What's In My Purse?

You never know what's in a girl's purse. I honestly didn't even know what was in my purse until I filmed this video. Anyways, I hope you enjoy watching me explore the contents of my purse haha! Let me know what's in your purse and have a fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

DIY Motivational Bouquet

Lately I've been really working on staying positive, motivated and inspired. I've been thinking of little ways to stay happy and make other people happy, so I came up with this cute diy room decor piece that can sit in your room or be given as a gift! I think it is so adorable and can easily be customized to your style and mood. You can use quotes, pictures, different types of flowers, a different container, you name it! As I was looking for quotes to use for my diy flower decor, I came across one that I really liked. "To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." There are so many craft projects that I haven't tried because I was afraid to mess up, or I was afraid that it wasn't going to turn out well. But the quote is so true, you never know unless you get over your fear of failure and just do it. So there ya have it, I hope you end up trying this out and have a fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

For more diy projects click here!

How to Pick Yourself Up if You're Feeling Down

Sometimes you just feel "blah" or you feel like crying and you have no idea why. Your life could be going perfect, you could have the best grades, the best friends, a loving family, etc. but that doesn't mean you always feel 100% happy. Today was one of those days. For some reason, I just felt down even though I spent the day with several great friends and did some pretty fun activities. Honestly, I'm probably just tired. My new addiction to Netflix isn't helping. But I feel like something's bothering me, I just don't know what. I generally don't tell people how I feel because of course I always want people to think I'm a happy and positive person, which I am most of the time, but I'm also human. I am much more than just one emotion.  Anyways, enough gloomy talk, I wanted to make this post about how to pick yourself up if you're feeling sad or bored, or anything like that. Here are 10 ways that help me personally pick myself up, so hopefully they'll be able to help you!

1.) Try to find a reason. I think this is the most important because if you know why you are feeling a certain way, then you're even closer to fixing the problem, and keeping it from coming back in the long run. For example, you may be upset because you feel like you're becoming more and more distant from a really good friend. Or maybe someone you trust was being dishonest with you. Perhaps people are gossiping about something that involves you and it's not even true. List some possible reasons and worries, and then try to resolve the problem/ problems. 

2.) Go for a walk or run. It helps me clear my mind if I go outside for a walk/ run. You can think about things, or it can just help you focus on something else. Any exercise generally makes you feel happier as endorphins are released and you're getting your blood pumping. Something I've been doing lately is long boarding. I did it today actually and it helped me feel a little less "blah." Yoga is also another great option!

3.) Take a shower. I'm just happier when I'm nice and clean haha. Plus, the warm water might relax you. If you feel better about your appearance and cleanliness, you have one less thing to worry about.

4.) Think about everything you're grateful for. Believe it or not, there are a lot of small things to be grateful for. For example, if you have a bed, that's something to be thankful for. There are people who have no home and are sleeping on sidewalks and at bus stops. Just put your life in perspective and realize all the amazing privileges you have, rather than what you don't have. Your troubles may start to seem much smaller. 

5.) Get good sleep. I'm not sure how sleep deprivation affects other people's moods, but I know it definitely affects my mood. I've noticed that any time I don't get enough sleep, I either don't react to anything, or I overreact to everything. Someone could have forgotten to put extra whipped cream on my frappucino and if I didn't get enough sleep the night before, that person better wish they stayed home from work. Haha just kidding, but I would probably be more upset than usual. Think PMS... or maybe worse...

6.) Do something you like/ enjoy. I love creating things. So when I'm feeling upset, I like to maybe make some jewelry, paint, sew, or something along those lines to get my mind off of things. Oooh I also like to blog or make videos, which is why I am blogging right now haha. Figured I'd put my situation to good use and make myself occupied while also working to resolve it. 

7.) Watch a funny movie or funny videos. Looking to smile? Watch something whose sole purpose is to basically make you laugh and smile. One of my favorite funny movies would be The Proposal. Makes me laugh every time, no matter how many times I watch it. I just watched Spy today too! It was pretty funny, although slightly more violent than I expected.

8.) Listen to upbeat music. I either put on iTunes radio (no I haven't gotten Pandora yet...) or I put on Beyonce and walk on the treadmill or something. Definitely makes me feel sassy and confident haha. 

9.) Hang out with friends. You can do some fun activities with them, they can be there to talk to, to hug, to cry to, to laugh with etc. Personal interaction can definitely improve your mood and make you feel less alone and helpless. 

10.) Help someone else. If you make someone's day, or do a random act of kindness, I bet you will feel much better. Everybody deserves to be happy and have someone looking out for them. It's kinda like a win-win situation, you are making someone else happy, which in turn improves your own mood. 

Well, that's all I have for today. Just remember, don't let other people's opinions dominate your emotions. Also, don't automatically assume things. For example, a friend may cancel on your monthly bff date out of the blue, and you think that she hates you and your friendship is going in a downward spiral, but in reality, her grandmother randomly showed up for a surprise visit and her mom wouldn't let her leave the house. You really don't ever know, and I'm not even sure if my example makes sense, but oh well I hope it makes at least a little sense. So have a fabulous day and just remember that you are ultimately in charge of how you feel and you can change your mood if you really want to!

XO, Lauren

For more life posts, click here!

Summer Essentials

I can't believe I have been on summer break for about three weeks now. You'd think by this time I'd have traveled a little or been on some grand summer trip, but I haven't had much luck. That's not to say I haven't been having fun with friends and exploring my local area! It helps to live relatively close to several beaches and well known cities because I've still been able to discover some pretty fun activities. While making sure I don't become a couch potato, I figured out some summer essentials for this season, and thought some might find it helpful!

For my summer fashion essentials I included a bathing suit, of course! What's summer without a bathing suit? And of course, you need a good pair of sandals. I suggest simple nude or neutral ones that you can easily pair with all your cute summer outfits. Moving on to accessories, you definitely want to have sunglasses to protect your eyes from the UV rays and hair ties to keep you cool so you don't have to sweat buckets under a blanket of hair. If you are going to the beach, or some other adventure, a backpack is amazing for carrying all of the miscellaneous junk that we all think we need. But seriously, like it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Backpacks are so convenient and easy to carry, perfect for snacks (which is basically all I ever keep in my bag...). And my last summer fashion essential would be a simple piece of jewelry. It makes any outfit look a little more put together, which is a total plus when you're running out the door in just a t-shirt and shorts.

As for my summer beauty essentials, I have a few more items than the previous category. Sun protection is so important ladies, you do not want to get wrinkles or worse... skin cancer. That is why I like to use this SunBum lip balm with SPF 30. I recently discovered it when I went on a beach trip with my friend, and it smells and tastes really good haha so it's a win win situation ya know? And for my face, I use CC cream because it gives light coverage and gives you a little SPF too. As for protecting the rest of your body, I prefer some kind of spray sunscreen if you are going to be outside all day. I just feel like it reaches more places and is easier when you have to reapply. If you are not going to be outside that much, then I would just use a daily lotion that has some SPF in it. Of course, we must have gorgeous hair, so what I love to do is curl my hair with a curling wand and then brush it out so it turns into looser curls. After that, I spray my hair with the Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Spray, which by the way smells so good, and it gives you a really nice "just came from the beach" look. Totally fab. One thing that makes any outfit would definitely be nail polish. Keep your 10 little canvases either nice and naked or perfectly polished, otherwise your handy helpers won't look that professional, or Instagram worthy! Okay we're down to the last two essentials, bronzer and baby powder. Alright so I don't wear much makeup at all in any season, but in summer I feel like you should wear even less. Give your face a chance to breathe and feel the fresh summer breeze! So that is why I would try to choose one makeup product (or around that) to wear and nothing else. I think a light touch of bronzer is good because it gives you a healthy sun kissed glow. Now you may be wondering what in the world the baby powder is for. You know when you get sand stuck all over you at the beach and no matter how much you try to wipe it off it doesn't come off? Well all you have to do is sprinkle some baby power on it and rub them both right off. No sand left! 

Finally, we have come to my random summer essentials. The GoPro is perfect for capturing all your fun summer moments, whether it's at the beach, pool, skatepark, hiking trail, or even just hanging at home. You can be so creative with it. I'm planning on making some cool videos with it soon! And if you didn't get to record something, I like to write it down in a notebook so I can look back and read all the fun activities I did. Next essential would be headphones so that you can listen to your summer playlist on repeat. Music totally changes your mood, so if you want to be productive, listen to upbeat music, and if you wanna just chill listen to your fave chill music. Pretty self explanatory. Also, it's pretty important to stay active, so go take your bike out for a ride! Personally I don't have a bike, which is so sad because I really want one. But I do have a longboard that my dad gave to me as a graduation gift! I'm better at it than I thought I would be, and it's super fun too. If you're hanging out outside, you need to stay hydrated. My favorite drink this summer would be the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher from Starbucks. I order it with extra berries, and it's fan-tas-tic. However, I'm not always near a Starbucks and I don't always want to spend my money, so most of the time I just fill a reusable water bottle with water and fresh cut up fruit. It's amazing if you let it soak overnight because all the fruit flavors make the water taste like heaven. My last random summer essential would be fresh flowers to put in your room. Flowers make me so happy. The colors, the smell, the delicate design. They're so beautiful, and they brighten up any room. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about all of my summer essentials! Did I miss any of your summer essentials? Let me know! Alright, well I hope you all have a super fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

Stuck at Home

It's times like these when I wish I had gotten my drivers license sooner. And by that I mean that there is no fresh food in the house, and Jimmy Johns doesn't deliver all the way to where I live in the middle of nowhere, so I'm stuck at home with the leftover meatballs and the random assortment of cut-up fruits. All I wanted was a sandwich. Oh well, I suppose this should be taken as an opportunity to challenge my creativity... but instead of trying to come up with some exquisite dish made from leftovers, I simply just heated up the meatballs in the microwave and imagined it was the sandwich I was craving. Although I was stuck at home, I still felt like getting out of my pajamas and putting on some actual clothes. I decided on my new favorite light wash high waisted jeans, an army green tank top, my striped knitted cardigan, and this gorgeous bead and wrapped cord statement necklace. This last minute outfit is perfect for lounging around the house, but can still be worn out in public without people looking at you like you're a walking sandwich. Sorry, still have that sandwich on my mind... Alright well, I'm off to study for my driving test! Have a fabulous day lovelies!

XO, Lauren 

For more outfits click here!

High School Senior Year and Graduation

I always looked forward to the day I would graduate high school, and now it's finally happened. Even as I was standing and waiting to be called up on the stage, it didn't feel real. Honestly, it hasn't even hit me yet that I am not going back to high school this fall. It's bittersweet because I have had such an amazing time in high school. I've made such great friendships, learned so many life lessons, and had so many amazing experiences. I definitely feel like I accomplished all that I wanted to do in my high school career. From sports and academics, to music, art and fashion, I think I tried a pretty good variety of activities. On the other hand, I feel I am ready to have new experiences and to go out and achieve bigger things! I am so thankful for everything that has happened to me and for everyone I met in high school. I am also extremely grateful to my family and close friends who have supported me, it definitely helped me achieve my goals and put me in the right mindset for success.

To summarize a few important points that I learned in senior year, and pretty much all my years in high school, I made a video and also included a few blog clips from my graduation day! Congrats Class of 2015, we made it! 

XO, Lauren

For more life posts, click here!