Some Brief Revisions

Please pardon my shoddy appearance- my blog is undergoing a view visual revisions! I felt like the end of my semester was the perfect time to revamp and recenter my blog. I will be focusing on the three things that dominate my life: fashion, food and books.
However, tonight is dedicated to packing. I'm trying to peel through all of my stuff to get to the important things I'll need for my month at home. While certain things are a certain necessity, like my parka and boots, some of my selection are only little luxuries. I hope it won't be too hard to fit everything in time for my train at noon!

a look at my current selection

'Tis the Season

With final season nearing it's close, there is nothing I am more excited for then packing up my bags, choosing a nice book and heading home for the holiday season. This past month has been filled with more studying then I could have ever dreamt, and I couldn't be more excited to be nearing the end of this semester. It's nice to have a month to kick back and recollect your thoughts- and I have a lot planned to fill up all my free time.

To kick off the end of the semester and the holiday season, last week I hosted a little holiday get together for a few close friends. I choose to wear something easy to move around in, as I had hustle the wine and cheese, appetizer platters and cocktails out to the dining area.  Below are a few photographs of me from the party- wearing a White Flowy Patterson J. Kincaid Top, Snow-Colored Pleasure Doing Business Skirt and Steve Madden Rushhh Pumps.
The end of the party concluded with a little champagne toast to the end of the semester- which was quite fun in itself. It will be sad to leave my friends for the month- but I am happy to see my friends from home and to share my time with them.
I will arrive home on Saturday- which only leaves me with a week to do all my Christmas shopping! I have gifts picked out for my dad, boyfriend and sister already, but I am between a few things for my mom. I'll have to scrounge the malls when I get home to look for the perfect present.
I will most likely be back in the hosting seat when I come home- as I am planning a cookie swap party with my home friends. I have already made a few pre-batch tests and am narrowing my choices down between my two favorites: peanut butter blossoms and candy cane cookies. Since chocolate has always been my first love, I will most likely go with the peanut butter blossoms. They pair well with a nice cup of coffee and I can see myself spending my month at home nibbling on the remaining cookies.

Lazy Sunday

Sundays are always pleasantly lazy. I typically start my morning with a warm cup of coffee and some comfortable loungewear closely followed by a stack of pancakes. I realized I have been recently running low on some comfy classics and I have been looking to these for some serious lounging. These Splendid pants certainly look comfortable.
  


This Sunday is particularly nice because the leaves have begun to turn colors. I love the crisp air and the falling leaves. It makes me feel perfectly content to sit wrapped in a big sweater with a warm drink.

Decisions, Decisions....

So in the next few comming weeks I need to start thinking about if I want to study abroad. My college encourages us to spend the semester in a foreign country and there are plenty of great options to choose from. But after this summer, all I can think about is Paris.

Back to School

So four weeks have passed since my last blog post and I know that is awfully long. With getting ready for school and the beginning of the semester, I have been a bit busy. As the temperatures have dropped a bit in the recent weeks, my mind has been conjuring up images of boxy sweaters, dark wash denim, feminine blouses, capes and ankle boots. Oh yeah, and maybe thoughts of pumpkin pie, crisp apples, warm soup and hot chocolate...but I may be getting ahead of myself, here.

Patterson J. Kincaid Tencil Button Blouse

Joie Johana Fair Isle Sweater

Loving Kourtney Kardashian Style

I will admit that I watch the Kardashians so much that it seems as if I actually do know them. More than once in a conversation I've mentioned Kourtney's outfit as if she is a real friend that I do sushi with on Tuesday nights or something. But with all my Kardashian stalking (I am an avid Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Khloe & Lamar and Kim & Kourtney take New York watcher) I can't help but notice the most style-friendly Kardashian's new looks. 

All of the Kardashians previously had a similar LA look, but recently Kourtney Kardashian has been sporting some more fashion forward trends. I'm loving all of her looks!

Page-turner

Shop and Library in Paris, France

After a lengthy trip there are always a number of chores to take care of upon one's arrival. Unfortunately, this has resulted in solely devoting my days to the number of obligations I have overlooked. But amidst attaining an appointment for Cuppy's haircut (you won't believe how difficult it can be to squeeze in one small seven pound dog) and doctor's appointments, I always make sure I have make the time to read.
When I was in Paris two weeks ago, I actually stumbled upon the cutest of french library-type shops. It was part rental books and part shop, and despite the language barrier (I can barely say Bonjour!) I was definitely interested. How nice it was to see the classics adorned in the beautiful french language and the smell of the aged pages gave all of the books a rustic charm.
And while I am still in the middle of the Picture of Dorian Gray (which is wonderful and comes as no surprise as it is rendered a classic) and the Elegance of the Hedgehog, I will be most delighted to take a brief hour or so break to read this afternoon.

Nice to be Home

Well as you probably could have seen from my long-term absence, I have arrived back in the United States. My travels past me, I am settling back into my cozy life in New Jersey, enjoying a good dose of rest and relaxation. It is always nice to travel, but it is quite nice to come home, as well. With my travels in Barcelona, Ibiza, Paris, Geneva, Interlaken, Milan, Athens and Rhodes fresh in my mind, there are two things that I miss most about Europe.
One is, of course, quite predictable for me- the fashion. I miss the European attire that even the most seemingly disinterested sported. I miss how almost everyone seemed to take some interest in dressing themselves in the morning, even if they seemed to only be stepping into the market or Monoprix in Paris or for gelato in Milan.

My Best Friend, Syra, and I at the Louvre in Paris, France

The second thing I miss is the food. When I first arrived in Barcelona, I was excited by the ubiquitous presence of pork and beef and fresh vegetables and bright fruit. It was odd to me to see small markets, selling tiny amounts of vegetables and fruit as compared to the large supermarkets in the States. But the produce was bathed with bright skin, and I remarked many times how juicy the typical produce in the markets in Europe resembled the produce found in the organic section of my supermarket. Barca made me love lunch- as odd as that sounds, as I found it to be the biggest meal. Perhaps I most loved a good sandwich with pork meat and juicy green peppers followed by Crema Catalana (flan) or Profiteroles.

Yet another meal of Croque Monsieur

But as I continued my travels, my expectations were only surpassed with new delights. Paris offered escargot (Snails with a wonderful pesto seasoning), and croque monsieur (open faced sandwiches with cheese and ham) and crepes, eclairs, tarts or macaroons to tickle my sweet tooth after just about every meal.
Geneva and Interlaken stuffed me with sausages, fondue and chocolate. Amidst the scenic landscape of Switzerland, I even discovered my now favorite morning meal, Bircher- Museli, a sort of cold oatmeal with pieces of fruit that pairs delightfully with yogurt that has converted me to a breakfast lover.
Oh, and then there was Milan! Pasta, Gelato, Meat, Cheese. Oh, god.

On Top of Tibidabo (Mountain Overlooking Barcelona)

Sampling local candies in Paris, France

Athens and Rhodes made me more adventurous. I'll be honest- I'm not exactly the most willing when it comes to trying new foods, but Athens and Rhodes inspired me to try Grape Leaves, Moussaka and I was even to fit in my old favorite- Greek Salad before just about every meal. And just about all of it I combined with Tzatziki sauce.
Athens was rather interesting because their was a cab strike just about the entire time I was there, so getting around proved to be a bit difficult. However, it did not stop my enjoyment of the city and my group rented out buses to get to the Acropolis and Plaka, a section of Athens with small shops and plenty of restaurants.
I really did enjoy my trip and am extremely thankful for the wonderful experiences I had throughout the entire month. Every day I managed to do so much (most likely because I averaged about four hours of sleep a night throughout the entire month) that although the trip was technically only a month, it felt much longer.

Bye Barcelona!

So I said goodbye to Barcelona and went on my way to Paris. Despite both countries being in the European Union, the change between the two countries is so amazingly apparent. The cultures are surprisingly drastically different and it can most certainly be seen through the people, attitudes, values and ambiance of the cultures.

Barcelona is extremely open and welcoming. I tried to reflect the easy-going ambiance of Barca with my clothing and choose to wear a flowy maxi dress on my last day in Barca. I paired my Madewell Maxi dress with a skinny braided belt as it was a little big. Barcelona really lent itself to wedges and flipflops- I felt like I lived in my Lucky Wedges! I paired them with flowy hair and beckoned Barca goodbye.

Barca!

Last Tuesday I boarded my flight to Barcelona, and landed safely Wednesday morning lacking sleep but making up for it with a great amount of excitement. The plane ride was an overnight flight so I tried to keep occupied with The Picture of Dorian Gray and my best friend, Syra, by my side. Unfortunately, we had a lay over in Switzerland, but we made the best of it was an early breakfast- a cup of coffee (which was 8 Euros...literally!) and Muesli (for those of you who do not know, it is most similar to cold oatmeal). After our four hour layover, we took a quick flight from Geneva, Switzerland to Barcelona, Spain.

Although I was extremely jet lagged, the program I am on required a four hour orientation where I heard a little bit about the itinerary for the next few days. I am enrolled in two classes with my program, International Business and Financial Accounting, which are both going quite well as I have had my second day of class. Every morning we have class from 9 to 1:30 and then fill our days with touring, shopping, eating and sampling the night life. So far, I have visited La Rambla and toured the streets and shops. Above is a picture of a market in La Rambla with all of the little trinkets and different foods. Candy is certainly ubiqutous in Barcelona as everywhere my group tours there seems to be bundles of sweets that taste delightfully sweet.

Prep Work

So I have three days until my trip, and it's finally setting in. The packing has officially begun and so has the massive errand-running. This is what I wore to do it all in- pretty simple yet very comfy. These white wash Blank jeans are super comfortable and hold up pretty well despite their "destroyed" look. I paired them with a tie-d up blue and white striped H&M big blouse and my new wooden shoes. Despite the slight heel (3 inches), they are really comfortable and go very well with just about everything.

Below is just an idea of how much of this delightful cherry pie I induldged in. It has been my breakfast for the past few days, paired with a cup of black coffee. I like super sweet breakfast foods- like pancakes, waffles and crepes, so this fits in well with my usual repertoire. The cherry pie is actually light too. Made half with no sugar added cherry pie filling and half with regular sugar- added pie filling, the pie tasted just as sweet as ever. I simply lined a foil pie tin with pre-made crust, added the two different kinds of pie filling and patched the top with more pie crust. Perfect!

Polishing Up

Nail Color: Absolutely Shore by Essie

So my manicure chipped off, but when I found this new color by Essie I was all ready to paint my nails myself. It is called Absolutely Shore and shows as a soft mint/ blue color. It's easy for the summertime and requires two coats to get the color shown above. With Essie I usually skip a top coat and the color still lasts about a week. Not too bad if I do say so myself.

I'm quite busy preparing for my trip in the upcoming two weeks. I take off soon in late June, but I still have a few loose ends to tie up before I depart. My trip starts off in Barcelona, and then goes to Ibiza, Geneva, Interlaken, Paris, London, Milan, Athens, and Rhodes. In addition to all the traveling, I will be taking two classes, which reminds me I still need to order my books. My fantastic memory dictates that I keep a list of all the things I actually need so I am off to finally type up what I need and hopefully cover any unexpected surprises. There is one thing I do know for certain: July will be filled with fantastic food, wonderful cities, nice treasures and exciting experiences.

Maxi

Aritzia Dress, Lucky Brand Wedge Shoes, Vintage Watch

 Despite the warm temperature, I decided to don a maxidress I purchased a few weeks ago.  In the morning, there was a slight breeze but the length of the dress made up for the early chill. I grabbed lunch with my boyfriend around one and I could feel the temperature had a rose a bit, so I ate my yummy Asian chicken salad inside. Paired with nothing more than my warm leather Lucky wedges, it was such a relaxed look for the casual day I enjoyed. Probably the best thing about this dress is that it does not require any annoying undergarments (i.e. slip or such) which certainly adds to the simple allure of the dress and most likely influenced me to slip it on at seven o clock this morning.
I must take a second to talk about my toe color, as bizzare as that may sound. I kept seeing the Essie advertisement for various shades of blue, and when I found this egg's robin blue I just had to try it. The name is Lapis of Luxury.

Toe Color: Lapis of Luxury by Essie

Post lunch, I said goodbye to the boyfriend (who is not much of a shopper) and dragged myself to finally purchase this candle I have been pinning after. It's not very expensive ($16) but gives a wonderful scent that is reminiscent of a clean man (for when he's not available). The scent is certainly very delightful in the evening with a nice bath and pairs quite well with lavender soap (and perhaps a rubber duck?).

 Suede Blanc by Voluspa Candle

White Collar Worker

My job demands that I dress with a certain degree of professionalism- of course I do not mind! Today I have a small list of things I absolutely must get done including:

1. Going to lunch with my girlfriends

2. Getting my haircut (finally)

3. Buying a monokini

My European Wishlist

So in about two weeks I will be on a plane to Europe for a month. And despite all the excitement and planning, I am still a bit behind outfit planning. I do blame this partly on the 40 pound luggage restriction my program has placed on us (seriously, 40 pounds? I guess i'll be checking my shoes in my carry-on). Anyways, what I desperately need right now is some dresses to wear for both day and night. I've found two that I am totally loving right now from Madewell and Vince. So perfect.

Vince Cluster Sequin Dress $425

Madewell Maxidress $225

Printed Shorts

So i recently have been living in something so comfortable you don't even want to change into a pair of sweats when you enter the door. Mhmmm. Finally.

Guadalajara Shorts- Planet Blue

Seneca Rising Live Twice Short- Free People

Orange Lips

I also have been scourging the malls for the perfect orange lip for the summertime. Being naturally tan it's not too easy to find an orange lip that doesn't run a little too bright. Luckily I was browsing through the drugstore and found this perfect color. It's called Revlon Siren.

The Pooch

H&M Shirt, Free People Shorts, Vintage Watch

So, I finally got my DSLR- as you can probably tell. Finally I can update with pictures- so here is what I wore post-internship. The shirt is super light which was perfect for the unbearably hot day today turned out to be.

It's a rough 99 degrees today in New Jersey, completely unbearable for humans and certainly unbearable for the other new thing in my life- my new pooch! Meet Cuppy- named by my sister, Michelle. She is a Cockapoo (part Cocker Spaniel and part Poodle) and weighs about eight pounds now. Just three weeks ago she was super small at only three pounds. Despite her small size she is certainly very yappy. I'm probably going to take her for a quick walk soon- she barely lasts more than 4 minutes up the street, at least she's low maintenance in that respect. Unfortunately, she has a certain affection for shoes. She started out slow slyly nawing on my mom's new sperrys, until she found a new interest in my Tory Burch Flats, finally she found my dad's loafers. She's kind of on a tight rope until she's booted out to doggie day school.

Dear Planet Blue.....

I would really appreciate if you could stop teasing me with this deliciously colored, perfectly designed, coyly priced $769 backpack. It is all I can do to convince myself not to click the "add to bag" button almost every time my eyes meet this special piece. The flesh colored bag is ironically reminiscent of the slight pink that appears on my cheeks in the first few weeks of sun in early may....it looks almost cute, as though I'm wearing blush but I wince past a few days as I become aware that the truth behind the color sets in and becomes painful- aka sunburn. In the words of PB, "The Backpack by Totem features a drawstring closure under a buckle flap, multiple pockets with magnetic button closures, large brass studs, key hook straps and a handle." LOL, it's not really funny any more planet blue. I advise you to remove the bag before I get in big trouble with my favorite credit card and my dad.

Sincerely, 

L

Shedding Light on the Brights (Lips that is...)

Photo From Teen Vogue

So recently I decided I wanted to venture into the beauty department a little more confidently. Being blessed with naturally tan skin, I have always enjoyed the undertones of my skin and embraced this with warm tone makeup in simple shades. My daily routine includes some foundation and concealer (solely for cover-up purposes) mixed with a bit of light eyeliner and subtle bronzer. Then, I'm out the door. My lips are usually forgotten or lightly bathed in lip balm (to combat the dry, cracked lips I battle during the winter time). But with the pretty makeup trends this summer (Hello, How can I ignore coral lips?) I decided to drive myself over to Bloomingdales to dabble in a few different shades of Orange, Coral and Fuchsia.
With a bit of extra confidence in tow, I walked up to the friendliest person behind the counter and the two of us tried a few different shades on. We selected a few good colors, the top being:
Orange Shade- Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Per Couture in 13 Le Orange
Coral Shade- Mac Sheen Supreme Gotta Dash
Fuchsia- Mac Pro Lipstick Full Fuchsia

On the request of me helpful sales man, I also purchased a lipgloss (rusher, lusher) to combine with the lipstick for a heavier look. Top tips I took in from the application process and sheer wisdom of my makeup man:
1) Bath your lips in moisture pre-application of color- seriously. If you skip this step the color will deposit into the cracks in your lips.
2) Make sure to blot your lipstick color by patting your lips together lightly. This was the hardest to follow for me, believe it or not. Being not so lipstick savvy, I was not really used to putting on lipstick and my nude color is not exactly as demanding. But this is def a rule to follow to avoid looking like you got swallowed up by a crayon box, or a crazy toddler's barbie lipstick makeup kit.

I rocked the coral lipstick color to my dad's birthday brunch in our kitchen complete with warm cinnamon rolls and extra icing, figuring the several cinnamon roll tastings would provide a true test to the durability of the lipstick. It certainly passed the test! I would say it was a hit.

PS- I am looking into SLR camera's still! Anyone have any good suggestions?

Strange Talk Eskimo Boy is basically on repeat right now on my computer. The music video is delicious, as well. What are you super into right now?

Eye-opening trend: Wideleg Pants

Wideleg pants are so hot right now. It's almost alarming I haven't been able to find the right pair yet! I can totally see sporting the perfect pair with a striped boat neck shirt and a nice, dark brown leather belt or a boxy lace top with a pair of light-colored wideleg denim. Tomorrow I'm set to scrounge the racks in nyc. Hopefully I'll be able to locate a pair almost as great as any of the four pictured above! 

Done!

My Facebook status updates have seemingly been taken over by a single word. "Done!" is appearing on everyones page and only a few college students are still stuck in their cubicle-sized rooms studying for finals and writing papers. As I am luckily not one of the few left, I have been enjoying my hiatus from school work and have spent my time planning the next four months. Despite my wonderful trip to Europe in the near future (can june 28th come any sooner?), I plan to pass my time in the kitchen, in the streets of Manhattan and through the racks of some of my favorite stores.
I know most people have a number of recipes they hope to get too, but I have planned my next few cooking weeks around a number of ingredients I would like to incorporate. You see, I go through what I like to call "food phases," meaning periods of time where I become incessantly obsessed with certain ingredients. Right now my addictions circulate around bananas, avocados, salmon, and chocolate. (Okay, I will be honest- chocolate is more of a mainstay then a passing addiction. I needed to be check in YEARS ago for my chocolate addiction....)

As with food, I have been going nursing a few clothing addictions recently, as well. However, since I just got back from college and am a little embarrassed to admit I am still living out of the, erm, several suitcases full of clothes I brought back with me, my outfits have been quite limited by my laziness. However, today I will be sifting through my closet and planning what color to repaint my room/ redesign my space. I'd appreciate any suggestions, as well:) Post a visit to my grandmothers I plan on posting some interesting tidbits of information including:

1) my grandmothers spaghetti sauce recipe (in which I will be indulging in this evening)

2) my personal recipe for the most banana-y banana bread

3) what camera I have chosen to invest in

I can't wait to have my camera to finally post/ update with actual pictures so I can share a bit more. 

Xx Lauren

The essentials...

So I couldn't be happier with the new sunglass shape trend this season. I have always shyed away from sunglasses because I felt as though they were not very flattering for my face shape. Well, especially big sunnies. With my small features, a huge pair of sunglasses kind of engulfed my face. But circular sunglasses are a good compromise for my face. Note gaga sporting the trend above.