Thirteen Little Things...

Hello Hello :)

I haven't been posting as much as I'd like to lately, but to be honest, I've been feeling pretty down in the dumps over the past month or so and I just haven't felt up to it. Nothing terribly bad has been happening, but I've just been really stressed at work, dealing with a number of quite negative people that have left me feeling totally drained. 

I'm usually a pretty happy, optimistic person, but being blamed for things that aren't your fault, or questioned about your intentions and skills (when all you are doing is trying your best to help people), really does get you down after a while.

After having a mini breakdown the other day, I decided I just have to move on and not let those negative Nancy's get to me anymore. It's much easier said than done (particularly for someone like myself who takes everything to heart), but I'm slowly getting there.

This blog is my "happy place"  - I want to spread positive vibes and for my little corner of the internet to be a fun, uplifting place to visit, so now that I'm in a better mindset I figured I'd dip my toe back into the "blogging pond" by sharing something that's been helping me to feel a little better, even on a pretty crappy day. 

I think the saying "There's something good in every day" is really true, and so even when I haven't been feeling the positive vibes, I've been trying to look for the little things that make me smile. It might be the tiniest thing that only lasts a few moments, but if you look for it, there's always something good in the day to be grateful for.

So here are just some of the little things, that have made me smile lately...

1. Seeing a rainbow on my drive to work. I like to think of this as a sign that it's going to be a good day!

2. The beautiful cherry blossom (of is it a plum blossom?) tree that's blooming outside our apartment. I see it as I head out the door on my way to work and it always brings a smile to my face.

3. The fact that it's just that little bit brighter in the mornings now as I'm waking up. I'm so excited for Spring - it's always feels like such a fresh start and that everything picks up once September rolls around.

4. A big hug from my Nonna - she's a little lady but gives the best hugs, and on this particular night, I really needed a good hug. It didn't exactly fix the situation that was stressing me out, but it definitely helped me feel a whole lot better about it all.

5. Sipping a hot cup of tea in the morning as I get ready for work (or even better when Tom brings it to me on the weekend when I'm still in bed). There's something pretty amazing about the power of simple cup of tea.

6. Our little apartment (okay so I guess this is actually a pretty big thing!)  - it's really coming together now and feels so cozy and homey. I feel so lucky that we have this space to call our own.

7. Snuggling into freshly washed sheets - one of the best feelings ever!

8. Watching The Bachelor - I originally only started watching it so I could chat to people at work about it and feel a bit more in the loop, but I've actually really got into it and now I'm hooked. It's nice to be able to just escape reality for a little while and enjoy some light hearted entertainment!
(For the record, I think Nikki will win - she seems like such a sweet, down to earth girl and they seem perfect for each other)

9. Listening to the rain while I'm snuggled up inside - I don't think this one needs any explanation, the sound of rain is just so relaxing... 

10. The fact that I can now do proper dead lifts at the gym! I never thought I'd be into lifting weights, but I actually really enjoy it! It's all down to the fact that I have an awesome personal trainer - Matt at Smart Fitness. He's one of my friends from uni so going to the gym just feels like a fun catch up with my friend. If you're in Perth and after an awesome PT you should get in contact with Matt!

11. Watching my orchid that I repotted a couple of months ago growing. The flowers are just about to blossom (for the third time now) and it's so exciting! Tom says I sound like a proud mother when I'm talking about my orchid... I've never kept a plant alive for this long before, so I guess I am a proud plant mum! ;)

12. Going for a walk in the sunshine - even if it's only for ten minutes during my lunch break - it can really help to brighten up the day.

13. Picking Tom up from the airport - my favourite part of the week. He's coming home tonight and I'm so excited :)


After writing that list I'm feeling pretty good about things right now (the fact that it's Friday night is also probably helping with that!)
They're just simple things, but when you look for them you realise how many good things there are. They don't exactly fix all the other things going on, but when you're feeling grateful it's much easier to deal with the harder stuff (at least it seems that way to me).

What little things have been making you smile lately?

Lots of Love
Lauren
xxx

An Amazing Year - Looking Back on 2015

I really can't believe that this is the last day of 2015.

December seems to have whizzed by in a flash, and I'm a little sad to see it go, as this year has been a really great one for me!

2015 was the year of some pretty big, life changing moments, and I have some incredible memories to look back on.

Lots of exciting things happened, from big things, like Tom and I moving into our own place together, to smaller things, like finally discovering podcasts (how did I not know about them before?! They've made my drive to work so much more fun!)

I love looking back at the year and remembering all the amazing things I have to be grateful for. Here are a few of the highlights from 2015...

*Starting off the year with a relaxed picnic in King's Park with some of my closest friends

*After a long hunt, Tom and I finally bought our first home!
We love our little apartment and have had such a great time moving in together and making it all home-y. We've still got a way to go before it'll be "finished" but I've been loving the process.

*A long weekend trip to Melbourne for my birthday
(The first time in years that I wasn't working or studying on the day!)

*Discovering "minimalism" and the idea of more simple living.
I've been on a decluttering and downsizing kick this whole year and it's something I plan to continue for years to come. I definitely wouldn't call myself a minimalist by any means, but I've had a huge shift in mindset and it's been pretty life changing. Thankfully Tom's been on board too and it's been so great to share this experience together. I've been inspired by a lot of blogs, youtube channels and podcasts so I'll hopefully get around to putting together my own post about this soon!

*Tying into the more minimalistic lifestyle I've been slowly adopting, I'm loving the fact that I've downsized my wardrobe and have been happily living with a capsule wardrobe for the past few months now. I still probably have a few too many pieces in my wardrobe, but I'm definitely finding it's much more manageable now! I was worried that streamlining my wardrobe would be problematic from the fashion blogging side of things, but I haven't found it to be a problem at all (although I will admit I've been a bad blogger and haven't been posting as much as I'd like lately). I actually think there might be a few changes coming to Lauren Loves Laughter next year, as I'm planning on sharing a lot more about capsule wardrobes and how I've applied this more minimal mindset to other aspects of my life.

*I finally dove in and decided to try my hand at Youtube.
I've only posted a few videos so far, but I'm happy to have finally overcome the fear of putting myself out there and gotten started on it, as it's something I've been wanting to do for a while now.  It's just another fun, creative outlet for me and hopefully something I'll continue in 2016!

*Tom and I celebrated our six year anniversary!
It's been an awesome six years that seem to have just flown by. I am so lucky to have such an amazing, funny, kind, (not to mention incredibly good looking) guy by my side.
Ok... enough of the soppiness!

*An awesome holiday in Melbourne and Tasmania to end the year.
Taylor Swift's 1989 Tour was amazing, and we then had a lovely relaxing holiday in Tassie. I totally fell in love with the place - the adorable old houses in Hobart, the winding roads and gorgeous small towns, the delicious food (particularly their raspberries!), the amazing view from our accommodation in Swansea, and an amazing day spent trekking around Cradle Mountain.

It's been a good year :)
I have a feeling though that  2016 is going to be equally fabulous (if not better) as I have some exciting news up my sleeve (but you'll just have to wait for that!)

I hope you're 2015 has been just as amazing!

Lots of Love
Lauren
xxx

Ten Things I LOVE About Spring

It's that magical time of year again... that amazing time where the arrival of brighter days, blue skies, spring flowers and just that warmth in the air has me a bit ridiculously giddy with excitement!

There's just something about springtime that feels so fresh and full of possibility and anticipation, and every year I've posted a few photos on the blog and declared my love for the season. This year I thought I'd delve a bit deeper and make a little list of the things that, for me at least, make this such a fabulous time of year. It's nothing groundbreaking, but hopefully it'll help you remember to notice the simple things...

So here we have it - Ten things I adore about Spring

1. The longer, brighter days - Even if you're up early and heading out to work, at least it's light now when you roll out of bed! Admittedly we are pretty lucky here in Perth, with beautiful sunny days not uncommon even in the middle of winter, but there's just something about waking up to natural light that makes mornings so much easier!

2. That warmth in the air - there's just something about the feel of things heating up that you can't beat. There's that smell of spring in the air, the promise that warmer days are just around the corner, the fact that you can go out without a jumper - it's just so free-ing!

A couple of weeks ago the temperature made it's way up to 30 degrees, and even though I was at work and inside all day, just looking out the window  and feeling that warmth in the air made it feel like holidays were on their way! I guess it's just an association I have from my school days... but it's still a great feeling!

3. Enjoying long walks in the sunshine - Spring is truly the best time of year to get outside and enjoy your surroundings. Whether you like long, relaxing walks or prefer to pick up the pace, the weather is just perfect any time of day. I love going for a walk around my neighbourhood in the evenings, spending the morning strolling by the river or exploring King's Park on the weekends, and just getting out for a quick walk around the block during my lunch break. 

4. So much colour everywhere  - One of the reasons I love going for walks this time of year is that there is just so much colour all around. Flowers are bursting out everywhere you look and there's just so much beauty around! That sounds so cheesy, but it's true!

Tom laughs at me when we go for a walk because I'm seriously like a little kid - all excited about the next pretty flower we come across and having to stop every few meters to examine and photograph it!

The wildflowers are out in Kings Park at the moment so I definitely recommend getting down there if you're in Perth!

5. Spring fashion - It's time to put away those dark winter clothes and coats and bring out all the brights! Floral dresses, sandals, shorts and of course those white floaty tops I have a particular penchant for - this is the fashion I live for! I've made no secret here on the blog that I'm not a huge fan of wintery wear, so this time of year is my wardrobe's time to shine. I've mentioned before I'm trying out a capsule wardrobe, and while it worked really well for winter, I have to admit I'm struggling a little with my Spring capsule - there's just so many pretty summery clothes that I love so I'm having difficulty narrowing things down! I might have to rethink the capsule wardrobe idea (for the warmer months anyway), but we'll see what happens and I'll keep you updated!

 6. Spring beauty - There's just something about pastel painted nails, light, shimmery eyeshadows and bright pink lipstick that brings a smile to my face. Even though I tend to wear this kind of look all year round, it's extra perfect now that the weather is warming up!

7. That urge you get to spring clean - I love the rush of energy and motivation I get that spurs me on to have a good clear out, declutter and just generally put things in order at this time of year. I guess it's called "Spring Cleaning" for a reason. This whole year I've been slowly sorting through my things and letting things go in an effort to live a more minimalistic lifestyle, but now that it's Spring (and also because I've just read Marie Kondo's book - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying), I'm feeling extra motivated!

8. Feeling inspired to be more healthy - When it's cold and rainy, all I want to do is curl up inside and indulge in a little too much comfort food, but now that the weather's so much cheerier, the thought of fresh fruit, salads and just generally making better food choices is so much more appealing! The fact that all the summer fruits are coming out definitely helps. Hello peaches!

9. Everyone seems to be a little happier - Is it just me, or do people in general just seem to be friendlier around this time of year? There's something about sunny days that seems to make almost everyone feel that little bit cheerier, and you can just see it in people's faces and the way they go about their day and interact with people. From people I work with, patients I see, random people you walk past in the street, everyone just seem to be that little bit more upbeat.

 ...and that's always a good thing - "Happy people just don't shoot their husbands..." ;)

10. The promise that Summer Is Coming! - Even though I'm working now and don't get to enjoy those gloriously long summer breaks, Summer always gives me that "free" feeling.

Holidays (even if they are kinda short), Christmas, long hot nights, beach fun times, ice-cream - all good things to look forward to. ...and the anticipation of it is half the fun! 

What's your favourite thing about Spring?

(Or I guess Autumn if you're in the Northern hemisphere!)

Lauren

xxx

August in Pictures

Another little recap of the fun things I got up to in August, which included;

*Getting a little overexcited about Zara opening in Perth (and doing a tad too much shopping!)

*Finishing up a short Makeup Artist course for beginners (which was great fun!)

*Weekend walks with my favourite person, making the most of the perfect sunny weather we've been having lately

(...it's funny though because as I'm writing this it's bucketing down with rain and there's a "severe weather warning"...)

I hope you had a great month!

Lauren

xxx

May in Pictures

The thing I love about Instagram is the way it allows me to capture and really just take notice of all those little moments of happiness, whether it be something as simple as enjoying a nice cup of tea or just appreciating the fact that the sun is shining.

It's great compiling these collages at the end of every month, looking back and remembering all those nice moments :)

Having said that though, it's so easy to get caught up looking though photos and thinking someone has this "perfect life", when in reality that may not be the case. 

While there were a lot of fun times this month (the highlight being my birthday), there were also some not so great moments. Obviously, those aren't the kind of things I can (or want) to photograph and record, but I just don't want to give the impression that everything is "rainbows and butterflies" all the time.

I just choose to take notice of all the good things, and when you take the time to do that and be grateful for that, it really is incredible how it can change your outlook on life and the way you react to things.

I've only really started to fully see what a difference this (being actively grateful) can make, but it's huge!

Anyway, that's enough cheesy rambling for a while!

Happy Wednesday!

Lots of Love

Lauren

xxx

Summer in Pictures

I've always loved the beautiful, bright Instagram collages that I've seen on so many of my favourite blogs, and aside from being lovely to look at, I think they also bring a nice little personal touch.

I'll admit that I do have a bit of an Instagram addiction. It's such a great way to record the little things in life that have made me smile, and it's great being able to look back through my photos and remember happy moments. Particularly on a Monday morning when I'm feeling a little bit "blah" - I scroll through my pics and look through at the fun I've had and think "Hey - life is actually pretty great!"

It was only the other day though, that I finally sat down and decided I would figure out how these collages were made. Turns out it was extremely simple - take a look at this site if you'd like to know how it's done. I thought it was going to be a long, arduous, time consuming task but it was actually super easy!

So now I've gone a little crazy compiling my instagram pics into collages, I thought I would share a couple here. Looking through them, it's a lovely recap of just a few snippets of the fun things I got up to this summer. 

The above photos were all taken during my week down in Margaret River - mornings spend having a delicious breakfast at the Margaret River Bakery, and walks along the beach were the major highlights :) How cute are their tea pots?!

For Valentines day this year I was very lucky and surprised to receive these stunning pink roses and the cutest card and block of chocolate from Kikki.K (Tom knows me well).

This amazing, giant strawberry and rose water macaroon is seriously the best dessert I've ever had. It was from Bistro Guillame where I went with a bunch of friends for a special treat. If you're after somewhere really special to go for a meal, I'd definitely recommend it! 

So that's it for now :)

Lots of Love

Lauren 

xxx

It's Finally Spring!

 In honour of the first day of spring I thought I'd share some photos of the Plum Blossom trees that are currently blooming in my garden. I can't tell you how excited I am for the weather to start warming up... I just feel like the winter has dragged on this year, and I'm ready for the fresh start that spring always seems to bring!

It was definitely a lovely start to the season this morning, with beautiful sunny weather  down in Margaret River. Perfect for our Father's Day breakfast out on the veranda with yummy chocolate croissants, banana bread and strawberries - it doesn't get better than that in my opinion!

I hope you've had a lovely Father's Day!!

Lots of Love

Lauren

xxx