December 31, 2014

songs I love (2014).


Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Ha! There are few things I love more than a good song. Here are 50(new and old) that I loved and loved and loved some more in 2014. Check out my 2013 and 2012 lists for even more fun. 

love.lauren 


1. Hello My Old Heart (The Oh Hello's) 

2. Mine (Spirits of the Red City) 
3. You'll Never Go (Wake Owl) 
4. Holding on for Life (Broken Bells) 
5. Careful You (TV on the Radio) 
6. Ray Gun (James Yuill) 
7. Partition (Beyonce) 
8. Hear the Noise that Moves so Soft and Slow (James Vincent McMorrow) 
9. Youthemism (Coral Bones) 
10. Ways to Go (Grouplove) 
11. A tout a l'heure (Bibio) 
12. Future Primitive (Papercuts) 
13. Lungs (CHVRCHES)
14. Stolen Dance (Milky Chance) 

15. Valley of the Fevers (The Apache Relay) 
16. America (Simon & Garfunkel) 
17. Ends of the Earth (Lord Huron) 
18. Verona (Geographer) 
19. My Silver Lining (First Aid Kit) 
20. Acetate (Volcano Choir) 
21. The Darkest Side (The Middle East) 
22. Here We Are (Patrick Park) 
23. Depth Over Distance (Ben Howard) 
24. Outlaws (Joe Purdy) 
25. Black Out Days (Phantogram) 
26. Don't (Ed Sheeran) 
27. Fly Away (JJ Hller) 
28. The Mute (Radical Face) 
29. The Obvious Child (Paul Simon) 
30. Stay With Me (Sam Smith) 
31. House By the Sea (Moddi) 
32. Like Real People Do (Hozier) 
33. Pusher Love Girl (Justin Timberlake) 
34. If Then (General Ghost) 
35. Prisoner (Har Mar Superstar) 
36. Good Mistake (Mr. Little Jeans) 
37. From Afar (Vance Joy) 
38. Yeah Man (Sam Cooke) 
39. Lego House (Ed Sheeran) 
40. Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson) 
41. Night at Lake Unknown (Conor Oberst) 
42. Love Lost (The Temper Trap) 
43. Pumpin Blood (NONONO) 
44. Dance Yrself Clean (LCD Soundsystem) 
45. Old Money (Lana Del Rey) 
46. Simple As This (Jake Bugg) 
47. When You Were Mine (Night Terrors of 1927) 
48. Parentheses (The Blow) 
49. Romance Is Boring (Los Campesinos!) 
50. Big Bird in a Small Cage (Patrick Watson) 


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November 29, 2014

things I love (thanksgiving).












This year my parents called and nonchalantly said "hey, you should have US over for Thanksgiving" like it was no big deal. 

It was a big deal. 


Down one sister, it was just the three of us, so I got to work collecting everything I needed (my kitchen is still very much unstocked)borrowing things like my great grandma's roasting pan, and crossing my fingers that we didn't all end the night with food poisoning. Spoiler alert: everyone lived. 


One teeny tiny bird and 4,000,000 carbs later, it was pretty great, all things considered. 


We rounded out the night with a trip to the movies to see this. What a story. And that Eddie Redmayne. Man. 


This year I'm thankful for my people (related & otherwise) and having a home to gather them in. It's sort of the best. 


love.lauren 
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things I love (a great distraction // 19).


turn your instagrams into tattoos!

meow stop that. THE CUTEST.


what a sweet surprise.


these girls. so good. 


love.lauren
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November 8, 2014

things I love (a great distraction // 18).



A new NPR Field Recording. Love. 

If you're not obsessed with this, you should be. 

The struggle is real

This would be the best thing. The BEST thing. 

Season five is out in this little web series. YES. 

love.lauren
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October 19, 2014

things I love (a great distraction // 17).


these are the ways you love yourself.

my kind of Halloween tips.


but seriously. you are


fine dining. elementary school style. 


everything is better in motown


love.lauren 
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things I love (a #keeleradventures video).

Finally, a few minutes of fun from our trip to Denmark and Sweden. Enjoy! 

love.lauren 




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October 6, 2014

things I love (a great distraction // 16).


My childhood dreams have come true. 

Don't date a girl who travels


I could have used this a few time in college.


Why you SHOULD talk to strangers. 


love.lauren
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September 28, 2014

places I love (#keeleradventures // london).


On the way home we found out we were flying through London. When your sister spends a year living there, it's hard to pass through without stopping in to give one of your favorite cities a hug. With less than 24 hours, we knew we had to make sure our visit packed a punch. Having been to London before (I think this was my 5th visit)our list was less about the "big" attractions (although a quick sprint to the Tower of London was in order) and more about some of the cool places we'd heard about. 

Rather than a list, here's what our (less than) 24 hours in London looked like. 


ACE Hotel Shoreditch I love a good hotel. so even though it was totally impractical, outside of central London and sort of spendy, it wasn't even a question when we decided to stay at the Ace. The hotel met all of our expectations with it's cool vibes, vibrant energy and killer design. I've stayed at the Ace in Portland (hey bunk beds!), and the brand never disappoints. 








Shoreditch Food Village when we pulled up nearing 10:30pm (thanks for holding my luggage hostage and killing precious time SAS/Heathrow!), the Shoreditch neighborhood of East London was buzzing. There were people pouring out of every bar and restaurant, our hotel was vibrating with the selections of a reggae DJ, and naturally, every restaurant had a 45 minute wait (at 11pm). Starving, we stumbled into a cool little tent housing some of the neighborhoods tastiest food stalls. 45 minute wait not included. 

Freebird Burritos once we found the glorious food village, we narrowed down our selections to Freebird Burritos. Set up like an indie Chipotle, the burritos were delicious, fast, and just what we wanted. Check 'em out! 






From there it was back to the lobby bar at the Ace for some epic people watching. 

Bulldog Edition coffee was a must - and Bulldog Edition in the hotel was perfect (although I failed to find quality cold brew anywhere in Europe!), with piles of breakfasty treats and great drinks (and the hippest baristas you've ever seen. 







Tower of London this is the perfect place for a great view of London, Tower Bridge, the Thames, etc. We lucked out because the city is in the middle of an evolving art instillation honoring the men and women lost in WWI through the placement of thousands of gorgeous ceramic poppies. 




Bill's Restaurant the perfect place for a great brunch, we loved this spot! 

Sketch full disclosure, this was the only thing I was really concerned with doing with our time in London. The photos I'd seen were straight out of a Wes Anderson daydream, and so reservations for high tea were a must. I can't describe the weird glory that this place embodies. You just have to go. Awash in powdery pink velvet, the dining room feels magic. And then you go to the bathroom. In a giant egg. That plays spacey sound effects. While french maids silently clean around you. Huh?! I know. Just go. 













love.lauren 



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September 23, 2014

places I love (#keeleradventures // stockholm).


In the middle of our Danish adventure, we popped into a train station and five hours later emerged in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm and Copenhagen are like night and day, where Copenhagen is quiet and homey, Stockholm is gritty and boisterous. Stockholm has an energy to it that is palpable, and we were excited to dig in. I recommend (for both cities) starting with a canal tour. It's always a good idea to be on a boat in the sunshine, but beyond that, you get a lay of the land and it's a great way to map out your plan of attack for the rest of the trip. Another city made up of islands, it's a good idea to visit them one by one to see it all. Again, here are some of my favorite places to eat, sleep and see! 

do. 

Rosendal's Garden (this BEAUTIFUL park was unlike anything I've ever seen. We did this on our last day and it was one of my very favorite things. The restaurant in the garden is amazing, and wandering through the pick-it-yourself field and the greenhouses was so, so great). 
Nobel Museum (a high tech beautiful lesson in Nobel prize history). 
Fotografiska (rotating photography exhibits). 

coffee. 

Johan & Nystrom (a "fika" in Swedish is a social institution that means a break with friends, family, coworkers, etc., usually over coffee. This place is the perfect spot for a fika!).  

eat.

Bistro Jarl (this place had power-lunch vibes all over it, but the food was delicious!). 
Sardin (my favorite meal of the whole trip. tucked away in the hip Sodermalm neighborhood, this tiny tapas place was pure magic). 
Parlans Konfektyr (handmade caramels. what else do you need to know?). 
Urban Deli (a hip little joint attached to a great grocery). 

shop. 

Pet Sounds Records (I love a good vinyl, and this place had a lot of it). 
Grandpa (I treated myself to a sandqvist bag here, and the shop is full of cool Swedish goods). 
Hipp 

sleep.

Motel L (let's be real. Stockholm is expensive. Like real expensive. We found this hotel one tram stop off the beaten path, and it was a diamond in the rough. Brand new, beautifully designed and totally affordable. do it!). 
























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