Awesome & Awesomer....

Photos by the amazing Sarah Marcella Photography

Top: HM all gone (love this one!)

Leggings: HM sold out (love these!)

Chucks: Converse 

Awesome: 
-Finding the perfect duplex to rent.. it's spacious,clean, safe, perfect monthly rent... only to realize it's for an active senior community... why must we let a little thing like age get in the way! I wish I could say that it was the first time that happened... 
- While on the way to work discovering that your jeans that you thought were clean, were in fact sporting food that had spilled on to it from the other day... how long has that been there? I do my laundry... swearsies...
- Myself slipping like Bambi on black ice and I landed on my thumb/wrist area... while I didn't sprain anything my right thumb was complaining the entire time saying "you don't appreciate me enough so now you are going to pay"... good luck holding a coffee mug or tying your shoes... I was controlled by my thumb for days... 
- Realizing that this practically this entire outfit was purchased at H&M.... I might have a problem...
- Google+ comments deciding to throw a fit and not show up on the blog at all randomly... "Hey you Google+ comments? Yeah we are breaking up"... #bloggerproblems 

Awesomer:
-Discovering Amazon Prime... where has this been all my life..
- Sephora's return policy... nuff said..
- Sephora in general...
- My husband in a suit everyday... wowza....
- This picture....
- Being surprised with a day trip to Chico for my birthday.. my husband arranged everything and even had sister and brother in-law there to meet us! I was an amazing day...
- Our best friends having their first child.. gosh... life is too sweet... holy moly...
-Seeing my husband hold that sweet new baby...#babyfever... swoon...

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..

Champagne Thursday & Leather Leggings...

Sweater- TJ Max

Tank- Target

Leggings- HM (similar)

Heels- HM

Necklace & Bracelet- Aldo (similar necklace & bracelets)

Earrings- Gift

Bag- TJ Max

My completely logical reasons for the bubbly... 

-Ran three times now... I was the girl wheezing on the side of the road..

-Cleaned out the fridge... Don't judge...

-It's almost November which means it's almost Christmas... my logic is sound.. 

- Totally gave myself fake bangs... see here.. not too shabby..

-Figured out that Starbucks is my workout motivator... if I could run with a Starbucks cup in my hand I would.... it's how I roll...

- Christmas commercials have begun... only 7 more weeks...not that I'm counting...

- Totally rocked the leather leggings...and...my legs make duck noises when I walk...

-Actually used my running playlist while running.... It's a Christmas Miracle! 

- Two words, customer service... #dayjob 

-It's officially sweater weather... Thank you October for giving me my wardrobe back... 

- All four of my houseplants are still alive a month later! #crossingmyfingers

-I get an extra hour of sleep this weekend... It's like a state wide corporate nap... Thanks California... thanks... 

- I baked a Swedish Apple Pie... it was amazing... take that Martha Stewart!

-It's Thursday.... nuff said.

Date Night Dilemma....

Tee- H&M

Jeans- American Eagle

Heels- H&M (similar)

Bag- MMS for TJ Max (similar)

Date night... ahh.. the magic...  sipping Sauvignon Blanc and laughing about about inside jokes... Last night Seth and I stepped out to a little date night to one of our favorite Thai restaurants... OMG... they had me at peanut curry sauce... I digress... 

Oh the dilemma... the epic crisis... I'm not sure what to wear... it's a moment of emptying the closet on to the bed... It's not that I don't have options, am I right ladies? It's the lack of inspiration! So when inspiration lacks... Style your look around the item your most excited about! Which for me was my new tee shirt & bag....  I wanted to wear a cute graphic tee and I wanted to have my new fall bag... what goes with both? easy... distressed jeans or pencil skirt...  I chose distressed jeans since it was a casual date.. however if you wanted to dress it up a little simply just add a pencil skirt instead of jeans, leather jacket and put your hair up in a sock bun sort of thang... and switch out the bag for a clutch..  go for a deeper color on the lips and add a statement necklace...Easy peasy.

For us curvy ladies... make sure you tuck that tee shirt in... must show that you have a waist...No one likes a moo moo... saves my bacon every day... then lastly... add a fun heel... it sophisticates your look and it creates a little balance between casual and chic... and who doesn't want that? Even if your tall.. if you are.. I'm already jealous.. don't be afraid to rock a good heel... you don't see Heidi Klum with legs that go on for days afraid to rock a stiletto.. and neither should you... and for us girls that can't reach the top shelf of anything.. well, most likely your best friend is a 5inch stiletto and a step stool... not to be used together...

In deciding what to wear here is my best advice.. be happy with who you are... yes there might be things you would like to change... Lord knows I do.. however until it happens or you wake up magically looking 30lbs lighter... if that happens let me know what you're drinking! Until that magic happens, don't waste life and happy moments wishing for things to be different.. because you're amazing right now.. and you deserve to believe it... and that awesome guy standing next you deserves to see you believe it too (it'll make his day)... woah.. deep...  Then really the clothes end up just being the frame on a really amazing piece of art!

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... 

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! 

Short & Sweet: A List for Living Life Now...

Sweater- HM

Shorts- Old Navy

Sunday afternoon walk to a park... there are few moments that are as blissful as summer weather mixed with hand holding and a mini photo shoot...  Doing this blogging thing has become more than I ever imagined it would be... in only a few short months... Sometimes larger than I think I can handle and I'm certain that pretty soon it will be evident that I don't know what the heck I'm doing... Shh.. don't tell anyone.. 

Got to get a Media Kit together.. 

Must complete the branding process...

 Oh yeah, more outfit posts...  

Commission a blog design..

Get business cards...

Create a business plan...

Start selling advertising...

Buy my own domain... sheesh....#bloggerproblems

Just the ongoing list in my head,... Geez, those lists that we ladies have will never disappear... they just grow...  and if your like me, real life passes you by while obsessing over the never ending items that "must get done".. Well, here is my "live life now" list... 

• Laugh often... let's face it I'm hilarious and sometimes even on purpose...
• When in doubt paint your nails....the house needed to smell like nail polish anyways...
• Tell someone that you love them... they need to hear it and you need to say it...
• Wear high heels while doing menial tasks.. your welcome Trader Joes... this one is for you...
• Pop open some Champagne, just because it's Tuesday..
• Learn how to just be, instead of do...
• Smile, it will make you feel better... the best exercise created..
• Make a list of all you are grateful for and post it on your mirror to be seen every morning... 
• Instead of the regular ol coffee, try a cappuccino and pretend your in Europe.. that's what I do...
• Be silly... seriousness is soooo overrated.. 
• Take walks... summer nights are made for walkin....
• Hold hands... still the best...
• Accessorize! This, is such a great trick for any blah outfit to receive an instant face lift......
• Take naps... why you ask? duh... it's a nap!  Do people still say "duh"?
• Outdoor movies in the park... honestly, it's too much fun...
• Forgive.. people will hurt you and they may never deserve your trust again but forgiving someone releases your soul to fly again...
• Dance in your living room... my sincere apologies to the guy that lives below us...
• Have more hope in your thoughts than fear...

Lastly... Dream of someday while being grateful for today...  it's not about giving up on the "to do" list but more about letting life be the bigger list.. the bigger priority.. and all those other things will happen with hard work and determination but also joy... and who doesn't want more of that? 

Submission to IFB's project #100

Gold Stars & Pep Talks....

Top- Joppa

Jeans- AE

Shoes- Bass

Sunglasses-HM

Have you ever been so busy that you're not sure what to start first? It's like ADD on steroids sometimes... I read on Pinterest once "if a man wants to know what's going on in a woman's mind, just open up 250 tabs on your Internet browser and just bounce around all of them." Haha.. so true... Us ladies are are like the ultimate multi-taskers... Right now, my "real job" has entered it's busiest season... I'm also the wedding coordinator for a friend that is getting married on Saturday and 2 weekends ago my mom was in town... and it doesn't stop there! But I will... because any further it will sound a bit like whining... unless of course wine is involved, in which then I'm totally OK with that...

So now, here I am with this little conversation in my head... "I've got to get an outfit post up on the blog, it's been like ages and my readers are going to think I've disappeared .. How the heck can I squeeze in time for a little photo shoot?.. not to mention writing"... and then the little voice says, "other bloggers do this everyday... if you can't do this then I guess your not cut out to be a blogger..."  To which I say... total crap... I've got other words for that but my mom reads this and well.. ya know...

 Life happens, and I happen to be in one of the busiest times right now, so what? I'm a toughie... made out of more than just red hair and hazel eyes...  and I know that this is what I'm meant to do.. so little voice in my head.... you can go to hell... just sayin...that's my little pep talk...

I think it's really easy to look at others with the perception that they've somehow tapped into their superpowers and have endless amounts of energy and can always get everything done... Well, I'm not one of those people...  It's bare your soul Monday over here folks... To me, it creates all of these unrealistic expectations... Ahhh the pressure! 

It's a lot what we do, as bloggers, as women, as people... on a daily basis if we are not congratulating ourselves for the little accomplishments then I think we should all go back to 1st grade when everything is celebrated... Gold stars all around! .. Cue my Oprah impersonation... "you get a gold star and you get a gold star and you get a gold star!" As, for a style tip... take it easy on yourself... If your like me and fighting feeling overwhelmed don't add to it with unrealistic expectations... just be you... and slap on some lip gloss, curl your hair, pour yourself a drink... and breathe... then maybe watch a little YouTube... because nothing says "coping" like a cat falling into a bathtub...

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

Seasonal Awkward Phase...

Top- HM

Jeans- American Eagle (similar)

Shoes- HM

Sunglasses -HM

Gosh, the weather has been simply divine lately... I almost feel bad about talking about since you all East Coast dwellers are getting hammered... as in snowed in not drunk... or maybe both? It was 80 flipping degrees yesterday... Hello? This is March shouldn't it be pouring rain or something.. I know one thing I shouldn't be out in my bare arms or anything... but I was and the fact that I wasn't freezing was a completely win in my book..  We went to the Dry Creek region for the this shoot.. it was glorious... While finishing up the shoot a passerby in car stopped and asked "are those shoes your hiking boots?" which I promptly answered "of course!".... That's how I roll...  

These shoes are a new purchase for me which you might have seen if you follow me on Instagram... I picked them up from H&M a couple of weeks ago and haven't stopped wearing them since.. side zipper and platform, I am in love! They are the perfect balance of ankle booties while still showing a little ankle... somehow if I  don't show those bad boys, I end up with a cankel situation that no one wants to see! 

Yellow is such a fabulous spring color.. and seems to be popping up all over the place... I paired this top with my distressed AE jean "jeggings".. Which if your like me, most distressed jeans don't usually come in a flattering style... how I wish I could wear the Boyfriend jean but nope... not gonna happen... However I was so delighted to find that these jeans have stretch in them! And all the girls with hips cheer! 

 In looking to help make the transition from winter to spring...  my tip is to mix in spring colors with the rest of your wardrobe..  It's always that awkward phase of it's warm out but not enough to really bring out my summer clothes in full swing... so what's a girl gonna do? Sprinkle in a little bit of sunshine into your winter wardrobe, even if you are waist high deep in snow... I'm talking to you Syracuse, NY! Right now I've been dying for some sweet neon pumps or an emerald green clutch... Something like that, can really brighten up any winter blah days...  How are you getting through the seasonal awkward phase? I'd love to know!    

A Need for Speed....

Jeans- J Brand (scored from Ebay) similar

Top- Chambray from JCP

Shoes- Old Navy (from like 100 years ago) similar

Watch- Gift

Aviators- HM

Ahh the glorious white jeans... I put them on and in a second I'm immediately aware of every possible stain... not to mention be a magnet for the inevitable coffee spill... brought to by Clorox bleach making Hope's life possible since 2009...

Well, as promised here and the jeans that I scored off EBay... after it was all said and done I spent only $32 on these bad boys (normally they go new for $187).... ($17jeans +$15 for hemmed).... I couldn't be more pleased... My good friend Ashley asked me last night if I was nervous ordering online without trying them on and I said "no, because the cost of them was such a bargain that if they didn't fit I could probably just re-sell them!"  Fortunately they did... and they are staying in my closet forever.... insert evil laugh here... 

Being that Spring is right around the corner or practically here in California, a good staple like white denim is always good to add to your wardrobe, if you haven't already...

This time I paired it with my trusty chambray, aviators.... messy top knot bun & nude wedges.... very classic... If I had a leather jacket it would be appropriate insert the theme song for Top Gun....

The fact that I was an 80's child is pretty obvious... pretty soon I'll start referencing Karate Kid 2... but I digress...

When wearing white denim you want to keep a few things in mind, 1-the fit, 2- is it versatile enough? 3- the fit.. Being the fact that its white, it's a little less forgiving than say a dark wash blue jean... You want to make sure it's a cut that is classic and will fit you properly... size up if you need to... who cares what size you are anyways? Full disclosure... these jeans are 1 size larger than what I typically buy... and I won't be putting these bad boys in the dryer if you catch my drift... wink...  Focusing on the fit, adding some classic pieces & mixing in a couple of 80's cinema references... You cannot go wrong!