Hello lovely readers, I wanted to let you know about some major changes at Likely Lola.  Three years ago I left my job as a preschool teacher due to illness.  While I was recuperating, I took up graphic design and fell head over heels.  I started Eight Days Designs which eventually morphed into Likely Lola.  Although I have enjoyed every moment of owning my own business, it just isn’t cutting it in the bill paying department.

My health has recovered and I was recently offered my former teaching position.  Since it’s been more than three years, I had to jump through a few hoops, including an interview.  The first part of my interview was in the classroom leading an art project for the kids, the second took place with my supervisors.  Sitting in the office, chatting with them about the changes that have happened since I’ve been gone and listening to them bicker good-naturedly with each other, it suddenly dawned on me that I was home.

I just can’t resist the lure of the classroom, my former coworkers, a familiar environment and some serious benefits (medical, dental, vision, PTO and 401 K).  I’m going back to teaching.

So what does this mean for Likely Lola Design?  I’ve decided I’m going to keep offering all services except Blogger design.  However, the focus of the site is going to swing toward entertainment writing and whatever other little things strike my fancy.  So like, 75%  me writing about geek stuff and 25% graphic design.

That’s the long and the short of it.  Thank you so much for supporting me through the years, I cannot express how much it really means to me.

XOXOXOX

P.S.

I’ll probably give the site a face lift in the next couple of months to reflect the big changes!

“And I can breakaway to the better life
Where the shackles never hold me down
I’m gonna make a way for each happy day
As my life turns around”

–Break Away by The Beach Boys

Header Photo credit: YannGarPhoto.wordpress.com / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

The post Changes appeared first on likelylola.com.

I just read that the premiere date for the fifth season of The Venture Bros. has been pushed out to June 2nd.  My first reaction was one of pure irritation as I feel like I’ve been waiting forever.  Of course, it has been two and a half years since season four wrapped, so I’m not totally off base.  However, if I’ve been waiting that long, a couple more weeks isn’t going to kill me.  There’s no official news why they decided to delay it two more weeks, but I imagine Doc and Jackson (the show’s creators) are working hard on finishing the season and could use a little leeway.  I’ll give it to them, because they deliver a quality product.

So, to soothe away my irritation, I thought I’d give you a little taste of why I love The Venture Bros. so much.

The taste is quotes.  I’m going to list the best quotes from the series.  Enjoy!

Season One

Hank: Brock, if pirates really exist, I mean, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy could even be real, right? It’s like, all bets are off!
Brock: Hank, nobody ever said pirates don’t exist.
Hank: So you agree with me that this is impossible.

Dr. Venture: Crap, who am I kidding? My looks are going down the toilet faster than an unwanted pregnancy on prom night.

Henchman #24: Come on! They have one female servicing a large group of males. That implies a species that lays eggs.
Henchman #21: Oh my God, you’re crazy! They’re so obviously mammals!
Henchman #24: Please! She’d be in estrus 24/7 if she didn’t lay eggs.
Henchman #21: Smurfs don’t lay eggs! I won’t tell you this again! Papa Smurf has a fucking beard! They’re mammals!

Brock: Why haven’t you tried the world domination thing? You scared of the big leagues?
The Monarch: Please, how stupid do I look to you? World Domination. I’ll leave that to the religious nuts and the Republicans, thank you.

Dr. Girlfriend: Sweetie, isn’t that the guy from Depeche Mode?
The Monarch: Oh no, wait, where? Holy crap, he’s with a girl!
Dr. Girlfriend: Oh yeah, that guy is totally straight. I saw a whole thing about him on the VH1.
The Monarch: But he’s the guy from Depeche Mode. That’s impossible!
Dr. Girlfriend: Straight!
The Monarch: Come on! He’s in Depeche Mode!

Dr. Venture: Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?

Dean: We gotta warn Pop!
Brock: No, Dean, this is Guild business, your father isn’t in any harm. Guild work is clean, professional. It’s surgical with them. In a way they’re the only organization I still respect.
Hank: And they kill clean, don’t let dames get in the way.
Brock: Honestly, Hank, where do you pick that stuff up? I never see you read.
Dean: It’s weird, right?
Brock: It’s like he channels dead crazy people.
Hank: You think it’s a cry for help?

Dr. Venture: Ooh, Orpheus. I wasn’t expecting you to show up. Didn’t think necromancers believed in Christmas.
Dr. Orpheus: Well, the whole affair is about as real as Kwanzaa, or uh, the Wookiees’ Life Day, but I find it charming.

Season 2

Dr. Orpheus (talking to Triana about raising the dead): Stop crying, pumpkin. I’ve done this hundreds of times. David Blaine,Evel Knievel, both daddy’s clients. As was Ronald Reagan, until he bounced a check

Osiris Priest: Give me the Hand of Osiris!
Dr. Venture: Give me head.
Osiris Priest: You didn’t just say that!
Dr. Venture: I absolutely did. What are you gonna do about it?
Osiris Priest: (confused) I’m… about to kill your sons.
Dr. Venture: Join the club!

Jefferson Twilight: Yes, I only hunt blaculas.
Guild Candidate: Oh, so you only hunt African-American vampires?
Twilight: No, sometimes I hunt British vampires. They don’t have “African Americans” in England!
Candidate: Oh yeah, huh, good point.
Twilight: So I hunt blaculas.
Candidate: I was just trying to be…
Twilight: Man, I specialize in hunting black vampires, I don’t know what the P.C. name for that is!

Jefferson Twilight: On three we give him the old Rochambeau.
The Alchemist: Rock-paper-scissors?
Dr. Orpheus: What does a general from the American Revolution have to do with this?
Jefferson Twilight: American Revolution? Rochambeau sound…sounds French to me.
Dr. Orpheus: Well yes, the Franco-American forces.
Jefferson Twilight: They fought with spaghetti-o’s and meatballs?
The Alchemist: Why would a company called Franco-American make Italian food?

Doctor Venture: Friend of yours?
Brock: We were in ‘Nam together.
Doctor Venture: Oh. Wait, you were like 10 during Vietnam.
Brock: Well, I didn’t say during the war.

Phantom Limb: Revenge, like gazpacho soup, is a dish best served cold, precise, and merciless.
The Monarch: Yeah, yeah, you can never have enough precision in your soup…

The Alchemist: But being a magic super hero that keeps chasing the same guy? It’s completely gay. That is coming from a guy that voluntarily has sex with men!

The Monarch: [Gasps] Oh! There she is! [Whispering] Hi, Pookums!
Dr. Venture: You know I feel so dirty, when they start talking cute.
The Monarch: Get used to it!
Dr. Venture: I wanna tell her that I love her… but, that point is probably moot.
The Monarch: …Are you reciting “Jessie’s Girl”?

Season 3

Henchman 24: What the hell are you doing?
Dermott: I’m givin’ you my earth germs! *cough, cough* I’m gonna kill you with my cold. *cough* Die, alien!
Henchman 24: I’m not an alien, dillweed. I’m a henchman! And you’re not a Venture Brother. Who the hell are you?
Dermott: I’m Hank’s friend.
Henchman 24: Yeah, I doubt that.
Dermott: Would you believe I’m… Brock Samson’s long lost son?
Henchman 24: If that were true, I don’t think I would have caught you this easily.
Dermott: I couldn’t run because …I had a lighter up my ass.
Henchman 24: Ok, NOW I believe you’re Hank’s friend.

Dr. Venture: This is gonna be one of those things, isn’t it?
Brock: Uh-huh.
Dr. Venture: I mean, you get a bunch of short-fused, costumed idiots together in one room like this, and what do you think’s gonna happen? Any minute now, stuff’s gonna start blowing up, guys’ll be throwing each other at other guys.
Brock: Yeah, probably.
Dr. Venture: You know, when you’re not the one in the middle of it all for once, it’s actually totally, completely obvious.
Brock: Welcome to my life.

Henchman 21: You still don’t get it. 24 and I have been on, like, a thousand missions. We’ve been shot at, dipped in acid…
Henchman 24: Brock Samson hit me with a car. Drove right into my kidney. Here I am!
Henchman 21: Yeah, we can walk across this floor and nothing would hit us. But then like this huge log would swing down and take your head off.
Henchman 24: Hey, here; what’s your name?
Henchman 1: Henchman number 1.
Henchman 24: See, you are nameless.
Henchman 1: I’m Scott Hall, my name is Scott Hall. Okay?
Henchman 24: No, won’t help.
Henchman 21: Yeah, now it’s just pathos. So you’re dying in my lap and I’m all “Scott! Scott don’t you quit on us! Don’t you dare!!”
Henchman 24: You just made your unavoidable death more pathetic.
Henchman 21: (pause) Fuck it. (begins walking across a laser tripwired floor) Nothing’s gonna happen to me.

Season 4

UPS Worker: “Well hey there, slugger! Looks like you’re gunning for my job!”
Hank: “Did my dad tell you to say that?”
UPS Worker: “Uhh no.”
Hank: “Then… are you psychic?”
Dr. Venture: “Hank, leave the man alone. Just because he’s black doesn’t mean he has the shining.”

Dermott: Do you dig this Tracy girl or what?
Dean: Well, she seems nice, and her hair is really pretty.
Dermott: Well, talk to her, then. You don’t have to nail her. Just see what happens. Man, way to be uptight.
Hank: Wait, did you just give good advice?
Dean: I gotta go check the temperature in Hell.
Dermott: You can both blow me.

Hank: Hey, can I ask you something? You’re gay, right?
The Alchemist: Yeah!
Hank: What’s it looked like? I mean, is it real or is it all Frankenstein?
The Alchemist: Hank!
Hank: Your dingus. Does it look real?
The Alchemist: What is kid-crazy talking about?
Jefferson Twilight: He thinks you’re transgender.
The Alchemist: Hank, it looks real because it is real. I’m gay. It doesn’t mean I was born a woman. I have a regular dingus, as you say.
Jefferson Twilight: Hank, aren’t you just a little ashamed of your ignorance?
The Alchemist: Like just a little?
Hank: Yeah, constantly.

The Monarch: Honey, they’re henchmen. You don’t explain to them, they do your bidding. When you say “jump”, they say, “what shark?”

Col. Gathers: No, a thousand times no. I’m not letting those clowns shrink my $40 million secretly funded submarine to go fight the fucking cavity creeps.
Hank: Then when our father dies, are you guys prepare to adopt us?
Col. Gathers: No, but I’m considering a extremely late-term abortion. Samson, what part of secret underground headquarters that square-head of yours fail to rock!
Brock: Look, they live next door, what am I suppose to do?
Col. Gathers: Wipe their pink little minds and send them back home, like I told you.
Brock: They discover us every other week. I can’t keep doing that, its starting to make them buggy. Listen to this. Dean, what day is today?
Dean: Sagittarius
Brock: Good! Now Hank, what color is my tongue?
Hank: It’s kind of… Wednesday! Like a light Wednesday.

Col. Gathers: It’s downright reasonable. I could pole-dance better than half those women. Good lord, son, there should be a mandatory retirement age for strippers.
Brock: Did you see I got cornered by Robin last night? I almost had to chew off my own arm to get away.
Col. Gathers: Ohh, that poor woman has the saddest tits. Damn depressing.
Brock: Right? Yeah, they’re like The Notebook sad.
Col. Gathers: Her tits are like “coming home from school and finding out that your old man ran over your cat” sad.
Brock: Mournful. She has mournful tits. They’re like two suicide notes stuffed in a glitter bra.
Col. Gathers: Those things are like a little kid with progeria cracking all his ribs trying to catch a Nerf ball—just sad. Damn it, she has gloomy tits!
Brock: It’s like she put a dollar’s worth of change into some old socks and then taped them to her chest.
Col. Gathers: I want to build two little caskets and give her tits a tasteful, dignified funeral.

Brock: Let’s go Shore Leave, boys night out. You coming?
Shore Leave: Boys night out, I wish. You guys are gonna go to that strip club again.
Col. Gathers: You make that wholesome place sound dirty, you bastard. Are you coming or not?
Shore Leave: Hmm, ahh… I’m feeling kind of, kind of gay. Wait… no. No it’s definitely… I’m definitely still gay.

Hank: Are you okay? Dr. O said you’re probably insane now and that you’ll never be the same.
Dr. Venture: Are you kidding? Okay, I’m just turning 16 and having a birthday pool party. My father invites every girl he knows, and I’m not talking about girls my age. No, not Jonas. He invites Playboy Bunnies and models and, I think, actual whores—you know, real prostitutes. So there I am in my giant bathing suit with nervous puberty oozing out of my gigantic pores. Just—just awful. So, the band suddenly stops playing and I hear “and now the man of the hour, Rusty Venture!” All eyes on me, right? Then suddenly, almost predictably, the Action Man shoots my groin with a shrink ray right as that fucking jackass Colonel Gentleman pulls my shorts down.
Hank: Wow. That’s like a nightmare.
Dr. Venture: Oh, no! No! What I went through today was “like a nightmare.” What happened when I was 16, that is my life.

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Did you really read all of that?  If you did, bravo!  If not, well, I guess that’s your choice.  Either way, how about a little teaser for season five?

The post Why I Love The Venture Bros. appeared first on likelylola.com.

I’ve spent the last few weeks practically vibrating in my chair in anticipation for what this year has to offer the geek world.  From comic book movies to sci-fi to what I consider to be some of the greatest animated sitcoms ever created.    We’ve already been given a few gifts, but with seven months left, 2013 still has a lot to offer.  Here are the movies, television shows and cartoons I’m most looking forward to, presented in order of release date.  Click the titles for a link to the trailers!

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Archer  — Season 4 (Just Wrapped)

Although Archer is done for the year, I couldn’t leave it off my list.  I feel the need to bring attention to this show whenever possible.  This show is how comedy should be done.  It’s smart, it’s witty and it brings me to tears because I’m laughing so hard.  Show creator, Adam Reed (Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo), has absolutely outdone himself with this gem.  I have been a die hard fan since day one and I will happily go down with this ship, whenever that may be (not to soon, please).  First three seasons are on Netflix.  Go watch it now, you won’t regret it.

Game of Thrones – Season 3 (Currently airing Sundays on HBO)

Oh. My. God.  This show is INSANELY good.  I first heard about Game of Thrones in late 2011.  It sounded intriguing, so I watched in on the internet.  I was hooked halfway through the first episode.  When I realized it was a book series, I was absolutely giddy with excitement.  I bought all the books, holed myself up in my house for a week and read them like it was going out of style.  That being said, I’m only surprised in the series when they do something that wasn’t in the books.  But they haven’t disappointed me in the least.  So far, they are freaking nailing it.  Also, if you haven’t read the books, I’m just going to warn you of one small thing.  What happened to Ned is going to look like child’s play when you see what’s coming.  Sorry in advance.

Iron Man 3  (May 3rd, 2013)

I’m just going to come out and say that until I saw Iron Man, I was no Robert Downey Jr. fan.  It wasn’t anything personal, I just wasn’t very interested in him.  After some friends dragged me to see Tropic Thunder, I begrudgingly had to admit that he was quite funny.   When I gave myself permission to see Iron Man, I did so with a bit of trepidation.  I really shouldn’t have been concerned.  Within ten minutes I was a certified RDJ fangirl.  Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark and he is fabulous.  He’s so fabulous in fact, that I can manage to sit through not one, but three movies featuring Gwyneth Paltrow.  That woman makes me cringe.  *shudder*

The trailers for Iron Man 3 have an admittedly darker feeling to them than the previous movies.  However, I think we’re ready to see a slightly grittier Tony Stark (I hope he keeps that razor sharp wit, though).  With the addition of Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley to the cast, I’m certain the film is going to have some deliciously sinister moments.

Star Trek: Into Darkness  (May 17th, 2013)

Star Trek is back!  *happy dance*  I am unbelievably stoked for this movie and I can barely contain it!  I am so impressed with J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the series that I could positively kiss him.  I took my mom to see Star Trek (XI) in 2009 not expecting to be thrown headfirst into one of the most fervent fandoms that has ever existed.  I grew up with Star Trek: The Next Generation on television and my dad often expressing that the original series wasn’t that impressive.  I don’t know if I’d use the word impressive to describe Star Trek: TOS, but I would definitely call it entertaining and iconic.  And I love it, I really do.

The casting for the reboot was absolutely dead on.  Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Zoe Saldana are total perfection.  And now we’re adding the glorious Benedict Cumberbatch to the mix.  I have been waiting to see him play the bad guy since I first saw him in Sherlock.  Oh glorious gods of the fandoms, thank you for this gift.

Arrested Development  — Season 4 (May 26th, 2013)

It’s the final countdown (cue the music)!  I can’t wait to catch up with the Bluth family and see what they’ve been up to the past seven years.  I love it when a show gets cancelled but finds new life thanks to its rabid fan-base.  Like Family Guy and Futurama before it, Arrested Development got that glorious second chance.  I’m slightly sad about Netflix’s decision to release all fifteen episodes at once.  I have like zero self control and I’m going to end up watching it all in one go and have to deal with the pain of separation again.  But hey, hopefully we’ll get a movie out of the deal as well!  Now if only I could gain access to an Arrested Development return party that had unlimited juice.  That would be off the hook!

The Venture Bros. – Season 5 (June 2nd, 2013)

Of all the shows I watch, this one seems to get the least amount of press, and that is a crying shame.  This show is pure gold.  GOLD!  A cartoon based on the adventures of the Venture family, their bodyguard Brock and a whole host of costumed “supervillains”, this simply cannot be beat.  It premiered in 2003 on Adult Swim and will be returning for its fifth season in May.  Now, you may notice that the math seems a little off there.  Five seasons in ten years?  No, it wasn’t cancelled at any point, it’s just that Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick, the show’s creators/writers/voice actors are very busy men and they take their sweet ass time to make a show that’s worthy of going down in cartoon history.  And boy howdy, do they get it done.  This show is home to my favorite cartoon character of all time (quite a distinction, people), The Monarch, a butterfly themed supervillain.  The core concept of the show, the reason it’s so delightfully funny, is failure.  There is not one character on the show that truly has their shit together.  And it’s positively wonderful.  Take it from the creators themselves:

Publick: “This show… If you’ll permit me to get ‘big picture’, this show is actually all about failure. Even in the design, everything is supposed to be kinda the death of the space-age dream world. The death of the jet-age promises.”

Hammer: “It’s about the beauty of failure. It’s about that failure happens to all of us…Every character is not only flawed, but sucks at what they do, and is beautiful at it and Jackson and I suck at what we do, and we try to be beautiful at it, and failure is how you get by…It shows that failure’s funny, and it’s beautiful and it’s life, and it’s okay, and it’s all we can write because we are big…failures. (laughter)”

Sailor Moon – Series Reboot  (Summer 2013)

Alright readers, I am flying my nerd flag loud and proud on this one.  I started watching Sailor Moon in 1998 when it ran on the Toonami block of programming on Cartoon Network.  It was my introduction to the world of anime and I was sold.  I bought VHS and DVDs, manga and of course, plenty of merchandise.  As I got older, I became more of a purist and only watch the subtitled Japanese version, as DiC and Funimation had essentially bastardized the show for American markets.  I fostered a love for the show in my young nieces.  I mean, what’s not to love about a group of magical girls who kick ass in pretty sailor suits?

Last summer at an event celebrating Sailor Moon’s 20th anniversary, it was announced that a new anime would make its debut this summer.  If the rumors are to be believed, it will be closely following the manga story line and will be simulcast on the internet for all the world to see!

The World’s End  (August 23rd, 2013)

Have I mentioned how much I love Simon Pegg?  His sense of humor is so close to mine that it’s scary.  The World’s End is the final part in the “Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy” and was preceded by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.  If that doesn’t speak to how great this film is going to be, I don’t know what will.  Naturally Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are heading up the cast, but this time Martin Freeman will have a much larger role.  Here’s IMDb’s plot summary for you:

20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hell bent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King, a 40-year old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their home town and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub, The World’s End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind’s. Reaching The World’s End is the least of their worries.

Downton Abbey – Season 4 (September 2013)

SPOILERS AHEAD!  Don’t continue reading unless you’ve finished season three.

If you’re all rabid Downton fans like I am, I’m sure you shared in the collective “WTF just happened!?!” moment that was the end of the third season.  Two seasons of “Will they won’t they?” between Matthew and Mary, followed by one season of  marriage that ended in a beautiful happy family moment and then BAM!  Dead Matthew.  Those assholes!  Dan Stevens, I am looking in your direction.  I better see some serious acting going on or I will never forgive you for leaving the show.

So, naturally, I’m dead curious about what will happen next.

Sherlock – Season 3 (Hopefully Sometime This Fall)

If you haven’t gleaned my love for all things A.) Sherlock, B.) Benedict Cumberbatch or C.) Martin Freeman, by now, then you haven’t really been reading.  If it were legal to marry a television show, I would be chasing this one down the aisle.  If you haven’t watched Sherlock, then you need to do so.  Now.  The first two seasons (and only two seasons) are currently on Netflix.  The entire series basically consists of six movies.  And trust me, you will end up marathoning (not a word) them at some point, they are just that good.  The last episode ended in a heartbreaking cliffhanger and those of us in the fandom are absolutely itching to see the conclusion.

Also, if you’d like to remain on my good side, don’t mention Elementary.  That show needs to die a fiery death.

Thor: The Dark World  (November 8th, 2013)

I’ve always believed that honesty is the best policy, so I’m going to be honest and tell you exactly why I’m so excited to see Thor: The Dark World.  Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth.  Oh, I’m sure the plot is going to be fantastic and everything, but….yeah.  The Ninth Doctor is the villain, so that’s a plus!

It’s just that Loki is so freaking awesome.  Also, I’m kind of curious what kind of trouble he’s going to be in after the events of the Avengers.  And Tom and Chris are just so man pretty.  I know I should feel bad about my motivations, considering I’m a Marvel fangirl and all, but I’m unapologetic when it comes to this.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special  (November 23, 2013)

I’m not really a fan of Matt Smith.  I know I just completely alienated a whole bunch of Whovians, but damn it, David Tennant was the Doctor to end all Doctors and I just haven’t gotten over his departure.  So, why I am excited about the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special?  Well, I’ll just tell you.  DAVID TENNANT IS COMING BACK.  At least for the special, anyway.  So is Billie Piper!  And it’s the 50th anniversary, so we should all celebrate the beauty and wonder that is Doctor Who!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug  (December 13th, 2013)

I have this habit of arriving late to the party sometimes.  Like Star Trek and Arrested Development, I was introduced to the Lord of the Rings long after everyone else.  My mom’s friend insisted I go see the Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers with her.  I was kicking and screaming the whole way, telling her I hadn’t seen the first one, that I’d be lost in the story and that the whole thing was for nerds anyway.  Apparently I was in some serious denial about my own status as a total geek.  Luckily for me, my hormones dragged me in I was immediately engrossed in the series thanks to Orlando Bloom’s pretty face (I was seventeen, give me a break).  Once I came out the haze, I was able to see the series for how truly amazing it was, bought all the books (including the Hobbit) and read them voraciously.

When I heard Peter Jackson was making the Hobbit, I was on board immediately.  I knew he would treat it with respect and we’d be left with another piece of cinematic beauty.  And then I heard that Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch were cast as Bilbo and Smaug respectively and well, they couldn’t keep me away after that.

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And there you have it!  What are you nerding out over in 2013?  Let me know in the comments!

The post What I’m Nerding Out Over in 2013 appeared first on likelylola.com.

Dear teenage Laura, there are some very important things I’ve learned over the years that I’d like to let you know.

• Everything that seems important to you right now is ridiculous.  You’re a teenager and you don’t have real problems.  One day you will know what real problems are.

• I can’t explain this, but it’s important.  Buy Twinkies.  Lots and lots of Twinkies.  I know you won’t eat them, because they’re awful, but one day you’ll be able to sell them on eBay.

• You know that art teacher you love?  She is one of the single most influential people you’ll ever meet in your life.  Take her word as gospel.

• I know you’re sad now, but don’t worry, Family Guy will be back.  Also, start writing love letters to Seth MacFarlane.  It’s quite possible you can weasel your way into his heart while he’s down.  He’s going to be worth millions!

• Take a look around at your friends.  Take real good stock of them.  I’m pretty sure that, even now, you know which ones won’t be making the “best friends forever” cut.  The four that remain are worth all the awful friends you have ever had to put up with.

• Don’t get that star tattoo.  That was a bad idea.

• Do get the anchor; just get it done by a better tattoo artist.

• Who’s your favorite band right now?  Yeah, that’s just the hormones doing the decision making for you.  They are five guys who aren’t that attractive, don’t write their own music, don’t play instruments and can barely sing.  Remember when you were little and you liked the Beatles?  Go back to that.

• Speaking of the Beatles, write to Paul McCartney.  Tell him to be wary of one-legged women.

• Your parents are awesome.  I know you think you know that now, but just wait.

• It’s hard not to take it for granted that the people you care about will be around forever.  Tell them you love them and do it often.  Sometimes they slip away when you least expect it.

• I know you really want to marry Prince William, but it’s just not in the cards.  He does marry a really classy lady, though!

• Girl, you think your MP3 player and Nokia are cool?  You just wait…

• That reminds me, buy stock in Apple.

• And keep that Nokia.  You’ll want it for nostalgic purposes one day.  Also, check to see how indestructible it really is.  I’m curious.

• You’re a nerd.  Quit trying to hide it.  Love yourself!  Your friends will still like you!

• Technology is going to have a serious stranglehold on your life soon.  I suggest learning Photoshop now.

• Quit wearing overalls, you look like an idiot.  The same goes for the flared jeans.  Just don’t.  And don’t even get me started on the platform flip flops.

• Skip Myspace.  Wait for Facebook.

• Watch Arrested Development the first time around.

• One day in the future, a friend will tell you about a new site called Pinterest.  You will tell her it sounds stupid.  You’ll be wrong.

• The Harry Potter books aren’t just for kids.  You should start reading them.

• Get political!  Being an informed and involved citizen is your civic duty.

• Don’t get too attached to your appendix or your gallbladder.  You will be parting ways.  But hey!  That crippling fear of needles?  You’ll get over it!  Oh, and your blood type is O-, just so ya know.

• You know how you keep telling all your friends that you’d love to be an artist but it’s just not practical?  How you tell them constantly “They didn’t coin the phrase ‘starving artist’ for no reason.”?  Guess what…

The post A Letter to my Teenage Self appeared first on likelylola.com.

Wow, what a journey!  I can’t believe that the month has come to an end and the challenge is over.  I also can’t believe I finished it!  There are two things that come to mind when I think on what I enjoyed about this challenge.  The first is that I pushed myself to write, which was the reason I joined to begin with.  The second is that I met so many amazing women!  I have all these new blogs to follow now, and I’m absolutely thrilled.  I even got to do a little designing for Cole over at Young Mommy Memoirs.

Obviously I want to thank  Tiffany for hosting the challenge.  I also want to thank all of you that have taken time out of your busy day to read my posts and comment.  It means so much to me!

Header Photo credit: State Library of New South Wales collection / Foter.com

The post Day 31: This Challenge appeared first on likelylola.com.

I freaking love ice cream.  Like, I really, really love ice cream.   My most beloved, favorite flavor of ice cream is Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food.  Now, if you haven’t experienced Phish Food, I feel awfully sorry for you.  Let me tell you about this ice cream.  It’s chocolate ice cream, which may not sound too exciting, but it’s not alone.   A river of marshmallow flows through its core  joined by a ribbon of salty caramel.   Swimming it’s chocolaty depths are perfect little fudge fish.  It is the king of ice creams.

Listen to Stephen and Jimmy sing a song about ice cream.  It will cure all that ails you.

The post Day 30: My Favorite Ice Cream appeared first on likelylola.com.

Autumn in Boise is just about one of the best things ever.  I absolutely love walking through the park all cozied up in my hoodie and scarf.  The air is crisp, everyone is refreshed after the long hot summer and Bronco football is starting up again.  Our beautiful little city just seems to glow, no matter what time of day it is.  The smell of the leaves is overwhelming.  It’s just gorgeous.

Another one of fall’s perks is Halloween.  I am a Halloween junkie.  I dress up, go to parties, watch movies (the annual Rocky Horror play as well) and go trick or treating with my friends’ little ones.

There’s always that tiny bit of sadness that comes with autumn winding down, but I often look forward to the coming spring.  Winter can die a horrible, horrible death for all I care.

Here’s a shot I took of the river while walking through the park last October:

Perfect!

The post Day 29: My Favorite Season appeared first on likelylola.com.

I love to drive.  There is nothing more soothing to me than driving fast with the windows down, my hair whipping in the wind and my tunes blasting.  I have put too many miles on my cars and spent way too much money on gas, but I can’t seem to stop myself.  It’s my alone time, my thinking space and my general wind down.  I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason why I don’t smoke cigarettes, LOL.

This weekend I made a 400 mile round trip from Boise, ID to Elgin, OR.  It was truly lovely.  Here are a few of the pictures I took:

Header Photo credit: downhilldom1984 / Foter.com / CC BY

All other photos copyright Laura Greene

The post Day 28: My Guilty Pleasure appeared first on likelylola.com.

Today’s prompt hits pretty close to home.   List three online friends you’ve never met in real life, but hope to soon.   There are four women  (cheating, I know) I’ve met through the course of my work that I’m absolutely desperate to meet in real life.

Tiffany and I met in November of 2010 when she contacted me looking for a custom illustration for her blog.   We ended up hitting it off right away.  We have so much in common, it’s crazy!  However, we live on opposite sides of the country, so it may be a while before we have a chance to meet.  It really sucks, because we’re totally soul sisters.  I’m hoping we can make a plan to meet soon as we need to plot our kidnapping of Tom Hiddleston.

Jen and I connected in March of 2011.  She’s been one of my fabulous repeat clients.  Her photography blows me away and I absolutely love talking to her every chance I get.  She’s a truly kind individual, and she’s so supportive too!

“Don’t judge for what I’m about to ask.” came the pop up instant message from Charlie on Facebook one night.

“Never.” I replied

“Can you do a quick mock-up of a website called “Clown Pin-Ups” or something like that?”

I laughed and instantly agreed.

I met Charlie through her web designer (and my friend) April back when I was an administrative assistant for April Showers Design Studio.  I was instantly in love with her spontaneity, humor and insane bravery.  She’s my cartoon soul-mate and shares my love of all things Jon Benjamin.

As I have stated before, I’m pretty sure Jamie Grumet is the nicest person on the planet.  She’s also the only client I’ve ever had multiple non-business related phone calls with.  Her kindness is infectious, and she just makes you want to be a better person.  She also makes me want to be a better mother, which is odd considering I don’t have any children…

You should meet my friends too!  Click on their pictures to visit their sites!

Header Photo credit: George Eastman House / Foter.com

The post Day 27 – Friends I Haven’t Met appeared first on likelylola.com.

Sushi, sushi, sushi.  I freaking LOVE sushi.  Not only does it taste amazing, it’s also visually appealing.  There are so many varieties and fusions that you could eat it every day and not get bored!  I have five favorite sushi restaurants in town and eleven more to try out.  If I want to stay in, I can roll my own!

A great night out with friends always seems to be better when we’re noshing on sushi and throwing back the saké!

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Huge thanks to Tiffany for adding my posts to the link up while I was away on vacation.  Here’s a gratuitous Tom Hiddleston meme for your trouble!

Header Photo credit: _pdra – your everyday photographer [away] / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

The post Day 26: My Favorite Food appeared first on likelylola.com.