A Weekend In Toronto

Time for me to brag... A few weeks ago, my brother's hockey team made it the North American Finals. A big perk of being a hockey sister is getting to tag along to some pretty incredible places! So for MLK weekend, my whole family headed to Toronto, Canada. The three-day weekend was filled with lots of hockey games and a trip to Niagara Falls! No one in my family had been to Toronto before, and boy it did not disappoint; definitely one of the coolest cities I have ever been to. 

 One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting the historic Distillery District. The original brick structure was converted to hold dozens of unique shops and restaurants. The shopping was incredible, but one of my favorite spots in the Distillery was Cluny Bistro (pictured above); such a cool atmosphere and the most authentic French food!

 Our frequent stops at Tim Hortons for donuts and coffee were another highlight of the trip. Not even ashamed to admit that we stopped there at least once a day! 

 Niagara Falls was simply stunning. If you can brave the freezing temperatures, I absolutely recommend visiting in the winter. During offseason, you basically have The Falls to yourself! Our quick trip to Toronto was so much fun! I am already dreaming of going back and getting to see more of the city! Have you even been to Toronto?  

PS: My another fun weekend adventure and my favorite trip I've ever taken

0

Home Is Wherever I'm With Them

Well, I've been at UCLA for a month now! And though it sometimes still feels like I'm at summer camp, it's safe to say I'm well into the school year. It's crazy that it's already time to start studying for midterms! The thought of how fast time is going by really just makes me miss summer. This summer was the adventure of a lifetime, and I feel so lucky to have spent it with the ones I love most. I thought it would be fun for my family to put a video together and add little clips as we traveled. We are all kind of strange and like to think we're funny, so obviously we had to make a music video to capture all of the adventures! My parents and brother are seriously my best friends, and I find myself watching this video whenever I'm missing them and the sunshine they bring to my day! My family may be spread out right now, but home is wherever I'm with them. :)

1

London

My two favorite Ben's: the brother and the clock! 

Outfit Details: top//jacket//pants//sandals//sun glasses 

The parks in this city were the most beautiful I'd ever seen. It felt like there was one on every corner! 

The Tower Bridge, not the London Bridge, as we were surprised to learn! Please tell me that I'm not the only person who thought this was called London Bridge all my life?! 

On the lawn of Westminster Abbey (aka where Will and Kate got married aka my mom and I were freaking out aka this called for an impromptu photo shoot). 

Hands down my favorite shoes for traveling. I picked these Tory Burch espadrille sandals up before our trip, and could not recommend them enough! I walked around all day and my feet weren't sore at all. 

I'm not sure if it was the jet lag or just the sheer amount of things we did in such little time, but London was an absolute whirlwind. Two days went by in the blink of an eye, and it was definitely one of those cities I would be perfectly happy coming back and spending weeks in. Since it was our first time there, seeing all the touristy sites was a must. Our first day, we arrived around noon and decided to walk all the way from the top of Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace, which was a great way to get a feel for the city. Day two was our busy day. In order to see all the sites, we hopped on the double decker site seeing bus! I know its so touristy, but whenever I'm in a new city, the first thing I want to do is hop on one of those obnoxious busses! Doing that was perfect for us because we saw all the important sites like the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey, but still had the freedom to get on and off at the different stops around the city when we wanted to venture out. Speaking of that, story time! On the flight to London, my family sat by the nicest guy from London. He made us a hand drawn map of all the best things to do and see. Thanks to him, we ventured into Hyde Park, The Breakfast Club, and a 600 year old pub, which ended up being our favorite places! Thanks to our friend on the plane, I feel like we were able to jam the best sites, restaurants, and experiences of London into our two day stay. Next stop, Paris! 

PS- If you're ever in the UK, go to Millie's Cookies and order the Toffee Chocolate, it may be the best decision of your life. Not kidding, it was the most insanely delicious cookie I've ever had! 

0

Graduation Party Snap Shots

So. Much. Bruin. Pride. 

The cutest candy bar. The candy and hanging photos doubled as decorations and party favors.

The dessert table. Homemade chocolate cupcakes and lemon cake with a pretty peony on top! 

So happy that my favorite little Junior Cheerleader came to the party! 

Speech time. Some of the most special moments of the day were when loved ones shared memories throughout the years and dreams and prayers for my future. Cue the tears! 

More speeches, more sweet memories, more tears, more hugs.

Outfit details: dress//shoes (similar)//necklace//bracelet//earrings

What a perfect graduation celebration. Last Saturday, my family threw the most thoughtful, creative, beautiful, and fun party I could have ever dreamed of. And the best part? It was all a surprise until the day of the party! Since both my high school and university colors are the same, most of my house/backyard was turned blue and gold. And I loved it! With my wonderful mother in charge, each of my family members handled a different aspect of the party. From the photo map to the cake to the festive flowers- they did it all! Their love and thoughtfulness came through each detail, and the day was full of so many smiles, laughs, and even a few (happy) tears! It meant the world to me to be surrounded by so many people I love to celebrate this milestone. 

I’ve never seen centerpieces with so much school spirit! 

All of the places I’ve been. The world map was such a special touch tho the party, and I have a feeling it might be coming with me to college! 

So much love for my mama's beautiful spirit and the sweet words she said to me this day. 

Sweet Little Lauren helped me open presents! 

Cousin love! 

2