Bun Head.

(Outfit: top - Nordstrom BP, bandeau - Free People, pants - H&M, wedges - Target, and bag - Marc by Marc Jacobs)

I'm not going to lie, I always wished that my mom had put me into ballet as a little girl. The Top-knot is my favorite type of bun right now and I have gotten pretty good at making it nice and big. I'm thinking rocking a tutu and my top-knot for Halloween might be a consideration this year.

Pictures taken by KMS Photography. 'Like' her facebook page if you like what you have been seeing around here.   

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Favorite Things.

(Outfit: top - Target, cuffed jeans - Nordstrom BP, and watch - Marc by Marc Jacobs sale on Rue La La )

A few of my favorite things: SEPTEMBER ISSUES, Starbucks, and Smalls ♥

Magazine 101 - September Issues are the holiest-of-holiest issues, FASHION BIBLES , fall survival guides for all fashionistas.
I pick up all of my copies down the street at Barnes & Noble and I'm pretty sure the guy at the counter thinks I'm crazy - But as a Fashion Marketing Graduate (holler!) these aren't just magazines.. they are like textbooks, and my time spent flipping through them is research. My Vogue copy is not in this shoot but it is amazing and I highly recommend picking it up. I plan on sharing more about these glossies once I finish them during recovery the next couple of days, so stay tuned.


I want to thank KMS Photography for these great shots. She did a wonderful job don't you think?!
You can check out her facebook page here.

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Side-note: I will be in surgery this morning.. and although I know that this is a pretty simple operation, I can't help but feel nervous. 

I hope to bounce back quickly with no complications - fingers crossed. I know that I'm in good hands.

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Personal Note:

Happy Monday. 

Since summer is winding down, I plan on posting pretty regularly now, and I thought it only right to fill you in on what has been going on since I graduated and moved back home. It was two months ago today that I, and my boyfriend at the time, packed up all my things and moved Smalls and I back up to the Bay Area. I knew I would be taking the summer off to enjoy my time with my family and friends, and I would be scheduling my surgery [READ HERE]. Crazy how time flies by... Tomorrow morning (Tuesday August 21st) at 7:30 am I will be in the o.r. where I will be having two great doctors fix me up. I have quite a bit of recovery time ahead of me - which means lots more time for blogging/ pinning/ etc.

These past few months haven't been easy. I never mentioned on here that while going through all the chest stuff I also had two moles removed/ one turning out to be A-typical. To be honest, I was really angry at myself due to the fact that I am the only one to blame for the way I have treated my skin. Out of the situation I have two new scares to remind me that the sun is the real deal, and I am now encouraged to get all my moles checked every six months because I am at a higher risk of developing cancer. So basically I boycotted bathing suits and being in the sun this summer. Being tan for a couple of days makes no sense in the long run for me. I'm learning to embrace my fair skin.

I'm also rediscovering my inner strength. Recently the boyfriend of almost 4.5 years and I broke up. I have so many mixed emotions that I won't share out loud (on the Internet), but from them I'm learning to focus on better things ahead of me and building up my confidence in myself. And I've got my little guy Smalls and thats really all I need right now.

In more exciting news: 

- L. loves to share has a new co-photographer! All pictures on here will be taken by me or KMS Photography (unless stated otherwise). I am so blessed to have a bff who is super skilled - Thank You Katie Michelle ♥

- I finally joined a gym! For the past 3 weeks I have been putting my pretty nikes to good use and kicking my butt into shape. I didn't want to focus on losing weight, but rather on toning. I have muscles that I didn't even know existed!! I joined with my stepsister and have been meeting with a trainer twice a week. The feeling after a PT session is amazing - I am so proud of myself and know that my hard work is paying off. The bummer part is that I have to stop due to surgery recovery BUT I will be back at it after. I am so driven to see the results that I want, and now that I know it's possible nothing is going to stop me.

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I share my stories in hopes of making at least one of you aware of topics that as young women we tend to block out and assume could never happen to us (especially in our 20's). I was that way before this year. I never took the time to educate myself on self breast exams and never really cared enough to feel for myself. If you have history of breast cancer in your family (OR even if you don't) I encourage you to pay attention, and as corny as it sounds, get to know your breasts. I would never wish that moment on anyone when the doctor finds something you didn't know was there. 

Same goes for your skin. There are so many ways to protect ourselves now - buy make-up with sunscreen in it, wear a hat/ sunglasses, take 5 minutes to put sunscreen on and re-apply later, etc. I went through a stage during my first two years at college where I thought that the tanner I was the prettier I looked - Stupid right?! Not only did I not wear any sunscreen and fry myself at the pool but I would then go do a stand up tanning bed. I can't go back in time and erase the damage I did to myself or continue to be upset about it - I can only protect myself now, be aware of my existing moles/freckles, and form a great relationship with my dermatologist. Hopefully most of you choose to be smart when outside and know that being tan is not everything..

I have come across some powerful blog entries/links lately, please feel free to check them out:

- The Everygirl just post about Lindsay Avner and her non-profit Bright Pink.

Not only is Lindsay inspiring as a business women but she's got a lot of information to share if you want to be proactive in the fight against breast cancer. 

http://theeverygirl.com/feature/lindsay-avner-of-bright-pink/

http://www.brightpink.org/

- This one was posted by Lauren Conrad (LC)

* the video will make you cry

http://www.laurenconrad.com/post/be-smart-dear-16-year-old-me

       

         

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Bright.

Images via: Lululemon // Nike // Nordstrom

Neons are big this summer, especially in activewear. I have been dying over these Nike Free Runs for a while now and finally decided to splurge (they will be arriving this week). There is seriously something totally motivating about a bright, cheerful pink - right?!
So with one of my new goals to push myself to get my fit on, I'm certain these beauties will help me put on a smile and get it done.
Do you have any secret weapons (like bright shoes) to help you get motivated to hit the gym?

I'm definitely ready to tone up, and in style.

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The Latest.

1. Portfolio Show - dress & bracelets from Luna Boutique // 2. My Portfolio Booth // 3. My friend Nicole & I // 

4. Our caps - Fashion Marketing & Management 2012 // 5. My Mommy

Mmm where did June go?! I have literally been non-stop the last four weeks that I am in disbelief of everything that took place. If you haven't seen on Twitter or Instagram (@llovestoshare), I graduated college and have moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area. 

The "big girl" chapter has begun.

Recap of June:

- Portfolio Show ( 6.13.12 ) // you can check out my work @ www.lauren-merrill.com 

- Graduation ( 6.15.12 ) with Honors/ Dean's List/ Officer's Medallion

- The big move ( 6.20.12 ) after 4 years of living in Orange County, I'm back home.

- Family time & Goodbyes throughout the whole month

On a personal note - now that I am home I have been in the process of getting my surgery underway to remove my fibroadenoma lump in August. I honestly feel that the past three months have truly tested my inner strength and I'm so ready to kick my body/mind into shape.

Blog Update - I'm Back and ready to start posting. Follow Along ♥    

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Daily.

Instagram: Portfolio in InDesign// Almost finished wall for port show// Taking care of my Smalls// New business cards.

As much as I would love to shoot new outfits everyday (goal for after grad.) my daily routine mostly consists of different things that need to be completed before my upcoming school portfolio show. I thought I would share a few recent pictures (via instagram) of what I work on when I'm not catching up on blog reading, posting, and commenting. I am in the process of finishing up my hardcopy portfolio, which will be sent off to print soon and put together in a pretty acrylic binder for the show/ future interviews. For the day of the show we are required to have a booth set up, so the bf built me a wall and painted it glossy white - it'll be my job to decorate, obviously. Between school, projects, and life, I also care for my little guy - who is my cuddle buddy when working away late on the computer. And one of the best parts of getting everything ready for the portfolio show is receiving different things in the mail - today it was my personal business cards. So happy with the way they turned out. I used moo.com and highly recommend it. There will definitely be more pictures after the show (June 13th) to share.

*Update: And this arrived today to make it even more official.

Come follow along ♥
Instagram: llovestoshare
Twitter: @llovestoshare

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Printed.

Outfit: tank - Anthropologie, pants - Forever 21, sandals - Target, and necklace/bracelets - Tiffany & Co.

I kept it pretty simple this weekend because I have had a lot going on. Sometimes a fun pair of lounge pants is the way to go - especially when you're running errands all day. At first, I really wasn't into printed bottoms but I came across a couple pairs and knew I needed to have them (I'm sure I'll wear my Anthro ones in the coming month). Have you embraced the lounge pant trend? It's definitely a comfy one.

Sidenote - I finally picked a dress for grad. Thank you for helping me out ♥      

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Decisions.

Dresses: 1. River Island Cocoon Skirted Dress with Bow Back - ASOS // 2. ASOS Petite Exclusive Tulip Dress with Textured Stripe - ASOS // and 3. Summer Fun Dress - Free People.

With my college graduation less than 30 days away, I have been on a mission to find the perfect little summer dress to wear to the ceremony (under my gown). I love the current tulip-shape trend, floral prints, and pops of colors - So now I need to make a final decision between the top three. I think I have already decided on a nude sandal from Free People, and I'll probably just wear my gold Maya Brenner 'L' necklace with a few bangles to finish off my outfit. 

I love to get your opinion, which dress do you like better?? 

       

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Denim.

Outfit: Shirt - Anthropologie, Jeans - J Brand, Bag - Marc by Marc Jacobs, and gold collar - Treasure Island Flea Market (similar).

Besides the fact that my outfit is denim on denim (which I have been wanting to put together all season), it was also very late 70's. I think it was inspired by my recent obsession with Freaks and Geeks reruns - they've been on the Sundance channel all weekend. Anything with Jason Segal, Seth Rogen, and James Franco is a winner in my book. Judd Apatow sure knows what he is doing when creating shows (another obsession, Girls on HBO - anyone else hooked?). Speaking of shows... I'm also counting down to the new season of Pretty Little Liars / June 5th. What can I say, I just love their wardrobes and the continuous build up to who "A" is. Clearly my DVR and I are BFFs because I could go on and on about all the shows I watch. Do you find inspiration from any shows you watch? Favorites??

(image via here)

     

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Silly Goose.

Outfit: high-low blouse - local boutique, tube top/ leggings/ bracelet - H&M, wedges - Nordstrom, and sunnies - Free People. 

My boyfriend gets frustrated sometimes (secretly I know he loves it) when we shoot because I move a lot and have a natural talent of making funny faces. It usually happens due to the fact that I never stop talking. What can I say, I have been a silly goose since I was born. I love to laugh and talk no matter who I'm with, or what I'm doing (life can't be so serious all the time). So even though I put my Zoolander face on for most of the pictures you see, I want you to know that there are probably twenty more with eyes closed and crooked-half open mouths. I hope as I continue to blog you will consider me as a regular friend, a normal-silly girl who happens to love clothes - A LOT, because thats exactly who I am. I'm really looking forward to getting to know some of you too - please feel free to leave your link below.

Case in point, Mrs. Duck joined the party and obviously I couldn't help myself but start chatting away.        

You can see more pictures from this post here.

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Platforms.

Outfit: dress - H&M, sweater and bracelet - Free People, platforms - Charles David (Nordstrom), and nails - OPI Panda-monium pink.

I was shopping at Nordstrom (back in February) and saw these red/cork beauties. I thought they would be perfect for spring, but wasn't sure if they would look good since I don't have the tiniest feet - they're more like flippers. I'm pretty sure I went in twice to look at them, and once more to actually try them on. The Nordstrom sales guy definitely worked for his commission that day - we tried on different sizes and colors. Finally, I decided I wasn't going to let my shoe size hold me back, and just embrace my size 9 that I was blessed with. Sold. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little like a Spice Girl in them, but they are super comfortable.

Are you on Poses or Fashiolista? I just made my accounts this past week and am already hooked - great sources for outfit inspiration.          

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Details.

Outfit: dress - Free People, ivory bangle - Kate Spade, and studded bangle - H&M.

Little details throughout the day make me smile. It could be something like someone saying 'have a nice day', or picking up a sweet treat from my favorite bakery. Today, it was receiving the new Free People catalog in the mail and my top-knot bun. Also, I reached my second fifteen star mark at Starbucks - which means a free drink postcard will be coming soon (if you don't have a gold card I highly recommend it). Silly to think things like that can make my day but I've learned not to take even the smallest things for granted.     

You can also find me on facebook and twitter. Let's connect ♥

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Met Glam.

Did you happen to catch the live stream of The Met Gala last night? If you didn't, I'm sure you have gone through the amazing photos already (I have a board on pinterest just for them). I can't seem to pick a favorite due to the breathtaking among of glam that everyone was rocking. Wouldn't you agree that old hollywood was truly an inspiration from the gowns, to the hair and jewels? I definitely think it was one of the more fabulous trends seen on the red carpet. I would die to wear one of these flawless pieces, everyone just looked stunning.

Who was your favorite/ or least favorite of the night? Did you enjoy the old hollywood look? I'd love to hear your thoughts.    

(All photos were collected via pinterest, original sources are 1, 2, 3, and 4)

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Who. what.

I put together an about page this evening. Who knew writing about yourself could be so challenging. I hope it gives a little insight about L. loves to share, and who I am. If you have any questions, or just want to say hi, you can email/tweet me - I love making new friends.

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Ps. I mentioned my little guy on the new page, so I thought it only appropriate to introduce him too. This is Smalls. He is named after one of my favorite movies - The Sandlot. Fun Facts: He only drinks out of a cup, and is afraid of bugs. I can always count on him to cheer me up with his little kisses. I'm sure he'll sneak into a few of my shots now and then - he's definitely a regular on instagram.

   

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Spots.

Outfit: top - H&M, shorts - Forever 21, belt - Target, gold choker - Treasure Island Flea Market, and wedges - Nordstrom.

I purchased these shorts recently and couldn't wait to wear them out. There is just something about a white spot/navy combo that makes me happy - don't you agree? I am definitely looking forward to some warmer weather in order to change up my wardrobe with more shorts and cute sun dresses.  

The rest of today's photos are posted here. 

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