Cupcakes & Buttons

Happy Heart Day!!!

2012-02-15T23:23:00.004-05:00

This made my day :)

May be a day late, but hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day!!!

~Lauren~

Number Six

2012-02-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

Third in a year, sixth in eleven.
Saturday, I got my sixth tattoo. It's very near and dear to my heart, not that the others aren't; they each hold a special meaning but this one is a way of life, a motto.

I got "All Things Must Pass" tattooed on my neck. (The Star is 10 years old now) I love it! Can't wait to get more!

~Lauren~

* New Artwork*

2012-01-31T22:57:00.002-05:00

It's been over a year since I've drawn anything substantial, lots of scribbles, lots of rough drafts. Nothing really came to me, it was annoying.
I did scribble this one out last year, but never really worked on her again because she frustrated me, last week I decided it was about time I finished her, so here she is.
She's a part of a series, if you're interested in seeing her in other settings, checkout my Facebook page- Artwork by Lauren Amato

~Lauren~

Old Owl Artwork

2011-12-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Three years ago I sent in two submissions into the The Owl Pages Website, and they told me they would add a few of my pieces up to the site and they finally got them up last night. lol.
Here's the link, a little late, but still very gracious :)

Owl artwork by Lauren Amato
~Lauren~

A little Late... But

2011-11-29T22:25:00.001-05:00

This is amazing. That is all.

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2012/07/turkey-stuffing-song-with-jason-schwartzman/
~Lauren~

Fact.

2011-10-17T22:37:00.002-04:00

I bought this cool sign out on my mini-vacation. One of the best lyrics from a Beatles song ever, and it rings so true.

Happy Monday Everyone!

~Lauren~

New Tattoo!

2011-10-16T20:58:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone,
I know it's been awhile. I just don't seem to have much time to get on here and blog, not to mention having anything interesting to say.
This past week, I did something worthy of talking about. Thursday I got my 5th tattoo (2nd tattoo in '11)
It's the "Om" Symbol, it has many meanings and the meaning that is most important to me is "Past, Present, Future" I got it on my left wrist in dark purple (you can't really tell in the picture). I LOVE IT! Might be my favorite one, it always changes when I get a new one, haha.

Hope everyone is doing well and having a great Autumn!

~Lauren~

It's the Most wonderful time of the year!

2011-07-31T15:24:00.002-04:00

Not to be confused with Christmas, or another awesome holiday; Halloween. I'm talking about the best part of the summer, hands down. Shark Week!

I love Shark Week more than life itself. It's true. Since I was a little girl, I've always been strangely fasicinated with Sharks. I think it started with my love for the movie Jaws, not quite sure.
Either way, I look forward to this part of the summer more than going on a vacation. This year is going to be stellar, Andy Samberg is the first offical Chief Shark Officer, so that's gonna be hilarious.
Andy Samberg and Sharks = awesome.

Hope you enjoy Shark Week as much as me, if not, stay out of the water ;-)

~Lauren~

Lost in my Mind...

2011-07-29T12:09:00.001-04:00

Last week I ordered tickets to see the Head and the Heart. They'll be here in September, so stoked! Just came across their official video for one of their best songs! Really digging it. Enjoy!

~Lauren~

Jonathan Adler

2011-06-18T23:37:00.000-04:00

Out of boredom on a Saturday night I have been looking at designer Jonathan Adler's site, for about 2 hours now, and here are some of my favorite things from his site! So fun!!!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!
~Lauren~

Little Retro Photos

2011-06-12T23:35:00.001-04:00

Been into playing around with my many Camera Apps on my Android Phone.
All pictures taken are from the "Little Photo" and "Retro Camera" apps.

~Lauren~

New(ish) Tattoo!

2011-06-04T22:41:00.000-04:00

I got this tattoo at the end of April, but I am just now remembering to post a picture of it. It's my fourth tattoo located on my left hip and it could possibly be my second favorite; my first being my G-Cleff.
Oh how I love birds, I'm contemplating getting two birds in flight on my right wrist, hmm... we'll see.

~Lauren~

Buckets of Fun....

2011-04-17T12:01:00.000-04:00

This is what my Saturday night consisted of. Yikes!

~Lauren~

Check Out this AWESOME Giveaway!

2011-04-15T23:14:00.001-04:00

Check out this awesome giveaway over on one of my favorite Blogs - The Dainty Squid!!!!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

~Lauren~

Follow my blog with bloglovin

2011-03-27T13:49:00.006-04:00

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Five Things Friday!

2011-03-25T15:28:00.002-04:00

I'm usually home Fridays, doing laundry or cleaning lately, so I've decided since I'm here, I might as well do a special Friday post. Every Friday, if I remember, I'll post five things I'm loving, hating, or looking forward to, old or new. It'll be in various categories, and today I'll start with five things in the music world I am loving right now.
So, here it goes.

The Secret Sisters are an alt-country music duo. I'm not a fan of Country music persay , but I am known to love country infused folk- rock to an extreme. The Secret sisters have a 1950's/ Patsy Cline style that has some doo-wop stylings thrown in there too. I like that. They do some classic covers, like "Something Stupid." Definitely a refreshing album to listen to because they don't sound like everything else out there.

The Civil Wars -what can I say about this fantastic duo. I love them. I find it hard to get into new music, I'm much more a fan of old stuff, preferably singer-songwriters from the 60's and 70's. So when I find new music I love, it sort of shocks me, and I sometimes really do not like sharing. I find music to be a personal thing, and you won't find me singing in front of people because of that, weird, I know but true, but I did feel like I should share these guys, they are that good and everyone needs to know it. The song below is one of my favorites by them.

Tony Lucca - I've been a fan of his for over 10 years. Not many people know him, but he was a cast member on the all new Mickey Mouse Club, he just never got to the career high as Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake. Personally, I like Tony's music better, he has a folk-rock, jazz sound and an incredible voice. I've seen him more times than I can count on my hands and every time he puts on an amazing show. He's one of my favorite artist to see, and he's always willing to meet with fans and a really nice guy.

Dead Mans Bones - This duo has none other than Ryan Gosling, perfect. These guys are so rad, they have a haunting sound that they attribute to the actual Disneyland ride the "Haunted Mansion" how original!!!
Sadly, I missed them when they performed here live, but I just make up for it by listening to them all the time, especially the most bad ass song they have "Lose Your Soul". If you like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds or Nick Cave's solo work or even Tom Waits, you'll like Dead Mans Bones, if you aren't familiar with any of the people I mentioned above, you may not, but live a little and check those guys out too. I will warn you, they are not for everyone.....

The Head and the Heart - Is a group from Seattle, I heard about them from a friend of mine who I blog with over on Roused to Mediocrity. He has good taste, and I am now officially hooked. They harmonize beautifully and have a really mellow, beautiful sound. My favorite track is probably "Lost in my Mind."it's been on repeat for awhile now.

Hope this post finds you listening to some kick ass stuff, have a great weekend everyone!!!

-Lauren

Music Monday!

2011-03-21T20:51:00.000-04:00

I love, love, LOVE The Civil Wars !

I found out about them through iTunes as a suggestion, and I've been hooked ever since. I can't stop listening to their debut Album Barton Hollow.
They have an alt-country vibe to them, and beautiful voices. They are now a favorite act of mine.
Check them out!!!

"Truth" is, I love him.

2011-03-12T13:36:00.004-05:00

( 6 Days late for "Music Monday". Oh well.... This also is appearing on the other blog I write for)

Alexander Ebert, that is!
He's the lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and he just put out his solo album March 1st. While I love the whole album, I'm obsessed with the single "Truth." I've had it on repeat since I found it in January.
He spews the lyrics out like a raw, hip-hop track, and it's different from every song on the album; even his work with Edward Sharpe and Ima Robot. .
My favorite lyric from the song is,

"Every little lie in this world come from the bible
Say you're my lover, say you're my homie,
Tilt my chin back slit my throat take a bath in my blood get to know me
All out of my secrets
All my enemies are turning into my teachers."

I've had the pleasure of seeing him live with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and he's amazing! The energy and magnetism he has blows me away.Everything he touches is gold.I might be bias, because I'm kind of in love with him.At least I'm telling the truth.

You can also catch me Blogging over on "ROUSED TO MEDIOCRITY". I'm the first lady contributor, pretty badass if you ask me :)

Three Movies You've Never Heard of...

2011-02-13T18:43:00.000-05:00

I was bored and decided to sift through some of the movies I've got. These three stood out just because they are next to each other; it occurred to me that they're some of my favorite movies and people have never seen them or heard of them. I thought it'd be a cool post, and a way to educate you on my love of cheesy "horror" movies.

If you like Zombies, comedy, blood, guts, slithering things, and explosions, then check this out. I promise you won't be, too disappointed. The tag line alone, is enough to make you want to see it.
Night of the Creeps is a movie about alien brain parasites that take over people by entering their mouths and turn them into zombies. Gross right? But amazing.
It stars Jason Lively and the superb Tom Atkins. This movie is so cheesy and silly, but I think that's what makes it so stellar. The lines that Tom Atkins has to say in this movie are so over the top and ridiculous, it's hard not to laugh. It has a 1950's drive-in horror movie feel to it and that's one of the reasons I liked it so much.

My Best Friend is a Vampire is a movie that I saw all the time as a kid, and I loved it.
It stars a young Robert Sean Leonard as a boy who is seduced by an older woman, during a rendezvous and she turns him into a vampire and the insanity ensues. He slowly transforms into a vampire, establishes a taste for raw steak and gets followed by what you'd call a Watcher. It's got some really funny moments and just a really great 80's teen comedy feel to it.
I'll be forever grateful for being introduced to Timbuk 3's ""Future's so bright, I gotta wear shades" through the movie's kick ass montage.

If you're not going to watch any of the other movies I mentioned, watch this. This movie is hands-down, one of my ALL time favorite movies. I've been watching this movie since I was 8 years old, and I have yet to get sick of it. I'll never grow up.
This movie came out in 1987, and was shown constantly on HBO the next year.
The movie takes place in a small town, where this group of boys are big into monsters. They go toe to toe with Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and Frankenstein's Monster over an amulet that could end the world. The main character's little sister is also a key character and has one of the greatest lines in the movie.
The movie has action, comedy, monsters, and one of my favorite movie montages of all time. Do you see a pattern here? If you're looking for a reason to watch it, think of it as Goonies with the Universal Monsters.
The DVD finally came out in 2007, and it's one of the best 2 disc DVD's I've ever bought. Amazing behind the scenes stuff,commentary, and interviews with the cast.
Sadly,they are working on a script to remake it, not needed, but what can ya do.

Music Monday

2011-02-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

I love Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. I love this song, and I am really digging this version.

My Zombie Wishlist

2011-02-07T20:13:00.001-05:00

My birthday is in 8 days, you have plenty of time to get these to me. ;)

Zombie Shooting Gallery -I need all the practice I can get. Somebody's got to kill Zombies during the Zombiepocalpyse!

Zombie Magnetic Poetry Kit -It's cheap, hilarious and it will help me with creating poetry and stuff.

Garden Zombie - I don't even know what to say about this. This is so badass! If I had my own garden, I'd be all over this. Hysterical.

Zombie Board Game: Last Night on Earth - This would be an awesome game to play with a bunch of friends!

I love you so much it hurts

2011-02-05T23:22:00.001-05:00

I love this show so much it hurts. I literally laugh out loud every time. That's saying a lot. I don't find that I laugh out loud with many TV shows anymore, with the exception of "Modern Family."

"Portlandia" is a sketch comedy based entirely in Portland,Oregon, starring Fred Armisen of S.N.L and Carrie Brownstein of the band Sleater-Kinney.
It's hilarious, and just off the wall; my kind of comedy. You can check it out Fridays on IFC at 10:30.Do it!

The Link below is the Opening Credits from the First Episode:

Portlandia: Portland Dream of the '90s - Portlandia - Series - On Air - IFC.com

Five Things

2011-02-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

Blog Post # 2 is up over at "Roused to Mediocrity" , check it out!

"My Five Things"

Contributor

2011-01-31T22:32:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys,
Just wanted to let you know I've been asked to contribute to another rad blog. Roused to Mediocrity.
I published my first Post over there last night about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so check it out.
Now, don't worry, I am still going to post on this blog, just spreading my wings a little bit in the new year.

Hope you all enjoy.

~Lauren

Valentines Day... ALREADY?

2011-01-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

Already? Yes, I guess it's not that far away, less than a month actually, which also means something else I'm not super pumped about... my b-day ....

But back on to the subject....Valentine's Day, these are ADORABLE, and you can totally download the PDF file on this really cool blog that I just came across. : Style Crush

Later ...

~Lauren

Seeing Red...

2011-01-16T17:27:00.001-05:00

Things that I love in RED...

Red Hair

Red Berets

Red Coats

You can find this coat here

Red Lipstick/Lipgloss

You can find this Lipgloss here

Red Shoes

You can find these flats here

You can find these flats here - I LOVE these ones!

Red, is so fun!!!!

The Undead...

2011-01-16T15:53:00.000-05:00

Zombies. Call me crazy, but I love a good Zombie Movie,Show,Book or comic.
I love the scariness of it, and sometimes even the comedy surrounding it.

Here are two things Zombie related that I bought and watched today!

I just bought this calendar a week ago at Borders. But you can also buy it here on Calendars.com. I saw this and knew I had to have it, still haven't read the book yet, but the artwork in this is so badass! Some might find it gross, but I get a kick out of it.

And today I watched "Fido" again, this movie is really great.

It's about how the world is after the "Zombie Wars". People have Zombies as pets essentially and they wear collars. A boy befriends a Zombie that his mom brings home, and it becomes a relationship that is very sweet, like a boy and his dog. It's a cool concept, and has a lot of funny scenes. Definitely worth a rental or buy.

That is all, hope everyone's having a nice, long weekend :)

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-15T17:20:00.000-05:00

This past Wednesday if you lived in New England, we had a Nor'Easter / Blizzard. I got a snow day out of it, which hasn't happened since I was in School over 7 years ago, it was nice I have to say.

Here are some pictures from the aftermath. Pretty, but so over the snow already!

Wow ....

2011-01-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

Why am I just hearing this for the first time???? Shame on me....

I am one of the biggest Beatles fans around, and I tend not to like Beatles covers, but this is beautiful!

An Addiction ....

2010-08-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

A month or so ago I downloaded this App on my Ipod Touch, called Get Glue I check it out because it was free, but didn't pay much mind to it, I thought it was going to be like Foursquare where you "Check-In" to places where you arrive, and I wasn't really that interested in it.
My best friend joined Get Glue the other day, and I decided to check it out again because she said it was "pretty cool". Instead of looking at the App, I decided to go to GetGlue.com to see on a full-scale what it was all about, and ever since that day I am completely and irrevocably in love and obsessed with this site/app !!!

So what you did is sign-up, and then go through, Music, Movies, Television and Topics and pick if you like, dislike or if the item is not for you. You might htink it sounds ludicrous but it is AMAZING !!! lol

Ok, gotta get back to "glueing" :) hehe

Boots ......... (that I want)

2010-08-18T23:10:00.000-04:00

Lately , I've been itching to buy a pair of boots. I'm not really a boots girl, I usually only wear Chucks and if I don't I may occasionally wear flats. I own imitation Uggs for the winter because they are so warm and comfy but want "legit" boots ... here are the 3 that I want / like (in no particular order) :) All found on Target !

That is all ... :)

Kallista Boots

Bamboo Boots

Kasia Boots

Some Fun Blogs I love !!!!!!!

2010-08-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday All !!!

I'm bored on this Saturday, not so bored that I won't get off my butt and do something so I shouldn't complain ...

I just wanted to share with all of you some of my favorite blogs .... Check them out, they're both good friends of mine !

~ Honey & Pig ~

A mix of Crafts, Art, Baking and other fun assorted things.... Kate is an old friend that I met in Art School over 10 years ago and we've always stayed in touch, love her and her creative mind ! She's my "Artist-Soulmate" . I love ooking at her blog, because every post sounds like the way she talks and I love that because I haven't seen her in years (Thank goodness for the internet). Not to mention she makes amazing crafts and illustrations and it's always nice to see all of her progress .

~ Chicago Cuts ~

A mix of stellar music. Adam finds amazing jams and some really killer unreleased stuff or just songs I've never heard of, which is awesome, because I love to find and listen to new stuff ! Adam is one of my oldest friends Husbands and we always got along because of our love of the Beatles ....

Have a great weekend everyone !

Happy Shark Week !!!

2010-08-04T22:41:00.000-04:00

It's been months ... I'm sorry (if anyone is an avid follower of this blog) but I've been busy with a new job and have done some travelling ... Anywho, it's my FAVORITE time in the summer !

SHARK WEEK !!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope everyone is having a great summer, and enjoying Shark Week as much as me !!!

Till we meet again ...

My 10 Favorites !

2010-04-26T16:23:00.000-04:00

1. Favorite Hobby

2. Favorite TV Show

Old

New

3. Favorite Restaurant Food

4. Favorite Thing to Shop For

5. Favorite Animal

6. Favorite Song

(Both as of right now )

7. Favorite Word (for the last year)

8. Recent Favorite YouTube Video

9. Favorite Movie

(Of all Time)

(Recently)

10. Favorite Childhood Memory

That was fun! You can play along too if you fancy...

Answer the 10q's with photos and link to it in the comments of this post :) LA's post too

1. Favorite hobby?

2. Favorite tv show?

3. Favorite restaurant food?

4. Favorite thing to shop for?

5. Favorite animal?

6. Favorite song?

7. Favorite word?

8. Recent favorite youtube video?

9. Favorite movie?

10. Favorite childhood memory?

New Illustration - Girl with the Red Scarf

2010-04-07T20:56:00.003-04:00

Finally after two long months, my latest illustration is now done ! I kinda love her. :)

Girl with the Red Scarf

~ Lauren ~

Original Artwork by Lauren Amato © - All artwork on this website has been created by,

and is the property of Lauren Amato All artwork is protected by Federal copyright laws.

No artwork may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written permission by the artist.

Happy Easter !!!!

2010-04-04T01:39:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter !!!!

Till next time ...

~ Lauren ~

Stuff I'm Digging ...

2010-03-23T02:10:00.002-04:00

I've been slacking writing posts lately . I haven't been sure what to write but I got the idea to tell you the things I've been digging recently.
My "New" used Apple Ipod Touch ! , all I can say is I LOVE IT ! I have way more room now, & it's got wi-fi which is really cool!

Movies I am really into right now.
Into the Wild - I read this book back in '07, although it was a depressing story , it was also wonderful,moving & beautiful. I bought the soundtrack when it came out because I love Eddie Vedder ,it's still one of my favorite soundtracks & I listen to it quite often. A few weeks ago I finally decided to rent "Into the Wild", honestly I was afraid of another book that I loved being a movie I hated. I was surprised at how awesome it was, it was exactly like the book, and quite a striking movie. I loved it so much, the next day I bought it, and I can't wait to watch it again !

Dawn of the Dead (2004) - Years ago I watched Dawn of the Dead (1978) and I thought it was a bit ridiculous, really cheesy & pretty gross.
I like the re-make much better & I bought a used copy a few weeks back. I haven't watched the DVD yet, because it was on MTV the other night, I watched from start to finish. I love how people fight for their humanity, & will do anything to stay alive. The movie may be a horror movie, but it also shows true human emotion, it has creepy moments and even touching moments. it's really kind of a sad movie when you think about what goes down, you never expect to feel emotion during a horror. Of the zombie movies I've seen, this is my favorite by far !

Barbie - I always loved Barbie, but I think I blocked the love I had for her deep in the back of my mind so I wouldn't want to buy her anymore, & I think I did that for good reason as you can see from the picture below. About a month or so ago, my bff & I were out for the day, she came across a Special Edition Peaches N Cream Barbie & was all excited, which got me to thinking about how much I loved Barbie when I was a little girl, so now I own the Original 1986 Barbie & the Rockers w/the awesome casette tape ! Thank you ebay.

My new Hollywood Intuition Bag from Target - I am extremely picky with bags, I only like "Cross-Body" bags. Most stores I go to don't have much of a selection, so I usually go home empty handed.
The last 3 or 4 months I've checked a bunch of stores but haven't seen many, till Saturday. I went to target with my cousin , & this super bright blue bag caught my eye, I was little iffy on buying it because it's bright & different. I love bright colors, I just usually have a black, brown or tan bag. But my cousin Lindsey talked me into it. I am really happy with my purchase :)

What are you guys digging ?
Hope all is well !

~Lauren~

R.I.P. Corey Haim

2010-03-14T00:57:00.001-05:00

The other day,a little piece of my heart broke.
Corey Haim passed away.
I remember being a little girl, between the ages of 6-9 loving Corey Haim, he was always my favorite of the "Two Corey's". I loved the movies he did with Corey Feldman, and I remember watching them on repeat with my brothers for years after they came out.
I used to hang Corey's pictures on my wall , I'd buy Superteen Magazine or Bop, whatever my parents gave me money for, and hang the posters on my wall. Those were the days, the simpler days.
So sad, to see another actor pass away so young... I hope he finds peace wherever he may be ....

December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010

The Girl with the Red Balloon

2010-02-17T15:05:00.000-05:00

So for few weeks, I've been working on this illustration of a girl , sort of based on me, sort of not based on me. I originally tried to do a self-portrait in my style of drawing but I tried about 6 times and didn't like ANY of them, so I started The Girl with the Red Balloon sort of looking like me , just minus the glasses, and I finally finished her last night, and I'm in love with her hahaha. It's one of my favorite illustrations I've ever done and I feel like I might do more illustrations with her.

So take a peak at the Full Version

And here's the Cropped Version w/a Colored Backround, which I like better !

Hope everyone's having a great week, and thanks for stopping by ! Till we meet again !

~Lauren ~

Happy Valentine's Day !!!

2010-02-13T23:51:00.001-05:00

Wishing all of you a very Happy Valentine's Day !!!

New Illustration for Valentine's Day !

~Lauren ~

My Electronics Wish List !

2010-02-09T01:03:00.004-05:00

I love wish lists, mostly because I just like making lists period. It's one of the O.C.D. things that I do and I'm ok with that.
So as you can imagine, I love Amazon.com and I LOVE that Amazon has a universal wish list button to add at the top of your toolbar, I can literally add any item I find on any other website and add it to my Amazon wish list ! Genius !
So my birthday is a 6 days from today, and I am not necessarily looking for gifts or even want any one thing in particular or so bad that I am asking for it, but here are some things that have been on "My Electronics Wishlist" for months.

The Apple Ipod Touch - more than 8 GB, I have a nano that has 8 and that's not enough, never was, but it was the cheapest I could afford !

A Canon camera, any digital one that at least has 10 Megapixels would suffice :)

A Verizon Wireless Droid Phone, I never wanted one before, I mean I thought it was cool, but my best friend has one and it's freakin' awesome

Ok that's about it. Maybe tomorrow I'll do a different wishlist, who knows ? lol ! Ok Off to bed I'm exhausted.

~ Lauren ~

Happy Anniversary to Cupcakes & Buttons !

2010-02-09T00:38:00.001-05:00

One year ago today ,I started this blog.
Basically out of boredom , while waiting for the Cable Guy to show up. He never did show up, that jerk, but I guess I should really be grateful, if it wasn't for him, I never would've sat at the laptop and started this.

So, here we are a year later and here's to many more !

~Lauren~

Boredom ... Enter the TV Series Boxsets !

2010-02-03T02:31:00.001-05:00

I have a lot of time on my hands, so I have recently gotten on a kick of watching complete TV Series, I started out with Felicity .

I remember really loving this show BUT ,now watching it from start to finish ,I realized I only love the show when I get to see Felicity and Ben interract , mainly because I just want to look at Scott Speedman. Do you blame me ? He's hott ! I remember wanting to mother his children. Quite a serious crush huh ?

Well watch this "montage" of Felicity & Ben and tell me you don't want to be the mother of his children and then we'll talk. :)

(On a Sidenote: I enjoyed other characters as well,especially Noel But, I just found myself fast forwarding them alot, what a shame... )

Next series I've dived into is Twin Peaks . I'm on season 1, disc 2, waiting for disc 3 from netflix.

I am not sure how to describe this show, or even explain why I like it. But I do.

It's intriguing, mysterious and wacked, yeah I said it, it's wacked ! I love David Lynch, he's brilliant and slightly twisted (see other films by him) he really captures the seedy underbelly of middle America, or at least what you imagine it to be . My favorite part of the show is Special Agent Dale Cooper played by Kyle MacLachlan.

He's so quriky and enthusiastic, a really great character. I love his love for coffee !

I can't wait to see some more and then go onto to watch the Prequel.

Gotta love TV ! I think my next series will be My-So Called Life or Buffy the Vampire Slayer (for the 100th time haha) Who knows ???

Hope everyone's doing well !!!

~Lauren

These are a few of my Favorite Things !

2010-01-24T00:47:00.015-05:00

Good Evening all or shall I say Good Morning, seeing as it is now 12:48 AM ? Either way you wanna look at it, hello :)

So I have been sick for the past 3 days or so, with a really sore throat,fever, earache, and just about no voice (I'm new to losing the voice,it's never happened to me before) I am slowly getting it back but I've missed out on 3 things this weekend that I was looking forward to and that makes me grumpy !
So in the midst of this sickness boredom ,I have decided to spruce up the blog ( changed the backround & header) and decided to make a list of some of my favorite things as of right now .
So here it goes ...

1. Jello : Raspberry Jello,in particular. This stuff is amazing & really soothes the throat issue I am having right now. I need to get some grape Jello ASAP, I think I'd really enjoy that !
2. "Sleeping Sickness" - by City & Colour, I love, love, love this song. Thanks to My Cousin Christine,she played it in her car on the way to our job every time we rode in together , I find myself putting the song on and repeating it at least 3 times . LOVE IT ! I'm listening to it now, because I love it.

3. George Clooney : I've always liked George Clooney, but lately I love George Clooney, and I think it has to do with Clooney doing the voice over for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and then seeing "Up in the Air " I could listen to him read the dictionary out loud for pete's sakes and I'd be happy. Not to mention the guy is hysterical and has a great big heart , I like a Celeb who gives back. And oh yeah, I love that he has a beard now. I love you George,I really love you !4. Modern Family : Hands down , the funniest show on TV now. I feel like it should have won a golden globe or even a SAG award it's that good. I have never had a sitcom make me literally laugh out loud every week I watch . It's comedy perfection ! It's on Every Wednesday on ABC at 9 o'clock Eastern Time. It's so worth it, or check it out on ABC.com .
And last but not least ...

5. My Niece - Abigail, she'll be 4 months January 27th ! I love being an aunt, she's the sweetest , prettiest little thing, and she's so fun ! I love her more than you can imagine , and she's starting to smile and laugh and it's just so awesome ! The perfect addition to our family !

My Love Affair with Owls & knick knacks

2010-01-16T15:18:00.010-05:00

So as you know, or some of you may not actually know, I love owls.
I love them because they seem magical in a sense, they are so striking to look at, and I find them adorable. They have the coolest eyes and wings and
When I think back to when I was a kid I was always intrigued by them (especially that owl in Labyrinth, haha) but the last 2 years or so , I started to draw them and now I can't get enough of them.
I have over 20 drawings of owls and lots of knick knacks etc...
So because I am a big collector of knick knacks I generally go out of my way NOT to go looking for owl related stuff online because I know they are everywhere, so of course today I saw this site advertised called Night Owl Vintage and I clicked on the knick knacks section and what do i see before my very own eyes, Owl Knick knacks & the cutest ones ever ! See for yourself ...

Book Owl Figurine
Tan Owl Vase

And now as I'm writing this, "Night Owl" should be the name of my blog hahaha, I am more into owls than my cupcakes & buttons haha, and I am up at all hours of the night , wish I thought of that before haha, oh well.

I do not have a knack for giving stuff titles. I can admit that.

Hope everyone's having a glorious weekend !

What's in my bag ?

2010-01-13T23:55:00.008-05:00

Good Evening All,
I saw this on a favorite blog of mine katie.cupcake , and it was cool and I am bored so I figured what the hay ?
Here's my bag, I mostly buy all my bags at H & M, the reason being they are inexpensive and they are usually the only store where I can find a good "cross-body" bag , and I love me some "cross-body" bags !!!
I usually like a slightly bigger bag, but my choices were limited at the time and I needed a bag desperately as the current one was ripping. Anywho ....

Contents of Bag - Ipod, Wallett, Gloves, Red Beret (or as mom insists raspberry beret just so she can sing "Raspberry Beret" haha) ,
Owl ID wallett for Bus/T-Pass, Keys, Cell Phone, Cosmetics Case (which has 1 piece of cosmetics the rest is 1st aid stuff), and 2 pens (for what reason, I'm not entirely sure) ... and as I write this list out I feel like my bag contents are a tad lame, but I just don't have enough room for any more stuff hahaha.

Well Everyone, have a lovely night and I'll talk to you all again soon !

It's Been A While

2010-01-09T20:15:00.004-05:00

Good Evening All,
It's been awhile so I wanted to stop by and say hello and Happy New Year ! I hope everyone's holidays were nothing short of amazing !

So I hadn't drawn in almost 2 months till 2 days ago and I came up with yet another owl, I like to call him Chubby !
Take a peak ! Hope you enjoy and have a good one everyone !

Happy Holidays & Homemade Polaroid Christmas Ornaments !

2009-12-22T01:51:00.011-05:00

Or as I like to say Merry Christmas, just want to make sure I don't offend, but anywho ... on to the subject of Christmas.

So it is now 3 days till Christmas Eve, and I finally finished wrapping my gifts and finished up my little Christmas Project.

I decided I wanted to make some ornaments for friends & my parents.
I got the idea from my friend Katie's blog Honey & Pig .
I wanted to see how it worked and came across this blog that I really liked called A Beautiful Mess and I saw this post on how to make Polaroid decorations or ornaments :)
I thought to myself for days "That is FUN! I gotta try that ... well no it will never work ... " but then I just gave in and went for it sunday afternoon during the snowstorm.
So, lo and behold, I made 4 ornaments and it took me a total of 2 days, because there was alot of hot glue gun injuries. hahaha!

The way I executed the idea is slightly different from ways other people do it.
So here are my instructions on how to make your Polaroid Christmas Ornaments !

* 2 Sheets of 8x10 of White Foam Paper, you can find this at Michael's & AC Moore and other craft and art supply stores
* Pictures of subjects for the ornament
* Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
* 2 -3 different kinds of Ribbon
* Little Jingle Bells
* and to add the "Merry Christmas" on the bottom, I cut them out from old Christmas cards !
and last but not least grab a CD or Ipod with your favorite Christmas Music
and get busy !

Here are the finished ornaments !

I almost decided not to do finish these because I was frustrated but now that they are done and I added some extra stuff to them , I can't wait to give them away even if they aren't exactly perfect, but I guess that makes them more special !!!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight !!!

Happy Thanksgiving & a List !

2009-11-25T22:46:00.007-05:00

I want to Wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and to take the time to list what I'm thankful for this year !

1. My Family - Mom, Dad, My 2 Brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, niece etc ...
Without my family , I don't know who or where I'd be ! I love them with all my heart and will ALWAYS be thankful they are apart of my life !

2. My Best Friend, she's the best that's why I call her my best friend, duh ! (haha) she's like the sister I never had ... and all my other friends who are just as amazing and equally important, it's great to have people that are just another extension of family , love them all :)

3. Art , without art I wouldn't be me, I use it for my therapy and just for fun it's something I wouldn't be able to function without, THANKS ART !

4. I am thankful for TV , because tonight I had a headache and my eyes were hurting and I just wanted to lay down and without TV (especially Modern Family) I would've been upset hahaha.

and last but not least ...

5. I'm thankful that tomorrow is Thanksgiving , so I can eat Stuffing & mashed Potatoes and then it's Christmas ! I love christmas !!! YAY !

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone !!!!

An Award :-)

2009-11-22T12:30:00.005-05:00

I received this award from Kate from Honey & Pig

Rules :-

1. Use only 1 word answers.

2. Pass along to 6 of you favourite bloggers.

3. Tell them you've given them the award.

4. Tell the person who awarded you when you have posted your answers!

1. Where is your cell phone? bed

2. Your hair? reddish

3. Your mother? funny

4. Your father? artistic

5. Your favorite food? fries

6. Your dream last night? none

7. Your favorite drink? pepsi

8. Your dream/goal? Happiness

9. What room are you in? bedroom

10. Your hobby? art

11. Your fear? raccoons

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? apartment

13. Where were you last night? home

14. Something that you aren’t? outgoing

15. Muffins? pistachio

16. Wish list item? clothes

17. Where did you grow up? MA

18. Last thing you did? sniffled

19. What are you wearing? pj's

20. Your TV? on

21. Your pets? none

22. Friends? great

23. Your life? good

24. Your mood? tired

25. Missing someone? yes

26. Vehicle? none

27. Something you’re not wearing? shoes

28. Your favorite store? h & m

29. Your favorite color? purple

30. When was the last time you laughed? yesterday

31. Last time you cried? last night

32. Your best friend? target

33. One place that I go to over and over? brother's

34. One person who emails me regularly? Alyson

35. Favorite place to eat? home

1. Honey & Pig
2. Thoughts of a Semi-Sane Person
3. Alexander Christopher
4. Nietoperek
5.Rocking Paper & Scissors
6. Doing the Face

(Thanks Katie!)

Little Prince Pop-Up Book !

2009-11-16T14:08:00.004-05:00

Yeah ! You read the title correctly ! There's a Little Prince Pop-Up Book !
I saw it recently at Borders and sadly it was covered in plastic packageing so I couldn't see inside , so I decided to check out some sites online and amazon had this picture to show a miniscule peak at the inside of the pop-up book . It looks so fun !

The Boat that Rocked !

2009-11-16T00:39:00.006-05:00

Whatever you do, walk, run, skip or just hop on the train or go by car, I don't care what transportation you use, just go see a new favorite of mine "Pirate Radio"

It's distributed by Focus Features, and when it comes to my taste in movies, Focus Features never fails.

Pirate Radio is the true story about Rock N Roll DJ's in the mid to late 1960's , living on a ship and transmitting Rock N Roll over the airwaves, which in turn was illegal in Great Britain.
It's one of the coolest , highly music based movies I've seen in a long time.
Awesome soundtrack, if you like British Rock N Roll, you'll definitely appreciate this movie. It's got the Kinks (one of my all time faves) the Who, And The Stones etc ...
Not to mention the cast, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is in it, need I say more? and relatively newcomer ( at least to me) Tom Sturridge and who doesn't love Bill Nighy ?
Go check it out !

Fantastic Mr. Fox !

2009-11-10T00:32:00.003-05:00

I love foxes, I love Wes Anderson , I love Bill Murray and I loooooove Jason Schwartzman , so I can't wait for this movie !

Fantastic Mr. Fox

A Big Thank You !

2009-11-09T15:25:00.008-05:00

Thank you to mod cloth's Thanksgiving Thank-a-Thon Blog Contest contest - here for wanting to reward us for being thankful for something or someone.

I wish I thought of this idea myself, just writing a thank you post to the person who I am extremely thankful for without an incentive . But alas, I didn't and now I have incentive for myself and her. A 100 $ gift certificate ! Who wouldn't be thankful for that ? hehe.

On to the thanking part, I want to tell you all that I am thankful for my best friend . She's the bestest friend, I've ever had the pleasure of having.

About a year or so ago I was sick, and had to leave my job, she was there for me more than anyone else. We've known eachother for over 14 years and we were close , then sort of lost touch and didn't see eachother much, but when I needed her most through one of the toughest times of my life she was there, and for that I am extremely thankful.
When I need a shoulder to cry on she is there for me, when I need a good laugh she is there for me, when I can't afford something she lends me money or pays for my movie ticket,she is the most thoughtful, generous person I know, when I need to talk she listens, she gives and takes and she is the epitome of a true friend.
I thank her all the time, but sometimes I feel like she doesn't always know how truly thankful I am for her to be in my life , so maybe this post will show her a tad more.

So to you my best friend, I thank you a hundred times over !

Check out the Thanksgiving Thank-A-Thon Blog Post Contest on the Mod Life Blog !

Awww ... That made my day

2009-11-04T00:57:00.003-05:00

It's the little things that make you smile ...

My friend Katie (we like to call each other each other's Artist Soul mates) has her own blog and wrote a nice blog post, mentioning me and it made me happy, so I wanted to share ...

:-)

It really is the little things ...

Happy Halloween !

2009-10-31T13:14:00.002-04:00

Trick or Treat !!!!

Enjoy the holiday Everyone !

Part II of Halloween Drawing Fun !

2009-10-21T13:45:00.005-04:00

Good Afternoon ,

I added the second drawing to my new art series or project, whatever you wanna call it .

Witches Hat

If you're interested and on facebook, become my fan !

Continuing on with my love For Halloween

2009-10-19T01:10:00.004-04:00

It's my favorite time of year (Christmas is next) , the Fall, and mostly because Halloween comes at the end of my favorite month (October), what a way to end it !

Anywho, I already drew a Spider in honor of Halloween, and today I FINALLY finished this illustration, after lots of revisions and LOTS of erasing, I was about to rip it up, but here it is, and I like it =)

Witches Boots

Bewitching Time !

2009-10-16T14:20:00.015-04:00

Yesterday, I spent the day with two of my friends in Salem !

I love Halloween and I love the history of Salem,MA and all that other fun stuff.

These 2 Pictures are from the Salem Witch Trials Memorial (so sad )

after a walk through the memorial, we walked around some more , and my friend had to show me this !

I got my picture taken with the Bewitched Statue !

I think I kinda wanna move here !!!!
If you ever get a chance to visit Salem at Halloween time I suggest it, even if it is freezing out , it's so worth it.

Where the Wild Things Are ...

2009-10-13T12:28:00.003-04:00

I cannot wait to see this movie !!!!

Ummm .... OMG !

2009-10-06T11:34:00.006-04:00

I have to have these or any other one that is on this site ! These are ridiculously adorable (there are more on the site)!!!

I follow Night Owl Paper goods on Twitter, and I saw their post for these cute new Owl Plushies , I also knew of them because of their greeting card selection that I sold at my old job, such lovely things !!!

Check them out here Night Owl Paper Goods

Step into Autumn ...

2009-10-05T01:15:00.003-04:00

(made this pic yesterday)

It's officially OCTOBER ! My favorite month !
I love it because it just screams " Fall" and of course because my favorite holiday takes place this month as well =)

I have a lot to do this month, 2 weddings, Planning my costume, Halloween party, and a mini-vacation to Maine ! Yay ! Can't wait for that =)

PS .. Oh yeah, I am officially an aunt !!!! yay me !!!

Cupcakes & Buttons Store Updated !

2009-09-27T00:22:00.006-04:00

Sleepy Bird Tote

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, just wanted to share with all of you that The Cupcakes & Buttons Store is now updated with some new items and EVEN some things for Halloween.
Enjoy and pass on the word !!!

Here's a taste of what's new !!!

Junior's Tee

10 Pack Halloween Greeting Cards !

New Artwork " Slumbering Owl"

2009-09-25T10:21:00.004-04:00

Good Morning all.

Before I start my day off with my lovely best friend, I want to post the newest illustration that I finished last night =)I call her "Slumbering Owl" . I love owls and birds, but I got such good feedback on the bluebird that I posted here yesterday, that I decided to go for drawing an owl in the same fashion.
And I LOVE it !

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend !

Tweet Tweet Tweet !

2009-09-24T17:33:00.003-04:00

Hello All,

Creative juices are flowing for me the last few days, and last night super late , I came up with this adorable bird. I actually really live this little guy , hope you enjoy as well.

And in other related news, a good friend of mine asked if I would be willing to help her design a logo for her candy that will be selling in stores in Salem,MA, so excited to get into that too! I love being creative!

This Little Piggy went to the market ...

2009-09-23T13:19:00.003-04:00

I made the mistake a few weeks ago , by buying "unknown" illustration markers.
I should've stuck with my gut feeling , and went against buying them.
But I did, and they just didn't work out the way my beloved Prismacolor markers do.
I did get a decent illustration out of it, but I did have to play around with editing tools on the computer, because the marker just came out flat :(
Here is my little Piggy :)

Halloween Funfetti Cupcakes !

2009-09-23T13:03:00.006-04:00

I obviously LOVE cupcakes , so I can't wait to make these Halloween Funfetti Cupcakes again by Pillsbury this season !
Just thinking about them, is making me hungry, mmmm :-)

Happy Fall !

2009-09-22T11:58:00.005-04:00

It is officially my favorite time of year !

Welcome back my dear friend Fall / Autumn (Whichever you choose to call it)
it's so great to see you back !

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button ?

2009-09-22T01:51:00.006-04:00

I came across this cool website called My Little Bit of Whimsy (you should check it out)
It had ALL kinds of different buttons to buy, and of course I came across these.
Cupcake Buttons, how adorable are these ?
I love buttons, but I cannot sew for the life of me.
I did in the summer, while in Maine, almost bought an entire jar full of buttons, just so I could look at them, hahaha.

It's about that time of year !!!

2009-09-02T16:07:00.008-04:00

So it's about that time of year ... my favorite time of year, in fact.
Fall or as some like to call it, Autumn.
Either way you say it, is good to me !

It means, leaves falling, pumpkins, apples, apple cider, orange, brown, yellow, red , cinnamon , spices, harvest moons, pumpkin patches, apple picking, cold nights, sweaters,candy corn, jackets, darker nights and my favorite holiday Halloween ! Not to mention this fall brings a new bundle of joy, my niece ! She's due in late September and I can't wait !

I'll be even more excited when October gets here ! That's my FAVORITE month .

Yesterday to kick it off right, I was at the Dollar Tree store I bought some air freshener & a diffuser.
"Apples & Cinnamon" one of my favorite scents, and for a dollar can't beat that with a stick !
*deep breath* I love it !

New Artwork !

2009-08-27T23:02:00.009-04:00

Hello All,

I have three new pieces I've worked on in the last week or so.
I am not entirely pleased with the last one, but a friend of mine likes it, so I thought I'd share with the rest of ya's.
If you want to see these and more of my artwork check out :

Home (Lauren Amato Artwork )

Enjoy and have a great weekend !

The LoveBug

_________________________________________________

I LOVE this one. I think , mostly because of the moon.

The Harvest Moon Owl

_________________________________________________

The Honeybee

Grand Opening of MY Art Site ! - Lauren Amato Artwork

2009-08-18T22:12:00.003-04:00

I finally got off my butt, er ... well not really. I actually sat the entire time I made the site.

I finally launched a free website via google sites of ALL of my original artwork !

Lauren Amato Artwork

Please check it out, I think it came out good , and it's nice to see it all in one place.

Enjoy !

Goodbye Shark Week ...

2009-08-08T13:27:00.006-04:00

I'll miss you ...

Every summer I look forward to snuggling up in bed watching you gleefully for one whole week.
This year you helped me out and made me happy everynight at 9PM with a new special. It's been great.
Thanks again for being a constant in my life every August, till we come across murky waters again , au revoir' ...

Tangled Up In Blue ... and Green

2009-07-27T23:22:00.012-04:00

It's been a long time. Busy month. I can't believe it's almost over too. Just a few more days.

I went to Maine with my best friend for 3 days a week or so ago and we had a blast, it was depressing coming home. But ya gotta get back to reality sometime, unfortunately.

So this past weekend, with a little help from my dad in some hard to reach areas, I painted my bedroom ! So exciting, looks so good too.
About 4 or 5 years ago I painted it yellow. This time I did 3 walls green and 1 wall blue, very calming. Friday I did The Blue Wall and One green wall, I had a massive headache, and didn't start very early so I didn't go overboard, even though it was killing me not to finish it all, I hate leaving things all over the place and unfinished, it's an O.C.D. thing.

Saturday I woke up, went and got my haircut, came home and finished painting the other 2 walls.

I also painted my bureau trim blue as well, and now everything ties together, bedspread, and walls. I just need new curtains . It's amazing how much paint can really transform a room, it's so cool. I love it !

So to finish July off, I work tomorrow, and then wed and thurs off to my best friend's house to help her and her family out while she's out of work for an injury. I hope I'm good help and keep her entertained, I know she's bored just sitting there all day. I got a new DVD Trivia game, so that should be fun, maybe I'll even make a care package or something. We'll see. Anywho ...

Hope everyone is having a good summer ! Till something else interested happens.
TTYAL!

The King of Pop - R.I.P.

2009-07-03T00:14:00.014-04:00

A week ago today, was a sad day for music and all over the world, Michael Jackson had died.
It's one of those instances where you are going to remember where you were when you heard the news. It's so sudden, and so sad. We lost an American Icon; a man who changed music forever.
I just wanted to take the time to talk about it, and share my memories of him, even if I didn't know him personally.
He is part of the soundtrack to my life, as I'm sure he is for many.

I wasn't his biggest fan, but I was always an avid listener, from my parents always playing Thriller when we had the record,, or my aunts putting on the Jackson 5 at family parties,in the car with my dad when he bought the Bad cassette when it came out, or even as we drove across country and went to Disneyland we saw Captain Eo in 3D and I remember me and my brothers being SO excited, even my parents were. When the album Dangerous came out with the single Black and White and FOX was premiering the videos on monday nights and me and my family sitting around everytime a new music video was out.
I even remember being SUPER excited when HIStory came out on CD with all his greatest hits. He's always been around and a great source of entertainment.

I often watched him in awe as he danced. (I always LOVED to dance)he was someone that I envied or tried to be like,who didn't ?
I remember being a little girl watching him in the video for Smooth Criminal
and trying so hard to do that "Leaning" move.
I still don't know how he did that.

It's sad to see him go.

I just hope people put aside the weird and unfortunate things that came in his later life and just appreciate the musical genius that he was,and get up on that dance floor and smile when they hear him.

It's just like he said ...
"Let that rhythm get into you
Dont try to fight it
There aint nothin that you can do
Relax your mind
Lay back and groove with mine
You got to feel the heat ... "

R.I.P. Michael Jackson, we'll miss you.

Some Ideas and NEW artwork

2009-07-01T00:22:00.008-04:00

I just finished 1 of two drawings I've done in the last week or so.

The first one was a Teddy Bear for my soon-to-be niece's bedroom.
The theme is Teddy Bears, so I thought it would be nice to draw one for her.
It took me awhile, I tried three different ideas for bears months ago when I found out they were expecting, but it just wasn't working out.
But here's the finished product, it's growing on me, you know how artists are ;-).
I'm thinking of getting a nice pink or green frame for it and giving it to my sister-in-law at her baby shower, if I can wait that long, hahaha.

Teddy Bear

I also just finished this drawing over an ago, and thought it was so cute that I scanned it in right away.

Aly the Alligator

I might have to add her to my little store Cupcakes and Buttons on cafepress.com . We'll see.

I am also working on a bubble drawing for my best friend's mom, she liked the bubble that I ending up liking best too, so that's a good thing.
I just need to work on a few more poses/faces for the bubble. I'll show you more as they progess.

And I've been trying out Santa Claus faces for my mom for Christmas (yes, it's far off, but ya never can be too early for gift giving)

Hope everyone is doing well, I know I can't wait for this week to be over. *sighs*

New Artwork & Update to my Store !

2009-06-14T01:12:00.010-04:00

The other day I finally got my Prismacolor Illustration markers, YAY!
I love them.
Although,I did find a different set of markers that do the same thing on dickblick.com for cheaper, so next time I think I'll be ordering them.

These markers are ridiculously expensive (roughly $35.00 for a 12 pack) but they are my new love in the art world. *Sighs*

Since I got them, I did 2 new art pieces, illustrations, or drawings, whatever you choose to call them. I always feel pretentious calling them pieces, and calling them illustrations isn't as bad because I feel like I'm more an illustrator/cartoonist than a painter or whatever but I still feel like I shouldn't say that either, as I don't have formal training in the illustration field but in fine arts, oh well, enough rambling.
Here they are, enjoy.

* I also updated my shop, I put some new t-shirts etc. up so check it out !
Cupcakes and Buttons : The Shop

The Sad Dragon

Mr. Monkey

(also available in the store)

Jenny Lewis Show @ House of Blues Boston

2009-06-11T15:47:00.010-04:00

*Photo by Daniel -From Afar*

Last night I saw one of the BEST live shows I have ever seen.
I've been to many shows/concerts and Paul McCartney still takes the number 1 spot in my book, but Jenny Lewis comes in a close second.

I first saw Jenny Lewis as a little girl in movies like Troop Beverly Hills and Boy Girls Don't Cry They Get Even, but years later I heard of a band named Rilo Kiley and turns out she was the lead singer, I bought one of their CD's, enjoyed it and then didn't pay much mind to it.
She later put a solo CD with the Watson Twins, and I fell in love. The CD was amazing, and soon became a staple in my music collection. That was over 4 years ago, and still to this day I listen to the album a lot . She came out with another Rilo Kiley CD last year and then at the end of 2008 she put out another solo album "Acid Tongue" and that too made it's way into my heart and I still listen to it constantly.

So last night, Me, Daniel & Alyson headed to the House of Blues in Boston to see her play live. It was a night when the Red Sox vs the Yankees were playing directly across the street @ Fenway, so it was a super crowded area.
Craziness !

The doors opened at 7 and we waited impatiently till about 8 till an opening band made it's way on stage, here cometh Farmer Dave , good music, totally cool and the guy was a riot, even if he probably didn't mean to be. Then Deertick came on stage, they seemed to have a huge following there, since they are from Providence,RI , they weren't particularly my cup of tea, but they were talented and played some good music.
Then finally around 10 PM Jenny Lewis band (which to our surprise included Farmer Dave and the rest of his band) entered the stage and they introduced Jenny, she came out wearing a t-shirt and jeans and cowboy boots.
The show started with "See Fernando" great song, and she was amazing right from the start, she bopped around stage, posed with her hands on her hips, danced around and sang her little heart out, her voice was amazing and sounded just like the CD if not better(not to mention the rest of the band that sang with her and were beyond multi-talented) it was so great, and I was in my glory,she did a favorite of mine "Jack Killed Mom" where she got on the organ and rocked out, " Rise Up with Fists" "Handle w/Care" and even at the end did an accoustic version of the Rilo Kiley song " Silver Lining".
Still totally in awe ...

If you have never heard her, pick up any Rilo Kiley CD, and her two solo CD's "Rabbit Fur Coat" and "Acid Tongue: and do yourselves a favor and go see her live, she's incredible!!!

New Artwork

2009-06-09T23:07:00.006-04:00

Here are three new illustrations for the "Sad Creatures : a Series" that I have been working on the last few days.

I'm not entirely sure what I will do with this series, I have some ideas, but for the most part I am just having fun making these little creatures.

So low and behold the three newest ones for the collection, enjoy !

The Sad Pumpkin

The Sad Blueberry Muffin

The Sad Whale

The Sad Creatures Series .... new illustration

2009-06-07T01:44:00.005-04:00

It's official, I have decided to do a series of "Sad Creatures" .

It's not that I'm sad, it's just that little illustrations of sad food or animals or sea creatures is just so fun and adorable to me, hehe.

Today I worked on a Sad Shark, and I already have an ideaof what I want to work on tomorrow and monday :-) can't wait to share all the new ideas as they become finished for the "series".

It's funny I never thought I could draw, I studied art in high school for 3 years, I went to art school for 1 and always felt like I was never good enough, and I gave up very easily, and now I feel like I've really come into my own, and there's nothing I enjoy more than sitting down with a pencil and my sketchbook and having an idea come to me, it sounds cheesy, but it makes me feel so alive and happy. On that note ...enjoy the Sad Shark. Goodnight everyone.

P.S. I finally ordered some more illustration makers, can't wait to get them !!!

Finally, a new Illustration !

2009-06-04T23:53:00.009-04:00

*Big Sigh of Relief*
I can still draw !!!!! hehehe.
It feels like it's been months since I've drawn anything new.
As I sit here and think it actually has been almost 2 months since I've drawn, how sad :-(

For some reason today it came back to me in full-force, and I came up with an octopus.
I used illustration markers by Prismacolor(Which I love and NEED to buy more colors !) Pencil, Archival Ink, & Colored pencils.

Here she is , The Sad Octopus, hope you all like her :-)

I will be putting her up on my Cupcakes and Buttons shop on cafepress.com tonight as well .

Here's a Sad Octopus birthday card ....

Also working on drawing a bubble for my friend's mom, not sure how I like how it's coming out, but I'll figure it out .

Have a great weekend everyone !

Tony Lucca @ Bill's Bar - Boston,MA

2009-05-16T18:45:00.004-04:00

Last night, my best friend Alyson, sister-in-law Jill, 2 of my best friends Daniel & Melly, went to go see Tony Lucca at Bill's Bar in Boston,MA.

The show started at 7:30 but doors opened at 7PM, and the show opened with Andrew Hoover and Joey DeGraw(Brother of Gavin DeGraw) Great opening bands, lots of talking in the bar so I couldn't always focus on the music, I was one who was talking as well, but I do try to show respect.

Tony Lucca came on, did an excellent performance, as always, but the set was very short, and I was sad to know that it was only 9:45 when he stepped off stage, but his talent makes up for the short amount of time he played.

He's always a very gracious talent and will sign autographs and get in pictures with you. Daniel got an autograph and my sister-in-law Jill and I hopped in a picture with him (That pic will come later it wasn't on my camera) and he touched her pregnant little belly, it was hysterical !

Fun night !

If you're interested in listening to Tony Lucca, definetly check him out www.tonylucca.com , he's also available on itunes.
I've been a fan for over 10 years now and love everything he does. :-)

Sit back and enjoy !

Big Brother's Wedding !

2009-05-11T16:25:00.010-04:00

Hello All,
This past weekend, Saturday, May 9th, 2009 @ 6:30 my brother Andy married Jill.
The weather wasn't sunny, it was cold and cloudy, but you would've never known it was cloudy there was "sunshine" everywhere, it was beautiful & emotional, overall a great day.

The reception was great, my brother Richie did the "best man" speech and cried a bit, super sweet. Good dancing, good drinks, laughs and good times.

.
I am very happy for my brother, beautiful day.

Welcome to the family Jill :-) !!!!

*thanks to Alyson for taking professionalesque photos!!!*

It's a Girl !!!

2009-04-22T11:58:00.004-04:00

Exciting News !!! I found out this morning that my brother & his fiancee are having a baby girl !!! I'm going to have a niece! Yay !

Jill is 4 months along and the little girl is healthy and has all 10 fingers & toes (thank god, hehehe) Everyone is so excited !!!!
I can't wait to meet the little bugger in September/October

Hope everyone had a good one. Later gators.

2009-04-20T18:40:00.001-04:00

I recently noticed on blogger.com that I can now blog via cell phone so i signed up & now I'm just checking to see if this works . Later gators :-)

Wedding Shower Surpise and Pretty in Pink !

2009-04-20T15:32:00.022-04:00

Yesterday was my brother Andy's fiancee's(Jill) Surprise wedding shower.
It started at 11:30 - 4 , and she was genuinely surprised,which to be honest surprised me, because I thought she would know, but she was surprised and she even teared up a bit, emotional ? or pregnancy hormones ? Who knows ? Either way it was cute she was that happy.

It was a really nice day, everyone looked good, acted nice and things really came together :-) Some things were a tad unorganized but I guess that is bound to happen. Oh well...

Jill got a lot of great gifts and really enjoyed herself. And that's what it's all about .

The Bridesmaids - minus 2 that are in diff. states

Some good pictures came out of the day and of course thanks to me a "Charlie's Angel" style picture and a "We think we're tough" picture as well.

The shower ended around 2:30 or so, and around 3 the groomsmen showed up with Andy (the groom) to pick up the gifts etc.

Jill & Andy - the Bride(mommy) & Groom(daddy) to be

And Saturday Lizzie(my other brother's GF) and I , along with Alyson(my Best Friend) who came along picked up our Bridesmaids dresses.

19 days to the wedding, ahhhh, stressful but fun.
And this Wednesday we find out the sex of Jill's baby. hehehe, so excited! Good things to come.

Ladies & Gentleman ... Flight of the Conchords !

2009-04-18T14:52:00.014-04:00

Hello All,
It's been awhile since I have updated, sorry about that, I just feel I haven't had much to say or show, and it's been busy preparing for my brother's wedding etc ....

But last night, me, my bestie Alyson, my mom, dad, brother Andy, his fiancee, and my other brother Richie and his girlfriend went to see Flight of the Conchords at the Agganis Arena in Boston,MA . Amazing show !
We all had seperate seats, me and Alyson were on the floor, exciting I've never sat on the floor for any concert.

Can I say, HYSTERICAL ?!? I was laughing and smiling so much that my cheeks hurt and eventually got a headache, they were so amazing. Pure funny. And I think I'm now officially in love with Jemaine, that dude is hott in person. hahaha. I used to be Team Bret, but I just signed up for Team Jemaine. Shoooot ! *I did just read that Jemaine is married and has a son*
; a lot good that's gonna do me ...

I was so excited they did 2 of my favorite songs by them "Bowie" and "Beautiful Girl in the Room " ... I'm laughing just thinking about it.

If you have HBO or Itunes I suggest watching or downloading their show or music, so great !!!!
Here's hoping they come back to HBO for season 3.

Anyway, hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather and sunny days. Talk to you all soon !

New Artwork & a Movie :-)

2009-04-05T12:16:00.016-04:00

Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday! I am just getting over a week long hate affair with my allergies. Grrr.
I hate runny noses and blowing my nose, it makes me angry. But I'm feeling much better and just wanted to share a new piece of artwork and one of my new favorite movies. hehehehe :-)

"We all Scream for Ice Cream"
I did this with all illustration markers, which I now LOVE !!!!

If you like my little Ice Cream guy you can buy it on a few shirts on my
Cupcakes and Buttons shop through cafepress.com

Ice Cream - Women's Raglan Hoodie

Women's Ice Cream Tank Top

And last but not least, I suggest you buy,rent, borrow, do whatever you have to do (except something violent or whatever because that would be bad) but get a hold of Hot Rod starring Andy Samberg,

it is so crazy and stupid. it is actually awesome! I love it!
On that note ... cool beans .... Later :-)

The Sad Taco ...

2009-03-28T13:00:00.010-04:00

Hello all, I haven't had much to say again, but I have some new and fun artwork to show.

It's titled "the Sad Taco"
I drew this with my friend Daniel in mind. When we used to work together we made fun of emo kids and found a pretty hysterical video on youtube that was called the Emo Song I believe and at the end the kid randomly said "I feel like tacos" and of course me and Daniel took this little blurb and ran with it. So here's the drawing I drew with him in mind.

You can buy "the Sad Taco" on my Cupcakes and Buttons Shop.
It comes in a magnet, a Dark T-Shirt, and an organic T-Shirt.

" the Sad Taco" Magnet

"the Sad Taco" Dark T- Shirt (other colors available)

"the Sad Taco" Organic T-Shirt

My Dad's Newest Piece

2009-03-20T13:26:00.003-04:00

I love my dad, and I love his art, and he finally finished this awesome charcoal drawing. I love it !!!

It's called "Creeping Out" and you can see it bigger on www.andyamato.com

It's Official !

2009-03-20T13:10:00.006-04:00

I ,along with numerous members of my family have been holding a secret. But I feel now is the time where I can share this 411 officially.

My oldest brother Andy and his Girlfriend Jill are now engaged, they will be marrying May 9th, I will be a bridesmaid, already ordered my dress(in watermelon) and shoes.

But besides that super exciting news. She is also pregnant and I will be a first time aunt! OMG! I am super excited. So I thought I'd share with the readers.
I can't wait! I will be happy with whatever she has. I do think it's going to be a girl though.

Ok, anyway, have a good day !

Hope everyone is well !!!

New Artwork

2009-03-14T13:10:00.013-04:00

Hello everyone, I haven't had much to say *shocker* but I have some new artwork I can share to entertain you all.

So I told my friend Amy I would draw her something Alice in Wonderland related, but I can't draw faces and such very well, so I tried and then stopped(for now) so I was looking at some of the illustrations in my book and just felt like drawing the Mad Hatter, I do love him here's how he turned it, in a few different versions.

So you know my love for cupcakes so I drew a bunch of different cupcakes here is the only version of that. lol.

And yesterday Alyson & I made some more cupcakes *another shocker* we tried Strawberry Cake & Strawberry whipped frosting , they smelled delicious, but they were a little too sugary & strawberryish, lol. But the cake was delish. here they are with dinosaurs & lavendar sugar :-)

Hope everyone is well. Later gators ...

Cupcakes and Buttons, oh my ...

2009-03-07T14:29:00.012-05:00

So it was another friday and another day of baking cupcakes.
This time Alyson & I made Lemon cupcakes. So good!
We used Lemon cake mix, and buttercream frosting.
We added some food coloring to make yellow frosting & blue frosting.
And some Stars & Moons sprinkles.
Very delicious & moist!

And the other day I bought these fun buttons !

Sweet Child O' Mine - I'm officially obsessed !

2009-03-04T20:37:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I love the original by Guns N' Roses, but umm OH MY GOD!
I was watching the new trailer for the "updated" version of
the Last House on the Left online and this song was playing in the background.
But it was done by this Swedish Indie Pop Singer Taken by Trees.
I immediately tried to find out who sang it and then downloaded it off of itunes.
Sort of creepy, but I LOVE it! I suggest you all take a listen. :-)

Robot in Space ...space space space ...

2009-03-03T14:41:00.012-05:00

So, I finally finished my "Robot in Space" painting, or as I like to call him "Zeke the Robot" I really like how it came out, even though I had one of my colorblind incidents and made him green at first. Luckily you can paint over things. He is now gray!

The Finished Project !

Enjoy, and if you like you him as much as I do, you may purchase him on
Cupcakes and Buttons : the Shop

Women's Fitted Kelly Green Robot in Space t-shirt

or if you like magnets - Robot in Space - Magnet

or if you have a little one, enjoy this nice Robot in Space - Sweatshirt

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ...

2009-03-03T12:07:00.010-05:00

I've always had a soft spot for Jimmy Fallon, maybe because he's semi-adorable, maybe because he does a fierce Boston accent, or maybe because he seems to be addicted to laughing like I am.
Either way, I love him !

So last night, I was sleepy but not really getting heavy eyes so I started flipping through the channels and landed on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon .
I remember saying to myself out loud in bed, "Oh yeah, I totally forgot this was on" so I clicked on Info, and I saw that Robert DeNiro & Justin Timberlake were on, I put the remote down and left it on, because I knew it was gonna be funny, and OMG let me tell you I literally laughed out loud about 15 times.
Loved it, and I'm totally gonna have to try and tune in every night.
DeNiro made fun of Jimmy and Jimmy & Justin did a little of their old BeeGees skit ,ahahaha. Love it !

I'm not sure you can post videos from NBC.com on any site anymore so here is the link to Episode 1 - Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon
Guests Robert DeNiro ,Justin Timberlake & Van Morrison

Enjoy !

List of things I've liked recently or are looking forward to :-)

2009-03-02T17:22:00.020-05:00

So today I worked on linking my blog and shop to some things, it didn't totally work out, it ended up being more of a search, but I found a Women's Art Webring, so I added myself to that.
I did get around to changing my logo for here, as you can now see above. Anywho, so I've recently got bored so here is a new blog of a List of things I've liked recently or are looking forward to and or are working on :-)

*Liked*

Cupcake by Rachel Cohn - she also wrote "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" with David Levithan - the book was cute, it was totally for Teens but that's ok, I basically feel like a teenager, so why not ?

Step-Brothers - I rented it off netflix, pretty hysterical !

*Looking Forward To *

My Book that's coming in the mail - Betty Crocker Just Cupcakes Book

and in April a movie that I have loved for so long that is finally being released on DVD !!

My Best Friend is a Vampire

and the Lemon Cupcakes Alyson and I are going to make on our Baking Day Friday

* To work on *

Color my mom's hair , I told her I would do that tonight.

then later I have to do some work on my new Robot Painting ... gah

I'll never get sick of Cupcakes ... Mmm

2009-02-28T14:19:00.023-05:00

Once again, Alyson & I have made cupcakes. :-)

This time we tried something different.
I mean we used the same Funfetti Cake Mix, but we used different frosting - Whipped Frosting and even added food coloring to change the frosting color just for something different and fun.

Here's Alyson's Frosting - Light Blue

And My Frosting - Light Purple

Take a peak, and let your mouth water, because they were delicious !!!

And for our next Cupcake Project we're gonna go all out ...
I found this recipe on BettyCrocker.com ... mmm :-) Till next time ...

The Unveiling ... The Aquarium by Lauren Amato ...

2009-02-25T16:11:00.018-05:00

So after 4 days, and all day today (while feeling like crap) trying to scan in the painting, I finally got it online and also on my Cupcake s and Buttons Store .

What a project it was to scan in this piece of work ....
My scanner is too small, so it wouldn't fit it all, so I tried doing it in 2 parts, and then the colors didnt match up for some reason. Grr. So then I just gave up for awhile and decided to take a picture of it, and finally got it somewhat how I wanted. I don't think I'll ever like it as much as I do in person, but here's the unveiling, in all it's glory !

"Aquarium" -
First I drew it out, then I went outlined it in black marker, then I painted it with watercolor, then outlined in mark again. I love it though ! Just in person more than on the computer screen.

Some Detail of the Blowfish , which I love ! (as you can see the colors are different in this one than the 1 above, I don't know what the heck is going on)

So here's a few things that you can get with the "Aquarium" on it, if you were ever at all interested ...

Women's Kelly Green Fitted Tee - I really like this one !

A Large Mug

Infant Body-Suit

So I had my dad take a picture of my "Aquarium" or as he likes to call it "Fish" and it came out more true to color. So here it is :-)

My Artist Soulmate ...

2009-02-25T14:09:00.007-05:00

In response to Kate's post - * I didn't want it to Snow Tod ay* I came to the realization
that we are in fact Soulmates, Artist Soulmates if you will.
I've known Kate or as I used to call her and can't really seem to break the habit of "Katie" she seems to like just Kate now ... But as I was saying, I've known her for about 10 years now , I haven't seen her in about 6 or 7, but we do always stay in touch.
We met via phone in the summer of 1999, we were both going to be Freshman Roomies at Montserrat College of Art . We became fast friends over the phone and talked to eachother for over 2 hours I think. So when we met we instantly became like best friends, and since that day we have always been able to keep in touch somewhat. It's even easier now that we both have blogs. But I was looking at her new Cafepress.com shop - Honey and Pig I realized she was right, we are soulmates, lol. We draw the same things. I even have in my "artwork project idea" notebook that I wanted to draw robots next for a painting. LOL!

But anyway, take a look at her blog & store and mine too ! (shameless plug)

So anyway here is some of her stuff that you can buy on Honey and Pig
I LOVE THEM !!!!

Cupcakes & Buttons

Happy Heart Day!!!

Number Six

* New Artwork*

Old Owl Artwork

A little Late... But

Fact.

New Tattoo!

It's the Most wonderful time of the year!

Lost in my Mind...

Jonathan Adler

Little Retro Photos

New(ish) Tattoo!

Buckets of Fun....

Check Out this AWESOME Giveaway!

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Five Things Friday!

Music Monday!

"Truth" is, I love him.

Three Movies You've Never Heard of...

Music Monday

My Zombie Wishlist

I love you so much it hurts

Five Things

Contributor

Valentines Day... ALREADY?

Seeing Red...

The Undead...

Winter Wonderland

Wow ....

An Addiction ....

Boots ......... (that I want)

Some Fun Blogs I love !!!!!!!

Happy Shark Week !!!

My 10 Favorites !

New Illustration - Girl with the Red Scarf

Happy Easter !!!!

Stuff I'm Digging ...

R.I.P. Corey Haim

The Girl with the Red Balloon

Happy Valentine's Day !!!

My Electronics Wish List !

Happy Anniversary to Cupcakes & Buttons !

Boredom ... Enter the TV Series Boxsets !

These are a few of my Favorite Things !

My Love Affair with Owls & knick knacks

What's in my bag ?

It's Been A While

Happy Holidays & Homemade Polaroid Christmas Ornaments !

Happy Thanksgiving & a List !

An Award :-)

Little Prince Pop-Up Book !

The Boat that Rocked !

Fantastic Mr. Fox !

A Big Thank You !

Awww ... That made my day

Happy Halloween !

Part II of Halloween Drawing Fun !

Continuing on with my love For Halloween

Bewitching Time !

Where the Wild Things Are ...

Ummm .... OMG !

Step into Autumn ...

Cupcakes & Buttons Store Updated !

*New Artwork* " Slumbering Owl"

Tweet Tweet Tweet !

This Little Piggy went to the market ...

Halloween Funfetti Cupcakes !

Happy Fall !

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button ?

It's about that time of year !!!

New Artwork !

Grand Opening of MY Art Site ! - Lauren Amato Artwork

Goodbye Shark Week ...

Tangled Up In Blue ... and Green

The King of Pop - R.I.P.

Some Ideas and NEW artwork

New Artwork & Update to my Store !

Jenny Lewis Show @ House of Blues Boston

*New Artwork *

New Artwork " Slumbering Owl"

New Artwork