Meet Lauren of Perpetually Chic

You guys, I am beyond thrilled to finally introduce our newest CC contributor! Please welcome Lauren, of Perpetually Chic!

When she’s not strolling the farmers’ market or getting her passport stamped in faraway places, you can find Lauren entertaining at home in a great outfit with great friends and amazing food. By day she manages social media for American Girl (Ok who’s a die hard Kirsten fan like me?), and by night she pens the gorgeous lifestyle blog Perpetually Chic, a destination for plate, closet and home inspiration. Detail-oriented at heart, she believes that small details are what create lasting impressions.

Before kicking off her first posts, we wanted to let you all get to know Lauren a bit better, so we had her answer a few questions for us about her life out west, how she got into blogging, her amazing travels, and more!

What led you from Austin, Texas (where you grew up) to Madison, Wisconsin (where you currently reside)?
The snow! Just kidding, definitely not the snow. My husband’s job is the reason we currently call Madison home, but I love that the city is similar in many ways to Austin—young, smart, open-minded, laid back.

We’re beyond obsessed with Perpetually Chic. When did you start blogging? What made you get into it?
I started blogging a few months after Instagram first came out, about two years ago. I didn’t know what I was doing, and my first posts were literally just my Instagram photos of outfits, food and places. My blogging style didn’t evolve into what it is today until about a year ago. That’s when I put my real camera and love of photography to work and began creating posts that shared all my passions in a way I thought others would enjoy!

Take us through a typical day in the life of Lauren.
I usually wake up early, brew myself a cup of espresso, and finish my blog post for the day. To be honest, I’ve even snapped a last-minute photo or two before work! Then I’m out the door—perpetually running late—to my day job. After work I’ll catch a hot yoga class or head home to cook with my husband when he’s not traveling—it’s my favorite way to catch up on our days and decompress. But when he is traveling, I usually turn on some music and get lost in the black hole of Pinterest, work on blog posts, or start dreaming about my next trip.

We know you enjoy traveling and we’re drooling over your most recent trip to South America! What made you decide to go there?
My parents instilled a love for travel in my sister and me, and I’ve been so fortunate to keep traveling to some unique places. My husband and I keep a travel wishlist—so sometimes we pick from it but other times, like our most recent trip, the places pick us! We spent Christmas with my family in San Miguel de Allende, a sleepy colonial town north of Mexico City. It’s popular with Texans because it’s so close and full of charm. After that, the two of us headed to Cartagena, Colombia. I have grand visions of a long Motorcycle Diaries-esque trip around South America one day, but when I spotted an article on Colombia in an airline magazine, I kind of fell in love. It was fun for a quick trip to experience a city that’s somewhat off the beaten path before it gets too popular.

We love your recipes- how did you get into cooking?
My fondest food memories are from growing up. My mom cooked every night, and her passion for recipe collecting, cookbook reading, and tackling any recipe fortunately rubbed off on me! We are also lucky to have one of the best farmers’ markets in the country right here in Madison—so we buy a lot of seasonal produce and just figure out what to make with it when we get home.

Guilty Pleasures?
I have a particular weakness for shoe shopping and a soft spot for weekend brunch dates.

Sweet or savory?
Both! I get the sweet, he gets the savory, and then we share.

It’s Valentine’s day friends so let’s show Lauren some love with a warm welcome. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have her! Her first post will be up soon, but in the mean time be sure to keep up with her on Twitter and Facebook!