Snippet from the past

I was trying to forward a message to my email from my Facebook messages just a moment ago, and stumbled across this snippet from 5 years ago. It was a journal entry written for one of my favorite classes at Belmont. I love coming across sweet little memories like this!
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Journal for September 21st, 2007

Lauren Elizabeth Maus

“Everything you can imagine is real” –Pablo Picasso

My vivid imagination has become my best companion, and no, not in a weird schizophrenic way. When I was a little girl, I was often unable to sleep. I was too terrified of the unseen, ominous creature lurking somewhere in my room, so I would try to think of anything to distract me. My imagination created monsters so real, I swore I could feel their fire-laced breath and hear their hideous snarls even as I pulled my flowered sheets tightly over my head. At first, I would simply try to conjure up delightful images to ease my mind, but those too-quickly vanished, and the cold fear soon returned. It took very little to frighten me, very little to send my mind whirling into an abyss of fear. I realized that simply trying to think of random, happy things wasn't enough. I had to devise something else to ease my fears.

The stories started small... I remember that the first "bedtime story" I ever told myself was about a girl in a pink dress and all the lovely pets she owned. I fell asleep that night, feeling safe and content, and thinking nothing about those age-old bedtime monsters. After that, the stories grew longer and grander. They even began to spill over into my daytimes hours, as I would sit at the kitchen table drawing the characters I had created the night before, lovingly rendered in crayon. It soon happened that I couldn't wait to go to bed at night, whether to revisit beloved characters or create new ones.

Though at first my imagination plagued me with fear, I eventual found the key to unlocking a world of imagined wonders. Maybe thats why I've developed a love of reading. Discovering new stories, places, and characters comforts me, just as my own stories comforted me and help shoo away the monsters from my room all those years ago.

A Very Good Year

UPDATE! Thanks to all those that have inquired about collaborating on a custom timeline of their own. Click HERE to order!

When I originally started this little piece to give to Ben for our anniversary yesterday, I began with a timeline of the big milestones from this past year, but then I got to thinking... years from now, we will probably still remember all those big events, but the memory of our day-to-day life will be foggier. So, I decided to capture a glimpse into the little details of our very first year together so that someday, many years from now, we can can look back and smile and say "Oh yes! I'd forgotten about that!" I was so inspired by this first try that I hope to make this a yearly tradition!

Fairest Fair

The delightfully crisp air that has overtaken Nashville was the perfect backdrop for a magical evening at the Tennessee State Fair.

Some people go for the rides, some for the fried "food," some for the exhibits... I go with the hope of meeting a friendly alpaca or two. This fair did not disappoint as I had ample hang time with not one but THREE alpacas, shaggy goats, tiny sheep, momma and bebe mules, super stylin' ducks and an ear-less goat (see bottom right... WHAT IS GOING ON THERE!?!?!)

I was thrilled to find the only stand at the entire fair selling Elephant Ears (apparently a Midwest-exclusive treat?) and Ben got his Swanson on whilst devouring a giant Turkey leg.

Thrilling pig races and Kenyan acrobats were the icing on this Blue Ribbon-worthy cake.

Loungin'

We three are currently basking in this gloriously crisp breeze... sure hope this weather is here to stay!

The Tale of Pip

master Pip - following in the footsteps of his Dickensian namesake

This past weekend, we were graced by a visit from Ben's "little" sister Laura and her delightful friends, Macey and Jeanie. We showed them around Nashville, ate some amazing food, relaxed at our apartment and, whilst strolling in Centennial Park, saw the most spectacular rainbow!

However, all of that only scratches the surface of eventful encounters this weekend. Whilst relaxing on our porch Friday night, soaking in the mild weather, Laura spotted a white cat cowering under a van in our parking lot. Never one to pass up the chance to befriend a cat, I hurried down to check it out.

Long story short-ish, after practically crawling under the van to retrieve said feline, we found him to be deathly skinny, horribly dirty with a badly injured eye. Several bowls of milk, kitten food, and three flea baths later, he is the fluffiest, cuddliest most grateful kitten I have ever seen.

At a mere 1.1. lbs, he'll have to double in size to meet the humane society's 2 lbs minimum weight for them to take him... if we don't get too attached first.

We've kept the mischief to a minimum so far this weekend...

• Local Taco and Fido with brother Tim last night.
• Homemade chocolate chip coconut pancakes and Aero Press coffee this morning.
• Las Americas for lunch.
• Snugglin' and more coffee this afternoon.

Hopefully the rest of this long weekend continues in the same relaxing, tasty fashion.

Homemade Coconut Chocolate Chip Pancakes

The shenanigans begin!

It is such a delight to see all the lovin' our wedding has gotten on the world wide web lately!

Here is a link to our photographer Austin Gros' site

Thanks to him, our wedding is also featured in Martha Stewart Real Weddings 
with an additional blog post in the Bride's Guide section by the lovely Shira Savada.