Media Likes

I have to write this blog post for class and I don't have anything to say because I've been busy writing/developing things for my screenwriting classes and for the Mayhew writing competition.

So here's some stuff I like.

If you haven't ever watched Parks and Recreation you should change that right now because it is a fantastic comedy. I would recommend it to everyone and so would my mother. Most of its greatness comes from its dedication to its characters they are consistent unlike many TV shows that just change character traits to fit weird dramatic plot lines. Watch it on Netflix. Skip the first season.

My favorite film of the Oscar nominees is Silver Linings Playbook, even though I have a hard time remembering the name. It's rated R for swears, lots of swears, but it is such a wonderful story about two imperfect characters that are perfect in their own ways. I loved it. Go see it. 

Songs I like:

Also, go see plays at the Echo Theater on University Ave. Just saw Happy, Little Secrets there. That was a really good little play that gave an insight into some difficult issues people have to deal with.

That's all I've got this week.

HOW TO: For Boys Wanting to Date Girls

I have a friend who has an impressive amount of first date experience and she helped me compile this list of "What Not to Do's" for boys on a first date or when asking a girl out.

This is meant to give real and actual advice because we are well aware how difficult dating girls must be. 

Best Way to Ask Someone Out:

• Not in public---that's a good tactic if you want to trick her into saying yes, but not if you want a genuine answer.
• Not over Facebook--if you need to go through Facebook to get someone's number, I'm okay with that. But CALL or ASK IN PERSON. It's scary I'm sure, but it's SO much more manly. And if you ask on Facebook she can just pretend like she didn't get it. 
• Explain what we're doing. Do I need to look hot in heels or are we hiking (aliteration, holla!)? Are we eating or should I eat before to avoid being hangry at you the whole time? 
• Don't try and arrange something via texts. It makes my thumbs hurt.

First Dates:

Don't make it: 

• Overly long. Marathon dates are great when you're madly in love but it's nice to have a limited time frame for first encounters. She can't miss you if you never leave.
• Super expensive. Makes the girl feel awkward if you drop a bunch of cash up front (there'll be time for that later).
• Somewhere in swimsuits. There are lots of fun things to do in water--but it's hard not to assume you just want to check out our bodies.
• Just keep it simple. Most of us are not judging your bank account or abs straight-away but how you interact with other humans. 
• Maybe you're asking out someone you don't really know and that's cool but if you have any idea of her interests try and plan something around that. If it's someone like me who posts all over Facebook "OMGoooooosh I LOVE THIS PIZZA PLACE" or "I WOULD KILL FOR A FROSTY" then you know you can't go wrong with that. That's why they invented Facebook. But, seriously, if anyone wants to ask me out for Italian pizza...

Don't talk about sex on a first date. Don't follow up with, "This isn't the first time I've talked about sex on a first date." 

Other Remarks:

• We know "pre-med" and "pre-law" aren't real majors. It's okay if you're studying English as an undergrad, just say so. It's a better conversational move, because otherwise it's like, "cool, let me know what that's like in 7 years." 
• If you kiss a girl, you better have something to say for yourself because most girls are going to interpret that as meaning you like her. Tred lightly in that territory. 
• Remember the whole "just be honest" thing. Don't use us as part of some game or competition.  Because we will write an angry song about you---or worse.

General Don'ts:

• Don't wear a snuggy...And especially don't wear a snuggy and then draw massive attention to yourself by jumping up and down and shouting.
• Don't wear less clothes than I am. Those super short cut-offs? Not exactly the knight in shining armor look. James Bond can pull it off, but he's one of a kind. 
• Don't look up my starting salary and then announce it to a large group of people. Don't then say, "It's okay, you can find a man to take care of you." Even the non-feminists don't want you to tell them that they need you for survival.
• Don't get someone's number and then not call! What is up with that? 
• Don't say you want to watch a chick flick because you like them when what you really mean is "I want to watch a chick flick so I can make out with you." 
• When I tell you I am studying Art History do not respond with, "So you're studying porn?" 
• Don't almost get me fired from my job and then try and ask me out.
• Don't preface anything with something like, "I find you strangely attractive" or something similar. That only worked for Darcy...and even he had to redeem himself. 

Hope this helps you find a future Valentine! 

If you have How-To's for girls and dating you can leave them in the comments. 

What Being a Film Kid Looks Like...

Once upon a time I said, "I'm going to take it easy this semester."

This week looked/looks like this:

Monday:

8:30am get to campus early so I can email a bunch of people back for casting calls for HBLL video

9:00am post-production class for Weeping

11:00am work

12:00pm more post production talk

1:00pm Screenwriting 2

3:00pm Casting Calls for HBLL

5:00pm Communications class

6:15pm Big Meeting for Drift

7:00pm Finish reading Night for doc class and write paper

10:00pm Help Kelso/Tess take equipment back, grab a crepe while picking up Willem

11:30 Finish paper, shower

1:30am Sleep

Tuesday

8:30am Doc class

11:00am Devotional

12:00pm Work

1:00pm TV writing class

3:00pm Work, casting/location decisions 

5:00pm Discuss pick-up stuff, scholarship stuff with JMags

5:30pm Casting meeting for Without a Rope

6:00pm Testing screening for Weeping

8:00pm Post-screening discussion with Jeff

9:00pm Run home, get car, pick up Jacob, mad Wendy's dash for much needed sustenance to catch the...

9:50pm showing of Warm Bodies (okay, this doesn't seem necessary, but it was)

12:00am drop JJ off, have lengthy life discussion (also needed)

2:30am Sleep

Wednesday

8:30am Wake up, check email, forward an email along, turn off alarm

10:00am actually wake up

11:00am Work

1:00pm Screenwriting 2

2:00pm Work/Study for Quizzes

5:00pm Communications Class

6:15pm Run home, get car, get pizza, go to MPS for pick-ups for Weeping

Thursday

8:30am Doc class

11:00am Forum with Jerusha + Jared Hess (love,love,love)

1:00pm TV writing class

3:00pm Work

5:00pm Download pickups footage, learn how to punch people, fail at learning how to see those stupid Magic Eye things.

7:00pm Pizza at Terra Mia (love,love,love)

8:30pm Grocery shopping for a BILLION groceries
10:00pm Prepare food
12:00am Watch SMASH
2:00am Bed

Friday

10:30am Run some set dressing things to work
11:15am Start prepping curry for 40 people + catch up on my NBC shows
2:30pm Serve lunch
4:30pm Clean up Kelly's kitchen
5-9pm Casting
9pm Buy more cups, drop off stuff at Kelly's
10:30pm FroYo rendezvous + deep conversations
12:00am Talk movies + eat macaroons
1:30am Drop off water bottles that were still in my car.

2:30am Bed

Saturday

8:30am-2pm Shooting for HBLL
Drive to Fairview

6pm Feed everyone "lunch" for Drift
Try to slip in some screenwriting
12am bed.

In between all these things life is spent glued to my laptop (a now constant companion) writing:

1. Short musical film

2. Two 25 minute television episodes

3. A feature-length film

4. A song for Valentine's Day
5. Endless, unnecessary tweets (@lawsren).

I am a champion at procrastinating writing assignments by writing something else.

How To Survive a Provo Winter

It's been cold here. First, there was freezing rain that turned the whole city into an ice rink. There was snow. There was more snow. There was subzero temperatures. Etc.

Here are some tips I've found helpful.

1. Layer up. The thing about winter is that the buildings on campus decide to keep themselves warm and toasty so while you feel like you are going to freeze your face off walking up to campus you will be sweating as soon as you step indoors. You will need a t-shirt for when you first get into the building and your body freaks out, a light jacket/sweater for when you realize it's cold again, and a huge coat to get you from one building to another.

I recommend stripping as you walk through the doors. It helps your body adjust and attracts the attention of passer-bys. I found it to be a fail-proof method.

2. Get headphones that double as ear muffs. But seriously, I never liked ear-buds and they won't do anything for you in the cold.

3. Wear waterproof shoes. Everyday I don't wear my boots there is magically 6 inch-deep snow blocking whereever I need to be.

4. Swap your side bag for a backpack. You have no shot at keeping balance on slippery terrain if your weight isn't well distributed.

Lastly, study at the library:

Not going to lie, I'm proud of this little video because me and Laura did it almost entirely by ourselves (minus the talented people in it, of course). 

Today Was the Great Because...

I hate to be that optimistic person, but I feel really good right now. 

(I wanted to put real good but that is not grammatically correct)/ 

at 1:00am I finished my first ever draft of a real-life television pilot.

I wasn't freakishly tired during my 8:30am class and we watched some classy Lumiere films.

Bad hair day was covered up with a beanie easily enough. 

The Tuesday forum was both amazing and mind-blowing and WONDERful (more on that later).

I remembered to bring a lunch.

Boss liked the project I've been working on.

I like the project I've been working on.

Willem proposed as I was passing him in the hall. 

(Told him I'd think about it). 

Made myself a gourmet dinner of mac n' cheese with edamame beans (you know, for protein or whatever).

My car wouldn't start, which instead of being obnoxious is kind of just funny to me.

Finally got to see ARGO. 

With a film buddy who really knows how to appreciate a good flick.

The only theater playing Argo was 30 minutes away, which sort of made it feel like a mini-adventure and I think seeing movies should be mini-adventures now and again. 

Listened to good music. Had good conversation. All those important things.

I love, love, loved Argo. It is definitely not for the faint of heart but it had such a good tone. I'm big on tone today it's all we talking about in Writer's Room. So intense ALL THE WAY THROUGH. You think they're safe but they NEVER ARE. 

Ben Afleck, you son of a cuss, you pulled off a wonderful heist movie. AND IT'S REAL..ish. 

The 70s-80s Production Design!? Wonderful. All the Hollywood jokes? Perfect.

That look in Ben's eye when he knows it's time to be a bad-A? Yes.

The characters were wonderful and lovable. 

There were so many good twists and twists and more twists. 

I also smuggled Kool-Aid Squeez-its into the theater (don't tell). 

Now I'm eating Phish food while I study grammar. Perfect ending to today.

p.s.

Yesterday was great too. Inauguration crepe party, Italian pizza, and wedding dress shopping with one of my best girls (see also:EVERYONE I KNOW IS ENGAGED). 

Valentine's Day

I am actually excited for Valentine's Day this year. My friend Angela and I are having a party for the loved and the lovelesst to come together in the noble cause of dipping things in chocolate and eating them. 

If you have a child like Molly you can easily send adorable Valentines to loved ones.

me n' Mollz:

post photo shoot playing:

My personal fave:

As for the childless, we're left to cut out letters from magazines so we can leave anonymous love notes on the porches of people we have secret crushes on. 

Happy Early Valentine's Day from Lawsy Photography and Molly the Cutest.

Finding the Not-ONEs.

yes, this picture is random, but i wanted to add a pic in case anyone wanted to PIN this.

This is dedicated to anyone who has ever had a relationship NOT work out. You know, all 5 of us.  NOT to the three friends of mine who got engaged YESTERDAY. Congratulations, by the way.

Recently I had the opportunity to provide comforting words to a friend of mine. It is an interesting thing, when giving comfort/advice, how often we end up saying words we need to hear ourselves.

This was the best I could come up with, "Remember you're not the only girl who has been completely shafted by a guy. It happens to all of us. That's why movies have happy endings, because we don't want them to be like life."

Sometimes we don't get what we want. Even if we want it really bad and wish every time the clock strikes "11:11" that it will come true.  

Only hours later another friend recounted her experience with something she saw in BYU's art exhibit Beauty and Belief. "There was this fantastic little piece, two door signs from a 14th century mosque. They were Arabic calligraphy carved in ivory and it translated to say 'O Opener of all doors/Open for me the best door.'" 

Sometimes we spend too much time trying to force things that shouldn't be. I always like to say to people, "You can't marry everyone." Of all things in life this is one we only need to make work one time. That should be easy enough, right? And yet we stress and stress when things don't go write with one person. It hurts and we cry and angst (it's a verb now) and want to throw things at peoples' heads.  Then we make dramatic statements like, "I'll never love again" or write songs or take up boxing and then we get over it, or we don't depending on our choices. 

Back to my first friend: She responded to my advice, oh so wisely, with "And eventually, probably not right away, but eventually, you will find something/someone that makes you even happier than you were before. The hard part is waiting. Waiting for a day, you don't know when, will come." 

We (I am going to go out on a limb and say especially girls) get SO attached to people we have "crushes" on and it becomes a life-or-death, this-is-THE-love-of-my-life situation. 

When, maybe, most of the time, it's not. Let's see, pretty sure that the boy I had a crush on when I was in 7th grade ended up being a drug addict. I had written his name on the bottom of my shoe, how could I ever move on from that?

I did. Again and again and again and every time I've been convinced on some sort of level "he is the ONE" but however many guys later...there is still just one "winner" and I haven't found him yet. I've watched lots of my friends find their "not the ONEs" over and over again, it is a part of life. 

We need to trust that when we get to the Best Door it will open for us. We won't have to cling to the legs of someone who doesn't love us as they try and walk away. We won't have to change ourselves to fit someone else's "type". We will find something that fits and that will be mutually beneficial for all parties involved. 

Sometimes I go to the store and buy something that doesn't fit quite right. Maybe it isn't a color I love or has an ugly bow I think would be easy to "just cut off". I still buy it because it's SO CUTE. I usually regret this. Not always at first, but the regret comes. We should accept if orange doesn't look good on us or if that shirt only looks good on mannequins and not humans that are shaped like humans. Or maybe we hate lace even though everyone else LOVES it. 

It is the same with relationships. We can scratch our heads about why things look so good on the hanger but don't fit right or don't feel right but we don't want to live with things/people that don't feel good and right and comfortable or don't make us feel like our BEST selves.

Also, if it's sold-out (emotionally unavailable) we just need to move on. Sometimes we need to go to lots and lots of stores to find something that fits perfect.

I can't believe I just compared dating to clothing, every girl better love this post. 

We need to invest in things that are the best for us. Early in this post I semi-criticized movies for always ending happy, but I do believe in happy endings. I think we all have it in us, if we make the right choices to feel like a princess or feel like we won the National Championship at the end of our stories. We see in movies the struggle that the characters go through to end up all hunky-dory at the end. We have to endure our own struggles, we have to learn from the bad experiences so that we can earn our happy endings. Spoiler: our bad experiences will last longer than a 2 hour movie but we will survive--just like we all made it through Russell Crowe's singing and still loved Les Miserables.

We need to seek out the people who love us for us. Who let us be the best version of the person we want to be. Someone who will make sacrifices for us and someone who we want to make sacrifices for.  Someone who doesn't mock the things that make us us. Someone who loves us as madly as we love them and visa versa. Because what's the point of a relationship if you don't feel really, truly loved? Why buy the dress unless it makes you look really, truly awesome? And why does anyone wear 4 inch heels? Really?

Last thought: Online shopping can be a disaster, but works great for some people!
I had to carry this analogy as far as I could.

How To DIY

So there's this thing called Pinterest that is really good at giving you wonderful ideas about things you want to make or be or laugh at. It gives you this sense of empowerment as if you could do anything you  put your mind to.

Here is how I did Pinterest over Christmas Break. 

1. Found this via Pinterest. 

2. Showed the picture to my mom.

3. Asked mom to make it.

4. Told her I like blue.

5. Watched her make it.

6. Made a bow bracelet out of felt--NOT inspired by Pinterest--but really easy to make in while mum slaved over the skirt. 

Pinterest is incredible when you really know how to use it.

My mom would not, however, approve of these photos because the skirt is wrinkly, but I had to take them real fast and pack to go home. oops!

New Years Resolutions

1. save up and buy my own 5D...or maybe 6D. this means eating more eggs and less things that are expensive.

2. eat more than one meal a day each day. pack my lunches and breakfasts. 

3. make a music video for at least 4/16 songs on the album Red.

4. exercise...anything really, just so i don't die young. but preferrably something that will give me a sexy bod.

5. graduate from uni

6. be a photographer for reals because turns out i enjoy it.

7. go exploring outside of my usual places

8. see our short in some festivals.

9. loose the anxiety/angst i've been dragging around lately. love people more. be happy for other people
s successes. 

10. blog more? maybe. write more definitely. write something everyday.

Okay, these are not so much resolutions as a to-do list but I like them.

From the Lauren Laws Family

What. A. Year....

The beginning of this year I was digging my claws into Roman soil hoping that day would never come that I would be pulled away. Rung in the new year with two of my favorite mission companions watching our neighbors set off fireworks on their porch and then for three weeks I was saying good-bye to the people who had come to mean so much to me.

I landed back in America the 2nd to last day of January and came home to find Christmas still in-tact (though the tree was turning brown and shedding pine needles like crazy). Obviously I was excited to see my family after 18 months. 

April I took my first screenwriting class and fell in love. I took another class in the Fall for television writing and this coming semester I will be taking two more writing classes. I love writing. Period.

Over the summer I lived in no less than four different houses. Kissed no less than four different boys and decided that maybe I needed to settle in somewhere slightly more permanent. 

I have been with my current boyfriend for 5 months and he is the sweetest. We have gone on excursions to San Francisco, the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and Oak City to name a few. Our favorite Indian-American fusion restaurant closed less than a week after we ate there for the first time. 

Fall was consumed by producing a short film Weeping which was one of the greatest experiences a student could ask for. I made so many new friends and worked with talented, talented people. We are excited to finish it up in the next couple months. Heads up, it's going to be a wonderful little piece.

This year I've learned how important it is to surround yourself with good people and people who really care about you. I have some incredible people in my life who have supported me in my successes and in my failures. That is a blessing I try not to take for granted.

I learned about Instagram (saw the blessed day it came to Android users), Pinterest, and most ultimately, GetGlue. 

I had a weird disease that made my face swell up like a muppet, two surgeries, dressed up like Katniss three times, met my two nieces, started getting obsessed with photography and got paid to do it a couple times, stopped counting how many friends were getting married, decided my dream is to work for NBC , started a girl's comedy group, etc. etc.

It sort of felt like a transitioning/figuring things out year. I am very excited for the one to come and all the plans I have.