Secrets to a Relaxing Beach House (Without the Beach)

I'm a summer girl. My birthday is in August (next week!!), the days are long, temperatures are hot, and the grass is green. So many good memories come from summertime. Growing up my friends and I loved boating and I still go any chance I get. There's something to be said about basking in the sun and the wind in your hair. With boating outings happening less and less these days, I like to bring the beach to my home. OK, not literally. But summer is on its way out (how is that even possible??) so I like to cherish the days and make my home feel like a summer retreat, beach or not.

With just a few key elements, your home will feel like a relaxing getaway!

Bright White
White walls, bedding, and furniture create the perfect foundation for cool blues and warm wood finishes for a cohesive look.

Raw Wood Elements
The casual and rustic elements of raw wood chairs, tables, and floors add the organic, weathered feel you'd find outdoors.

Shades of Blue
Incorporate a range of blues in your textiles, decor, and furniture, but balance out the cool colors with warm wood accents.

Woven Designs
Rattan, seagrass rugs, woven blinds and furniture add a casual beach chic aesthetic.

Stripes
The versatile stripe is effortlessly beachy and preppy in everything from rugs to pillows and wallpaper to window treatments.

I've been tediously working on my blog redesign for about three months perfecting a new logo, colors, layout, and more so you have the best experience here at H&H. I'm happy to (finally) announce the full blog reveal will be August 1st at a whole new website, so come back here Friday to check out the new bells and whistles.

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The Best Conversation Starter

My inbox is flooded with e-mail subscriptions. I love getting mail, and with so many talented business women/entrepreneurs/creatives out there with newsletters, I always subscribe so I don't miss a thing. I get everything from marketing tips to networking advice to how to manage finances. While emails do take time to filter through (right now I have about 40 unread!), I always come away with a little nugget of new information. The other day I was reading Kate Northrup's e-mail where she shared a story about her and a friend at a launch party. Kate's friend came up to her with the best conversation starter I've heard yet, "What are you most excited about right now?" We've all been to events where the very first question out of everyone's mouth is, "What do you do?" Though an important networking question (let's be honest),  I love the idea of starting a conversation with something a little more personal, less business. You know, so you can actually get to know the person. You might even catch the person off guard (in a good way)!

As I was reading Kate's e-mail, I started thinking about what's going on in my life that I'm most excited about. This summer has been such an experience. I'm glad I had the chance to live in California and experience a fast-paced big city. Visiting is fun, but you never get the chance to fully immerse yourself in a city until you've stayed for a couple months. While I've adjusted quite easily, I do miss a few things about home. Ample parking being one of them. In August my boyfriend is finally making his way out West and visiting for the first time. I'm excited for a fun trip to Lake Tahoe and hanging out like we're used to. What are you most excited about right now?

Try asking someone next time you strike up a conversation!

The new LPF Magazine is out and I'm in it (along with some other blogger friends :)) The issue is full of fun summer ideas, an inspiring weight loss story, and my tips for decorating on a budget. Read it here.

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My California Home

I promised a tour of my home here in California, so here it is! I played around with YouTube and thought I could pull off a really cool video of the space without ever working with video before. I failed. Miserably. Those YouTube beauty gurus sure know what they're doing! You guys, it's hard stuff to make a video that isn't blurry and horribly edited and I admire anyone that can do it (tell me your secrets!) I'm so impressed with 14 year olds that have it figured out. So, I saved you from a blurry video and I'm sharing bright, pretty photos instead.

Summer Layers

If I have learned one thing from a summer in California, it's dress in layers. The Bay Area consists of many microclimates with drastically varying temperatures. One minute it's sunny and 70 degrees, the next it's windy and 55 degrees. It's sounds dreamy, but it definitely makes for a challenge in my daily style. One I'm happily willing to tackle.