Love List #7

I can't lie—this week was a tough one. But, as soon as I think about the few bumps I had, I remind myself of some of my highlights and can't help but be grateful. I always tells my friends that for every up, there has to be a down. Life is balance, and looking over these small moments, the scale starts tipping in my favor. 

1. Our small garden in front of the house is in full bloom, so I picked one of these pretty pink ones (no idea what it is) for my bedroom. 

2. After work, a friend and I walked to this food truck and I spent most of my time obsessing over the neon sign.

3. The weather was bee-yoo-tiful this week, so I took some extra long walks with Millie, and something about this strip in my neighborhood reminded of me of when I would take walks in L.A. 

4. I'm trying to be good about not spending too much money on eating out and eating better foods, so I made this quick and summery fruit salad to take to work for breakfast. It's just three fruits, but was so good.

5. And perhaps the highlight of the week was this shoot I did with Bustle for #BustleBikiniBody—I can't wait to show it to you all! 

BITE ME! 🍩 Had tons of summer time fun with @bustle/ @bustlestudios with so many gorgeous babes for #bustlebikinibody 👙But can I have this floatie, please?

A photo posted by Audrey W. (@lululinden) on May 23, 2016 at 4:28pm PDT

Here's to a great weekend!  

Love List #6

A round up of the little things that made me smile this week

1) After waiting forever to get Mindy Kaling's second book, I ordered it online and read it on the subway in less than a week. She's a "best friend in my head," and she gets a little more personal in this book. My favorite chapters are the one about her and B.J. Novak  and “Perfect Courtship in My Alternate Life.” 

A photo posted by Glamour Magazine (@glamourmag) on May 12, 2016 at 9:03am PDT

2) I don't need an more reasons to hate men (okay, maybe not hate), but this story about how Kevin Smiths' daughter almost got kidnapped by some creeps really got me heated. Here he writes about what he did to make her feel better and why men really do suck.

3) I picked this stunner of a necklace from Happiness Boutique and it's so gorgeous I could wear it all day. It's my most ornate piece of jewelry. Use code lululinden for 10% off! 

4) This week I started my new position at The Nest, The Knot's lifestyle sister site for couples. It been such an exciting experience so far because it's been a dream of mine to work at a magazine (well, this is a site, but same concept. It is 2016 after all) my entire life. 

5) How To Actually Spend A Day In Brooklyn on Domino.com gave me a bit of the exploration bug for my neighborhood. I can forget how diverse New York can be, and how many options there are right around my corner. It's a great read for Brooklynites looking to explore as well as tourists to the area. 

Love List #5

A round up of the little things that made me smile this week

1. This fun banana printed bathing suit is getting me all sorts of excited for summer. I can't wait to get to a beach!

2. This article on Man Repeller—11 Women Who Have Their Shit Together—is an inspiring and, most importantly, real peek into the lives of some cool, successful women.

A photo posted by The Nest (@thenest) on Apr 23, 2016 at 12:31pm PDT

3. If you're familiar with The Knot magazine, you need to see The Nest, their home & lifestyle sister site—especially since I work for them now!

4. Absolutely Fabulous is a show I accidentally fell in love with when I was younger and they're finally coming out with a movie. The trailer is ridiculous, but that's the point of Ab Fab, scandalous women behaving badly, and I'm all for it!

5. I'm still not over #LEMONADE, and this Rifle Paper Co. print is the cute reminder to make lemonade out of your lemons. How great would this be to brighten up a kitchen?

Drake On Cake

Drake lyrics + pretty sprinkle covered cakes. You're welcome.

Drake, Champagne Papi or my personal favorite, regular ol' Aubrey, is easily one of the most fun rappers to quote. We have him to thank (or hate) for infiltrating pop culture with YOLO,  and I know I wasn't the only entranced by "Hotline Bling" and the memes that followed.

Joy The Baker has a blog with loads of other delicious recipes, but for now Drake on Cake, well, takes the cake.

More than my general appreciation of Aubrey, though, is my appreciation of dessert. So, imagine my pure joy upon finding an Instgram account dedicated to both things simultaneously. Joy The Baker, the genius behind it, has a blog with loads of other delicious looking recipes, but for now, Drake on Cake, well, takes the cake.

A photo posted by @drakeoncake on Dec 20, 2015 at 10:21am PST

A photo posted by @drakeoncake on Nov 9, 2015 at 12:21pm PST

A photo posted by @drakeoncake on Nov 3, 2015 at 6:26am PST

love list #4

I've really needed some inspo to get my mind of off  my car accident, and these have really done the trick (especially the necklace -- the anticipation of that little purchase is getting me through the week).  Here's a huge thank you to all of my girls who've wished me well -- things are almost back to normal over here. Well, as normal as my life gets, anyhow.

Nameplate necklaces are no new invention, I know. Most people know them from Carrie's days, but I grew up with them (sort of a Brooklyn thing) and now I want one of  my own. It's the perfect dainty necklace for layering and literally says, "hello world, this is me!"

I'm sure I've mentioned that I'm from New York, and I miss it everyday. I read the New York times to get my fix of city life and this week I came across their Metropolitan Diary blog. What's cool about it is that the stories are submitted by New Yorkers who want to share the little moments of their day that are quintessentially New York. I'll submit a story one of these days but until then, you can read the latest post: An Art Review in the Subway.



Always has launched this #likeagirl campaign and I think it's just great. I know it's a part of their branding and is ultimately for profit, but the message is still one of empowerment. If you want to see some more #girlpower, this video is a good one about limiting girl's under the guise of protection.

  

Kendi from Kendi Everyday is one of my favorite bloggers, and from the above picture I'm sure you can tell why. She makes simple style exciting. I love how she layered a loose crop top over a blousy tank because it shows that clothes can have multiple lives. It gives your closet longevity, and this is a perfect summer example of that.

 I'm always trying to find little ways to improve my vocabulary and feed my brain. The Quizzitive app, an extension of the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day app, is a new favorite. It's free, simple to use and keeps my brain from turning to mush. It's the adult's modern day vocabulary quiz.

love list #3

Summer's been pretty good to me so far, and I'm sure it's because I've made an effort to be more of an optimist. On a smaller scale, it's probably also due the things on this love list. But maybe I'm projecting. You tell me. 

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1. By now you've heard about the gospel of  #GIRLBOSS and its messiah, Sophia Amoruso, or at least seen a snap of it scrolling on your Instagram feed. I bought the book, but not before I debated for about a week. I didn't want to buy it because of the hype, I wanted to buy it because it was worth it. As a part of her PR campaign, she set up a really cool, old-school hotline where she reads the best excerpts from her book. I called because I'm a sucker for things like that and was sold. If you need more convincing or just want a good time, go for it. Call 1-844-GIRLBOSS. 

2. It's summer time, so it's mandatory that you have a summer jam. Mine (so far) is Hideaway by Kiesza. I've grooved to this on repeat more times than makes sense, but it's just that good. 

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3. Our mornings are important because they set the tone of our day. This article on lifehack.com goes more in depth on that idea and has a lot of good pointers on how you can make the most of your mornings. One of my favorite ones is to"read motivational, inspirational and educational material for 30-60 minutes," but all of the tips are really useful.

4. I first tried out my new bangs in this post and since then I've been playing around with different styles inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Brigette Bardot. I can't rave about clip-ins enough, especially for experimental hairstyles. Yes, hair grows back if you cut it, but who wants to go through the trauma of a bad hair cut? 

5. I found this recipe for grilled jerk shrimp and pineapple skewers on Pinterest, of course, and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't give it a try. Aside from the fact that it is obviously delicious, it looks pretty simple to make, too. 

love list #2

Last week started a little blah for me, but with a new favorite song, new episodes of one of my favorite shows and new make-up to play with, I'd give the first week of April a pretty solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

1. I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course) and with the warmer weather sneaking its way on in, these will be perfect to make when I have extra time on my hands. I'm a sucker for peaches n' cream anything (cue awful 112 song). You can't tell me that  these don't look yummy.

2. I have finally, finally gotten a Naked palette! Naked 2 to be exact. I know, I'm late to the party. I would've gotten it sooner, but I have so many neutral eyeshadows in my collection already. In the end I caved because I like the quality of these, the convenience of having them all together and the fact that I had a 15% off coupon at Sephora. 

3. I first heard The Black Keys' new single on the radio while I was driving to class, which was lucky for me. It's the ideal song to crank up when you're speeding, 80 down a 70, ready to break some hearts. Needless to say, "Fever" made me feel really cool that morning. They have a really sexy new-old rock sound that I'm in the mood for every so often (see also Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know). If you're in that mood, press play.

4. The Mindy Project is back on after a friggin' 2 month hiatus. Who does that?! Why Mindy, why? Especially after the cliffhanger of an episode they left on. I'm reading her book right now, so I feel like her and I are sort of friends at this point. As your internet friend, I suggest you watch (if you aren't watching already) for some instant happy. 

5. I saw this text post on Tumblr and read through it in a few seconds. It's short and poignant and it makes all the sense in the world. It's a great reminder that letting things go can make so much difference when it comes to living a happy life. Read below: 

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face she inquired, “How heavy is this glass of water?” The answers called out ranged from 8oz to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If i hold it for a minute, its not a problem. If i hold it for an hour, i’ll have an ache in my arm. If i hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer i hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stress and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them for a big longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed - incapable of doing anything.” Always remember to put the glass down.

love list #1

Some weeks are a real bitch to get through, but I can always count on the universe to send some karmic goodness my way. Here's what made me smile this past week.

(clockwise)

1. THIS WhoWhatWear article pokes fun at the ever popular "fashion girl Instagram" trends. We're all guilty of these cliches, okay? 

2. I finally SUBSCRIBED to Glamour magazine and I couldn't have chosen a better time. To celebrate their 75th year, they have special pricing of $7.50/yr + a digital copy. I love that I can flip through on my Kindle and the bonus content is ace. 

3. Ru Paul's muthaeffin' Drag Race is back on and I am liiiiiiiivvvvvvviiiiiiing. This show makes any bad day better. I put $20 on that. I really do. It airs Monday nights on Logo, but I usually catch it online in between classes. Peep the last episode below!

4. Here's a fun fact about me: I'm a born New Yorker. When I lived in Brooklyn, it wasn't quite the trendy, hipster-friendly borough that it is now. Even though I'm in the south now, I'm still interested in the goings-on of my old 'hood (I intend to move back). And what's going on is some serious gentrification. Some serious Brooklyn takeover. From the home of the Notorious B.I.G. to the location of the newest vegan bake shop. What an evolution? But, is it good or bad? HERE'S a great article on Spike Lee's opinion on the situation.

5. Okay, so I know Coldplay has been made fun of for being too moody or boring or whatever, but I love them. This week I rediscovered their song, "Strawberry Swing," and it was the most perfect song for putting me in a spring mood. It's calming and airy and just happy. Do yourself a favor. Press play and enjoy the feeling.