Tennessee Adventure Trip

Hello loves, hope you are all doing well! I recently went on a trip to Tennessee with a bunch of other college students, and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had! 

I have been itching to travel, explore new places, and do new things out of my comfort zone, so when I saw this trip as an option on the website of my university's outdoor recreation center, I decided right then and there that I had to do it. The trip involved a ten hour roadtrip in a van, camping in 30 degree weather, hiking, camping, rock climbing, and bouldering! Seeing as I had never done any of those, except for riding in a car for ten hours, I thought this would be a great way to ease myself into traveling "semi-solo" (aka without my family).

 

My goal for the trip was to learn these new skills and push myself to venture out of my comfort zone... I did achieve these things, but I what I also got out of it was some amazing new friends, a new perspective on the world and nature, and a deeper understanding of how strong and capable I really am. It sounds cheesy, but to be honest, I'm a really cheesy person anyways. 

Tennessee changed me for the better, and I am beyond grateful for all the experiences I had through this adventure. Beautiful people, beautiful views, and a beautiful outlook. Where should I go next?

Hope you all have a wonderfully fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

Happy New Year 2018!

Happy 2018! I've been wanting to blog again after taking about a six month break, and the start of the new year seems like the best time to get back into it. To be honest, I was very ready to say goodbye to 2017 and ring in the New Year. This past year has been rich with valuable learning experiences and lessons, and I am so grateful to be able to grow and discover my values and passions. In today's post, I wanted to share my top three New Years Resolutions for 2018. Hopefully they will serve as inspiration or motivation for you guys as well!

My Top Three 2018 New Years Resolutions:

1.) Always act with honesty and integrity.

2.) Live with an attitude of gratitude.

3.) Make self care and self compassion a priority.

These are very simple resolutions, and my reasoning for that is because you cannot serve others from an empty cup. My theme for this year is "back to basics." I have learned that if you do not take time to take care of yourself, know yourself/ your values, and be thankful for what you have already, you cannot give yourself to others and achieve higher goals. As long as I live these three resolutions every day, I know I am on the right track. 

I feel that a lot of people make resolutions that are unrealistic, and while it is good to be bold and take risks and go for your biggest dreams, you have to start small and build a strong foundation within yourself. You cannot expect to be CEO if you do not take care of yourself. How can you expect to effectively run a business from a hospital bed? Nothing is impossible and life happens, but I know from personal experience that if you do not focus on your own health and well being first, then the outcome of everything else in your life will not be the quality you want. 

Anyways, there's my little bit for the start of the new year! I hope you enjoyed reading. Remember: resolutions are different than goals. A resolution is an intention you set or a course of action you decide on, while a goal is a specific result or end-point that you want to reach. I have a WHOLE BUNCH of goals I want to accomplish this year and I am thrilled to begin checking off that list! Feel free to share your resolutions and/or goals in the comments so we can hold each other accountable! Hope you all have a fabulous New Year and look forward to some fresh posts coming soon!

XO, Lauren

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First Post on College Fashionista | How to Stay Hydrated This Summer

Happy Fourth of July lovelies! I hope you all are having an absolutely wonderful Independence Day. I have some good news... my very first post for College Fashionista is now live!!! It's all about fun ways to stay hydrated, which is super important, especially on a day like this. 

Honestly, I used to be the worst at making sure I was drinking enough water. After fainting a couple of times and experiencing super low energy levels, I decided it was time to take it seriously... I finally made the effort to drink enough water, but also find other ways to make sure I kept my hydration levels high. After putting my plan into action, I felt much more energized, much healthier, and I haven't passed out since. Yay!! If you want to find out my sneaky ways to stay hydrated this summer and all year around, be sure to check out my article on College Fashionista HERE!

Have a fabulous day and stay hydrated beauties! Post pictures on Instagram of how you stay hydrated on all your adventures this summer, and be sure to tag me (@cuteandtailored) and @cfashionista so we can see all the summer fun! 

XO, Lauren

Butterflies, Boats, & Bikes | A Week in My Life

I love summer because it means I get to go on more new adventures that I wouldn't be able to during the semester! I had a super eventful and fun week earlier this month, and I wanted to share it with you guys. I'd say this was my favorite week this summer so far since I was busy, and I got to spend quality time with both my friends and my family. I hope you enjoy and have a fabulous day! Leave a comment telling me what your favorite summer adventures are!!

XO, Lauren

Where Did All My Hair Go?!

Hello lovelies! With the rising temperatures of summer comes the rising of hemlines on clothes. Basically, as the weather gets hotter, the shorts get shorter. But even as I broke out my dresses and shorts, I still felt there was more that had to happen... so naturally I cut off all my hair. Well, not all my hair, but I did chop off eleven inches!!!

Honestly, I have been ready to cut my hair for awhile now. Having long hair was beginning to feel like I was dragging a sweater around with me all the time, even when I put it up in a cute ponytail! It would get stuck in doors, bags, chairs... and it was just a mess overall. So many people told me not to cut it because it was so long and beautiful, and to be honest, that's why I kept it for so long. But then I realized I need to just do what I want because it's my own hair!! It's not anybody else's! And let me tell you, as soon as my hairdresser made the first cut, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders (literally). And maybe I'm making a huge deal over a little thing, but I am just so incredibly happy with my hair now! I feel free and confident. I feel that people can finally see my personality, instead of just remembering me as that girl with long hair. 

And what made the experience even more wonderful would be that I took the eleven inches of my hair and donated it to an organization that makes free wigs for women with cancer! With this, I hope that other women can gain as much confidence as I did with a change as simple as a hairstyle. So my challenge for you is to find something that enlightens both you and others! If you have long hair and are ready to cut at least eight inches off, I recommend donating to Pantene Beautiful Lengths! They are not sponsoring me at all, I just support this organization and their mission. Anyways, I hope you take up the challenge to make a difference in both yourself and those around you, even if it's small! I'm so grateful for all of you who read my posts, and I hope you all have a fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

Brunch Outfit Ideas

Honestly, brunch is always a great idea. It's perfect for those mornings where you just don't wanna wake up that early but you still want a meal before lunch... or maybe those mornings where you already ate breakfast and you could still eat a farm... (that's me) But, whatever your reason, brunch is a pretty good option. Personally, I love dressing up for brunch (of course). It really is an occasion and, in my book, anything with food is a grandiose event. Therefore, it only makes sense to match your outfit to the same level of awesomeness. You may ask "Lauren, how do I pick an outfit awesome enough to match my awesome brunch?" WELL, don't worry girlies, I'm here for you! Today is the day. Here are three brunch outfit ideas to inspire you and help get your creative juices flowing! I'll link similar items for each outfit so you can shop the looks and recreate them for yourselves!

Jaci's Outfit

Jaci is wearing a stylish white romper with blue accents. This gives off a very summery, easy breezy vibe. Rompers are perfect, just like dresses are, because they make up a whole outfit in themselves! It's just one piece, and BAM, super cute outfit! She paired it with a tan cross body purse, which is a great neutral so that the focus can stay on the beautiful jumper. Her jewelry stays pretty simple too, with a gold cuff bracelet, and a simple gold curve necklace. 

Symba's Outfit

Symba is wearing a yellow floral dress paired with a simple jean jacket. The yellow and the blue contrast and compliment each other perfectly, creating a fun, vibrant style. The floral pattern on the dress makes a statement, but is still stylishly delicate. She also wore a faux fur cross body purse for some added fun!

My Outfit

I am wearing a black and white striped drop waist dress. I love this dress because vertical stripes make you appear taller (yes please!!). Over this airy dress, I wore an army green jacket. The earthy tone acts as a sort of calming element to the vibrant pattern of the dress, and adds a bit of shape with a cinch waist. I kept the jewelry pretty dainty, with a few bangles and gold layered necklaces, as I wanted the dress to be the highlight of the ensemble. Lastly, I added a black quilted leather cross body bag to hold all my various trinkets and whatnot. 

Well loves, I hope you were able to get some inspiration from these outfit ideas! I also filmed a "Day in My Life" video of this day, so if you want to check it out, just click below! But other than that, I hope you all have a positively fabulous day, and I will talk to you in my next post!

XO, Lauren

My Etsy Shop is Finally Open!!

Hello my lovely readers, I hope you all are having a wonderful day! I have some exciting news...

I FINALLY opened my Etsy Shop!!! Ever since I was little, I would always make tiny bracelets and rings and try to sell them to my mom in my "storefront" made of the dining room chairs and a bunch of blankets and pillows. I even made my own business cards and flyers! I was pretty official, no doubt guys. And when I got to middle school and high school, I continued my creative entrepreneurial endeavors by making friendship bracelets and other accessories for my friends! I even made bows and wallets out of duct tape... suuuuper fashionable right? I think made a solid $20. Pretty good for selling things at only 50 cents each haha! 

Anyways, back to the present! I am so ecstatic that my Etsy Shop is open for business because I can now share my creations with anyone in the world, which is a HUGE step up from just my mom! (p.s. my mom is awesome, and will always be my favorite customer) There are a few bracelets up on there now, and I am planning to add more of my designs soon! I just wanted to make a little announcement to share my uncontainable excitement with you all! One of my goals for this year is to start a successful Etsy Shop, so this is the start. I have so many fun ideas that I want to implement, so I hope you guys are as excited as I am! Have a super fabulous day and please check out my shop if you get a chance and let me know what you think!

Click here to shop!!

XO, Lauren