Thinking Bigger: How Simplicity Changes Everything

I have been reflecting on this time a lot, and as I am sure most of us are, thinking about new routines and positive habits that we have developed during this stay at home order that we want to bring with us as we enter back into "normalcy," which I assume will never be the same. Although this time has so much heaviness and devastation that surrounds it, I continually think about how wonderful it has been to be forced to stop, to pause, and to be where we are.These reflections have led me to start a collection on the blog focusing on Thinking Bigger – Over the next few weeks, my hope is to cover topics that have been developed in this time like the power of simplicity, serving others, new rhythms and routines, and digging into new passions.Before this pandemic, the general answer from the majority of us when asked how we were doing would be, "we are so busy."Even though our days still remain full since Jase and I's work has shifted and continued, our days look so incredibly different. We are able to start our day in a more restful way, we have been spending hours in the fresh air and sunshine every day, we have been extra present and available for little Bennett doodle (our 5-month-old puppy), and we are more intentional with who we connect with virtually + having time and space to think about others more, to help small businesses, and the list goes on. Not to mention, shows such as The Today Show (the majority being filmed from their homes) and even my husband's show (currently transitioned to interviews on IG Live) have all felt so personal and so genuine, which I think we have all craved without even knowing it.I didn't realize how much mental space was taken from coordinating and deciding on social plans, organizing travel schedules, unpacking just to repack, going to appointment after appointment, and driving to and from everything. This realization has given me a little hint as to why I feel like we are doing things so differently during this time. I really had to sit and think about why we didn't spend our evenings outside before this since the time in the evenings have stayed quite similar from then to now, why cooking felt more like a chore then and is a joy now, why FaceTiming with family and friends felt distracted then and is longer and so focused now. As I have realized in the past through my own experience is that traumatic times seem to show us immediately what is important. It filters out the fluff and hones in on necessities to live – the simplicities that keep our joy kindled.The things that this time has brought that I feel so grateful for: hearing the birds outside, noticing things in nature that I have never had the time to enjoy before, listening to music all day, buying our groceries from a local farm, starting a masterclass that has taught me so much about cooking, planting a garden, going for long neighborhood walks while getting to know the neighbors from a distance, and reaching out more to friends and family to check-in.One last thought: isn't it so interesting to think that this is so similar to how our parents and grandparents grew up? Neighbors knew each other, people borrowed an egg from the person next door, so many gardened and enjoyed the simple things, cooking and dishes were day to day tasks...Questions to leave with:What has changed in your routine that you feel thankful for? What is one thing you want to continue when the world starts opening up again?Shop the tank here.[show_shopthepost_widget id="4023495"]

The Dreamer’s Dream

“Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and then the total- all of these acts- will be written in the history of this generation. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a [wo]man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, [s]he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” - Robert F. KennedyOne of my most memorable moments while studying abroad in South Africa was standing atop of Elsie’s Peak in Fish Hoek, a city just south of central Cape Town. Two of my roommates and I had taken the train down to its end in Simon’s Town where we hiked around, explored some more, stayed in a hostel, and then traveled back north to our home. On our way back, we stopped in Fish Hoek, which after having had read about, we wanted to wander about. We looked up some suggested hikes, found Elsie’s Peak, grabbed our backpacks holding all our essentials for the weekend, and ventured up the peak without a map in hand or any idea of where this trail would lead us. To our surprise, it lead us amid the most beautiful scenery- my roommate Matt even found a rock that resembled Pride Rock from the Lion King, upon which he cradled his backpack in the same way that Mufasa cradled baby Simba. We continued through untouched greenery, majestic rocks, exotic flowers, and eventually found ourselves atop of the mountain. We continued to what we could see was the mountain’s edge to behold a perfect panorama of the Western Cape and the sprawling bay, spilling out into the vast ocean that seemed to go on for an infinity’s end. We were amazed and struck with wonder as we beheld the most beautiful and peaceful picture of nature that we had seen before. My heart was full as I was captivated in a moment’s time with the beauty of the world before me. To this day, that moment stands in time as the single moment that took my breath away and allowed my dreams to roam free. That is when my mind and soul felt the most free they had ever been to dream, to wander, and travel beyond my vision of the ocean’s end. Throughout this series in which we prepare our hearts and minds to grasp the vast opportunity that this new year awaits to give us, we have explored what it means to reflect on what these past years have taught us and to rest in what the present moments have to offer us. This week, we are venturing in what it means to dream again, to envision what we can offer this world, and to rediscover our purpose, influence, and inspiration. By reflecting on how we have grown and what we have learned through past experiences, struggles, lessons, triumphs, and rewards, we will be enlightened to discover our passions and rediscover the deepest desires and dreams of our hearts. Similarly, by resting in what these present moments have to offer us, and what they are preparing for us, we will be empowered to use our strength, talents, passions, and beliefs to pursue our dreams beyond what we could imagine of their fullest potential. When we realize the inherent value of our worth and the undeniable power in who we have come to be, we will believe that we are not only able to pursue our dreams, but to see those dreams become reality. In that moment that we enable ourselves to rediscover our dreams, we will be able to envision things for not only our own futures, but for the future of the world- dreams untouched by any precedent before us, and dreams so unique to our own character that we become the distinct driving force behind them. Once we believe in this power of ours, we will begin to take the steps to assure that we are constantly re-envisioning and rediscovering dreams for ourselves and for the vast world beyond us. For me, that experience on that mountaintop stands as the pillar of my imagination and of the basin that holds my wildest dreams and my purest hopes for the world. But, I am not limited to flying halfway across the world just to experience that mountaintop revelation. Rather, I am able to access that same emotion, that same moment that took my breath away, and that same powerful essence that freed my heart and mind to travel to the ocean’s end at any moment of any day. I can access that revelation that freed my dreams beyond the confines of my own doubt because I had experienced it before. The same goes for any of us. The truth is, each of us have had empowering and captivating moments, and because we have once experienced them before, we can draw up those invigorating experiences, that breath of life, that unparalleled inspiration in order to activate ordinary moments of inspiration. There are moments awaiting us each day with which we can become inspired and empowered to live out our dreams and our purpose. We must only be aware and open to looking for them in rather unexpected places. We must be intentional in alloting ourselves time to daily rediscover our dreams and remember our purpose and influence. For some of us, that may be surrounding ourselves with friends that share our ideals, our dreams, and empower us to affect change throughout the world. For others of us, that may be finding time in solitude, amid the world’s rawest and most beautiful natural wonders. Still, for some of us, that may be embarking on adventures, placing ourselves in unfamiliar territories, in unchartered waters, and resting upon the faith of our strength. Every day, we have moments to re-envision our purpose and influence and to rediscover our dreams. We must only allow those moments to be revealed, actively seek out those moments, and remind ourselves of prior experiences in which we have stood in awe to the freeing of our own imagination. In this next year, it is my hope that these moments are not just found in single life-changing experiences, but in the ordinary, almost mundane instances of our every-day lives. I hope that this rediscovery, this breath of invigorating life, becomes our normal, our habit. As we stand at the threshold of this new year, I hope we learn to rediscover our dreams throughout our weekly dispositions, our morning routines, our workday grind, and our nighttime slumbers, when we free our imaginations to dream all over again.

one year with LOLO

This August feels like a very special one for me. It's been exactly one year since I put in my two weeks notice at Neiman Marcus, and made blogging with LOLO my full-time career. For those of you who don't know me or how I got started on this whole blogging endeavor, I want to share that with you today! Not only so you can get to know me better, but in hopes that this story will inspire you to pursue your dreams and trust that God is so good and so sovereign!Previous to my blogging career I worked full-time as a Merchandise Coordinator in the Fine Apparel buying office for Neiman Marcus Direct. It was an amazing job, loved the people I worked with, and I got great experience. There was a part of me though that felt so unfulfilled by it. I don't think your job needs to "fulfill" you - only Christ can do that. But, I felt like I had a passion for creativity and writing and photography and helping women and fashion and so many other things that weren't being put to use at Neiman's. I started praying that the Lord would give me wisdom with my career and open up a door for me to do what I love - even though I wasn't sure what that would look like.I got connected with the wonderful Lauren Scruggs Kennedy a little over a year ago and I knew from our first phone conversation, that the Lord's hand was in this, and working with her/blogging for LOLO was my exact dream job. I discussed it with my husband and family and prayed over it, and made the decision to quit my job at Neiman's and give this blogging thing a whirl.To say the least, this past year has been "immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine" (ephesians 3). Making blogging my career has not been easy - it's been a ton of work, a lot of vulnerability, getting out of my comfort zone, and a big risk. But I have loved every second of it. From the outfit planning to the photoshoots, the google analytics, the styling, the amazing brands I've worked with, and best of all...the amazing and wonderful feedback I've gotten from you all.I'm sure most of you follow tons of wonderful fashion bloggers (as do I), that post adorable outfits and are super talented. I want to share with ya'll though why I truly love blogging and what my heart for this is. Fashion has always been a passion of mine. Since I was a little girl I remember twirling in dresses and loving when my mom would buy me new clothes. I realize that not every girl loves clothes though or shopping or putting outfits together. I love blogging because it allows me to help other women learn to love fashion like I do, and see that it can be a part of anyone's life! Not just fashion models or people living in NYC. But fashion can be a way for you to express yourself and feel your absolute best everyday - whether you're sitting in a cubicle or chasing your little ones around a playground.I fully believe that true beauty lies so much deeper than the outfits that we wear. But I also think there's a lot of value in putting your best foot forward, and caring enough about yourself to put on a pretty dress, or take the extra 10 minutes in the morning to give yourself some beach waves. And I want to help you do that and make that easy for you! I am fully aware that fashion can be intimidating and make you feel like you don't measure up to the girl next to you. My heart for fashion and blogging though is to make you realize that you are absolutely beautiful, and you don't have to measure up to the girl next to you. Because you are your own person, with your own unique set of physical features and character quirks - put on this earth on purpose, and for a purpose.

(from Scarlet & Gold)

I long for us as women to truly  believe that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made", and for us to feel beautiful in our own skin. True beauty comes from within and from being rooted in your identity in Christ, but one way to show you are thankful for that beauty is to put your best foot forward, and put on a twirly dress or an outfit that makes you look and feel your best! I want to help women learn how to love fashion and put outfits together that they can incorporate into their everyday lives.So, if you've been following along either on here or following me on instagram, I want to say thank you. Thank you for following and for the kind comments and e-mails you've sent me. Those mean more to me than you know! And if you're in a place where you feel like your passions and dreams are sitting dormant, I encourage you to take time to pray or seek counsel about how you can put those to use and do the things that make you come alive!Here's to another amazing year of fashion and creativity and encouragement. I'd love to hear your feedback about your favorite parts about this blog, and things you'd like to see/read more about!xx, Lauren