Breakfast at Starbucks

I feel a bit like a modern day Holly Golightly at this moment.. Sitting alone at starbucks drinking coffee and eating a croissant after a late night out with my friends- All while completely overdressed of course. Though while Audrey has New York City as her backdrop I have a college campus... I guess I can't win them all!

Have you ever had one of those Breakfast at Tiffany's moments?

xoxo, lauren

edit: thank god for mobile blogging via my new blackjack!

D.I.Y. Dorm Decorating

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This post is for anonymous who commented a couple posts ago & my other college aged readers. I love to write about what everyone wants to read, so feel free to shoot me an email any time with suggestions!

For me living in a dorm where I couldn't paint or even put nails in the wall was a creative struggle. I craved my own artistic space, but wasn't sure how to pull that off. I sure wish I would have had someone giving me decorating suggestions beyond the taped up Breakfast at Tiffany's poster (which seems to be a staple in every college girl's dorm room!).

Here are some simple yet stylish dorm decorating solutions/d.i.y. projects:

1. Create your own Pop Art Masterpiece: Pick a favorite photo and use basic photo editing software or even photobucket to alter it into 4 different color tints or exposures. Place them all next to eachother and glue to black foam core.
2. Bulletin Boards aren't just for pictures: Push pins make great necklace holders. It's a great way to put your jewelry on display and have some function as well.
3. Personalizing your Space: Trace letters onto white posterboard, cut out and then trace the pattern onto a patterned piece of cardstock. Paste together and Voila!
4. Magazine Collage Frames: Paste patterned/colored strips of magazines onto inexpensive white frames to create a colored background. Then, cut out and paste your favorite clothing, quotes, or celebrities on top. Using a foam brush coat with modge podge to create a laquered finish.
5. Record Border: Line the walls with old records by your favorite artists or with cool covers for a musical touch to your room. It adds a great splash of color to a room!

I hope everyone found the suggestions helpful. It surely makes a blah door room feel much more glamorous (not to mention homey!) when it's decorated with personal touches!

xoxo, lauren

Fashion Magazines go Digital

As if i don't subscribe to enough paper fashion magazines (literally fifteen), lately i've been loving online independent fashion publications. It's a great way to take part in the "green movement" (no paper or postage) and they're usually free. Here's a sampling of some of my favorites:

Rive Magazine: Their motto is "fashion is fashion" and the magazine is highly supportive of self-expression. I love all the wild colorful editorials and articles about such a wide range of styles.

Prim Magazine: It's written by a young fashion blogger with mad graphic design/html skills. It's pretty inspiring to see such professional work created by someone close to me in age.

N.E.E.T.: It's been around a lot longer than most online magazines and is chock full of indie goodness. It's like stumbling upon a really well dressed friends closet (links to all the shops included)

Iconique Magazine: This mag will keep you in the know with emerging designers, models, and illustrators. A great resource for discovering new and exciting talent.

Many traditionally paper magazines have also joined in on this trend and started offering online subscriptions to their readers as an "earth-friendly" alternative. The internet seems to be quickly becoming the future of fashion journalism.

xoxo, lauren

Some Words of WIsdom

Despite the economic recession there is no shortage of fashion related reality shows. It all started with Project Runway which is back for its 5th season. Now we have Glam God where contestants compete to be celebrity stylists and the CW's Stylista- a competition for an ELLE editorial job. Stylist Rachel Zoe has a new Bravo show premiering soon about her whirlwind lifestyle. My weekly tv viewing schedule is filling up quickly!

xoxo, lauren

Rock you Like a Hurricane!

Living in Florida, we're bombarded by hurricanes and tropical storms several times a year. Good Ol' Tropical Storm Fay came just in time to ruin our last weekend before school starts! Luckily, it's hasn't been too dangerous so far and we're just expected to receive torrential downpours and a little bit of wind.

I've prepared for you my idea of a tropical storm survival guide! Living in a college town, there's quite a few hurricane parties going on at the time. Think racing out in your rain boots & umbrella and lots of movies, popcorn, and goofy board games [i love apples to apples]... I guess there could be worse ways to spend your weekend!

xoxo, lauren

Happy Birthday Coco :)

Whenever I get asked the question, "If you could be any person for one day who would it be?" My answer is always Coco Chanel. Most people just don't get it. To them Chanel is a logo plastered on knock-off bags & teen girls' myspaces. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel whose birthday was yesterday was truly a revolutionary of women's fashion. My junior year I even finagled my way to write my A.P. History final about her influence on fashion haha.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was one of the first designers to popularize the above-the-knee skirt, considered pretty scandalous for her day. She designed with classic tweeds and loved costume jewlery. We also have her to thank for the beloved standard, the Little Black dress. It was her fragrance, Chanel No. 5 that helped her to truly made her mark in fashion history. She was an amazing, and inspiring woman!

xoxo, lauren

75% off at Hard Candy!

Somehow, amidst packing my life away for my new college apartment I managed to forget almost all of my make-up. I'm not high maintenance or anything, but I really like to dress up and play with eye make-up so this is a huge problem. LUCKILY Hard Candy is having a great deal!

This is one of the craziest sales I've ever seen and I fully plan on taking advantage of all the marked-down make-up and stock-up on some beauty supplies! Just wanted to pass along the good fortune to my amazing readers! <3

xoxo, lauren

A Look That Smolders: Dresses with One Shoulder

I am always looking for something cute that I can wear that fits loosely enough to dance in when I go out with my friends. I fell in love with this tribal print one-shoulder dress (one of the shoulders has a gold chain strap). Something about them just makes you feel glamorous when you're wearing them.

I've been seeing them in stores and online all over the place.They are great because they are so flattering on every body type. I'm personally a big fan of prints, but the solid colored dresses seem a bit more dressy and could easily be worn for a more elegant occasion. To take the look into Fall, you can easily pair them with a black tights and heels.

xoxo, lauren

I Love the Olympics!

This editorial in Harper's Bazaar was one of the most creative I'd seen in a while. I certainly wouldn't mind a neckful of jewels in lieu of a gold medal. I've been watching the Olympics religiously with my roommates. I've never been quite as into it as I am this year. It just gives you such a sense of pride for your country and admiration for its athletes. My personal favorite events to watch are gymnastics and swimming.

I have to admit the amazing swimmer Michael Phelps is one of the motivations to tune in every night. With his breaking records left and right, unbelievable skill, anddd uncanny resemblance to my ex-boyfriend.. I think I've developed a teeny Olympian crush?

xoxo, lauren

Good Jeans

Saturday I organized an in-store fashion show in Jean Therapy Boutique (I highly reccommend visiting them if ever visiting the Tampa Bay area). My passion is putting on fashion shows, I thrive on the excitement of starting from scratch with a model, finding something that looks beautiful on them and seeing it walk down the runway.

The show was a giant success and more great experience for me. These are the 15 looks that walked down the aisles of the store (to Guns N' Roses' Welcome to the Jungle). All the models were from my internship at Model Placement Center. At the event I even found my dream pair of denim, a snug skinny jean pair by Chip & Pepper!

xoxo, lauren

Just-As-Easy-Mac

I am now offically moved into my new apartment & loving it. Just as I had hoped, my inner domestic goddess is starting to shine through. My gramma makes this amazing homemade mac & cheese that I decided I was going to make for dinner tonight for the roomie. It turned out ALMOST as good as hers & it's super easy to make & pretty inexpensive. So, I highly reccommend it to all college students/inexperienced cooks for a simple yet tasty meal.

Special thanks to my sweetheart of a gramma for coaching me & giving me her "secret" recipe.

xoxo, lauren

Why Didn't I Think of That?

When I found out about Store Adore it was one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. The website lists reviews of unique boutiques in some major metropolitan cities & suburbs as well as random smaller towns & online resources. The site is created by a former Lucky Magazine editor & management consultant, both avid shoppers themselves.

Think of the site as a great resource to find little-known boutiques while traveling or offer your own reviews of your favorite local haunts. I've already spotted a boutique in my Maryland roomie's hometown that I'm anxious to visit whenever I get a chance to visit her!

xoxo, lauren

Stylish School Supplies

When I was younger, my favorite part of back to school time was being able to buy brand new colorful school supplies. Oh, who am I kidding, it's still my favorite part! I always aim for cuteness over function, but who says you can't have both.

Something about pretty notebooks and pens seems to make note-taking and homework slightly less painful. The Lisa Frank folder is one of my personal faves. They've even reissued some of the designs around when I was in elementary school. These school supplies will be the envy of all your peers. Just make sure they don't "borrow" them and "forget" to bring them back!

xoxo, lauren

Cool Cover-Ups

Soon we will be stuck in-between seasons.. The weather is hot, but not as hot as july, and cooler at night. This leaves you in quite a fashion predicament. The solution to this is simple.. just throw on a lightweight cover up. A blazer, unbuttoned blouse with pushed up sleeves. or short-sleeved cardigan they make a quick fix.A nice transitional piece like these pictured above, helps extend the life of your summer outfits.These girls offer some around-the-world fashion inspiration for taking your summer wardrobe into fall.

xoxo, lauren

P.S. My apartment decorating is coming along great! I will put up some pictures as soon as it's all finished.

Retail Therapy!

The last month or so has been rough in terms of rejection whether from guys, internships, and other yucky letdowns. I usually don't let stuff get me too down, but a healthy dose of retail therapy usually helps me out! Whether it's diving into my new issue of Vogue, window shopping, or finding a pair of perfect fitting heels. Something about it is truly therapeutic for me, and not in materialistic terms at all! Fashion is just something that makes me happy even on a day when nothing seems to be going right.

xoxo, lauren