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...

Fall Fashion Wishlist..

Fall Fashion Wishlist.. by hchdesigns featuring a black trenchcoat

Ace Delivery top / H M cashmere top, $100 / Forever 21 top / James Lakeland black trenchcoat, $83 / BLANKNYC black vegan leather jacket / H M wool blend coat, $100 / Charles by Charles David high heel shoes / Steve Madden leopard pumps / Urban Decay beauty product

Well, I don't know about you but now that it's September I need more fall fashion.. who am I kidding, I was craving sweaters in August..But at least I don't feel so much like weirdo now that it's kind fall ish... I mean, if Starbucks can sell their Pumpkin Spice Latte then, I can seriously get my sweater wearing on.. who cares that it's 80 degrees, sweating is chic...

Leopard & Camel put them together or wear them on their own, it's a winner... They're just gorgeous and I need it in my life... I'm not kidding when I say, I seriously need that sweater... Beyond the fact that it's cashmere, can't you just picture it with leggings, stiletto booties & a gray scarf... naturally with a coffee in my hand... I can picture it.. It's where all my fashion dreams come true....

Plaid- Can I just say I'm thrilled when a trend doesn't change from year to year? Like leggings... those bad boys are here to stay and all the girls who would like to wear their pj's during the day say Hallelujah! But, I digress.. layering and print mixing.. these two tops are incredible... pair it with stripes, or under that leather jacket... glory... either way they are gonna be an extremely versatile piece in your closet.. swearsies...

Last, but certainly not least.. Urban Decay just came out with a gorgeous new matte eye shadow palette inspired off of their Naked2 line... Umm.. Santa, if you are reading this, I really really want it, like really really... So this is how I'm celebrating Tuesday, basically second Monday.. drooling, planning, hoping & wishing for more of these in my life... What are you loving this season?

Back To School Season: 7 Time Saving Tips ...

Back To School Season.. by hchdesigns featuring a ray ban aviator

Ok so it's back to school season.. and it's like a madhouse with traffic at 8:00am and you forgot to leave for work early... Gosh those little kids are cute but they are a real buzz kill when it comes to getting to work on time.. unless.. you plan ahead! Here are some tried and true tricks to help you getting out the door on time!

• Shower at night.. I know, brilliant right? I should write a book.... If you shower at night, first off it will relax you and help you sleep better, therefore not waking up like the zombie that may or may not happen.. 

• Speaking of sleep, go to bed! You are not a kid, you are not going to par-tay all night long... the average person needs about 7 hours of sleep.. Getting enough rest will help you not curse at your alarm and help loose the under eye baggage!

• Skip the coffee shop... There is nothing more chic then saving money... so set your nifty coffee maker to brew right before your alarm goes off in the morning.. that way when you get up, the house smells like coffee and you can stumble to the kitchen poor yourself a cup and all will be right with the world again.

• Keep your makeup fresh & simple, skip the layers of eye shadow and false lashes... go for neutral tones and classic looks... If you need to carve out more time for this, to do it at home, then do it... It's tempting to do your makeup in the car but repeat after me, "I will not put makeup on in the car".. there are kiddos out there and you need to pay attention to the road... If you are carpooling, then well, if you are comfortable putting on your makeup with an audience then be my guest... 

• Pick out your outfit the night before, try it on.. accessories and all and make sure you like it.. I say this because there have been many times I've picked out a look the night before only to change my mind the morning of, which consequently results in half of my closet emptied onto my bed.. never a good idea...

• Set your alarm to go off 15 minutes before you need to get out the door.. this helps me so much, because before you know it you've wasted some serious time wondering if your eyeliner is on evenly..and your not dressed it's time to leave.. awkward...  if you only have 15 minutes left, then you my friend need to start to hustle...

• Top knot...I know, brilliant again! I'm on a roll.. So you showered the night before and then didn't dry your hair enough, you wake up with random waves and not in a cool way.. Brush that bad boy and pull it into a top knot... 

So there you have it.. my tips and tricks for getting out the door on time! It's that time of year when we are playing frogger with school buses and summer is over... We can handle it with these tips and comfort ourselves with this, if school is back then so is FALL FASHION! Can I get an amen?

How To: Surviving Allergy Season..

Surviving Allergy Season... by hchdesigns featuring Bumble and Bumble

It's the most wonderful time of the year... where all glamour goes out the door and I'm surrounded by tissues & allergy medicine.... If you could hear my voice right now it sounds a bit like Meg Ryan when she was sick in You've Got Mail.... Growing up I never struggled with allergies and honestly had little compassion for those who did... Big mistake HUGE..  now since moving to Northern California where nothing ever really dies in winter.. like clock work I will have a month of seasonal allergies! Ugh... So how's a girl supposed to stay sane in this wretched season, let alone look chic??? Well I'll tell you...

• Stay comfortable but do not live in your PJ's... repeat after me.. I'm adult and only babies wear PJ's all day... Over-sized tees & boyfriend jeans are a fantastic option! 
• Since your not feeling well, skip the stilettos.. I know, I know, we love em but honestly if your drugged up on NyQuil & Allegra you probably shouldn't be driving 5 inch heels... they should put that somewhere on the box... go for an endlessly classic sneaker like these White Converse! Be sure to have the jeans rolled up showing some leg, ooh la la... this will help balance your proportions... 
• Accessorize!! It's the magic dust of any look, nothing fancy just a watch, earrings & sunnies.. this will help make you look like you actually tried to get dressed in the morning.. which isn't that the point? 
• Makeup.. this is naturally the easiest thing to skip when not feeling well, however it is one of the MOST important and will do wonders for your mood! Keep it simple, mascara, lips and a little glow for the cheeks... Just because you feel like you shouldn't see the light of day doesn't mean you should look like a vampire... Think Bella from Twilight and just say NO! I love the Nars Illuminator in the color Orgasm... I wear it everyday! 
• Hair, again very easy to skip but I promise you'll physically feel better if you feel you look good... so wash it, spritz it with a texturizing spray like Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray... easy peasy...  and you look great! 

Let's be honest, nothing quite says "Ooh la la" like Vapor Rub and a box full of tissues.. it's not a glamorous time but there are some things we can do to help. In my experience if you are just feeling icky, take a little time to give to yourself, you will feel a world of difference! Even if it is just to run to Walmart for more cough drops.... Because if there is anyone who can make cold & allergy season ,chic, it's you!

How To Wear: Radiant Orchid...

Radiant Orchid by hchdesigns featuring lips makeup

Radiant Orchid, the color of 2014... I'm not sure who decides these things or how really it's chosen and the whole logic behind it... but I must say when I heard that Emerald was last years, naturally as a redhead with fair skin, I was thrilled! See in this post here... This year not so much.. Don't get me wrong it's a gorgeous color and all you lovely olive and dark skin ladies, this is your year... However.. I"m like whiter than rice... it makes me look like death warmed over.. I've got the bridesmaid dresses to prove it..  Just kidding I've removed all the evidence, thanks Goodwill...

My solution... accessories & beauty!!  My rule of thumb for most mainstream trends are, start small... it's way easier to replace a small trendy item when it's no longer chic.. than an entire wardrobe...

• One of my favorite ways to stay current is mixing in color trends with your nails! How gorgeous are those Pantone Universe Nail Colors (apparently coming to Sephora in the Spring)... I mean, I would wear every single one! If you don't want to wait that long, Essie has a great option!
• Statement earrings are also WAY big this year, such a great way to spice up a look... You can find  those gorgeous earrings  from Bauble Bar! Only $32!!! Style them with distressed boyfriend jeans, black stilettos & a crisp white button down...Hello beautiful!!
• There are so many fabulous ways to incorporate this color in your makeup, YSL has that amazing eye palette or lip.. Can you imagine a gorgeous smokey eye with all this purple hue? Wowza...
• Let's not forget about your cell phone cover! It really should be thought of as a true fashion accessory since it's usually in our hand most of the day... guilty... how gorgeous is that cover from Tory Burch!

Just some tips to help you with mixing in some of this years hottest trends, start small...Mix it with your favorites.. a healthy mix of classic & trendy is honestly one of my favorite looks... One last tip, if you tend to have fair skin, go for deeper tones of this... you will thank me later.... Darker skin ladies...(jealous face).. like I said before... enjoy, this is your year! 

What to Wear, Christmas Party: A little red lip...

A little red lip... by hchdesigns featuring a black dress

In this season on Christmas parties and endless fashion options... try a little red lip!  It's the perfect little pop of red to your look, a little black dress, gold accessories and a gorgeous white coat.. it's the perfect look that says I'm classic, don't underestimate me and I like to party...  This is almost the exact look I wore to a Christmas party this last Saturday night (except the bag & different white coat and earrings).. to where I had sincere plans and aspirations to get documented in an outfit post..rolling my eyes.. however, I did not get ready in time to catch the daylight... When did I become so high maintenance?

Holy green eyes batman...thanks Instagram for saving the day like you always do...

Here's my tip for wearing a bold lip color, if your doing a bold lip do a simple eye... You don't want your face competing for attention... bold lip = subdued eyes... want to make your eyes pop? Do a nude lip with a slight gloss....Normally I'm an eye girl and lips are usually very basic, but my look by itself wasn't super glam so to step it up I did a nice bold red lip... I'm wearing True Red- L'Oreal Colour Riche... Gorgeous color and great if your like me with fair skin and red tones in your hair... This Christmas don't be afraid to go bold... pair with classic pieces such as black, white & gold and believe me you won't be sorry... you might even get stuck under some mistletoe! 

Gift Guide For The Guys...

Gift Guide For The Guys... by hchdesigns on polyvore.com

It's that time of year! Time to get shopping! Ya know, you would think that buying gifts for our guys would be easier... but honestly it's so hard.. My husband he seriously is the greatest however whenever he wants something he plans on buying it himself ... which to me is like "seriously??!"... I love surprising people.. actually I love surprises just in general... so when I can find a present for someone and it's not something they told me they wanted it almost makes it better... like I get extra points or something for finding a gift he'll love that wasn't on his list... It's a complex I'm pretty sure...

My husband has been really into hunting these days, so for our Anniversary I thought (all on my own) of getting him a hunting cookbook... Found a perfect book and with my very proud self I ordered from Amazon and boom! I was a gift giving GENIUS!! Eat your heart out Santa.. Then the thought occurs to me... Uh oh, the confirmation email... Seth is going to see it.. Nah... I think "he never checks his email and I'll just delete it when I get home before he sees it... and that was the end of that... Not even 30 minutes go by and Seth is in my office (we work together and yes I made an online purchase at work... I know I'm a terrible employee... blah blah blah...) Seth is in my office and asks "did you buy me a book?" to which I'm like "seriously? How did you know that?" "I got the email while I was on break"... dang it, stupid technology...  "Uh, well yeah.." to which he responds, "well I thought it was fraud so I canceled it... " Cue look of disbelief... So then I had to go back in and reorder the same book and then tell Seth to disregard the confirmation email... Ugh... trying to surprise my guy is hard work! That my friends is why we now have separate Amazon accounts... he loved the book by the way and was looking at something similar that morning without my knowledge... #worldsgreatestwife that apparently is challenged in the art of surprising her man...

So I've created three different sets of gift possibilities for the guy in your life, hopefully it will aid to inspiration... if you want to see the individual item details simply click on the picture... Do you have any gift giving bumbles?  I'd love to know!  Good luck and happy shopping!

My Pinterest Christmas Wishlist...

Christmas Wishlist... by hchdesigns featuring DeLonghi

Black top / Hunter knee high boots, $145 / Sole Society bootie boots / BaubleBar multi row necklace / Tinley Road faux fur loop scarf / Tildon scarve / DeLonghi kitchenware dining / Sugar Paper Gold Stripe Notebook / Porcelain cup / Hot Tools Big Bumper 1 1/2" Prof. Spring Hair Curling Iron #1102 US..., $72

It's officially now feeling like fall is over and winter is almost here.. where I'm getting cozy on the couch with a blanket, hot cocoa & happily pinning everything on Pinterest... I'm not sure what it is about this time of year that makes me glued to the visual buffet that Pinterest is, but wow.. it's a problem.... One of my favorite ways to use "this wonderful waste of time"  is to create a Christmas Wishlist! My family loves this, it gives a visual for what I like... You know that phrase a picture is worth a 1,000 words.. yeah...I kinda think mine are worth a little bit more... As my good friend Karen would say... "I need a Pintervention"....


So, I designed a little board of a few things on my Christmas list and since it's two weeks away from Thanksgiving... yeah I know.. cray cray....

One of the great things about Pinterest is it's availability to anyone... I usually start creating my wishlist right around November and when I've got a few items, I email the link to my family and voila! Instant visual wishlist for anyone and it's instantly updated when I add new things, they can see my style,preference and I can make a note on what size to order! No one wants to return something because of it being the wrong size...awkward... 

This year I'm all about coffee, green & scarves... I honestly can't get enough... Oh gosh, that faux fur scarf? I think I need it in my life, it's gorgeous...  Hunter rain boots, sigh... need I say more? Ok.. we've all decided they're amazing.. and what would an honest to goodness Christmas Wishlist be without a sweater? I never need a reason for more sweaters.. but I'm thinking, a relaxed tee, that sweater, leggings & those hunters... Holy moly it's a perfect look for overeating and hiding the evidence... uh.. not that I ever do that... All I'll need then is spiked hot chocolate.. Which did not make it on Pinterest wishlist.... but hey, there's always next year...

Feel free to follow along for the fun here...

Falling For You...

Falling For You... by hchdesigns featuring platform heel pumps

Lately I've been totally falling for anything red.. It's one of my favorite colors... and true story I wore amazing red heels for my wedding shoes.. I was so glam...but I digress... When the Phillip Lim Target collection hit stores like an idiot I thought for sure I'd have days to score one of his trademark bags...  You know that part in Pretty Woman? "Big mistake... Huge"... I went to my local Target thinking I'd obviously still have a chance in my area.. When I asked the sales associate for help, he looked at me with look of pity and said "they were gone within hours"... So, I'd accepted my fate and let the dream die and honestly I'd only seen the bag online so I wasn't so certain it was the right one for me anyways... So then a week later, I spotted one lonely bag in the Target in Montana.. I couldn't believe my luck "what? Can this be true?" and then in a moment of what I'll call fashion stupidity... I put the bag down and walked away... Granted, I wasn't in a frame of mind to really think clearly... Rule of thumb, do not make decisions on handbags that you've been wanting forever when you are in the middle of a family crisis...  so I walked away.. and all the fashion world is screaming in slow motion... "Nooooo!!!"

Sigh.. So now instead of going for the $55 one.. classic Hope.. I've got my eye on the $800 red one that I like even more.. I keep thinking there's got to be a way I can score this awesome-ness...save my money, take on a few extra jobs, sell a kidney.. Ya know the usual options.. Expensive taste.. the bane of my existence.. that and laundry.. but I want to talk about that... Between my desire for scarves, gold office supplies and my ridiculously overpriced fashion choices..Fall shopping/Christmas wish list is getting full and who can blame me when there are sweet things like an $800 bag or a $1400 Burberry Trench to dream over.. and everyone in my family says "keep dreamin Hope"... Oh I will and if all else fails there's always the whole sell a  kidney option... kidding..

Closet Crisis: What to wear to a concert....

What to wear to a concert.... by hchdesigns featuring a studded crossbody purse

This last weekend Seth and I had the pleasure of going to an outdoor concert... We sat on a blanket, sipped a little Sauvignon Blanc and enjoyed music from The Goat Rodeo Sessions featuring Yo-Yo Ma. It was completely unexpected beautiful music and an overall lovely evening. Rewind about 4 hours... Seth comes home from work and I'm taking my time getting ready for the day since it's my day off.. picture this.. glasses, leggings, sports bra, tank top & Seth's zip up sweatshirt, sans makeup and I cleverly decided to break in my new leopard print flats by wearing socks with them around the house.. see here...
There was literally no glamour what so ever.. and if you looked at me I would look more like candidate for What Not To Wear than a fashion blogger...  Seth comes in the door and says "babe we got to leave in soon... " OMG.. seriously? What am I going to wear... and the social anxiety of being overdressed or under dressed hits... Not to mention I had 30 min to fix the hot mess of me...

Business causal at a folk concert that's featuring Yo-Yo Ma?? Oh the closet crisis... It causes all sorts of social anxiety for me, to show up and look like I don't realize that I at a concert for world famous cellist! But be so overdressed that it's ridiculous since we have lawn tickets...  So, I decided to go with ultra classic white denim flairs, black tank and gray blazer...When in doubt stay classic, I had been dying to wear my new bead necklace from Forever 21 and I decided to wear wedges since they are easier to walk on grass than stilettos, added my yellow clutch and I was good to go! It does occur to me that this outfit is very similar to my last post.. I swear I wear other clothes..  I curled my hair to soft waves and with the help of dry shampoo had a pretty good hair day, makeup was soft and sun-kissed with semi bold eye since it's night and I need to not look 12 ... I'm not sure how it happened but I managed to get ready in like 45 min with help from my superman husband ..it takes a village... then only to walk out the door forgetting to put on deodorant...score... 

The concert ended up being wonderful! It was a memory that will last forever and as it ended up we sat next to a guy that was wearing sweatpants and an Indiana Jones hat... so there was that.. but either way I felt great about how I looked and in then end that's all that really matters... 

HM Stands for Holy Moly....

H&M Stands for Holy Moly.... by hchdesigns featuring faux leather handbags

I honestly cannot be the only one who is freaking out about the fact that H&M is now offering online shopping in the USA market!!! I mean what's next World Peace or French Fries that make you skinny?? I mean clearly this is cause for celebration...  Since their online shopping has opened up I've spent a fair amount of time browsing and adding to my shopping bag... I do this sometimes it just makes me feel like I can get whatever I want even when the checking account is saying "sure you can spend money or you can pay rent..." Ahh.. decisions, decisions...the adult life is so overrated...
Not only that but can you stand it? It's almost time for fall fashion! This year it's gonna be a lot of earth tones and I'm totally loving all the olive and burgundy showing up! Almost every season I have something that I promise myself I'll purchase.."this is the year I'm going to get faux leather pants or riding boots or both..." I'm a little nervous about the whole leather pants options since I tend to be a little on the curvy side and those tend to be cut for those who are a little on the straight side... but who knows? I'm willing to give it a shot.. Besides who wouldn't want to channel their inner Sandy from Grease or make noise while walking? I know I do.. Between all the amazing options H&M has to offer, not to mention their fabulous taste in bags.. hello! that taupe faux leather bag? Heavenly... My shopping cart is a little bit overflowing...
Now all I gotta do is figure out if I feel like eating for a month or buying a whole new fall wardrobe...  such a tough decision! 

Road Trip Baby!!

Road Trip Baby!! by hchdesigns featuring bracelet watches


Oh yeah it's vacation time.. and we are headed on "little" road trip to Montana to celebrate my parents 50th Anniversary... it's going to be an awesome 10 day getaway (4 days of travel).
I seriously can't wait... I've got 6 siblings and 5 of them will be there.. Which is super rare! So much fun to be had.. there will be days & nights full of laughter, wine and Princess Bride quotes..
It will take us two days driving to get there and honestly, I'm super excited for our first major road trip.. We will be making stops in Oregon and Washington and to which I am completely thrilled about so now I can cross those states off my "haven't been to yet" list..  With at least 16 hours in the car, I'm going to be prepared for at least two of them! A couple of magazines, munchies and sparkling water, I'll be good to go!   I'll wear comfortable clothes that is easy to sit in for a while and shoes that are easy to slip on and that help bring it all together...  When traveling it's totally fine to dress comfy and casual but always do your normal makeup and hair routine, that will help you feel that you look your best!
I usually pack everything and the kitchen sink in a nice big bag.. aka Mary Poppins Bag... because you never know when you could need a change of accessories or a floor lamp.. one can never be too prepared.
I plan on taking lots of pictures and spamming all of you on your Instagram feed...Follow here @hopeceleste if you aren't already! And I'll see ya'll soon!

My SheInside Wishlist...

My SheInside Wishlist... by hchdesigns featuring leather coats

So... you probably noticed my tiny little posting hiccup... of posting a dress without saying anything? Yeah... apparently I wasn't paying attention when I was saving it to my Polyvore profile and posted a dress twice! Rolling my eyes at myself...

 A couple of weeks ago Becky over at Cella Jane (great fashion blog btw) did a SheInside wishlist/must haves and completely inspired me since I've been drooling at the website for like ages now....
 Well folks... here it is, my hopes and dreams of all things fashion and style... what I've been eyeing lately on Sheinside... if you aren't aware of this shopping site and their fabulous style then boy are you in for a treat! And... I'm sorry because once you've seen it you cant go back. it's another fabulous online shopping experience that sucks you in and you are mesmerized by all the yummy finds... kinda like Target in that regard...

Lately for summer, I'm loving all sorts of tribal prints and slightly Boho looks without going completely bohemian... That dress is one of my favorites and honestly I'm thinking it might need to find it's home in my closet...  Also, isn't that yellow blazer amazing? Like hello, "I need you in my life" amazing... gosh, the July fashion budget doesn't have a chance thank God for their free worldwide shipping and fabulous prices... Wowza... this is going to be trouble I can feel it..

Dress

Dress (see more pleated dresses)

Look Good... Feel Good...

Look Good... Feel Good... by hchdesigns featuring a lightweight zip hoodie

I have to admit... one of the things that does excite me about working out and getting in shape is getting cute workout clothes... Yes, the husband's shirt is comfortable but... it doesn't help the slim down look... baggy = big... fitted=slim....Win!

I'm a firm believer in dressing like how you want to feel... so I've been working out for like a week now... and the first two days I wore my drabby old yoga pants (that are a little small) and a t shirt that belongs to my husband... yes, I was comfortable but I didn't feel like I looked good.. and this is all about how we feel right? I mean how the heck am I going to be motivated if I feel defeated even before I start? Lame.... so... I got me some new workout leggings, put on a tank top and just like that, I felt like I looked better! The magic of having something fit...  That's all it took... I believe we should feel like a success now, so then we can continue on and start looking like we feel... Every now and again we need to give ourselves a head start... and for me that was workout leggings from Marshalls... Oh the little things...not to mention a snazzy new water bottle that doesn't leak... no one needs a puddle in their purse... 

Marshalls is a fantastic place to get great quality active wear for pennies! I scored my wicked awesome leggings there and I can't wait to go back to pick up more goodies! Shopping motivates me... shocker.. What motivates you?

Stay tuned tomorrow for me weekly update... and my stats... Thanks for reading and all the lovely support I couldn't do this without you guys! 

Oh Pinterest ...I really like you...

Don't you think that whoever created Pinterest probably thought that chocolate covered pretzels were divine and that puppies make the world a better place... And that breakfast in bed heavenly .. I'm pretty sure that that they should be my friend, we would get along smashingly! Pinterest is probably hands down one of the funnest ways I waste time.. ;) Not to mention they just installed this new thing that alerts you when your about to Pin the same thing twice! Mind blown...

I find the most incredible recipes for food right around lunch time when my coffee and yogurt have sufficiently

worn off and I need a pinata cake like pronto..  Or some fabulous inspiration to my wardrobe (wouldn't be amazing if it actually ended up in my closet?) I would die! I mean how rockin is that leopard print clutch?? gosh..I pretty fairly certain I live out some form of dream while I'm pinning away! I want to travel? Done.. Pinned the Eiffel Tower.... I want to have kids someday? Done, pinned that ridiculously cute picture of a baby with puppies.. Want to cook amazing tasty food? Done.. Pinned that hazelnut crepe recipe.. I mean the options are really endless!.If you would like to see more of what I'm pinning over on the ol Pinterest account... who doesn't? ...click here! 

Glamping: My Overall Lack of Roughing It...

Glamping by hchdesigns featuring maybelline mascara

"I'm what you call indoorsy" -Jim Gaffigan

So... my husband and I are going on a little camping trip with my sister and her husband to Yosemite National Park at the end of May... It's going to beautiful and I know and we will make memories... here's my problem... I kinda hate camping.... shhh... don't tell... I mean think about it, you spend hours setting up camp, to sleep on the ground to then cook your food in the pioneer way and then smell like campfire for the rest of the evening and then wake up at 5am because that's when the sun comes up... and that's if you slept because you had to pee in the middle of the night and you didn't want to leave your tent for fear of walking to the bathroom alone... And all that is if it doesn't rain... Sign me up!  I couldn't agree more with Jim Gaffigan's thoughts on camping...see here..
But being that I am a nice wife and I desperately do not want to be one of those women who is so high maintenance that I can't go on a little camping trip with my husband... So I'm putting my game face on and I'm determined to make it awesome!  Glamping.. (Glam-Camping) I've looked at a couple of sites that give tips and one thing is for sure.. it's all about making it fun... So.. Here are my list of "must haves" for my version of glamping...

1) Wine.. I can't stress this enough...
2) Games to play when your drinking the wine... Everything is better with wine..
3) Gourmet Food... No, to all hot dogs.. Yes, to soft cheese and bread... goes great with the wine...
4) Twinkle Lights & Lanterns...
5) Battery Powered Fan... Can't sleep without it...
6) Citronella Candle... Mosquito bites are not chic...
7) iPod/iPhone for an impromptu dance party at the camp site...

Then here are some practical items... because I refuse to be high maintenance... well kinda...

• Face wash & lotion to help feel fresh...
• Hand Sanitizer... not coming home with the flu...you can't make me...
• Makeup essentials, tinted moisturizer, mascara & lip gloss... will help you stay fresh...
• Baseball hat since the hairdryer is staying home... have to draw the line somewhere..
• Basic jewelry... We are not barbarians people!
• Sunnies! To help hide the bags under my eyes...
• Sea Spray... does wonders for hair that wants to throw a fit... 
• Yoga pants...perfect for hiking... or looking like I've been hiking..even better..
• Reef Flip Flops... best $30 I've ever spent...

You would think it was going to be for a week or something.. nope just 2 nights.. big eye roll... I'm amazed and quite frankly embarrassed at my lack of "roughing it" skills... It was much easier when I was 18... but that was 13 years ago and I've gotten accustomed to electricity and running water.. it's the little things in life.. 

Style is Who You Are...

Style is Who You Are... by hchdesigns featuring a chain bracelet

Stella McCartney / Miss Real trench coat, $61 / Coach es jacket / SELECTED short jacket, $99 / AG Adriano Goldschmied skinny leg jeans, $135 / Vintage shoes / H&M h m, $76 / Barneys New York clutch / MICHAEL Michael Kors roman numeral watch / Fantasy Jewelry Box yellow gold jewelry / Chain bracelet, $30 / Lipsy logo sunglasses, $23 / Ray-Ban logo sunglasses / Versace fragrance

I firmly believe that style is who you are... it's a reflection of your personality... and just a tiny glimpse into what makes you into the person you are... In figuring out what your personal style is it can be incredibly intimidating... so much pressure... I mean this is a reflection of who I am??? MUST GET IT RIGHT!!! augh... who can live that way? Not me... I've found my personal style has evolved over the years... Back in the day, I would die for a plaid flannel shirt wrapped around my waist or a pair of Doc Martins! Or my go to perfume was Sunflowers , remember when that was huge? Can we say Dawson's Creek? As my style evolved so did I... praise em! At one point I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher... Those who know me, know that I have the utmost respect for our teachers (they don't get paid enough in my opinion) but there is no amount of money that could coax me into that profession... Never did I ever think that writing and fashion would be in my lifelong goals! But here I am and  I'm so happy that I changed along with my style....

Right now my style is a mixture of classic, trendy with a bit of flair.. but the good news is if I want to change that, I can!! In the evolution of my personal style one thing has remained consistent, classic.. and I think that is true in life as well.. things will change and we will change with it... deciding that bronzer is a good idea and that maybe wearing too much eyeliner makes me look a little too Evanescence and not in a good way.. or not to hold on to past hurts but forgive and then let myself be the true awesomeness that I am... getting deep over here...

 In my personal style I gravitate towards versatility and adding pops of color in accessories and keeping everything else pretty neutral...  Adding a tangerine clutch to a LBD is just the pop of color that I like! All though a tangerine shift dress with a black clutch would be killer!!

My personal style can't and wont be defined into one category... simply because I'm always changing and I think that's a good thing... Even when I think," nope I wont be defined by one style category".. I find that there are constant things, like a LBD (little black dress) or leather jacket or a trench... these are items that will be with us forever... it's like the style compass that keeps us going in the right direction when all we want to do is just go neon everywhere..  And then in real life there are things that are a part of your heart and soul that keeps you going in the right direction no matter what.. So if your feeling a little like don't know how to define who you are? Just peek into your closet... I bet you'll see more and more of yourself in those gorgeous shoes then you ever did before!

Submission to IFB Project# 89