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  • In the fall of 2023, writer Lauren Palmer booked a culinary-centric trip to Provence with a group of six women she’d never met. Still reeling from the pandemic, closing two businesses, and a major reconstruction project on her home, Lauren's goal was to re-establish her purpose by focusing on the simple elements of life that made her feel the most like herself. Amid busy lives and the roles women must play each day, how often do we stop and focus on the innate "role" given at birth?

    For 11 days, Lauren cooked and ate her way across Provence with

    • wine, cheese, and chocolate tastings

    • baking lessons

    • cooking classes

    • sight-seeing, boat rides

    • wine caves

    • museums

    • and even visited a goat farm


    Her entire journey was documented on Instagram including a post she captioned, "11 days in a carry-on" where she showcased what she wore on the trip. When Lauren returned home from France, she was peppered with questions about packing for that many days without checking luggage.

    In celebration of the publication of her first novel, The France Dance, Lauren created a behind-the-scenes travel diary that discusses everything from packing and trip favorites to what inspired the novel. Part travel diary, part scrapbook, part packing how-to, 11 Days in a Carry-on gives an adventurous account of the trip that inspired the novel.

  • Prima ballerina Noëlle Allard is a Bostonian orphan who has dedicated her entire existence to perfecting her craft, making her one of the most renowned dancers in the world. After fifteen years en pointe and a relationship with a narcissist, Noëlle finds herself exhausted and broken by the very art form she loves. While dancing in Paris, a public brawl breaks out on the stage between her ex-ish boyfriend and her long-time pas de deux partner in front of an audience of adoring fans, and the spotlight reveals Noëlle in the center of a tumultuous storm.

    To escape the fallout and her life of restrictive diets, harsh lights, and criticism, she leaps aboard a runaway train to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, the village where her late father was born. After stumbling across his childhood home, now converted into a luxury B&B, Noëlle not only becomes a guest at the Maison Lavande but is also employed as the pantry chef, a craft to which she is not well suited.

    As Noëlle continues down this unexpected journey through the past, she discovers that fresh, local ingredients in her pantry, and the love of a previously unknown family lead her to a path of healing and self-discovery. Set against the soft light and watercolor scenery of a family-run lavender farm, The France Dance provides a beautiful escape for anyone who needs a departure from their everyday life and will pirouette senses through a Provençal market of flavor.

    Think French Kiss with a ballet twist…

The Art of Living Beautifully

…media company was founded in 2014 as a means for Publisher/Creator, Lauren Palmer to find a creative outlet that would clear the mommy fog that had settled in front of her daily lens after the birth of her two boys. The result was the production of various media platforms including both digital and printed magazines, blog, and films with the goal to create a desire in her readers to live present, tangible lives, void of autopilot, and beautifully curated to reflect their personal culture. The Art of Living Beautifully magazine published quarterly for four years. These creatively crafted volumes focused both on local life in McKinney, Texas and personal culture. To view, please click an issue below.