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

The Influence of Art in My Life

My set-up for the end of the semester design showings!

I've had such a strong desire to write about this, but I just haven't gotten around to it. This is a bit different than the posts I usually do, but I just had to share. The influence of art is so amazingly prominent in my life. Recently, I came to the realization that art really brings people together and cultivates interactions that may not have happened otherwise. On two different occasions, I was doing some drawing assignments for my drawing class in my favorite little coffee shop, and I had people come up to me and compliment my artwork. In my head, I was wondering how these people were so amazed with something that I was just doing as an assignment (probably last minute too), but these little compliments turned into full fledged conversations both times. I feel that I am a generally shy person who usually keeps to themself, especially in a coffee shop... but in these moments I felt completely free and open to talk!

My final drawing for my drawing class! In this picture, it was still in progress, but it's the most recent picture I have of it! It was a conversation starter when I was working on it in the coffee shop!

These experiences led me to think about how much of an impact art has had on my life. And when I say art, I mean everything from drawings to music, and sewing to dance. Art has given me an outlet to express my feelings and ideas in a way that cannot be expressed through words. Art has given me like minded friends, and friends who challenge me to go beyond my comfort zone and experiment with new techniques. Art has given me some of the most the most intriguing and deep conversations I've ever had. Art has given me relief from anxiety, stress, and tension. Art has given me many things, and no doubt, things I haven't even realized yet. 

One of the projects for my drawing class! A woman came up to me in the coffee shop and wanted to buy it!

With this realization of my passion for art, I started to think about how I can use this passion to positively impact the world and the people around me. Everyone wants to make a difference. Everyone has different passions, different interests, different stories. Maybe I want to start a company like Tom's shoes, where I donate an article of clothing for every garment sold! Maybe I want to make art to bring attention to important causes around the world! Even if I made something that just caused one person to smile, I would be happy. My beliefs are that if you have a passion, if you are truly talented or skilled in something, you shouldn't just keep such a gift to yourself. It's such a powerful thing to have, and with such power, you can impact so many lives! 

Anyways, that's all I have for now! Before I go though, I wanna leave you with three questions: How has art influenced your life? What is your passion? How can you use that to make a difference? Feel free to comment, or just think about it to yourself! Have a fabulous day lovelies and thank you for reading!

XO, Lauren

Concert Vlog | Echosmith, Bishop Briggs, Bad Suns

I am happy to say that I am almost finished with the spring 2017 semester! Only one exam stands in the way of summer vacation, and I'm studying as much as I can so I can finish with a bang! Of course, it can't be all work and no play... so I decided to put together a little vlog of a concert I recently went to! Honestly, the only band I knew was Echosmith. I had never heard of Bishop Briggs or Bad Suns, but as soon as they started playing, I totally fell in love with their music! They all have such different styles and it was cool to see how each of them affected the crowd. I am now a fan of all of the bands that performed that night!! Anyways, I hope you all are having a good school year! If you have finals coming up like me, then I wish you good luck!! Have a super fabulous and positive day!

XO, Lauren 

Costume Design Fashion Show

Lights, camera, Chinese dragon!... Wait what?? Chinese dragon?... That's how the saying goes right? 

At least that's how it went this time... I was recently in a fashion show with the design department that I am a part of in my college, and they literally had a Chinese dragon go through the halls of the hotel where the event was held! It. Was. SO. COOL! Alright, now that I got that out of my system I can tell you lovelies about how the actual show went! I've walked in a fashion show before for the Project Style competition in the Summer of 2012, but this was the first fashion show I've walked in since then! FIVE YEARS later!!! It was still small, but such an amazing and unique experience. The Project Style show was focused more on styling pieces from stores, while this show was featuring student designs and work! The look that I wore was an Asian inspired silk dress that was actually made up of three separate pieces: a bodice, a skirt, and an over-dress that gave it detail and a gorgeous train in the back! The other pieces included dresses from the Elizabethan era, Go Go dancer outfits, and other artistic pieces. 

If you guys want to see more from behind the scenes of the show, I made a vlog of my experience:

Hope you all have a fabulous day and I'll catch you in my next post!!

XO, Lauren

Thank you to Anthony Galvez Photography for these wonderful pictures! 

Update: March 14, 2017

Hello loves! I think it is obvious that I am still trying to figure out a good way to balance classes with my blog and YouTube channel. It has been a bit of a challenge time wise, but also content wise. By that, I mean that the content I want to create now is different than the content I used to create. My views are changing and my focus is shifting. It's an odd thing to experience, but I'm trying to figure out what exactly I want to accomplish and put out into the world. Ultimately, I want to create things that are unique, inspiring, and rich with creativity. Doing that, while keeping a consistent posting schedule can be tough. It is not impossible, but it is definitely not for those who are lazy. Creativity takes time. Anyways, my point in saying all of this is to sort of give you an update on where my mind has been. It may take me a few rounds of trial and error to finally figure out what I want to create, but I hope you'll stick around for the journey! It's certainly not a boring one! Oh, and in addition to this little blurb of words, you can also get a peek at my life through my most recent videos:

Thank you all for reading and watching, it means the world to me! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful and fabulous day! 

XO, Lauren

DIY Beaded Comb + How to Style It

I made about five of these beaded combs for the costumes I designed in the Fall Dance Concert last semester, and they were so fun to make! I decided to do a little tutorial for you guys because I was going to make one for myself anyways and I thought it might be helpful to share how I make it! It's actually a very simple process, and it doesn't require many materials at all! I hope you enjoy learning how to make this gorgeous hair accessory, and let me know how you guys style it if you try it out! Have a super fabulous day!!

XO, Lauren

Planning Tips + School Vlog

I would be a total mess without my planner... I have a very specific structure I follow when planning that I've come up with other the years of being in school, and it has no doubt helped me accomplish a great amount of goals in a timely manner! Since everyone is still in the mood for getting into a new routine of planning and organizing, I decided to share some of my tips and show how I plan my day! I also wanted to take you guys along with me while I went to class, so hopefully you'll enjoy a little sneak peek of what I do as a college student. Anyways, I'm always open to learning new planning and organization techniques, so feel free to let me know what you guys do to plan your day! Have a super productive and fabulous day!!

XO, Lauren

OOTD Boho Inspired Beach Look

I haven't actually really gone clothing shopping in a long time, so I've had to get creative with my outfit choices and work with what I already have. I've also been deep cleaning my room, so luckily I've been finding super cute shirts and accessories that I totally forgot about because they may or may not have been buried under my mountain of craft supplies... oops... But moving on, I found this ADORABLE printed scarf with tassels on it, and I decided at that moment that I absolutely MUST create an outfit using this scarf before the heat gets unbearable. I paired it with this loose open shoulder top and high waisted jeans, along with some fun bracelets and rings. How would you guys style the scarf? I'm sure it could fit into many different styles of fashion so I'm curious to know what you guys would do with it! Anyways, have a super fabulous, positive, and productive day!

XO, Lauren

OOTD Striped Ruffle Dress

One of my goals for 2017 is to feature more of the clothes that I make on my blog and on my YouTube channel. I feel like sometimes I get so caught up in making fun videos that I forget to show you guys what I've been working on and working towards as far as my career goes. And since I am getting deeper into my college education, I believe that featuring my growth and skills would be beneficial to the future of my career as well as to those of you who want to go into similar industries. Anyways, for this short video, I wanted to show this dress that I made for my birthday! I made it in one night because my birthday was the next day, and I ended up using almost every single scrap I had left of that fabric (which is why the stripes don't match up in the bodice... oh well). I hope you guys enjoy seeing a peek of what I've been working on, and there is plenty more where that came from so be sure to check back soon! Have a super fabulous day!

XO, Lauren

Moments of 2016

What an amazing year it has been! From adventures to lessons learned, this year has been packed with experiences. I just wanted to take a moment to reflect and be grateful for everything that I've been through and for everyone who has come into my life. I am so incredibly thankful for everyone who has supported me, given me new opportunities, and just made my life ten million times greater! I am so excited to see what 2017 has in store for me, and I look forward to take you guys along on my journey! Hope you guys have a fabulous day and a wonderful new year!

XO, Lauren

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

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