Just Listen.

Black Halter Top: Aeropostale.

Polka Dot Pants: Forever21.

Cream Heels: c/o YesWalker.

Necklace: Thrifted.

Lipstick in MAC's Russian Red.

I've been going through a bit of a writing rut lately, so instead of just trying to write about nonesense, I've taken the time to try and just take things in and read and listen instead. Here's just a few things I've read online as of late that really got me thinking and inspired to write.

♥Modesty doesn't mean what you think it means according to the Bible.

♥Slam Poetry: What Guys Look For In Girls.

♥A Moment of Honesty On Street Harassment.

Just some things to think about.

With much love, Lauren.

Color Fixation.

Green Trapeze Dress: c/o OASAP.

Gold T-Strap Heels: Plato's Closet.

Floral Statement Necklace: Forever21.

Hair Scarf: Thrifted.

Lipstick in NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Buenos Aires.

Hello there everyone! ♥

Whew, I cannot wait to get this hair of mine cut. It is an absolute lion's mane of chaos. I haven't had a cut or trim in about a year, so it's very damaged and dried out. I have an appointment on Monday which I'm pretty excited about! Nothing too drastic. Just getting all the dead cut off (which is actually quite a bit), and then I'm going back to my comfort zone of side swept bangs. I thought I wanted to grow my bangs out completely and get rid of them, so I had been doing that for about a year and a half...and then I realized that I don't really like them grown out at all. Truthfully, I like to hide behind my hair and especially my bangs. I'm really insecure about my face for some reason and don't like people to look at it up close or for long periods of time (ironic that I have a fashion blog where people can stare at it for as long as they want, eh?). But having bangs helps me feel somewhat hidden and like people can't really see me, so I think I'm going to fall back on them. I've had some sort of bangs ever since I was a toddler and this was the first try at not having them...safe to say bangs and I are meant to be! 

I'm not expecting too much thrill or drastic life change out of a hair cut; I've never been and never will be happy with any hair cut or my hair in general (it's the most hopeless cause of my appearance, ha), but it will be a nice step towards improvement I suppose!

With much love, Lauren.

Packing For Italy!

Hello all! ♥

My departure date for Italy is fastly approaching...August 17th will be here before I know it! I've taken these few months before summer to begin packing and getting everything I need to travel organized before  it all springs upon me. I recently got a backpack and camera bag for my travels, and I thought I'd show you all!

My camera bag is c/o an Etsy shop called CamerasBagsStraps and I am in LOVE. It absolutely surpassed my expectations upon receiving it. I want to obviously take my DSLR and lenses with me to Italy because I want to take tons of beautiful photos...but I was kind of stumped about how to carry it around and keep it safe because Florence is notorious for pick pocketers. This Etsy shop kindly offered to send me a bag of my choice and I went with the Vintage Look Faux Leather Shoulder bag in size large. This bag is beautifully made and HUGE. I wasn't expecting it to be that big, but it said it fits your camera and two lenses and they weren't kidding. There so much room in this bag I think I'm going to just use it as my every day purse because it can fit lots of extras in the front and back pockets, as well as a water bottle in the inside. It has removable velcro panels to adjust how big you want the compartments to be inside which I thought was a huge plus. I was looking into buying a Cambridge Satchel for my every day purse, but they are ridiculously expensive and this one is just as nice, safe with the front snaps + cross body strap (to keep in front if you at all times!), and much more affordable at $39.99 for a large.

I've heard from previous Florence students that a backpack is essential for going to school and trips for the weekend. Truthfully, I haven't carried a backpack since my sophomore year of high school, so I was kind of bummed about having to lug one around again (they're just not my favorite). But then I thought about the company Herschel Supply Co. that I often see students on campus carrying around and went to check out the site. All of the back packs were exactly what I was looking for-- practical utility with a step towards being fashion forward and classic. The one I ended up purchasing is rather large, but I wanted it to be so I could pack enough for weekend trips. It's the Little America Backpack which was $90. I don't believe I've ever spent $90 on ANY one thing besides perhaps a prom dress or two, so it was hard for me to part with the money...but worth it. This is a gorgeous, comfortable, durable backpack that I'm excited to go adventures with! It also can hold a 15' laptop which is nice for school.

I'm beginnging to get very excited about my trip, but at the same time can't quite comprehend what I'm about to do. I've been learning Italian using a free app called Duolingo which is really fun if you're looking into learning a new language! Next up on my list of things to buy is comfortable, but cute, walking shoes. Any suggestions for me? x

With much love, Lauren.

Starting to See Summer.

Vintage 70's Maxi Dress, Turquoise Earrings: Thrifted.

Lipstick in WNW Mauve Outta Here.

Hello there everyone! ♥

 Summer has been incredibly busy for me so far which has surprisingly been enjoyable. If given too much time to sit around and think, I tend to lament myself into sadness with my thoughts...so it's best that I try and stay constantly doing something to keep my mind a-going. I've been spending a lot of time enjoying my family before I'm away for four months, and my boyfriend (that's still really weird to say), as well. We had a little bonfire with s'mores the other night that made me want an eternal summer!

I've also just been keeping up with the store (thank you all so much who have purchased things!), and working at Aeropostale, too. It's been enjoyable and my hours have been picking up which I really appreciate and work hard for! Then this weekend we're having a garage sale with BUNCHES of old toys of my sister and I's...I have to run it myself since my sister will be at school and parents at work and I'm pretty nervous--people always seem to take advantage of me and jip me down because I can't say no! I gotta learn to get some back bone. 

Yawn, best be getting to bed. Ended up getting this post up far later than anticipated. A little surprise project to make my sister a white bunny rabbit costume for tomorrow kept me busy sewing all evening... By the end of it I was thanking God I'm a merchandise major and not design, ha. x

With much love, Lauren.

You Are My Sunshine.

Polka Dot Dress: Forever21.

Hat, Ferragamo Heels, Purse: Thrifted.

Lipstick in MAC's Russian Red.

Hi all! ♥

Things have been certainly sunny here as of late; both physically and metaphorically speaking! I'm grateful for the sunshine and warming temps that make getting dressed inspiring and fun again. It's been quite awhile since I've worn this little trench dress from Forever21, and it's happy to see the light of day! I'm not sure why, but these photos turned out super....green? I tried adjusting the colors some in photo shop and it did help a little, but the coloring still seems to be off. Oh well, doesn't matter! Sometimes I like that my photo style isn't consistent throughout all my photos because then it makes each set unique and memorable. 

I feel like I've been talking and rambling a lot about nothing here on the blog lately...so I'll just leave you all with a happy Friday and long Memorial Day weekend! x

With much love, Lauren.

You're Makin' Me Blush.

Pink Cotton 50's Dress: Bomb Shelter Vintage Shop.

Tapestry Purse: Thrifted.

Vintage Hat: Antique Market.

Heels: Target.

Lipstick in Smart Bomb's 'Posh.'

Hello everyone ♥

It's strange to think about getting married someday. My classmates are already starting to get engaged and plan weddings, and we've only been out of high school two years. It gets you starting to think about where you stand about getting married and all the jazz that comes with it.

I think it's very frightening, for me at least. I could just never marry young because there's too much I want to do on my own first. I don't think it's wrong for people to get married young, but I just don't feel as though it's a good fit for me. I'm a pretty independent person and for me my happiness is not defined on whether I'm in a relationship or not. I'd even stretch as far to say that it wouldn't bother me a whole lot if I never did get married. It's not that I don't want to; trust me, I'd love to. But I've realized in the past few years since becoming a Christian that if it's not in God's plan for me, then it's not. Simple as that. I've been happy for the times I'm single, and I've been happy for the times in relationships, so it feels good to have a peace in both, helping me feel more comfortable for what the future holds for me.

It just blows my mind that you have to decide you want to spend the rest of your life with one person and one person only. Such a scary, absolutely daunting decision. I'm an awful decision maker, so I can't imagine having to decide the man I'll be wed to under God. For me, I can't fathom just feeling ever 100% positive if that person was the one. I always manage to find fault with things, and I feel like my nit pickiness and uncertainty would just ruin the 99% positive I would feel for the 1% unsure that tags along with it. Divorce frightens me. I don't want to ever be divorced, but married once and only once. It's just hard to imagine being completely sure of that decision to pick one person to be with.

Then I kind of think about the actual wedding itself. Since coming home, I've 'wasted' (relative term, ha) a lot of hours watching bride shows on TV. I love them, but it also helps me put into perspective exactly what I'd like my wedding to be like. I see all the stress, money, and just work that goes into a wedding...and it scares me, not excites me to even think about planning it. Making sure guests are happy, it's photo worthy, that everything goes smoothly...sometimes it becomes less about the actual day and what it means and more about all of the 'things' that fill up a wedding. I think someday I'll want something small, something relatively inexpensive so I can just appreciate the day and the person I'm with rather than all of the swirling materialistic notions and distractions. 

I don't know when I'll get married. I don't know who it will be with. I don't know if I'll still want a small wedding when it finally comes time to decide. But sometimes it's just interesting to think about and write down some thoughts so that when it does happen, you can see just where you were, the path you've come, and who you are at that moment. x

With much love, Lauren.

On My Coffee Break.

Coffee Break Shirt, Lace Bralet: Aeropostale.

Galaxy Skirt: c/o Lulu*s.

Wide Brimmed Hat: c/o OASAP.

Black Heels: Thrifted.

Lipstick in WNW's Rose Bud.

Hello everyone! ♥

This is quite different from what I usually wear, but I guess I just wanted to mix things up a little bit! I'm wanting this summer to bring out some more of the pieces in my closet that don't get worn as often, because now is the time to do so! I'll be on a super tight, minimal wardrobe when I go to Italy, so I want to take advantage of the closet full of clothes I have now and get them out to see day light :)

Oh! And I wanted to thank you all who entered the ASOS giveaway that I hosted last week! I was overwhelmed with the amount of entries, and I just let rafflecooper pick a random winner today via their generator and it was Maria! Congratulations, lady; I'll be emailing you soon.

Truly, thank you to all who entered! Would you be interested in me hosting more giveaways this summer, or is that not something you all like? Just me me know! Also, thank you for the support of the reopening of my online store! All the money I earn this summer is going towards my trip to Italy, so it truly means a lot :)

With much love, Lauren.