rocking the chop

for several years in my mid-twenties, i lived in a vicious cycle.  a never-ending loop that many of you probably know all too well.  a place where what's yours isn't really your own, and where someone else dictates what belongs to you.

that's right...i'm talking about wedding grow-out.

when your best friend gets engaged, sets a date, asks you stand beside her...and then you realized you're gonna have to rock an updo. so you start growing out your hair so you aren't the only girl with short locks up there on her big day.  the day comes, everyone looks lovely, and the next week you rush off to the salon to lose all that extra length.

and then another friend gets engaged.

cycle repeats.

then YOU get engaged.

cycle repeats.

and on and on, until you realize you're less than 2 months away from being 30, your last friend to get hitched was 2 1/2 years ago...and you're still just doing the "grow and then trim, grow and then trim".

and if you're me...this means it's time for a chop.  and not just the regular old, right above my shoulders long bob.  oh no, this meant the big time.

aka, a victoria's secret model.

because my body will never ever look like 20 year old karlie kloss'.  but my hair totally can.

and i LOVE her because she gave zero fucks that VS is known for their models with long locks, she chopped it all off, and SHE'S STILL AN ANGEL. and anyone who says this lady isn't banging with her short hair can shut their faces.

so i went in armed with pictures, a little bit of nerves because OMG I'M GETTING BANGS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A BAZILLION YEARS AND OMMMGGGGG....and i came out like this.

i am IN LOVE.  it looks so much better. it feels so much better.  it feels so ME.

except now i've gotta get myself a curling iron and practice making my hair wavy.  and hopefully not burn all my fingerprints off.

i can't believe i'm saying this, but...

you've GOT to go to walmart.

seriously, forget your fancy target trip, forget your spending spree at the mall (which i'm totes jealous of, by the way), forget the venti double shot frappucino you're running out to get.

drop it all.  hit the wally world.

because you see that mason jar full of sweet southern deliciousness?

that bitch is plastic.  and double-wall insulated. which means it keeps cold things cold for a LONG time. like my firefly and water with crushed ice that i sipped on while the hubs manned the grill and i read southern living.

AND IT HAS A HANDLE, and one of those fancy straws you can't pull out of the top.

and it's five dollars, and the most amazing thing to happy to my pre-summer festivities.

also, if you end up like me and your store doesn't HAVE any of the handled kind with pink lids...you can swap the pink lid from a non-handled one and no one at walmart will be the wiser. cuz it's walmart.

also, no judging me if i end up being another one...or 2. or 5.  they will be PERFECT for the pool!!

trust me when i say...you NEED these. stat.

ever since i graduated college and got my first "big girl" job...i've been a shoe girl.  heels, pumps, wedges...you name it, i rocked it.

and then i stopped working.  and thus, my go-to black nine wests got replaced with a kicky pair of sperrys and some sweet sandals for the summertime.

up until last week, my favorite sandals were actually 2 pairs of the same shoe, one black and one pewter. they're from target 2 summers ago, and i have worn the HECK OUT OF THEM. they're comfy, they don't accentuate my freakishly long toes, they look classier than rubber old navy flip flops...they're basically the bomb.

except now, they've been downgraded to second-favorite child status.

let me introduce you to the new love of my life.

i cannot get enough of these new sam and libby shoes.

yes, the same sam and libby who made those ballet flats with the GIANT bow on the front that you coveted in elementary school but never owned.  oh, that was just me?

and yes, if the style looks familiar...it's because you can get the same shoe in real leather for about 4 times the price, courtesy of one SAM edelman....whose wife's name is libby.

did i blow your shoe-loving mind yet?

you literally CANNOT beat these sandals for $25.  the footbed is nice and padded to they are A DREAM to walk in all day.  i'm already planning on snagging the leopard version very soon, and MAYBE the pair with coral straps and snake print.

because if i'm gonna be suffering through sweltering temps for the next 4-5 months...at least my feet can be so freaking cute.

run to target ladies....RUN I SAY!!

smelling roses is for losers

so i've spent the last couple afternoons running errands, doing a little present crafting, and celebrating the mid-week birthday of a great friend.

then add in some great temps and some primo steaks for the hubs to throw on the grill, and basically i've been soaking up the springtime.

and NOT blogging, obviously.

but  sometimes, i just HAVE to share a little snippet of my day, when it's as gorgeous as this.

the first giant magnolia bloom of the season, right in my backyard.

i really do adore being southern.  if the scent of your sunny afternoons aren't a heady mix of these big blooms and the sweet smell of honeysuckle...i'm real sorry.

you know it's bad when you can't even google

if we're gonna talk about things i'm afraid of...i'm gonna have to come clean.

THESE IS LITERALLY THE ONLY EELS THAT DON'T SCARE THE BEJEEZUS OUT OF ME.

when i tell people i'm scared of eels, they're always all "oh, it's because of seeing the little mermaid when you were little, isn't it?"

actually, NO.  flotsam and jetsam are the only 2 of their kind that don't send me into straight heart palpitations and panic attacks.

EELS ARE EVIL AND HAVE NO SOULS IN THEIR EYES AND I HATE THEM ALL AND HOPE THEY DIE.

so yeah...that's the main REAL thing i'm afraid of.

but that's because most of my major fears aren't something you can just avoid at the aquarium.

things like being worried that i won't ever find anything i'm better at than producing news...even though i left it, and hated it.  i was damn good at it, and walking away has always left me with questions.

or, wondering if i'm going to be a good mom...no, i'm NOT pregnant, but motherhood has been on my mind since i was young.  it's the only thing i've ever known with my whole heart i wanted to BE when i grew up.  i look at my friends with their babies and i think "keeping them alive and relatively happy i'm pretty sure i can handle".  but then i start to think about all the things you need to teach kids, about being good kids and good citizens and just generally good human beings...and it's SO overwhelming.  and failing at that is WAY worse than failing at getting a kickass show on the air or writing a great script.

does anyone else worry about these things? or i just an eel-hating lunatic?

shine bright like a diamond

i know, i know...i totally didn't blog this weekend. BUT i have an awesome excuse involving my dad's birthday, some baby snuggles and then an epic quest for an ancient plumbing part.

so let's get on this thang, shall we?

i'm also totally skipping today's topic, "If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?"....cuz my job is being a trophy wife. and i freaking LOVE that answer.

anyhoo, how's about i do a little backtracking, cuz i have some MAD love to spread.

one of my VERY favorite things about this blogging biznass is the other kickass ladies who participate.  i love reading your stories, i love feeling like i know your lives, heck i adore peeking into your instagram feeds and seeing i'm not the only one taking superfluous dog photos.

and sometimes, those blog (and various other internet outlets) friends become more.  they become the people you lean on, the people you cheer for, the people who you can't wait to share joy with, the people you are just so damn proud to know you could just burst at the seams.

that's how i feel about my beloved ashley.  as evidenced by how hard i'm squishing her at my wedding.

she blogs over at How She Sparkles, and let me tell you, she does NOTHING if not sparkle.  she's so freaking creative i could just die...i mean, have you SEEN this party she helped style?? SO. FREAKING. AMAZING.

she's also made some amazing wedding installations, and one of the cutest kids i've ever seen in my whole life.

oh yeah, and she's also finishing law school TODAY!!  i remember when she started this crazy ride of working and creating and getting her legal learn on...and now she's finished.  i'm so amazed by her, i don't even know what to say!

so stop by and say hello to my boo...i keep hoping her fabulousness will rub off on me!

out of my comfort zone, into the air

what does it say about me when it's MUCH easier for me to figure out what makes me uncomfortable than what i'm good at??

oh blog every day in may...you're already working my brain muscles and we're only on day 3.

one thing i have learned about myself over the years is that i am VERY much a creature of habit. i like things a certain way (usually MY way, as evidenced by my tendency toward control freak)...and i'm just fine with that. 

BUT i also know i need to shake it up every now and again, or risk becoming the most dreaded of things....BORING.

so, back in february, one of my bestest of best friends was visiting another best-of-besties in FL, all the way from the left coast.  said trip was planned when the hubs' job sitch was still sorta...fluid, i guess, so i just wasn't sure about dropping the dough to go.

it was cool with the ladies, they totally understood, and we planned a skype date for their weekend visit so we could share a few glasses of wine via the world wide web.

well friday night comes and jet lag sets in and i get a text asking if we can postpone our date to saturday....and of course, i say that's fine. it's what bestest of best friends do.

and then....i get another text.

saying that if i want, there will be a plane ticket for me saturday morning to fly down and spend the next 2 days with my girls (and an adorable "nephew" who's just DYING for some snuggles).

CUE ME FREAKING THE EFF OUT.

because me and last-minute, literally fly by the seat of my pants plans?? NOT. SO. GREAT.

i start wigging out, because i hadn't PLANNED on going and it was like my brain started short-circuiting or something...how would i get to the airport? what about packing? what about my plans to watch the oscars with another friend?

and then i had to wise up, and give myself a little pep talk.

because you know what's monumentally stupid? NOT doing something just because you hadn't planned on it. 

so i texted back "let's do this".

and i wouldn't trade one SINGLE second of that trip.  it was amazing, and it honestly still makes me tear up a little inside that i have such amazing friends who are willing to put up with my crazy self and know that sometimes i need a push to get out of my comfort zone.

being good doesn't come easy

so today's writing assignment is to educate you on something i'm good at. which is MUCH harder than i thought it would be.

cuz i'm awesome at a lot of things...but none are easily explainable.

like i am the BOMB at jeopardy. for serious, i rock it out. my family won't watch with me because they claim i make them feel stupid.  apparently, the hubs used to think the show was rigged because there is "NO way anyone knows all of those answers"...and then he married me.

but i don't know WHY OR HOW i know all the biznass that fills my brain.

i'm also really good at being a smartass, but you TOTALLY don't need any explanation for that =)

i'm good at copying jewelry i see online for way cheaper, cuz i'm a crafter at heart...AND i hate paying full price for things.

i'm also good at knowing when to stop while i'm ahead...don't wanna waste all my ammo, i've got a month of awesome writing to work on ;)

summing up myself is harder than i thought

 


Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less

the story of my life could fill chapters, could fill novels...it HAS filled about 6 handwritten volumes that lasted from an angsty 14 year old until the night i slept in my parents' home for the very last time.

but sum it all up? how can i cram 29+ years, and millions and millions of thoughts and ideas into 250 words?

i'll give it my best shot.

She was born in Georgia, and has southern roots and sweet tea in her veins (plus a jigger of bourbon or 2 when the timing is right). She has always gotten lost in the world of words, others or her own.  She's always been the loudest gal in the room, and her friendly nature sometimes means people never see the fire inside.  She has a hard time showing weakness, even if she’s the only one who sees it as being weak.  Disappointing others will bring tears to her eyes…disappointing herself makes the waterworks even worse.  The older she gets, the softer her heart grows, whether she likes it or not.  She has given her heart away twice, and the second time was so much better than the first.  She considers herself one of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to love fully, to share her life with an incredible man.  The family she was born into is so important; the family she has chosen for herself even more so.  The one thing missing in her life right now is a family of her own, to see her husband’s green eyes looking back at her from a tiny face…but she knows now isn’t right.  Soon though…hopefully very soon.

She’s also never been very good at being patient.

guess who's back...back again

so.....i guess i've been gone for awhile.  but it's not you, IT'S ME.

as in, i had nothing at all to say it felt like.

as in, i THOUGHT i was a shoe-in for a job that was seemingly perfect...only it didn't work out.  and i've been kinda bummed.

as in, my life has been lazily trucking along with not much change.

but now...i miss writing. i miss you guys. i miss my little corner of the web (as badly in need of an upgrade as it is!).

so mark this day down...it's ON again ladies.

prepare for stupid shopping stories, swearing about the idiots who make me want to go all rage murder on them....oh yeah, and probably a LOT of crafts. i do have a large amount of free time after all.

plus, i'm gonna try this "blog every day in may" biznass. cuz this lady's brain needs a little jump start!

i miss all your faces. for sure.

it starts with tunes, and ends with tears

unless you've been living under a rock lately, or you just don't listen to top 40 radio, you've probably heard my current favorite jam.  it's about rocking grandpa clothes.

oh yes, i CANNOT get enough of the song "thrift shop" by mackelmore and ryan lewis.

but this isn't about that song.

this is about SO much more.

because this weekend, as i'm jamming to that song for the millionth time...i decide to listen to a few more tracks from the album.  see how i dig it.

and then, i hear this song. and i am haunted by its words, its message, its everything.



i'll warn you...there's some choice language, so don't blast it at work or anything. but listen, PLEASE listen.

because this song? this song brought me to tears.  it gives me a lump in my throat every single time.

because you know what? ALL LOVE IS THE SAME.

it didn't matter 60 years ago that 2 people had different colored skin, and it doesn't matter now that 2 people share the same parts.  you love who you love.  it's not a choice, it's not an abomination, it's not anything but beautiful, the way all love stories are.

and as i sit here, marveling at the technology in front of me and the innovations that happen every single day on this planet...it astounds me why anyone would want to fight love so hard. the simplest and most complex of things.  something almost all of us strive to find, strive to keep.  it's so very unfair some have to strive so much harder.

it's all the same.  and should be treated as such.

i think honest abe would agree with me, and today IS his day after all =)

don't squish them, that's abuse!

from being called out for NOT being pregnant, to talking about someone else's boobs....pretty par for the course around these parts i think.

as you know, IF you've got a dude in your life (or you're like me and just obsessively read shit on the internet), the new sports illustrated swimsuit edition is out.

and for the first time since the late 90's, when tyra fivehead banks graced the cover twice...the same model as last year is featured this year.

and her name is kate upton.

i'll admit, for some reason...kate upton annoys me. i think it's the mole, combined with her near-constant bitch face. 

BUT, i'm not blind. and i fully realize that body-wise...this girl is BANGIN'.  she's not scrawny, she's sexy. 

see??

so, if i looked like the above, and i wasn't even legally allowed to purchase alcohol yet...i would be HELLA pissed when sports illustrated picked THIS for their cover.

dude. NO.

why are her tatas all smooshed together??  it's like...the least sexy cleavage EVER.   which has got to be pretty freaking epic to accomplish considering kate upton's rack is basically her claim to fame.

you spend THREE YEARS planning a shoot in antartica...you ONLY take kate upton. you shoot literally hundreds of images....and THIS is the best you think you've got.

SOME BOOB-HATING MAN PICKED THIS SHOT. i just know it. some self-righteous butt man decided his favorite part wasn't being celebrated...so everyone else's favorite wouldn't be either.  nope...they'd just be slapped up there and smushed down like she's giving herself a full-frontal mammogram.

you know it's bad when i feel terrible for someone i don't even like.

just keep your mouth shut

there are plenty of things that it is perfectly acceptable to say to a stranger at Macy's on a friday afternoon.

"excuse me, would you wear this?"
"oh, i love your purse/shoes/scarf/earrings!"
"do you know where the restroom is?"

all just fine and dandy.  normal even.

what it's NOT okay to say to someone is "oh, you just look so cute....when is your baby due?"

BECAUSE THEN I WILL BE FORCED TO CURTLY REPLY "I'M NOT PREGNANT" AND HAVE TO KEEP MY MOUTH FROM FINISHING IT WITH "YOU STUPID OLD BITCH".

i'll be the first to tell you, i've got tummy pudge. and at almost 30...i've come to accept it. i probably won't ever have a 6-pack...at least not without wayyyy more work than i'm willing it put in, cuz it's just not that important to me.

but not important to me doesn't mean i'm not self conscious about it. it doesn't mean that every time i've been asked if i'm pregnant (starting with this grade-A see-you-next-tuesday in 8th grade...i still hate her), it stings a little more. it doesn't mean that a lot of times, i've thought about the fact that once i AM with child, it's not gonna be "fun" flaunting my baby bump because i feel like i spend all day every day hiding what i've got now.  i've got a rocking set of gams that make it hard to buy pants long enough, so i'm no troll or anything...but STILL.

so, life lessons here people.... never, ever, EVER ask someone when their baby is due. unless they are contracting on the floor and asking for your spare epidural from your purse.

and for the record, this is the offending outfit.

totally screams "about to birth a child", doesn't it??

what to do on a windy wednesday

earlier this week, the south was treated to a little taste of summer....aka strong storms, the threat of tornadoes and general weather craziness.

so what's a girl to do when she doesn't wanna risk getting dorothy-ed by leaving her house??

CRAFT. duh.

i broke out my mad summer camp skills for a little lanyard braiding on the necklace....and the bracelet is totally a home depot special, aka nuts and something called masonry twine, known around these parts as hayley's favorite way to get a bazillion feet of neon twine for like $6.

i've got more ribbon, and of course more twine for more jewelry experiments soon! plus...i just might get a few in the shop if it's something you guys think you'd rock with me =)

and they were all yellow

in the spring of 2011, we got one of a bazillion random phone calls from my mom that happen to this day.

this one was asking if we wanted some bulbs. cue the WTF.

turns out, one of her neighbors was digging up a bunch of daffodil bulbs and gave a ton to mom...who wanted to pass them on.

so we brought some home, we googled. and we planted.

and then nothing happened.

and then spring 2012 rolled around, and our little bulbs started sprouting and growing nice long green leaves....AND NOTHING ELSE.

i figured we did something wrong (we're a bit of a black thumb family around these parts), and didn't think much about it when the leaves started coming up again a few weeks ago.

so imagine my surprise when i left home friday morning with a the start of a little something on one plant, and came home to this.

the fact that it happened on the day we buried my uncle?

i most definitely believe in signs, and this sunny little blossom made my heart so full. knowing my aunt and uncle are together again. and they're doing just fine now =)

i've got more yellow on tap for tomorrow....

 any guesses what it could be??

The A to Z of HFD

  bff + pug + champ = best way to start a new year. in case you was wonderin'.

 

age - 29 and a little more than half...i'm hanging on to that half for dear life...at least until april. then i'll start accepting my impending triple decade status.

bed size - full....no shit.  one of these days the hubs and i will upgrade and get something designed for 2 grown-ass humans....until he realizes that's just more covers for me to steal.

chore you hate - um. all of them? but for realsies, i REFUSE to empty out the little trap in the bottom of the sink. GAG.

dogs - heck yes...that little nugget of love you see above who goes by the name Bojangles, plus his brother Keno (who is not a pug. he's some kind of weird corgi/australian cattle dog mix. with PTSD from his prison gang days).

essential start to your day - coffee usually....unless it's balls hot. 

favorite color - pink....right now, retina-searing neon pink. and her cousin highlighter yellow.

gold or silver -all of the golds.  really into their cousin rose lately....she's PURTY.

height - 5 feet 10 inches...aka tall enough that ankle pants are crops, and regular pants are ankle pants.

instruments you play - i can play a little piano (i think? it's been a hot minute), and i spent one horrible year in 6th grade playing clarinet....damn devil horn, i hated that thing.

job title - trophy wife.  kept woman. president, CEO and sweatshop worker for the glittered owl.

kids -not yet!

live - in the dirrty south. 

married - For 3+ years, to the dude who knows me best.  and who always takes out the trash.

nicknames - my mom calls me bug or hayley bug.  and most of my friends have called me hales at one point or another.

overnight hospital stays - not yet ::knock on wood::

pet peeve - things spelled with Ks that are supposed to be spelled with Cs.  stupid drivers.  ignorance in any form.  you-neek baby names. 

righty or lefty - southpaw FO' LIFE.  except i can't use left-handed scissors, and i always open soda cans with my right hand.

siblings - one sister....not sure i could handle any more!

time you wake up - usually by 10 am....i'm such a brat.

university attended - University of Georgia, GO DAWGS!

vegetables you dislike - okra. bell peppers. squash. lima beans. collard greens.  but i LOVE black-eyed peas, so they're not gonna take my southern card away

what makes you run late - OTHER PEOPLE. i'm such a punctuality freak.

x-rays you’ve had - my teeth, and i had a cat scan of my head when i was in HS and had a wicked sinus infection

yummy food - right now, can't stop thinking about this asian peanut dish i made for dinner last night...SO GOOD. 

zoo animal favorite - giraffes!

wearing words on my wrist

i love fancy things. i love looking at pricy shoes, i ogle handbags that are over $1000, i'm a total sucker for the giant diamonds i always find in martha stewart weddings.

but loving them, and OWNING them are 2 different things.

i mean...target is my favorite store. and i STILL hardly ever buy things there that aren't on sale, or from the clearance racks.

so when i saw this bracelet while browsing the internet, i immediately loved it.

but $72?? FOR THAT??

lulu frost, i say this with the nicest of intentions....you out your damn mind.

but the idea wouldn't get out of my head...so did what any girl would do...

i hit michaels.

less than $5, some googling and about 20 minutes later, i had this.

technically, i took this picture backwards, for all of you fluent in morse code.

 i decided to make mine say "faith"...since it's my middle name and all.  and more important to me than luck =)

i love the mixed metal. i love that i'll be wearing this ALL the time with my arm stacks.  i love that it looks super cute by itself too.


i also MIGHT be addicted to these now...i want to find some colored beads like the original and make one with my wedding date!

anyone else knocked out an awesome DIY project lately?

sometimes, it pays to have a handy husband

i'll admit it....for all the crap i give him about being the only wife we know who's always gotta help out with construction projects and serious manual labor...the man can complete a project.

sometimes, in just a day.

saturday morning, we woke up to this in our kitchen....same as EVERY SINGLE DAY since we moved in 4 1/2 years ago.

i loathe that vent hood with every fiber of my being. mostly because, despite how much i think it sucks...it doesn't actually suck at all. as in....it makes noise. and allows my house to fill with smoke.  way to go vent hood....way to go.

give him and hour and a big crowbar thingie....and the hubs turned that, into this.

yeah....it's basically a hole.  with another weird hole in it. sometimes...it's fun living in an old house.

BUT after a few more hours of doing some kind of wiring shenanigans and some kind of hammering that was really loud...this now lives in my kitchen.

moving on up...TO THE EAST SIDE!!!

or at least the side that features a fancy-ass microwave that not only will keep my house unsmoked on the OH-SO-RARE occasion that i get something a little....warmer than anticipated, let's just say, but that also is basically the fanciest microwave ever.

or at least the fanciest one that is NOT from walmart.  cuz this bad boy HAS A MELT BUTTON. butter, chocolate, cheese...i can do it all. i can also tell it to soften my cream cheese, and cook me a hot dog.

i MIGHT end up his minion when he becomes self-aware and takes over our home...but that's cool. he'll probably bring popcorn for a snack.

he's my very favorite dessert

yesterday, on my 29 and a 1/2 birthday, i got the best half-birthday present a girl could ever ask for.

i got to meet and snuggle and love on my new nephew.

i'm not his aunt in the blood-related sense, but more the his mom is part of the family i've chosen for myself kind of way. and his mom and dad are both only children, so my other bestie and i totally have VIP aunt status.

blog world, meet Griffin James.  better known around these parts as Brownie.

why brownie you ask...did his mom have an unusual affinity for chocolatey desserts when he was pregnant? nope. 

i had a dream.

a really vivid, really realistic dream about a month before any of us even knew that he was a he.  and in that dream, our group of friends were hanging out and his mom and dad sat us down and said "we're having a boy...we're naming him Brownie." 

and that was that.  no one said "um, maybe you should go with non-food names for this son of yours" OR "hey, that's how you somehow end up on maury".

and thus, to his aunt Hales, at least for awhile, maybe forever...he's Brownie.

and i love him to death.

the classiest drunk on the block

now i love wine and good cold beer as much as the next girl...but at my core, in my ooey-gooey center...i'm a bourbon girl.

i'd gladly give up all the chardonnay in the world if it meant my beloved jim beam would never leave me side.

so back many moons ago when target and neimans announced their fancy-ass collaboration, i was eyeballing the altuzarra bar set like a fat kid eyeballs a freshly frosted cake.

when i told the hubs the glasses and shaker were $50 EACH, he wasn't having any of that shit. especially since TECHNICALLY we have plenty of pretty glasses from our wedding a few years back.  plus, apparently he thought they were "heinous", but what does he know...he wore pleated pants before i got my hands on him.

but when the collection went half off, i snatched those glasses up SO. DAMN. FAST. but i didn't get the shaker, cuz again....$50 for barware i don't "need" seemed a little steep, even to this booze-loving babe...especially around christmas.

but last week?? last week when i found out it was all 70% off?!

welcome home lover. you're among friends now.

and metallic owls, but that's neither here nor there now is it.

i've also gotta figure out where to put this thrift store gem on my blinged out buffet. and maybe get a fancy decanter so i can really get my drink on in style.

p.s....they're both still online, so if you're super envious of my retro-fabulousness...snag the glasses and the shaker.

trying to spend my coaching bonus

if you're a football fan like i am...you've probably heard that about a million NFL coaches got the ax last weekend.  and they should probably just all go ahead and offer me a bazillion dollars each to work, because i have proven that i am AWESOME at coaching.

because the hubs and i? TOTALLY WON OUR FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

the woodland honey badgers are the jam y'all.

and since i totally helped coach our team (by "coach", i obviously mean "obsessively check our score each week, and cheer for our players. and sometimes yell at them for sucking and not getting us enough points"), the hubs split his winnings with me!

i ain't stupid enough for argue with getting paid $50 to do something i'd have done all season anyways, with the added bonus that nate didn't whine about watching the games on sundays.

so, i've narrowed it down to 2 choices...but i'm torn

first, there are these earrings, the danielles by kendra scott. they're nice and big, but not too overwhelming...they make a statement without being too fussy. i already have a blue pair i LOVE, and grey is basically my most favorite neutral ever.

BUT i've also been lusting after kendra's skylar earrings since they first came out. ESPECIALLY in this chalcedony color.  i adore the mint green, i adore the arrowhead shape, i adore that they are also tres statement-without-the-fuss.

so, which would you rock in your ear holes??  cuz i love them both equally, and i'm having the HARDEST time choosing!!

looking forward, looking back

i've made a mini-resolution this year to not neglect my little corner of the internet in 2013...so get ready for a whole lot more shenanigans. and crafting.

and probably pictures of my pug.

but first? first i can't think of any better way to celebrate the new year than looking back at all the awesomeness that was 2012.

and of course, google does it better than anyone.