Recently I found my way back to the vegan/plant based lifestyle. I decided to completely cut meat out of my diet, and cut out eating dairy & eggs (with a few situational exceptions like traveling or ice cream that I just NEED to have). I’ve been feeling much healthier, happier and my recovery from my car accident has been a whole lot smoother.

This time around, I wanted to make sure I became plant based sustainably & for life. I have stumbled upon some goodies that definitely make this easy for me. A while ago, my close friend & I were walking to our favorite coffee shop in Echo Park, and stumbled upon a little bodega fully stocked with amazing vegan snacks. We came across Unisoy vegan jerky & decided to give it a try. I had tried vegan jerky in the past & quite honestly was not a huge fan. They were always so salty, had a strange texture & were overall not healthy for you in the slightest. When I’m snacking I tend to reach for a healthier option that leaves me feeling light & satisfied simultaneously.

Unisoy was a total game changer for me. They currently have three flavors Teriyaki (my personal favorite), cracked black pepper & mild spicy. My friend & I demolished that whole bag in one serving. The texture is perfectly chewy & flakey. And it tastes absolutely amazing! I am honestly a huge fan of some good meat replacements. They appeal to my omnivore boyfriend & I often find myself becoming protective of my little vegan jerky. Unisoy has become a staple my snack arsenal & I always keep it stocked in my pantry.

Also upon looking at the nutrition label, the sodium content is very low in comparison to other vegan jerkys. They have a very low amount of fat & are high protein which is great if you’re seeking good macros for a little snack. They’re TVP (textured vegetable protein) based which gives them that lovely meat-like texture.

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or an omnivore, I promise you will love Unisoy vegan jerky. If you’re looking to try it, you can shop online or find them in health food stores. I want to hear your feedback to see if you all are as obsessed as I am! Please leave comments, email or DM me on instagram.

-Lacey

 

 

Spring is, kind of, here in LA. I mean the weather seems to change every single day. We’ve had blazing hot days, days when the wind carries you away, chilly thick-knit sweater mornings & everything in between. But at least flowers do not seem to care. My social media feeds were filled with beautiful blooms & I know I needed to start off spring with a little adventure.

A few days ago, Cole & I decided to road trip down to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad. But first we had to stop for some coffee at one of my favorites, Eightfold. I mean, it is a road trip (and daily) essential for me. Coffee sets my intentions for the day. To put it in short, I feel like I have my shit together with a cup of coffee in my hand. Since I was little, my mom always taught me to appreciate the beautiful little things in day to day life. The world is so much brighter when you focus on the smallest things that bring you joy. Anyways…

After caffeine, we drove down to South Ponto Beach, a chill little spot in Carlsbad. I laid in the sun & Cole played guitar while we watched the waves roll into the shore. The ocean is another little thing that brings my heart so much joy. The waves are soothing to my little soul. My happy place is definitely by the ocean with the sun on my skin. There is something magical in the way sand follows you home days after you go to the beach, just a little reminder of a day well spent. Same goes for tan lines; and let me tell you I woke up with really strange ones!

After some beach time, we set out for the flowers. I have been flower obsessed since I was a child. I remember going with my parents & grandparents to the Getty Museum flower garden & I made it my own personal mission to smell every single flower. I came home happy as a bee, but my nose could not handle all the pollen for about a week. I still think it was far worth it! Though I know better than to smell every flower, the flower obsession has never left. The Flower Fields were a dream world!

I’ve never seen so many flowers in one place! Truly something magical.

My attempt at photography (hey it’s been a minute) 😉

Also to top everything off, fresh strawberry stands were everywhere! I was so stoked! They tasted like straight candy! If you know me, you know I am quite a little fruit bat. We demolished our strawberries in about five minutes!

Overall, such a lovely day & one I will remember! I want to be rich in experiences & memories, to me they are the most valuable thing one can possess. Thank you for reading & following along with some of my favorite memories this year. I can’t wait to see all the places I’ll go & memories I’ll have. Many thanks to Cole for sharing this one with me & for being the talented human that he is!

all photos of me by: @coleplay

my instagram: @laceynwalker

the Flower Fields

A few weeks back I (very impulsively) decided to book an airbnb I’ve been eyeing for a while now. And this week, packed up my car & my best friend Levi for the short drive out to Joshua Tree. I haven’t traveled to anywhere new for quite some time & I vowed that this year would be the year I travel to 25 places. Hopefully I’ll get there. One down and twenty-four to go!

Being in the desert was so calming. I could quite literally only hear the sound of the wind. I have been trying to meditate & just sit in silence at least once a day. I find I am always going so fast, jumping from one thing to the next, I don’t give myself time to process my thoughts & emotions. This has helped me so much. With such a lovely view, it was so easy. I ran outside barefoot & sat in the sun. One of my favorite moments from this trip among many.

Right when we got in, Levi & I were starving so I decided to challenge my chef abilities (with lots of help from Trader Joe’s…). I shot high & made roasted tomato soup with truffle grilled cheese on sourdough for Levi & avocado toast topped with a little truffle cheese for myself. So freaking good! Definitely try Trader Joe’s truffle cheese, it wasn’t too expensive & if you love truffles like we do, you MUST try!

After food, we made gin & tonic with lime. My drink of choice! And headed out to watch the sunset out on the back porch. I find myself missing the desert so much, at times, and this experience truly fed my soul. Sometimes when you live in the city, you feel so out of touch with where you came from.

The next morning, we made coffee & sat out in the morning sun. Feeling the sun on my skin is so calming & healing.

Here’s to many more trips this year & feeling the sun on my skin a little more. Many thanks to Levi for sharing this experience with me. Though we stayed for only a night, I have so many lovely memories to carry with me.

-Lacey

All photos of me by @mybrainisweird

My instagram: @laceynwalker

 

Though I take most of my own photos for my instagram, the model side of me still really enjoys collaborating with photographers. A few weeks back I had the pleasure of collaborating with Alexandre Souêtre; his simplicity & minimalism is insanely beautiful in his photos. I want to share some of my favorites from our shoot with you, along with some relevant quotes I have found recently. I keep a journal to write down quotes I come across that speak to me & inspire me. Words are so powerful & I enjoy keeping a physical book I can just read whenever I feel lost. Anyways…

“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile & personality. What you believe in & all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.”

-Helena Bonham Carter

“My goal in life is to be one of those people who are just light. You see them & you suddenly feel so warm inside & all you want to do is hug them. And they look at you & smile with the warmest light in their eyes…and you love them. Maybe not in a romantic way but you just want to be close to them & you hope some of their light transfers onto you.”

-Unknown

“I hope you are blessed with a heart like a wildflower. Strong enough to rise again after being trampled upon, tough enough to weather the worst of summer storms & able to grow & flourish even in the most broken places.”

-Unknown

“Flowers are reincarnation. They come out of earth, of our ashes. Nothing else looks so soul-like.”

-Francesca Lia Block

“I look to her in the simplest, smallest moments, when she reads or drinks coffee, or brushes her teeth & I am breathless, knowing it doesn’t take a million dollar telescope to witness the crushing beauty of the universe.”

-Beau Taplin

“I think we like to complicate things when it’s really quite simple: find what it is that makes you happy & who it is that makes you happy & you’re set. Promise.”

-Unknown

“Learn to appreciate the beauty you don’t understand.”

-Vazaki Nada

Thank you for reading & hopefully you feel a little more inspired & a little lighter, closer to the sky today.

-Lacey

 

Now I’m definitely one of those “love the people in your life every day instead of one day that’s centered around consumerism” kind of gals, but it has always been a fun excuse to tell someone you like them; take your love out for coffee; embrace your cooking/baking skills while you attempt to make everything heart-shaped & taste good simultaneously; go to the beach with a huge blanket & watch the colors dance across the sky; you get the flow, I’ve always been one for experiences over material things. I show love through acts of kindness. (That is one of the love languages right?)

This past Valentine’s Day was the first one I had as a single lady since I was about 18. Not that I am a serial dater or anything. I’ve just had two long term relationships. I’ve loved a lot & learned more about myself in the process. I am happy where I am now. I feel inspired & strong. For those of you wondering, Levi & I are still very good friends. We actually spent the day together this year, just as best friends; such a simple & lovely day as well. I really don’t know how I feel about romantic relationships at the moment, I am much more focused on keeping close friendships with the kind souls I am lucky to know.

Anyways, I wanted to share some advice & show you my day.

First off, enjoy the little things. For me it’s warm drinks in the morning, yesterday it was a lavender matcha with heart shaped latte art. When you focus on the littlest things that bring you joy, life is much more beautiful. Flowers off the sidewalk, a puppy walking by you on the street, the comfort of a warm knit sweater, your favorite fruit, the color of the sky…

Love yourself & know yourself before you give yourself to anyone. Know your strengths & own them. Be unapologetically yourself. But also know your weaknesses, accept them for what they are & continually seek the betterment of yourself. Bloom as a person. Remember before you are anyone else’s, you are your own.

Treat yourself. I have always been one to buy myself flowers & eat out at places alone. I don’t see it as being strange. I see it as treating myself to the love I want to receive; also self reflection comes so much more easily when I am alone with my thoughts. That’s something I want to work more towards this year. I love so fully when I am with someone that I tend to lose sight of what I really want out of life in general. That’s something I need to work on.

I hope you enjoyed my lil scattered thoughts & a look into my day yesterday.

-Lacey

At the beginning of this year, I started a new job as a social media manager & barista at a coffee shop in Venice; honestly the greatest job ever, I am stoked. I just haven’t had a normal job in about 6 months, so readjusting has been a struggle!

In order to get through my work week, I make sure to plan rad adventures with friends filled with lots of slow mornings, oat milk lattes, food & new places. There are few things I love more than adventuring to places I had never seen before. Things like that feed my soul & need for exploration. (until I can travel more of course! I have some trips in the work as we speak!!)

Yesterday I asked my friend Lily if she would be down to explore around this little French cafe I found. I am obsessed with France, literally my number one place to travel right now. La Tropezienne was so lovely. We tried a cappuccino, a latte, fresh croissant & a pistachio macaron! And also they gave us small little pastries covered in pearl sugar! Literally the best out of everything! I have no idea what they were called though…oops. Also if you have never had a croissant & cappuccino paired, you’re missing out. I learned this trick from a German fashion blogger, but you dip the croissant into the cappuccino foam & I don’t know how to explain it other than it is complete magic. Just try it for yourself!

Also afterwords, we ran around Melrose to get a green tea boba from Urth because boba…

Thanks for reading my bbys

-Lacey

 

Coffee is my life blood. I mean I literally have the caffeine molecule tattooed on my forearm. That’s dedication. Anyways, I wanted to write about my favorite shops I have had the pleasure to visit in the past couple of years. Some I have been to a billion times, and others only once or twice, but they still hold a special place in my heart.

Coffee shops just have such a peacefulness to them. First dates, friend dates, groggy morning runs, a lovely workspace; I feel that they are so versatile. Also every time I travel to a new city, I enjoy instagram stalking the most popular shops in the area, which always makes for a great adventure.

After living in LA for about a year, I’ve selected favorite shops I go to again and again. One of the first shops I ventured into, was Eightfold over in Silverlake/Echo Park. Get their white chocolate matcha latte; literally the greatest matcha in LA!

 

 

A new favorite, mainly because of their oat milk latte & their strawberry almond croissant, is La Colombe in Beverly Hills. I shared a lovely rainy morning with my ex-boyfriend there. We shared the croissant & watched the rain outside through the huge windows. Literally the perfect rainy day if you ask me.

An old favorite I actually haven’t been to in quite a while is La Mill Coffee in Silverlake. I was hard core obsessed with their iced hemp milk vanilla latte; so obsessed that the baristas would start making me one when they saw me walk in the door. Don’t knock it until you try it! Honestly hemp milk & oat milk are the ways to go with coffee, at least in a latte. They replicate the creaminess & richness of milk so well. I hate hate hate cow milk in my coffee. You couldn’t pay me to drink it! La Mill has some of the best breakfast in silverlake as well! So many options for every kind of diet too! (Also there is this one barista who looks like Garrett Borns & we all know how I feel about him)

My favorite in LA has to be Alfred. They are probably the most famous in LA & I can totally tell why! They just do everything incredibly well & are pretty cheap in comparison to other third wave shops out here in LA. They have a simple menu, oat milk, a lovely turmeric latte, lots of locations, and croissants sourced from FarmShop. I’m forever obsessed. Alfred started the oat milk obsession for me. I always recommend them to anyone passing through as a must try!

Anddddd….I have to include my favorite shop in Albuquerque. I have too many memories there & I just love it far too much! No shop out here even compares. I’ve honestly never seen such a creative menu & such consistently good drinks & food. On my days off in ABQ, I would always go to Zendo to drink an Americano & eat their homemade granola. I was able to go pretty much every day when I was home for Christmas. Guysss….they have oat milk!!! If you are ever traveling through Albuquerque, be sure to stop there!

What are your favorite shops? I would love recommendations 🙂

photos of me by: Levi