lace & gingham.

top: old navy. similar (here) & (here) // skirt: forever 21. similar "ish" (here) & (here) // shoes: macy's. similar (here) // clutch: forever 21. similar (here) // necklace: forever 21. similar (here) //

first of all, happy, happy friday! & second, thank you so much for visiting my blog! i've been working on my little corner of the internet for awhile now. i started this blog for me, as a way to keep record of little happenings in my life & to also use it in a somewhat therapeutic way as well. i think i'm at a good place to share it with ya'll! it is still is a huge work in progress considering my knowledge in technology is pretty much nonexistent. but, i'm happy you're here!

i love mixing patterns & unexpected colors. i'm proud of how far i've come from my matching flip-flop, headband & nail polish days! i love the bright pink & blue shirt & skirt combo. it's the perfect pair for summer. i added some nude heels to dress it up a little & contrast the bright colors, but flats would be just as cute & probably a little more practical for your summer to-dos. both the shirt & skirt are both really light & airy, which is a necessity for those hot & humid summer days ahead. (definately not complaining though, bring it on humidity!)

i hope you & yours have a wonderful weekend! thanks for stopping by. xoxo. lauren.

currently loving...

i'm currently obsessing over the following:

stripes. my new favorite pattern obsession. just hoping i won't have to change the name of this blog to nail polish & stripes.

watermelon.

new summer sandals just before they've been broken into.

curly fries. (not like this is news.)

peonies are blooming & they are bigger than my face.

some new (on clearance) gems. can't wait to style these beauties.

sunny days off.

date night.

i love a good night out with a very dear friend. last night was a wonderful night filling up my tank with my friend lisa. we went to high school together, but only started getting close towards the end of senior year & then stayed in pretty close contact over the course of freshman year. she's one of those people you could sit & talk about air to & still never get sick of it. thankful for that. 

^^ hashtag lisa in the wild. ^^

^^ you can't go wrong with a good cup of fro-yo. i haven't figured out how to make it pretty yet though. ^^

we went to the movie "the grand budapest hotel." i hadn't even heard anything about it. that is my favorite way to go to the movie theater because i love being caught completely off guard by story lines. i'm not even going to try to begin & explain what happened in this one. it was a very different kind of story & movie, but it was one that kept you trying to put the pieces together until the very end. i would highly recommend it, but keep an open mind. plus, how cute is the budget theatre? three dollar movie & killer popcorn. please don't ever leave us. 

classic combinations.

striped tank: (old navy) // khaki vest: (old navy) // green pants: h&m. similar (here) & (here) // shoes: target. similar (here) & (here) //

i'm sure you've noticed by now that i am the epitome of a bargain shopper. i can't seem to turn myself away from a good deal & definitely have problems turning down my employee discount at old navy. every piece in this outfit was twenty dollars or less, my college student budget can't complain.

i am in love with this vest because of it's versatility. it's a piece you can dress up & dress down depending on the occasion. i've already gotten my money's worth & can't wait to invest in an army green one. every girl needs a pair of colored jeans & some nautical stripes in her wardrobe. i'm having a lot of fun experimenting with the "boyfriend" style too. it's such a new look for me, but i'm loving it!

have a great weekend! xoxo. lauren.

the start of many apartment diy's.

as move in day for my apartment is creeping up reeeeaaal quick (august 10th!!), my hands have been pinning as fast as they can be! sadly, i've only accomplished one diy on my list. i'm determined to make it at least ten more by the end of the summer. i love personalizing & giving your space your own touch. it makes living away from home easier to bare.

i love quote canvases so i made one with my favorite. "i'm thankful for my struggle because without it, i wouldn't of stumbled upon my strength." it's so truth telling & such a good reminder for when life doesn't seem to fair out just as we'd like it to. i hope whenever i see it hanging up in my new room it gives me encouragement to keep going.

i just used a white canvas & some black acrylic paint. i then wrote out my saying in pencil, as i'm not a very good free hander. i wouldn't recommend this because i had to adjust as i went, so there are now very faint pencil marks on my canvas. also, use a very thin brush to avoid thicker lines. with a steady hand & 20 minutes later i was finished!

this one is the easiest diy of them all! i can't wait to get my hands dirty & make more.
xoxo. lauren.

treat yourself. treat others.

sometimes you need to take a break. i've been caught up in the craziness of working & running around a lot this summer (but don't worry, i still have found time to sneak in some lounge days, you have to) so yesterday my mother suggested i take a break & get a pedicure with my cute little grandma. of course i obliged. being treated is a nice change of pace.

                           ^^ i got white, she got pink. the usual. ^^ 

spending time with grandma since coming back from school tears at my heartstrings. she has been suffering with alzheimer's for the past couple of years now, but it seems in the last couple months it's been taking harder punches at her fragile mind. it's frustrating at times because repeating the same story or explanation of what you're doing to her ten times in 20 minutes isn't at all easy. at times it's hard to hide annoyance or be as gentle as you need to be with her. we are only human. she's been to the nail salon countless of times, but to her yesterday was her first. it's things like that, that are unfamiliar territory for us.

my grandma is not the same grandma i grew up with. alzheimer's is a nasty son-of-a-gun. she's still in there somewhere i know, but she only comes out in rare & short occurrences now. i've decided to not look at my grandma like she's lost or dying. she's living, she's alive, just in a different form. you've got to take the good days with as much stride as the bad days. we can't focus on what we've lost because then we loose sight of what we still have. 

i still have my grandma. she still has her caring heart. she still loves me & knows who i am. i can feel her love for me every time i'm around her. that's her special gift, i think. everyone arounds her knows how special they are, & how much she loves them. she's a real gem. one of god's best. 

^^ after pedicure sun session. mother nature don't need no filter. ^^ 

good eatin'

i'm an avid food eater & an even bigger food lover. my favorites include deep, deep, deep fried cheese curds & curly fries. actually, they don't even have to be curly. any fry will do. i just love fries, ya'll! anyway, today my friend ali & i went to this cute little restaurant downtown eau claire called "the livery." i had never been, but always heard nothing but good things. trying new restaurants & exploring new places is one of my favorite things to do. i love experiencing things for the first time.

  

                                             ^^ so much character. ^^ 

^^ such a beauty. ^^ 

^^ that's what i call fry & burger perfection. ^^ 

of course there was no way we could say no to these "carnival funnel fries." basically funnel cakes in fry form. as if fries couldn't get any better folks! fudge & caramel for dipping sauce really set me over the edge. these were gone in an embarrassing amount of time. but, soooo good. officially 100% better than funnel cakes from the fair. & officially my new favorite dig. 

& in other exciting news, ali is also an amazing photographer of many other trades & took some outfit pictures for me today! here's a little iphone sneak peak. can't wait to share some of my favorite summer styles with ya'll in the very near future! stay tuned. xoxo.

bliss.

june already?! only half of 2014 left?! somehow we only have about two & a half more months of summer. time PLEASE slow down.

sorry in advance for my scrambled thoughts. this post is going to be a direct reflection of where my mind has been at lately. which is everywhere. my mind hasn't stopped running in circles the last couple days & therefore i'm exhausted. today has been a not so good day. do you ever have those days where nothing seems to go right? it's raining out, you get your period in church, (gross, i know), your job is driving you insane, you start to cry in the middle of the bathroom & you can't even tell yourself a reason why? i'm talking big, loud, ugly cry? just me? okay.

              ^^ i've never been a bike rider. but, with a bike like this i might start. so cute. ^^
       
i've been trying to figure out the best way to stay in a (somewhat) constant state of bliss for awhile now. i have really good stretches of good days & then a few bad ones here & there. i've noticed the good days happen when i'm with friends & family, staying busy, etc. bad days happen when i find myself feeling kinda alone. (which i know i'm not, i've got a great team of people standing behind me.) when i feel alone & just kinda blah, really, i start to over analyze & over think everything. & i mean everything. from the next color i want to paint my nails to past relationships & broken hearts. it seems my problem is living in the past or the future. my mind wanders often & draws up these big, dramatic scenarios & i always end up disappointed when life doesn't play out like the scenario i made up in my head. i guess i just don't know how to stop feeling disappointed from my failed day dreams. or, if i should stop wishing & dreaming all together.

today, today, today. this needs to start being number one on my radar. i've got to focus & invest more time into bettering myself from the minute i wake up. i believe being happy & in a state of bliss is choice. it's a choice i want to make. it's a choice i have to make. no more rainy days = rainy moods around here. 

wow. sorry for all that complaining & rambling. i really am blessed. life really is good. i'm glad i have friends who get ice cream with me at a moments notice & swing on the swings at the park like we did when we were 7. swinging has turned into a workout, though. i do not remember being somewhat out of breath from trying to swing higher than the bar. it's amazing to see how many things have changed but have also stayed the same as well.

                                           ^^ nothing beats a malt on a rainy day.
                                                                  nothing. ^^

i guess that it's life though, huh? not every day can be good. but i've got to work harder in finding the good in everyday. how do you get through rainy days & find your bliss?