Happy Collage & Walls

When I was a kid / teenager - my walls were always covered in stuff. I think that started when I was in 5th grade - with mostly Hanson posters and a few JTT, Andrew Keegan, and Devon Sawa.... Come on - we've all been there :) Things haven't really changed much as I am now going on my 25th year of the good life and living on my own. I love covering my walls with paintings, pictures, photos, etc. One thing I love to have in my "space" is a "Happy Collage" or some say an inspiration board. For my new-ish apartment I created one by pinning two sheets of cork board vertically on my wall in my living room - and day by day... or whenever I find something NEATO or interesting, I pin it on. Some days it's a magazine layout of some really beautiful black wedge booties and some days its a really beautiful photo of James Franco.... I never know. ;o) This is something that I walk out of my room everyday and it just makes me feel good - it may be "sooooo high school" but it really does light up my day - its colorful, happy and full of cool images of hair-do's, make-up, quotes, cards, tickets, workout tips, clothes, shoes, flowers, do-dads, printmaking, and beautiful people. :) It also makes my magazine hoarding ($$) worth while. I think that creating something like this - no matter what gender or age you may be - whether you want to cover it in sports memorabilia ::: cough :::Ian Kinsler images::::cough::::, concert tickets, recipes, family and friend photos, cards, favorite vacation spots, dream houses, etc - something about having them out and about for people to see and for you to see on a daily basis can be really encouraging and inspiring. I hope I always have one - it probably won't ALWAYS have James Franco magazine tear outs - but hopefully as I grow up and have a family someday, we can have a little space where it can just be full of good stuff that will make us feel happy and encouraged in our home.... as I think everyone should feel in their home. So here are a few pics of my walls and of my Happy College. :)

Oh, and happy weekend! I just finished watching the Royal Wedding festivities that I recorded from yesterday and laying on my couch while it rained outside. It was fantastic. Kate's dress and over all look was just out of control classy and beyond gorgeous. Wow. I got teary... they just looked so wonderful together. Class act. Love. 

'preciate ya. hb

Disco Balls

My love for music REALLY started when I was 15. Back when Napster and Chat rooms were cool - I would get on there and search out music. I would get on the Napster chat and see who was downloading my music and whose I was downloading (wow....... creeper!) - I would IM them and ask if they had any other suggestions. This one guy sent me two bands that I hadn't ever heard of... Jason Mraz and Maroon 5. This was about 10 years ago... and so Jason Mraz and Maroon 5 hadn't had an album out yet... so they were my new obsessions. I told my friends about Jason Mraz and we became obsessed. When I turned 16 - he was playing at The Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas, Texas - this little tiny venue. My ever so trusting mom let me skip half of school one day and drive myself and 3 other friends 3.5 hours south to catch the show at 9. We got there and walked right up to the stage while everyone else just went to the bar and hung out... no one walked up to the stage and we were all thinking... " UMMM..... PEOPLE! DO YOU KNOW WHO IS HERE?!?" - they didn't care much... and neither did we because we were front row and when Jason Mraz came on stage... we were all just star struck. That was one of the best nights of my life. He sang "Leaving on a Jet Plane" while the little disco ball took over the ceiling.... ugh, it was magical. I fell in love with music and live music right then. Now, going to shows is no doubt my favorite thing to do. I have a list I wrote up in one of my art / quote journals of all the people / bands I want to see... and I have checked off and added a lot. Although I do not play an instrument - I truly love music and what it does for people's souls.   

This list started around 15... and I has since been updated and moved somewhere....( how nerd bomber do I sound? I am losing cool points with these lists... but its part of the process! ) 

This treasure of a photo is from 10 years ago... Ew. thats scary. Mr. Mraz stepped down from his 2 foot corner stage and said hello in his high as a kite, smoooooth, slooooow, deep voice <3






so thats that. 'preciate ya. hb

Leather Watches & Quote Books

Circa 2002 / handmade & dyed leather watch ) with a classy "Aqua" ( Walmart Special ) watch face.

This started when I was a Sophomore in high school. I saw / fell in love with the film Crazy/Beautiful. Kirsten Dunst's style was just beyond out of the box for what I had seen in Oklahoma. I loved how she portrayed this carefree chick - I loved her style, her messy hair, and how everything looked so effortless.... not that I wanted to copy her style exactly - I was just extremely inspired. I hadn't really realized until now but that could very well have been the start of my love for fashion, creating, quotes, leather, and self emotional healing. The first thing I noticed about her was her killer watch. Thick brown leather - looked very vintage. This was before Fossil, Diesel and all the other watch brands picked up that trend. I searched for one everywhere and the only place I could find was this company called Red Monkey. At 15, a Red Monkey watch was about $150 dollars too expensive for me... So I decided to give making my own a shot. My dad helped me think of the supplies I would need and we were off to the Leather shop. I created my first watch and it was "SO COOL". I wore it to school the next day and people asked me all day - what is that? And I would say... its a watch! Second question was, " Wow, where did you get it?" and I said, " I made it..." Anyways, so after about a week of wearing it - this guy from my sign language class, who then became one of my good high school friends was asking to buy it from me. My first reaction was, " Well, thats nice that you like it but its mine... I just made it like a week ago." So long story short, I ended up selling it to him for $15 or maybe I gave it to him, I can't remember......so I made a profit of negative $30 - yay! He was a cool guy though, and anyone who asked him about it he would send them to me and before I knew it - I was making watches for a great amount of people - I even sold / donated about five to our Swine Week sale and some sold for $75! I dyed leather, did some fancy stamping, wiring, riveting... I would sit and make watches for hours ( nerdy leather girl! :) ). That lasted about a year and then Fossil and all those brands started making leather cuffs and watches and it became super trendy and so I stopped all together. And I realized - It was time to move on. ( or maybe I realized I was using all my moms $$$ and making no profit, haha!!) Very fun anyways. Here is a photo of one I made for my brother. It's the only one left at my house. I had a good friend from high school message me the other day that she still wears the one I made her... that made me smile :) Yay.

Crazy / Beautiful also turned me on to an art journal.... or what I really used it for.... quotes and doodles. I would sit for hours and hours listening to music and looking up lyrics and quotes. I didn't know it at the time but this was like therapy for me. I look back on the pages and I know they aren't that great... but stuff like this, whether you are a great artist or not... its still just such a great tool...and thats what I used it for. Allows time for thoughts, reflection and chillin. * All of these are from books I made in high school. Wow, after reading these I sound like a loner loser! Haha, "hours and hours in my room making watches and books" Haha, neat Haley, real neat. :) 

'preciate ya. hb

The Lions Mane

.... the lions mane.... or so "some" say. 

first. things. first.

So, apparently the first step to getting what you want out of life is deciding what you want. Sounds easy, right? I think it could be. My first step is going to be a list. A list of things that I love to do. 

LOVE LIST :

1. Live music: One serious true love. the whole experience... good company, good music, and if there happens to be some cocktails thrown in there - so be it! It's always a really enjoyable time.... love love love. 

2. Magazines & Catalogs ( Hoarder ) - Glamour, Marie Claire, Women's Health, Self, Outside, Us Weekly, Body + Soul, Shape, Nylon, Redbook..... Free People, J.Crew, etc. 

3. Cooking: This is a fairly recent-ish thing... ever since I moved into my own apartment and discovered Whole Foods - I have been cooking! I love cooking / grilling and thinking of creative meals. I also really enjoy the Fondue-ing - my bf & I do that some nights and it is QUITE A DELIGHT! :)

4. Blogs: This is a serious, serious addiction. I've been so hesitant to start a blog because I have so much fun looking at other people's blogs - the thought of starting my own was just overwhelming. :) But alas.... ( I will have to share fav blogs later... when I get to work... not that I look at them at work..... =/ )

5. Shopping: I can't help it.... Dallas has too many good stores. It also doesn't help that Northpark Mall is a hop, skip, and a jump from my place of 8 hours a day/5 days a week. 

Favorite stores include : 

1. Free People : I LITrally gasp for air when I walk in.... I just want EVERYTHING in there. 

2. Anthropologie : UGH - HOME GOODS!

2. The Urb : A good "go - to" for any going out wear. 

3. J.Crew : Duh. 

4. Nine West : Cute shoes, Big Sizes - thats my motto! :) 

6. Friends : I feel very fortunate in the friend department. It's one of those subjects where sometimes I just sit there when I am with any group of friends and I just think... dang, how am I so lucky - I grew up with an amazing group of friends, I went to college half across the country to Savannah, Georgia and made an amazing group of friends, and I moved to Dallas for my first job out of college and I have incredible friends. Blows my mind. 

7. Family : Family is such an emotional topic for me, so I won't go into too much - but I will say.... I can only hope that everyone feels the love and support they deserve from their families. Every family has their happiness, sadness, stories, crazies, etc. That's the beautiful thing about families. Families intrigue me. I am BEYOND grateful ( as I hope you all feel too ) to have been given the exact family I have.  Also BEYOND in debt to my parents for making my life the way its been and for always being a phone call or text ( yeah, cool parents!!) away. BEYOND in debt for raising three kids to love the simple things in life. Lastly, but not lastly ( lastly for now ), BEYOND in debt for taking us to basketball, soccer, baseball, etc practice and games after long days and weeks of work. It's one of those things as a kid you don't realize how tired your parents probably were... and they would come home and play anyway... they would drive you 45 min each way 3 times a week so you could kick around a soccer ball for an hour. UGH. I can only hope I turn out as good as them for my kids someday. 

8. Movies : I love going to movies & watching them from the comfort of my couch.... with a blanket, vino, probably a birdie or a friend, and a home cooked meal or take out ( ummm hello, IDEAL evening! )

9. Decor :  I love cozy, colorful, eclectic spaces. I try to make any place I live - livable, colorful, cozy and welcoming. I love candles, art, big comfy couches, lamps, paintings, pictures, blankets, pillows... you name it. I love it. I LITrally drool over blogs with beautiful / breathtaking lofts, cottages, cabins, houses, apartments, etc - its like a natural high. I am strange. 

10. Design : I am a graphic designer & I melt over delicious paintings, fashion design, editorial design, magazine layouts, store fronts, photographs, interior design, architecture, people & scenery.... everything and everyone is designed after all... :) 

11. Vacation / Staycation : I love going on vacation. I wish I could travel more. Maybe get paid to travel to cool places... who wouldn't want that? Some top places I would like to travel to someday are : Greece, Croatia, Spain, Ireland. 

12. Quotes : I try and start everyday with a quote. I usually make it my mission to not start anything on the computer until I have found one that really inspires me and hopefully inspires someone else. I have been collecting quotes since I was 15ish.... I have a few quote / art books that I worked on in highschool.... then I moved on to college and thats when I learned how to create on the computer... so all the handdrawn / writing stuff got pushed to the side, sadly. 

13. Being Active : Okay, Okay.... so, yes... sometimes I day dream at work about going straight home and taking a nap.... or sleeping in on the weekends and laying by the pool all day. But I know its really important to stay active and exercise. I will mostly just lift weights at the gym and run, walk on incline on the treadmill, run the flights of stairs at my apt or do a workout video on my half Bosu. I live downtown and nothing bugs me more than having to run a block and stop, run a block and stop.... if I run outside its usually at the lake. I also like hiking around in Colorado when I am there, snowboarding, and kayaking ( new fav ). Oh, and I want to get a pair of ROLLER BLADES! Who's with me?! :) 

14. Entertaining : I love having people over, cooking, ordering pizza, parties, pre-partaying, whatever it may be... I love having people over and covering my counter with snacks and goodies. 

15 . Weekly TV shows : They change... but the pretty standard ones these days are : Brothers and Sisters, Real Housewives of OC, Gossip Girl, Bethanny, Modern Family, The Office, Chelsea Lately and SNL.

Well.... I feel like I covered all my daily favorite things. I feel better already. It always helps to write things out. I haven't done that in what seems like 10 years. Realizing all the good things and people you have in your life and good stuff that consumes your dailies is something I think everyone should try. I feel like too many times we focus on the not so good things... things that aren't going our way or things we don't have ( Dream job, house, material wants, that $5,000 Free People gift card, new Frye Boots, Anthropologie house, etc ) and we don't focus on all those other better things that definitely shine a little light on our lives. Life is good when its all said and done. To recognize and realize is the first step. Hopefully with my "List of Loves" written down I can try and focus on just the good and maybe that will push me in the right direction. 

'preciate ya. hb