my yellow brick road

ain’t that the truth . . .

laurenaharden — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:29:12 +0000

I absolutely love love love this adorable birthday card! Thank you Alicia Marie, you know me so well!

♥ ♥

hot chocolate

laurenaharden — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:00:51 +0000

Along with the necessities that I picked up this weekend at Draegers, I also picked up a little treat . . . the cutest jar of hot chocolate and a bag of marshmallows! No better reward after long days of studying!

boutique

laurenaharden — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:00:44 +0000

Over the weekend I was studying at Starbucks when I remembered that we needed a few “essentials.” You know, paper towels, cream . . . the kind of things that you hate having to make a special trip to the store for. However, I also remembered that around the corner from Starbucks was the cutest market that I had only driven by before. So, I decided to turn an errand into a treat and ventured inside.

The checkered floors glistened. The shelves were stocked to perfection; not an item out of place. For someone who is borderline OCD when it comes to organization, this was heaven! I sauntered the aisles “window shopping,” overly impressed with the selection. This was no ordinary grocery store, this was my very own boutique marketplace.

Draegers, you can bet I will be back, armed with a complete list and hours to spare!

oh ya know . . .

laurenaharden — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:08 +0000

. . . just some early birthday wishes from a couple of my closest friends! Anthropologie and Starbucks, you can count on the fact that part of my birthday will be spent with you!

Cannot wait!

date night

laurenaharden — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:00:44 +0000

Wednesday night we were so excited to choose another date from our “date chain.” This time we picked dinner at University Cafe. This restaurant is so close to our apartment, and we have heard great things, but we have never taken the time to go. It was so good! Jarrad loved his curry tofu, and I enjoyed my chicken sandwich with brie, squash, and tomato basil puree. YUM!

After dinner we decided to make another stop to Philz Coffee.

Again, we have heard great things, and had driven by multiple times, but tonight we decided to stop in. Philz is known for “one cup at a time” meaning each cup of coffee you order is brewed specifically for you with one of their 18 special blends of coffee. They even customize your cream and sugar order!

We LOVED our coffee, and we are so glad this “date night” idea is making us get out and branch out to the many great places around our apartment. Philz, we will definitely be back!

new favorite

laurenaharden — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:41 +0000

Inspired by Alicia‘s new found appreciation for Beyonce, and thanks to some leftover Christmas money, I too have been embracing my inner diva. I bought Beyonce’s newest CD today and have been dancing around singing ever since.

Love it!

oops

laurenaharden — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:00:37 +0000

Remember how here I said it was my goal to take a photo everyday this year? Well, I have already failed. This weekend Jarrad and I went to Tahoe and what do you know I forgot the camera. So instead I am modifying my goal to read: “take photos as often as I can.” In place of a week without words, here are a few photos from last week . . .

First day of class with my new, red TOMS!

Tuesday night dinner – I looked forward to this meal all.day.long!

Wednesday night, date night! Dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.

New obsession – hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.

Four out of seven isn’t too bad . . . have a great week!

the luckiest

laurenaharden — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:33 +0000

Today marks seven wonderful months of marriage. Before getting married, I was most excited for the “everyday;”for finally getting to experience the mundane, everyday tasks together previously prevented by six years of long distance. I am happy to say that so far it’s the little things that have absolutely been the best part. I love coming home knowing that I get to make dinner for two. I love waking up knowing that Jarrad will make the coffee, and a day has yet to go by where I don’t get a kiss goodnight. I love watching Meet the Press together on Sunday mornings and walking to get breakfast somewhere each Saturday. My favorite part of being married is creating the traditions and patterns that make us, us, and every single day I feel the luckiest!

Love you, Jarrad Aguirre!

Week Without Words

laurenaharden — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:44:20 +0000

My goal for the new year is to take one photo a day. I got this idea from many other blogs that I read, and I think it is a fun way to remember the little things that you appreciate throughout your day. Classes start tomorrow, and I know as the weeks go on I will have less and less time to blog, but hopefully these “week without words” posts each Sunday will serve as a recap of my week!

Hope you had a great weekend!

date night

laurenaharden — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:06:59 +0000

Before we left for Colorado, Jarrad and I walked through downtown Palo Alto scouting some new ideas for date nights. Little did we know, just about a mile from our apartment there are so many great cafes and restaurants that we never managed to find last semester amidst the chaos of school. This semester, however, will be different. Amazingly, we both have Wednesday nights free and vow to have a mid-week date each week!

Each Wednesday we’ll pick a card off of this “date night string” and enjoy a new spot in Palo Alto! Cannot wait!