Hi friends!
Hope y’all are enjoying your weekend so far! I am in Palm Coast with my family and have a quiet couple of hours ahead before we start making dinner so I thought I’d run through what this week looked like over here. I never really do a week in review but thought it could be fun!
I’ll share a few details from my Christmas party the other night as y’all asked a few questions about my home decor and the appetizers I put together. I figured y’all could potentially use some of the recipe ideas as you’re making your final preps for the holiday!
Monday
ON THE BLOG: Holiday Gift Guide for the Guys
BEHIND THE SCENES: I flew to Laguna Beach, California on Sunday. On Monday, I had an appointment at DKW Styling Salon to get my color refreshed and bring my extensions back up to my roots. It’s quite a ways to travel just to get them refreshed so I will be looking to find a natural beaded row stylist that is a little closer to home … I’m thinking Atlanta, Houston or Nashville. I want to go somewhere that I can find a direct flight to and potentially do in one day versus two days. If you know of a good one, let me know in the comments below! After my appointment, I took an Uber to the airport to catch my flight home.
More insight into my hair extensions and favorite hair care products in THIS post! Also, a lot of y’all have asked for a hair tutorial and I literally don’t do anything different with my hair styling technique than when I shared THIS hair tutorial.
Also wanted to mention … I stayed at the cutest hotel that’s new to the Laguna Beach area called Hotel Joaquin! It is seriously so ‘cool’. I walked in on Sunday evening. It was dark but in their ‘common area’ living room they had a cozy fire going with Christmas jazz tunes coming from their record player The sliding glass doors were open so you could feel the cool air coming in. It was DI-VINE! I enjoyed my stay there so much and it wasn’t too expensive, like some of the places in the area are! Highly recommend!
Tuesday
ON THE BLOG: What To Wear On Christmas Day
BEHIND THE SCENES: Last weekend, I was chatting with my two girlfriends about having one last holiday gathering for a small group of girls and we settled on Wednesday night at my house. I was a little apprehensive as we made this decision on Saturday and I left Sunday to head to California and wouldn’t get back until late, late Monday evening! My home was not particularly in best hosting order [I swear, it was so cluttered and disorganized!] and I had never hosted a holiday gathering so my knowledge of ‘delicious’ holiday party finger foods was practically non-existent. So, Tuesday, I woke up super early because I had to style two looks for campaigns then head over to another part of town for my last shoot of the year. After that, I headed back to the beach to wrap my head around what needed to get done. Let’s just say … Justine and Stacy are actual angel’s because they came alongside me – knowing all the other work obligations that needed to get done before I headed down to Palm Coast for the holiday – and literally said ‘we’re going to take care of all of this’.
I literally could not do what I do without them. They are both retired wedding planners so this was right up their alley! I had so many things that needed to be submitted for work before the holiday and having them work on party prep really allowed me to not drop-the-ball on work obligations or the party! I’m seriously so thankful for my team!
Wednesday
ON THE BLOG: Last Minute Holiday Gifts At All Price Points
Thankfully, with the help of Justine and Stacy, we were able to get everything tidied up, redecorated, organized and cooked for the a Christmas Pajama Ornament Exchange in less than 48 hours. Here are the details that you saw on IG stories:
CHEESE BOARD: The Board Grazer lent me her delicious talent for making cheese plates! If you’re in the Jacksonville area, be sure to give her a call! She did such an amazing job. The cheese board was stunning and my guests thought everything was delicious!
FINGER FOODS: Stacy picked up some chocolate covered popcorn and a variety of seasonal cookies from Trader Joes and then we made Spicy BBQ Meatballs, Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese and Pecans, and Avocado Crack Dip!
DRINKS: I had ginger beer, lime juice, vodka, club soda, champagne, white wine and red wine on hand. I also made mulled wine with some mulling wine spices that we picked up from either World Market.
Y’all also had a lot of questions about my home decor! Here’s some links that I was able to grab quickly:
Anything else you see is likely old or from Home Goods!
Thursday
ON THE BLOG: How To Stay Warm & Cozy For Less with Koolaburra
BEHIND THE SCENES: Thursday was so rainy and completely ruined the plans I had to shoot a few Instagram’s for a collaboration that I’m really excited to share with you guys! I ended up running a ton of errands for the holidays, as I was planning to head down Friday after work, and still had so many things to grab, then wrapped up some other work items that were due. I also spent a good amount of time finishing up my Christmas shopping on Amazon!
Friday
ON THE BLOG: Tips To Make Heading Home For The Holidays Easier
BEHIND THE SCENES: Friday was a bit stressful. The collaboration photos took MUCH longer than originally anticipated. I wrapped everything up around 4:15, quickly edited everything then sent everything over to the brand for approval. I ended up leaving Jacksonville to head home a little later than expected but it was so great being greeted by the fam with open arms and a delicious hot meal the second I got in! This doesn’t really accurately describe the craziness of this week but, that’s okay! I’m just glad that it’s time for the holidays! I love spending time with family. I don’t see them as often as we’d all like so this is going to be such a wonderful long weekend!
Today’s Sales
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH: 40 – 60% off entire store!
AERIE: 40-60% off the Aerie Collection! All undies are 10 for $35! Get a $25 gift card when you purchase $75 worth of gift cards! Ends 12/24!
AMERICAN EAGLE: 40% off site-wide! Plus, get a $25 gift card when you purchase $75 worth of gift cards! Ends 12/24!
ANTHROPOLOGIE: Up to 50% off gifts!
J.CREW: Extra 40% off sale styles with code BIGSALE!
LOFT: 60% off cozy favorites and 50% off everything else with code VERYMERRY!
Head to the HOLIDAY PAGE for more holiday inspiration!
Today’s Outfit
Today, I’m wearing these super flattering and thick leggings [I got them in black and dark gray] that are currently 40% off, making them under $25! My waffle stitch sweater is literally the perfect tunic length. It covers my bum and is super cozy. It’s currently 60% off and fully in stock! Grab it now! And, then, I loved my Lezly slippers by Koolaburra so much that I had to get another pair! I’m loving these!
Want details for any other outfits I wore this week on Instagram? Head to THIS page to shop them easily!
Hope y’all have a great weekend! I’m off to spend time with the fam! xo.
This is such a beautiful time for a family gathering and sharing laughter over good foods. Very lovely post. Joyeux Noel!
❄️???ROSES FOR FRIDAYS ❄️??? | by mia | A Creative Lifestyle Blog
Love this style of post, Haley! Hope you can do more in the future. Those fuzzy slippers look so cozy and perfect for walking the pup in!
Lisa
Angela Goff. @ang.goff.styling She is amazing and is like the queen of nbr!
Thank you! xo.
Everything looks awesome! Love all of the info! Thank you!