Saturday Inspiration

Articles I Am Reading

1. This article is amazing if you love anything about those famous macarons or style // Tour Laudree SoHo and Meet Chic Co-President Elisabeth Holder
2. Such a cool idea // 18 National Flags Made From Each Country's Traditional Foods // This is Marvelous 
3. Jenna Lyons discusses the skirt that changed her life // The Watermelon Skirt // Lenny Letter
4. Very accurate // 22 Words That Have A Totally Different Meaning In Austin // Buzz Feed
5. I want to go here very badly now // Behind This Aged Facade Is The World's Most Beautiful Abandoned Castle // Town & Country
6. This is really funny & probably very accurate // Camille Rowe's Take on French vs. American Girl Style // Vogue Video

Spring 2016 Semester: Experiences

I posted something on Instagram the other day {find it here} about how this semester is about experiences. At the end of last semester Hannah & I randomly went to the Baylor game & had a BLAST. And it was an experience. I feel like I have been going through the motions recently {especially last semester} so I have decided this semester is about experiences. I plan to take more advantage of the activities Austin has to offer and that my university has to offer. My February is already full of planned experiences and I cannot wait to add more random ones as they occur. I started with Uchi and I'm going to continue posting about my experiences. It is going to be a challenge for myself to just let go and experience things. I want to take random road trips and go to random festivals simply to learn more about myself and my community. If y'all want to go along this journey with me, let me know in the comments below and we can work on it together! Have a great spring y'all-xoxo darling, Hayden. 

{via}

Week Re-Cap

Happy Wednesday y'all! It has been nice and chilly in Austin and it has been a good week! We are finally done with recruitment for the semester for my spirit group tonight at 5pm! I have been doing lots of tabling, catching up on the X-Files, and having a lot of fun with my sisters. What have y'all been up to? -xoxo darling, Hayden

The University Co-Op had free donuts & their mascot.

 National Squirrel Day is a big deal on my campus & 

I just really liked the lighting. 

I used my ironing board for the first time last week & I felt like an adult. 

 Hannah & I's pre-Uchi selfies.

 I hosted a Girls Night Out on Friday night at my apartment & we had a blast! 

 How cute are these Lilly cups & straws?

My best Valentine's card...thank you Pinterest.

 My spirit group made over 50 cards for the Safe Place women's shelter.

If you follow my snapchat {hayden213} you saw a lot of footage from an 80s sing-along we went to.

We got inflatable keyboards and have determined

 we are going to start and 80s tribute band.

Royers Pie Haven regramed my photo on Instagram and it 

has almost 90 likes {this was very exciting for me}!

Hannah & I tried a new breakfast place on Sunday, Small Seeds Cafe. 

The view from our table on Monday was just too pretty. 

The Food Diaries: Uchi

So last year I received a gift card to Uchi, a famous restaurant in Austin serving sushi. Hannah & I finally decided to put the gift card to use this past Friday. It was definitely an experience and not one I think I will be re-trying anytime soon. But I enjoyed my time and most of the food was delicious.

We started with edamame and a seaweed salad. We loved the edamame because there isn't a whole lot you can do to the bean to mess it up. The seaweed salad was not exactly what we expected and we did not finish the dish. It was a cold tasting and the seaweed was very thick. However, the flavor was interesting and I enjoyed the sesame seeds.

We also ordered ebi tempura {shrimp} and we both really enjoyed the light batter. It was the perfect selection for in-between our rolls, however it was only two pieces and they were small, so be prepared.

The California Roll was probably our most favorite option that we chose...and it is one of the most common rolls for a sushi place to have. This is where I think I should say that Hannah & I are not super sushi people. We are very basic in our likes and dislikes. The California Roll had snow crab, avocado, and cucumber. I don't even like avocado and I really enjoyed this roll.

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of Hannah's Avocado Roll. She was not the biggest fan because they put lime on it and that completely overtook the flavor of the avocado.

Lastly we had the Spider Roll which has soft shell crab, green apple, and thai basil. I really enjoyed it but be prepared for a lot of flavors coming at you with every bite. I thought the crab was cooked to perfection and the apple really complimented the rest of the flavors. Hannah was not a fan of the thai basil and pulled it out of hers, she thought it was a little too overpowering.

We really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant and lots of people were taking photos while we were in there. They have pretty red wallpaper and romantic lighting {not meant for instagraming photos of your food}.

Overall, Uchi was good. Was it worth the hype or the price? Absolutely not. It has delicious flavors and a nice atmosphere, but spending $50 and not feeling very full is not an ideal meal. If you really enjoy sushi definitely go and go a lot. If you are on the fence about your opinion of sushi, go once and take in the experience-xoxo darling, Hayden.

Pineapples:

Quotes of the Week

Saturday Inspiration

Articles I Am Reading

1. Is it sad that I still haven't been to Top Notch and I live in Austin? // 12 Imaginary Destinations From Films That You Can Actually Visit // Buzz Feed
2. "The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost" looks amazing & it is officially on my list // 5 Books to Inspire Your Wanderlust // The Everygirl
3. Love this because I love the show // Things I Have Yelled At "Miss Fisher's Mysteries" // The Toast
4. If you are feeling French, check these outfits out for inspiration // 7 Outfits That Give Us Major French Vibes // The Everygirl
5. Like I did! // Everyone Is Turning Their Pumpkins Into Chinoiserie Pieces of Art // Town & Country
6. This is oddly fascinating to me // The Most Instagrammed Location in Every State // House Beautiful

Sugar Whale

Week Re-Cap

Happy Wednesday y'all! I hope you are having a good week thus far, I am beginning my second day of my spring semester of my sophomore year! This post has mainly photos of food because my mom & I tried a ton of new restaurants in Austin this past weekend. Other than that I am just getting back in the swing of things school wise. Let me know what y'all are up to-xoxo darling, Hayden

 Breakfast for dinner at 24 Diner.

Took my mom to Mozarts for the first time! 

 I got to try Chez Zee for brunch & it was ah.may.zing. 

 I tried Vietnamese coffee for the first time & I really liked it! 

Purchased lots of colorful sprinkles at Make It Sweet.

Some King Cake Cupcakes I baked over the weekend.

Tried Blue Star Cafeteria & their grilled cheese, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Capitol Miss

Quotes of the Week

Saturday Inspiration

Articles I Am Reading

1. This office's decorations are perfect for me // Office Bleu // McKenna Bleu
2. I haven't been to enough of these places // Instagrammable Guide To Boston // Sugar & Cloth
3. Totally want to do this this semester // How to Throw a Glam 1920s Murder Mystery Party! // The Everygirl
4. Love covered bridges // Visit America's Most Idyllic Covered Bridges // Architectural Digest 
5. She is the definition of perfect // Ina Garten Does It Herself // Eater
6. This is so cool! // How Freezing Your Tights Will Change Your Whole Damn Life // PureWow National

Visit Marfa

As y'all know I went to West Texas over break {video here} and the first stop of our journey was the infamous Marfa, Texas. It is a haven for artists and tourists alike. There are adorable buildings, an equally adorable courthouse, and random art exhibits everywhere. Plus it is the setting of the 1956 movie, Giant -- which is now one of my favorite movies {Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean}.

We stayed at the historic Hotel Piasano, where most of the cast & crew for the film stayed during their time in Texas. The restaurant is named "Jett Rink" after James Dean's character. It is an adorable hotel with real keys and gorgeous tile. The store sells cute Marfa t-shirts as well as art from local artists. If you go and it isn't winter {hello bean boots} you can sit out on the patio or on a balcony and people watch. 

Our room was fairly large but the bathroom was tinier than a postage stamp. We had an enclosed porch that overlooked the back of a building, but it would have been perfect for the hot summers of West Texas. 

They offer a free continental breakfast each morning, and if you are in Marfa in the winter I would highly suggest you take advantage of that. It seems that a lot of the town shuts down and tourists are far and few to come.

Since a lot of Marfa closes down, we ventured out to other things. First up was Fort Davis, a National Historic Site. It is a spread out fort, with ruins, homes, and an amazing nature trail. It's only a 21 minute drive from Marfa, and a good way to brush up on some frontier history.  

Plus they have some adorable horses & goats!

The nature trail is a little {more like a lot} steep but it offers amazing views of the site & miles out. For lunch, stop in at the Stone Village Market in the town of Fort Davis. 

While driving through the mountains, my family spotted some observatories high up. We pulled off and realized it was a UT site! How on Earth could this have happened? Apparently, it is kind of a big deal if you know about astronomy {to learn more about it, check out this article from the Alcalde}. 

You can get a tour of the facilities & in the evenings {on clear nights} they do star parties where you can learn all about the amazing night sky. The center has been working on keeping this part of West Texas free of harsh night lighting so people can continue to enjoy/learn about the stars. 

They happen to be situated atop the highest point on Texas Highways. 

A shot from the visitor's center, isn't it gorgeous?

If you haven't already seen my post about the amazing Prada Marfa, check it out here. 

Also, if you are looking to go see it, drive to Valentine, Texas, continue to drive through it & it'll be just outside of town on your left, on US-90. 

As I mentioned earlier, Giant was filmed in Marfa. So my dad wanted to find some of the filming locations. Jett's ranch, Little Reata, is very easily seen from US-90 {on the left} from Valentine on the way to Marfa. Or reverse it & on your way to Valentine from Marfa it will be on your right. Look for two windmills & a wooden rectangle that used to say "Little Reata" on it {see image below}. You cannot see Reata from the road {the Internet lied to us} but, here it is from above. 

Once we completed all of that site seeing we came back into Marfa to see their adorable county courthouse. You can go up in the top on certain days & it makes for really cute photos because it is pink! 

The iconic Marfa sign is right across the street {as is the hotel}. 

Something I do not have a photo of, but that I participated in is the Marfa Mystery Lights. There is a viewing center on the way to Alpine on US-90 & it is a total phenomenon {check out this Texas Monthly article for more info}. When we were there it was an extremely cold night with rain so we did not see anything but on clear nights, apparently, you can! 

Overall, I must say you HAVE to visit Marfa. I absolutely loved it & am looking forward to visiting in the summer one day! If you have any questions or suggestions for me, comment below-xoxo darling, Hayden.

Week Re-Cap

It has been a very casual week in Fort Myers! I am looking forward to heading back to Austin this weekend with my mom, it should be a lot of fun! And seeing all of my amazing friends will be fabulous {plus recruitment begins next week}! What have y'all been up to? -xoxo darling, Hayden

I had Chinese delivery & my fortune cookie said "Sleep is the answer to all problems" 

and I have to agree.  {via}

I watched Giant for the first time & was reminiscing about my time in Marfa. {via}

My grandmama and I had dinner at Caffe Toscano & my lasagna was delicious. 

My friend Taylor & I got lunch at Blu Sushi on Friday.

Then I saw The, fabulous, Cocktail Hour at Florida Rep. 

Grabbed lunch with my mom at Rene's on Saturday. {via}

Checked off a 101 in 1001 item! 

Lunch at Cristof's! 

Coffee Chat: Golden Globes 2016

That's right darlings, it's time for another Coffee Chat {here, here, here}! The Golden Globes were last night & they left me feeling uncultured because I hadn't seen most of the winners but they did provide some pretty fabulous dresses. So grab some afternoon coffee & let us pick apart some dresses-xoxo darling, Hayden.

So Alicia is amazing & gorgeous in this dress. 

But she seemed a little too tan...

Also, she is dating Michael Fassbender & 

he is a hottie so she is lucky.

I feel like the top of this dress kind of looks like the fringe

 on the bottom of curtains but the bottom of 

the dress is very pretty. 

I love this dress! I think it is gorgeous & I love the color combo! 

No. I am not a fan of this color or this cut or her 

hair pulled back so tight. 

I like this dress but I think it would be 

so much better without the sequins. 

YAAAS AMY! Also, pockets.

I like the bottom but I am just not a fan of cutouts or her 

hair being brushed back.

She looks amazing & her hair was SO shiny.

Uhm...does anyone know what is going on with this dress?

Love the bottom, hate the top {this is clearly becoming a theme}. 

Gorgeous & love the necklace.

There is too much happening & is that a pretzel belt?!

She is fabulous.

Very 20s, very pretty.

Also very 20s, also very pretty.

I like this dress. Hate the shoes though.

You know, I bet you thought I would hate this, but I kind of love it. 

She looks amazing.

Can I have this dress?! I LOVE IT. 

Wow J-Law. You slay.

I know everyone loves this but I hate it. I totally 

agree that she looks like a mustard bottle. 

I also hate the cape, like a lot. 

She is so pretty in this little blue numba. But I don't like her hair.

Very pretty Veep.

She looks amazing almost every year & this is no exception. 

Not loving this choice Kate, kind of looks like someone went a 

little crazy with the glitter bottle in elementary school. 

This dress was pinker in person but as y'all know I don't like showing off 

your midriff & the choker is an interesting choice. 

She looks phenomenal. 

She looks great, hate the hair.

Very pretty but not a fan of the strip of black across her collar bones.

This dress looks amazing on her & the hair is perfect for it.

Ugh, this is is so pretty. I can't look away.

Not a big fan of this, especially where the top meets the bottom.

Do not like the way the top is twisted, kind of looks 

like someone didn't tie it properly. 

Here is that color again. 

Not a fan of the pattern or the shoulder thing. 

Very pretty! 

I don't like the material but she looks really pretty! 

I don't like the neck part, it would look much better without it.

Very cute, very her. 

She looks hot!

Very very very pretty.

No.

Also no.

Kind of looks like really pretty, expensive rags.

IRISH BEAUTY.

Very classy, very nice.

Cookie looking fab.

Not a fan.

Crazy Eyes looks gorgeous.

Snaps to Viola for this.

Not feeling this. Like at all.

{all images}

Quotes of the Week

Saturday Inspiration

Articles I Am Reading

1. This is the cutest, I love both of them so much // For Everyone Who's OBSESSED With Ina Garten And Her Husband Jeffrey // Buzz Feed
2. These photos are amazing // Easy Rider: Bella Hadid for Porter Magazine // Bougeotte 
3. Gorgeous shots of the Paris Opera House // Together Alone // Dear Laura
4. Interesting information about BB // Brooks Brothers History // Town & Country
5. THE HAT // 18 Reasons Disney's Prince Philip Deserves Some Damn Credit // Buzz Feed 
6. Wow. Just Wow. So moving. // Francine's Interview // Human the Movie

Prada Marfa

I typically don't preface my outfit posts, however this was necessary. I have been obsessed with Prada Marfa for a very long time...probably since middle school when I sat down and watched my first epsiode of Gossip Girl and saw Lilly's poster. For those of you who don't know, Prada Marfa is an art instillation in Valentine {yes, not even in Marfa}, Texas. It was created by Elmgreen & Dragset in 2005. It has been vandalized multiple times and the shoes/bags inside have been stolen. It now has a security camera and enforced glass windows. But there is just something so awesome about it! It is a {non-functioning} Prada store in the middle of nowhere! Anyways, when we took our trip to West Texas last month {video here!} we had to stop. So here you go-xoxo darling, Hayden.

{Location}

Week Re-Cap

What an interesting week. I flew to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl on Wednesday, we got up finally visited the Georgia Capitol and then lost the game. I then spent a significant amount of time in the Delta Sky Club {thank goodness for cucumber water & red velvet cookies} and then we flew home. On Friday my family slept a LOT, we were super tired from our 24 hour trip to ATL. Saturday I met up with my friend Erika from high school for lunch & then my family & I saw The Big Short. It was really good & I honestly think everyone needs to see it because it is very informative. Then Sunday I had lunch with another friend from high school, Ashlyn at Panera {our place}. I also saw The Hateful Eight, which was good, but way too long {and to be honest, not as funny as other Tarantino movies}. Monday was brunch with the bestie & lunch with some friends from middle school. Yesterday I got my hair cut & my eyes dilated {not fun}, I followed that up with Chinese take-out and a movie night. 

I am so sad to see my break evaporating but I am excited to go back to Austin in a little over a week-xoxo darling, Hayden. 

 My late flight to Atlanta on Wednesday night was delayed.

Grabbed breakfast at Corner Bakery Cafe.

The view from our hotel, Marriott Marquis.

We finally, after years and years of trying, got to see the Georgia Capitol. 

The Peach Bowl, unfortunately FSU lost.

Enjoyed some red velvet cookies at the Sky Club. Also, I just finished "The Diamond Caper" by Peter Mayle {one of my all time favorite authors} & it was really good! 

Lunch at McGregor Cafe with Erika on Saturday was amazing! We hadn't seen each other in over a year so talking for 3 hours was the perfect way to pass the day away. 

Brunch on Monday morning with Caline, her sister & her mom at Mermaid Garden Cafe. The tacos were pretty phenomenal. 

I just happened to be on Facebook the other day & saw that one of my super good friends from middle school was in town! I texted her and we ended up meeting for lunch with a mutual friend. It was so good to see her & catch up on her lives. We met at Fancy's {chicken 'n waffles below}. 

West Texas Trip Vlog

As y'all know, before I came home to FLA my family and I went on an adventure through West Texas. I made a Vlog about the experience {below} and there will be some posts in the upcoming weeks about what you should see if you go to that area of the country any time soon! Hope y'all enjoy the video & let me know if you want more videos-xoxo darling, Hayden.

Quotes of the Week

New Year, New Resolutions

Instead of the regularly scheduled "Saturday Inspiration" post {which will be back next week} I am opting for the cheesy, overdone New Year's Resolutions post. Below are my five resolutions for 2016. 1. Be More Spontaneous  At the end of this semester, Hannah & I randomly decided to go to the Baylor game. It was only an hour and a half drive away from Austin but we had a blast. I plan out most of my life from when I wake up to when I go to bed and everything in between. So I want to work on just grabbing a bus and seeing where it takes me, picking a cheap flight and just going somewhere, or just trying something completely new at the grocery store. I think I am in a rut and this is the perfect way of trying new things.  So here is to taking the risks to be spontaneous. 2. Explore the World More What do you mean by this Hayden? I mean I want to be the typical {or not so typical} Renaissance Woman. I want to be worldly and understand more than just my little bubble. I want to read more, and not just for classes, as well as explore more cultures that are in my own town. I want to go to more festivals and learn new things.  So here is to exploring all cultures more in depth than ever before.  3. Work Harder So last semester was a struggle for me, and not just school wise. I fell behind on Haute Table, did not publish District for two months and even when I did publish things on both sides they felt rushed and not very planned out. School obviously always comes first, but HT and District are part of what makes me me, so I want to work harder on all fronts. I want to commit myself to making everything better.  So here is to working harder, and enjoying it.  4.  Be Okay with Confrontation I avoid confrontation at all costs. I do not like arguing. I do not like yelling. So I bottle up my anger a lot of times until I can vent to someone and that takes a long time. My goal this year is to become acquainted with my anger and let it out {in the most productive way possible}. I know I need to put my foot down on more things and I am really going to work on that.  So here is to making the best of angering situations.  5. Spend More Time on Myself I love helping other people. I love being in charge of everything. I love having responsibility. I love not relying on other people because, let's face it, some people are not reliable. But I think it gets to a really bad tipping point for me. I often stress myself out so much going over every little detail of something that I break down into tears, and fun things shouldn't be that way. I need to start giving more responsibility to other people and focus on myself more. I need to take a break from my phone every once in a while, make myself a cup of tea, and just read all of the magazines that pile up. I need to take a bath every once in a while and just relax. I think it will make me a more well rounded person to spend a little more time on myself.  So here is to spending more time on yourself, and loving every minute of it.

Cheers-xoxo darling, Hayden.

{via}

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!