Goodbye Classes, Hello Summer!

I had the privilege of guest posting on Emma's blog today. I wrote about ending the school year and starting summer the right way. Go on over and check it out!

xoxo,
Lauren

Summer Sunday Social

I'm back to the Sunday Social. I thought this week's questions were fun with summer right around the corner.

1. What is your best summer memory as a kid?

My cousin and I on the Boardwalk 

I have a ton of memories from when I was a kid in the summer. I spent most of my time outside and with my little friends. My best memory would have to be spending a week done the shore with my dad's side of the family. It was always so fun to have everyone in the same hotel right next to each other.

2. What is your favorite summer drink?

I love lemonade in the summer but I don't know if that is really a summer drink.

3. What is your favorite summer tv show?

Without a doubt, its Big Brother. I love that show and have since I was little. I can't wait for this season.

4. What is the best outdoor summer activity?

I love swimming in the pool or going to the beach. Both of which I don't get to do very often.

5. What are your summer vacation essentials?

How cute is this bathing suit from Victoria Secret?! 

Love these! Too bad they aren't in stock :(

A cute bathing suit, sunglasses, nice leave-in conditioner, summery playlist for the car ride, and a cute bag to take to the beach.

Are you ready for summer?

xoxo,
Lauren

Graduation Gift Ideas

Even thought I graduated last year, I still have great ideas on what to get someone who is graduating. My younger cousin is the only on graduating this year and he's a boy so this gifts really don't work for him. I am going to a graduation party for a family member today (the idea behind this post). I have some diy ideas and some gifts you can just buy if you're not too crafty.

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A cute necklace about enjoying the journey of life. I love the idea of this one. There are also plenty of our necklaces that are perfect for graduation.

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Make a collage of pictures of you and your friend using her initial. You can also put the pictures in a frame.

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Everyone in college needs a tumbler. Why not get her a cute one?! Some other similar ideas are travel mugs and mugs.

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Make your friend a canvas. It doesn't have to be a Dorm Sweet Dorm canvas. It can be anything. Canvases are great to hang up on the walls as decorations. Plus they have more meaning if they are made by a friend.

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A survival kit is great for a high school gradate! They receive all of the things they need in a cute way. And they don't have to buy it! You can make the baskets any size and spend as much or as little as you want.

These are just five of my favorite graduation gift ideas. There are so many more you can buy or make. I hope the class of 2014 has a wonderful summer and good luck in college!

xoxo,
Lauren

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind: #1-10

One item on my 101 in 1001 goals list is to answer the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind. I figured I would do them in post of 10 questions. In the very near future I will be writing an update post on the 101 in 1001 goals. I really need to update you guys on it because a lot has happened. Here are the first questions.

1. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?

I would say I'm about 20 because I am independent and pretty mature but still act like a teenager sometimes. 

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

Never trying. At least if I fail I tried and than I can say that I gave it a shot. I always regret the things I don't do not the things I do. 

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don't like and like so many things we don't do?

I think its because we don't know any different and don't know how to fix it. We are just doing what society wants us to do. 

4. When it's all said and done, will you have said more than you've done?

Most likely yes. I say I am going to do stuff but than I never do. I really need to fix that. 

5. What is the one thing you'd like to change about the world?

I would love to do is make everyone enjoy life more. I would love it if people could look at the little things more and be happier. 

6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

Definitely working with kids and helping others. If I was going to have more than one job, my other job wold be to craft and make different things. I am so happy when I craft probably more than when I am with kids. 

7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

This is tricky. I think I am doing what I believe but at the same time I only believe in it because it is what I am doing. I really hope that made sense. 

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

I would still go to college but I would move farther away. I would also marry young and have kids really young. 

9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

A very small degree. My parents have really guided my life and made most of my decisions for me. 

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right thing?

I am definitely more worried about doing things right. I hate to be wrong and I hate not knowing how to do something. 

These questions were kind of hard! They really do get you thinking about life. I'll probably do the next 10 questions next month. If you answer them I would love to read them!

xoxo,
Lauren

Birthday Recap

Yesterday was my actual birthday but I celebrated it Wednesday night at school because my roommate was leaving on Thursday morning, along with last night. Let me just say that my roommate is the absolute best! She completely surprised me. Although it really wasn't hard because I am oblivious to everything. I loved everything about the night.

She spent a few days home and when she came back she had a cake, balloons, banners, and a gift for me. My friends help her distract me and keep me out of the room Wednesday night so she could set everything up without me knowing. I had no clue anything was up even after they acted strange.

I had been in my friends', Jill and Erika, room when my roommate, Bridget, came in and got me. We went to my room and three of my other friends, Miranda, Forrest, and Bruce, were in there along with all of the decorations. I was in complete shock. I couldn't believe she did this all for me.

Her sister made the cake. The reason it has Robin in parenthesis is because we call each other Batman and Robin. She painted the frame and I also have one other gift coming in the mail that wasn't here yet. I loved my night and am so thankful for her.

I didn't do much for my actual birthday. I did get texts, tweets, and instagram shoot outs from friends and family. I was actually surprised at how many people acknowledged my birthday. I went for a job interview in the morning and when my family came home I got a cake, cards, and gifts. The gifts from my parents are still in the mail.

Me in my birthday sash and crown from the roommate

They got me a necklace the stone will be my birth stone and a sweatshirt. On the back of the sweatshirt it will say my university name. I love them both so much. I actually had a necklace like that on my Etsy favorites. For dinner we had Boston Market because they had a ton of running around to do. We sang happy birthday to me after they came home that night from something at my brother's school. Really it was a nice, relaxing day and by the time I went to bed I had felt so loved.

xoxo,
Lauren

My Dream Wedding: Asking The Wedding Party

Welcome to another week of my dream wedding. This week I have how I would ask the wedding party. You can't have a wedding without a wedding party! I plan to ask my whole wedding party in a cute, diy kind of way. As of right now the only people I know for sure that I want to be in my wedding party are my brother and sister. I have a lot of cousins and a lot of friends but I won't know who would be in the actually party until the time comes. I have a whole board on Pinterest for asking the wedding party! I think its just because I love weddings so much.

I'm going to ask the bridesmaids and maid of honor differently than the flower girl, ring bearer, and groomsmen.

For the bridesmaid and maid of honor I am combining a few pins. I love so many ideas that I am going to turn them into one. First I want to have a box like this. I love the colors on this one.

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I'll fill the box with a few things that she already had in it and a few of my own things.

• Nail Polish of the color for my wedding
• Pens
• Letter ornament 
• Chocolate
• Gum
• A little bottle of alcohol 
• A planner kind of like this 

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• A picture of us together 
• A card I really like this one

  

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On the outside I'll have their name written and I'll tie a bow around it. 

As for the flower girl, ring bear, junior groomsmen, and junior bridesmaids (if we have junior groomsmen and bridesmaids), I'll ask them using Build-A-Bears dressed for the occasion. Its the cutest thing ever! 

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Along with a card. This one for the ring bearer.

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And this for the flower girl.

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I won't be too cutesy with the groomsmen. They are men after all! I like this box but maybe with beer.

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And this card. I love the card! Short and right to the point. 

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I really want my bridal party to feel like I love them and wait them in my wedding. I want it to be as special to them as it is to me. I don't know what I'll post next week. I'm still trying to decide what I want to write about next. 

xoxo,

Lauren

Birthday Wishlist

Tomorrow is my 19th birthday. Nineteen really isn't a fun or exciting year. I just had my 18th birthday, which means I am finally legal, and my 21 birthday ins't for another 2 years. Since we left school on Friday and my roommate left on Thursday I celebrated with them on Wednesday night (more on that later). My brother has something at school that my parents will be at tomorrow night so I don't really have anything planned. We will have cake though. I also plan on going to the Phillies came for my birthday sometime this coming weekend.

Since I love to shop I have a long wish list of things I want. Not really for my birthday but in general. Here is the wish list.

A monogram for my laptop. Source

Lilly Pulitzer Dot Dot Hop Printed Bow. Source

Monogrammed Pullover Jacket. Source

Monogramed shot glass. Source

The Giving Keys. Source

 White Chucks. Source

Yes my wish list is filled with very girly items. I have so much more on my wish list but this is really all I would love for my birthday. I'll probably end up making another list for a different occasion. 

xoxo,

Lauren 

Why I Love Etsy

I've only ever ordered 2 things off of Etsy and I have received 2 gifts from Etsy but I love the site. I have a million thing favored and must of my wish list is of things from Etsy. It is a great place to get nice things that are handmade.

I love Etsy for a few reasons. I figured I would tell you all why I love Etsy and why you should too!

You can support so many people. 

A lot of people like to craft and make things in their free time or as a side business. Buying from Etsy is a great way to support someone's hobby. I know that I want to start a shop and the moment I have someone buy something will be amazing. 

Everything is unique! 

Because everything is handmade you can't find the same thing anywhere else. You get something that you can't buy in stores. I love the simple fact that the items on Etsy cannot be manufactured. 

If you're not crafty you can find something crafty. 

I lucked out as a pretty crafty person but some people just are not. If you see something that you would love to craft but can't you can always checked Etsy. I know there are things I can't make that I can find on Etsy. 

You receive personal contact with the maker. 

I have seen some pretty great communication with the sellers and buyers on Etsy. It's such a great feeling to talk with the seller and than to have your product come to you. Everyone is so nice and I prefer to have the personal contact than going to the store. It makes shopping so much funnier. 

If you haven't shopped on Etsy you need to! It is such a great place and there are so many things you can buy. Maybe I'll make a post on the things I have brought and received from Etsy. 

xoxo,

Lauren 

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is the day where we appreciate our mothers even more than we do on the other 394 days a year. Really I don't know about you but I love my mom so much. I don't know where I would be or what I would do without her. She's the one that keeps this family together and she is such a strong person. There is not a person she won't help.

Because of her I have the values and morals that I do. I know how to treat people right and I know how to survive in life. People have told me my whole life that I look like her (which I guess I do) but just recently I have been telling me I act like her. Honestly that makes me so proud to have the attitude and mindset that she does. She really is my role model.

Today we are going to visit both my grandmother's graves. It's going to be an extremely hard day for my mom and I'm hoping we can get through this together. Although she probably won't see this today I want to make a list of all the reasons I love her to help make this day a little bit better. Here are my reasons:

• She will do anything for anyone. 
• She always listens.
• She never complains.
• She let's me do whatever I want and doesn't restrict me. 
• She's a great cook. 
• She's works hard. 
• She can fix any problem. 
• She's crafty. 
• She believes in me when other people don't. 
• She will take you anywhere you want. 
• She only wants me to be happy. 
• She loves to laugh. 

I could go on and on about why I love my mom but we would be here for days. Hopefully one day I show her my blog and she gets to read this. Until than you guys can all read about her. Have a lovely day with your moms! 

xoxo,

Lauren 

Packing Away Your Life!!

My little blog hiatus is the result of a busy end of the semester. I had my last week of classes and had a lot to get done in a short amount of time. I was also a week behind in all of my classes because of my grandmother's funeral. Technically I was in finals week but by some stroke of luck I had no finals. Yep you read that right, no finals. The only class I would have had a final for would have been anatomy but I dropped that so I had no finals. I did have a paper due on Wednesday but that wasn't really a big deal. I spent this week at school relaxing and getting a little final friend time in before we all leave for the summer.

I wasn't going home until today but on Monday my dad came because I woke up with pink eye on Sunday and he had to bring me different eye drops. It was really bad on top of being sick with a sinus infection. It's funny because the girl next door to me also woke up with pink eye on Sunday. I sent a lot of things home with him that day. Most of my clothes and everything I wasn't going to need for the week. 

Since I packed up most of my room and moved most of my stuff out except for the bigger things I thought I would give you some packing tips. Hopefully these will make your leave less stressful. 

Start packing and sending things home early. 

I started sending things home about three weeks before I actually left school. It helped a lot because it was a few little trips instead of one big trip. I am a lot less stressed leading up to Friday. 

Keep everything that is staying until the end in one place. 

I had all of my clothes in different drawers but I moved them all to one drawer to make sure I don't forget anything. I also moved anything I was keeping in my desk to one drawer. 

Start eating the food in your dorm room instead of eating in the cafe. 

I have a lot of food that I am going to have to take home with me. It would be even more if I keep eating at the cafe or somewhere else. It's even better to eat the food in your fridge because that is hard to take home. 

Use containers to pack. 

I found it a lot easier to use a large container to put stuff in than small bags. It was less to carry to the car. 

Keep the stuff on your walls until the very end. 

This tips is really just for the people who are sad to leave. I am leaving all of my paintings and pictures up until the very last day because than it won't feel like I am leaving. Packing up the things in my drawers was easy because I can't see in them but the things on the walls I look at every day. 

I hope these tips help you pack up as move out. It's never a fun task packing up your life and moving it especially if you don't want to leave. 

Xoxo,

Lauren 

With Pain Comes A Lesson

This Wednesday was the three week mark of my grandmother's funeral. Life has gotten back to normal as much as it can. I went back to school and my family went back to work. Being at school has really made me immune to my grandmother's death. Because I'm not home where everyone is experiencing the same pain I am I don't have it always on my mind. I have my moments where I miss her so much. Part of my thinks I am in shock that she's gone. It's almost as if I can't believe she is gone.

In this whole experience I have learned so much. So much that I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Family is there no matter what

You can lose someone at any moment. 

It's ok to cry. 

Holding everything in is not good for you. 

Some professor don't care that your grandmother died. 

In times of need your true friends shine through. 

It's easy to forget things when you are busy. 

I'll take a full house on an 80 degree day with no air conditioner over anything. 

Snapchat is a great way to stay in touch with the friends you haven't seen in a week. 

Simple text can make a person's day. 

Funerals bring people together in ways you couldn't even imagine. 

I'm so proud of my family and who we have become.

I wish I had a learned all of this lessons for a different reason. I wish my family could have come together for a different reason. Losing someone is never easy but with time it hurts less.

xoxo,
Lauren 

My Dream Wedding: Save The Date

So two weeks ago I post about how I wanted my future boyfriend to propose to me. I skipped last weeks post because I was so busy but I am back at it again this week! this week I am posting about the save the date pictures/cards I love. These are my top 10 save the dates.

My favorite part of this one is the "You in or what" part. Hilarious! 

Another funny one. It's almost like a play on words. 

I love baseball so this is the cutest thing ever!

I like how the hands are interlocked. It's so cute!

Hopefully I will have a dog by the time I get engaged. I love dogs so of course I have to have a dog picture. 

I would probably have it say something about diving in but it's still really cute. 

I like how the couple is standing in the background. The fonts really cute too. 

I love how this is just like normal life. 

My favorite part of this one is the little sticker. How cool is that?!

Up is one of my favorite Disney movies. I really like this and I love anything that talks about an adventure. 

I would probably end up with a few different save the date cards because I wouldn't be able to pick! It was kind of hard picking just 10 save the dates for this post. 

Next week will be how I would ask the weeding part. 

xoxo,

Lauren

P.S. My ideal wedding date would be June 10. No idea why

Happy Nurses Appreciation Week!

For those of you who don't know I am currently in nursing school. I just finished my first year and let me tell you its hard! After just one year I now know what it takes to be a nurse. My appreciation for them is beyond the limits. When I see nurses I see the hard work they went through and it makes me so happy.

Every year, starting on May 6, we spend a week appreciating nurses everywhere. It last until May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. May 6 is National Nurses Appreciation Day and May 8 is Nation Student Nurses Appreciation Day.

In honor of this week I have so inspirational pictures.

Don't forget to thank your nurses! They work hard.

xoxo,

Lauren