Shopping Guide, Spring/Summer, travel diaries

4 Days In Paris & 5 Things You Need

Bonjour mes amours!

Reporting to you live after a month of waiting to go away to Paris, four days actually in Paris, and then ten more days wishing I was back in Paris. One of the blessings of being in a relationship with two incomes and no children is the ability to be a petit willy-nilly from time to time—including jumping on a plane and running around Paris for four days with your friends. I say this with only the utmost thankfulness and disbelief that I get to type that sentence.

Since I’ve arrived back stateside, I’ve spent no less than 1,700 hours staring longingly at all of the photos we snapped during our getaway. Some of my faves are the shots of two of my closets girls—Jenna and Kate—and myself; I love how we all have different styles we gravitate towards, but how well they work together.

Meet Jenna, a poised and ultra-femme social media and photography dynamo. She laughs at all my jokes and could easily be best friends with Taylor Swift. Her style is ladylike, effortless, and incredibly chic.

Meet Kate, my Aussie angel who never met a designer brand she didn’t like. She rocks her Valentino heels like no one else, but also looks fabulous in an oversized jersey from Rag & Bone. Basically, she’s glam, and she’s my style icon.

And you know me, Haley. I think I fall somewhere in the middle of road between these two, which seems fitting because I identify best with street style.

Drawing inspiration from the three of us, I thought I’d round up five things that I suggest you add to your “To Shop For” list for the summer months, all while taking you through some of the amazing pictures from our trip. Two birds, one stone! Between the three of us, I’m sure you’ll find a piece or two that speaks to you.

Un: Fresh Sunnies

For sunny days, and ignoring people.

Jenna

Haley

Kate

L to R – Jenna: Le Specs, Haley: Quay, Kate: Maison Margiela

Deux: A Flirty Dress or Jumpsuit

For beating the heat and making ’em sweat.

Jenna

Haley

Kate

L to R – Jenna: Reformation, Haley: FaithfultheBrand, Kate: Rachel Comey

Trois: A Bag That Goes Everywhere

Can’t stop, won’t stop, and won’t be weighed down.

Jenna

Haley

Kate

L to R – Jenna: Chloe, Haley: Gucci, Kate: Saint Laurent

Quatre: Frilly Tops

For feeling—and looking—lighter than a cloud.

Jenna

Haley

Kate

L to R – Jenna: Sezane, Haley: L’Academie, Kate: Veronica Beard

Cinq: The Perfect Jacket

Sealing the deal, just in case a chill sets in.

Jenna

Haley

Kate

L to R – Jenna: Alice & Olivia, Haley: IRO , Kate: Zara

It only takes five little pieces (and maybe four days in Paris) to jumpstart your summer style. Happy shopping, mes chéris.

xx — hh

Real Talk, Spring/Summer, travel diaries

June – According to my iPhone

I hate to admit it, but Labor Day is an unwelcome earmark of time in my life. As much as I protest and persistently point out the sun’s warmth and my ability to wear shorts well into September, it’s hard to deny that the last long weekend of the summer does, in fact, mean that summer is over. The last two summers in the city have left me wanting a little more. Hectic and weird work schedules meant that a getaway looked like one or two train rides to Far Rockaway or, if we were lucky, a long weekend in Connecticut. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love doing both of those things, but 12 collective hours in the sun does not make for a summer glow.

Thankfully, this year was a little different! Earlier in the spring, I mentioned that I had multiple trips lined up and darling, I did not lie. Pardon my absence over here, but with all this travel, I accidentally took summer sabbatical. Below is the month of June, according to my iPhone

Here’s what I learned in June:
– Weekend 1: The Hamptons is a beautiful place. It will make you feel poor while simultaneously making you feel like a rockstar. Andy Cohen really is the King of East Hampton and the Surf Lodge is too big for its britches. Uber Helicopter is a thing. And the Clam Bar has amazing ‘Lobby’ Rolls. When we went to the Hamptons, Ryan and I represented American amongst 12 Australians. I’m keen to do it again.

-Weekend 2: I feel just as passionate about Nashville as I do New York City. Barista Parlor is the most pretentious coffee shop I’ve ever visited and gives any Brooklyn roaster a run for its money. Although drastically different since I left, you can still improvise a photo shoot on a flatbed truck, which means that maybe Nashville really hasn’t changed much at all.

-Weekend 3: Weddings in Connecticut are beautiful. Also, good friends are the ones you can see once or twice a year and always pick up right where you left off.

-Weekend 4: Having visitors every 6 weeks or so really helps Ryan and I see all the lovely touristy things New York has to offer. In one day alone we brunched at Junior’s, traversed the Brooklyn Bridge, paid our respects to 9/11, explored Central Park and Grand Central Station, ate fresh guacamole, made a new friend or two, and watched the Braves beat the Mets at Citi Field. In New York, you really can do it all—as long as your friends are in town for 72 hours, that is.

-Weekend 5: Going to swanky NYC nightclubs will make you realize that there are entire subcultures in this city of which you know zero things. Also, nothing makes you feel older than hearing the words: “The reservation is for 11:15pm. See you tonight!” If your initial reaction to those words was a giant GULP, then you are old too.

June-baby, you were ages ago and boy do I miss you. We’ll always have Memorial Day weekend…oh, and all these pictures.

xx – Haley

Color, Daytime Look, haley hoover, Real Talk, Shopping Guide, Spring/Summer

Bare Boned

I’d like to start out by giving a nod to The Bachelor for keeping me in the know of what cool girls are wearing in fashion. Ever since our move to New York, I’ve been pursuing an NYC look; streamlined, darker, cool shoes. But every now and then, I find it wise to look west to our ~~rivals~~ friends in LA and see what they’re wearing, especially in summertime. In this case, I found my LA-inspo via Bachelor Ben’s gaggle of lovely, *mostly* mild-mannered honies (ps, there’s some debate on how to spell the plural form of Honey, but per urban dictionary this is right). Sure Lauren B and Amanda had some incredibly Cali Style, but I loved Jojo (of course)—she’s from Texas so we are kindof southern sisters and she continually rocked amazing off the shoulder tops. I’d seen shoulder baring tops here and there at the tail end of last summer, but once the girls on America’s Reality Show starting wearing them, I knew we’d be inundated with options this summer, because nothing says, “It’s summer. Let’s date.” like a pair of suntanned shoulders and collar bone.

Wanna climb aboard the trendy train? It’s so easy this summer! I love the off the shoulder top vs. the crop tops and deep v’s of days past because a) everyone has shoulders and b) almost always they are worth showing off and c) you can show them off in a decent, classy way. You can pop this little top on over cutoffs or distressed jeans or dress it way up with a fitted skirt and heels. I posted a picture of me in this outfit a few weeks back and someone commented that this is the “ultimate flirty outfit.” To that I say thank you, first off, and also I don’t disagree.

A little shoulder goes a long way.

I love how this top floats; it’s so easy to pair with whatever!

This is me thinking about how many times I’m wearing this top all summer.

I think this style has longevity. Get ready—I predict designers taking the off the shoulder look far into cooler months because it’s just so dang fun to wear. Plus these tops are flying off the shelves; retailers everywhere are thanking their lucky stars for The Bachelor, probably. It’s like they always say: Shoulder Sells.

Wanna get in on the action, but not sure where to start? I’ve pinned TONS of tops, outfit ideas, and dresses right here on my new Pinterest board to get ya going. Like seriously, there is so much to see. Click over and get to shopping. Don’t forget to email me if you have questions!

xx – Haley

Key Pieces: Top – Zara // Earrings – J Crew // Shoes – Sam Edelman // Nails – Be There in a Prosecco, OPI

haley hoover, Holiday, Spring/Summer

First Saturday in May

Many days, lately, go by without me thinking once about the little farm where I grew up. City life is busy; balancing a full-time job, business on the side, marriage, friendships, fitness, ministry, etc., often take precedent over my old Kentucky home. But when the weather turns warm and the grass smells sweet (you know, before the infamous New York summertime trash smell overtakes), I start listening to a little more country music on Spotify and begin to reminisce over Thursday riding lessons and weekends schooling my Thoroughbred over 4-ft jumps across rolling hills.

Last year when nostalgia set in, I invited as many people that could fit in my apartment over so we could watch The Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Eager to introduce all of my buddies to what life was like back home, I cooked and baked every dish that even so much as nodded towards southern hospitality: pulled pork, Kentucky Caviar, sweet tea, strawberry salad, Mint Juleps, and Kentucky’s own Derby Pie (you must make this pie, it’s divine). The Derby is all about tradition, so I preemtively wrote “First Annual” on the invitations. You can imagine how excited I was when the first glimmer of spring rolled around and I received a text asking if I was having the party again. Duh.

This year our party roster was comprised of new and old friends, a fresh menu: ribs, chicken and waffles, Hot Brown Sliders (an actual sandwhich type—see above), and some crowd pleasers: Juleps! Pie! We crowded in our one bedroom and all became racing experts for about 20 minutes.

I highly recommend overspending on food and drinks and fresh flowers, just once a year. Draw names out of a hat and scream at the TV. And give everyone pie. Pro tip: after the race, take a camera and all of your friends up to the roof to watch the sunset.

One time, my husband had an interview in which he was asked, “What is the fabric of you?” We laughed hysterically afterwards because #WUT. The joke’s on me though, because I’ve realized that the South is in the fabric of me. That’s why I always look forward to the first Saturday in May.

See y’all later! – Haley

Casual, Daytime Look, Real Talk, Spring/Summer

Hi, Denim on Denim

When it comes to shopping, we all have a different approach. Some people shop to bring home something fresh, while others shop to lift their mood or stay on top of the trends (that’s you, bloggers). Still others shop because they have an event coming up, such as an interview or a party or a big date. The latter-est group is where I fall. I like event-based shopping because all of the pieces I’ve purchased for weddings, work parties, fashion weeks, or whatever else have now become little closet bookmarks for me. Many pieces in my closet hold significance because of where I wore them—my rehearsal dinner, my first party on Park Avenue, my last day in Nashville.

But it’s not just party dresses that I hold dear. Some of my casual go-to’s bookmark my life too. Case in point: my trusty denim shirt. Really, I should say this denim shirt because it wasn’t mine to start. I still remember standing over my friend Lynsie’s open trunk in an empty parking lot in Jackson, TN. We had just finished another work day and closed up the little boutique we worked in together and trudged to our cars, a bright orange sunset likely burning over our heads. Lyns—ever older, wiser, and cooler—let me rummage through a pile of clothes before she dropped them at the local consignment store. I triumphetly fished out this soft, oversized chambray shirt. The brand is Velvet and its role in my closet is pivotal.

Canadian Tux

I wear this guy with pencil skirts, leather pants, white jeans, and, oh yes, regular jeans to pull off what is known as the Canadian Tuxedo, more commonly known as Denim on Denim. D on D is the perfect weekend look with boots or the perfect unassuming date night look with stilettos. It goes preppy with a little knit jacket over top or hipster with a beanie on your head. It truly is a workable palette for every style. Get thee to a store this week if you don’t have a chambray shirt (or blue-jean shirt as my friend Mallory calls it)! Commit to whatever title you want, but seriously, just pick one of these up. Wear it on a date or out on an epic girl’s night, because something this cool should feel just as special.

Need some more inspiration? Welcome to my brand new Pinterest board – where I’m shopping as I post. There’ll be a new board with every post so we can all keep up together. Follow me on Pinterest because, yes, I think it is still a thing. More a thing than LinkedIn. #relevant Hi, Haleyannie x Pinterest

Have fun bookmarking this week –

xx – Haley

KEY PIECES: Denim Shirt – Velvet // Distressed Jeans – Joe Fresh

Per usual, all photos taken by Julia Hembree. Isn’t she great?

Casual, Daytime Look, NYFW, Real Talk, Spring/Summer

#FBF – Remembering September

WHAM BLAM KABLAM September is dead and gone and I’m not kidding, we are nine days into October and I just realized September is over. If “delayed style blogger” is not yet an established genre of blogging, I am sure as heck owning that label all on my own.

I have a friend who always jokes that I am not unlike Beyonce in that I somehow manage to fit 26 hours in a day. I get it all done. In September, much to my dismay, I did not get it all done. Thankfully, “accepting the situation” has been a running theme for me during 2015. I was dissappointed I didn’t catch much of NYFW last month and I’ve barely scratched the surface of all the ideas I have for Hihaleyannie.com. But situations much larger than my little dream of a blog are taking priority and I’m trying my best to accept the fact that, once again, things are not going to according to plan.

So we press on. And we write when we can, as well as we can.

Even though I attended a mere handful of fashion week events, I still tried my best to dress the part. Who knows, Fashion GPS might send out last minute show invites and I may just have the opportunity to take what I like to call an “executive lunch” and slip down to some abandoned West Side post office to take in a show. Not saying I did this during the work day, but I’m also not saying I didn’t do this. 😉

There’s a famous saying, “Dress for the job you want to have.” I aspire to be an editor so as I styled myself each morning during that first week of September, I asked myself, “Would Tonne Goodman or Amy Odell wear this?”

Whether it was a midday show on the West Side or discovering a new obsession-worthy line at the Hanley presentation that I rushed to after a long day at work, I’m so grateful to even experience a nanosecond of this industry. If you are kind and work hard, amazing things will happen. Here’s hoping.

Thanks for hanging with me. XX

Haley

Key Pieces // Heels – Celine | Chain Crossbody – Longchamp | Pants – Trina Turk | Boots – Stuart Weitzman (similar)

All photos by the amazing Julia Hembree, per usual.

NYFW, Recap, Spring/Summer

Fashion To Go – NYFW

The invasion has begun. My instagram feed is flooded with pictures of my favorites spots around town, but now by out of towner bloggers. Blacked-out windowed Escalades and Suburbans are hunkered down in front of the hotels Mercer, Crosby and Trump. When I walk home from work, my route is a little less direct as I swing by these spots to try and spot/restrain myself from tackling a celebrity. Fashion’s bi-annual Christmas has begun –

WELCOME TO NEW YORK FASHION WEEK.

Sadly, I’ll be missing many of this season’s shows due to an overly hectic personal schedule, but I’m following along via that oh-so-helpful, yet FOMO inducing social media. If you want to bone up your fashion intake this week, I highly recommend checking into Vogue’s site VOGUErunway.com (RIP STYLE.COM – you will be missed!)

If you just maybe want to know what’s hot and what’s not this NYFW, I’m your girl. Today is all about the quickest Fashion Week rundown ever.

Let’s jump right into Hihaleyannie’s First-Ever Fashion To Go!

The Favorite – Public School

photo cred: vogue.com

Right now, these two designers are the hottest thing out there. Between their much adored line and manning the helm at DKNY this season, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne are honing their A game and bringing it hard. Passionate lovers of the city, it’s easy for us all to pull for the street-style guys whose line’s style is a little goth and a little prep and very, very clean. Not to mention, their ready to wear items sell out faster than you can say,”Where do you keep your Public School shorts?” As my friend, Russian GQ photographyer, Volodya Timchuk, would say, “They are cool, Soho boys.” Yes they are Vlad, yes they are.

Most Instagrammed – Givenchy

photo cred: @VogueParis

The inception of the Givenchy show began and concluded on Instragram. Last week, Givenchy announced via Instagram that they would give away 425 +1 tickets to whomever signed up in time. Givenchy’s acclaimed designer Ricardo Tisci was thrilled to be presenting in NY for the first time and wanted the world to see it happen. Well we all signed up and the site crashed several times and yours truly is ~~proud~~ sad to say she did not land a ticket. BUT good ol up-to-the-nanosecond Insta was there for us. Snaps of Kanye and Kim finding their seats flooded my feed, along with the gorgeous West-side sunset glowing in the background while cream colored ladies with bejeweled faces stoically walked the catwalk. I feel like I was there! But not really.

Most Runwayed – Gigi, Kendell, Cara, Karlie and the rest of the PYT Squad

photo cred: Vogue.com/Getty Images

Fashion’s darling girls are only gaining momentum this season.This group of gorgeous, barely-of-age ladies will walk in almost every show imaginable. You can’t swing a stick in Manhattan without hitting one of these doe-eyed, long-legged vixens. And they’ll be walking every show from DVF to Tommy Hilfiger to Oscar de la Renta. I mean you can for sure swing a stick without hitting one of them. But it’s so crowded in the city lately that you can’t really swing a stick without hitting someone. Also, where would you find a stick? #nonature

Most Under The Radar Runwayed – Anna Ewers

photo cred: vogue.com

She’s the face you’ve seen but just can’t place it. But Anna walks in hundreds of shows a season and no doubt this season is no different. Her face is strong or soft or sexy or whatever mood a designer is attempting to create. She’s the ultimate muse to any artiste and we’ll continue to unknowingly see her face in ads for many seasons to come.

Back At It – Lauren Conrad

photo cred: @lclaurenconrad

If you are my mom, you may actually recognize this name! Everyone’s favorite Kohl’s designer is back at it with a new line. LC didn’t quite graduate from soft sweetness, but hey, you do what you know. And yes, there’s a time and a place for girly girls and that place is a place where girls where bows in their hair (that means you, the South!) and bikinis on the reg (heyyyy California!).

Hot Colors – Just take a look at the most recent shows showcased on Voguerunway:

photo cred – Voguerunway.com

Hard to say as today really dives into the deep end of the shows, but I’m saying we’re coming back to bright, bold color and lightness in general. Yesterday, Idan Cohen sent his models down the runway in bright, candy-colored and beaded gowns. At Givenchy last night, Ricardo Tisci sent his girls down his highline runway in white silk slips and cream colored jackets. Better up your spray-tan budget for Spring 2016.

Hot Trends

photo cred: voguerunway.com

I’m calling for another round of off the shoulder tops coupled with high-slit skits. This season will be about showing skin in new and exciting ways. Less cutouts, more slits.

Keep your eyes peeling and your ‘liking’ finger ready because now you know. Next week we’ll recap shows and drool over all the pretty clothes. Merry Fashion Week to us all.

Haley

Casual, Daytime Look, Real Talk, Spring/Summer, travel diaries

There’s More to Explore

As the dog days of summer truly start to become their most dogged – long hot days that drift into nights, last minute trips into Zara because you’ve worn all of your sundresses at least thrice, and the ~~fear~~ fact that fall and winter (!) are just around the corner, I’m beginning to reflect on the places I’ve seen since Memorial Day.

Many plane rides drew me southward while numerous other free weekends led my husband, Ryan, and I to new sights in the city. There was a weekend a failed attempt to visit the Bronz Zoo on a dime turned into a full on exploration of the Bronx and a new venture into Ecuadorean food. Another weekend we lounged on an old blanket at Rockaway Beach and watched the surf set catch wave after wave. There was also a hot Saturday in July when we attended the DETAILS magazine pool party at the McCarren Hotel and then afterwards I dragged Ryan ALLL the way to the upper east side to take in China: Through the Looking Glass at the Met.

We’ve had picnics at dusk in Central Park and an evening where we ran through a torrential downpour on the way to catch Jurassic Park at the Battery Park movie theatre. The streets were so empty I thought maybe we were living out the plot from I Am Legend and two of us were Will Smith and the dog.

My husband always laughs at me come May because my alter-ego, “Summer Haley,” comes to life. Summer Haley does more, sleeps less, and takes in absolutely everything possible. Summer Haley is my best me, for sure. When my photographer friend, Julia, suggested we shoot up in Harlem, I was so game. Welcome to the best wall mural you’ve ever seen, in all its Sesame Street, primary-colored, happy-drawing glory.

My best piece of advice for loving where you live? Experience it. Every part of it. Get outside, because there’s more to explore.

Lots of love,

Summer Haley

Key Pieces // Tank – Vince | Hat & Pants – Joe Fresh | Shoes – Sam Edelman | Clutch – Anthropologie

Casual, Daytime Look, Spring/Summer

The Beautiful & Damned

“Mine is going to be outstanding. It can’t, shan’t be the setting – it’s going to be the performance, the live, lovely, glamorous performance, and the world shall be the scenery.”

I’ve been reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned since my first summer trip waaayyyyy back in May. I feel super literate and cultured when I sit on the train and read this book, but honestly, I’m reading it because that one season of Gossip Girl when Serena is hired to intern on a movie set and oversee the script adaptation of the book. (OH TO BE SERENA VAN DER WOODSEN)

The story chronicles New York’s privileged and eccentric who are kind of just kicking around and spending money and avoiding having to work for anything (this is probably why Serena VDW loved the book). In the book, the two main characters keep having these seasons of panic where they realize they’re running out of money but also don’t have any skills to keep afloat. I can empathize with the panicky times, but differ from them with the lack of skills category. I feel a huge swell of pride when I think of the things I can bring to the table in life – for one, I can cook, so I can literally bring things to the table. Another skill in my repertoire is dressing for summer – this week I’m wearing my most favorite print-on-print, two piece playsuit. This outfit is especially special to me because I bought it for my first trip to NYC and subsequently lost it during my move to NYC but then FOUND it at the beginning of this summer. A whole year gone, but now we’re back together. #truelovewaits

On an unrelated, but related note about NYC’s eccentric. We shot these looks in front of the house featured in Wes Anderson’s film, “The Royal Tenenbaums.” Be still my perfectly symmetric heart.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some reading to do.

xo – Haley

Key Pieces // Playsuit – ASTR Clothing c/o Nordstrom | Necklace – Vanessa Mooney | Bag – Longchamp | Shoes – Rowan

Real Talk, Spring/Summer

Enjoy the ride, OKAY!?

Recently, I’ve taken to recording the conversations I have with the people I interview for my #BringYourOwnCoffee series. I am a very novice interviewer, so when it comes to actually writing the interview pieces out, there’s a ton of playback and re-listening to the conversations. And a lot of hearing myself talk. When I was writing last week’s piece with Julia Hembree, I was supremely disappointed with my words. It wasn’t how they sounded. It was what I was saying. As I was talking to my subject about the quest to “figure out” life and career, all she could talk about was how open to possibility she was and set a very realistic pace for herself. Plus, she was happy. She was relaxed. I, on the other hand, sounded jaded and downright whiney about “possibilities.” YUCK. I had become one of those girls.

Suffice to say, my BIG DREAMS that I had for living in NYC have been slow to come to fruition. Honestly, I wanted to be a head stylist or an editor for an esteemed publication or some title preceding by VP by the time I was 24. And seeing as that has not happened, for very obvious reasons, I have seasons where I feel discouraged or like I’ve failed. Yep, I’m one of those: very lofty dreams + perfectionist = deep sadness/fear of failure. I’ve watched dreams come true for others with relatively little effort and thought there was something wrong with me because I’ve put SO much effort into the next step and it has yet to arrive.

After a long week of more false starts and ~~maybe~~ some poor decision making, serious heart to hearts with dear friends and praying through my emotions, I’m beginning to see the light. People always tell me, “Haley, slow down.” “Stop beating yourself up!” “Enjoy the ride!”

“Enjoy the ride?” I think, “I’m crushing the ride! I’ll enjoy it more when I get there.”

Stupid mentality. I could have been enjoyed deeper relationships with friends, giving more to my day job or more to this blog. I could have been connecting with people, which, by the way, is the secret to getting ahead in this town. I could have been loving my husband better, rather than leaning into him for … any and all emotional support.

Talking to confidants also provided perspective. If I look at my dreams on a more macro level, I’m right on track. Here’s the short list:

Become a professional stylist – many people have paid me to get them dressed, both commercial companies and private clients, check
Move to New York – coming up on two years here, check
Work for a major fashion brand – coming up on two years with one, check
Own my own business – this happened last month, check
Create fresh content on a consistent basis – I’d say that’s happening here at Hihaleyannie, check

So yea, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think I’ve watched Devil Wears Prada too many times.

I’m casting my net now. Something will swim along in due time. But I have to believe that I’m being taught how to cast my net in the proper way – without anxiety and with patience. If you’d like to truly know who you are – allllll the good and bad, please by all means, move to New York City. This place has a funny way of breaking you down and building you back up, frequently.

Photo Cred: Julia Hembree

With a quiet heart,

Haley

HI, HALEYANNIE | STUDIO H

style, self, & motherhood

Category Archives: Spring/Summer

4 Days In Paris & 5 Things You Need

June – According to my iPhone

Bare Boned

First Saturday in May

Hi, Denim on Denim

#FBF – Remembering September

Fashion To Go – NYFW

There’s More to Explore

The Beautiful & Damned

Enjoy the ride, OKAY!?