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Welcome.

A woman with shoulder-length wavy blonde hair, wearing a blue and white striped shirt, sits at a wooden counter. She is resting her chin on her hand and looking at the camera with a slight smile. A blue and white patterned mug is in front of her on the counter, and sunlight streams through a large window behind her.
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A beautiful life isn't something you stumble upon. It's something you make.

The Art of Living Beautifully is about creating a life distinctly your own—gathering what moves you, noticing what others overlook, and making more of the ordinary life you've been given.

Join me each Friday for The Weekender—a letter about noticing what matters, gathering what inspires us, and making something beautiful of the life we’ve been given.

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if you love to live beautifully, please share us on Facebook 💜

build a culture of your own.

  • Novels

    The France Dance

    Lauren writes transportive stories about ordinary people whose lives are changed by extraordinary places. Rooted in beauty, culture, and curiosity, her novels are an invitation to escape for a while—and perhaps return to your own life inspired to make something beautiful of wherever you are.

  • Journal

    letters of creative stewardship

    A collection of letters about tending thoughtfully to the life we’ve been given—and finding beauty, meaning, and possibility in the everyday.

  • ATOP x The France Dance Tour

    culinary trip to Provence

    Step beyond the pages of The France Dance and into the Provence that inspired it all…

    Together with A Taste of Paris, we’ll gather around beautiful tables, wander through storied places, and experience the color, flavor, and unmistakable magic of Provence for ourselves.

  • Shop

    a vintage collection to bring home

    A thoughtfully gathered collection of objects, books, and curiosities chosen for the stories they tell and the pleasure they bring to everyday life. Little discoveries that add beauty to your surroundings and joy to the rituals that make life feel distinctly yours.

shop my travel favorites

read more
Several white plumbing fittings, two tubes of cream-colored substance, and one tube with a white body and a black line, all placed on a white surface, with a stainless steel backdrop.
A close-up of a pink vape pen with its cap removed, showing the mouthpiece, with a blurred blue container in the background.

In the much acclaimed travel diary/packing list, 11 Days in a Carry-on, Lauren shares her go-to travel hacks that makes carrying on easier than ever! ✈️

“The little things that make the journey lighter, lovelier, and infinitely easier—these are the travel companions that always earn a place in my carry-on.” -LP

A tablet with a keyboard displaying a story, placed on a round black table with a cup and saucer, a spoon, a vase of pink roses, and a white mug. In the background, large green plants, a pink velvet chair, and black curtains are visible.
Colorful pill organizers marked with days of the week in yellow, blue, purple, and pink, placed inside a clear plastic box. A green container with a yellow spoon in it is also visible on a light surface.
Three colorful spray bottles in front of two small bottles and an aerosol spray in the background on a light-colored surface.

"Lauren is a gifted writer who paints a colorful, tasty story filled with heart and healing. I loved reading her novel, The France Dance...especially because her trip to Provence with A Taste of Paris is what inspired the entire story."

—Lorie Fangio, owner A Taste of Paris

Is your

passport ready?

Step beyond the pages of The France Dance and into the Provence that inspired it all…

Together with A Taste of Paris, we’ll gather around beautiful tables, wander through storied places, and experience the color, flavor, and unmistakable magic of Provence for ourselves.

A special France Dance edition of A Taste of Paris’s renowned Provence trip is now booking for September 2027. View the digital brochure HERE and request more information by leaving your email HERE.

“I can’t wait to experience Provence with you!” -LP

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A woman with shoulder-length brown hair writing in a book at a table decorated with pink flowers, candles, and various writing tools.

Ciao,

I’m Lauren

I’m a writer, storyteller, and seventh-generation Texan who has long suspected I was somehow meant to be European. For more than a decade, I’ve explored what it means to live beautifully—not by chasing perfection, but by cultivating curiosity, gathering inspiration, and creating a personal culture that feels entirely my own.

Come, stay curious. There is so much to discover.

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read more about Lauren

if you love to live beautifully, please share us on Facebook 💜

our shoppe is coming soon!

Looking for a book club speaker, special event guest, or even just a travel buddy?

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Two women smiling and embracing each other at an indoor gathering, with other people in the background.
A woman and a girl are signing a guestbook at a celebration event with several guests visible in the background, and floral arrangements on the table.
A woman with wavy, shoulder-length hair, wearing a maroon top and a watch, is speaking into a handheld microphone while making a gesture with her left hand, in front of a wooden panel wall.
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