{Weekend Recap}

{ Mary, Me, Hannah, & Corinne (my roomie - last year and next year!) }

A few of us Northern Virginia girls from college met up for dinner at Uncle Julio's on Friday. We all lived in the same hall this past year, so it was great to see them for the first time since summer started! Although living in a dorm wasn't always the best, I definitely miss how easy it was to just walk into a girl's room, talk about your days, paint your nails, and catch up on Pretty Little Liars together. Oh, and of course getting ready for dinners and parties on the weekends! I'm excited that between the six of us (including two other girls that live in different cities), we'll be living together, just in two different houses. 

Dinner was really good! Three of us ordered enchiladas and my roomie and I ordered a strawberry daiquiri and a pina colada. We walked to a gelato place for dessert afterwards. While we were sitting on a bench outside, an older man comes up to us with his dog and says, "You know who you girls remind me of? Pretty Little Liars!" We were laughing and wondering how he even knew about the show, but we definitely took it as a compliment! We spotted an American flag on a brick wall across the street so we had a fun photo shoot too!

{Dress: Target // Sandals: Loft}

 And of course, it wouldn't be a photo shoot without "throwing up what you know." ^^

I had a great Friday night with those girlies! Can't wait until our next meet up! I spent the rest of the weekend working. On Sunday evening, my dad made make-your-own homemade pizzas for the family, which was a nice ending to Father's Day. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

xoxo

LOU LOU

During the day trip to Middleburg, Virginia with my mom, we stopped into a boutique called Lou Lou. I fell in love with it immediately. They have necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, watches, scarves, wallets...practically any accessory you could think of! The best part is that everything (for the most part) was displayed by color and being the perfectionist that I am, it was absolute perfection! 

See how cute? I wanted to buy everything that I literally left the store with nothing, just so I could come back later to decide what I really wanted to buy. I ended up purchasing a small black crossbody bag. It will be perfect for the summer, as well as going out to dinners and parties when I get back to college. I also purchased a yellow statement necklace. I like that the statement is seen more in the bright color, rather than the make of the necklace. I'm still easing into wearing bold jewelry! 

I love that the boutique is in a few different locations around my house. I will definitely be back for more shopping! I'm thinking a fun pink statement necklace next! Also, fun fact: when I was a baby, my mom used to call me Lauren Lou Lou. Then, my close friends have been calling me Lo or Lolo throughout high school and college. I'm absolutely loving the boutique's name because of those reasons! Check to see if there is a Lou Lou in your area! If there isn't, they have a smaller selection of their products on their website. Happy shopping!

Where is your favorite boutique? If they have a website, please share!

xoxo

*This post was not sponsored. This review is simply sharing my own opinions. 

A DAY TRIP {MIDDLEBURG, VA}

    

Over Memorial Day Weekend, my mom and I took a day trip to a small town that's not too far from our home, named Middleburg. It's such a charming place with it's brick sidewalks and local shops and restaurants. Once we parked along the street, we stepped into our first shop which was called Lou Lou. It's a cute boutique with classic and trendy pieces of jewelry and accessories. I spent the longest time in there admiring everything, but ended up walking away empty handed...no worries though, we made sure to stop in again before we drove back home. We walked a little ways more and checked out another boutique, Betsey. Very pretty clothes and accessories! After debating going into The Fun Shop (it looked like a children's based on the window display), we decided to go in and we're so glad we did! It had everything one could possibly thing of - kitchen supplies, bathroom decor, books, cards, lighting, pet accessories, children's toys, men's wear, handbags, and much, much more! 

We ate lunch at a tiny restaurant and bakery, The Upper Crust. It was the perfect place for a quick and delicious meal. We both ordered sandwiches and chips. Of course, we couldn't help ourselves to their selection of fresh cookies. We took a baker's dozen home, and yes, that's 13 cookies we took home with us. They were delicious! Chocolate chip was our favorite out of all of them. 

We stopped in a shop with beautiful flowers, as well as a cute pup that guards the area! We also went into a thrift shop where we found some great steals. While my mom went back to the car to put away some of our shopping bags, I went into their local grocery store, Home Farm Store, and purchased a container of fresh salsa. When she came back, we bought our own pup a few dog treats and toys from Wylie Wagg. We also went into Creme De La Creme, which is a specialty gift and home accessories boutique. When I get my own house, I plan on making a trip back to Middleburg to stock up on some of their products. 

As I mentioned earlier, we made sure to go back into Lou Lou! We actually found another one in the town that specialized in clothes. My mom bought a pretty little white dress. Then, we went back into the first store and I bought a necklace and a black crossbody purse. I purchased a graduation gift for one of my friends in Bangkok who just finished high school, as well!

All in all, it was a very fun and rewarding day trip! If you live in the area or are driving through sometime, be sure to check out the lovely town of Middleburg! 

xoxo

19TH BIRTHDAY

From three years to nineteen years, this girl still loves to dress up and live life dressed with a great pair of sunglasses, a cute purse, and some fun heels. Happy 19th to this little fashionista! (;

xoxo

SPLURGE VS. STEAL {PINK SKIRT}

I have had my eye on this J.Crew Factory skirt for the longest time. It's the perfect shade of pink and I love the elastic waist. I just couldn't imagine paying almost $60 for it. I knew I could find a skirt just as cute, but for a little bit less! That's when I came across this skirt from Target. It has an elastic waist and although the color looks darker on screen, it's actually about the same shade in person (I promise!). Bonus - it's on sale for $15! 

I can't wait to style my new skirt. 

xoxo

MANTRA & DESKTOP WALLPAPER

June has always been my absolute favorite month of the year. It's the start of summer. You know when  you start to see tan lines, go on froyo dates, paint your nails in bright shades, and stay up late on starry nights. It doesn't hurt that my birthday is this month too! (; 

The month of June is definitely a little different this year. I'm home from college for the summer. This is the first time I'll be in our new house and neighborhood for an extended amount of time. When we first moved back to the states almost a year ago, I worried about not knowing anyone. Luckily, I've made quite a few friends at JMU that live nearby and I've had a few friends move back to the states, as well. Then, I realized I can't drive. I haven't been able to get a license in the past few years from living overseas. I've been working on driving though, so that problem should be fixed very shortly! Of course, I realized I won't have a car to drive to get me anywhere when I do get my license...

It seems as if every time I try to fix a "problem", another "problem" comes up. I'm learning that  sometimes you just have to take life as it is...breathe it all in and love it all out. 

I'm very grateful to be back with my family and dog, to live in a house in a safe neighborhood, to have a summer job, to be given the opportunity to get a driver's license (even if it's a little late), and to have friends who are willing to see me no matter the distance! 

I came across these summery watercolor designs for a desktop wallpaper and decided to add a mantra to them as a reminder to love life no matter what it decides to throw at me. 

Just right click on the image and open it in a new tab or window. Save the image to your computer and use it to change your wallpaper. On macs, right click the file and select "Use Image as Desktop Picture."

xoxo

A LETTER TO COLLEGE {PART 2/8}

So, I realize I haven't written a blog post since February, and to be honest, I really haven't given this blog much thought since then. Don't get me wrong. I love having this little corner of the internet to call my own, but I definitely needed some space from it. 

I remember starting this blog to capture every moment, both big and small, in my life. I think over the past two years of writing, I have accomplished that. I always find it funny though to read previous posts because I was younger and I didn't know what was to come in the future. 

I wrote a love letter to college after my first semester of being a freshman. I talked about my struggles and how the people in my life, whether they knew it or not, helped me overcome them. I was thankful, but more importantly, I was happy.  

Here's the funny thing though...I didn't know what was to come after that, you know, in the future. I didn't know that come second semester, I'd be even happier. I'd enjoy my classes more. I'd cherish my friendships more. I'd meet some amazing new people, including a special guy. I'd take more risks, get more involved, and ultimately, continue to grow more into the woman I want to become. My time spent away from my blog gave me the opportunity to enjoy life and find inspiration within. So, I guess I'll never know exactly what is to come in the future, but one thing I do know for sure is that it will be worthwhile to look back on all of these moments someday.

A little letter dedicated to my second semester of freshman year... 

Dear College, 

I was just joking when I wrote "be happy and find the JMU cuties in bow ties" as my resolution on a board my RA put up in the hallway. I never thought that both of those resolutions would actually happen, but I'm so glad they did. The timing of everything was absolutely perfect. Four days after I stapled that post-it note to the board, I met this special guy named Zach at a party (maybe one day, I'll tell the story of us) and the rest just fell into place. 

I became the Web Administrator for my sorority's website and social media websites. I celebrated my roomie's birthday with the rest of our hall at a restaurant on campus. I tried a cycling class the the gym. I had lunch with many different friends and "sisters." I went to a leadership conference. I received care packages from my mom (Valentine's Day and Easter). I went home for a weekend, just to go home. I met the Duke Dog. I participated in JMU's version of the "Harlem Shake." I asked Zach to my sorority's date function in a big way with a surprise delivery from Campus Cookies. I had an amazing time at the date function with him. I went to party that didn't involve a frat. I celebrated St. Patty's Day Weekend with the girls in my hall. Zach and I started dating. I got breakfast delivered to my dorm room. I went to our President's Inaugural Ball. I learned so much about myself and my "sisters" at our sorority's sisterhood retreat. I practiced hands with my sorority for weeks to compete in Greek Sing. I laid out on Hillside's field when it was hot enough to tan. I ate dinner with my big every Wednesday night, sometimes we invited the gbig too! I asked Zach to my sorority's formal over text, but we definitely had a great time! I participated in JMU's Big Event, as well as Relay for Life on the same day. I went to my first paint party, but last party of the semester. I went on many dates with Zach to Dukes, Chick-fil-a, downtown, and on the Quad. I was featured in JMU's yearbook. A few girls in my hall got together for one last meal (well, dessert). 

I'm not going to lie and tell you I didn't struggle though. I struggled a lot, but I grew stronger from my struggles. With that, I gained a lot more than I lost from this past semester. A new outlook on life, a boyfriend (oh yeah, did I mention he showed up wearing a bow tie to my date function), and about a million t-shirts. I'm so thankful for every one of those moments and the people whom with I shared them. Of course, there plenty of other smaller things that add up in the grand scheme of things. I can't forget the group messages (The Fine Nine), having another dorm to call home (Ikenberry), and winning the superlative of Hillside Princess (so did my roomie!). 

Second semester - You were a blast. 

Freshman year - It's amazing how much can change in one year. 

JMU - I'm looking forward to the next three years. #JMiloveU

Love,

Lauren

xoxo