lattes with lauren pt. 2

Happy Friday! I cannot get over the amazing response and questions I got from you guys in last week’s lattes with lauren. As I mentioned last week, each week I will pick 5 questions to answer (it was hard to pick!). But keep in mind, some of the questions I don’t answer…I will probably be doing a whole blog post about soon enough, because I love y’alls ideas so much. So, keep ’em coming!

Question 1 // Can you tell us more about Beau? He’s such a sweet pup.

Okay obviously I had to pick this question because I’m obsessed with Beau! He is a golden retriever, and he’ll be 3 years old next week! We got him from a breeder in Garland, TX. When Michael and I first went to the breeder’s house to pick him out, I knew RIGHT away which puppy I wanted. He was the craziest one of the bunch – wrestling with all his brothers but just so stinking cute. Michael on the other hand told me that was NOT the puppy to get – we needed to pick the most tame one. So, this kind of came back and bit us in the butt when he was a baby haha. Beau is adorable but slightly crazy! Insanely hyper and loves to sit on your lap all the time. (And he weighs 80 pounds!) Now that he’s almost 3 though he’s starting to settle down….slightly lol. But really he is the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. And if you’re in the market for a puppy…definitely go with a golden retriever!

Question 2 // What are some of your favorite Christian podcasts and devotionals?

I’ve done a few posts on favorite devotionals (here and here), but haven’t talked about podcasts! When we lived in Dallas we went to The Village Church and absolutely love Matt Chandler’s preaching. So, I still podcast his sermons occasionally! He just did a 3 week mini series on marriage and it was SO good! Every now and then I also look up a John Piper podcast – just a brilliant man with so much Godly wisdom.

Question 3 // How do you set your camera for shoots with Michael? Does he shoot on manual? I can’t get my entire outfit in focus (usually just part of it). He does a great job and yours are always so clear! Any advice?

We shoot with a Canon 5d mark iii, and have a sigma 35mm lens on it – a GLORIOUS combination! We used a canon 50mm lens for a while (which is still a great lens), but had trouble getting my entire outfit in focus. The 35mm made a big difference.

As far as settings – it depends on what light we’re in. But, I like to have a really good depth of field so we usually put the F stop on 1.8. But, in order to get the whole outfit in focus you have to make sure the camera is parallel to your plane (or the subject that you’re shooting). The camera can’t be tilted at all! (But, if you’re having trouble getting your whole outfit in focus, try increasing the F stop to maybe 2.4!)

Question 4 // How do I make adventures out of weekends at home with my husband? I’m from Houston and have just started a new job, so we can’t take vacation for 6 months. I’m struggling with the travel bug. Any advice on road trips around Texas or staycation dates?

Texas is actually the best place for different road trips or staycation dates! If you’re in Houston, I think taking a weekend trip to Austin would be a blast. Tons of great restaurants and outdoor activities. Fredericksburg is also a great option – alot of cute bed and breakfasts, wineries, cute shops, and hiking! Honestly those little weekend getaways are always so much fun for us – alot of great quality time, without needing to spend big bucks.

As far as weekends at home – we LOVE to make Saturday a whole production…of doing nothing! During the week we’re both busy with work and school. So, Saturdays, we love to sleep in, make pancakes, go to the gym together, read on the couch together…do all the things we love that are relaxing, and do them together! It sounds so simple but we both look forward to our Saturdays every week. My advice would be to just be intentional with your weekends/with your time together. Maybe plan out the day ahead of time (even if it’s simple plans), or get reservations for a fun new restaurant. There’s always so much fruit in being intentional with your together time.

Question 5 // So I recently realized I need to up my jewelry / accessory game. However, I live in an apartment & don’t have that much space for storage, etc.. How do you go about organizing / storing your accessories? Any tips?

Okay I picked this question because when we moved I also had NO idea what to do with all my jewelry. I found the best jewelry holders ever at Bed Bath and Beyond and at the Container Store. They hang in your closet so they don’t take up alot of room, but they hold a ton of jewelry and allow you to see everything in one place. And they’re not expensive! Still working on an effective/organized method to store my handbags, so I’ll keep you posted on that!

In other news, as of like 5 minutes ago…Michael and I are actually going to CABO tomorrow! Cabo is truly one of my favorite beaches ever and I can’t wait to share with y’all how gorgeous it is! Make sure you follow along in instagram / ig stories to see where we’re staying! The resort is a DREAM!

If you have any questions you’d like for me to answer for my next ‘lattes with lauren’ series, make sure to leave them in the comments section below! (FYI – next Friday I will most likely be posting about early access to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale / sharing my purchases! So, the lattes with lauren might be pushed back a week! See my post about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale here!)

xo Lauren

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