Flo For Halloween...

Untitled #57 by hchdesigns featuring plain aprons

Well, for my next costume idea.. I give you Flo... True story, this one was my husband's idea to be put on the blog.. He's so funny... Fun fact: we think up random Halloween costumes all through the year.. I honestly don't know why? So on to the costume, super easy! White on white with a white apron... Extra points if you can get Progressive on the apron! Tease that hair, with bunch of hair spray, at the back of the crown to get that lift... I don't think you need a wig for this one but if you wanted to go for it! Headband and the kicker is the red lip gloss! Must have the red lip gloss... Is it lame that I'm already thinking about how easy it would be for me to get the lip gloss on the jeans? I know, I know, super lame.

Now for the rest of your evening, it's your job is to be slightly ditsy and totally in love with insurance... Which I think we can all agree that the ditsy part will be easier...
Happy Tuesday!

Jim Harbaugh Halloween

Jim Harbaugh Halloween by hchdesigns featuring grey pants

Uh... Halloween is only 11 days away!! What the?? I swear the older I get the faster the weeks go by and the very fact that I'm saying that makes me feel really old... omg...
Anyhoo... Do you have you costume picked out yet?? Here's what I think would be a smash of a costume especially for couples... I don't know about you but I find it hilarious when couples dress identical in something unexpected and honestly I don't like typical costumes..
I like ones that tend to be a little more ironic...
So today in memory of the horrible football game we played last night, ugh, I don't want to talk about it... I give you Jim Harbaugh for Halloween..Pleated Dockers-check! Black shirt tucked in-check! The key to this costume working is all in your facial expressions and your body language... While having the clip board tucked into the back of your pants...

 I'll be posting all week some fun and creative ideas for last minute costumes that you could recreate with minimal effort.. Have a Happy Monday and let's all move on from the blood bath that was Sunday Night Football.. shaking my head...

Rainy Day...

Rainy Day... by hchdesigns featuring porcelain cups

J Crew cotton shirt / H M white top, $11 / Quiz black pants, $16 / Michael kors jewelry / ADOPTED white iphone case / Black glasses / New Balance MRL996DG, $145 / Porcelain cup

Well, it's finally raining here in Cali... which means... zero productivity.. I just want to be home, sip my tea, be causally chic and slow down for just a hot minute...

Sometimes when I get up super early to get ready, I just savor the stillness of the world and sip my coffee...just a sign that I've truly gotten old when getting up early is a luxury... big eye roll, huge... 
On days like this I dream of sitting on my couch, wearing all things cozy & chic... J Crew sweatshirt, oh come to mama... it's such a great way of being cozy and fabulous all at the same time.. and why on earth would you wear runners for any other reason than have a cozy day inside?? I'm kidding... sorta.

I will sit, do nothing... ignore the 3 huge Ikea bags of laundry that needed to be folded and put away.. I will drink my tea and do some online shopping cuz that's just a good day.. Some days you just need to give yourself a rainy day... open up the window and listen to the rain coming down, drink your favorite hot beverage, do an incredible eye makeup job the no one will see and relax... for no other reason than it's raining...

Life is Kickball...

Confession.. I've said no to things and opportunities because I thought I wouldn't be good at it... jaw on the floor... I mean, honestly... How does that get you where you want to go? It doesn't... Sometimes I think we are all just kids in our minds, playing the game of kickball and you hear in your head, "oh Hope is kicking, everybody move forward...' So to spare ourselves that kind of pain again or embarrassment we don't go for the dreams or opportunities that we really need in our life...

For me, I've avoided trying things or I quit too early because I'm not immediately good at it... Which, is total crap.. right? I mean we are meant to learn things, it's something that we are supposed to do..That it's ok to be smack in  the middle of a process, to try anyway..to dust your self off and go for it again.. Because at the end of the day, our worth is not defined by how successful our career is anything like that... We are amazing. Period.

The more we learn, the more we grow, the more we inspire others..The more I take risks, the more I can reach for things that normally would have seemed out of my reach... All we can do, is try our best and so what if you can't throw a pigeon clay and you're in front of a ton of people and they're all telling you how to do it and you may or may not start crying... true story that really happened... So what if you walk into a pole while waving hello to a guy... True story, that really happened... So what if you start singing in the wrong key.. on stage.. in front of your whole church...again that's really happened, more than once...

In life we are not guaranteed to avoid embarrassing moments or moments where we are really nervous to try something new.. but when we channel our inner Taylor Swift and "shake it off" we can really do amazing things.. if not for anyone else but ourselves..  That's me, that's where I'm at.. being brave, choosing to believe in myself and praying along the way.. That's all we can do right? Just go for it, you are amazing and you will rock this... So step up to that home plate, and kick that ball... kick it hard!

Live Adventurously....

Last week Seth and I celebrated our 5 year Anniversary!!! Gosh... Cannot believe it's been 5 years, I feel so blessed to be his wife.. like SO blessed...

I can't begin to tell you the dream come true he is in my life... 

I thought I would share with you some of our wedding photos.. I never get tired of them! And also, some fun little details of our wedding day! September 25 2009...

• I wore red stilettos... at the time it was groundbreaking... like no one was doing that.. now everyone seems to think it's a great idea to wear a colored shoe.. I feel that I started that  trend and I'm flattered really that everyone wants to copy me... 
• I have two wedding dresses...The first one was a lesson in why you don't buy your wedding dress online... for reals, don't do it.. The second is the one I wore and it's dreamy... If I could .. I would wear it around the house... cuz that's just how I roll..
• Seth had the greatest idea of having a rehearsal luncheon instead of dinner, so the night was free for an early rehearsal and our very chill bachelor & bachelorette parties.
• I walked down the aisle to Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve... the doors opened when the drums kicked in... It was epic..
• We didn't have a wedding cake.. neither of us like wedding cake and it was too expensive! Instead we served amazing cheesecake for dessert! 
• My good friend closed her coffee shop for the day so me and my girls could all get ready there... it was so amazing... 
• We didn't have a DJ, I made every single playlist and had it on my iPod.. again it was epic..

Till this day I look back and thank God for such a wonderful day.. but honestly.. the thing I am most thankful to God for, is my husband... He loves me, listens to my random rambling... I think he is so funny and I laugh at all of his jokes...He supports me in my dreams and I support his... We promised to live adventurously with each other... and everyday whether it's snorkeling in Hawaii or running to Walmart for more toilet paper... has been the very best adventure and I would do all over again in a heartbeat...