Highlights of 2013

Hello :)

So once again it's been rather a long time since my last post. There are a number of reasons for that, the first (and main reason), is that my parents have taken the camera I usually use for taking outfit photos away with them to Sweden (lucky things!) Secondly, everything has been a little crazy due to the usual busyness that tends to accompany Christmas time, and I just haven't had a chance to sit down and blog.

 Speaking of Christmas though, I hope you all had a lovely day with your family and friends! I certainly did, despite the fact that my immediate family left me at home while they went off to have great adventures in Sweden! (I can't really complain too much, it was my choice to stay home and work... although I can't pretend I wasn't kicking myself the day before Christmas when I was still at work and they were exploring Stockholm!)

Anyway, I wanted to do a little post on the highlights of 2013. So without any further rambling, lets hop right in!


Highlight # 1

Kicking off 2013 in Verona

It was certainly a memorable night, which started with a concert in the Piazza Bra, and ended with spectacular fireworks launched off the Arena. We spent the rest of January continuing our adventures around Italy, so it was a great way to start the year!

 

Highlight # 2

My Graduation

This was by far the biggest highlight of the year! It was an amazing night that I will never forget. It marked the culmination of 5 years of bloody hard work, and despite having some great times at Uni, I was not sorry to say goodbye to life as a dental student. Don't get me wrong, I did for the most part enjoy my time at uni and made some lifelong friends, but if you're a dental student (or know any dental students) you will understand. Earning a dental degree is a rather torturous process!

Hightlight # 3

Starting my first "proper" "grown-up" job. Despite having occasional low points and moments of "What am I doing with my life??" I have, for the most part, been enjoying it. There are moments when I genuinely feel like I'm helping people, and those moments make it worth it! Although I do sometimes question my career choice (and daydream about other possibilities), I'm proud of what I've achieved and learnt this year and plan to continue learning and improving! 

Highlight # 4

Starting this blog! 

One of the benefits of finishing uni and starting work was that I suddenly found myself with rather a lot of spare time. What better way to fill that time than to finally get around to starting my blog! I was a little apprehensive at first, and I've still only told my closest friends about it, but it's been a great little hobby!

Highlight # 5

Weekends down south

I spent some lovely weekends down south in Margaret River with my family and friends this year. I can't describe how relaxed I feel when I'm down there. Everything just seems right in the world, and they were just some of the most perfect weekends.

Highlight # 6

My 23rd Birthday

To celebrate, I had a little tea party with some of my closest friends, and it was just a really nice day :)

Highlight # 7 

Cooking!

This year I've actually started to enjoy cooking and am very slowly getting better at it. It's still something I need to work on, but it's been a step forward!

Highlight # 8

Our 4 year anniversary :)

Highlight # 9

Trying out new places to eat!

Tom and I started a tradition of going out for breakfast/lunch on Friday mornings when we weren't working. They were always one of the highlights of my week :)

Highlight # 10

Seeing Taylor Swift

She was amazing. Enough said :)

Highlight # 11

Christmas

Christmas was wonderful. Even though my parents and sisters weren't here this year, I had a really lovely day celebrating with my grandparents and extended family. I was feeling particularly Christmassy too, partly due to the fact that I was watching so many people's Vlogmas videos on Youtube! (They're my secret guilty pleasure)

* * * 

All in all it was a pretty good year! I'm thinking about my New Years Resolutions now and how I can make 2014 even better!


Happy New Year!

Lots of Love

Lauren
xxx

Christmas Gift Ideas - For Her #2

I know it's getting a little late, but I thought I would quickly put up my final Gift Guide post seeing as I'd already made the collage!  These suggestions are probably more for the slightly younger, girly-girl :)


Soap and Glory - The Righteous Butter and Hand Food
Available from Kit Cosmetics, I'm sure that any "girly-girl" would enjoy something from Soap and Glory. These two products have the most amazing smell, are really moisturising, and also come in mini sizes so would make great stocking stuffers or just a nice gift if you're looking for something small. 

"Bird cage noticeboard" from Typo
I actually bought this for myself a couple of weeks ago with the intention of using it to store necklaces and earrings. It's currently sitting propped up against the wall as I haven't had a chance to hang it up, but once I do I'm sure it will get a lot of use! I think it would make a really nice gift - something a little bit different and quirky.


A Cute Mug and Tea
A cute mug paired with some nice tea (or hot chocolate mix if they're not a tea lover) will always make a nice, useful gift. I particularly love to give T2 teas as presents because they have such an extensive selection (and they're packaged beautifully!). Myer has some really cute "Little Miss" mugs at the moment, and Typo has a nice selection too. 

A Nice Toiletries/Make-up Bag
Another cute but useful gift. There's not much more to say about it!

A Lush Gift Set
Lush does some really lovely gift sets over Christmas and if you're shopping for a beauty lover I don't think you could really go wrong with one of these. I would just say that you do need to know what kind of scents the person likes, as some of the lush scents are quite strong.

A Fluffy Blanket
I mentioned this in my last Gift Guide (For Him). A super soft, fluffy blanket is always nice. Probably more appropriate for those in the Northern hemisphere though, seeing as it's a little too warm here for blankets!

A Wall Print
This one is from Typo. Just be a little cautious with this one because you don't want to pick something that will clash with the rest of their decor! (I'd probably save this kind of gift for my sister because I know what she likes and what would go in her room). 

Anyway, that's it for now. You can click here for links to where you can find these things.  

Hope you enjoyed!

Lauren
xxx

My Style Diary - Summer Cocktail

Hello!

It feels like it's been a while since my last post! The past few weeks feel like they've kind of whizzed by in a bit of a blur. I guess it's just that time of the year where everything gets a little crazy.

Tonight I finally had a chance to relax and unwind, and just have some "me time".

That's one of the problems about being an introvert. As much as I love catching up with friends, I can never feel truly relaxed and re-energised unless I have a little bit of time on my own... 

Anyway, I've had that time tonight, and now I'm feeling much better.

It's amazing what your surroundings can do to help de-stress you too. I went on a bit of a cleaning rampage this morning before work, as the house was a little cluttered and was just making me feel very tense. When there's mess around, I can never completely relax. It feels like my mind is just whirring around and around... but now that everything's all nice and neat I feel so much more calm. (I may or may not have just a touch of OCD :p ). I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like that though? 

Moving on...

I'd nearly forgotten I took these photos. They're from a couple of weeks ago when I went to a friends "Summer Cocktail" themed 21st. It was such a fun night, and a perfect chance to break out this Free People dress that I found when I was in New York a few years ago. This dress reminds me of an amazing trip, and of my friend Alex who was such a good sport tagging along and being very patient as I did a ridiculous amount of shopping. I remember we were in Bloomingdales when I picked this up (and I went a little bit crazy in the Free People section). It's a shame there's no store here in Perth... ordering online just isn't quite the same!

Anyway, I really love this dress - the cream colour and the details of the fabric are really beautiful. I also love the low back and the high-low hemline. The only problem is it requires rather a lot of Hollywood Tape to keep everything in place, so it's a little bit of a fuss to wear! 

Ah well, you can't have everything! 

I hope you're enjoying your Friday night!

Lots of Love

Lauren

xxx

Dress - Free People

Wedges - Aldo

Necklace - Thomas Sabo (borrowed from my Mum!)

My Style Diary - White

Hello :)

I've been having a lovely quiet night to myself, and I'm in a really happy mood at the moment. It's probably due to the fact that Monday is over and we're one day closer to seeing Taylor Swift! 

I'm so excited about it! Her Speak Now concert last  year was amazing and I'm sure this years won't be a disappointment. I've had Red on repeat on my way to and from work for the past ...lets just say quite a while... (yes I am a huge fan...and not ashamed to admit it!)

Anyway, I wore this dress on the weekend and I really love it (even though it is a little on the short side). The lace detailing is so pretty, and white dresses are just perfect for a hot  summer's day. 

I hope you're having a nice night!

Lauren

xxx

Dress - Don't Ask Amanda

Sandals - Therapy

Bag - Jigsaw

Ring - Asos

Watch - Calvin Klein

Christmas Gift Ideas - For Him

Hello :)

Happy Sunday! Here is the second part of my little Gift Guide series, this time "For Him". Let's hop right in. 


An "Easy" Cook Book
For example: Jamie Oliver's "Ministry of Food", or "What's for Dinner?" by Curtis Stone.
Obviously this isn't going to be for everyone, but my parents gave Tom the Jamie Oliver book a few years ago, and he really loved it. It's full of simple but tasty recipes with step by step instructions that are really easy to follow. Great for someone who's just getting started with cooking or who just wants to cook a nice meal without too much fuss (and if you're lucky enough they might even decided to cook something for you! :p)

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (or Similar)
There's a whole range in this series (books to read, places to visit, songs to listen to, etc...) My Dad loves these kind of books, and he now has quite the collection. This one in particular would be great for the movie buff. 

Wallet
This wallet by Status Anxiety is super compact and slimline. Perfect for the minimalist. This was one of Tom's birthday presents this year and he seems to really like it!

Bow Tie
Not much to say about this one, again it depends on the person, but I think it would make a cute gift.

Shower Gel/Shaving Cream/Other Body Products
The Lush "Dirty" scented shower gel and shaving cream pictured here smells of spearmint and is so lovely and refreshing. Heaps of other brands have gift sets available if you're wanted to go along with this kind of present, but keep in mind that you probably don't want to get one of the sets with all the silly extras that will never be used. Keep it simple!

Super Soft Fluffy Blanket
Not something you'd usually think to give to a boy, but I've given this as a gift to two guys now and they both loved it! Just make sure it's in a "manly" colour and really soft and fluffy (I think that's part of the appeal).
Bed Bath and Table has some really nice ones, but I'm sure you can find these in pretty much any "Home" store.

Jo Malone Cologne
I wrote about this in my "For Her" gift guide, but Jo Malone also does some really lovely scents for men as well. Very luxurious and delicious! 

Beard Trimmer/Hair Clipper Set
I don't know a whole lot about these so not much to say, other than that this something my Dad wanted for Christmas, so you never know, maybe other Dad's out there would like this too? The one pictured is the Wahl Deluxe Corded Hair Clipper Gift Set and I picked it up from Myer. 

An Interesting Wall Print
Typo has some really cool and relatively inexpensive wall art available at the moment. 

A Belt
You can never really go wrong with a nice belt. There's tonnes of different styles to suit everyones taste, and it's something pretty safe that you can (almost) always be sure they will use. I've seen some great belts in French Connection and Country Road lately.

A Cute Mug and some Hot Chocolate Mix (or Tea/Coffee)
I'm giving this to one of my friends this year. I think the Mr Men mugs are so cute, and they're the kind of thing that will always come in handy. Myer has quite a large selection of Mr Men (and Little Miss) mugs this year, so you can choose one suitable for the person you're giving it to. Paired with some nice Tea and Koko Black Hot Chocolate Mix, I think it makes a nice gift. 

Anyway, hopefully this was somewhat helpful!

I hope you're having a great Sunday afternoon :)

Lots of Love
Lauren
xxx

There's also links to where you can find most things on my Polyvore page

My Style Diary - 4 Year Anniversary

Heya :)

I was planning on having an early night tonight, but for some reason I've just been really in the mood to get things done, and now I'm a little too hyped up to sleep. I figured a blog post might relax me, so here we go...

These photos were taken on Tuesday, just before Tom and I went out for dinner to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. In some ways I can't believe it's been four years, but in others it feels like it's been so much longer :) 

Anyway, Tom was so sweet, and surprised me with this beautiful rose gold watch from Calvin Klein that I've been eyeing pretty much all year. I've walked into the store so many times (just to look at it), that most of the people working there started to recognise me! It was such a lovely surprise to receive it from Tom, and I think it makes it so much more special as well! So thank you so so so much Tom Tom (not just for the watch... for everything... but you know what I mean).

Moving on... (I don't want this post to become soppy!)

I think this outfit is actually one of my favourites out of everything I've posted this year. It's simple and classic, and the sparkly top adds a special touch. Even though I like getting all dolled up in dresses, I really am a "Jeans and T-shirt" (Ok well, in this case sequinned top) girl at heart. As you can see, I had to wear my new watch straight away, even though I haven't had a chance to adjust the size yet! 

I almost forgot to mention my new haircut. I've been meaning to get around to getting it cut for ages, but last Friday I just snapped and decided "I have to get it cut TODAY!" (I was in a bit of a frenzy). I managed to get an appointment on the day at Headstrong Hair Salon in Subiaco, and for anyone living in Perth, I'd definitely recommend them! My hair feels so lovely and bouncy now, and so much healthier. It's amazing how a new haircut can make you feel don't you think? :)

I hope you're enjoying your Friday night. I do feel much more relaxed now, so it's off to bed for me. (I'm such a Grandma!)

Goodnight

Lauren

xxx

Top - Forever New

Jeans - Forever 21

Shoes - Forever New

Bag - Jigsaw

Watch - Calvin Klein