LAUREN LIVES

Things have been a whirlwind around here lately! On top of working an odd shift for the last month at my job, we’ve been gone nearly every weekend…and it doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing down anytime soon! (Can we make plans for November, anyone??) I feel so lucky that I have the time, energy, and funds to make so many trips to celebrate those that I love! So even though I’m a few days late, here is July’s Lookback List:

READING:

After a slow start on another book which I eventually just put down, I was graciously gifted this read from my mom: Quentins, by Maeve Binchy. I love when my mom sends me books because they’re usually ones that were read and liked by her book club! This story takes place in the town of Dublin, Ireland and follows a mid-twenties aged girl, Ella, who is overcoming heartache with a little sense of mystery to it. She joins up with some friends to produce a film for a contest, chronicling one of the town’s most famous restaurants, Quentins, through the years; detailing the stories of many people who have passed through, while drawing attention to how Dublin has progressed throughout the years. Initially, I was having a hard time finding any time to really get into this story, but one five-hour plane ride later, and I found myself almost finished with it! It moves easily and I would totally recommend!

 

PLANNING:

August marks a lot of big events – Rach’s wedding and Laur’s Bachelorette weekend! I’ve spent the month getting together small details and helping out where I can!

 

WATCHING:

I’ve been toying with the idea of trying to get to the movies once a month! Since leaving the theatre after graduation, I’ve really missed being caught up with all of the latest films…and one of my favorite past times is actually going to see movies by myself (is that weird!?) Luckily, my friend Leah and her boyfriend are huge movie buffs, so they always have good recommendations for me as what to see and what to skip! This month, Leah recommended going to see The Big Sick, which is based on the real-life relationship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. I absolutely loved this movie. I laughed and I cried…which is always the sign of a good RomCom, right?? If you haven’t heard of it before, catch the trailer on YouTube!

For this month of August, my neighbor Lauren, and I are excited about the new movie coming out called Glass Castle. We’ve both agreed to read the novel this month before going to see it in theaters!

EATING:

This month I was MORE than happy to host my friend, Gabby, for a short weekend in LA! She was traveling to SLO for work, and was able to add on two extra days with me in LA. Gab is the best and is down for anything, but also just down to chill. We spent most of the weekend doing things with the pup, but one of the highlights was having a Brothers Burrito right on the beach. Al and I also had Brothers over the Fourth, and I can’t help but to think of my brother, Jim, every time we go (it’s always on his “must go” list when he visits). My favorite thing about Brothers is that when you order a burrito, they automatically make it in two separate tortillas…so they’re perfect for sharing!

We also tried out a new ice cream shop in Hermosa, called Craigers! All of their ingredients are locally-sourced and organic, and Al swears that the Mocha Cappucino flavor is the best ice cream that he’s ever had in his life! That’s a pretty bold statement!

 

DRINKING:

This month we tried out not one, but two new breweries! The first was Golden Road Brewery up north a bit in Atwater Village. We loved this place. Mostly because they have one of Al’s favorite beers, but also because the space is huge, totally dog-friendly, and they have really really good food. We went on a double-date with Laur and Josh and the pups on a 90-something degree day, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time 🙂 I really loved their peach and mango flavored beers, for something light and refreshing!

After our brewery date, the four of us went down to the beach to catch the sunset and drink some Babe Rose from a can. The cans themselves are hilarious, and I think they’d make great gifts for your girlfriends!

The second brewery we went to is called Yorkshire Square Brewery, in Torrance. This quaint and brand new brewery features pints of British-style ales as well as British decor! It’s definitely a very distinct method of brewing that you might have to get accustomed to, but they get points in my book for their friendly staff, dog-friendly patio, array of fun board games, and awesome vine-covered wall 😉 They also regularly feature food trucks on site!

One other place of interest that I drank at this month, was Brunette Wine Bar in Saugerties, NY for Rach’s Bachelorette Weekend! This place had been on Rach’s “must-go” list for awhile now, so we were happy to accompany her and try out their orange wine and sparkling rose! And of course, wine is always more fun when you enjoy it with your gal pals 😉

A non-alcoholic beverage I’ve been enjoying this month has been Kombucha! Specifically, the Gingerade one. My friend, Emily, introduced me to it this month and I’ve been hooked ever since. If you have any digestion issues, this might help your body process those bad things. I’m no expert on the matter, but it’s definitely something worth looking more into if you’re at all interested!

GOING:

Gosh, where haven’t we been this month!? I mentioned this in last month’s lookback post, since it fell at the end and beginning of the months, but I spent the first weekend of the month in Saugerties, NY for Rach’s Bachelorette…I’m so thankful for the friendships that I’ve made through this trip, and now that the wedding is over, we all found ourselves asking each other when we would all be reunited again!? We had a great time exploring the little town, eating at delicious restaurants, and overall just enjoying one another’s company and celebrating our gal.

We also spent a weekend in Big Bear, which I already posted about in more detail! You can find all the details –> here!

And then we spent our last weekend of the month up north in Mammoth, to celebrate the wedding of our friends Mel and Greg! Not only was it a weekend getaway for all of us, filled with hiking, lake swimming, and gorgeous mountain views, but it was also one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to! They had their ceremony and reception up on the mountain and their cocktail hour even further up the mountain, so we got to ride the Gondola up and down throughout the night! (One of my favorite memories of the evening — besides dancing with Mel and Greg to Billy Joel’s Vienna — was riding back down to the base of the mountain in our Gondola of eight people, at midnight, singing “Stand By Me.” I really love my West Coast family. Mel and Greg — thank you for having us celebrate in your big day with you…Mel, you were an absolutely stunning bride, and the love that you guys have for one another and your beautiful baby boy, Jaxon, radiates from you no matter where you are. We were truly honored to have been invited and we love you so much! Look for a post detailing more of our Mammoth weekend SOON!

Besides weekend getaways, on the weekends that we get to spend at home, we’ve been making a greater effort to spend more time at the beach! We generally go down to the beach pretty often during the week and weekends to walk Marty, but we don’t spend as much time as we should actually in the ocean! So I’m happy to report that we spent quite a few days down at the beach this month…getting some sun, swimming in the ocean, and grabbing some ice cream cones, of course 😉

 

LOVING:

This month I’ve been loving the California sunsets, and the fact that they happen so late! I don’t know about you guys, but I love long summer nights. They’re even better when you get to enjoy them with your best friends ❤

I’ve also been loving thrift shops this month! I think I’ve really found some good steals lately…a fun romper from a small consignment shop in Saugerties, and two dresses from our newly-renovated Goodwill down the street! I even wore one of the dresses to Mel’s wedding!

And a tradition that I’ve really come to love – since I don’t start work until 2pm, and my neighbors Julie and Leah are nurses so they have a few random days off during the week – we’ve been meeting out back in the early mornings with our coffees and letting the pups get their morning energy out. I’ve been really soaking up these kinds of moments with our Redondo Condo family.

And finally, I’ve been loving all of the people that I’ve been adventuring with. It’s not so much about the places you go, but about the people who you share the memories with ❤

 

FEELING:

I’ve got to say, that I am feeling extremely proud of our pup, Marty, this month. I think Al and I both are. With two weekend trips to the woods this month, Marty had lots of off-leash time and lots of time with his other pup friends. He behaved like a perfect gentleman, and we have seen so much progress with him during this last month especially! He even placed first in his puppy class and won a bag of treats. We left him for his first weekend away at Puppy Camp and he came back with a report card (LOL I know) calling him the “class clown”…that’s our boy!

 

LISTENING:

My favorite song this month is Macklemore’s “Glorious.” If you haven’t seen the music video for it yet, you need to! It’ll just make you feel good. It’s his Grandma’s 100th Birthday and he shows up to do “whatever she wants” to do in that day. I’ve been blasting it nonstop over here.

A Spotify playlist that’s been on repeat for me this month is the “Hanging Out and Relaxing” one. It’s a perfect mix to just throw on while you do stuff around the house.

 

CELEBRATING:

This month (like many months this year) was full of celebrations! We celebrated the Fourth of July with our favorite gal pals and sparklers. We celebrated Rach’s Bachelorette Weekend. We celebrated Little Laur’s last year in her twenties! Marty’s first swim. And the wedding of two of our closest friends. But we can’t forget also, that we celebrated three months of marriage! AND this month marked both 6 years in LA for Al, and 3 years for me! I think, that if you look hard enough, you can find a reason to celebrate something every weekend 😉

 

 

August is turning out to be an extremely crazy month, full of weekend trips for the first three weekends, so I’ll have lots to report back with! In the meantime, what are you guys reading, listening to, watching, and going!?

xoxo