20 Things I Learned at 20

I turned 20 about five days ago and I don't think it's hit me yet... I don't feel too much different, which I never do on birthdays, but I know that I have definitely grown a lot over this past year of my life. So many lessons have been learned and experienced, so I wanted to share with you 20 of the biggest things I've learned at 20 years old. I hope you enjoy and have a fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

Day Trip to Downtown St. Augustine

Downtown St. Augustine is such a fun place to visit! There are so many historic buildings, yummy restaurants, and cute shops. PLUS, the water is beautiful! A couple days ago, my friend Caitlin and I decided to stop by St. Augustine as part of our winter road trip. I'm so glad we did because, number one, it was a great way to wake us up after a long car ride, and number two, we had some delicious food and POPSICLES! For lunch we ate at this place called Harry's, and I got red beans and rice. It was a pretty good sized portion, so I was able to save my leftovers and eat the rest of it on the road as a second meal! Anyways, after lunch we went to this place called The Hyppo! They make and sell gourmet ice pops with fresh fruit and other natural fresh ingredients. Caitlin got the banana flavor dipped in chocolate, and I got the watermelon hibiscus flavor. It was so good. I definitely recommend it. So overall, I'd say that I really enjoyed this little adventure. Look out for more blog posts coming soon of other stops on our road trip! Have a super fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

Designing for the Fall Dance Concert 2016

It has been awhile since I last wrote a blog post, BUT... I can explain! This semester, I was given the AMAZING OPPORTUNITY to be the costume designer for one of the pieces in the Fall Dance Concert on campus! The piece that I designed was a sleeping beauty ballet called Awakened. I worked closely with the choreographer, Andrew Carroll, to make sure the designs fit with his vision for the ballet. Anyways, before I get into all the details, here are some pictures of the costumes I designed!!!! (All pictures were taken by Candace Kaw)

I watched the dance concert almost every night that they performed, even the dress rehearsals, and I still never got tired of seeing my designs up on stage. It was so rewarding and fulfilling. As far as my career, this opportunity was one of the biggest learning experiences I've had in college so far. I thought I knew everything that designers do, but I gained so much knowledge that I never had before and never even knew about. There were so many meetings to go to, people to talk to, charts to type up, swatches to find, renderings to draw, and fittings to attend. To be honest, it was a lot more time commitment and work than I had expected, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. 

It was sooooo flipping cool to be a part of and see the whole process. I saw my designs go from a conversation with the choreographer, to a concept on paper, to actual fabric purchases, to muslin samples, to the final costumes where we had to sew on each of the individual gems. I even made these really pretty beaded wire combs to go in the dancers' hair! All of this happened over the course of about two months. Personally, the hardest part was communicating with everyone involved on the team. I've been so used to working on my own, but when you are designing the costumes for a production, there are so many people you are working with, and it is important that everyone is on the same page and organized. Thankfully, I had my professor to facilitate with that, but it was still definitely a change I had to get used to. I am now much better equipped for the next production!

My favorite part of the process, besides seeing the finished designs up on stage, would be the little details. I loved laying out and sewing on the gems exactly how I wanted them. I loved making the little hair combs. I loved picking out the fabrics and the colors. I honestly had so much fun every step of the way! I am incredibly grateful and honored to work with everyone I've worked with, including my professors, the choreographer, stage manager, costume lab students, and costume crew. I hope I get a chance to design for another on campus production! Maybe next time it'll be a play! I'll keep you guys updated! Anyways, hope you have a super productive and fabulous day, as always!

XO, Lauren

Back to School Outfit Ideas 2016

It is the day before school starts for me and I still have no idea what I want to wear for my first day... Does anybody else have the same struggle? I'm debating whether I should go super cute and fashionable, or super casual and comfy. The perfect outfit for me would be a mix of both haha! I came up with some cute outfit ideas that are also pretty comfortable, but it also depends on what your style and comfort level is. Oh yeah, and dress code plays a part too. So these outfits might not work for everyone, but I hope they give you some inspiration!! Anyways, have a fabulous day and school year!!

XO, Lauren

For more outfit posts, click here!

DIY Embroidered Notebook

It's that time of year again! SCHOOL IS UPON US!! For some of you, you may be dreading it... But for me, I am SO EXCITED because this means I get to decorate my school supplies!!! I've been getting really into embroidery lately, so I wanted to incorporate that into some of my DIY school supplies projects. I came up with a DIY embroidered notebook! I think it is super unique, and if you have time, you can make a super intricate and detailed design! I might actually go back and add more to the notebook I designed in the video, just because I love embroidery so much haha. But anyways, I really hope you like this back to school tutorial and have a fabulous day!!

XO, Lauren

For more DIY projects, click here!

Indie Flea Market

Creating things is my passion, and when I am able to see others doing creative things, it makes me so happy knowing that others share that passion too! So when I heard about this indie flea market, I knew immediately that I had to go. I even spent an extra ten dollars to get in early!! They had vendors who sold handmade clothing, vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, paintings, candles, records, vintage accessories, sweet treats, and so much more. I literally felt like a child in a candy store. All of this creativity really inspired me to create more myself!! I wanted to be like them! 

But seeing as I was away from my crafting supplies, I decided to go on a little shopping spree instead, while helping out some local entrepreneurs. 

I ended up purchasing this adorable vintage romper from Inez and Beryl Vintage. I don't have a picture of it, but it is soooooo cute. Trust. Me. I will definitely be doing an outfit of the day wearing it! I also bought a super chic and simple metal bracelet from Katherine Cuervo. It is stamped with the word "wanderlust" which I absolutely love. The letters are so tiny, and overall it just looks spectacular. To be honest, I wear it at least 4 times a week. It seriously goes with any outfit. In addition to these, I found this beautiful wrap bracelet from iamsonotcool. It can actually be used as much more than just a bracelet, but I really like it as a bracelet. It is made with this gorgeous blue and purple dyed fabric, and these interesting looking coins. I. Am. In. Love. Wearing all of these pieces just makes me so happy!

Aside from clothing and accessories, I ended up trying this guava ginger beer, which tasted delicious. It is from the company Tidal Boar. I usually prefer drinks without carbonation, but the flavor was too good not to continue drinking. As far as snacks, I tried these green tea walnuts and also these sriracha flavored ones! They were both super tasty, but I decided to go with the green tea walnuts because I ya girl loves her green tea. They were from the Dancing Cats Cafe, which has the cutest name ever! They also have super cute cake pops, but I was set on my walnuts haha. 

So that pretty much sums up my trip the the indie flea market! The place was just spewing with creative minds and beautiful pieces. Hopefully, I'll be one of the vendors sometime soon, but I have to look into getting a business license first! Oh also, my striped dress is from Urban Outfitters if you were wondering! Anyways, I hope you guys have a creative and fabulous day! 

XO, Lauren

Exploring New Orleans

The second you step foot in New Orleans, Louisiana, you are immediately engulfed in a wave of culture. It is a place that touches all of your senses. Detailed and colorful buildings line the streets. Various aromas of delicious food float through the air. Music from the street performers and nearby restaurants linger in your ears. And an overall sense of movement is present at every moment. I am in love with this city. There are so many hidden treasures to find, and stories to learn. 

During my trip to New Orleans, I went to this restaurant called Pere Antoine. I've been there once before, and I actually got the same thing as I did last time because I just loved it so much! I ordered red beans and rice with cajun sausage. Definitely recommend it if you decide to stop by there for a bite. Speaking of food, I also went to Cafe Du Monde where they have fresh beignets, which are sort of like doughnuts that are covered in loads of powdered sugar. Super messy but WORTH IT! I'm proud of myself for keeping my navy blue dress surprisingly free from any powdered sugar! Aside from the navy blue lace up dress that I purchased from Forever 21, I wore some strappy sandals from Target, a Sagittarius constellation necklace from Charming Charlie, a black leather cross body bag from Charlotte Russe, and some blue reflective sunglasses also from Forever 21.

Other than eating, my family and I pretty much just walked up and down as many streets as we could to explore all the cute shops they had. I put together a video of our adventures, so if you're curious and want to see a bit more of what we did, then definitely check it out! Hope you enjoy and have a fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

DIY Boho Tote Bag

It has been about one month since I've done a DIY project... That is way to long... Now, that doesn't mean that I haven't made anything in a month though! I've actually made quite a bunch of wearable masterpieces! However, I failed to film a tutorial on them.. SO, I am getting BACK ON TRACK today!!! I decided to make this adorable boho inspired tote bag! It is very very simple and easy to make, and the technique can be used on other things such as backpacks, shirts, home decor, etc. The possibilities are endless with a little bit of trim/ ribbon and a hot glue gun! Anyways, I hope you like this DIY tote bag and decide to try it out! Have a super super creative and fabulous day! 

XO, Lauren

For more DIY projects, click here!

Cruise to Mexico 2016

I recently went on a cruise a couple of weeks ago, and I'm finally getting around to a blog post about it! I vlogged a lot of the trip, so you can watch it if you want! And I posted an outfit video, as well as a packing tips video in my previous post! I really enjoyed this trip, mostly because I was able to spend more time with family, and I also had a break from social media. It's crazy how much we rely on technology nowadays! Anyways, the ocean view was absolutely stunning. I enjoyed seeing the different cities too. Everyone I encountered was very kind as well, and I was able to learn a lot about the culture.
There are so many funny things that happened on this trip! I put a lot of them in my vlogs, so maybe you guys can laugh too haha! Anyways, hope you guys enjoy a look at my trip and have a fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

Summer Cruise Outfits + What to Pack!!

It is an amazing thing to be completely surrounded by ocean. No land in sight. All of this by choice of course!!! I recently went on a cruise to Mexico with my family, and it was such an incredible vacation. It was so refreshing to get off our phones and computers because there was no service out there! I did take pictures and videos, but it was nice not checking social media and messages for a bit!  I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to create some videos that might help you if you are going on a cruise or beach vacation. I filmed a video on what I packed and included some packing tips! And I also filmed a cruise outfit video on how I styled what I packed! 

I hope you find these helpful for your next vacation or trip and have a fabulous day! 

XO, Lauren

P.S. I'll be putting up a vlog of the cruise soon so you can see all the fun things I got to see and experience!!

California Summer Lookbook

California is one of the best places I've visited so far! The weather was perfect, the mountains were gorgeous, and the beaches were beautiful. I, no joke, teared up a bit as I was leaving. The main reason for going to California was for VidCon, but before I left, I was also able to visit the Hollywood sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theatre, and Venice Beach! And of course, I had to film my outfits in these iconic locations... so I made a summer lookbook for you guys! I really hope you enjoy it, I love how the footage turned out. But of course, the scenery doesn't even show up half as good as it looks in real life! Anyways, have a super fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

For more outfit posts, click here!

Moments of the Month: June 2016

The month of June was by far the best month so far this year! I had so many new experiences, and got to meet so many new people. Here are a few of my favorite moments from June 2016:

Moment Descriptions:

1.) JUNE 1: My little sister and I tried to make our own pocky from scratch! It ended up being really good, even though it doesn't look exactly like pocky!

2.) JUNE 16: I had my first job interview and I ended up getting the job! I was so proud of myself for figuring out how to put a resume and cover letter together haha!

3.) JUNE 18: I tried this "purple yam" flavored ice cream, and it was DELICIOUS!

4.) JUNE 21: I took a picture with this green dinosaur statue in Utah on my road trip to California!

5.) JUNE 22-25: VIDCON WAS AMAZING!!! I loved it. Go watch my vlogs if you haven't already!

6.) JUNE 26: I saw the cutest puppy (after Finn of course) at Venice Beach, CA! He was super tiny!

7.) JUNE 27: I hiked up a mountain in Nevada for the first time! It was burning hot outside, and it was not easy to walk up there, but I'm proud of myself for making it all the way up to the top!

8.) JUNE 30: I flew in a plane for the first time by myself! Not as scary as I thought it would be! Yay!

It's crazy how many things I got to experience this month! I didn't even realize it until I wrote this blog post. Not all of them are included in this post, but these were a few of the best. It's always important to reflect on what you've learned and what you've gone through. Be thankful for everything. Don't let the things that you don't want distract you from the amazing things that surround you every second of the day. This is my second post in the "Moments of the Month" series on my blog, and I'm really starting to like it! I don't always remember all the amazing things in my life, so this is a step towards always being grateful and positive! Hope you guys have lots of amazing moments this month, and have a fabulous day!

XO, Lauren