Lately

Some snapshots from the last few weeks in my life via my most favorite app, Instagram!

Continuing the neon trend with a shockingly bright yellow tee and a cute necklace for lunch.

One of the best faces to wake up to in the morning! He has claimed this little bathroom rug as his.

A great way to unwind, a big cup of coffee and a Glamour magazine!

Perks of staying at my family house one night a week... delicious food just shoved in front of me! Doesn't this bagel look delicious?

Tangerine stripes and a minty green bauble. Looks like I am already rocking the colors of this year a bit early!!

We finally took Lewis to the dog beach and a gorgeous 80 degree afternoon and he loved it! Getting filthy, playing in the water, chasing balls, watching the other pups! 

Its the time of year again, and I will admit... we went a little overboard! It's not like I can have these goodies any time of the year so we decided to stock up!!

A new scarf I am loving to keep warm on brisk mornings!

Hot pink nails! Finally getting used to painting my nails on my days off.

A girl can never have enough curls! 

Cute Valentines day treats give a pretty pop of color to our countertop!

A new graphic pillow that I completely adore! 

Happy hours on the patio with my love. It is nice that we are able to do things during the week since he isn't stuck in traffic anymore!

Buzzing About Neon

Neon is catching my eye lately in so many different colors and ways! Try some of these items to spruce up an everyday outfit, and add that great punch of color!

1. This Floppy Striped Hat is fun and vibrant and would be perfect for a weekend brunch or a stroll along the beach! 

2. Try switching out your regular sunglasses for a pair in a punchy color! These affordable Pink Sunglasses are sweet, but try bright orange or electric blue as well! 

3. I am forever in love with these neon Cambridge Satchels. Add it to any outfit and you will feel (and look) instantly cooler! 

4. These Old Navy flats are perfect for everyday, but are still playful with a lot of personality! 

5. Stack these affordable Neon Chevron Stripe Rings on one finger and you will have two of my favorite things all in one! Stripes and Brights!

6. A Pleated Midi skirt in the prettiest lemon-y hue is screaming to be worn for spring. Try pairing this with neutral tops and sweaters. 

7. Afraid of Neon clothes? Well try some Neon Nails! Use 1 of these colors, alternate colors or use all 4! Nails are playful lately so don't hold back! 

8. Color blocking is still a must and this cute Old Navy Shirt Dress is so easy to wear! I love the varying pink hues at the top.

9. Lauren Elan makes gorgeous jewelry and these little Friendship Bracelets have been on my want list for while. The only problem? Which color to get! All these colors are perfectly cute! 

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Bull Riding

     The other evening we were invited to go to the Professional Bull Riding in Anaheim, and without hesitation we said "YES!". I thought it would be great fun to dress up and that would be that, but it was soo much more fun then I had imagined!

     I wore my blue gingham shirt, tucked it into a pair of jeans and strapped on some boots and a belt. If I would have had a big belt buckle, it would have been on! 

     We ended up going with 2 friends, and we were in the front row! Totally cool and totally scary, because the bulls can go running away (like in that little photo) and all that is keeping them and their spit away from you and your face was just a little bar! I was a tad nervous, especially since the boys behind us kept taunting the wild bulls!

     I never knew there was such fun music, drinks, cowboys and cheering and intense bull riding and then in the middle of it some extreme jousting! We had the best time just being loud and dancing in our seats and cheering everyone on!

    Geoff had so much fun he was totally in his element (have I mentioned he is from Texas?) and loving drinking some beers and getting to do something completely "guy friendly" for the night! Plus he had not one, not two, but three lovely lady dates! 

Blue Gingham Shirt- Old Navy

Leather Belt- H&M

Jeans- Divine Rights of Denim

Boots- Payless

Necklace- Commissioned Online

Giddy Up!

Chambray Shirt- Target

Black Jeggings- Target

Brown Riding Boots- Payless

Brown Knit Beanie- Forever 21

Leather Belt- H&M

Sunglasses- Kate Spade

Lock and Key Bracelet- Vintage

     This is one of the last sets of photos we took in our old neighborhood. We had this huge field behind our house that usually was empty (except for an occasional bum or coyote) and perfectly secluded for photos. We managed to get there just as the sun was setting one brisk fall afternoon and I love the way these came out! The lighting is so vibrant and fun! I wish boyfriend didn't have to work so we could catch this "Golden Hour" every day! 

     This was just a quickly thrown together outfit, which is full of basics everyone pretty much has in their closet! I loved the somewhat outdoorsy, working on the ranch vibe it had. I have to say, I only fell in love with the chambray shirt since I have been blogging and I just don't know how I lived without it before! Later on that night I layered on a black sweater and a grey peacoat and it was the perfect amount of layers for a last walk around our city (okay... we went to look at Christmas lights but really, you don't want to know that in the middle of January, do you?). 

Want to Sponsor?

Sponsor The Weekend File in February!

As my site is growing and expanding I wanted to write a quick post to let all of you know I am accepting sponsors for the following month. I have some great reviews and giveaways coming up as well as new outfit photos and finally sharing the interior of our house!

If you think you would be a good fit for my blog check out the sponsor page or shoot me an email! I love working with other blogs, shops, retailers, etsy stores, etc. 

My smallest ads are super affordable and I also offer a discount for purchasing multiple months ahead of time! 

Plus, how can you say no to that sweet little face up there?!

Adding Green

I have been waiting to show you guys this for ages!!

One of my big projects on this house was the front door. I always knew I wanted it to be very modern looking and bright green. Before I could get to painting, I had to find the right door. I scoured the internet, went to lumber yards, and door and window wholesalers looking for the right one. I eventually found this door at Home Depot in their vast online section.

It came pre-framed so we had to have our contractor remove the old door and frame, and thankfully we had some extra original oak flooring (from the closet we took out) so he could make the doorjamb seamless. 

I love the modern look of this door. I love the sleek windows (which also mimic the windows on our garage door!) that let in light, but still provide security. 

This is the Emtek Handle we got for the door (you can see the lock in the above photo). It is brushed nickel and very industrial looking. I loved that it was square, when mostly every single door handle is oval in shape! One you start noticing these details, you will never think of doors the same way again! So I had to have it, even though the handle cost more then the entire door!

We went with Frazee Paint's Granny Smith Apple for the front door. I only tested 2 colors and I am so glad I didn't overwhelm myself with too many choices! 

We also had our contractor frame the door from the outside and paint it white so it would really stand out (and match the frame we put on the doors and windows!). 

The day the door got painted, but before the windows went it. I will tell you, it is pretty inexpensive to buy wood and frame your windows out and it makes such a great effect on the home. Plus you can add color in small doses if you are afraid to paint the entire house!

There she is in all her glory with the windows uncovered and the trim complete! I absolutely love this door! We also painted the inside green, and it adds such a great pop inside the home as well!

The view at night with the lighting installed and the outside of the home (except for the landscaping) is pretty much complete! Our entry looks so happy even at night!

Another night shot! 

We had all of our neighbors come by and ask us about the door! Apparently we were the talk of the neighborhood! They have told us that this house has never looked this good, and some of them have lived on this street for 40 years! We even inspired a neighbor to paint their door as well!

Our new welcome mat that my mom bought us perfectly matches our color scheme. I love walking up to the house, everything is so inviting and cheery!

Now it looks even better with all of our plants and our grey mailbox! I am so glad I was gutsy enough to go with that color and now we can tell people "Its the house with the green door! You wont miss it!". 

Trip to the Bark Park

One of the great things about our new neighborhood is the fact that we are so close to nearly everything we need. Their are Food Trucks on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoons. Farmers Markets and Swap Meets on the weekend. Starbucks, supermarkets and restaurants all within walking (and for sure, biking) distance! One of the best thing according to Lewis, is the Bark Park. A huge dog park that is fairly close to our house!

This guy hasn't really been to the dog park before, because it makes me feel incredibly anxious to let him off the leash to run around. Who knows what other dogs are going to do? What is he going to eat? Will he get loose? Needless to say, I need to get over it because he is a dog!! And he needs to have fun!

Here he is meeting my best friends dog, Henry, for the first time! Instant friends!

Look at those boys go! Haha! He had so much fun running like a crazy dog, chasing tennis balls, and chasing dogs smaller then him! Every time I see this photo it makes me laugh. I can totally make out a crazy eye and tongue going flying!

I was so proud of him that he was so good, and didnt get into any trouble and so proud of myself that I was able to let him get dirty and run free! It turned out to be the perfect morning to go! It was nice and warm outside, and there weren't too many dogs. He told me he had a ton of fun. The only thing he didn't like was the public water fountain bowl, he couldn't figure it out!

And he was so happy he found some mud to cool off in. I, on the other hand, was not so happy I had a muddy, slobbery dog on my hands but we headed straight home for a bath and a nap (him, not me!)

So far we are loving our new hood and all of the fun things we (both) get to do!

All photos by my friend, Rachel.

Multi Colored

Beige Sweater- Forever 21

Little Feathers Navy Dress- Nordstrom

Black Leggings- Target

Flat Black Boots- Old Navy

Sunglasses- Kate Spade

Charm Necklace- Forever 21

     Life has been so busy lately! And when I sit here ready to tell you all about it, all I can think of writing is "It's cold outside and this dress is cute." Honestly, award winning blogging right there. I am just having a slight problem sharing everything that is going on and keeping up with it all! I really need to get a 2012 planner or something, my 2011 one just isn't cutting it anymore. 

     Anyways, I have been sticking to my New Year's goals and have been out running with the puppy in the mornings, and saying yes to more offers and invitations then just sitting at home and being a boring dog lady. Like this past weekend we went to the Professional Bull Riding. Cowboys everywhere, good music, and a good excuse to wear some boots. It was a great time! And then after we went dancing. Im not going to lie, I danced and danced! I  Kinda the yin and yang of a Saturday evening! But I had a great time. 

Do you have any tricks or tips on staying organized and inspired in the new year?

Link Swap!

Today I am blogging over at Ashley's blog, A Little Dash of Ash, sharing some of my current favorite Etsy shops, blog reads and DIY's! And in return, she is over here today sharing some of her current loves! Hopefully you will find some new faves too!

Hello!  I am Ashley from the blog a {little} dash of ash.  I have been blogging for almost a year now about fashion, home decor, photography... and well, pretty much anything that I find and love! Currently, I am completely in love obsessed with color and these lovely outfits from {madewell}...

My favorite things in life incude: family, friends, my amazing boyfriend, beaches,wine, photos, papery, my iPhone, instagram and reading blogs!  I am absolutely addicted to pinterest and etsy and truly believe that it is the women's verision of fantasy football! ;)

Today, Hayley and I are swapping blogs to share with you some of our favorite blogs, etsy shops and other links around the web!  Hope you enjoy browsing my links...

a {little} dash of ash links:

{blog}  {facebook}  {twitter}  {instagram}  {pinterest}

 There isn't a day that goes by that I don't swoon over BEE's fabulous wardrobe - she has the ability to mix and match prints in a way no other women can pull off... and her jewelry collection is to die for! Check out her fabulous style at {Atlantic-Pacific}

Every Friday {AV} hosts Friday's Fancies - a link up where you get to create your dream outfits! Check out her blog at {Long Distance Loving} or my own {Friday's Fancies Posts}

{Made by Girl} is another favorite blog and her painting collection is so fresh! This little {painting} has been on my wish list for sometime now...

There is never an item on {Luella and June}'s "What I ♥ Right Now" post that I do not want to immediately purchase!  Her collages are always perfect... and dreamy to shop!

I would love to own my very own {Lily Gene} print for my apartment one day!  I think I would want to start with a PA one since it holds a special place in my heart... but I have lived in so many different states, that it would be so cool to have one from each!

I just received my first {birch box} and absolutely loved it!  It is a surprise box of cosmetics that you can sign up for monthly!  I signed up for the surprise, but I actually loved every item in the box!

 xxoo, ashley