In a World Made of Steel

Hey there everyone! 

It is Friday! Hallelujah. I'm sure that most people have a long weekend - I'm only half fortunate in that department. I have class, but I don't have to work on Monday. Oh, well! Never look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

Anyway, here is my "official" outfit post from the Blog Days of Summer meetup. Can I just gush again what an amazing time that it was? Seriously, all the girls were so wonderful, with Hannah letting me ride with her and Katie letting me crash with her! 

Seriously, Katie is such a doll! She's the one who snapped these shots for me. Didn't she do such a good job? We clicked right away and had such a fun time talking about the different blogs that we read. She even encouraged me to make a senior splurge, which I'm so grateful that she did! I'll have to show off what I got soon. 

Anyway, this is going to be short and sweet, because my housemates and I are off to watch Selena! So. Good. 

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! 

Blouse, Skirt, Shoes, Belt, + Hat: Thrifted 

1903 Indian Head Penny Necklace: Vintage Coin Jewelry: Yardsale (similar here) 

xoxo, 

Laura 

A Glimpse of Pittsburgh

Hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend! 

Mine was pretty chill, but I would like to show you what I did last weekend...

I went to Pittsburgh! 

That's right home of Carnegie, steel, and Flashdance!

I went to my very first blogger meet-up, the Blog Days of Summer. And it was a blast - despite getting lost for 2 hours with Katie, courtesy of Siri. (Hint: NEVER use Siri as a GPS. ever.) 

The lovely ladies that were there included Katie (The Wildwood Flower), Katherine (Of Corgis and Cocktails), Sara (Swing the Day Away), Hannah (SheddingGlitter), and Julie (Orchid Grey) also met up with us for supper on Saturday and brunch on Sunday. 

Enjoy this little peek and I will be sure to post my "official" outfit photos later this week. 

Well, I'm off to battle pre-calculus - when I haven't taken a math class in 4 years. Bad life choice. 

"Ummm. Katie? Where are we?//2 hours later - we arrived at the picnic!//roomies! (myself and Katie)//The PA gals! (myself, Hannah, and Katherine)//jumping shot (c/o Katherine)//Saturday night fro-yo stop//yummy//I had the best grilled cheese for lunch ever//Sunday night I met up with some friends from school and we went to a concert at the Altar Bar - such a cool place! Myself and Landon Austin//my friend Alexa and Luke Conrad. 

xoxo, 

Laura 

13 Going on 30

Hey there all! 

Hope that you are having a fine and dandy week so far! 

First of all, I would just like to say that this is how I feel when I wear this dress. Oh man, is it one of my favorites. I got it at a Goodwill this summer for around $5. It didn't have a brand tag in it - just the size, so I have no idea where it is from, but boy, it sure is lovely. I never thought I would like a back cutout, but I love the unexpectedness of it. 

Secondly, I admit I haven't been around on the blogosphere for the past week, for I have been so busy!. Life has been really good, actually. I've been spending the last couple days of summer moving into my new house, traveling to Pittsburgh (more on that later), getting to see the wonderful people that I work with during the school year, playing Bananagrams with my housemates, and getting my wine and dine on with some friends. All in all, things have been grand.  

However, I still can't get an instance out of my head from the summer. I was just chilling with the puppy and flipping through some channels on TV, when I noticed that 13 Going on 30 was on. Great. Movie. Since that movie is definitely on my "cannot flip past" list (along with Pretty in Pink and You've Got Mail - in case you were wondering), I decided to watch it, even though it was already halfway over. 

I turned it to the part where the main character, Jenna, had already magically turned into a 30 year old overnight and I was trying to figure it out how to make it in the adult world. Now, seeing the movie more times than I can count, I already knew that the happy ending was just around the corner; however, watching it this time, I found myself becoming slightly sad. And I realized that was because that is how growing up is feeling right now: fast, sudden, new, and inexperienced - as if a teenage turned into an adult overnight. 

In the end, Jenna figures out how to grow-up, while still remaining youthful. Most of the time, I feel like I got this down, but there are some days - that seem to be happening more frequently - in which growing up just stares at you right in the face. Days when bills need to get paid, sign a lease, make major life choices, or when friends confide to you about heavy issues in their own lives. Those days are the ones that make you realize that the middle school days where fractions, boys, and who wore what jeans, were actually pretty simple. 

This might seem slightly ramble-y, but I guess that this is what is on my heart as I start my senior year of college tomorrow (!!!) 

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Dress/shoes/hat: Thrifted 

Sweater: College bookstore 

Necklace: Gift from Amy

Ring: Church rummage sale 

xoxo, 

Laura 

Life Lately: Brethren Things, Family, and Food

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This post has been chilling in limbo for quite awhile, so maybe I should have called it "Summer Lately." :) I can't believe that there are pictures on here from the beginning of the summer and I'm moving out this coming week. Where did the summer go? 

Anyway, enjoy a little glimpse into my life and have a fabulous weekend!

the chapel from the General Offices of the Church of the Brethren at the start of my internship//prayer labyrinth's are the best//a welcome home sign from my mom//Alexa and I being goofy//I take a long time thrifting//Psalms and Goldfish = wonderful//Daddy and I on Father's Day//blueberries and chocolate milk are the best snack//Bethany and I at a youth's birthday party//the second prayer labyrinth of the summer//peacefully, simply, together//Virginia is for lovers//my niece and sister//we got a new fridge! 

xoxo, 

Laura  

Paris

Hey there! 

I may or may not have mentioned this before, but my cousin is probably THEE coolest person. EVER. Even though she and I are probably about a decade a part (she may kill me for saying that - sorry, Cindy!) we get a long super well! 

Despite the fact that I was the annoying little cousin who just wanted her to read the book about the woodchuck to me and play Guess Who? all the time (the family game obsession got me early on!), we have grown to be great pals! 

We drive my family absolutely nuts, on our family game nights, being goofy, singing at the top of our lungs, and saying the stupidest most hilarious things. 

Sometimes we even read books (i.e. 'The Hunger Games') out loud to each other - yeahhhhh, we are that awesome. :) 

When I'm at school we email back and forth a lot, and her emails never fail to brighten my day and make me laugh. Or I'll get a silly card in the mail that is just perfect! 

My cousin is an avid thrifter as well - she taught me everything she knows. But, being a minimalist, she likes to look for treasures for me. Every time I see her is just double-ly awesome, because she is so fantastic to spend time with; but then she always something little for me, like an old book or a piece of Pyrex! It's like vintage Christmas!  

I'm telling you, I could never be appreciative enough. 

She's kind of the greatest. 

She's the one who got me this 1900 book with maps of Paris, that I thought would make the perfect accessory to this outfit. 

One day, Cindy, we are going to go on our Europe tour and go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and sing 'Bonjour Paris'. 

OH. And see the Jane Austen house - Can't forget that. 

"What excellent boiled potatoes!"

Love you, chica. 

Shirt/Shoes: Thrifted

Skirt: Target: Thrifted 

Sweater: From a giveaway win 

Book: Gift: Thrifted 

Cindy and I at my brother's wedding two years ago - my fave picture of us!

xoxo, 

Laura 

Back to School Wishlist

Hey there everyone! 

Can you believe that it is August already? Oh my word, the summer just went by so fast. I move back up to school in just a week and a few odd days - CRAZY. 

So, I thought that I would share my dream outfit for the first day back to school! As you may or may not know, I have an on-campus job that has me around a lot of perspective students - along with their families, alumni, and other important people on campus. So, I usually try to look nicer than many of my peers who just throw on sweats and tees. 

This dress from PersunMall is GORGEOUS. Even though I usually avoid white (I'm kind of messy) I would suck it up for this dress. That collar - so swoon worthy. Also, I would need a sweater because I'm always cold - I swear, I'm an 80 year old woman sometimes. Plus, a bonus for this sweater is that I can kind of add an element of blue and gold to my outfit - which are my school colors. Yeah, I'm nerdy like that. Finally, flats are a must now that I'm living a 7 minute walk away from campus. No heels for me this year! 

dress: Persun Mall cardigan: ModCloth shoes: Modcloth

I have been dreaming about owning a vintage Pan Am for a long long time. Probably ever since Rory got one for Lorelai on Gilmore Girls. So adorable. Plus it is the perfect size to store the things I need for the day. I have really wanted to try this new CoverGirl lipstick duo. You can't go wrong with red lipstick - plus, I have found that ones with a gold tint in them make them very wearable for school. 

Also, that bag would definitely need "The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath." I have been looking for a copy of this book forever. I really love 'The Bell Jar', so I have been wanting to read her journals for awhile. I'm really cheap when it comes to book, so I usually buy books used or rent them. There is a great website that I have just discovered called campusbookrentals.com. Plus, for every rental fee, they donate some money to Operation Smile - an organization that helps those who need cleft lip surgeries. Can't get any better than that, huh? 

bag: Etsy lipstick: CoverGirl Blast Lipstick in Stunner book: rent from Campus Books Rental

If you are heading back to school soon, enjoy your last few weeks of summer! 

xoxo, 

Laura 

Let's Pack Up and Go Camping!

Hey there, everyone! TGIF! 

This post is just a tad different, but it shows one of my loves... camping! I know that may not have been expected, but we have been camping since I was a baby. We had a 1987 Starcraft pop-up camper, named Alice, that we used since I was in high school. My parents  got a new one in the past couple of years, but it is still just as fun. 

We usually go to campgrounds - mostly to avoid the peeing in the woods things and to have access to ice cream. So, some may call it cheating, but whatever - it is still a blast. 

So, this weekend our church is going back to the denominational campground and it is going to be awesome! We go hiking, mini-golfing, swimming, play card games, and eat a lot of ice cream. Plus, there is a baptism of a couple of our youth and a meal afterwards. It should be a really fun weekend. Oh, did I mention that I'm preaching to the whole campground on Sunday? Yeah, I need to finish that sermon - over half-way there! 

But, anyway, my Pinterest camping board  has been over-flowing with campers that have been restored in vintage glory and I realized that I have a new mission in life and that is to restore an old camper! 

So enjoy some of my inspiration (especially those Airstreams: swooooooon) - I'm off to pack!  

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xoxo, 

Laura