This is my jam, ya’ll. Because it’s summer time, officially, and because I am co-editor of this blog, we are doing two posts on our summer obsessions! I’m a July baby, so I absolutely love to bake in the sun, wear breezy clothing, and borrow from the boys.  Because oversized+skimpy=a really cool outfit. Lemme show you what I’m wearing when I’m off the clock, and be-boppin around music city.

Last weekend has come to a close and I’m a little sad about it. It was the weekend that Ryan and I got to spend in New York City. Five days at the stores we’ve been fantasizing about visiting: the new Rag & Bone in Chelsea, The Liquor Store – JCrew’s Mens Store in Tribeca, and of course, Barney’s! Five days of subways and skyscrapers and five days of listening to dozens of our fave bands at the Governor’s Ball Festival on Randall Island. Mission Accomplished. Here’s the rundown.

Thursday – Spent the afternoon in Queens/Astoria with my cousin at her cute little apt. We have pizza, which was on my list of foods to eat, and dinner at BLT Prime, where the bartender Trey took good care of us with tons of free appetizers. I had mussels, Ry had Steak Tar Tar (and hated it, haha).

Friday – Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain for 24 hours straight. I wore my fave Billy Read button down underneath a rain jacket and Chacos because the island was a mudfest. Watched Young the Giant in the rain, meanwhile Feist played one song due to the fact that a guitarest got electrocuted?! Kings of Leon cancelled. Womp Womp.

Saturday – Sun is out! Brunched in Chelsea at the Standard. Realized we were both falling in love with the city. Visited the ENORMOUS Uniqlo store. Got to do my fashion dare – matching print on print. Chacos were worn to the fest..again. Saw Alt+J, Japandroids, Icona Pop, Edward Sharpe, Griz & (hooray!) Kings of Leon. Feet covered in mud. Ears super happy, feet very sad. Then we got TOP treatment at the Gansevoort Rooftop Hotel by a friend. He gave us a tour of the three story club, and set us up in the VIP room for the night. WHAAT??! It was so good, people. So incredibly good.

Sunday – Breakfast in a tiny, crowded coffee shop, then while trying on an Alaia dress in Barney’s I find my phone had been stolen. All NY pics gone. BOOOO! Ry tries on a Dolce suit while I stay on phone with AT&T, what a dream. The day goes on and we see Grizzly Bear, Cold War Kids, Gary Clark Jr. (PLEASE CHECK HIM OUT), Yeasayer, The XX, and KANYE WEST. Until this show, I don’t think I would have put his name in caps, but Ye delivered and the show was amazing. Feet still very muddy. Back to hotel, packing, sleeping.

Monday – Say goodbye to NY, for now. We’ll be back, I know it.

*My pics are gone, but in honor of the trip, Ry bought me an old film camera and we tested it out on some of my festival outfits. Here’s what I wore:

Going home is always a nice little treat. It’s so funny how time has slipped away, much to my surprise, especially during my formative “adult” years. I haven’t lived at home since my sophomore year in college. Coming home is always a week, at most, visit that entails rushing to see my Louisville pals, trying to fit in time to ride my horse, and getting a good shopping trip in with my mama without leaving town exhausted.

Have you ever visited your old high school? You walk into the building that hasn’t changed. Foggy silhouettes of your buddies leaning against lockers and pushing each other in the hallways show up in your mind, but reality shows these kids in awkward fitting uniform skirts and decent attempts at smoothing wild hair. The reality is, kids have no idea who you are; you’re too old. I walked into my alma mater with my younger brother yesterday. I’m six years away from this place, and he is three. My mother is the superintendent of the school system, and we went in to rescue her from her office that is jammed floor-to-ceiling with curriculum books. We walked down a long hallway, right past our class composite pics. Class of 2007!

I was a maj, maj, maj nerd in high school. Super goofy, much like I am today. I couldn’t help feeling just a touch proud of myself, though. I remember one night in high school, after a riding lesson I’m sure, flipping through a TEEN Vogue in my room. I read fashion magazines like textbooks. Pages were marked, notes were taken, sketches drawn. I made a pact with myself that I would dress like the girls in the glossies. Dreams of being a stylist mixed with ones of being an actress (oh gosh) floated in my head. Maybe I could be like Lauren Conrad and work for a clothing label or intern in the fashion realm? Maybe I could go to photo shoots? Maybe I’ll finally get a boyfriend???? HAHA, poor Hales.

Fast forward 6-8 years. Interned for a stylist, my sweet Carrie M, no less. Been to market. Styled my own shoots. Also married – SCORE! Working for a dream team website (SMP!).

Small platforms, but it’s just a bit like those girls trying super hard to flatiron the kinks out of their hair. It’s a start. It’ll get better with time. Twenty four is around the corner. Whatcha got in store for me? Go get those dreams, people!

– Haley