A woman with wavy, shoulder-length hair wearing a striped t-shirt and necklace, standing in a kitchen with white cabinets, a stove, and decorative items, preparing or serving food or drinks.

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

Three people, two women and a man, smiling at a social gathering with food and other people in the background.
A dark gray circular logo with a stylized lowercase letter 'g' in the center, composed of a semi-circular shape and a vertical line.

Ciao, I’m Lauren

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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 our own.

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

read more about Lauren
A woman with short brown hair, wearing a pink top and colorful beaded earrings, is signing a book at a table decorated with pink flowers and lit candles.

travel essentials all in one place

11 Days in a Carry-on is part travel diary, part packing guide—filled with tried-and-true travel hacks, hardworking essentials, and little luxuries that earn their place in your suitcase. Pack lighter, travel better, and live beautifully wherever you land.

explore travel favorites

shop my travel favorites on LTK

A woman in sunglasses and summer clothing standing next to a white balcony railing, holding a round woven bag, with a blue door behind her.
A woman in sunglasses and summer clothing standing next to a white balcony railing, holding a round woven bag, with a blue door behind her.
A woman with long blonde hair, wearing sunglasses, a striped top, and patterned pants, is sitting on stone steps outside a house with a rose-colored stucco wall and a stone wall. She is smiling, with her left arm resting on her knee. There is a large straw tote bag with leather straps next to her and surrounded by greenery and flowers.
A woman with long blonde hair, wearing sunglasses, a striped top, and patterned pants, is sitting on stone steps outside a house with a rose-colored stucco wall and a stone wall. She is smiling, with her left arm resting on her knee. There is a large straw tote bag with leather straps next to her and surrounded by greenery and flowers.

San Miguel de Allende 2021

Santorini 2026

A woman in an orange dress with open-toed sandals, smiling and leaning against a white wall in a coastal village with white buildings and a church dome in the background.
A woman in an orange dress with open-toed sandals, smiling and leaning against a white wall in a coastal village with white buildings and a church dome in the background.

St. Barth’s 2019

A woman with fair skin, red hair, and blue eyes smiling while sitting at a table outdoors on a sunny day. She is wearing a wide-brimmed, white hat with a black band, a red sleeveless top, and a silver wristwatch. There are several cups and bottles on the table, and a row of potted plants and a blue sky in the background.
A woman with fair skin, red hair, and blue eyes smiling while sitting at a table outdoors on a sunny day. She is wearing a wide-brimmed, white hat with a black band, a red sleeveless top, and a silver wristwatch. There are several cups and bottles on the table, and a row of potted plants and a blue sky in the background.

Rousillon 2023

The Journal is a collection of letters about creative stewardship—tending thoughtfully and imaginatively to the life we’ve been given. Through rituals, recipes, places, objects, and everyday curiosities, we’ll explore how to find beauty in what we have, joy in where we are, and inspiration for what comes next. Along the way, we’ll gather the little rituals, pleasures, and collections that bring us joy, restore our peace, and make us feel most like ourselves.

the journal

A pathway lined with tall trees on both sides, with green leaves forming a canopy overhead, leading to a distant structure.
A pathway lined with tall trees on both sides, with green leaves forming a canopy overhead, leading to a distant structure.
Pink hydrangea flowers in a clear glass vase placed on a wooden table. The reflection in the vase shows a woman taking a photo with a smartphone. A wooden drawer and a container with pens and pencils are visible in the background.
Pink hydrangea flowers in a clear glass vase placed on a wooden table. The reflection in the vase shows a woman taking a photo with a smartphone. A wooden drawer and a container with pens and pencils are visible in the background.
A small white ceramic teapot with a blue heart on the front, sitting on top of a white ceramic tissue box with blue heart patterns, on a white countertop.
A small white ceramic teapot with a blue heart on the front, sitting on top of a white ceramic tissue box with blue heart patterns, on a white countertop.
A stack of books, including The Evergreen by Lydia Miller, placed on a wooden shelf with other decorative objects and books around.
A stack of books, including The Evergreen by Lydia Miller, placed on a wooden shelf with other decorative objects and books around.
Close-up of a cup filled with frothy matcha green tea, with a swirl of lighter foam on top.
Close-up of a cup filled with frothy matcha green tea, with a swirl of lighter foam on top.
Peaches arranged in baskets at a market stall on a blue and white checkered tablecloth.
Peaches arranged in baskets at a market stall on a blue and white checkered tablecloth.

passports ~

farmers markets ~

vintage ~

matcha ~

fresh flowers ~

french cafe radio ~

linen ~

passports ~ farmers markets ~ vintage ~ matcha ~ fresh flowers ~ french cafe radio ~ linen ~

read the journal

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.

Are you curious to discover what happens when we quiet the noise, lift our eyes from the screen, and return to the life waiting to be noticed?

Social Media Detox
“Social media fills up all the extra space we have if we aren’t careful. It’s in quiet moments that we can hear God. Boredom facilitates creativity and curiosity. If all the quiet moments are filled up with socials, we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to hear God and be used by Him.”
— LP
Close-up of a teal-colored hand-shaped door knocker with a decorative backplate, mounted on a wooden door. A person's hand is touching the knocker, and they are wearing silver and gold bangles and a silver ring.