Prom

This is much long overdue, but prom!! Finally being a "big kid" and getting to go to prom was almost surreal. You look forward to this for most of your life, and within the span of a few hours, it's over. Lucky for me though, I have one more night to dress up and feel like a modern day Cinderella.

shoes // hair 

Though prom is a whole ordeal the day of, there's a lot that goes into play much before hand. Here are few tips I learned from this year..

• Book your limo early!! It doesn't matter if it's January and your prom is in April. Go ahead and book that sucker, otherwise you'll be stuck with your parentals driving you to prom. Wouldn't that just be fun?

• Make reservations about 6-8 weeks out. This is a must. Odds are, prom is on a Saturday night, and no nice restaurant is going to have open seating for a group of 12. Pick a good restaurant (J. Alexanders, Brick Tops, Cheesecake Factory, Amerigos, the options are endless!) and make a reservation. If you're not exactly sure how many will be in your party, tell them more than you have confirmed. You can always call back and downsize your group, rather than trying to find new accommodations for a large group.

• Don't forget about after prom, either. After dancing the night away, you might be hungry and tired, so have an idea of where you're going and when you'll be getting there (for your parents' sake). My group went out for ice cream and then back to one of our houses to watch movies, aka sleep. If you choose the limo route, make sure your limo driver knows where to go. Our driver was quite clueless and we ended up having to find an alternate location to get ice cream at :/ 

• Get your dress and shoes early. By March, most stores are wearing thin on their formal wear options. Go early, and you'll have more dresses to choose from. This also gives you lots of time to get your dress fitted and hemmed, which it probably will need.

• Order a corsage! If you have a date, gently remind him the color of your dress and one or two accent colors that would complement it. If you don't have a date, order the  corsage yourself. Most girls forget this since it is traditionally the guy's role. As far as presenting it, ask a key male figure in your life (dad, brother, grandfather, etc.) to present it to you. My dad did mine. 

• Designate a photographer. This is one of the most overlooked ones, since the parents are all naturally going to have their shaky smart phones and digital cameras. While that's great and fine, make sure with each pose that it is clear what camera to look at. We got several pictures with wandering eyes since there was a mob of photographers in front of us.

• Book your hair and makeup appointment early on! The same idea as the limo, if you wait, they'll be all booked. 

• Coordinate with the other girls in your group! It can be pretty tough to organize pictures with two girls wearing the same dress-- been there. done that. 

• Bring a portable phone charger, if you have one. Between the snaps and the selfies, your poor phone battery is going to be draining all too quickly. I used mine when we got back in the limo after actual prom, and it was a life saver.

• Schedule a "practice session" with your hair and makeup stylist(s)! Go in and talk to them about what style you're looking for. Chances are, they'll conduct a "trial run" with you to customize themselves with your hair/skin, and in this time, take notes of what you like and don't like and how you'd like it to be altered for the real go around.

Prom's a night to remember!! Go have fun!! Make good choices and don't do anything stupid. 

Through pictures and memories, it'll be hard to forget your prom night.

If you want to see my pictures and get some ideas, feel free to check out ours. There are quite a few candids in here, if you know what I mean ;)

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

xox,

Lauren

As Family We Go Tour

I love a good country concert. I love the excitement in the audience, I love the tipsy dance moves, I love the sundresses and cowboy boots. I love it all, but I really love Christian concerts, especially when it's less of a concert and more of a night of worship.

Obviously, there are some names that come to mind when I'm thinking about nights of worship: Jesus Culture, all the Hillsongs, Phil Wickham, etc. But one I think often gets overlooked is Rend Collective.** As a "Christian experimental, folk rock, worship band," they're not quite Chris Tomlin or Amy Grant, but that doesn't mean they're not just as wonderful.

I saw them on Sunday night with one of my best friends, and they blew me away. 

Their hearts and their talent is almost indescribable. 

Check out their website for for more information!

Following their opener, Urban Rescue (another personal favorite of mine), Gareth took the stage and talked about Compassion International, a sponsorship program with third world countries, and shared his personal testimony with the organization. As I learned throughout the night, Rend Collective is one of the most selfless bands out there, and their feature for it just supported that.

After a quick change from regular attire to  "Irish" clothing of vests and hats, Rend Collective took the stage.

Immediately, Chris prefaced the night to be a night of fun, worship, disclaiming that song is only one way worship is demonstrated, and then kicking off the band.

As the set progressed, the band members rotated around the stage in a circle from drums to guitar to piano. If that's not talent, I don't have any idea what is. 

Their personalities filled the stage in their worship styles, as well as their voices and music.

I originally bought these tickets to see their opener, Urban Rescue, and was indifferent towards Rend Collective. Though my boys in UR rocked it and put on a great set, Rend Collective was the better show, without a doubt.

Between their fun music and contagious passion, Rend Collective was an awesome show to go see. But really, their performance reminded me what my heart should always be doing: praising the Lord with all that I am. 

xo,

Lauren

bff :)

**I have a theory as to why Rend Collective isn't extremely popular: Christian radio is dominated by songs of trial and difficulty, and Rend Collective's music is abundantly praising. The average listener, is more than likely in a trial and questioning God and their situation. Because of this, songs of praise about the constant goodness of God are not as popular, thus do not market as well, though we are called to praise even in the hardships.

Looking For Lovely by Annie F. Downs

I’m pretty good at finding the bad in situations. It’s obvious to me what may go wrong and who may fail me. The negative outlook just comes naturally to me, so when I found out Annie F. Downs had written a book about finding the good, I was a little skeptical of it-not gonna lie (ironic, right?).

But, Annie is a friend of mine and a phenomenal author, so I figured I’d give it a try.

And I’m glad I did.

Looking For Lovely is a memoir style book with tales, lessons, and examples from Annie's life.

Each chapter holds a theme and a take away that help you look for lovely in your everyday life. The chapters are based off a season or event in Annie’s life, whether it is health issues or a trip to Israel, and she reflects on those seasons that were hard (or easy) for her, how she got through them, and gives insight to us on how to get through similar situations without feeling defeated.

For example, Annie uses eating watermelon with a friend's daughter. Yes, watermelon. Instead of being a juicy summertime fruit, Annie compares its seeds and fruit to weeping and joy.

“Just like a watermelon’s seeds are dwarfed in size by the watermelon itself, I see that my weeping and my tears will be minimal with my joy.”

I love that. Watermelon is something so regular--I eat almost everyday in the summer-- but Annie turns it into a little symbolism of joy and a reminder of a bigger plan.

And that is what she does throughout the entire book. She takes little, ordinary things: nail polish, the Ryman, sunrises, Shakira, and she turns them into little sources of joy and displays of God's hand that you can find everyday. She not only shares hers, but she encourages you to find your own, too.

In my own life, I’ve found my own sources of lovely: purple nail polish, moccasins, and BIC pens, to name a few.

Purple nail polish as an expression of the originality God has given me, when I was struggling with my identity.

Moccasins as a reminder of His comforting presence in hard times (He just encompasses us like the fuzz on cold mornings ;) ).

And even though I make BIC pens smear, they're easy to write with and make beautiful writing, reminding me that there is beauty even in the chaos.

But finding joy in items like these has lead me to find joy in the little things of life, too: a cup of coffee in the morning, singing in the shower, close parking spots, new Pinterest recipes. Everywhere I turn now, I find something beautiful, despite whatever season I’m in. I still get down and still have my "seed" moments in life, but as a whole, I find myself being more optimistic and embracing the eternal joy Jesus gives through the little things, even in the hard times.

If you're like me and struggle with finding good in all situations and seasons, I recommend reading Looking for Lovely. It can change your heart. It's being sold at Lifeway, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million. You can find out more about the book here and more information on Annie's website (anniefdowns.com).

Looking for Lovely was a challenge for me at first. I found it hard to look at such regular things with more meaning than at the surface, but thankfully, the Lord changed my heart, and I now look for lovely in everything. I don't always find it on the first try, but I at least know it's there, when I'm doubting.

Thank you, God, for this change of heart, and thank you, Annie, for being His vessel and teaching me to always look for lovely.

(fun fact: the shirt Annie has on in this picture is the same one she's wearing today for the book's release)

xoxo,

lauren

#lookingforlovely