sparrow & urchin: friends

Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts

Yay New Blog!

My friend and beautiful mama, Grace is starting a new blog, The Libby’s Urban Homestead! I "met" Grace years ago through blogging, and when I moved out to Oakland, we found out we were neighbors! I've been so lucky to watch her belly grow and meet her daughter Harry, witness her and Pat wed in an amazing location, and now they're expecting their second! I'm so excited for her! So she launching a website launch party on August 25th! There will be giveaways daily, including something from me, and to hear about the giveaways first you can sign up for her newsletter now! Link for it is here (http://eepurl.com/0xj8T).

Here's a brief description of the new site "The Libby’s Urban Homestead is a new blog and website dedicated to PAGAN MYSTICISM - HOLISTIC LIVING - RADICAL PARENTING - VEGAN COOKING/NUTRITION - DIY ETHICS - EARTH MAGICK - TAROT & INTUITIVE READING - GYPSY STYLE - HOMESTEADING Are you intrigued yet??? Sign up for The Libby’s Urban Homestead’s Newsletter for sneak peeks into what to expect during the launch party! Subscribers will also get an exclusive discount code to the Wild Weeds Tarot shop on Etsy!"

I'm really excited, since Mike and I have really gotten into homesteading. I've preserved and canned all of the peaches from our tree in multiple forms (peach salsa, jam, canned in bourbon, and peach brandy), we have been eating lots of veggies from our garden, and I've even started neighborhood foraging, so far only got limes/lemons from my awesome neighbors, and prickle pear cactus fruit from a friends yard. This area is amazing, there's so many fruit trees that are established and don't need watering like a veggie garden. Anyway I'm getting carried away, all that stuff is for another post. So yeah, this site will be awesome-sauce, cause it will!

Follow Grace on instagram! #libbyshomesteadgiveaway @wildweedstarot @rosemaryx

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What I Did: Sunset on a Beach

I've noticed it's a funny thing, the less I work the less I blog.

It's been great living here in the east bay, but it has also been a bit depressing. I miss the ease that I had back home. I knew where to hang out, who with, and what to do. Here it's all so big here, I'm meeting people (like awesome Grace!!!), and yet am not confident in going out much alone. But I have moved and lived in new places before and this is much how my learning/comfort cycle is, the first few months I'm a bit of a hermit, and slowly I break out of my shell, turning from a turtle to a lizard... yeah that analogy doesn't work, but is funny to think about!.

I have met a ton of great people and many of my friends here and roomies think I'm doing great, I've met so many people! But that's who I am, I super social and love being involved, I mean I was hanging out with a former classmate and he was telling one of my new friends that I was "Captain Art School", I was involved with everything and knew everyone who went to our small art college. I miss that. So in my job hunting here I have really strived to look for a more community environment. But you can't always find it. I do though have a great job currently as the "Girl Friday" (personal assistant) to a holistic doctor here in town, and she is great to work with. I've learned so much and am busy doing everything from office management, to yard work, to event photography and booking. I like it, I've always been a jack of all trades and am proud of that. So yeah, I haven't blogged much (my dad misses my posts), and I miss a lot of things, and am quite mopey, but I've come so far this year. I do miss the comforts and excitement that I had last year at this time, but looking back my life was soooo different. I was settled, I was engaged, I was safe... Now I don't have anything holding me back which is really scary, but I'm excited to live a new life! Not many people can say they've lived multiple lives, but I have and I loved every one of them.

So onto sunset on the beach. Last week was pretty hectic, I had drawings to do, work, getting myself used to being on the go, and two earthquakes shook the bay area last thursday. Yup I'm a real Californian now, I got all shook up! So Friday night the boys and I went to The View lounge ontop of the Marriott in SF for Jim's bday. It was beautiful, but sadly no photos turned out. And after wine at Jim's place, me and the other boys went back to Oakland and ended the night with many specials (red stripe and a shot o' whiskey)... well let me be clear, they ended the night with specials, I just sat back, sipped some beer and watched them make fools of themselves while they got in a tickle/poke/beer/popcorn fight.... yeah.

So saturday came around and the weather was gorgeous so after nursing a hangover Mike and I drove to the city, got stuck on the bay bridge, bought some burritos, had Tripp crawl all over us, and headed towards Ocean Beach to watch the sunset and meetup with a former classmate of mine Ray (who is moving here too!). I have only watched the sunset on the ocean a couple times, last time was in Malibu last summer... but the vibe this time was so chill. Everyone just hanging out with campfires and doggies. It was so nice. and sandy.

Oh and another note, early this thursday morning I was woken up by another earthquake, but it was cool I yelled at it to stop cause I was sleeping, and I told that quake who's boss. Don't be shakin me while I sleep!

Huggles,
Lauren

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10 States in 8 Days

So as you all know I'm going on a trip across country with my best buddy Leyland and my puppy Tripp!! We are so excited and it's going to be amazing! So I decided to share our route with you all!

Day 1 } Dayton - Sioux City, IA
Day 2 } Sioux City - Badlands NP - Rapid City, SD
Day 3 } Rapid City - Mt Rushmore NM - Needles Highway - Deadwood - Devils Tower NM, WY
Day 4 } Devils Tower - Beartooth Highway, MT - Yellowstone NP
Day 5 } Yellowstone!
Day 6 } Yellowstone - Grand Teton NP - Craters of the Moon NP - Boise, ID
Day 7 } Boise - Crater Lake NP, OR - Crescent City, CA
Day 8 } Crescent City - Redwoods NP - Point Reyes NS - San Francisco, CA

I'm really excited I haven't driven across country since this spring (well before that was 3 years ago) and I haven't been to these National Parks in about 7 years!! And I get to add one more state to my travel roster, Oregon! I will now have 46 states under my belt! I'm really excited as well because Leyland has never driven west of Chicago, he's in for a treat!

I have a few more inspiration posts that are scheduled before the awesome guest posts start on Tuesday! I'm so excited to see what they come up with!!

Anyway I'm off Friday morning, next time you hear from me I'll be living in the east bay!

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Where I've Been: Lake Huron

Last weekend (feels sooo long ago!) I went back to Detroit to hitch a ride with my Ferndale friends up to Eric's family's beach house on Lake Huron on the tip of the thumb. It was absolutely spectacular.

The first day (friday) we got there early and sat in the water drinking mixed drinks and being pushed around in the waves. That night we had family style dinner when most everyone had already gotten there (a few stragglers showed up throughout the weekend, all in all there were 11 of us in the end). The night was finished with a bonfire and lots of beer and laughs.

Saturday started with the guys going for a bike ride (those guys are WAY too serious for me so I did not join in) and then family breakfast. Later after swimming around we all headed towards the river and rented 5 canoes for the ten of us and as soon as we got out of view we roped them all together to make a party barge (unfortunately I did not bring my camera because of you know, that thing called water). I of course got stuck on the outside so I had to use my gun muscles to push us along... I was definitely sore in the later days! We had lots of beer and it took us awhile to make it the lake. Then we all splashed around and I tried doing handstands in the water... but I totally pulled a muscle, haha! On the way back we kept the canoes separate and Kristina and I rowed as we gossiped about life, boys, etc...

Later that night we all snuggled and napped together before heading into town to have some of the worse food ever... it was serious blah. But the people in the bar were top notch. The night was then rounded off with more beer and a group walk along the lake then a midnight swim.... mmmm....

Sunday rounded off the wonderful weekend with more swimming in the lake and me making breakfast with Tom... it was ok. :) Then we had a big group lunch before starting to pack up and head back south... and I fell asleep, haha.

I can't imagine having a better weekend. I love these kids so much!

Huggles,
Lauren

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Where I've Been: Belle Isle

After a brief moment in Ohio I came back to Michigan to go swim in Lake Huron with my buddies, but before that I had a picnic on Belle Isle.

Too bad the ants ruined it :)

Huggles,
Lauren

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Auf Wiedersehen Little Mitten

These are my favorite shots from my going away party (even though I was in Michigan the next weekend haha)

The party was spectacular. Friends from old, new friends, and work friends all gathering around drinking and partaking in shenanigans together. Including moving my friends scooter and taking pictures on it. Fun night was had by all, and the morning followed with breakfast and... ahem drinking some beer left over to get us ready to start packing my belongings up.

I absolutely love the people here I have befriended, loved, and held dear here in Michigan. These friends are going to be there for eternity. And even though I've made such wonderful new friends and rekindled friendships this summer, I must move on. And I'm excited for when I can visit my friends and they visit me.

This year has been quite bittersweet. It started out beautifully and then came crashing down. But in that turmoil I began to build myself back. And now I'm so excited for my new life and am laughing everyday. Some people ask if I feel I've dodged a bullet, but in all honesty I loved my life then, and I love my life now. I have an opportunity to live a new life, and am so excited for it.