Try This Trend: Modern Rustic Design

One of the design trends I just can't get enough of is the modern rustic aesthetic. I seem to be pinning away tons of  examples of this style. I oogle over reclaimed wood tables, milk glass decor accents & modern takes on the mounted deer head. I like that this style feels more relevant than hunting lodge when combined with steel frames or fun fabrics. 

I've saved a few of my favorite inspiration images featuring the modern rustic interior design style. It's identifiable by hardwood or cement floors, open shelving, burlap fabrics, natural materials like wood, slate & stone, and whimsical nods to farm & country life.

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I think it also helps that in a sea of girly + uber colorful interior design inspiration Kyle & I can both agree over the beauty of a rustic piece of furniture.I like the playful pops of color and pattern incorporated into these designs. Even just a hint of rustic balances out the modern elements.

xoxo, lauren

Peace + Leopard

Something about the peace sign just brings a smile to my face. It's a universal symbol that speaks volumes no matter what your location, language or beliefs!

Fabulous cothing brand, Boohoo.com sent me a few pieces from their new fall collection including this peace sign sweater which is easily one of my favorite new pieces for fall. I'm loving drapey sweaters paired with skinny jeans. Their site is super fun to shop because they have products categorized into a few key fall trends! 

Get the Look: Metallic Peace Sign Sweater // Jegging Jeans// Michael Kors Tortoise Watch // Knot Bracelet // Leopard Heels (similar)

I felt so cozy but pulled together today at work in this look. I feel like the high heels are key to pulling off the slouchy look. I can't stop wearing these leopard heels (they look SO much like the J.Crew pumps but are from Target!)

xoxo, lauren

5 Fall Foliage DIY's

The leaves are just starting to change colors here and it is without a doubt the prettiest time of year in Wisconsin. Growing up in Florida, the fall foliage was never something I was able to experience so I feel like I especially appreciate the transition of seasons.

 I snapped this picture a couple weeks ago to capture the first signs of fall! 

I would love to find more ways to preserve fall with these DIY projects using gorgeous fall leaves. I've rounded up a few of my favorites for you to try. If you don't live somewhere that has a change of seasons, a lot of them can be done with faux leaves as well from a crafts store.

DIY Projects: 1. Leaves Pressed in Glass  2.Leaf Placecards  3. Metallic Doodled Leaves  4. Leaf Monogram Letter 5. Gold Dipped Leaves

Which is your favorite take on a craft with fall leaves? I am dying to try out the gold dipped leaves as a pretty table or mantel scatter for autumn! These are all great ideas for affordable fall decorating!

xoxo, lauren

Spiked & Spiced Hot Apple Cider

 My bestie Jocelyn, who blogs at Saucy Jocey's Kitchen and contributes tasty recipes for LPF Mag has one of the BEST fall traditions. She introduced it to my roommates & I in college and ever since then we try to keep the tradition alive in our respective new homes. On the first cold fall night of the year (which living in Florida could be November)- we make hot apple cider & serve it with powdered doughnuts.

My favorite take on this is this tradition is a spiked version- also perfect for a chilly October Badger game day and quite a festive autumn drink too! 

I love that near or far we keep the tradition alive & I encourage you to start it as a tradition of your own! 

Do you have any traditions for the start of fall?

Also, this weekend I launched the first "Inspiration in Your Inbox" newsletter from La Petite Fashionista featuring the best deals of the weekend, five things that are making me happy this week, "pinspiration" & the latest posts. I'd love to hear what you want featured!

Check out the first newsletter & subscribe here!

xoxo, lauren

Blogger Buzz: September / Blogger Beauty Buys

I'm back with another Blogger Buzz link up with some of my favorite blogging ladies! Today we're sharing our favorite beauty buys. I blame my sister + mom for turning me into a beauty junkie. They seem to have a never ending list of recommendations at Sephora and always have me wanting to try new products!

Also, funnily enough two of my favorite products- the Naked Eyeshadow Palette & Skin Savior Beauty Balm were also selected by other bloggers- good taste ladies! ;)

 1. // Ashley Fine of One Fine Day

 I love The Beauty Blender: This bright pink makeup sponge lives up to the hype. Believe me, I hate gimmicks! Since I started using it earlier this year, I've received so many compliments regarding my complexion. I've never considered myself to be someone who has nice skin, so this was a huge coup! The application is foolproof and foundation looks airbrushed. What's not to love?

 2. // Samantha Peterson of The Brunette One

 I can't live without my Urban Decay Naked Palette! While the price is a bit steep, it is worth the investment. Easily go from day to night with the multitude of neutral shades offered! A huge plus? It makes packing my make-up a breeze. If you want something a bit smaller, try out the Naked Basics Palette.

 3. // Lauren Felix of La Petite Fashionista

 I've been trying to convert over to more natural + chemical free beauty products and was SO thrilled when my mom introduced me to The Honest Company- founded by Jessica Alba. The Lavender Mint flavor of this Honest Company Organic Lip Balm is my favorite- it's ultra-moisturizing and will be a total lifesaver this winter!

 4. // Laura Podlich of Beauty and the Beard

 My one beauty buy I can't live without is One Love Organics- Skin Savior. This stuff is seriously magic. It makes your skin softer than you could ever imagine as a moisturizer, and doubles as a waterless balm to remove makeup without irritation. PLUS it smells heavenly!

5. // Katherine Nolden of The Duchess of Plumewood

I use this Clarisonic Mia every single night! I love how deeply it cleans my skin; I swear my skin has never looked better since I started using the Mia! Plus, I feel that the other beauty products I use are more effective because they can better penetrate my skin after it’s been cleansed so thoroughly

I'm also launching a new Q&A video series on youtube! Ask me anything from fashion, interior design, fashion career advice, entertaining, social media & more and I'll be answering in my new series! Comment below or tweet me @lpfashionista with #ASKLPF!

What beauty product can you not live without lately?

xoxo, lauren

Inspired by: Frank Lloyd Wright

When my parents were in town visiting over the weekend we decided to pay a visit to a nearby architectural treasure, Taliesin. The home of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright located 45 minutes away from Madison in idyllic Spring Green, Wisconsin.

I have been inspired by his design aesthetic since my 20th century design class in college (still one of the classes I enjoyed most in school). Frank Lloyd Wright's designs try to bring the nature indoors, contain Asian influences & use modest/local materials. He is known for his philosophy of organic architecture as well as for such homes as Fallingwater or the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

I'm absolutely inspired by his design principles & way of living a life close to nature. 

Get the Look: Chair  // Foo Dogs // Frank Lloyd Wright Quote Print //  Hillside Rug Coasters //  Cactus Plant // Buddha Head // Fountain // Alarm Clock // Architecture in the 20th Century Book

Frank Lloyd Wright also held an architecture school (which still exists today) in which his students live on the Taliesin campus & learn the design principles as well as how to use local resources like apple orchards for meals, and limestone for building. 

I loved the elements in the rooms from the floor to ceiling windows to give the best views, indoor plants, fountains, and nods to Asian art. I also found it intriguing that he used branding in all of his work- identified by the color red, and rectangles in the same shade (can you spot them above in some of my pictures?)

Do you have a favorite design period or artist's style you admire?

xoxo, lauren

Lovely Little Wishlist: September

September's lovely little wishlist is inspired by a few of my favorite fall trends. Some trends I'm loving are: netural color palettes grounded in cream, pale pink & buttery brown, bold prints in tortoiseshell, leopard, and camo. and this gorgeous recipe box for holding all of your secret family recipes.

Get the Look: Wide Brimmed Hat / White Furry Coat / Recipe Cards +Floral Recipe Box  / Leopard Print Platform Heels / Smashbox Lipstick: Melodrama / Peace Sign Ring Holder  / Camo Jacket / Tortoiseshell Statement Necklace / Happy Go Lucky Bobby Pins / Pale Pink Silk Pleated Shirtdress

Not going to lie- I really want one of those white "teddy bear fur" coats this fall! They just look oh-so-cozy! I'm also loving the quirky "happy go lucky" bobby pin set!

I can totally see myself wearing and decorating with all of these things this Fall! See more of my lovely little wishlist picks on my pinterest board!

xoxo, lauren

Easy Meals for Busy Girls: Three Bean Salad

One of my favorite simple side dishes or if you're me- even a meal- are three bean salads! These are chock full of protein from all of the beans and can be a healthy and incredibly easy dish to prepare using many of the ingredients you may already have in your pantry.

My dad introduced me to this dish at a young age. As a picky eater who wasn't very fond of vegetables- I was thrilled to find a vegetarian dish that was equally as delicious as it was nutritious. 

THREE BEAN SALAD:

ingredients:

15 oz can of garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained & rinsed

15 oz can of kidney beans drained & rinsed

15 oz can of green beans drained & rinsed

1/2 diced red onion 

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

directions:

1. After draining + rinsing beans, combine into a large mixing bowl

2. Pour in vinegar, oil, sugar & sprinkle on ground black pepper.

3. Mix all ingredients well. Chill in refrigerator one hour prior to serving

Super healthy, so delicious & perfect for the busy girl! You can also make this dish your own by swapping out for different beans.

xoxo, lauren

SS14 Runway Trends Recap

This is one of the first seasons in a while that I've been actively watching + recapping all of the fashion week shows, and man does it feel good. Since I couldn't be there in person I have been checking style.com's feed religiously, following all my fashionista friends on instagram, and pinning all of my favorite fashion week looks.

One of my favorite things to my favorite things to do is spot the trends that I see cutting through among all of the shows. I love being able to find the common thread that's woven throughout the designers' collections and later in the season- show how to make those trends work for your own personal style.

I promise a few more recaps to come- but wanted to highlight a few of the early trends I saw emerging at NYFW- fire engine red, surfer girl style, pale pink, matchy matchy & keyhole cutouts.

[Spring Fashion Trend: Fire Engine Red]  1. Marissa Webb  2. Vivienne Tam 

 3. Monique Lhullier  4. Kaufman Franco  5. Badgley Mischka   6. Vera Wang

I am obsessed with this bold, bright red hue- it screams for attention and oozes glamour.

[Spring Fashion Trend: Surfer Girl]  1. J.Crew  2.Whit

 3.Tommy Hilfiger  4. Tommy Hilfiger  5. J. Crew  6. Jonathan Cohen

Loving this sophisticated take on surfer girl- encompassing silky, colorful  hawaiian prints, wetsuit neoprene materials & surfboard stripe details & touristy tees with "aloha" & hang loose hands.

[Spring Fashion Trend: Pale Pink]  1. BCBG Max Azria   2. Tory Burch

 3.Prabal Gurung  4. Vivienne Tam  5. Marissa Webb  6. Marc by Marc Jacobs

This pale pink shade is super feminine, but doesn't read little girl because  the color is used in bold silhouettes-  body con strapless dresses, oversized peplums & tulip skirts, or embellished.

[Spring Fashion Trend: Keyhole Cutouts]  1. Zimmermann   2. Emerson

 3. Kaufmanfranco  4.Whit   5. Sass & Bide  6.  Mara Hoffman

Whether a cutout keyhole or cris-cross straps on the front of a dress- tiny hints of exposed skin are in (lots of exposed skin in crop top form are also trending- but I'll save that for another post ;). A dress doesn't have to be obscenely short or have a plunging neckline to be a little bit seductive!

[Spring Fashion Trend: Matchy Matchy]  1. Michael Kors  2. Vivienne Tam

 3.Rachel Zoe  4. Thakoon  5. Christian Siriano   6. Calla

Matching pieces are majorly trending for SS14, whether it's matching your crop top to your jacket or bottoms or having a modern take on a suit with coordinating jacket + shorts. The key is to pick two patterned pieces that coordinate to avoid looking like you're going into the office.

Which trends are you seeing on the runways so far, or which is your favorite?

xoxo, lauren

Indian Summer

True story: I'm addicted to all things coconut (I've even made the switch from cow's milk to coconut mik)! I was so excited when Vita Coco asked me + the other 3 Midwest Style Bloggers founder to style a look based on four of their fruity flavors- pineapple, orange, tropical fruit, & peach/mango!

My look was inspired by the tropical fruit flavor and I knew my super colorful new dress that Flourish Boutique sent me was too perfect for this Indian summer we've been having- (and gift wrapped in leopard tissue no less)! I've been trying to soak up every last bit of warm weather + sunshine.

I seriously can't tell you how many people stopped me in the hall today to comment on my dress. It made a serious statement paired back to a turquoise necklace + oversized shades. I'm pretty sure I'd like to make the entire Flourish Boutique my new closet- loving their affordable + colorful pieces! 

Get the "Ways of the Tribe" Dress I'm wearing here.

The Midwest Style Bloggers + I representing our outfits inspired by the four vita coco flavors! 

Me: Tropical Fruit // Samantha: Peach & Mango // Katelyn: Pineapple // Maya: Orange

What are you cherishing in these last few days of summer?

My parents will be up visiting this week & after 6+ months without seeing them I couldn't be more excited! 

xoxo, lauren

Gameday Style with OCJ Apparel

Football season is about more than just watching the sport. It's about the tailgate full of tasty appetizers, the fight song playing, the socializing, and of course stylish gameday outfits. Whether I go to the game or not- I'm always representing my team colors on Saturdays!

I was SO excited when the team at OCJ Apparel sent me a pair of their College Jeans & Gameday shorts for my two favorite teams- FSU Seminoles (my alma mater) + the UW Badgers (my new home)! The pairs each have the embroidered logo or mascot on the backside of their designer denim jeans & shorts.

Get the Look:  red eyelet peplum top (similar) // embroidered bucky badgers jeans  // LOVE necklace  (similar) // boho hairtie set

Get the Look: black bow back top (similar) // fsu gameday shorts 

I'm loving this unique take on a school spirited outfit & they make a serious statement. I was amazed at how comfortable & flattering they were as well. The jeans are all made in the USA and are perfect for gameday and everyday.I can't tell you how many people had asked where I bought them. Search for your school & buy a pair for yourself!

What football team do you cheer for on gamedays?

xoxo, lauren

10 Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

As I mentioned in one of my recent posts, I've been obsessed with podcasts lately! I have a hour and a half round trip to work each day through the rolling Wisconsin countryside and even listening to music can get a bit boring. 

My mom turned me onto the stitcher app and it has been my life saver! I love listening to shows about everything from entrepreneurship to social media to fashion. It's amazing how much more productive you feel when listening along the drive to work or at the gym.

I'm featuring a few of the podcasts I'm absolutely loving lately. Some of them are even live video shows, some just audio- but all are equally as fabulous!

• The Social Hour: Social media mavens Sarah Lane & Amber MacArthur share the newest social tools & insights - perfect for bloggers to stay in the know
• Creative Little Beasts: Tips for running an online business & interviews with creative entrepreneurs- sure to inspire.
• WWD: Fashion newspaper Women's Wear Daily shares breaking fashion news & talk of the town trends- a stylish must listen for fashionistas
• Our Style Stories: Blogger, Hilary interviews & shares the story of creative people with a unique point of view, their lifestyle, work, interiors & more
• The Fashion Trends Show: Interviews with fashion industry professionals about their careers & thoughts on fashion (including yours truly)!
• Smart Creative Women: The name of this show says it all- an ultimate resource for Q+A with women pursuing their creative fashions + sharing their insights
• Lady Business Radio: Hilarious host & small biz expert Jessica Kupferman is reason enough to listen to this show. Her interviews will have you amped up to chase your entrepreneurial dreams. 
• Young Female Entrepreneurs: I absolutely love this support group & great resouces from this group! The lovely Jennifer Donogh hosts inspiring video chats + a bootstrap book club to help network + inspire young female entrepreneurs.
• MarieTv: Entrepreneuress Marie Forleo has the most informative & fun youtube clips featuring tips any go-getter could use
• Joy the Baker: Any foodie would appreciate blogger, Joy the Baker's show about recipes, blog life & girl talk fun

Are you a podcast listener too? Be sure to leave the links to your favorites so I can check them out!

xoxo, lauren

A Fall Farm to Table Dinner

I wanted to share one of my favorite editorials from last year's  La Petite Fashionista Mag Issue #2, a farm to table dinner shot at my boyfriend's family farm. Almost all of the dinner's ingredients- from the onions straight from his mom's garden to the wine served with dinner  (from Wollersheim Winery, in case you were wondering)- were produced locally.

I remember the day we were supposed to shoot- it rained and rained and rained. Luckily it stopped for 30 min at dusk- just long enough to capture a beautiful dinner with the perfect moody fall weather to set the tone for our farm to table dinner (and let me tell you the meal was amazing post-shoot!)

I am so lucky to live in Wisconsin and literally have thousands of cheese options in the grocery store. I also try to shop local for produce as much as possible to support local farms! I had so much fun designing this shoot, from the DIY'd kraft paper placecards to the menus I designed for the occasion.

To see the recipes from the shoot & download your own farm to table dinner invitation be sure to check out La Petite Fashionista Mag Issue #2: Sweater Weather!  It's the perfect excuse for fall entertaining.

xoxo, lauren

Fall Layering: Four Ways

I am always looking for fun new ways to layer in the fall. It can get boring just wearing a shirt & coat every day. I am loving these fresh new layering looks for this year: from tailored dresses over oxford shirts to mixing prints with camo (the pattern of the season) & stripes!

I also love the idea that a fall wardrobe doesn't have to mean a resort to dark colors & heavy layering pieces- these looks are colorful, fun & unexpected. These four bloggers showcase some serious style!

These looks incorporate a few of my favorite fall trends: camouflage prints, conversational intarsia sweaters, accessories that give a pop of neon & lightweight quilted vests & jackets.

[Try this Trend: Fall Layering] 

All pieces are under $75!

Look #1-  oxford shirt / statement necklace / ponte dress  

  Look #2- quilted pink vest  / gingham shirt / gold watch

Look #3-   pink plaid shirt /  intarsia sweater

Look #4-  camo jacket / striped tee / neon scarf

Which fall layering look is your favorite? I'm on the hunt for a camo jacket right now!

xoxo, lauren