the glass jars and then filled two of the jars with blue and silver spring filler that I bought from Michael's to help my brushes and eyeliners stand up. 

I hope you all liked this post and are having a good week so far. I'm excited to do more DIY projects and in a couple days I'll be uploading a video about my eyesight and glasses that a viewer requested. If you have any video requests please leave them in the comments or message me on YouTube. :)

Until next time,

Lauren