HEY THERE, FRIDAY

I never really thought I'd end up being a "dog person," but Miss Murphy has me wrapped around her little paw. One of my dear friends knew in advance that I would melt into a puddle with our little puppy, and gifted me a French bulldog sweater for Christmas with the spitting image of the Murphster (@murphrus), pink bow and all.

It hasn't really gotten above freezing here yet, but doesn't this cute little love just warm your heart?

Today, it's 75 degrees and sunny as all get-out, and I relished the chance to eat lunch outdoors. On Thursday, it'll be dipping into freezing temperatures and pouring rain. In the spirit of bracing myself for Texas' bipolar weather patterns, I'm planning ahead, all the way to Thursday.

The perfect way to combat wretched weather is with cozy, comfortable clothes that can make the stretch from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. without loss of enthusiasm. Come this rainy Thursday, I'll be wearing a warm flannel button-down, a waterproof trench coat, my favorite brown boots, a new pair of warm, textured pants from Hollister and a wide-brimmed fedora to keep my hair dry. That may be a prescription for hat hair all day, but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

Man, holiday weeks are the best. I can see turkey and football in my future, crashing into blissful nap time while doped up on stuffing, cranberry sauce and kugel.

I'm surprised my credit card company hasn't called to report suspicious charges on my account since I've been shopping in some very unexpected places lately. I decided a few weeks ago that I needed a pair of maroon/oxblood jeans to complete my fall wardrobe, and just like your keys (or those 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife), it seems like searching for something is exactly what makes that something so impossible to find. I hit up all the usual suspects until, on a sheer whim, I walked into Hollister and found the holy grail of oxblood jeans. They are oh-my-gosh high rise, which I love, and even come in a 29" inseam so that they hit perfectly at the ankle.

Right now I'm trying to decide if I want to cut my hair back to just grazing my collarbones or if I'm happy with the current, just a little past my shoulder length. I love wearing it down and really undone, with barely-there waves and a little lift and grit, which is what this Bumble & Bumble texture cream does. To be honest, I've had this in my cabinet for almost a year, and hardly used it with my longer hair. Post-chop, all of my hair products just work a little bit better, and this one is now a must-have in my bag, even if I'm just gone for a day.

Ah, Nike Free, how I love thee... the go-with-everything flexibility of these sneakers cannot be overstated. I don't know how else to convince you - go get yourself a pair and then send me a thank-you note.

I'm also obsessed with super-long necklaces lately, and waited impatiently for this lariat necklace to come back in stock on BaubleBar. Even so, it won't ship until Dec. 3, but I'm convinced this will be worth the wait.

It's also beanie weather people, and I just want to put a hat on everything. These are like, $2 at Target, so you have no excuse. Put a beanie on it.

Continuing my obsession of all things gilded, this iPhone case from J.Crew is a fingerprint party, but I don't care. I love the glint of gold at the bottom of my purse... it makes it so much easier to find that bugger in the dark. Plus, it's a gold-tinted mirror for applying lipstick, mascara, what have you.

And last but not least, after weeks of rocking reds, deep purples and blacks on my fingernails, I think it's time for a holiday change-up, something along the lines of this color from Deborah Lippmann. Make your phalanges fancy.

Friday Favorites #5 by jlrey featuring Topshop

'Tis the season to wear jackets! Cover up your arms, uncover your toes and rock out with some tribal-inspired wear. Of course, you don't have to rush out and get these Kelsi Dagger heels if you're already wading through snowbanks, but all of this will look just as awesome with some ankle boots, lace-up heels, or full-out riding boots. You know what they say, just do you.

The new HAIM album is meant for your ears. Make it happen. 

When I said I was outfit planning for the week, I meant it. Most mornings I lay in bed avoiding the snooze button, scrolling through Pinterest until I figure out what I want to wear. But of course, it sometimes ends with me panicking at how much time I've wasted, piling on black and running out the door. Today I took a look from Monday's inspiration post, and recreated it for a cold, rainy Wednesday.

The inspiration:



And here's my take:

I'm wearing a trench coat from Gap, a striped sweatshirt from J.Crew, AE jeans and Madewell Bobbie Oxfords in black patent.

Spinning off of Monday's outfit planning post, today I shopped my closet for a good graphic tee, a shirt and coat to pile on layers for a pretty radical weather change. I wore an Atlas Shrugged t-shirt from Out of Print Clothing, a green utility shirt and black BDG jeans from Urban Outfitters, a navy utility jacket from the now-defunct Martin + Osa (gosh, I miss that store), and a pair of motorcycle boots from Calvin Klein, scored during a HauteLook sale.

Here's the inspiration:


And here's an example of how to get the look at home. Happy layering!

Some mornings just don't work out the way you want them to. When you wake up with zero time to get ready and a long To Do list ahead of you, it helps to have a foolproof outfit in your closet that you can slap on and feel confident bolting out the door in. For me, it's a go-to tank that can be layered with whatever jacket or office cardigan I have at my disposal, easy, ankle-length pants from H&M, and an easy pair of nude ballet flats picked up on major sale from Gap. With those pieces, I can have my hair in a topknot and swipe on a good lip color, and I'm ready to go from work to bridesmaid dress shopping, to dinner and finally back home at the end of a long day.

Trust me, I'm always running late.