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!

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?

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!

What I Wore: Hat To be Good...

Photos by incredibly talented Sarah Marcella Photography..

Hat- Zulily (similar)

Jacket- Ross

Top- JCP

Leggings- Marshalls (fitness section)

Boots-HM

Clutch- Forever 21 (gift similar)

Watch- Relic (Gift -similar)

Bracelet- Kohls (Gift- Similar)

What is it about wearing a hat that transforms you into another world? I mean.. hat off, fashion blogger who generally laughs at her own jokes and thinks that America's Funniest Home Videos is great TV, which it totally is... Hat on, world traveler philanthropist, that is probably famous for her laugh which resembles Julia Roberts, in my dreams...

Hat purchases are rarely a planned excursion.. Like, "I think I will get out today and go shopping for a hat".. nope nobody does that, more likely you are minding your own business in a store like  F21 and you find yourself wandering into the accessories section and as an act of pure nonsense you throw on the hat as a joke and mention to your friends "hey guys how ridiculous is this?" and then you see your self in the mirror and and you have a moment where you and the hat agree, that maybe it's not a wise purchase or how often you'll even wear the darn thing.. but who cares because "holy crap, I look amazing!"

In other news, I've cracked the code on the whole leggings thang.... So here's the deal we can all agree that leggings are the bomb.com however I've yet to find a pair that isn't too sheer.. yikes.. So what do I do? I do what any 30 something girl would do, I reach for my yoga pants.. yup that's right folks those leggings are meant for exercising... gasp, shock awe... And even though I do exercise (not in these ones) I wear leggings on a regular basis so these guys were sacrificed for the sake of fashion... it had to happen... it was for a good cause.. So, here's my secret, I bought long ankle length fitness leggings for when I'm not wearing boots.. when I am wearing knee high boots I wear these guys, which hit right about the mid calf.. I know, it's kind of ridiculous but really if I'm wearing boots no one will know and I now have the most comfortable leggings (not see through) known to man.. and let's be honest we all wish we could live in our crazy comfortable work out gear anyways... am I right?

P.S. I'm sorry for the lame-sauce pun for the title... sorta..

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... 

Accessories: Accidental Awesomeness...

Blazer-HM similar

Tank- Old Navy

Jeans-F21

Stilettos- BCBGirls via Marshall's

Necklace- F21 similar

Sunnies- Cotton On

Clutch- Plato's Closet

When doing our little photo shoot last night we pulled off the side of a road to take pictures next to the vines... I live in the Sonoma wine country area... A random farmer across the street had it's music blaring and I while was not so discreetly running around the vines with my stilettos sinking into the dirt... the soundtrack of Taylor Swift and Celine Dion was playing in the distance... thank you random farmer for your Mix radio station preferences... all that was missing was Rod Stewart and Cosmos...

I found these jeans from F21..fake cough Forever In Denial and shocker they are too long.. story of my life.. How I get around that is to show some ankle with stilettos or wear a riding boot... this lengthens my legs... Can I get an amen?!  Now if I could just reach the top shelf in my kitchen tha'd be great... cue the boss from Office Space..

Throw on a gray blazer and add the pop of color this outfit needed with that adorable clutch I scored from Plato's Closet.. I probably broke some 12 year old's heart by taking off the display and snatching it up for myself but what can I say? I'm ruthless when it comes to great accessories...  If you ever have the chance to score a brightly colored clutch, DO IT! Buy that bad boy and never look back... and here's why.. all of a sudden with a lovely bright thing that can hold nothing more than keys and lip balm... you look like it was on purpose.. you planned for your outfit to be toned down just so you can rock that new bag... and while it might be the exact opposite.. where everything you put on is monochromatic "bla mcboring" (and not in a good way)... all of a sudden a bright little clutch, just made it interesting.. and frankly I'm all about taking my bla-ness and  making it look like I did it on purpose...my accidental awesomeness it out of control.... All the while knowing that my accessories totally saved my bacon... figures... 

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!

What a Girl Will Do For Coat...

Coat- Forever 21 (old) similar

T Shirt- Old Navy

Jeans- American Eagle

Shoes- HM

Earrings- Aldo (sold out) similar

Aviators- HM

Took a  drive to the coast yesterday after work...  The fog was rolling in and it just creates a magical feeling... I fell in love with the Northern California coastline years ago and yet every time I'm out there I'm stopped by the beauty... not to mention fighting the urge to wave to China.. Only I would wear 4 inch heels on the edge of a cliff...

I'm wearing a coat that I scored from F21 while awkwardly stalking the clearance rack waiting for someone else to put the coat back on the rack...  I mean, what was I going to do... walk up to the girl and be like "uh, looks like you're undecided about this coat... so if your not going to buy it, can I ?" ... super awkward...what a girl will do for a coat... so I made it look like I was looking at something else one the rack but really I was waiting for her to make up her mind... and after a bit I realized that this is a little bit weird, so I moved on and hoped that if it was supposed to be mine it would still be there... no joke I came back and it was there! There is no messing around when you find something this awesome.. Especially at Forever 21... it's like a mad house in there or it looks my bed when I can't decide on what I am wearing... clothes everywhere...

When pairing something with a full skirt or a print.. it's best to keep everything else simple..  and with something slimming like skinny jeans to create balance...

 Full disclosure  I had on a fully styled outfit under this coat with the full intention of not including my coat in the outfit post... but.. it was cold.

Sometimes I find that an outfit can just a little blah or like something is missing... and then put on a jean jacked or Aztec print coat and Pow! sounding like a cartoon again.. It's complete! Outerwear to me is like the fairy dust to an ensemble... Some awesome outwear I feel should be treated as a classic staples and therefore must get in your closet pronto!

Here's a list of my favorites-

Black or Khaki Trench
Black or Brown leather jacket
Jean Jacket
Pea Coat
Puffer Vest or Coat

Parka (perfect for spring!)

These are in my opinion some absolute classics and can be a life saver!

What are some classics that you cannot do with out? I'd love to know!

Photo credit- Seth

OOTD: Backup Plan

Top- Old Navy (similar)

Skirt- Forever 21(similar)

Vest- Target

Boots- G by Guess (similar)

Scarf- H&M

Bracelet- Gift (made by my sister)

Watch- Gift (similar)

Sunglasses- Ross

Today, I woke up wanting to wear my new J Brand jeans(see a pic on Instagram) I just scored off of EBay... for only $17, holla!.... I mean they are white, gorgeous and fit like a glove! (more to come about those later) Only one problem... they are a 35inch inseam! Ha... I mean seriously, I'm 5'1 "vertically challenged" petite, wicked short.. you get the idea.. there is no scenario that those jeans won't need to be hemmed... so... after all that, I didn't wear them... just call me captain obvious..

Since my lofty dreams of wearing spring white denim, died a painful death in the world of being a  ridiculously short person... I needed to come up with an alternative.... I pulled out my  denim shirt which is always "baggy" on me..... paired it with a Bodycon pencil skirt...which is not "baggy"... that creates balance when wearing a loose top...no one likes looking like a tent...  layered with my go to green vest, (we've talked about my obsession with this vest) and that helped with the whole "looking like a tent thing",  finished the outfit with a leopard scarf and gold jewelry... from this point I should just say jewelry, I'm not going to wear anything other than gold..

Honestly I am really quite proud of this ensemble since it was a "backup plan"..virtual pat on the back... Sometime the best ideas are the last minute ones...  especially when it involves "showing a little a knee"... wink.. wink..

Gifts for your Bestie...

Gifts for your Bestie... by hchdesigns featuring wide belts

Remember when you were like 8 and everyone in the class exchanged Valentines...yeah, that was awesome.. Let's do that again.... 

I love Valentines Day... I think it's wonderful that we have a day to celebrate the people we love and are thankful for... It's kinda like Thanksgiving only for people! Valentines Day is so fun for many reasons but also it is coming off the heels for Seth and I the "expensive" time of year! Between 2 birthdays in January, 2 birthdays in December... not to mention Christmas... eh.. well... let's just say Valentines Day is always on a budget! So I put together a little budget friendly gift guide perfect for any of your gal pals... and if I'm being honest, I want like all these...hint hint Seth..

1. Forever Red Triple Moisture Body Cream
2. Geo Fringe Necklace
3. Floral Lace Scarf
4. Arrow Waist Belt
5. Gold iPhone Case
6. Metallic Heart Cosmetic Bag
7. Presto Pink Nail Color
8. Pearl Bow Studs
9. Cherry On Top | gloss
10. Bejeweled Bib Necklace
11. Heart Studs
12. Bangles
13. Kiss Me | Tinted Gloss
14. Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm

I've got my eye on 4, 2  & 14.... seriously I want them... the great thing is nothing on the list is over $20!

... Is it awkward that most of these come from Forever 21? nah... I shop at the store called Forever In Denial.. and I'm OK with it.... there I said it...

I think the thing I like most about Valentines Day is that the day can be anything you want it to be...and you can celebrate the people that make you feel like a superstar! 

This is a submission for IFB Project #82 Season of Love