Monday, December 19, 2016

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

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Day Trip to Downtown St. Augustine

alex and ani bangles, charm bangles, turquoise beaded bracelet, lauren banawa

lauren banawa, st augustine, patagonia vest, winter road trip, winter ootd

downtown st augustine, st augustine shops, historic st augustine, lauren banawa

harry's restaurant st augustine, downtown st augustine, lauren banawa

harry's st augustine, downtown st augustine, lauren banawa, patagonia vest

harry's st augustine, downtown st augustine, garden salad, lauren banawa

the hyppo, gourmet ice pops, st augustine, lauren banawa, hyppo st augustine

the hyppo, gourmet ice pops, lauren banawa, 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

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

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)

usf, fall dance concert 2016, Lauren Banawa, costume designer, sleeping beauty ballet

usf, fall dance concert, lauren banawa, costume designer, lilac fairy, sleeping beauty

usf, fall dance concert, lauren banawa, costume designer, dance costumes, sleeping beautyusf, fall dance concert, lauren banawa, costume designer, gold fairy ballet

usf fall dance concert, lauren banawa, costume design, diamond fairy, ballet costumes

usf, fall dance concert, lauren banawa, ballet costumes, silver fairy, sleeping beautyusf, fall dance concert, lauren banawa, costume design, lilac fairy ballet costume

usf, fall dance concert, lauren banawa, sleeping beauty ballet costume design

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