Lurve Loave Luff

Let's get right to it, shall we?

Here's what made me feel all twitterpated, smile contagiously, giggle uncontrollably, etc.

• Pointed Toe Flats // I ADORE this image from Sole Society's Lookbook. This is a definite Ashley ensemble.
• Best Foot Forward Door Mat // Of course I have house stuff on my mind at all times right now. I'm trying my darndest to make this temporary apartment feel cozy and as much like home as possible. I'm hoping a few little updates will give this rental furniture some personality that screams the Fines live here! 
• What do your pins say about you? // I loved this article on Design Sponge, The Pinnable Life, that analyzed what your pins say about you. The article also asks the reader why s/he pins. It got me thinking about my personal motive to push that little pin button so frequently. While it's mindless and fun, I pin to learn new recipes/DIYs, to be visually stimulated by images that bring me joy, as a resource for my blog, and to be surrounded/inspired by other creative types. My mom makes fun of me, but I'm very picky about the images I pin (especially recipes). If there's crappy lighting and the image lacks composition, I won't add it to my board. I want my Pinterest boards to be colorful and aesthetically pleasing. Pin snob alert! 
• A completely different perspective on Pinterest according to Emily McDowell, which a strange part of me agrees with. Hmm, it looks like I'm conflicted... Anyone, anyone? Bueller?
• Etsy Illustrations // I featured Roaring Softly's work in Monday's post, but I can't get enough of her drawings. I'm pretty smitten with this "Nailed It" print. Oh, and how fabulous is this "Limonata" illustration by Amy Walters? Everyday items are so much cuter when they're sketched in a whimsical drawing.
• Brass Change Catcher // Flyboy has a tendency to leave his loose change sprinkled throughout the house. This might be a nice catchall and would hopefully encourage him to keep it in one place. Nice try, Ash!
• Suede Studded Kiki Flats // In instances like this, I kinda maybe sorta wish I still had that J.Crew discount.
• Home Chic: Decorating with Style // If India Mahdavi's style tips and tricks inside the book are half as chic as the cover, then we're all in for a treat with some sparkle and serious flair.
• J.Crew New Arrivals // I'm hoping to pop into my local store this weekend and see the new arrivals in person. Two little things I'm loving include these Note Cards and these Cyrstal Button Earrings. You can count on me sharing some more of my faves in an upcoming post. Twist my arm and make me talk about the Crew, will you?! Thoughts on the latest rollout? Don't forget it's 25% off purchases $150 or more!
• Worked for Dorothy // This print had me grinning BIG time. Check out the Skoope Home Shop and stat!
• Large Dot Socks // This post was lacking in the polka-dot department, and that's not like The Love List.
• Reese's and Nutella Cake // This week, Laura rocked my world when she featured this sinful delight. Would it be gluttonous to have two birthday cakes in one week? Didn't think so.

Cheers to a snazzy weekend, m' dears!

Thank you SO much for welcoming me back to Bloggieville this week with such love. xo

Fall, Family, & Reflections

This week has been heavy on the photos. I'm sorry, I'm not sorry. It's just SO much fun to relive some of the moments from the past few weeks. As evident from the slew of images, Missouri was good for my soul. Time spent with family has the ability to make wherever you're at feel like home. I think we needed a reboot before making our way to Texas. We needed to be surrounded by the people we love the most. We needed the fall air, wide open spaces, a reason to put on a sweater, and we needed to laugh so much our sides hurt (possibly even snort, oops!). It's not often that we get to have all of our favorite people in the same state, so we divvied up the days and made the most of our time together. It was wonderful, and I hope now that we're back on the Mainland we do it often. 

There was a lot of eating and imbibing. I got to brag about having a leisurely lunch with my sister on Facebook — we always dream about the day we get to do that more often and we're envious of those who see one another regularly. Her boyfriend made me the most DELICIOUS gin cocktail called The Lovelady. In fact, I think I need to get him to come up with an original Type-A(shley) concoction. Perhaps it could be a blog exclusive? See, now I'm getting giddy again! We did a little shopping in Kansas City (Hello, Anthropologie!) with my in-laws. We enlisted the help of my father-in-law when we set out to buy the Jettawagen. Can you believe they made me promise to not say anything about my love for VW? I played it coy and never said a peep about my past with The Black Flash. Victory car-nitas, anyone? I apologize, sometimes I'm too corny for my own good, but we did celebrate with Chipotle! I got to hug my mom and dad; I mean REALLY hug them. It's funny how change can make you feel so vulnerable again, like a kid on her first day of school. I honestly don't know what this next chapter entails, but their embrace and big smiles said they believed in me and reminded me that everything would be okay. My Grandma even made a pit stop in Missouri from Iowa and attended a Taylor Swift themed birthday party for my dad and Flyboy, all organized by my sister and her beau. Who knew that buzzing like cheap speakers with Grams might just be the highlight of the trip?!

Hawaii to Texas

Our last morning in Hawaii was perfect. We ate Mac Nut Pancakes and went to our favorite beach.

The morning started out a little cloudy, but the sun joined us for one last rendezvous. Classic Windward side!

We dropped off our postcard and said "A Hui Hou" to the islands.

Flyboy's moving blues. His cuteness masked his PCS sadness.

A new glossy and fun flats to ease the pain of leaving.

The new Jettawagen. I like to call it my "rig" because she's a diesel. Seems legit, am I right?

We managed to cram everything into the wagon and began our journey to Texas. Beesly looks terribly comfortable!

It rained the ENTIRE trip from Missouri to Texas. I was wishing I had my wellies with me!

Trips to Target and IKEA made our credit card work overtime.

Making this temporary apartment feel like a home by welcoming a Fiddle Leaf Fig into the mix. I call him Big Tex.

Now we have a reason to send cute moving announcements!

I woke up Sunday morning, and I think it finally hit me — we're not going back to Lil' Puna. I cried just a little bit. Okay, a lot. I'd seen our beloved rental empty and weeks had passed since we left Oahu, but Sundays together were always spent at the beach. It was "our" time to do nothing and just be. It was the one place we could both go together and just shut off our brains for awhile. I looked outside our apartment and saw nothing but a parking lot full of cars and heard the sound of a nearby train. Gah, I hate the sound of that stinking train! Our time in Missouri felt like a vacation and the first few days in Texas were a blur. We were making lists, unpacking our suitcases, running to Target, etc. In terms of accessories and stationery, I was set, but if you asked me for a roll of toilet paper, I couldn't help you! We literally needed all the essentials, and I guess a set of glitter and calf-hair flats aren't necessarily paramount, but to my credit they certainly come in handy. It was nice to keep busy, but I hadn't yet faced our new reality. It was finally time to create the new routine (hate new, love routine) I'd been envisioning for months. Later that evening after a lot of intermittent sniffles, I found myself setting up Monday's blog post on our laptop. It was my first night cooking dinner at our new digs, I was back to blogging, and Bravo TV was blaring in the background. Oh, hello routine, my old friend, you're back! I felt a sense of peace and my eyes lit up at the realization that this current season of our life is different, but it's okay. Post-epiphany, I looked into our bedroom to find Flyboy on the floor with Tripp and Beesly. It all became clear that we were exactly where we are supposed to be right now. Our Sunday Fun Day may no longer be seaside, but maybe "our" time to do nothing and just be will now take place with our dogs on the floor. For the first time in a long time, we get to be together and that's a gift in itself! 

Have you ever felt this way about moving? The highs and lows? Any tips to ease into the new?

P.S. As I penned this Debbie Downer to Pollyanna post, the train went by twice. TWICE. I still hate the train!

The Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday, Tripp!

Happy 10th Birthday, sweet boy! In a few short weeks, you will have been with our family for FIVE years. Can you believe it? I remember that Saturday in November so vividly. Your dad and I were newly married and we set out looking for plates and silverware at Target. We never made it inside to look at kitchenware, because we saw you sitting outside the Petco next door. Your big beautiful head looked down as people passed by. I drew a bead on you and immediately fell hard for your Eeyore-like personality, and I was certain you would make our new family whole. As your dad walked you around the shopping mall, I filled out paperwork and tried my hardest to convince the adoption agency that we were in this for the long haul. They were hesitant to adopt you to a young military couple, but we won them over with my persistence and your dad's winning personality. Once they finally agreed to let us keep you, they handed over your birth certificate and I knew it was meant to be. I got chills when I realized that we shared the same birthday. Any part of me that questioned whether this was the right (impulsive) decision went away. The answer was right there in front of me. I looked into your eyes and saw a blank stare; all 75 pounds of you shook because you were scared. You carried on like this for a long time; we grew frustrated. While we were aware of your rough past, we honestly thought love, long walks, and throwing a tennis ball would be enough. Boy, were we wrong! You didn't like any of that stuff. We were bamboozled! I watched countless episodes of The Dog Whisperer and spent hours online researching ways to "fix" you. Thanks for teaching me a thing or two about patience!

After six months of failing miserably, we introduced Beesly to our family. You were less than keen on her, but we saw signs of a "real" dog come to life. We'd never envisioned there was an alpha side to you, but she learned quickly that you were the boss around the house and you still are! It made your dad smile; it made me kind of nervous. Did we do the right thing? Eventually, you allowed yourself to love her. You've grown dependent on one another. Today, you're inseparable and livelier than ever. A once painfully submissive Retriever now has a boisterous and loving side. You were clueless about the purpose of dog toys and you didn't bark. These days, you can't get enough of a Frisbee and whenever your dad comes home from work, you exercise your voice with barks of excitement. You hated any form of affection, but now you walk into a room and seek it out on your own. I smile when I think about how far we've come. You made me sob incessantly, and you make me laugh hysterically. You'll always be a little awkward and quirky, but that's just the tune our family sings. You're one of a kind, and I love that about you! 

Tripp, you have so much life in you. I'm only grateful that we get to be around to witness your second wind!

Monday Moodboard

After a long break (sorry 'bout that!), I'd typically kick off a new blog week with a personal life update; however, I needed a little escape — a reason to play with images and spend some quality time with my BFF, Photoshop. It's amazing how a little copy and paste action along with rearranging colorful images can make you feel like yourself again! I'll fill you in on our Hawaii to Texas details later. For now, it's important to set the tone for the week with some visual sunshine. Who's with me? Oh, and in case you weren't aware, I missed you dearly!

Hello Gorgeous Note Card via Rifle Paper Co. (Duh!)

Pencils Tablet Folio via Kate Spade

Tina Fey's Beauty Rule via Roaring Softly

Pencil Rope Toy via Waggo

Shanna Murray Pie Dish via West Elm

Pink Illustration (Untitled) via Ashley Goldberg

Primitive Chair Upholstered in Vintage Polka Dot Fabric via 1stdibs

Things Take Time via Airows

So Good via Adam J. Kurtz

Addict Lip Glow via Dior

Art & Industry Magazine Cover via Hans Schleger

Gold Dot Kicks via Kate Spade

Happy Monday, m' dears! I hope your week is off to a swell start. xo