{realtor riner} spring has sprung. no joke.

spring equals warmer weather, flowers blooming, birds chirping, and the sense of anew. but in real estate, spring means january/february. i'm not kidding. spring has sprung people and it's time to act.

most people tell me they want to start looking for a home to buy or consider putting their homes up for sale in the spring. but the problem with waiting until march and april is that so is everyone else. you aren't the only one that will be out there looking or listing your home. so, like any other area of life, be proactive and think ahead. it's kinda like the above picture. would you rather have your home for sale when inventory is low and it stands out or when everyone is putting their home on the market and it's just a number? would you rather be looking for a place to buy when you're one of the few looking or do you want to deal with multiple offers and escalation clauses among a sea of offers?! it's kinda a no-brainer.

so while this blog post might be short and sweet, it's all about making you aware as the public. most of the reports on the housing market are at the very least 3-6 months behind what we are seeing on the frontlines. see reach out to your local real estate expert (ahem, LAUREN RINER, ahem) and start the process. i can promise that you'll thank me later.

xoxo Lauren

{boozy bevvies} official drink of kenny

first let me state fact. when i, or anyone for that matter, refer to kenny, i am not referring to the following: kenny loggins, kenny rogers, kenny from south park, or kenny g. there is only one kenny in my book.

mr. kenny chesney. every year, my best friend and i look forward to girls' weekend where we can 'sit in the sand with a drink in our hands' and enjoy the BEST CONCERT of the year. we seriously make a long weekend out of this concert. since i live in northern virginia and she in charlottesville, we both make our way to virginia beach and relax beachfront. seriously- if you've never taken a trip with your best friend where it's just the two of you, i highly recommend it. it's so rejuvenating and relaxing and SO MUCH FUN.

kenny trip circa 2011

we just found out this week that he's coming back to virginia beach after taking a year off from the venue. why? i do not know. BUT WE ARE SOOO STINKIN' EXCITED!!!

kenny trip circa 2012 - show in dc. found some strangers. ;-)

now back in the day, when we first started attending said concerts, we were young and wild. not saying that we're not wild when we get together now- it's just a little less. ha. here's us one year at buffet.

buffet trip circa 2006

so young, wild, and poor. what do you drink and tailgate with on said concert going excursions?! what my dear friend meghan likes to call, jolly ranchers. yum. yum. yum. can't wait.

jolly rancher

margarita mix

mango rum

mix to your hearts content and enjoy. just don't drink too many or you'll end up like this:

wild lauren circa 2006.

xoxo Lauren

{friday fun} everything zooey.

this weekend was the kick-off of awards season with the golden globes. so as i sat with my two GBFFs watching the red carpet, we immediately began asking each other who looked the best. i loved both of the dresses worn by the ladies of nashville and, of course, kate hudson looked smashing in her simple black stunner. but the one that really stood out to me was zooey deschanel's red princess dress. i loved it because it was soooo her. this girl never forgets who she is and her style- but isn't over the top with it either. she didn't look like she was playing dress-up. it looked like she took her style to a next level.

i realized though that there hasn't been too much she has done that i DIDN'T like. i loved (500) days of summer, she & him, and, of course, new girl. now my tv preferences are all over the map. i love sci-fi, medical dramas, family comedies, period pieces, and the occasional reality show. but new girl has to be one of my current favorite shows on tv right now.

this is a group of adults my age that are dealing with the same ridiculous issues- and make it look hysterical and not-so-serious. take their constant ragging on each other for their jobs or the nick/zooey relationship. i can point to different areas of my life at this very moment and share their similarities. but i will not. that's my secret and i'm sticking to it. ha.

i love zooey's character jess, but it's her relationship with her 3 dude roommates that just adds a whole other layer to the show. nick. winston. schmidt. o. m. g. where do i begin with schmidt. here's a video to give you an idea because i can't really verbalize him. truth.



if you haven't checked it out, i HIGHLY recommend you do so.

another one of zooey's projects is the ah-may-zing hello giggles. this is literally a giggle-inducing website. no joke. they tackle touch subjects with heart. they review old movies that i may or may not own on VHS in their 'old lady movie night.' and they make fun of themselves along with others. so for your {friday fun}, i give you their realistic, hysterical, and logical review of jessica simpson's music video for her early hit, i think i'm in love with you. if you aren't about to fall out of your chair with laughter while reading it, there may be something wrong with you. seriously- you need to get it checked. i have a great doctor to refer you to if need be.

xoxo Lauren

{friday fun} girls get bored of jewelry?! NO!

this was actually a question that my brother recently asked me. see- his girlfriend is a HUGE fan of Stella & Dot and over the past few months they've celebrated numerous occasions that called for gifts. their anniversary. her birthday. christmas. and each time, my baby bro turned to me and asked: 'what's on her wishlist? i need to get it for her.' but as the bling piled up, he legitamitely asked me: 'don't girls get bored of jewelry?!' i promptly replied with the following: 'um, no! if that was the case, cartier and tiffany's would have been out of business decades ago.'

see, we loooove accessories. and jewelry is the creme de la creme of this category. point me in the direction of a girl who doesn't like something shiny and sparkly. you'll be hard pressed to find one.



so when i got word of the new Stella & Dot line, i was uber excited. literally could not contain my excitement. and when it was time to purchase my new samples for trunk shows, i legit spent hours contemplating my order. so without further ado, i give you a sampling of the Stella & Dot 2013 Spring/Summer Line. yay for bling! :)

necklaces

calypso, $89

jolie, $79

aileen, $59

piper, $29

maya, $39

earrings

lilly, $39

soiree, $24

raina, $39

seychelles, $44

bracelets

christina, $49

zinnia, $49

rings

mary-margaret, $39

moraley stackable bands, $39

the new line is available TODAY, so stop wasting time and get shopping! you know you deserve it. ;-)

xoxo Lauren

{style} wonderous c.wonder

i am a prep at heart. i love all things monogrammed. bright colors are vital. button down shirts and cardigans dominate my closet as much as puffer vests and blazers. i own not only the orginial 'preppy handbook' (thanks, Dad), but also the follow-up 'true prep'- which was signed to me by the author when i met her at hampden-sydney a few years back. i grew up wearing ralph lauren and talbots kids and am now obsessed with j.crew and vineyard vines. i love my ribbon watch. it's in my blood and it's fine by me.

my newest addition to said obsessions is c.wonder. at the helm is tory burch's ex-husband and he doesn't disappoint. walking into the store you are welcomed by bright colors and tailored items. it's a prep's dream come true.

if i could live in this store, i would. in fact, much of my christmas wish list was dominated with links to the stores website and items i coveted. everything from jackets to sweaters to jeans to home goods- i will take it all. so here i am giving you a breakdown of my current favorite items from the brand- and to get you as equally obsessed as i am.

the ultimate blue blazer

skinny jeans in every color under the rainbow

girly grown-up sweater

driving mocs to get you going

dinnerware to host your next soiree

my new fave piece of non-stella jewelry (the last time you'll see me admit to this- ha)

for all of you northern virginian preps, the closest location is at tysons corner mall near macy's. run, don't walk. you won't be disappointed.

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} quick, diet-friendly desserts

i have a huge sweet tooth. this is no exaggeration. i could literally eat sugar all day, every day. but alas, my commitment to my health and weight watchers prevents me from eating every cupcake between reston and dc. so when i need a sugar boost, i turn to the following yummy treats to satisfy my craving. eat at your own risk.

faux bananas foster

1 banana
cinnamon
fat-free whipped topping (i heart the one at trader joe's)

super simple: quarter the banana, sprinkle with as much cinnamon as you'd like, and layer on the whipped topping. you will not be dissapointed.

faux apple pie

1 apple
1 tbs. of your fave ready-made oatmeal packet (i opt for the cinammon variety)
sprinkle of raisins
sprinkle of the nut of your choice (i prefer walnuts)
1-2 tbs. of water
a bit of fat-free whipped topping

core the apple and place in a small bowl. put the oatmeal where the apple's core was. sprinkle raisins and nuts around the apple, along with the water. microwave for 2-3 minutes (depending on the size of your apple). add the whipped topping and eat up.

faux cannoli

2 heaping spoonfuls of fat-free ricotta cheese
vanilla extract
cinnamon
mini chocolate-chips
1 packet of sugar substitute (i use splenda)

mix all of the above ingredients to taste and enjoy. it's that easy.

who said you can't enjoy a guilty-pleasure without the guilt?!

xoxo Lauren

{beauty} hair beautiful.

my hair has a life of it's own. some days it's voluminous and shiny. other days it looks like a tornado just hit it. i came to the conclusion that one of the issues might be the $2 shampoo and conditioner i was buying. yup, i was a hair care bargain shopper. and now that i think about it, it's absolutely ridiculous notion to skimp on your hair care. i have no problem spending $100 on a pair of boots or jeans or a damn t-shirt. but, ummm, point me to the cheapest shampoo and conditioner?! puh-lease.

see, your hair is the one accessory that you wear every daggone day. so it makes sense to treat it well. bad hair can seriously ruin any outfit or meeting or date. no one ever said, 'you know they're hair was digusting, but i'm looking past that.' haha. my mission was clear: find good-for-you hair care that was free of toxins and chemicals. mission: accepted.

since i don't use a ton of products on my hair daily, i was in search of shampoo, conditioner, and a smoothing serum. so here are my new fave brands varying in cost and retail outlets. buy at your own risk. ;-)

giovanni hair care: eco-chic

this was the first brand i gave a chance, mainly because it wasn't too far off in price from what i was used to paying. i gravitated to the 'smooth as silk' shampoo-conditioner duo and never looked back. it smells awesome, gives my hair shine that it desperately needs, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. i also became semi-addicted to their 'frizz be gone' serum, which i applied to semi-dry hair prior to blowing it out. perfection. price: $6-10 per product / where to buy in northern virginia: wegmans and whole foods

giovanni hair care: 2chic ultra-sleek

we all know my OBSESSION with all things containing argan oil. so when giovanni came out with a line that used it as one of it's main ingredients, it called my name. i fell for the shampoo and conditioner from the line, however the serums left more to be desired. definitely give it a shot, as the shampoo/conditioner do exactly what you need and smell like the tropics. price: $6-10 per product / where to buy in northern virginia: wegmans and whole foods

eufora hair solutions

sometimes mama knows best, and this is one of those cases. my mom turned me onto this salon line and it remains to be my favorite thus far. it is the most expensive, but again, hair care might not be the best place to skimp money on. i took mama's advice and began using the hydrating shampoo and moisture solution conditioner combination- my hair comes out so soft and manageable that i am shocked. their pure polish serum is also the bomb dot com. price: $20-30 per product / where to buy in northern virginia: http://www.eufora.net/wheretobuy.htm

now it wouldn't be a good hair blog post without doing a BIG shout-out to my fave salon and stylist. oh hey there, KLS Studios. not only are they in my neck of the woods, but they are super nice and always accomodating. the salon is gorg btw, with a 'color bar' that allows me to get my highlights/lowlights on while sipping on my complimentary drink of choice while watching tv and reading some mags.

i swear by Lourdes as my stylist- she has a knack for giving me the color i want and making it look completely natural. they do book up quickly, so give them a call and schedule your next touch-up. you won't be disappointed.

xoxo Lauren

last year's lessons learned.

resolutions. what are they exactly? a way to start fresh or forget the past year's mistakes? but does anyone really ever start fresh? can you truly forget mistakes made in the previous year?

i'm not one to make resolutions because of these exact beliefs. i love who i am and i believe that everything (including last year's mistakes) have brought me to this point in my life. so when the clock strikes 12 midnight every January 1st, i believe it's a chance to review all that transpired and make lifestyle changes. mistakes are no longer that - they are life lessons. here's what i learned from 2012:

1. 'do what you truly love and love what you do.' to most of my friends it's no surprise that this is #1. after some crazy events and a health scare, i came to the conclusion that i wasn't listening to myself and following my own heart. so with a few changes (and a nervousness of the unknown), i made a decision to change my career path and i haven't looked back since. it's truly been a blessing.

2. 'it isn't who's know you've the longest, but who never left your side.' life is built around relationships. some are in your life for a reason, some for a season, and some for a lifetime. but it's when the going gets tough that you sometimes (very unfortunately) come to learn who will truly be there for you. who will completely accept you for who you are, faults and all. while this is a heartbreaking lesson to learn, it's one that i've been told everyone faces.

3. 'if you ever want to hear God laugh, tell him what you had planned.' i always had this vision in my head of what life would be like in my late-20s. i'd be married, have at least 2 kids, live in a large house, be a successful 9-to-5er, and genuinely love my life. flash forward to now: i am single, have an adorable dog, live in my own 2 bedroom condo, and am self-employed. but here's the kicker: i am still genuinely happy. my life plan may not have taken the road that i expected, but that doesn't mean it was the wrong road to take.

4. 'learn to live life outside of the box.' i love shopping, pulling outfits together, and accessorizing. if someone could have told me that i could make a career out of this, i would have laughed in their face. but once i made the decision to escape office life, i knew i needed something to cushion my real estate income. hello, Stella & Dot. my career as a stylist has brought me nothing but fun times with great women- and a weekly income that has helped my transition out of the corporate humdrum. my financial future has never looked so bright.

5. 'no regrets.' regret has such a negative connotation to it. it's like you're looking at yourself in the mirror and saying- 'you suck. what were you thinking?' here's the thing, even if you weren't thinking, have you ever come to the conclusion that you just needed to do that or be there or act like that so you never did again?! regrets don't do anything for your life. they just give you something to think about and cause you to think negatively about yourself. when was the last time that negative thoughts made a positive change? never. so look back at your year, learn some thing, and move on. you can't change the past, but you can mold the future.

i know, i know. this post has been super introspective. but over the past 2 weeks of my self-imposed blog vacation, i took some time to look around and take notice of all my life blessings. and i'd have to say- i've been blessed in ways that i never imagined. because of that, i'm looking forward to all the blessings 2013 has to offer.

xoxo Lauren