best dressed: part two

I have been honored as a nominee again this year as Best Dressed of Louisville from the Voice Tribune… Help a girl out and shoot me a vote 🙂  Be sure to vote for a guy and couple as well… there are some fun fits in the mix.

You can vote once a day every day until August 23rd and the results are revealed the night of the 25th. I will post pics afterward of my runway fit and will share the details of the sure-to-be fun filled evening! Thanks ladies and cheers to lookin’ good on a budget!

BTW – the dress above was purchased at the Zappos outlet for under $30 –  a French Connection steal any day!

Click Here to Submit Your Vote Now!

the ‘f’ word

That’s right – I’m talking about ‘fashion’ and no one says it better than the guru of style: Rachel Zoe.

I’m heading to NYC this weekend and I always enjoy looking at the carefree, yet carefully constructed style you can see on the streets. I hope to snap a couple of pics of randoms rocking their fashions and treating the sidewalks like runways.

While getting ready to hit up the town this weekend, keep Zoe’s motto in mind… Be a little daring!

This quote by Zoe has to be a personal favorite… What’s your favorite fashion line?

*Picture taken from Pinterest*

no hate zone

Tomorrow is the big day! Urban Outfitters on Bardstown Road in the Highlands will be opening their doors…

I personally adore this store and the fun fashion it offers – and they have amazing sales! However, not everyone is as excited as I am. In fact, many locals have been bashing the fact that the store decided to come to the Highlands. Their argument is that it will take away from the local shops that have been around for ages – I have to voice my opinion and say that I totally disagree.

I think the store will pull people out of the malls and back to Bardstown road shopping, where you can find one of a kind pieces and eclectic items. If anything, it will put more traffic into the local shops. Coffee shops, restaurants, jewelry stores and clothing boutiques (in my opinion) will see more business.

So in the words of wise people before us – make love, not war. Let’s keep the Highlands a wonderful place to live, eat AND shop!

fake spring break

Spring break is right around the corner and not everyone is lucky enough to get a whole week off…

If you are just sitting around next weekend while your friends are tanning on the beach, get off the couch and take a mini road trip! There are many fun places to visit (and more importantly, places to shop) around town (no matter where you live!).

If you are a Louisville girl like me, then maybe a quick trip to Indianapolis would curve your craving for some fun! There is an area called BROAD RIPPLE that is simply to die for… tons of shops, pubs and cute places to grab a bite to eat.

One of my all time favorite vintage stores can be found here – Broad Ripple Vintage.

It has an endless supply of shoes, bags, clothes and jewelry. During my last visit I got a steal – a black leather coach clutch from back in the day – and for only $15.

So if you are stuck at home the week of spring break, at least allow yourself some much needed retail therapy and a road trip!

*Special thanks to my great friend Lisa for the awesome photos!*

mad men mouth

So if you are like the thousands of other Americans obsessing over the fabulous TV show Mad Men, then you have probably tried to pull off the red-lip-look.

Finding the perfect red lipstick is like trying to find the perfect man – nearly impossible. I have tried more red lipsticks than I can count and have four options that I believe can fit almost every woman.

These four lipsticks are all by Revlon – yup, about $6 each.

(left to right) – RED REVIVAL (645) color sensational, REALLY RED (006) matte, RED REVOLUTION (630) color sensational, FIRE & ICE (720) super lustrous

For Dark Skin – Stick with a deeper red, close to a brick color. I am loving Revlon’s RED REVIVAL (first one on the left).

For Every Girl – MAC lipstick in RUBY WOO is the one lipstick that is always compared to the Mad Men show. A cheaper alternative and very close match is Revlon’s REALLY RED (second from the left). This is a matte color that looks just like the colors used on the show – its not shiny but its also not drying – one of my favorites and looks GREAT on almost everyone!

For Medium Skin – Choose a pinkish red, close to a cranberry color. A great option is Revlon’s RED REVOLUTION (third one from the left).

For Fair Skin – If you are like me, fair skinned gals need to lean more towards reds with corals. A must have is Revlon’s FIRE & ICE (on the far right).

to buy or not to buy

That is the question…

While on vacation I decided to hit up some consignment stores in West Palm Beach. Of course, I found too many awesome things to fit into my suitcase!

One find I am still considering… a vintage Louis Vuitton portfolio/ clutch.

I have been thinking about this amazing piece all day! I also found an incredible Gucci envelope clutch that has been tugging at my heart strings.

I can only afford one so I have to make a decision…

Which one do you think I should bring home??

bobbi brown vs revlon

I have been using Bobbi Brown’s PALE MAUVE (73) lipstick and have been obsessing over it. It is the perfect color for daytime, meeting the parents, job interviews or shopping with the girls. I love the color – but I am not crazy about the price… $23.

It is a nice nudey-pinky color that is perfect for the upcoming SPRING season. This Spring is going to be all about NEON colors… so if you are rocking some hot pink and orange, make sure that your lipstick is not competing with your fit. Bright lips are all the rage right now but if you pair that with a loud outfit you might just look like a Crayon-box explosion… so remember this golden rule: Neons + Nudes.

I found an amazing dupe to Bobbi Brown’s PALE MAUVE by Revlon – PRIM ROSE (668) in the super lustrous lipstick line.

These two colors are undeniably indistinguishable. I literally cannot tell which is which… So why not go with the Revlon option for only $6?

This Spring its all about the bright neon colors… Don’t let your makeup compete for attention with your outfit and go with this nude lip!

beautiful garbage

‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’ We have all heard the saying and today it was proven again.

While walking the beach, working on my tan (and yes, I’m slathered in 85 SPF) I spotted something big and light blue wash up on shore. Sea glass.

From broken bottles that have been dumped in the ocean illegally and polluted the ocean, the pieces are buffed and beautiful by the time you find them in the sand.

These once sharp pieces of glass roll around in the ocean and are smoothed, shaped and made frosted by Mother Nature herself.

Wouldn’t these be beautiful as a piece of jewelry? Can’t wait to find some more ‘garbage’ on the beach!

pink pout

I LOVE LOVE LOVE lipstick right now… from bright colors to nude, all are great for Spring! Again, love some lipsticks but hate paying massive amounts! MAC has the recycle program where you can bring in six empty MAC containers and you can get a free lipstick of your choice!

Don’t have any empty containers and don’t want to pay $15? Well some of the most cherished colors of the season can be found for much less. Revlon has amazing lipsticks and they can be found for around $6!

Better yet, if you watch the coupons that come out on Sundays, you can find some places that have a ‘buy one, get one half off’ deal!

A go-to that I have been rocking lately is MAC’s SHOW ORCHID (A61). It is a super fabulous color that is bright and will jazz up any outfit. A great alternative is Revlon’s WILD ORCHID (457). These two colors are practically identical.

So splurge on a $6 tube today and bring some color into your life!

hadley’s reality in the weekly

Hadley’s Reality was mentioned AGAIN in the local Louisville newspaper in the Features section!!

The article is titled “KY Reality TV Stars Continue to Shine After the Cameras are Gone.”

Here is what the article said…

‘Southern Belles: Louisville’

Aired on SOAPnet in 2009. What the Belles have been up to:

HADLEY HARTZ

Hometown: Owensboro, Ky.

What she’s up to: Hartz is an instructor at Jefferson Community & Technical College. She recently finished her doctoral coursework in education and leadership at Spalding University, passing both her oral and written comprehensive exams. She also blogs about fashion, beauty and shopping at www.hadleysreality.com.

On getting the goods: “The show portrayed me as the girl next door who couldn’t get a good job and couldn’t find a good guy. It’s funny, because after the show, I actually got both of those things on the same weekend.”

A very special thanks to Christa Ritchie and the Courier-Journal for giving a nice shout-out to Hadley’s Reality!

Check out the full article on the Courier-Journal’s website – KY Reality TV Stars Continue to Shine After the Cameras are Gone