Happy New Year!

I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve {full of good Champagne or apple cider}.  Party hard and get ready for the best year ever - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Resolutions in Review

{From Haute Table's Instagram: 1: Wynwood // 2: Colorful Photo Wall // 3: St. Elmo // 4: Lilly + Jack // 5: To The Girl Who Didn't Get In // 6: Paris Travel Guide // 
7: Week Re-Cap // 8: Maroon Athens // 9: Western Wear} 

Every year I make resolutions and it is that time of the year to review how I did on them. I did a 1/2 year update in the summer but now we shall see what the second half of the year brought.

1. Organize - I would say I got a 70% on this goal. I did switch to GMail, and it has been a godsend but I didn't do exactly what I wanted with it. I am currently in the place of deleting tons of emails so I can start the new year with an {almost} empty inbox & trash can. I did use my Lilly planner a lot this fall semester and it will come in handy in the spring. I recently organized my iPhoto, something that hadn't been done since 2014 {!} and I feel so much better about that. My desktop was a disaster in the fall but it has since been cleaned. Also, this semester I will be doing a mass cleaning of my laptop's hard drive because I will no longer need a ton of the files that exist. My apartment is hit or miss but I did do some heavy organizing of part of it so I'm fairly proud.

2. Activity - I think this actually went really well. As I said when I made my resolutions I would only be with my best friend when she went to UT but since she graduated I have become closer with some of my now best friends and I have made new friends in some of my classes. It has been so nice getting to know people who were only acquaintances last year. I also stepped up in the Texas Exes Student Ambassador program and have been able to meet a ton of new people through that {they're all amazing}. I'm looking forward to this goal continuing in 2018 as I am no longer president of Texas Ladybirds so I can focus on some of my, previously, lesser organizations.

3. Effort - Oh this was a definite accomplishment...but also I now have issues with this goal...so there is that. On the first part, studying/spending more time studying I DID! Spring 2017 and Fall 2017 were some of my hardest semesters of college {hi finance, stats, economics} and I buckled down. It felt really rewarding to put in those hours and truly study. But gosh am I glad that's over. A secondary part was to put on an actual outfit every day and I did this in the spring. But then my dad raised a very good point to my attention - when am I ever going to be able to wear leggings and giant t-shirts again to my "job?" And he was so right. So in the fall I sometimes wore a "real" outfit when I felt like it and the others I luxuriated in the fact that I am a college student and I can wear whatever I want to class. The third part was keeping all of my things separate and I definitely did a better job of this than I had in the past but I still let stuff effect me that shouldn't have. I do think I have learned a lot about myself since January 2017 and I am happy with that. In 2018 I look forward to working on this even more.

4. Motto - "If not now, when" is still a very prevalent theme in my life. And I think I went out there and did a lot of the stuff I wanted to accomplish in 2017. I'm really proud of traveling alone, working harder on myself, trying new Austin restaurants and fostering new relationships with people.


2017 was a good year, not the greatest ever, but definitely up there. I am proud of how I did on each of my goals and y'all will have to check back on January 1st to see what my new resolutions will be! To be perfectly honest, I have high expectations of 2018 {graduation, a new job, maybe a new city, and plenty of traveling} so I expect to surpass everything I did in 2017 {in a good way} - xoxo darling, Hayden.

{1: Momofuku Cake // 2: 21st Birthday // 3: UT Ring Week // 4: Sun Harvest // 5: St. Patrick's Day // 6: UT Ring //  7: Texas Monthly Internship // 8: Mother's Day // 9: Sprinkle's in Hyde Park} 

Year in Review // 2017

We celebrated three years of Texas Ladybirds & gave up the presidency.

We finished our junior year of college at UT with a cocktail. 

We launched the Fort Myers, Sanibel, etc. travel guide.

We ate fried Texas sheet cake, and it was amazing.

We ended our 101 in 1001 and started a new one.

We started our first day of senior year of college.

We talked about sorority rush very openly.

We launched Haute Table's Travel Week.

We celebrated five years of Haute Table. 

We had the best friend visit Fort Myers.

We were featured on Target's website.

We created a colorful photo wall. 

We marched for women's rights

We interned at Texas Monthly.

We won an award for a photo.

We baked a Momofuku cake. 

We got our class ring.

We interned at Miles.

We visited Houston.

We turned 21.

It has been such an amazing year in my life - filled with ups and downs. I would like to thank each and every one of you for being there with me on this crazy journey. 2017 was filled with fun things {as seen in highlights above}. I am so proud of how the year went and I am so looking forward to 2018. I hope you continue this life trip with me next year. Haute Table {I hope} will continue to grow with more Week Re-Caps, outfits and travels; now with more vlogs thrown in. I hope your year was even more wonderful - xoxo darling, Hayden. 

Week Re-Cap

It has been such a wonderful week with my family. We celebrated Christmas in the normal chill way that we do and currently I am in Houston for the Texas Bowl {HOOK 'EM}. I hope to have a vlog up soon of the 24 hours I am in H-Town (a kind of day in my life style vlog). In other news, we visited the Florida Southern College campus to see Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and decorated some gingerbread cookies. Get ready for my year in review post tomorrow - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Florida Southern College's campus.

A peppermint cone from Sun Harvest Citrus. 

The Luminaries in my neighborhood on Christmas Eve. 

Gingerbread cookies...creatively decorated. 

How I'm Getting Ready for 2018

2018 is going to be a year of changes for me. I will finish up my last semester of college and graduate, I will {fingers crossed} get an amazing job, move to a new city and start a new chapter of my life. While all of this is cliche, it is true and so I am trying to get ready for the onslaught that will be 2018. Below are a few things I'm trying to get done by 11:59 on Dec. 31st; we'll see if I get them accomplished. Let me know what you're doing to get your mind/body/whatever ready for the exciting 2018 year - xoxo darling, Hayden.
#1: Go through all old photos & delete - I am a photo hoarder. Like it is a problem. And my computer has been telling me that my disk is full so in an effort to fix the problem I am currently going through iPhoto and doing mass deletes. There have been thousands of photos/videos to go through and I'm still not done. But they needed to go, half were screen shots, others were video clips I no longer need & then there are just a ton of duplicates. 
#2: Deleting E-Mail - This was one of my resolutions {check back soon for that update} and I wasn't too good at it. But now that we are here I plan to go through my Gmail and mass delete so that I can start 2018 off on the right foot...before it gets out of hand again when I get back to Austin. 
#3: Deleting old files - Now that we are coming to a close of college I finally feel ready to part with some of my old Word, Excel and Powerpoint docs. I have had the same Macbook since freshman year of college and so many unnecessary documents are on the drive. It's time to say Adios to that biology project I did freshman year, don't you think?
#4: New Backgrounds - Typically around this time of year I change my phone lock screen, phone background and laptop background screens to new themes. It seems like the easiest, best way to have a fresh start. I'll be looking at Evelyn Henson, Lilly, Packed Party and a few others to see what I want to have for the start of 2018. 
#5: Resolutions - I am still working on exactly what I want my resolutions to be. I usually keep them fairly open ended so that I can do a lot of different things with them. But we shall see, right now they are basically to live every moment to its fullest because everything is going to change so soon. But those will post on the first of January-ish so check back soon! 

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from my family to yours. I hope you enjoy this time with your family and our holiday card this year...I thought I was real funny - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Articles I'm Reading

1. I loved all of their ratings of fast food this year and this is a great list of things not to try // We ate at dozens of fast-food chains in 2017 — here are the 9 absolute worst things we tried // Business Insider
2. How cute are these? I want them for my next party // Simple Jumbo DIY Confetti Poppers // Sugar & Cloth
3. Interesting... // Vending Machines in the U.S. Once Dispensed More Than Chips and Cookies // Atlas Obscura
4. Such a cute skirt // Plaid Party Skirt // Design Darling
5. This was fascinating. Fashion is always copied but this really is calling people out // Diet Prada: The Instagram Account That's Calling Out Fashion Copy Cats // Man Repeller
6. LOL // 18 of the Most WTF Food Moments of 2017 // BuzzFeed

My Favorites - Elle of Miss Blonde Ambition

A while back I started something called "My Favorites" based on a questionnaire filled out by one of my favorite writers. I then introduced the best friend via that. Now I have decided to open up that questionnaire to other bloggers. Our first guest is Elle of Miss Blonde Ambition. She is a wellness blogger living in Boston who shares her personal stories involving chronic illness. I hope you enjoy and look forward to more bloggers - xoxo darling, Hayden. 

My Favorites

I Don't Care What They Say: 

• I Love the Smell of Books 
• I think that Animals are Better than People, more Specifically Dogs 
• Waffles Should be a Main Food Group 
• I Secretly Wish I could Trade Places with Hilary Duff and Sarah Jessica Parker for a Day {or a Month} 
• I Truly Believe I was Marie Antoinette in my Past Life 
• I Always Stand up for What I believe in or What I am Most Passionate About

My Drinks:

• Dare I say...water 
• Homemade Southern Sweet Tea {I'm a Southern Girl} 
• Horchata

My Shoes:

• A Really Good Pair of Red Heels Should be a Staple in Every Woman's Closet 
• My Steve Madden Booties 
• The Manolo Blahnik Shoes Carrie Wore to her Wedding

My Foods:

• Homemade Veggie Pizza with butternut Squash instead of Red Sauce 
• Pasta, Anything with Pasta 
• Gluten-Free Fried Seafood Platter at Legal Seafood 
• Not Your Average Joe's GF Rolls 
• My Dad's Chicken Noodle Soup 
• My Grandfather's Italian Meatballs 
• Dino Nuggets and Curly Fries 
• Chocolate

My Remedies:

• Watching the Little Mermaid 
• Emergen-C 
• Soft Blankets, Fluffy Pupplies and Plush Pillows 
• My Stuffed Bear Robin 
• Cuddling 
• Chocolate

I Love{d} Reading:

• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown 
• Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas 
• Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley 
• The Year I Turned 16 
• 50 Shades of Grey 
• The Tall Book of Make Believe 
• At Home with Madame Chic: Becoming a Connoisseur of Daily Life

I Love{D} Watching: 

• Wicked on Broadway 
• The 10th Kingdom 
• Younger 
• Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst 
• Butter 
• The Price Winner of Defiance Ohio 
• Mansfield Park 
• You're Not You 
• By the Light of the Silvery Moon, on Moonlight Bay 
• The Devil Wears Prada 
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 
• The Holiday 
• Julie and Julia {Julia Child is my distant cousin} 
• Mona Lisa Smile 
• Eat, Pray, Love

I Wish I Lived In:

• An Apartment in Paris 
• The Cottage from The Holiday 
• A Villa in Italy 
• A Hut in Bali 
• A Castle in Europe 
• My Dream House with my Family and a Puppy

I Hoard:

• Books 
• Clothes, Discount Shopping is my Weakness 
• Cute Stationary from the Dollar Section of Target

Things I Want To Own:

• A House 
• A Puppy 
• An Unlimited Amount of Flights so I can Travel the World

I Am Addicted To: 

• Being Around Animals and Petting Puppies 
• Family Time 
• Going to the Beach 
• Being Fancy

The First Thing I Do in the Morning Is:

• Make My Bed 
• Pray 
• Workout 
• Read 
• Plan My Day

I Use:

• The No-Poo Method 
• The Word "no" Almost as Much as the Word "yes" 
• My Voice to Empower Myself and to Empower Others 
• My Strength to Carry Me Through the Day 
• Many DIY Allergen Friendly and Natural Cleaning Products 
• A NuMe Curling Wand 
• Book Sleeves as Bookmarks 
• Vaseline as Lip Balm

I Miss: 

• My Brother, he passed away 12.25.2016 
• Being Naive 
• Having my Family Together 
• Feeling Careless

I Admire: 

• My Family for their Strength 
• Caleb because he is one of the Kindest, Sweetest and Strongest People I have ever Met 
• Strong Women Everywhere who Fight for Their Freedom 
• Miley Cyrus for Owning Who She is and Accepting the Stages of Her Life, also for her Amazing Foundation Happy Hippie.

I Respect:

• Human Beings Who Stand Their Ground Even if it Means Losing Their Life 
• Women Who Dress Modestly and are Still Able to Make a Huge Impact 
• Honesty, Commitment, and Compassion

What Wows Me:

• Human Compassion 
• God's Way of Shaping our Lives 
• Nature

REVIEW: Grizzelda's, Austin

Walking into Grizzelda’s feels like walking into an oasis amongst the quickly changing east Austin landscape. Palm fronds dot the walls as a green bar lights up the restaurant providing a pop of color reminiscent of an island resort’s pool bar. Wicker basket lights hang from the ceiling and mismatched tables feel like you’re in someone’s chicly designed home not one of Austin’s hottest restaurants.

Near other popular spots like Jacoby’s and Pitchfork Pretty, Grizzelda’s is nestled near a small strip center. It’s neon sign beckoning millennials.

It’s Taco Tuesday but the restaurant isn’t overly crowded. You can actually hear the person across the high top table speaking – something rare in Austin’s burgeoning restaurant scene.

Our server greets us by asking if we would like a drink, my companion asks which he would prefer: the Grizz Mizz (signature house rocks margarita) or the Fro-mo (house frozen margarita). Instead of telling us his preference he tells us about the secret menu where you can get a half and half featuring both of their star margs. We both are intrigued so we order.

While waiting on our drinks the chips and salsa show at the table. Biting into the thick chip provides a crunch that only the freshest of chips can give. A light dusting of coarse salt provides nice flavoring without being overpowering. The maroon-colored salsa is thick and inviting. When the salsa hits your tongue it provides instant heat but is followed with a more mellowed smokey hint. The flavor left in your mouth makes you reach for more.

Our server chats to us about the Taco Tuesday special, $5 for one taco or $12 for three tacos, which features a pork cheek Carnitas taco with red chile salsa, onions, cilantro and a soft corn tortilla.

After ordering some house queso we drink our margaritas, taking in the strength of the tequila and the different textures mixed together. While the frozen margarita half is incredibly strong, the on the rocks version at the bottom has a smoothness to it.

The queso arrives as we order our tacos as well as a sweet potato dish. Grizzelda’s queso reminds me of some of the first queso I ever tried in Texas. Not a lot of heat but it warms your insides like the hearty-goodness it is. The dip passes the drip test (no evident spots on the table or our clothes) but it could have a bit more flavor; in order to add a little heat we combined the salsa and queso in one bowl.

Our tacos arrived shortly after along with the aforementioned sweet potato dish - camote rositizado – with its slices of sweet potato, Mexican brown sugar, and diced pecans. We both immediately dug into this dish because our server promised us it tasted like Thanksgiving.

And boy did it. The sprinkle of sugar provided a nice addition to the sweet potatoes but there was a hint from serrano peppers that made the aftertaste spicy. The potatoes were cooked extremely well, firm on the outside soft on the inside.

The tacos are served on one of those hipster, stainless steel taco holders that remind me of the Whataburger logo stretched out. They were small but mighty as they packed a spice punch. The meat was tender and both my companion and I liked the traditional onion and cilantro toppings. The only critique from both of us was our wish for the tortillas to have been fresher.

The restroom featured beveled subway tile and a wallpaper ceiling that looks like the “Modern Mexico” exhibit posters at the Harry Ransom Center. A light fixture above the sink looks like gnarled tree branches with exposed pink light bulbs. It is clean but a little bit of a downgrade in design from the incredibly chic décor that lives outside the restroom’s walls.

Dessert came in the form of a Mexican Chocolate Popsicle from Odd Pop. When the Popsicle hit my taste buds I instantly tasted the cinnamon but it was followed by immense happiness over the creaminess of the ice pop. It was basically an ice cream bar (think Dove or Häagen Daz) without the melting.

Grizzelda’s food is simple and good, their wait-staff are wonderful and you get to enjoy it all in a restaurant that looks like it was created by a set designer of a film set in Cuba during the 1920s.

Week Re-Cap

The new Ladybirds president and I had dinner at The Original Hoffbrau Steakhouse.  

Alyssa and I had been wanting to go to Midnight Cowboy 

all semester & we finally got a reservation. 

They just re-did their menu and it is beautiful. 

Yes...I went to Miracle again...I couldn't help it. 

This time I had the egg nog drink & look! It was green.

Studying at the new Austin Central Library, it is so beautiful.

Drinks + Fries with Sophie at Le Politque. 

Formal

Last week my spirit group held our formal and I just loved the photos too much not to share. Be aware: it is a photo overload. My dress is from Altar'd State they don't have it in the maroon anymore and it is not on the amazing sale I got it for but it is super flattering. So if you see it go on sale anytime soon, snatch it up - xoxo darling, Hayden. 

My wonderful date, Jimmy.

Finals Day

I have two finals today so normal posting will resume tomorrow - xoxo darling, Hayden.

New Videos Page!

Hey darlings!  So I realize this isn't Articles I'm Reading...wow...but that will be back next week! For now I thought I would share that I have created a new page at the top of this page {oooo, ahhh} that has every video I have ever made as part of HT on it. Now you can watch them back to back to back to back without ever having to leave the site. I will try to keep it updated but you can always head to my YouTube channel for the latest.  In case you didn't know, I am trying to make more and more video content for y'all as a way to get better at editing/perfect my skills. They aren't the highest of quality vlogs nor is the content the greatest on the Internet. I am no David Dobrik but I will try to make them interesting. I do a lot of travel vlogs so if you are curious about a certain place, check and see if I have made one about it!  I'm also trying to do more content about college/what UT is like so if you are interested in that stuff let me know. For now I know I will be making a vlog about a weekend in Asheville, NC and maybe a Day in My Life about our bowl game...but I'll keep you appraised of the situation.  That's all for now darlings, enjoy - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Winter in Texas

Gifts Under $100

Sweater // Necklace // Mixer // Lilly Dress // Glitter Sneakers //Coasters // Bag // Skirt // Sign // La Mer // Sneakers // Clutch // Booties Sweater - I am loving this sweater, it would be perfect for a cold UT game...not that we get to many of those. Also, the sleeves are the perfect amount of over the top without being too over the top.  Necklace - I love KJP and this simple pearl necklace would be such a sweet gift for a friend, daughter or sister. I love the anchor clasp, it really finishes the look.  Mixer - I feel like this is such a practical gift but one that anyone in your family or friend group would appreciate. Personally, I love my hand mixer and use it all the time.  Lilly Dress - Who wouldn't love a Lilly dress for the holidays? I love this one with the flamingo pattern because it is just so cute. It makes me feel like home in the best way.  Glitter Sneakers - O M G. These sneakers are ahhmazing. They are so festive yet practical? Like these would be great to wear with a sparkly dress on New Year's Eve but at the same time your feet wouldn't hurt while you watch the ball drop.  Coasters - These are just so cute and I am a huge fan of these china patterns. Plus, they are from Bergdorf's so bonus points for that.  Bag - This super practical bag is great for your friend who is effortless in her style. It comes in tons of colors and the material seems to be of the highest quality.  Skirt - I love this style of skirt so much and it would be great for the rest of winter. It also comes in different colors and almost every store has a version so you can shop around.  Sign - These signs are so adorable. I think this gift is great for a hostess, best friend or someone who has recently moved. You can even give it to them with a cute message already written.  La Mer - I've always wanted to try La Mer and this gift set comes in different sizes so you can really treat your friend {or yourself} to something special this holiday season.  Sneakers - I love these sneakers for just hanging around town. They would go great with jeans and a simple top to just be comfortable.  Clutch - What a wonderful clutch for business dinners and formal settings. It combines simple colors with good leather and it's Kate Spade.  Booties - I usually don't like a heel on a bootie but these are just so stinking cute. 

Week Re-Cap

What a week it has been, and all of it was good. First, it snowed. IT SNOWED. IT SNOWED IN AUSTIN. I was walking to meet two friends and it was sleeting and I was happy then as we sat in El Mercado {a cute Mexican restaurant near campus} it started full out snowing and I freaked out. I literally stayed outside until it stopped because I couldn't handle it. I took some horrible photos below so y'all could get the gist of it. 

Second, I visited the best friend in San Antonio. Check out the vlog of our weekend here. But there are some fun photos from Hannah's Teach for America holiday party {the gifs crack me up}. We did some hiking, ate a lot of food and mainly just enjoyed each others company. I miss her all the time so it was so nice to see her before the year comes to a close. P.S. She got me this book for Christmas and I freaked out. 

Third, it was Texas Ladybirds' formal on Monday and I took one of my good friends Jimmy who I met during a service project what seems like forever ago. Those photos will be going up next Thursday because there were too many good ones to just choose a few.

Fourth, after formal Serena & I went to Miracle on 5th Street a holiday themed pop up bar in Austin. It was magical. I've included some photos so you can see it, but you must visit to really get the whole thing. 

Now, that was the past week, it was amazing but this week isn't going to be so amazing. I have two major finals on Monday so I will be buckling down and not leaving my apartment, the library or the main mall for the rest of the week/weekend. I am determined to do well in Stats and Economics so we shall see. I have scheduled the rest of the posts this week so I hope you enjoy them - xoxo darling, Hayden.

P.S. What are y'all up to? 

SNOW IN AUSTIN

 The sunrise on Saturday from Hannah's apartment.

 Demo's Greek in San Antonio.

 Pre-holiday party festivities.

 My outfit for a light hike {seen here}. 

Loving that it is finally fall in Texas.

 I went to DryBar before my formal and y'all. I had the best time. 

My hair looked amazing.

 Miracle on 5th Street

Weekend in My Life - San Antonio Vlog

For the weekend I headed down to San Antonio to visit the best friend. This was a little vacation for myself before I had to begin the arduous task of studying for finals. I made a little vlog so check it out to see what all we did. Also, there is a hilarious beauty tutorial in there from one of Hannah's friends -xoxo darling, Hayden.

Last Day of the Semester

As the end of the Fall semester comes to a close, I am floored. While this semester didn't go by as quickly as others...it did. The fact that when I come back in the spring will be my last semester of college is absolutely terrifying. But you know, life goes on. 
Today is the last day of classes, a week from now I have two finals - I'm not excited - so this week will be a lot of studying and studying and studying. Did I mention I will be studying? This semester has taught me a lot about myself. I have always enjoyed school but I will be the first to admit I don't like certain classes. But I have been working incredibly hard in the two classes I hate this semester and it's {kind of} paying off {hopefully, talk to me next week}. I've also learned about how I've changed over the course of my time in college in regard to organizations I'm part of. Some things that I enjoyed for a long time, I no longer find the same joy in. And learning to accept that has been challenging but I think good for the soul. 
I look forward to next semester, despite that I am incredibly sad college is coming to a close. It will be full of fun, excitement and new adventures. 

Your regularly scheduled Quotes of the Week will be back next week.

Articles I'm Reading

1. These photos are the goals for the rest of my life // Paris For My Birthday // Gal Meets Glam
2. Love some of these, the rest are on my list // The World's Most Popular Museums, Mapped // Viva
3. I love Emily & her husband so much, they are absolutely adorable together // 10 Years Together // Cupcakes & Cashmere
4. Those shoes!! // We Love Christmas a Latte // Classy Girls Wear Pearls
5. Loved all of these // Vintage Travel Photos // National Geographic 
6. Bows are so in right now and that makes me happy // Bows for the Holidays // Gal Meets Glam

In Case You Missed It:

Follow me around campus for a week in my life vlog...

An early week-recap...

Find your family/friends gifts for under $80...

Texas Ladybirds Initiation

A few weeks ago we initiated the six class into my spirit group, Texas Ladybirds. This was the last time I will be the one to initiate them and it was bitter sweet to say the least. I am incredibly proud of everything they have accomplished thus far and I know they will continue to strive in the coming semesters. 

As usual, we had sparklers and took lots of photos, a few of them can be seen below. It was a truly magical night that I was happy to share with all of them - xoxo darling, Hayden. 

*Dress*

Gifts Under $80

Leggings // Perfume // Backpack // Sweater // Bangle // Blowing Rock // Scarf // Tote Bag // PJs // Coloring Book // Candle // Earrings // Necklace // Sneakers // Stationary Leggings - If you read this post you know I'm obsessed with Zella leggings. These are really cute with the ombre and if you know a college student or a 20-something lady get these for her. Seriously, she will thank you for years to come.  Perfume - I think this perfume is just too cute and the scent is perfect. This is great for your sister, cousin or yourself for the spring season.  Backpack - Get this for the person in your family that had a squirrel eat their backpack earlier in the year...yes it did happen to me. I love the simplicity of the design of this backpack but there are tons out there in all different shapes, colors and sizes.  Sweater - I've been wanting a classic Fair Isle sweater for a while and this would be a great piece to give anyone on your gift list. It'll keep you warm, keep you preppy and keep you stylish.  Bangle - I love this for a younger cousin or sister. It's a great starter piece for a new jewelry collection. It's a classic shape, color and would go with literally everything in your wardrobe.  Blowing Rock - Yet another print from Evelyn Henson because they are too cute. Blowing Rock holds a special place in my heart but she has tons of places.  Scarf - How cute is this scarf from Kate Spade for the friend that lives somewhere cold? I feel this would be a great one for your long distance BFF who needs something stylish for her cold NYC commute to work.  Tote Bag - The classic VV tote would make a great holiday gift. You could even make it into an entire gift bag with cute items from some of my other gift guides inside. These bags are durable and I love mine so much.  PJs - A ton of families have a tradition of giving PJs on Christmas Eve (this isn't something the Pigotts do) but I feel like this set would be great to get.  Coloring Book - I love a good coloring book and this YSL one looks to be the stuff of fairy tales. If you have someone in your life that is always stressed or needs to left off steam, this is for them.  Candle - These candles are my obsession because they are so expensive that I can never justify buying one. I love the idea of smelling mimosas while drinking mimosas...but I don't know? If you are looking for something to show someone you love them I would totally recommend this.  Earrings - I love these earrings with the idea to wear them for New Years Eve. They remind me of fireworks and how cute would they be to ring in the new year? These are good for pretty much anyone in your life.  Necklace - I love a good tassel necklace and this one from Lilly seems perfect. It will be a great pop of color in the winter months and will be a good transition piece for spring as well.  Sneakers - I have always loved the Kate Spade Keds. They are such an easy gift for the holidays because they will go with everything while being super cute. Who needs Adidas Superstars when you can have these bad boys?  Stationary - How adorable is this set of stationary? It's from BG and I fell in love as soon as I saw it. If you have a college or high school grad in the family, they'll need stationary for all of the thank you notes they need to write soon - get them this. 

A Week in My Life at The University of Texas

I vlogged my entire week so that you could see what a week in my life at UT looks like. Check it out & let me know if you are considering attending this amazing place- xoxo darling, Hayden.

Week Re-Cap

Wait...the week re-cap is a day early? But why? 

Because tomorrow I am posting "A Week in My Life at UT" video so y'all can really see what my week was like...although I will admit my phone is terrible and I didn't film a ton because I kept forgetting. But we shall see how y'all feel about it! 

This week I finished up a ton of stats, worked on my final journalism portfolio project {it's due tomorrow}, watched some really bad Christmas movies, volunteered, did a photoshoot and brunched at Banger's. 

What have y'all been up to? -xoxo darling, Hayden

 Lots of statistics for my massive stats project that I basically worked on all week last week.

 Hot chocolate & A Christmas Prince after finishing

 aforementioned stats project.

Shooting downtown for my spirit group.

Cow Tipping after a morning of volunteering at the wildflower center.

Finally brunched at Banger's and finished a Manmosa by myself.

Quotes of the Week

All images can be found here.

Articles I'm Reading

1. The Madewell gift guide is killing the game this year // Madewell's Gift Guide
2. This makes we want to visit the Arctic so bad // Aerial Pictures Reveal a Wild Arctic Wonderland // National Geographic
3. It is crazy to see how this family has changed over the years // Thanksgiving Holiday Traditions // Classy Girls Wear Pearls
4. Her photos are gorgeous, I can't get enough // Scotland Adventures // Gal Meets Glam
5. Loved loved loved her dress + shoes // Getting Ready + Our First Look // Design Darling
6. This story made my family crack up because we do not like Cheesecake Factory // Cheesecake Factory is an American dystopia - and here are the tweets to prove it // The Daily Dot

In Case You Missed It:

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I tried a ton of peppermint products and told you my honest thoughts...

Peppermint Taste Test

A second video this week?! How crazy! I decided to do a very cliche video about peppermint flavored products because I am obsessed with peppermint. Happy December, am I right? Click below to see what products you should buy if you love it too (or avoid buying) - xoxo darling, Hayden.