sweater/dress: borrowed // shirt/belt: thrifted // tights/socks: forever 21 // boots: gift
It snowed over a foot here today, so I didn't get to go purchase a new tripod like I originally had planned. So I took out the old tripod, the one I used years ago; the one that doesn't allow the camera to shoot vertically; the one that I have to move so far away so that my whole self gets into the shot, which consequently my remote doesn't reach that far ... it felt like good old times running back and forth between the ten second timer and manual focusing to get perfect shots, haha. I'm glad technology has come far enough that we can have things like swivels on our tripods and remotes for optimum self indulgence. If you can consider freezing your fingers for the sake of a picture self indulgence.
Because really (and this is my own opinion), everything is to one extent or another self indulgence. Even acts that seem altruistic, aren't. I get a ton of joy from helping and being kind to other people, and so part of the reason I am kind is to feel that joy. I like making people happy because it makes me happy too. I blog not only because I find it fun to take photos of myself and share my thoughts on things, but also because I love helping people get better at style or a project or life in general. Hedonism, my friends. It's a great motivator. Of course, anything in excess is a bad thing--if you're doing acts of service solely to make yourself feel accomplished or make people think you're this really kind person, then maybe you have the wrong motives.
I just hope with my own life, I can encourage and help people by doing the things I love to do, not only because those things make me happy, but also because they make other people happy. How great would it be to spend your entire life helping others by doing what you love? That would be a pretty awesome life.
I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday. :)
sweater: borrowed // dress/shoes: target // coat/leggings: forever 21 // scarf: asos // photos from William
Today was a nice lazy Sunday, eating pizza, running around in the snow, sleeping with kitty cats, catching up on the latest Community episodes (aka best tv show ever). I like happy lazy days, unlike ones where I'm questioning everything I'm doing in life (we all have those days). Those tend to happen a lot for me, but thankfully today I was content to just let the day pass.
Tonight Matt (my boyfriend/best friend) and I got to have a skype date. First we played Age of Empires, where we purged the land of our enemies and became king and queen of the world, and then we just talked and talked for hours. I love being able to talk to him about anything. I'm usually not one to talk on the phone or videochat because I just get so nervous, but I'm always really excited to be able to talk with him (I guess that means he's a keeper!). I hope many more of our nights are like this night, with video games and talking and just enjoying each other's company. It's really wonderful and refreshing.
Hope you have a really wonderful day.
wild sweet orange // "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." -- Henri Cartier-Bresson (sent to me via email from my photography teacher) // testing out filters on my film photos // hail in oregon // the my beautiful backyard project // journaling about my 365 gallery show // driving to the airport // sitting in the airplane // arriving in Alaska
Hope your week was great! You can follow my adventures on instagram @impulsings
dress: borrowed // yellow dress/skirt: forever 21 // tights/ring: thrifted // shoes: target // photos by William
Well look who's back in Alaska! It's spring break for Lauren, and I'm excited for a bit of rest and relaxation, though I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of adventuring this week. I managed to come home with only a carry on (part of my packing skills ... still can't believe how many clothes I fit into my little bag/how many clothes I wore on the plane, haha. My own mother couldn't even believe I packed everything into one carry on.), so this week will be a "week of remixing"! These are all the clothes I brought for the week and will consequently be remixing, so it will be interesting to see all the combinations that are possible. (Though I might not wear the pants since I brought them mostly to wear underneath my snowsuit ... can't really go sledding or hiking in a dress!)
It's really nice to be back amongst the snow and mountains, especially since it hardly ever snowed while I was back for my winter break. Spring has redeemed the good ol' last frontier by bringing a bunch of constant snowfall this first day back. We were scheduled to have a blizzard warning, but the visibility has been pretty good and there's practically no wind. It's the perfect winter day, snuggling up with kitty cats and eating freshly baked cookies.
And no, it wasn't too cold taking these photos, though I certainly don't suggest walking around in short sleeves at this time of year. It's nice when you're ten steps away from the front door so you can run in whenever your fingers start to get numb. Plus the first day of taking outfit pictures in the snow after being away from it is probably the best day, since I was really excited for pretty snowfall photos. A big thanks to my brother William for taking these for me, since my tripod recently broke and I won't be able to purchase a new one until Monday.
Other things I did today? Thrifted a little bit--I got that little ring for a dollar as well as a scarf I'm going to use as a prop for a photo. Then my mom and I went to the mall to grab some lunch. Other than that I haven't done very much, just a lot of relaxing and planning for the week. I will be working on an art project this week that involves me driving to some of my favorite places in Alaska, so like I said before, there will be a lot of adventuring and I'm so excited for it!
Have a great day!
