Weekly Roundup

- Gorgeous house we saw while talking Rachel's dogs for a walk in Newport last friday. Have I ever mentioned how much I love succulents??

- My pretty VW Jetta. Love her!

- That is the little man on the way home from his first vet check up last weekend. Its a dog in a box!

- Geoff and I have been working completely opposite schedules but we managed to have one night at home alone with some homemade pasta and wine. 

- It is beginning to look like Christmas... everywhere! This is the display right outside of my work.

- Some days, fuzzy leopard print flats just seem appropriate! 

Cozy Weekend

     After stuffing our faces yesterday I am right where I want to be at the moment with the boy snuggled in our jammies on the couch watching a movie and surfing the internet. I worked the majority of yesterday, then we headed to Geoffs Aunts house for some delicious food. Today we were able to sleep in (sleeping in now also is accompanied by going outside at 4am and 6am to let the pup out) and take Lewis to the pet store to pick out a new toy. He is so cute, he picked out the "all-natural and organic" sock monkey! Not much else going on for the next few days, but we did take out the camera to document him romping around outside on Thanksgiving. 

Inspirational Interiors

                                      

Clearly, I have a particular aesthetic! Everyone have a happy and fun Thanksgiving holiday. I will be working, puppy watching and hopefully enjoying some time at home. 

Welcome Home, Lewis!!

Meet the newest member of our family, Lewis!

     I apologize for my mini blog hiatus but Friday the unthinkable happened... we got a puppy! He is a Cocker Spaniel/ Poodle mix weighing in at 5 lb. and just a little over two months old. I just saw him, melted, sent picture messages to Geoff over and over, then Geoff saw him and melted and well... now we haven't slept all weekend! He is adorable and so fun but so much work too! We have had to make multiple runs to Target to get baby gates and door pulls to keep him safe and out of trouble!!! He is getting really good going potty outside, learning how to stay on the leash, and sleeping more but the teething and being alone is proving to be a little work. Anyways our lives are definitely 100 times busier all of a sudden but its all for this sweet boy so its worth it!

(look at this guy sleeping!!!)

Feast Interruptus

I caught this Tommy Hilfiger Holiday 2010 Commercial on television the other night and had to share. I have never worn Hilfiger before but now I desperately want to, I want that dog, I feel an urge to put on some plaid and date a curly haired boy!

Bravo Tommy, Bravo.

Style File

Every once in awhile I am going to do a little post on someone's oh-so-cool style that strikes my fancy. 

Style File this week with Hilary Duff!

     I love her, who doesn't? She is adorable and very down to earth in her style and attitude. The one thing about Hilary is that I tend to like her casual "I didnt use a stylist" looks better then when she is on a red carpet. Most of these photos were pulled from photos of her out and about except for the first. If I could wear a uniform for life, it would be boots, skinny jeans, oversized top, sweater, scarf. I am pretty sure Hill Duff would say the same thing. She always looks equal parts put together and casual. She always seems to change up the pieces, while staying true to her favorite look. Hilary is always carrying a great carry-all bag and accessorizing wether it is a pair of oversized earrings or sunglasses. I think if she ever had a yard sale, I would be there with bells on!!

Its beginning to look a lot like...

... Christmas!

It isn't even the week of Thanksgiving yet, but Starbucks has already jumped ship and totally revamped their store fronts for the Holidays. Last night, I was held captive dusting, displaying and decorating from 5pm to 4am (totally crazy!) like a little elf hard at work while all of our customers were asleep in their beds! I decided to post my top 5 new items for the holidays that would go great as a stocking stuffer or a great small surprise!

1. The VERY VERY popular plastic To-Go Tumbler. Comes in Grande and Venti sizes, everyone looses it when they see these and the buy them by the handful!

2. Joy Tea. Only out once a year. Delicious blend of Green and Black teas, it honestly tastes like christmas should!

3. Super cute Ceramic Nesting Bowls. They are tiny, would look cute storing sugar packets and such inside, or even on a desk top for office supplies.

4. Ceramic Teacup with Felt Sleeve. Pretty self explanatory and simple, but that big red button makes me smile!

5. Product (RED) collaboration with Jonathan Adler. I just love the design and it also has a matching Starbucks gift card you can pair with it. Proceeds of this purchase go to the RED Campaign. 

Let's get to know each other...

Here is a simple list with 25 facts about yours truly. We want to be friends right? Well you might want to jot these down for future reference! 

1. Clearly, I like to entertain myself in the passenger seat by taking photos of myself!

2. In 2004, I did s study abroad program and lived in Oxford, England for a semester.

3. I have never broken a bone (knock on wood).

4. Secretly, I know most of the lyrics to most Ludacris songs.

5. As a child, I used to watch Beaches and Top Gun... every single day!

6. I've never drank a soda in my life.

7. I also will not eat anything made with or smelling like oranges. They make me gag!

8. I was once an extra in a movie. It is too embarrassing to say which one.

9. I was named after Hayley Mills.

10. The worst part about my job, is that we are not allowed to wear nail polish. Kills me every time I see a girl with pretty nails!

11. I have traveled to USA, Canada, Ireland, Great Britain, Italy, Czech Republic and France and I still have never been to Mexico!

12. I am deathly afraid of roller coasters. Space Mountain is about as wild as it gets for me!

13. Lately, I cannot fall asleep until I win a game of Solitaire on my phone.

14. My favorite thing to do in the summer is to go to baseball games! 

15. I've never seen the Atlantic Ocean.

16. My celebrity crush is Jimmy Fallon. 

17. I had to have serious dental work when I was younger and they had to widen my jaw thus causing my front teeth to have a huge gap in them my entire 8th grade year. Totally mortifying.

18. I have no idea how to drive a stick shift.

19. No matter how old I get, I think I will forever love and idolize Gwen Stefani. She was the first "cool" girl I ever saw. 

20. Most of my purses look like small luggage. I just don't understand how you can fit everything you need in a small bag. The bigger the better!

21. My mom is my BFF. 

22. Comic Sans is the worst font ever. EVER.

23. I was once on the Dean's List for High Academic Achievement in College. That only lasted 1 semester though...

24. I buried a time capsule (okay, coffee can) in my childhood back yard. I really badly want to go dig it up!

25. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up!

Monday, Monday

     Hello,  Monday! I am going to try and start this week with a new attitude, less allergies, and making sure to take some time out in the day for myself so I don't get too run down. Last week was spent working, helping others, no sleeping, and becoming overwhelmed when the weekend hit and it still wasn't over! Not to mention the dry winds here in So Cal have made me feel like a walking zombie! Dry lips, dry skin, sneezing, stuffy nose the works! But feeling better today!

    The highlight of the weekend was having this guy right here surprise me by coming home standby on an earlier flight and there I am... hair in bun, glasses on, watching 19 Kids and Counting and reading a Star Magazine... completely taken off guard but who cares! I was happy as a clam! I stole this photo from one of his bosses that was posted on twitter... hubba hubba, he looks so official!

     And of course, I did manage to squeeze in an hour or so to browse Forever 21 the other day and returned back with these two pieces. Picked up the abstract print dress on the right and the cozy sweater on the left. The sweater actually has flecks of metallic running through the material which you cant see in the photo, but makes it look a little more dressy then casual. 

My little boy...

    I am not a cat person. Never have been. My mom on the other hand, will not admit it but she is a cat person! She started feeding a neighborhood cat one year, until it became our cat living in our house! I remember it went missing once, so we went to the animal shelter to look for it and I saw this guy. All tiny and orange in this dark room all by himself. There was a wall of about 12 cages, all empty, and he was in one of the top ones meowing non-stop. Curiosity got to the better of me and I found myself asking the front desk lady to see cat in cage #whatever. She responded that there was no cat in there, I said "Yes there is! Orange and white! I saw him!""No doll, you are mistaken", so I told her to come with me and sure enough there he was! Although as the lady read his tag she seemed to be confused. Turns out, his time had "expired" in scary animal talk which really meant he was going to get put down fairly soon, so soon that he shouldn't have even been in the cage, since he was no longer in the system. Cue blonde girl turning into a blubbering idiot in the middle of the pound signing a check to take the cat home! Two days later, Captain was home with me. 

    

     Now he lives with my parents for the time being because they love him and that is the house he has lived in but I go see him pretty often. He has personality for miles and is so dang cute and has a bad attitude when he isn't getting enough attention which is clearly, also adorable. Ha! Captain is my little partner in crime so he will have his own little spot on this blog over to right, where I will rotate new photos of him every month (thinking about cat in a santa hat for december!).

Dreamy Thursday

Thanks to our two successful yard sales over the past 6 months and a few extra dollars made on craigslist we are contemplating what our new living room will look like. Since we plan on moving to a bigger house in the near future I want to keep everything really neutral and sleek so it will transition into any new space. I am hoping (fingers double crossed) we will have wood floors in the new house so I arranged my dreamy new living room (with the help of Ikea) with that in mind.

1. Merete Curtains in Beige- $19.99
2. Felicia Cushions in Green-Yellow and Dark Brown- $8 (x4)
3. Succulents- $2.99 (x4)
4. Kivik Sofa in Teno Light Grey- $599
5. Stockholm Easy Chair in Blad Brown- $299
6. Felicia Throw in Dark Brown- $9.99
7. Stockholm Coffee Table in Golden Brown- $199
8. Orgel Vreten Floor lamp- $19.99

Grand Total: $1190

Zooey, your onto something...

     Hello, my name is Hayley and I am a Frozen Yogurt addict! 

     All day I have been scrubbing the oven, cleaning the kitchen, folding laundry, cleaning our new sheets, and paying my bills... I could really go for some Golden Spoony goodness! Hands down, Fro Yo is my favorite treat to get. This is my true hump day, I am trying to get all of our ducks in a row for Geoff's trip tomorrow and before I head out to work. So if anyone wants to drop off some half chocolate half peanut butter with brownie topping at my door, ill gladly accept!

Happy List!

Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet invited her readers to make their "Happy List" for the day and while I just got totally bad service at Target and have to head to work in an hour making me just a tad grumpy...here is my list for this week!

1. It is finally brisk enough in good old Southern California to get away with lightweight scarves in the daytime and chunky knit ones in the evening. Scarves are my go to accessory to brighten up any bland t-shirt and jeans kind of day.

2. I love grocery shopping. I love eating, adorable packaging, and not spending much money to try new things. Enter Fresh & Easy, I love them! And I love nothing better then coming home to a full fridge of delicious food and fresh veggies and being able to get in the kitchen and cook my own meals.

3. Flat black boots are my staple pretty much 365 days a year. I prefer them over flip flops, heels, and my dreaded manly work shoes. They are so comfortable and still look polished and I basically will live in mine until Spring rolls around!

4. My happy place is my iPod, a trashy gossip magazine, and a bath. It feels like the only way sometimes to get away and unwind without the tv or computer taking all of my attention. This Bert Bees Peppermint and Rosemary scrub works as shampoo, body wash and yes bubble bath! Im not going to lie, this is how I started off my day today!!

5. The best part about heading to work.... my legal and free addiction- caffeine! I just don't feel like myself until I have a few shots of espresso under my belt!

So have a happy tuesday and I ask anyone who wants to join in, make your own happy list for the week and share it in the comments!

It's looking like fall...

Sweater- Forever 21, Shirt/Dress- Forever 21, Leggings- Target, Boots- Old Navy, Necklace- ???, Watch- Burberry

    It appears that fall fell this weekend, just only in our front yard! And it is bizarre since all the leaves are falling, but still green! Check out that beautiful huge leaf that fell! This is actually what I wore on Saturday night but I am cheating and only posting it now. The idea around the whole title "Weekend File" is that I spend a majority of my days in work clothes, so when I can get a little dressed up in something other then a black polo... it is rare... but exciting! My friends always make fun of me for having things sit in my closet forever and ever with the tags still attached, and its just because I don't have the opportunity to dress up or branch out. So I am hoping to do it more often, and discover what is hiding in there!

   

    

Weekly Roundup

1.  This week was a very good and busy week for us! Since we don't get trick-o-treaters in our neighborhood, we headed out to do some window shopping (which turned into real shopping... whoops!) and eat at one of our favorite burger joints, The Counter, in Irvine. Its nice to have the boy around on the weekends!

2.  The only, only, thing that makes going to work at the crack of dawn worth it, is that first break where you can eat a deliciously buttery croissant and soy cappuccino in the quiet of the morning and that kind of helps start the day off just right.

3.  Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, CA. There were lots of kids in costumes and dogs in costumes it was such a nice day,  maybe one time I will take a ride on this pretty Ferris Wheel!

4.  This Saturday we hosted a yard sale with all of our left over clothes from our last sale in May and some new stuff we had cleaned out. It was such a nice day to be outside and this little guy, Henry, and Rachel came over to keep us company while we made millions. Kidding, we made only like $150 but that was 50 cents at a time! We did our part for the community as well and donated everything to a church group afterwards to sell off at their own rummage sale. 

5. Sweet Potato Fries. Need I say more? Delicious!!!

  So after we finished up our sale yesterday we went out to dinner with Geoff's parents and went to see Craig Ferguson a the Fox Theatre. He was surprisingly funny, but I have to say his song and dance routine to "Oops! I Did it Again" was hands down the funniest! Spending another Sunday watching Nascar (after we slept our extra hour!) then I am heading into work tonight. Next week we are gearing up for a busy week at work and Geoff is taking another business trip to Phoenix!

Happy Birthday...

...Rachel!

   I met Rachel in 2002 through mutual friends and we have been through alllll kinds of life changes and ups and downs together. We are kind of like the yin and yang in some aspects but we still make it work. She is very independent and outgoing and I admire that greatly about her. Last night we celebrated her in style with too many drinks at her favorite karaoke bar and the best homemade Star Wars cupcakes. Today on the other hand, has been spent eating Subway and frozen yogurt on the couch watching daytime tv feeling like crap!! 

Sooo, HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL! Hope you had a great evening!!

   

Mumford & Sons

Mumford and Sons- Little Lion Man

  My first concert ever was No Doubt, Weezer and the Suicide Machines when I was nearly 14 in San Diego. No Doubt was just blowing up and of course Gwen was my idol. Little did I know I would discover Weezer, a band that sounded like nothing I had ever heard before and it was so life changing. For the next 8 years I was all things music. My life was going to shows and concerts, and spending all my money at random independent record stores (remember those?). There is just a rush you get when you discover a new band. Where song after song, it gets better and better! Sometimes I felt like I was discovering some planet no one really knew was out there and it was like my own little world to be able to get so immersed in it. I spent so much time laying on the floor of my bedroom listening to my c.d. player over and over and over. Of course music tastes evolve and age gets to the better of you and you just don't have that much free time for those fun activities. 

  

   When I first heard Mumford and Sons this summer I was surprised and shocked by how much I liked them, and also felt mad at myself that we had had the album here in the States since February and I had not known of them. Basically for the past 6 months, Sigh No More had been the one and only album in rotation on my iPod. I get chills, honestly. I haven't been able to feel so connected or excited about music in awhile. I would say the last band that really struck a chord was The Swell Season nearly 3 years ago.

   Yes, there is other good music out there, don't get me wrong, but there is just something when it all aligns up perfectly that you are taken away by how good it is. So I am sharing Little Lion Man today, which is their first single off of this album- but don't be fooled- the entire thing is amazing!

Vote!

   Just a reminder to everyone to get out and vote today! I will be very, very relieved not to get random phone calls and to not have to see all of those crazy mean commercials! I went out this afternoon and it took me going to two different polling places to find my name on their list! I never knew that you could vote in someone's garage... weird!!! 

Anyhow everyone go out and do your part for our country and vote vote vote!