Black and White

     While everyone (including myself) is head over heels for neons, bright colors, and color blocking there is still something to be said for our two oldies but goodies, Black and White. Right now I am loving these simple understated outfits and accessories. They leave the playing field open for adding pops of color to make any outfit even more eye-catching!

1. This Old Navy Color-blocked Dress lends the perfect background for bright wedges or a fun, printed cardigan.

2. A Pair of Reading Glasses from Forever 21 are cheap and fun accessories and look great with bright pink lips!

3. This cute TopShop Bag would look perfect with just about any dress or skirt in the closet!

4. A beautiful and embellished TopShop Tank would look great with a pleated skirt or even boyfriend jeans. 

5. Cute hand-drawn hearts on this Topshop Sweater would make any outfit much more charming!

6. Laser Cut Earrings from Forever 21 add detail without being too eye-catching.

7. Classic black and white polka dots on this Topshop Dress are just too endearing and that sweetheart neckline is over the top. I want this!

8. A Forever 21 Cuff adds sparkle to any simple white tee and jeans!

9. Shiny white Old Navy Flats are simple and chic with the tiniest bit of black detail.

10. This Wild Horses Scarf from Forever 21 adds vintage flair to cutoffs in the sumer, or a pencil skirt in the fall.

11. Color-blocked Shirt from TopShop is right on trend and oh-so pretty with a pair of dark wash jeans and bright heels!

12. An abstract print Dress from Forever 21 has visual interest and is just waiting for a bright belt!

13. Classic Kate Spade Oxford heels just add fun to any little black dress!

Life in a Dreamboat Giveaway!!

Today we have a lovely treat for everyone! Rachel from Dreamboat Designs has made these lovely feather hair clips and is going to give one of you the chance to win! I think this would look lovely in anyones hair this fall! All you have to do is comment below!

Hey Weekend File readers! I'm so excited to be a part of Hayley's blog this month- I love all of her fun and summery outfit posts!

I'm Rachel - I run a little blog called 'life in a dreamboat' from my home in Toronto, Canada.  I'm in the middle of re-branding my accessories line, but in the mean time on my blog I take way too many pictures with my iPhone, post recipes, and talk a lot about creating fun things!

This month I will be giving away one of my handmade feathered hairclips.  This one is one of my favourites!

Here's how to win:

-Be a follower of Hayley's blog or mine, life in a dreamboat via Google Friend Connect.

-Leave a comment on this post with your name and e-mail address so we can contact you if you win!

For additional entries:

-Be a follower of Hayley and Me on Twitter

Make sure you leave a separate comment/link for each of your additional entries!

Winner will be picked via Random.org on Aug 1st!

Good luck!! <3

Weekend Scenes & Sponsor Special

Sometimes we get so busy, I forget we live so close to this beauty! So nice to stop by in soak it in every once in awhile.

I even saw a dolphin swimming off of the horizon. 

Had to slow down and take this photo. Who did steal this guys tailgate?!

I remembered a recipe I had seen on Danielle's blog for Quiche so I made it for dinner, adding my spin on it with Bell Peppers, Turkey Bacon and Sharp Cheddar. Yum yum!

Decided to spruce up a boring work ponytail with a pretty braid. Even better the next morning... crimpy hair! Hello 80's!

We took the afternoon off and took a trip on the train! More to come on this fun day.

My excited face... and Geoff's terrified face, or something like it!

August Small Ad Special: I decided to run a special deal for my small ads. Normally $5 each, If you sign up before Friday you can get 3 months (Aug-Sept-Oct) for only $12! Email me quick quick to get this deal. Spaces Limited! 

Checkmate.

Blouse- Old Navy

Jeans- LC Lauren Conrad

Sandals- Issac Mizrahi for Target

Watch- Fossil

Sunglasses- LC Lauren Conrad

     Where do these weekends go? Literally, I try to squeeze in errands, cleaning, home buying stuff, family time, boyfriend time, blog time and then... its Monday! I swear they need some 8th day of the week that is reserved for sleeping in, watching those last 4 episodes of House from last season still on the DVR, and taking a ridiculously long bath so I can read all the magazines that have been piling up since May. But on a happier note I do have a freshly groomed puppy, clean floors, folded laundry, a happy family since we went to dinner on Saturday and a blog post for you guys! 

     We actually went to a nearby elementary school to take these photos. We scared off a couple of dudes with dogs. I don't know what is so intimidating about someone taking your photo outdoors, but it really makes people stare. Get out of their car, stare, get back in and leave. Maybe they were intimidated by this awesome blue gingham shirt, or they were afraid their dogs would maul me. I'm not sure. I am sure of one thing though, those poles were pretty fun to slide down, something that I did not allow to be captured on camera.... or maybe I did. I will share those gems another day! 

Wanna Sponsor in August?

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

Every month, my blog is getting more visitors and followers and I would love for anyone who is interested to be a part of it! August will be a fun month, with all fingers crossed, it will be the month we begin to move!

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

I offer different sizes of ads and they start as low as $5! If you are also loving the Sponsor Features you can be a part of that! Anyone who buys multiple months up front will be locked into their price for the entire time desired. Send me an email to inquire!

To see all the options just head over here to check it out!

Road Blocked

Shirt- Forever 21

Jeans- Old Navy

Sandals- Payless

Jewelry- World Market (Necklace), Vintage (Bracelet)

Sunglasses- LC Lauren Conrad

     Lets just get this out of the way right now... Yes, yes it does look like I have a string of blueberries around my neck. Phew! Glad I could just be straight with you guys. I didnt want you to be staring at your monitors thinking "Hmm... those look like something..." Blueberries. It's blueberries. Anyways boyfriend and I had date night (which seems like forever ago now) out on the town (okay, we were home by 9:30...) last weekend to celebrate finally getting a few steps closer on getting our house. I found this color-blocked tank while crusin' Forever 21 that day and thought it would be perfect. I decided to keep it pretty neutral, the denim was dark like the Navy, my tangerine toenails perfectly matched the orange in the top, and those tan strappy sandals mimicked the tan in the top. If that is not color coordinated from head to toe then I just don't know what to tell ya. I plopped on that lovely vintage find for good measure too. Turns out the food was bad, the service was worse, but I still looked cute. And I got a cupcake afterwards from Casey's. Apparently she won on Cupcake Wars. I had the Cinnamon Sugar and it was pretty... winning!

Sponsor Feature: Acute Designs

     Today we have another Large Ad feature post! Interested in having one? Send me an email! Gina from Acute Designs is going to share a few of her favorite summer salsas and how to make them. Seems like the perfect time to whip up a batch and take it to a BBQ, right? I love Roasted Red Pepper salsas with sweet chips like Sweet Potato... delish!

     Hi everyone! This is Gina from Acute Designs...the newest sponsor of The Weekend File.  I own a small handmade accessories business {also called Acute Designs} where I make and sell hair, bridal, and jewelry products. In addition to the Acute Designs blog and shop, I have a food blog called Taste, where I share my love of food and healthy{ish} recipes.

Today I am going to share with all of you lovely people one of my favorite summer foods - salsa. Salsa is a healthy snack that is super easy to make.  Don't worry too much about the measurements below, just add what you like.  If you like things spicy, add more jalapeno and if you hate cilantro - leave it out.

Salsa #1: Fresh Tomato and Pineapple Salsa
-3 cups tomato, chopped into large pieces
-1/4 cup of a red onion, roughly chopped
-1 handful of cilantro - roughly chopped
-1 tablespoon of finely chopped jalapeno {I am not a fan of spice, so I go easy on this ingredient}
-1 cup diced pineapple
-the juice from two limes
-sea salt and black pepper
1. Put the tomatoes into a food processor {if you don't have a food processor - just chop everything really well - the result will be the same, it will just take a little longer!} and pulse a few times until just chopped.  You don't want to pulse too much or the tomatoes will turn to mush.

2. Add the jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice to the tomatoes and pulse a few more times.
3. Dump the salsa into a serving bowl and mix in the pineapple and a little salt and pepper.  Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Salsa #2 Corn and Bean Salsa
-2 cups corn kernels {either fresh or frozen....if you use frozen, make sure they are thawed first}
-1 cup of beans {use whatever you have...I had white kidney beans, so that is what I used}
-A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
-1 tablespoon of jalapeno, finely diced
-the juice from two limes
-1 teaspoon cumin
-sea salt and black pepper
1. Mix everything together in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.  This recipe is also fantastic when used as a filling for tacos or a burrito.

Salsa #3 Roasted Red Pepper and Onion Salsa
-4 red bell peppers, cut into large pieces
-1 red onion, cut into large pieces
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-a handful of flat leaf parsley
-2 tomatoes, diced
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-sea salt and black pepper
1. Spread the bell pepper and onion pieces out on a large baking sheet and cover with the olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  Toss all to combine. 

2. Roast the peppers and onions at 325 degrees for about an hour.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 30 minutes.
3. Cut the peppers and onions into smaller pieces and place in the bowl of the food processor with the tomatoes, parsley, and garlic.  Pulse a few times until a nice texture is achieved.
4. Serve this salsa at room temperature or cold.

Glitter Nails

     Last week, I mentioned I was inspired by Pintrest to paint my nails glittery and you guys wanted to see it. So I am going to step it up and today I am going to show you how I did it. It  was super easy, and super subtle, but when the sunlight caught the sparkles... I was smitten!! I cant wait to try it with different colors and glitters next time!

- First I buffed and polished my nails before beginning so they were super smooth.

- I put on two thick coats of Essie 3-Way Glaze and let them dry completely.

- I then used NYC Starry Silver Glitter and applied to the tips of my nails by just dabbing (instead of brushing) the brush over and over. This let the glitter transfer where I wanted it, instead of it dripping down the nail. 

- After the glitter was where I wanted it, I put a layer of OPI RapiDry Top Coat over the entire nail, this time working from the bottom up, so I wouldn't get glitter on the other part of the nail. 

Finished result... glossy, sparkly, glittery and fun nails! 

Sprinkled in Confetti

Dress- Forever 21

Wedges- Payless

Jewelry- H&M (Bracelet), Anthropologie (Necklace)

     Something about this dress just really makes me want to leave my hair and accessories simple as pie. That, and the scorching hot weather. Some summer days it is a little too hot to hold a 300 degree curler to my head! Not to mention, it kinda feels like I am wearing a fancy robe. No pulling or tugging all day, just one long zipper and I am done. And who doesn't want to run errands in a robe? Well to be honest, I do see some questionable outfits from time to time at the grocery store, but if those people knew about the silky robe zipper dress it would be a whole 'nother story! I love the little graphic triangle print and the bold triangle cut out in the back. It is fitted and flattering and I cant wait to add tights and boots to it in the fall. Either that or maybe walk around throwing confetti in the air... because doesn't it look like I have been sprinkled in confetti?

In Escrow

     Nearly two years ago we started looking at various condos and houses all over Orange County to potentially move closer to the boyfriends' work. We didnt know what we were doing, what we were looking for, what our plan even was... but we started looking. As time went on, cities got crossed off the list, we realized we didnt have enough money, and the neighborhoods we were looking at... we didnt actually want to live in. We almost bought one condo that was not even 1000 square feet, but was hip and cute. We lost that one and felt defeated. Then we began escrow on another fully upgraded condo in a cute neighborhood, but that was way overpriced. For many reasons, we decided to pull out of that one. 

     We took months off. We were discouraged. We were disenchanted. Our family had grown and suddenly a puppy with lots of energy and tons of toys was a factor. We didnt want a condo, we wanted a house. We wanted to paint walls, have a garage, and find a space we could grow with, not just grow out of. So we upped the ante. We found a little more money. And then like magic, we found a few houses we liked. We were finally in a price range where the houses were fixer-uppers and the neighborhoods were charming. And then we found the house.

     A house on a street where an aunt and uncle of mine lived for 30 years. A house less the one freeway exit from the boys work. Minutes from the beach, minutes from my best friend, with charming neighbors and in walking distance of my favorite fro-yo shop. Too good to be true right? Well thats what we thought but we put in an offer and it was accepted! It was a short sale so we just waited and waited. And waited. And finally, three months later we just got the notice that we are In Escrow. Honestly, the best words to hear. Assuming, our home inspection goes well and everything is smooth sailing, we should have keys to our very first house in one month!

     It is just so exciting to begin to build a life together. In a space that is full of our hard work and ideas. And boy will it be hard work!!! We sit and chat about paint colors and kitchens and front doors and landscaping and it is going to be a huge project, but we can't wait. I get to live in a city I have loved for years and years. I get to be closer to friends (but further from family...)! The puppy will have a yard! The boy will not be on the freeway three or more hours a day! I can actually ride my beach cruiser at a beach! 

     So I hope you guys will follow along on our journey!  I will place this button on my sidebar, to make it easy to find any and all posts about our new project. I hope you guys will offer up advice, inspiration and information and enjoy this new element to the blog! As for today, I am putting on heels and we are going on a celebratory dinner date!

Awkward and Awesome

Awkward-

- Sunday night, driving home from work, I am driving behind a van that reads "FREE PICKLES FOR DELIVERY!" and I think to myself "WTF?!?" then I get a bit closer and realize it actually says "FREE PICKUP AND DELIVERY"............ hmm.........

- I keep having the same bad dream night after night. That sucks. The awkward part is I wake up from a dead sleep and am mad at boyfriend for no apparent reason. (Sorry.) 

- Starbucks selling a new coffee called "Iced Coffee". But it is hot coffee. How many times am I going to have to explain this one?

- Having to explain to boyfriend why I use so much more toilet paper then him. Or trying to figure out why he doesn't use enough? 

- Getting really excited about seeing something at the store, turning abruptly to double back and whacking this woman with my purse. I think she was so close to me I didnt even see her. It was a blur... sorry lady!

Awesome-

- We got free Metrolink passes in the mail, so we have devised a plan to take an afternoon off of work and ride the beach train down to San Clemente. I cant wait!

- Last week a lonely old beagle wandered onto my front yard. My friend and I took him in, put up signs, ads on craigslist, in the newspaper everything and two days later... we found his owner! It was a 2 day headache but so worth it that this dog got to return home!

- New shorts from Gap. They were $48.00. I left paying $6.45... total. They are a tad small, so I just will forgo eating when I wear them. 

- Getting closer and closer to starting escrow on our house. 

- Finally getting projects done that have been on the checklist for months!

- Our work getting a makeover next week, which means we get to go home early every single day! Wahooooo!

- My glittery nails that I decided to paint on a whim, and that I totally love! Thank you Pintrest for so many good ideas!

Sponsor Feature: The Boot

     Here is our second Sponsor Feature for July! Marissa is so sweet and so full of life, I love her blog and all of her gorgeous, amazing, jealously inducing photos of Italy! Go check her out sometime, you wont be disappointed!

Hi there Weekend File friends! It's me, Marissa from the boot, and today I'm going to give you a little rundown of my life in the boot (Italy!) and share some of my favorite things.

So here's the quick version of my life: 

In 2008 I moved to Barletta, Italy to live with my boyfriend Manu in his hometown. There I teach private English lessons, Zumba and blog like it's my job! It's been the most amazing experience ever. I can speak Italian in my sleep now and I've made friends who feel like they're family. 

I love Italy and I love Barletta!

On the boot you'll find a little bit of everything: 

1) Recipes: recently I made a delicious bolognese sauce and I think I need to make it again soon. SO GOOD!

2) Fun Fashion: living in Italy has totally rubbed off on me and my closet. 

3) General Shenanigans: this is one thing that you'll see a lot of; everything from parties for a statue to a "rocking" saturday night to my extremely normal whacky dreams.

I hope you'll come by soon and say ciao! Marissa :)

Hello Sunshine

Dress- Forever 21

Belt- Forever 21 (came with dress)

Shoes- Payless

Clutch- Buffalo Exchange

Jewelry- Forever 21, H&M (bracelets), Edor Jewelry (necklace), Claire's (earrings)

     When I heard that this months Everybody, Everywear challenge was to wear yellow, I immediately was hesitant. Then a few seconds later I remembered this dress I bought (and couldn't pass up), but have yet to wear. I also remembered this clutch that had been left behind at my parents house from when I moved (smart right?). Paired together, I thought I was going to nail this yellow challenge out of the ballpark. And not only was I pleasantly pleased with this outfit, I was thrilled! 

     I can't even begin to describe how ultra feminine I felt in these light, fun fabrics, all in light and bright colors. This dress is actually so breezy, I had to wear a slip. Paired with the cute bow detail on the heel and some bright pink lipstick... I was feeling totally girly. To keep it slightly edgy and add a bit of pop, I left my hair bone straight and piled on some fun bracelets. Honestly guys, if I could wear this outfit everyday I probably would. I think you guys would catch on rather quickly though... you smart cookies!