It's Friday!

Miss Kate, my niece, grows up. :)

Photoshopping is FUN!

Thanks, Nicole, for sharing such cool things! Last week she posted this website, Rollip. It's a website embracing the dynamism of photographs. Pick any feature you want, and upload. Naturally, I had some fun... :)

Wine Night 2010

Wine Night has become an annual affair at the Meyer abode. Good thing, too, because it's a really fantastic time.

I'm doin this!

My sweetheart of a gal pal Rachael sent this over last night, how precious is this? I wanna make one just like it and post it all over!

Thanks, Rach! xo

Diamondbacks Game

This past weekend was my birthday weekend. (Happy Birthday to me!!) My sister decided it would be fun to take Baby Kate to her first baseball game... So, we did. We think she really enjoyed it! She was such a trooper!

30 days

Where in the world have I been for 30 days? Welp, it's been a roller coaster.

I made it to the APA (American Psychological Association) Convention. PHENOM! I love Psychology! AmyJane and I presented our poster, "The relationship between verbal aggression and internalizing symptoms." I know, so grown-up of us! We wanna go back... The next convention is in D.C. next August. It's happening.

And, while I was in San Diego with AmyJane for APA, I met up with Sam... 

Helped AmyJane celebrate her bachelorette... 

And frolicked around L.A. with Miss Katrina!

Finally, we met up with Mama Meyer and Kirk in DisneyLand... 

Whewww!!

In addition to all these shenanigans, I've been celebrating birthdays... Job hunting... And applying to PhD programs. 

More updates to come!

My friends are good to me.

Hayley bought me this shirt. I love her. :)

Where is Matt??

My dear friend AmyJane sent this over to me this afternoon! I just love it!! This guy Matt traveled all over the world and created a record of his destinations, in a very sweet and creative way. Check it out!



*Update!! Visit his website: wherethehellismatt.com and sign up to be in one of his videos! (I totes did!) So cool! :)

Love Wardrobe

Bless Megan's heart. She's got me on a shopping frenzy, now!

My dear friend Megan is visiting Las Vegas with her beau this weekend. While perusing through Forever 21 on the strip, she came across this sweet little top. She sent me a photo, knowing I would simply love it!

(all photos via forever21.com)

Oooh, and I do!! Per my dear friend Hayley's suggestion (Hayley and Megan are sisters, btw!), I got online immeds to order it. Yeah, I fell in love with a few others... 

This one... 

And this one... 

And this one... 

Yes, this one, too... 

Indeed, my shopping cart filled up pretty quickly. So what's the story, Lauren?? Why on Earth are you recently soo smitten with graphic tees encouraging the historical craft of affection? To tell you the truth, I'm unsure where all this giddy glee has originated from. I've been feeling very romantic lately. Odd. ;)

Happy Monday! 

A Lesson Learned Today

(photo via thingsweforget.com)

I have a very strong belief... That those close to you in life are there for a reason. They're there to teach you something, show you something about themselves that in turn will reflect a piece of you. Perhaps some people fade in and out of your world because they are meant to teach you things at different stages in your life. I sometimes forget this when I become upset with my parents, irritated with my friends, or just simply angry over the way things seem to be going. 

While perusing through my favorite blogs today, I stopped for a moment at my dear friend Kristin's most recent post... She blogged about signs and how she characteristically struggles with change. As a result, she asks God for signs, loud and clear, so there is simply no question about what is right. I wouldn't consider myself a highly religious person, but I certainly feel spiritually connected. I felt connected to what she had to say. I want to have faith in the decisions I make. The next few months will present dozens of new challenges, and I want to feel the warmth of confidence with each new challenge I face. Thanks, Kristin, for enlightening me. :) 

Gems

(Taken from atop my Hell's Kitchen apartment, May 2010)

How lucky am I? I returned to Phoenix to be greeted by warm friends and family. Many thanks to all my relatives and close pals for making my homecoming so special. I'm thrilled to be back. Adulthood has officially started, and I'm a little creeped out by it, but everybody has made my transition fun and exciting! My sister threw a fantastic party for my on Saturday; I got the chance to mingle with all my favorite people in one place. I am truly very spoiled!

Happy Birthday, Sister!

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet Sister! The big day was yesterday. My sincerest apologies for being a day late on the birthday post, although I did make  the official birthday phone call yesterday!

Melanie, you are truly quite wonderful! I look up to you oh-so much and cherish the bond we share as sisters. Your dedication as a mother, wife, career woman, daughter, and sister is truly inspiring. I love you so much, and can't wait to see you at the end of the month! :) xoxo

Thank You!

(photo via ffffound.com)

Thank you, Mom, Melanie, Dad, my dear friends, my lovely relatives. The last two years would have been impossible without your unconditional love and support. I have a long and terrifying road ahead, but I've made it this far because of you. Your efforts do not go unnoticed. So, I extend my sincerest thanks. xo

Phoenix

Indeed I just graduated, and I'm getting a lot of "What's next, Lauren??" and "Find a job yet??" and even a few "The real world is scary! Are you ready??"

So, what is next? Here's the story...

After careful consideration, I've decided to move back to Phoenix. Pause for reaction.

I've mentioned it in blogs here and there, and perhaps alluded to my excitement for returning to my hometown. The truth is, I miss it.

Yes, I love, love, love Manhattan. I have developed a sincere passion for this big city lifestyle. But, I'm ready for something else. Will I find it in Phoenix? Maybe. But, I know I've looked for it here, and I haven't found it. The next year will give me the opportunity to seek some field experience, now that I've completed my degree. And, I'd like to obtain my PhD one day, but the reality is... Money is a bit tight and it would be wise to spend my summer making a genuine investment in my future, that is studying for the GRE (Yikes!) and writing phenomenal letters to schools. And even better - spending some quality time with my family and friends. I miss my dear Miss Kate, my wonderful Sister, my supportive parents, and my lovely friends. I'm ready to make Phoenix a home, even if it's a temporary transition to something else. Sure, I've gotten some grief from some pals here in NYC, like I'm giving up on this lifestyle, like I couldn't hack it, like I disliked it all along... They joke, of course. But, the reality is... I did succeed here. I'm not giving up, simply moving along, heading in another direction.

So, I have a wicked to-do while I'm home! I still have four crazy weeks left in New York City. I've got some research to wrap up, and a few tasks to take care of. Naturally, I plan to make the very most of my final days in the city, embracing the grace and charm of this city. But, here are a few things on my mind...

1. Eat at Pita Pit with my gal pals. 

2. Shop at the H & M in Scottsdale with my Sister (Cha! There are H & M's in NYC, but I'd like to dig into a little big city shopping as a desert rat.)

3. Central Coast Wine Tour. 'Nuff said. 

4. Dance. Dance. Dance. 

5. Take an Aqua Zumba Class

6. Canoodle with my Mom, Sister, and Baby Kate

7. Go swimming. In a swimming pool. While it's 100 degrees outside. 

8. Cosmic Bingo! My friend Kristin piqued my interest yesterday. 

9. Drive. A car. With the windows down.

10. Get a good haircut. (I really only trust my hairdresser in Phoenix. Snobbish? No, just selective.)

11. Eat at Postino with Brie.

12. Do the Scottsdale Art Walk.

13. Go on a hot air balloon ride.

14. Go Salt River Tubing.

15. Find a job? Whoa, how did *finding a job* make it on this list?

16. Visit the Cave Creek Thieves Market. Have you ever heard of this??

17. Visit First Friday in Downtown Phoenix, hosted by ArtLink

18. Go Bowling. 

19. Join the gym again. Amen. 

20. Surround myself with family and friends. 

Flower Clips for Baby Kate

Bless my dear Sister's heart! For the longest time she tried so hard to keep Baby Kate from touching the flower clips in her hair. My Sister would put it in. Baby Kate would pull it out, then insist my Sister put it back in. My Sister would put it back in, Baby Kate would pull it out, then insist she put it back in. They would go round and round all day... Until now. Looky, looky... I do believe she's over her silly little game.

Graduation Day Attire

I must share some love for my graduation day attire. (I certainly wish I could have been more creative with my hair. Mortar boards are so unflattering.) I was soo smitten with my dress! Many thanks to my dear friend Andrea for funding it. And to my delightful surprise, I received a lovely little package in the mail on Tuesday, two days before the big day. I opened up the package to find a fancy pair of Guess floral platforms from my dear friends Hayley, Joan, and Kristin. Ahhh! I love them all so much for thinking of me, making my day very special! xoxo

Picnic on the Roof

To celebrate our graduations and transition to adulthood (whatever that is), we decided to invite friends from our programs over to the apartment for a picnic party on the roof. The weather was downright gorgeous and the sunset was the perfect encore to the evening. We had sexy sangria and some delightful little snacks. Aaron even made his famous bruschetta!

Chchchcheck it out!

We even had a staring contest! I got the idea from A Cup of Jo several months back and I've been dying to try it out. My pals were a little skeptical at first, but we were all laughing by the end.

Ahh, the night was truly magical! 

I graduated!

It happened! Finally. After two years of blood, sweat, and tears, I'm done! (Ok, a bit dramatic, I know...)

The ceremony was quite lovely, but bitterly boring - as to be expected. However, I got to share the experience with my closest girlfriends. It was a very special time and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Check it out...

Burlesque Bikini Bootcamp!

(photo via googleimages)

My dear friend AmyJane is getting married in October (yaaaay!), and as a tribute to her upcoming nuptials, a group of gals decided to treat her to a Burlesque class in Chelsea. (Thanks to Hayley & Blakely for organizing!)

Oh. My. God.

It was so much funnn! Our teacher, Kitty Cavalier, was oh-so sexy and taught us some delicious dance moves. We started off with a steamy warm-up (no nudity!) and then finished with a spicy little number. The class lasted an hour and it was so silly and different, such an original way to celebrate a bachelorette's transition into marriage.

Traditionally, Burlesque dancing is a variety of acts, including dancing girls, singers, comedians, mime artists, striptease artists - all with a saucy edge. Of course, we were all wearing gym clothes and sneakers, but we were definitely sweating like crazy near the end. It was a tough work-out. Kitty encouraged us to simply love that reflection in the mirror, because "that is what burlesque is all about, loving yourself."

Guest Blogger - Katherin

I think I inherited my passion for the written word from my mother... I asked if she would like to contribute a little something to CueTheSunshine. She laughed, and then agreed. I think we both knew she would have something lovely to share about our dear Miss Kate - my dear sister's daughter... 

One of the best things about my job is my days off - freedom to do as I wish. Hours stretching out to read, relax, watch TV, or just sit and contemplate life. Today is one of those treasures and it is being spent with Miss Kate, a two-year old bundle of energy with an always ready smile and a mischievious glint in her eye.

My legacy... What life is truly about! We read books together, hop on one leg, run in circles and laugh as we tumble to the ground with the world spinning around us. I once read that the true meaning in life is shining our light into other people so they may discover things they've never before known. This may be true; but, there is nothing more rewarding than rediscovering your inner child with the help of an expert. With my granddaughter at my side, I am relearning things about me... Some I had forgotten and others I'd never before known.

- K.W.M.