I hadn’t taken portraits in forever so I planned a little Pioneer Square photoshoot with my friend Kerstin. Unlike in Los Angeles, I don’t have many content creator friends back home in Bellevue. Thankfully, Kerstin…
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I was inspired to share my morning routine since I love watching “get ready with me” (GRWM) videos on YouTube. I feel like I’ve usually had some sort of morning routine, but I started really getting…
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Our first trip to Maryland in August 2020 was focused on moving my sister into her apartment, so this time we went for a quick weekend trip and found some fun things to do in…
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Some people like to go somewhere warm to soak up the last days of summer, but my friend Kyra and I decided we’d take a road trip to the Washington and Oregon Coast for Labor…
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Let’s talk about money! The average American has over $6,000 of credit card debt, and money issues are one of the leading causes of divorce. Some people hate talking about money, some people love it,…
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Here are the best restaurants in Bar Harbor, Maine! Similar to Newport, Rhode Island, Bar Harbor is kind of a foodie town, and we didn’t have any bad meals during our 5 days in Maine.…
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WHY VISIT BAR HARBOR, MAINE? I would say that Maine is the Pacific Northwest of the East Coast, and it is around the same latitude as Portland, OR. Bar Harbor is an outdoorsy touristy coastal…
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There are many great options, but these are my favorite restaurants in Newport, Rhode Island after eating our way through the city for four days. My family is all about the food, so when I…
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WHY VISIT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND? Newport is a bougie little coastal town with a bougie past. The Vanderbilt family built mansions and John F. Kennedy was married to Jacqueline Bouvier at St. Mary’s Church! Rhode…
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I’m so glad I met Hannah at a friend’s hiking meet-up in Los Angeles a few years ago! She has fabulous style and is such a genuine, down-to-earth gal! Hannah recently launched her women’s clothing…
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Growing up, I used to read 24/7. I read in the car on the way to the grocery store, under the covers, just all the time. I would go to the library to get new…
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I don’t know if Washington is well-known for its waterfalls, but it should be! With all the rain we get, waterfalls are always running, and there are some that require very little hiking to get…
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If you’re hungry but #StuckintheSuburbs, here are my favorite restaurants in Bellevue and the Eastside! While Seattle definitely is a foodie city, after you cross I-90 east, you won’t find a super vibrant food scene.…
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If you’re looking to plan your perfect trip, you’re in the right place! Trip planning gives me such a rush and literally keeps me awake at night. The worst feeling is coming back from a…
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If you ever find yourself in Seattle or Portland for more than a few days, definitely check out the Columbia River Gorge! The Columbia River serves as a natural border between Washington and Oregon, and…
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*Lively by Laura is a part of several affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site, I may make a commission from it, at…
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I’ve wanted to take a road trip to Palouse Falls since I saw a photo of it on Instagram in high school. A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I finally got to go!…
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Life is slowly starting to return to normal, but I think the pandemic has made everyone realize the benefits of going on daily walks. I like listening to podcasts or calling friends while I walk,…
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Nicolette and I met back in 2017 when I photographed a styled bridal shoot for the launch of her wedding and event planning business, Sparkling Soirées. Nicolette was so bubbly and sweet, and I was…
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I requested a random Monday off of work, not planning to visit the daffodil fields in Skagit Valley. The weather is so hard to predict in Washington, so planning outdoor activities in advance requires some…
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Cuterie Girls launched in October 2020 during quarantine, and they make the cutest charcuterie boards! I’m a big fan of cheese, so when I saw friends posting about Cuterie Girls on Instagram, I knew that…
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Pro tip: make your own self-care bingo template before you even feel anxious! Before my anxiety struck hard last year, self-care was something I had the luxury of dabbling in only when absolutely necessary. It…
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March 12, 2020 was the day my office closed and my quarantine life began. All my co-workers and I packed up our laptops and some office equipment, expecting to return in two weeks. I flew…
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Victoria recently commented on one of my photos of Mount Rainier on Instagram. Since I didn’t know who she was, I checked out her account and knew that I wanted to feature her and PaintPNW…
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I saw this trend on TikTok, but I don’t make TikToks, so here we are!! It was so fun going back through my photography Instagram account @lauraclaypool_photo and thinking about all the amazing memories I’ve…
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After the horrific murder of George Floyd last May, I tried to compile as many resources as I could and put them into blog posts to educate myself on racism in America. I came across…
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Ellie and I met when we were film school freshmen living in the same dorm building at Chapman University! Throughout college, she was busy playing soccer, making moving documentaries, and going on trips to the…
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Los Angeles is full of colorful Instagrammable walls. You could probably get a month’s worth of social media content just walking down certain streets! Murals change all the time, so sometimes you’ll see an Instagrammable…
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I’ve written and re-written this post so many times. I’m new to anxiety, and I kind of have impostor syndrome about talking about it. Who am I to say anything since I’ve only had to…
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Katherine is one of my closest friends, and we got to live together for a year in college! She is such a sincere and caring person, and actually wants to know how you’re feeling. She…
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Hi, I'm Laura Claypool, and I'm so jazzed you're here! I'm a blogger and self-taught photographer seeking adventure, artisanal ice cream, and other experiences that make me feel alive!
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