You have no idea how many times in the last year Iāve opened a new tab in Chrome and started typing out a Substack postā¦ only to save the draft and never get around to publishing it.
Not today!
How is everyone doing? Are you feeling something like me, having absolutely no idea how itās already September?
Read on for whatās been on my mind latelyā¦ re-discovering my personal style, my 30th birthday, and what Iām most looking forward to about fall.
Style Files š
San Francisco is stunning this time of year. Itās finally our summer! Yesterday I put on a breezy skirt and tee and reveled in the idea of not having to layer with a jacket for once. I first walked Ivy (swapping the boots for sneakers) and dropped off my Nuuly at the post office, then headed into the office to have my quarterly review with my boss who is in town this week!
I am setting an intention to dress up a little bit more this month - especially when I have no reason to! One thing I noticed this summer when I was visiting New York is that people there really donāt wear athleisure when bopping around town. Here in SF, it sometimes feels like all you see. Iāll be the first to admit itās easy to default to leggings on an average workday, but I hope by leveling up my outfits this month that Iāll get re-acquainted with my closet and feel more creative in the process.
I have been deep-diving into style TikTok lately (keeping an eye on #CopenhagenStyle and #WhatPeopleAreWearing) and find myself saving the videos that emphasize how to style your clothes, rather than just wear themā¦ thatās the goal for September! Iāll do my best to document it and let you know how it goes.
Speaking of styleā¦ hereās whatās in my Nuuly this month! I wanted a mix that I could dress up or down, for a date night out, to work, or just running around town.
Iāve been renting from Nuuly for over a year now and love the versatility it lends to my wardrobe. Iāve kept some of my favorite pieces, including this jacket and these bootcut jeans. If you want to try it for yourself, hereās my referral code for $20 off:
Finally Thirty š
Last month I celebrated my 30th birthday! It feels like I was just writing this post about turning 28ā¦ time flies!
I dubbed August ābirthday monthā and made the most of it, with some really lovely dinners at Foreign Cinema and Penny Roma, and in true Lauren fashion, a picnic complete with a theme (strawberries), spritzes, custom matchboxes, flowers, and friends.
I feel happy and grateful entering this new decade ā¤ļø
My Fall Menuš”
Some of the things Iām excited for and hope to accomplish:
Strengthening my yoga practice - Iāve been teaching yoga sculpt at CorePower since receiving my RYT 200 designation in December, which has been such a great addition to my life. Itās given me a chance to be creative, meet new people, and stay activeā¦ plus get paid for it! Iāve taught over 100 classes so far this year and am so proud of myself for showing up again and again. This fall I want to commit to being a student in the way Iāve shown up and committed to being a teacher the last nine monthsā¦ that means dedicating extra time to taking classes on top of teaching 3+ times a week, and trying new classes and formats that are out of my comfort zone.
Needlepointing - Such a wonderful way to wind down! I am determined to finish two projects that Iāve been working on for what feels like forever.
More reading - Just finished Maame and adored it. Diving into Weyward next!
Closet clean out & major re-org moment: I have been itching to do a big purgeā¦ but havenāt had a weekend to dedicate to this task! Eyeing the last weekend of September and think I need to dedicate one day to the clean out and another for the donations and Poshmark uploads. Wish me luck!
Continuing to build my arsenal of favorite recipes - I cook quite often (and itās one of my favorite things to do with my boyfriend)! He gifted me a beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven for my birthday so Iām looking forward to more warm, cozy meals in the months ahead.
Travel - Keeping it pretty low key this fall, but excited for an upcoming Tahoe girls weekend and then two destination weddings in West Palm Beach and Montecito. I also have a local wedding for a sweet friend that Iām so excited to attend - my first SF City Hall wedding!
One last thing š¶
I put together a coastal cowgirl-themed playlist for an upcoming sculpt classā¦ and I canāt stop listening to it! A little bit country, a little bit California, and 100% feel good āļø Happy listening!
Happy birthday coastal cowgirl š¤ š
It is wonderful to see that your blog is back! What do you enjoy about San Francisco in the fall?