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!*

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??

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!

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

share the love

While winding down after a long week, I cracked open a tried and true favorite – Magic Hat #9. It is a brew that is always in my frig and has quirky sayings under the cap – sorta like a fortune cookie. This one was so true… It said “you need to write more.”

Well I couldn’t agree more 🙂

I have many new posts lined up and ready to share… However, I thought that I would extend the creative stick to all of my followers and readers! A lot of you guys are always emailing me and sharing incredible ideas, finds, steals and fashions.

If you have ever wanted to write a blog or get a shout out for your amazing style or get some recognition for a great idea or if you have a blog and want to share a post… or anything else you want to share – I want to hear all about it!!

Just email me a few things…

 – your blog post (idea, find, steal or fashion… or whatever!)

– your name (and your blog link if you have one)

– pictures you want me to post

– a brief bio 

and  I will handle the rest!

I am heading out of town on a mini vacation and I while I am gathering new goodies for the blog, this would be a great time for me to share your great ideas! Anything and everything is welcome… So shoot me an email.

I look forward to hearing from you!                        HadleysReality@gmail.com

erase the streaks

It is almost Spring (well sort of!) and we all know what that means… Spring Break!! Yes, in my other life I am a college professor and I get a sPrInG bReAk! It is ok to be jealous of my whole week off 🙂

It is around this time that I start to slather on the ole’ tanning lotions in preparation for shorts, skirts and the dreaded bikini. (See earlier post about tanning lotions to see which ones I prefer.)

No one is perfect – and neither is the tanning lotion. We can make some mistakes which result in streaking, dark knuckles and uneven tones. It can be a nightmare waiting for the color to rub off or to fade… I have tried (literally) everything in the book – from scrubbing my skin raw, to applying baking soda, soaking in lemon juice and even rubbing alcohol. Please, for the love of your skin, do not try any of these! Not only were they ineffective, but they hurt!

I have (with the help of my lovely cousin Jules) discovered a much easier and softer way to remove any unwanted self-tanning streaks, lines, or globs.

Simply use a Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean. You have seen the commercials… if it can remove grease and crayon and permeanat marker – why not self-tanner? Simply wet the Magic Eraser and then squeeze as much of the water out as possible. LIGHTLY rub on your skin and watch the color come right off… AMAZING! Avoid your face but this is perfect for knuckles, knees and feet.

Enjoy a perfectly tanned Spring Break!

egyptian jewelry elizabeth knight

So today is President’s Day – and it’s every shopper’s dream… sales in almost every corner of every store!

This shopper, however, is feeling a bit under the weather – I would rather sit at home in my PJs with my iPad than to hit the malls and deal with the insane lines. Trust me when I say that I did take full advantage of perusing the online shops though! While casually going through many cyber stores, I stumbled across some jewelry that can best be described as ‘egyptian inspired.’

I found myself wanting every single piece of jewelry by the designer – Elizabeth Knight. She definitely has an eye for jewelry – she creates pieces that tell stories all by themselves. You can look at a piece and your imagination takes off. Of her collections, Dark Horse and Armor are my favorite. Below are some pieces that I am dying to have – I have listed prices as well.

The bracelet on the left– called the PYRAMID BANGLE – is my absolute favorite of the Armor Collection. It is such a unique piece that I am certain it would add flare to any outfit, without being overstated. It is $120.

My second favorite piece in the same collection is the bracelet on the right – called the RECTANGLE BANGLE – and it is also $120.

This necklace (PEGASUS)  is fantastic – and while not an every day piece – could really add some pizzazz to black shirt or dress. It is more pricey at $1,100… but that doesn’t make me love it any less!

The rings (HAMMERED, LAYER RINGS) are $200 and are definitely going on the wish list!

You can find her pieces in boutiques in many states, including – California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

You can also purchase a few select pieces from her Armor collection on the Urban Outfitters website. I will be holding out for the PYRAMID BANGLE… My wardrobe just won’t be complete without it!

Be sure to check out the whole collection on www.elizabethknightjewelry.com