October 20, 2015

things I love (a great distraction // 35).


this ad. so interesting. 

this adventure. come on

wine pairings for halloween candy. TRICKORTREAT.

same

you guys. make your own creepy beauty masks
SHARE:

October 17, 2015

people I love (my parents).


these two babies got married 34 years ago today. 34! that's no small feat. 
obvious biases aside, three decades in they are funny, adventurous, kind and creative.
they are always up for one of my crazy roadtrips and by the looks of it, they've always been cooler than me.  
and I love them. the most of all. 

happy anniversary you weirdos. xoxo











SHARE:

October 16, 2015

things I love (PODCASTS!)

maybe it's because I love road trips and long flights, but I can't get enough of a good podcast. sharing a few new ones I've been captivated by today, in the hopes that you'll find a great story in there for yourself. see other favorites here and here.



mortified. this one is hilarious. I'm so tempted to put a dinner party together and require that my friends bring their childhood journals for dramatic readings. essentially, mortified events are held all over the country, and this recorded podcast brings them to you. participants get on stage and read, word for embarrassing word, entries from old journals, letters, etc. I've never gotten through one without laughing out loud. neither will you. trust me. 



off camera. sam jones is a talented and well-known photographer who created this show/magazine/podcast and sits down for great conversations with all kinds of artists (actors, directors, musicians, writers, etc.). it's consistently one of my favorites, somehow he finds a way to make whoever he's talking to super comfortable, which results in a killer interview. if you need somewhere to start, Dax Shephard, Jon Hamm & Ellen Page are some favorites. check it out! 



magic lessons. author elizabeth gilbert (of the wonderful eat, pray, love) launched magic lessons to compliment her recent book. every session, gilbert takes questions from readers and chats with her superstar friends about creative challenges, what to do when you're stuck, and so much more. the podcasts are short, sweet, and always leave me feeling more than a little invigorated. 


SHARE:

October 14, 2015

things I love (road trips // monument valley).


finally seeing monument valley (on the UT/AZ border) up close has been on my dad's to do list for a really long while. when it was time to pick out birthday presents, we decided it was about time we checked that one off the list - and before I knew it we were off for a lauren & dad road adventure.

about 5.5 hours north from phoenix, the epic landscapes were well worth the drive. as we finally got close to kayenta, az (the nearest town), you could begin to see otherworldly rock formations popping up on the horizon. 

we opted to splurge a little (because as my dad says, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right...#dadisms) and booked a room at the EVER sold out view hotel. if you don't decide to stay there, you're looking at a night at a motel in kayenta and a 40ish minute drive to the valley floor. the view is the only hotel INSIDE the park, and while it's definitely not a luxurious establishment, you're paying for one of the best views I've ever seen. every room has an unobstructed patio facing the iconic monument valley mittens - and let's be honest, if my choices are getting up 40 minutes early to drive to the valley for sunrise or waking up, putting on my glasses and sitting on the patio in my jammies, we all know what wins. they even project old black and white john wayne westerns on the side of the hotel at night for added flair! 

we got up early and made the 2 hour loop around the valley floor, stopping to snap photos along the way. 

barely there for a full 24 hours, it was time well spent, and a trip I'd recommend to anyone who's visiting (or living!) in the southwest. nature's the coolest, isn't she? 













SHARE:

October 12, 2015

things I love (LADYWEEKENDS).


A couple weeks ago, some of my favorite ladyfriends and I headed up to seattle for some much needed girl time and some cooler weather (note: it is NOT fall in AZ yet, no matter how many pumpkin spice lattes you consume). 

I always joke that we can't get a happy hour on the calendar, but pick a weekend to go out of town and everyone's got a flight booked before I've hit send on the group text. 

Our weekend was full of great girl talk, strolling around town & out of control plaid. 

Favorites included drinking here, boating here, and ODing on cheese here

Girlfriends are my people. I couldn't be more fortunate to know such smart, cool and generous women who are all thriving and different and wonderful. Ladies I look up to and learn from and laugh with. I've known some of them for 20+ years and that fact alone is rare and worth celebrating. 

I've got a good thing going with this group, and I can't get enough of them. Here's to a thousand more days like these. XO.





















SHARE:

October 1, 2015

things I love (apple picking)!


last weekend we celebrated my dad's birthday, and I decided it was going to be fall, mother nature be damned!

one of the great things about my family is that it typically takes about 30 seconds to convince them to participate in just about any of my crazy ideas. when I proposed a three and a half hour drive to southeastern az to check out some apple orchards - they were in (after a quick look that confirmed they think I'm out of my mind). 

so off we went down to willcox, az (a little more than three hours south of phoenix), where there's something growing out of just about every inch of available land. we ended up at apple annie's orchard. outfitted with everything from a country store to a donut stand and burger shack, it was the perfect place to spend a few hours. upon entry you're handed a map and a bucket, and sent off to venture through rows and rows of different apple varieties. we centered on fuji's and granny smith's, but there's something for everyone. 

when our arms got tired from hauling our bucket around, we hopped on farmer john's tractor and headed back to the front...where we promptly set up court at a picnic table amongst the trees with some cold apple cider and the epic apple cider donut. 

if you've got an afternoon, I definitely recommend taking a trip south. beyond apples, they've got all kinds of other seasonal fruit, a pumpkin patch AND (allegedly) the state's largest corn maze. if that doesn't sell you, I don't know what will. 









SHARE:
© love.lauren | All rights reserved.
Blogger Templates by pipdig