If you were following along on the good old ‘Gram this past weekend, then you probably noticed quite a few snaps from the Hyatt Huntington Beach.  Because we can never stop adding on projects for our house, Eric and I decided that we wanted to add wainscoting to a couple more walls in our living room and bar area.  Sounds simple enough.  Once the wood panels are up, then starts the sanding, bonding, and painting, and suddenly the entire house is covered in a thin layer of dust and SO many fumes.

So as a sort of early Valentine’s Day (and a definite way to keep from losing our minds), we used our best evacuation route and headed down the street to one of our favorite hotels, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach.  We’ve stayed here once before for Eric’s birthday, but this time we brought along the pup and settled in for four nights.  So just in time for Valentine’s Day, I’m rounding up five things to love about the Hyatt Huntington Beach.

Dog-Friendly Hotel:  Like I said, we took Louise along with us, and the Hyatt was more than accommodating.  When we checked in, there was a dog bed, food and water bowls, and even a few toys in our room for Weeze which was such a nice surprise for this less-than-prepared dog mom.  She loved exploring around the property and was able to hang with us on a patio area where we had margaritas on Saturday.  Plus, she got so much love from strangers and plenty of beach walks while we were there.  Which brings me to…

Bridge to the Beach:  I always talk about this in my Instagram stories while I’m there, but it really is SO convenient that there’s a bridge from the Hyatt property across Pacific Coast Highway to the beach.  It’s the only hotel in the area that has one, and it made getting out on those beach walks so quick and easy.  And trust me, I needed the exercise after…

Pete’s Sunset Grille – If you’re staying at the Hyatt or just live somewhere around Huntington Beach, you have to check out Pete’s.  Their spicy margaritas (made seriously spicy with jalapeno-infused tequila) are my favorite of any place around here, and their Barrel Bowls are my jam.  (Think coconut rice, broccolini, protein of your choice, a fried egg…)  I’m not really a fish taco gal, but Eric and a bunch of our friends love them here.  And if you’re still hungry…

Watertable:  We ate at Watertable the last time that we stayed at the Hyatt, and we loved it.  So this time, we made sure to go back.  Twice.  In a row.  It really is that good.  On Sunday night, we shared a bunch of appetizers (Get the meatballs!  and the fries!), and on Monday night, we went with favorites from the entree list.  Eric went with the Chilean sea bass,  and I had the Branzino – both were delicious.

So Many Outdoor Spaces:  We’re super lucky to live in a place that has beautiful weather most of the year, so why not spend as much time outside as possible?  The pool area (there are a couple, but I prefer the quieter, more adult-friendly one) is huge with tons of seating and a yummy lunch menu.  There are fire pits that we sat by at night, and Weeze loved roaming around the big open grass areas.

Overall, we had a wonderful stay and didn’t want to leave!  If you’re looking for a really great place to stay in the town that I call home, you really can’t go wrong with the Hyatt Huntington Beach.  Now it’s back to reality with my two favorite Valentines – Eric and Weeze, of course.  Hope everyone has a great week!

xoxo

And we’re back, currently thawing out from the Utah snow!  If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you know that I just spent a few glorious days soaking up Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah for the first time with Stella Artois.  I’ll be sharing a full recap of the long weekend here shortly (as well as all the snowy looks), but for now, it’s back to sunny SoCal weather.

And back to sharing a few pics of my main girl, Louise!  Remember when she was this tiny little puppy?  Not anymore because girlfriend has been doing some growing and is suddenly SO big!  But she’s also gotten so good.  While she has her daily hyper spells and the occasional food-stealing mishaps, Weeze is such a little lover and brings so much joy to our home.  Seriously – if you knew me before this pup (and during the first couple of months, let’s be honest), you would never have thought I’d suddenly become a dog lover!

And as for today’s look, it’s made up of a couple of my favorite basics.  I’ve yammered on and on about these jeans, but they seriously are so good that I bought a second pair.  You really can’t go wrong with any jeans from Blank NYC, and this pair is definitely the next one on my list.  The sweater is SO warm and cozy, and the statement mules are under $100 and just restocked in all sizes.  Three favorite pieces – mix ’em, match ’em, wear ’em all together.

Here’s hoping everyone has a great week ahead!

xoxo

Photos thanks to Felicia Lasala

You know what I love more than anything in the wintertime?  (That brutally cold Southern California winter, ya know?)  Well besides Christmas lights and trees, a lit fireplace, and coffee with a splash of eggnog, it’s pajamas.  As evidenced by my very first gift guide this Christmas season, I love giving them, receiving them, and just generally living my best life in the season’s best PJ’s, robes, slippers and loungewear.  Throw in a little cocoa (or wine, let’s be honest), some sort of cheesy Christmas movie, and my main sidekick Weeze (who obviously has her own Christmas jammies), and I’m one happy camper.

So if your zest for a cozy PJ or two doesn’t quite match mine, you may want to scroll on.  For the rest of us, I’m rounding up some of my favorite sleepy-time gear below to give, receive, or just go ahead and buy for yourself.  There’s just no better way to holiday in my book.

xoxo

Photos thanks to Felicia Lasala

Y’all, remember this tiny little puppy from just about three months ago?  Or remember this little cutie pie face?  Well, girlfriend has been doing some growing, and these days she’s a bit more like a baby deer than the fragile little puppy you saw before.  And, you guys, I’m happy to report that little Louise is no longer making me a total crazy person.  Big victories, over here.

Luckily the potty training phase did not last long, and shortly after she arrived, she was all good in that department.  Hallelujah!  She’s also much more independent these days, and while she still follows me around from room to room like a shadow, she’s perfectly fine to spend some time outside (laying in the sun or chasing crickets around) while I actually get some work done.

She’s still sleeping through the night, every night, and we’ve now learned that, similar to her mama, Weeze does NOT like early mornings.  Every morning we let her up to our room around 6:30 am.  She burrows herself under the covers and will stay there until 10:30 am or so if you let her.  It’s pretty glorious and gives me a few hours of uninterrupted working time every morning.  And when she’s up, it’s time for a LONG walk to get out some of that puppy energy.

When it comes to her food, there’s been a bit of an adjustment period.  The breeder originally dropped her off with a brand of puppy food that I soon realized was no longer carried in any of our local stores or online.  Sooo that was a bummer.  We had to transition her to a different puppy food (made a bit easier by mixing the two together), and when she was ready for adult dog food, we landed on this Grain-Free Chicken recipe from Nature’s Recipe.  We like that it contains no corn, soy, or wheat, as well as artificial flavors, and no poultry by-product.  Every Nature’s Recipe product is made with ingredients from nature so Weeze girl feels her most vibrant self, each and everyday!

Previously Nature’s Recipe was only available at specialty stores, but now, I can find it at Walmart which is so close to our house.  (Lucky for me because somehow I never notice when we are almost out of Louise’s food.) It’s great to know that I can easily grab a bag while I do my shopping at Walmart for an affordable price!

I’ve had so many questions and Instagram messages about her breed, and four months in (we got her around 8 weeks), I couldn’t recommend Vizslas more.  She’s a high-energy speed-demon at times, but overall Weeze is a big sweetheart who loves people and other dogs.  (When other neighborhood dogs bark at her, she cries.)  Plus, how can you say no to a face like that?

xoxo

Photos thanks to Haley Jones

Brought to you by Nature’s Recipe.

Good morning, friends!  Over the past couple of weeks you may have noticed a few guest appearances by this little gal over on my Instagram, but today I wanted to formally introduce our new Vizsla pup Louise!  The full name is Louise Ana Prendergast (named after my favorite Southern state, obvi), but mostly we just call her Weeze.  And let me tell you, although she’s little, Weeze girl has added a whole lotta spice around here.

I’ll admit that I never really had a dog on the agenda.  I’ve never had a dog, and I certainly have zero experience wrangling a brand new puppy.  But Eric has been nonstop chatting about getting a Vizsla since before we started the whole home remodel adventure, and when the finish line was in sight, I knew the pup was coming soon.  And she showed up all cute and tiny and wrinkly and mellow, and I was instantly in love.  It’s really hard to say no to those adorable little puppy eyes and those big, floppy ears.

From day one, she’s slept in her crate through the night with no problem, no accidents.  That part has seriously been a dream.  But during the day, ohhhh, man.  During the day, Weeze girl has REALLY put me through it, y’all.  The puppy stage is legit no joke, and I swear some days I thought I was losing my mind.  (Or maybe I already have – fast forward to me arriving at a happy hour on day 3 with the pup and immediately bursting into tears at the sight of girlfriends.  That’s normal, right?!)

But now we’re about three weeks in, and there is good news to report, folks.  The Weeze and I are now in a good daily groove, and this little pup is pretty much potty-trained.  Big victories, y’all.  And as for Eric?  Well he’s completely a smitten kitten, and Weezy lives to impress him.  Plus, I mean, she’s just so dang cute.  I last-minute decided to take her along for these outfit photos in the neighborhood last week, and it turns out Weeze loves the camera.  What a little poser, right?!

So if any of you guys are currently in that puppy stage, stay strong, friends!  Because it is legit so hard, and while I know that we’re nowhere near out of the woods, it’s getting better and better every day.  (Puppy bath time is a real standout around here.)  And, like, when there’s a puppy napping on your lap, can you really even remember those psycho puppy moments?  Maybe don’t answer that.  Hope everyone has a great week ahead!

xoxo

Photos thanks to Vincent Elejorde