On a cold, wintry long weekend, we quickly packed our bags for an unexpected adventure. While we had been dreaming of a sunny beach vaca for the weekend, which we had waited to long to book, we decided to simplify our plans. We received an incredibly generous gift for a stay at the luxurious, 5 star Greenwich Hotel, located in Tribeca. This past weekend, seemed like a perfect opportunity to spend a romantic weekend together, on a staycation, in our home sweet home, New York City.
On a dark, rainy, New Year’s Eve night, I watched raindrops trickle down my window. As I peered out outside, I saw reflections of the city lights, as the rain wiped away the dust of 2018. “Does this seem symbolic of the year?” Grant said. He had it 100% right. It most certainly did. The dust of that stormy year finally settles, and we move on.
It’s sweater season, people, and that down right makes me cringe. Holiday lights are everywhere I look, and while it’s all merry and bright, I operate best with a daily dose of sunshine. Screw the snow. (Why do I live in New York?)
Red swimsuit. Sunshine beaming on my face. Toes in the sand. The waves crashing around me. Visions of a lifeguard stand off in the distance. “Runnnnn!” Grant yells, as I hear the sound of the camera’s shutter fluttering in the distance. I sprint towards him in my teeny, red bikini across the sands of Miami Beach. My hair whipping behind me in slow motion. In my head, it felt like a scene from Baywatch.
This is my middle name. I control everything in my life, and I’m an insane perfectionist. I like to be in charge of my own life, right down to the nitty gritty details. My expectations are incredibly high. It works as an advantage as well as a disadvantage for me. I trust myself, and only myself.
I’m a walking glitter-bomb. From the age of of five, I spent my days crawling around on floors of department stores, searching for sequins and beads, as my mom shopped for fancy dresses. When I found them, I saved them and considered them my treasures.
You’ve failed and you’ve got to start over. You think it’s the end of the world, right? There’s that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You think you’re the only one out there. You feel like everyone knows, and you won’t be respected. But you know what you’re actually wrong about? That very thought.
Out painting the town on a Saturday night, and I immediately spy, a brilliant blue swimming pool with a glass runway! Whatt? How is this possible? Three steps into the YSL bash held for NYFW, and I’m already in awe. The event was hosted at the YSL Beauty Hotel, by Harper Bazaar’s Beauty Director, Jessica Matlin, photographer of the September Issue, Kenneth Willardt, and makeup by YSL Beauté Global Beauty Director, Tom Pecheux. We kicked off the evening, literally walking on water, while strutting down a glass runway. Fearful to fall in? YES! Did we do it anyways? Most definitely, and it was divine!
YSL is celebrating the launch of their Fall 2019 collection and I’m beyond excited. YSL has always been my favorite beauty brand. I adore their lip colors and the stains are fabulous. I wear them daily. Beware…you’ll still have that brilliant color on the next morning, if you don’t remove it. I love that the color is long lasting, taking me from day to evening, leaving me feeling fancy for hours. I also wear the Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris fragrance daily, as well as YSL Black Opium.
As we walked up flights of stairs, we discovered multiple levels of interactive excitement. From a photo booth with air guitars, to a dreamy rooftop, complete with cocktails, my blogger bestie, Haili and I were in heaven. We tried several different lip stains which lasted us through the dance party, as well as margaritas and dinner at La Esquina (one of my favorites).
For the soirée, I felt I needed to dress the part, so of course that meant sequins! I stumbled upon a multi color, striped sequin dress from one of my favorite brands, Alice and Olivia, and it had me at hello. I layered this beauty with a black blazer, and open toed sandals. To accessorize, I wore crystallized burgundy tassel earrings from my fall collection, and carried a round, crossbody bag from Furla.
The evening was perfection, and my time spent with Haili during fashion week was truly my favorite part. It always is. The YSL Beauty Hotel, and NYFW was just another one in the books for us. And so the Adventures of Haili and Hallie continues. The countdown begins…xoxo
The last few days of summer and the first few days of Fall…I can already feel the change in the air. It’s that crisp feeling, that reminds me of renewal. Rosh Hashanah, (the Jewish New Year) is upon us, and it is a reminder of new beginnings. A time to reflect upon the past year, to appreciate what it was, and a chance to improve upon the coming year; looking forward towards life with fresh eyes and an open heart.
Say hello to Rosa. She’s the one that stole my heart. From the moment I opened that crisp dust bag, and saw that perfect, little white bag, I knew it was love at first sight.