This weekend I visited the Indiana Flower & Patio Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds with extended family. I don't own a patio (or a home) so I wasn't all that excited at first but it turned out to be a pleasant day and I saw some cool things:

There's at least two of these round, red barns on the grounds and I think they're so beautiful. Fire & water seems to be the big trend in patios these days and this display was my favorite (sadly, my photo doesn't do it justice). I adore the smell of hyacinth and I think I stopped to sniff each arrangement. My son & I had lots of fun peeking through this steel hole in the wall.

This giant balloon rainbow greeted us upon arrival to the show. The flowers available for sale were so lush and the pavilion smelled lovely! We'll be planting a garden at my mother's house this spring and I'd like to divide the space like this grid to keep us organized. I fell head over heels for this hanging bed --- It made me really want to have a patio.

These whisper thin, string spheres were marvelous and housed a light bulb in each...they'd look great over a dining table. I bought these peachy pink roses to brighten my home. This repurposed wine bottle fountain was a big hit with our group. I am really into air plants since they're pretty low maintenance. Hanging them in glass ornaments could be a terrific way for me to introduce more greenery into Chez Fox.

Fashionable Fort Waynian, Part Deux: Lauren Zuber

What can I say about Lauren? She is quick witted, smart as a whip and crafty as hell. Lauren has a degree in Fashion Design from Indiana University and is very talented - I've seen some of her goods in action. Her personality really shines through her sartorial choices which, in my opinion, is the key to great personal style.

Lauren, in her black "cartoon character dress"

How would you describe your style?

Comfortable with accents of just-a-bit-too-much. I live in jeans, but love my cheetah (or leopard, whatever it is) glasses and have slowly been acquiring more things that are jungle cat printed. Day-to-day I’m very laid back and wear a shocking lack of accessories due to my jewelry aversion (I don’t like metal, it’s weird but whatevs.) but like bright shoes and bright solids (and bright nail polish). The more time goes on the less I care about how other people think I look. I don’t dress like a slob or like I was raised by wolves, but matching isn’t my highest priority anymore. It’s more fun this way. I was wearing 4 different patterns one day last week and own a fluorescent yellow coat (it’s real deal safety wear, need to get brave and wear it, it’s so warm!).

What is your go to, no fail outfit?

I’m going to pretend weather doesn’t change because my go to, no fail outfit is a summer one. I have a dress that I call my cartoon character dress. If I could only wear one thing everyday forever it would be this dress. It’s a cross back, tank top, empire waist, black jersey dress. Super basic, super comfortable, super flattering and because of the empire waist you can pig out at summer cookouts with no food-bloat showing. It’s perfect. I bought it two summers ago at Target and have been kicking myself for not buying a lifetime supply. My heart will break when it wears out. To turn my cartoon character dress into an outfit we’ll throw on (most likely metallic and potentially bedazzled) sandals, the obligatory Wayfarers, a big purse and carry a sweater for scary a/c possibilities.

If money was no object what is the one style item you'd purchase?

Tan Burberry classic trench coat. Hands down, no questions asked.

What is your desert island beauty product?

Some sort of chapstick with sunscreen. Brand undecided, probably Nivea. I lose a lot of chapstick (and have never used one all the way to the end) so I’ve tried a lot of brands and rarely buy the expensive stuff due to the losing. Nivea is a well priced favorite. I’m down to look awful if I’m stuck on an island, but I don’t want gross or burnt lips. Uncomfortable. Chapstick is a beauty item, right?

You can whip up a skirt and sew a mean dinosaur...what inspired you to learn to sew and how long have you been doing it?

My mom sewed and I thought it was awesome. She would always sew at our dining room table and I would sit and stab pins into placemats, insisting that I was sewing as well. After enough placemat stabbing and at the height of my pocket obsession I was deemed trustworthy enough to use a needle. I sewed a pocket out of grey corduroy. I still have it. I was seven.

Who is your favorite designer?

This is where I get pathetic about style and fashion. I honestly don’t keep up with it, and barely did when I was in school. Ralph Lauren has pretty much always been my favorite. Everything is wearable, of great quality and classic. Pockets and cool details abound. My personal style is rooted in classics and wearability, so I’ve got to go Ralph. Also, have you seen the riding boots they put out? Perfection.

If you could raid any closet whose would it be?

Since I can choose any closet I’m assuming that everything will magically become my size and I can choose fictional people. Two answers. 1. Fictional: Carrie Bradshaw, duh. 2. Real life: Zooey Deschanel, she’s adorable and everything she wears looks comfortable and fun. She makes me wish I could pull off (and like) blunt cut, full bangs.

If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life which would it be?

Black. At best you look fabulous, at worst you look like a downer. I’ll take it.

In addition to sewing you post delicious images of your mad baking skillz...what's your favorite thing to make in the kitchen?

Probably cupcakes, or pancakes. Cupcakes. They’re fun (and easy) to make and have a lot of room for silly decorating. They’re also generally a crowd pleaser and have frosting. I have a difficult time saying no to frosting.

Want to hear more from Lauren? Follow her on Twitter: @lazuber

BIG thanks to Lauren for sharing her personal style with NWS!

JDF