Awkward and Awesome Thursday!

Last summer, taken on Newport Beach... watching the sunset and eating Laventina's pizza! 

Awkward-

- They are painting the concrete black outside of my work. Woman walks right through the wet paint and walks through our store. Footprints everywhere! In black paint! Talk about a headache to clean!

- Your dog rolling through a huge and fresh bird plop. Then your neighbor wants to come and pet and kiss him. While the white stuff is literally dripping off his ears. GROSS.  Thank goodness for baby wipes.

- Jamming out to a song in your car, then realizing the car next to you is jamming out to the same song. Or realizing it after they already have and they are laughing at you.

- That "What Would You Do?" secret camera show... It just makes me feel weird for the people getting tricked.

-Toddlers and Tiaras. Do I have to say anything else?

- Re-watched Sex in the City 2... That movie was very awkward. And bad. I hope they do a third one to redeem themselves.

Awesome-

- The words "In Escrow"... eeeek! Getting excited!

- Realizing you have shrunk two dress sizes since last summer.

- Finding clothes you honestly forgot you had in your closet. I have done that about 10 times this week cleaning out my drawers.

- Extreme couponing. I really need to find time to figure that out. Although I could start the "Extreme Shopping" show, because I shop like a champ!

- Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Best of both worlds...

- Free HBO weekend. So many movies, so little time!

- Pintrest! I have so many ideas for our house on there!!

- Dog has decided that his reflection scares him. Its funny to see him barking his head off, thinking the other dog is barking back at him.

Pastel Cool

Blouse- Old Navy

Denim Shorts- Old Navy

Fedora- Urban Outfitters

Watch- Fossil

Purse- Cynthia Rowley

Sandals- Issac Mizrahi for Target

     Lately, I have been getting Saturdays off from work, so we take full advantage of the weather and head down to our future city, Costa Mesa. This weekend we ate breakfast burritos at Rooster Cafe (this is becoming a weekend ritual... they are so good!), bought some plants from The Plant Stand, wandered around the Farmers Market and OC Mix Mart, hit up a brand new (and huge) Forever 21, and wandered South Coast Plaza. I love where I live now, but for 10 years I have been going down to Costa Mesa and Newport Beach spending most of my time there, and I really have a love for that city. There are so many cool restaurants and cafes, so many amazing boutiques and shops local to the area. I cant wait to live right in the middle of it!

     I decided to keep it cool and casual. I tried to dig some shorts out of my closet earlier in the weekend found that they were actually two sizes too big! But I managed to find a cute pair of cutoffs from Old Navy and grabbed this colorful, tissue weight blouse for $7.99. I think the two paired perfectly for a day out and about. Oh, and say hello to my legs. They are not very tan or taught, but I am working on it. They haven't worn shorts since maybe high school, but I am embracing it this year. 

That Dog

     Every single day, I tell boyfriend a big old heartfelt thank you for bringing this little guy into my life. It sounds so weird, I never thought I would be one of those people who are totally smitten with their pet... but I am! Everyday we always are laughing and having fun because Lewis has thee best personality, and then he is so sweet to be around when he is all sleepy and cuddly. We have only had him since November, but I really couldn't imagine our lives without him. He totally completes our little family. 

     Just last night we were chatting about the fun yard we will be able to give the dog when we move and I want to build him a little dog house, complete with his name right above the door. So dumb I know but so sweet, too! He is so fun to take walks with, even though this week I have pulled 2 pre-chewed wads of gum, a few worms, and a soggy cigarette out of his mouth. Never a dull moment! He also helps cure boredom because he likes to take Incredibooth photos with me in the afternoon! I love this guy. 

Has anyone done any of the training classes at either Petco or Petsmart? Im looking for advice on which is better to take a 10 month old puppy to and your experience with them? Or maybe another service I don't even know about!?

My Kind of Tie-Dye

Dress- Target

Sweater- Forever 21

Sandals- Issac Mizrahi for Target

Necklace- Forever 21

Watch- Burberry

     I bet you were expecting lots pink and blue swirls weren't ya? Well friends, pretend you are looking at me on a black and white tv. I LOVE this dress. I am not the hippy Woodstock tie-die kind of gal, but I can rock the more neutral version like no other. Not to mention this week was the first week it has been hot, so any more clothes in the 90 degree heat and I would have been miserable! The sweater was an afterthought because it was getting chilly as the day wore on, but this dress is just so easy to wear! It is just once piece but looks so pulled together. I kind of took a cue from the different shades of the skirt and decided to mix all my metals as well. Bronze sandals, silver watch, multi-colored necklace... I just couldn't decide! 

Summer Brights

     Everywhere I look lately, everything is all about bright, bright, bright! The girls on the blogs are pairing colors together that are making me drool a little bit and making me want to change the whole way I dress! The brighter the better this summer right? Here are a few things I would love to add to my wardrobe:

1. This colorful tiered necklace would look amazing with a breezy dress or a crisp white button down and cutoffs.

2. Big and bold statement pieces can bring life to any outfit.

3. Grab a skinny belt for a punch of color. These are versatile and can go with nearly any outfit. Try doubling them for added effect!

4. Nothing says fun and sassy like pink wellies! They don't only need to be for rainy days, think of them when you go to the beach for a bonfire!

5. A damask print comes to life in these earrings. Think of color blocking an outfit and letting the accessories be the focal point.

6. I can't get enough of this coral and pink combo or stripes and this sundress is just the best of both worlds.

7. Simple sandals with a dainty printed detail. Paint your toesies all different fun colors to match!

8. Need a casual but fun outfit for everyday wear? Try tucking a simple tee into a fun and colorful printed skirt. 

9. These bracelets stacked together can give the effect of brightly colored stripes right on your wrists!

10. Coral and wood colored heels with a white sundress would be a perfect warm evening outfit.

11. A scarf in a fun print can be worn so many ways! In your hair, around your neck, as a belt, on the strap of a beach bag... so many options!

12. Like wearing jeans? Swap out the old blue jean version for a brighter colored version like these jade green jeans. 

What do you like? What is on your summer wish list?

Watercolors

Blouse- Thakoon for Target

Jeans- Citizens of Humanity

Heels- Mossimo

Clutch- Nordstrom

     As you can see over my shoulder in the first photo... time got away form us this past weekend and we had to go find a well lit place to take outfit photos at nearly 9pm! I will let you in on our secret-- college parking garages. Of course, they are dead on the weekend, slightly dirty, but very well lit! This one is actually under some tennis courts (that were full of people!) so it kept sounding like we were having an earthquake the entire time!

     I wore this with big plans to go out to dinner but when the time came down to it, I found myself in the kitchen making spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. I drank wine, I read magazines while I waited for water to boil and we caught up on our DVR after we ate. All in heels and cute jeans. So it felt like a date, with a little more work involved. Sometimes, I just love cooking and eating at home, it almost seems more fulfilling them going out and spending more money. 

     I have this great cookbook called 1 Sauce, 100 Recipes and it is all based on a marinara sauce and I swear by it! So many great recipes for something we always have on hand. Makes an impromptu dinner date easy as pie!

Sponsor in July

I am pleased to announce that I am now accepting sponsors for July!

Since I have noticed my blog growing by leaps and bounds over the past few months I want to give a little treat to you guys who come and visit every single day!

We have a few great Sponsors lined up for July and if you have a blog, shop, store, company, anything... I would love to have any of you be a part of it! 

I am going to discount my Small Ads for the month to $4 each in celebration of 4th of July! If you want to take me up on this offer send me an e-mail at hlynnedwards@gmail.com and just mention the special pricing. I will also honor the price for multiple months if you choose to buy it all now. 

I also have two other sizes and other Sponsor options so just head over here to check it out!

You Two? U2!

Top- Forever 21

Jeans- LC Lauren Conrad

Boots- Forever 21

Necklace- Forever 21

Watch- Fossil

     So almost two years ago, we purchased tickets to go see U2 for last summer. Then, Bono had to have some emergency surgery and the shows were postponed. Of course, we held on to the tickets. Well, Saturday was the day and we finally went to see U2! This was something that was on boyfriends bucket list of things he would love to do and bands he would love to see. I love music, though I am not a huge U2 fan, but I do like them! 

     The show was at the Angels Stadium and the stage was massive! I am not sure if it was supposed to look like alien legs or the bottom of a spaceship but it was big, and weird, and huge, and awesome all at once. They said the stage was 167 feet tall. Now I am not a math whiz or anything but that is really, really tall! I ended up wearing boots and this bird silhouette printed blouse, and packed a scarf and a jacket just in case it got cool. Boy was I glad I layered! In the beginning we were right up in the sun miserably hot and later on the cool breeze came in and I was freezing!! 

     Anyways, Bono looked and sounded just like I always thought he would. Shades, leather pants, the works! U2 was so epic and really rocked. There is no other way around it, they are legends! The show was so fun! My favorite was when they sang "Stuck in a Moment" acoustic... so pretty! But all of the singles and hits they played were great and the lighting and effects were incredible to watch. Not to mention my lovely friend helped us out with parking so we didnt even have a problem leaving with 50,000 other people! All in all we had a great Saturday night! 

Scenes from the Weekend

     Hope everyone had a good weekend and a Happy Father's Day! We had a long and eventful weekend, involving babies, concerts, shopping, working, bbq's and fun! Here are a few snapshots from out weekend. If you have Instagram lets be friends... 'im_hayley'.  I am uploading photos all the time on there!

A casual and easy outfit that never made the cut! I really love that Ikat print scarf. And my Hunter Green toesies... so fun!

My little guy got groomed this weekend, he always looks so different when he comes back but he is so soft, and smells so good... it makes cuddle time great! And look at those huuuge ears! Thats my boy!

Always nice finding forgotten clothes in your closet that remind you of what a great deal you got! My Thakoon for Target blouse was $20 off! Now thats a bargain! 

Nothing more relaxing then having dinner in the oven and a nice stack of magazines to keep you occupied. I love getting all my mail opened and magazines read. 

A weekend glass of wine to pair with those magazines. Sometimes nights in (with a quick run to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard) are just what the doctor ordered. The doctor being the part of my mind that tells me to drink after a long work week!

We went and saw U2 on saturday night... but more on that later this week! But here is a quick shot of the stage. It was massive!!!

And then on Sunday it is race day and blog catch-up day. There is nothing wrong with being in your PJ's until noon on a Sunday... it is almost required!

Like a Bird

Tunic- Forever 21

Tank- Forever21

Leggings- Target

Boots- Forever 21

     I am not really sure if this is really just a shirt and I am walking around the neighborhood being a little scandalous wearing it as a dress... but it totally works. The bottom looks layered... like a skirt would! I always make sure to wear an extra long tank underneath, we are talking loooong past my booty, just in case there are some discrepancies. It is so light, silky and full of color. I almost feel a bohemian hippy vibe when wearing this. I usually wear the same outfit but with a chunky knit sweater over the top if it is cold out, but this is the "summery" version. I also had a hard time trying to show this outfit off in photos. The sleeves kind of remind me of wings, so naturally this is what you get... 

     Yeah, I like to embarrass myself acting like a bird in our front yard and then turn around and share the results with 700 of my dearest friends. Tyra would be proud. Oh yeah, I am also taking over blogging duties on Frills for Thrills today so head over and check it out!

Lovely.

This weekend, over cheeseburgers for lunch, I realized that we are totally MFEO (meant for each other... Sleepless in Seattle reference!) in a way that is very unique to us... Love is love... but it takes on a new meaning in our relationship, What does love mean to you and yours?

Love means, he begrudgingly takes photo after photo of me day after day doing the same thing, just dressed in different clothes.

Love means, we both order dinner, but he really orders something he knows I want too so I can have a few bites of it.

Love means, I also save the last bites of my food for him. 

Love means, that when my sister asks us to go to the store and by diaper rash cream (4 tubes of it!!), he takes the opportunity to embarrass me in front of the checker (telling her its mine!) and make a totally boring task, totally hilarious.

Love means, taking me to Costco, on a Saturday, in the afternoon to fill my car up with gas.

Love means, I wash the dishes and he loads them.

Love means, I wash the laundry and he folds it. 

Love means, he lets me put my super cold feet on his warm feet in bed so I am not cold. Secretly, I just like to hear him scream like a girl.

Love means, he always, always, untwists the lid or cap off of something and puts it back on looser before handing it to me.

Love means, him sitting through countless hours of bad reality tv and me sitting through countless hours of cars going around in circles. 

Love means and understands that when I say I will be ready in "5 minutes" he knows to turn on the tv because those 5 minute are probably more like 30.

Love means, that after 7 years we get each other, make life easier for each other, and appreciate each other for our quirks and habits. 

June Gloom

Sweater- Forever 21

Lace Shell- Cotton On

Undershirt- Hanes

Jeans- Citizens of Humanity

Shoes- American Eagle via Payless

Necklace- Forever 21

     Lately, the mornings have been really long and dreary and the afternoons have been warm and sunny. This makes it hard to stay dressed in the same outfit throughout the day. I think I must have been inspired by the gloomy June colors outside my window when I got dressed today. All I thought of to dress up this lace top was various shades of grey for the Everybody, Everywear challenge. I don't really love lace, so I decided to play it up with mixing different patterns and mixing fancy with casual. I didnt even really realize that I barely own any lace items and it was too cold for this navy lace dress that I do have and like, so I had to work with what I had! I ordered this necklace around my birthday and I love it! It reminds me of a vintage costume necklace you would see in antique stores. It also perfectly matches my nail polish which is also sweet and light pink. 

Hello Pacific!

Sweater- Forever 21

Jeans- Target

Boots- Forever 21

Watch- Fossil

Sunglasses- LC Lauren Conrad

Purse- Cynthia Rowley

     Sometimes we forget that we live so close to the beach. I always wondered how people who live like 5 miles away never made time to go to the beach and go for a walk or read a book. Now we are those people. The house we want to buy is 5 miles away (or less) and I couldn't even tell you the last time I saw the ocean. So we did what we had to do. Woke up early, headed to breakfast, grabbed some coffee and went and took photos right on the sand. It was a lovely, cool, overcast morning. There were dogs playing frisbee, people surfing, people working out, little kids playing in the freezing water... all stuff I hope we can do when we live closer! 

     It also made for a lovely backdrop for some outfit photos. I just have to say, I bought this bag in New York City at Century 21 and it was so expensive... but so on sale! It was great! I LOVE the shade of blue, it is like nothing else that I have and I love the clasps on the pockets. It perfectly livens up my otherwise neutral outfit. 

Psssst! I'm hosting a Giveaway!

     Happy Saturday everyone! The boy and I are off to eat breakfast burritos and visit friends but I wanted to stop in and share that I have teamed up with For The Love Of Blogs and I am hosting a giveaway! You can find it right here and sign up! and the even better news? There will be TWO winners! The giveaway ends on June 22nd so you have plenty of time to sign up and win! Okay... those burritos are calling my name... have a great weekend everyone! And good luck!

The best hair product I have ever used...

     First off, "HI!!" to my new followers! I am more then happy to have you here!!  Secondly, You guys are going to love me for this. I think you will want to bake me brownies and give me hugs. Many, many hugs!

So last week, I got my hair done. My hairdresser, Pam, used this oil on my hair and I noticed the second day I just loved how it looked. Normally, I have to wash my hair once a day or it looks very oily at the root. I also get split ends like crazy since I heat style my hair a ton. But... not anymore! I went to Sally's Beauty Supply, identified the bottle and took it home. The item is One 'n Only Argan Oil Treatment. It is made from Moroccan Argan Tree oil and contains Omega fatty acids and Vitiman E and is alochol free. Did I mention I spent less then $10 dollars!?

After washing my hair I comb it out and put a dime sized amount in my hand, mix it up and run it through my hair, making sure to smooth it between the locks and concentrate on the ends as well. I do my makeup then blow dry my hair so I give it about 15 minutes to settle in and air dry a bit. I have been doing this routine for 1 week.

Since I have been doing this... I am washing my hair every other day. This is INCREDIBLE for me. It will prolong the life of my color and it really doesn't look oily at ALL. The Argan Oil appears that it would give off a greasy look but it absolutely does not. My hair is so much more shiny and soft, and it feels like I have had a professional blowout each time I do it myself. Also I notice that the "frizzy" ends or split ends are almost non existent. True, I did just get it cut but overall it seems like it is in such better shape!

The bottle also claims to reduce drying time, and I might be inclined to agree. It also states it is ideal for all hair types... yay! I have spent countless dollars and hours trying to find products that work from salon quality or drug store brands and this seems to do everything I need in one small bottle! I would buy you all a bottle and send it to you to try if I could that is how impressed I am. So go try it and I will happily accept those brownies!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday!

Awkward-
- The other day I was driving behind a guy on a Motorcycle. He was Wearing Sketchers Shape-ups. To me, that just seems incredibly dangerous.

- Speaking to a man on a phone who kept asking me how much the wifi was at Starbucks, I told him it was free and he asked me how many dollars it was, I replied "zero dollars" and he was thrilled! Who knew things that were free really cost nothing!!

- Giving our puppy a bath. It is pretty hilarious seeing 2 adults and one wiggly puppy in a small bathtub.

- Being in the hospital with my dad, boyfriend, and many strangers and many feminine words were being talked about like nobody's business... thats embarrassing.

- A girl at work having a pair of underwear peeking out of her pant leg. WHOOPS! She didnt sort her laundry that well!!

- Putting my coupon in the little slot at Fresh & Easy and accidentally dropping my ATM in it as well. It took 3 dudes, 2 sets of keys and a lot of plastic having to be removed. And apparently I was the first person to ever do that....

Awesome-
- New babies! Their sweet smell, their soft skin, their little features and hands! Ahhhhh... it's so sweet!

- Sourdough english muffins, toasted, with peanut butter and honey. It is so, so good!

- The new navy blazer I scored on sale at Anthro last week. It is 80's flight attendant meets posh british socialite. I love it.

- Being able to tell my dog "NO!" when he has done something bad and he runs full speed into his house into a puppy time out.

- Bob's Big Boy breakfast. Some mornings you just need bacon, eggs, pancakes, hash browns and biscuits!

- Being able to take a bubble bath and read the new Lucky magazine completely uninterrupted. That is bliss!

- Lucky Charms with Soy milk for dinner. This should be under "Totally Awesome".

- Jordan is giving away a 7 day trip to Paris and that is AMAZING. To be the lucky lady would be incredible!

- Receiving sweet emails from lovely readers. It really makes my day, and I don't get them all of the time so they really are special!

Fancy Date Night

Blouse- Forever 21

Belt- Forever 21

Jacket- Nordstrom

Jeans- Mossimo via Target

Wedges- American Eagle via Payless

Necklace- Forever 21

Watch- Fossil

     Thats right. My man came home early on Friday night, we got dressed to the nines and he took me to the restaurant my heart desired... Olive Garden! Now I know, I know, it doesn't seem fancy, heck, it is not fancy, but it is so dang good! I spent that entire last week sick on the couch and you know what I saw over and over? This commercial of happy people eating some Pastachetti thing at the Olive Garden so I begged for it every day of my sickness. And my man treats me well. Friday night came and it was on! The salad is pretty good, the breadsticks are delicious but the Pasta... it disappointed! Oh well.. we were out past 8 pm and managed to have a glass of wine so that is a fancy date in my book! 

     

     In other news, I am working on a new FAQ page so if you have any questions to ask little ole me, ask away! I also am working on a great big blog sale with some items in my closet and I think I am going to start a new feature this summer I am really excited about! Thank you all for coming over to my little space and chatting and commenting with me everyday! It really is so fun and a delight to meet and talk with everyone! Is there anything you want to see more/less of? Any suggestions? Let me know!

Around the World

Sweater- Anthropologie

Dress- Old Navy

Sandals- Issac Mizrahi

Belt- Forever 21

     I am just going to come out with it... I LOVE THIS SWEATER! Sometimes Anthropologie just hits it right on the money. Even on sale, this sweater was still a pretty penny but  I love it so much. I love the colors, the lightweight feel, the pretty pictures of the bridges in Italy and cathedrals in France. AHH! I wish I was really there! I know these colors are more fall influenced but I couldn't help myself this weekend. I wanted a easy dress, but the black felt to dark and heavy for the 80 degree weather so I decided to lighten it up! 

     After being in the hospital all day Saturday awaiting the babies arrival,  Sunday I decided to class it up a bit and get a little fancier. I basically just cuddled babies all afternoon and could have been wearing jammies and been perfectly happy! But you know, in 10 years I want them to know I stepped it up for their second day of life! 

     Oh yeah, did you notice I am just a wee bit blonder now?? I tried to grow my natural color out but, no can do... I just love the blonde! Its pretty light but I am getting used to it!

I'm an Aunt!!!

(in the waiting room)

Saturday was the day! After waiting all of this time, my sister finally had her babies! Those babies were stubborn and didnt want to come out and after hours and hours of waiting, it took her only 12 minutes and we had not 1, but 2, new members in out family! 

(seeing Addie for the first time... that's my mom!)

The whole time we had thought the girl was going be be born first, but somehow little baby Brody edged his way out of there, eager to be the best older brother ever and came first! 

(Addison)

Then followed Addison. She is as chubby and as cute as can be. All day she didnt cry, or fuss, just chilled and slept and occasionally. Brody on the other hand is smaller, with such defined features, screamed at the top of his lungs, and wouldn't eat. 

They are the sweetest, cutest, most incredible babies and I am thrilled to be able to be their Aunt! And Geoff looks pretty thrilled to be holding that sweet thing, too! This picture just makes me heart melt!

What a wild weekend!