March 24, 2024

Off the Grid

I originally had today’s post going in a different direction, but I was inspired by a comment left on my Instagram yesterday (hey, Kacey!), so I decided last-minute to shift the focus.

ways-to-style-a-sweatshirt

The best and worst thing about being your own boss is that you make your own schedule — and though you might be on vacation, you’re never actually on vacation.

It’s been almost six months exactly since I left my full-time job to pursue blogging and other passions full-time. It feels like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time, but nonetheless: I’ve been running the gamut so hard that I have, admittedly, forgotten to come up for air and talk to you about what it’s been like.

sweatshirt-style-tips

That said, keep it candid: What do you want to know? What questions do you have? Use the comment section below to list your questions about blogging, freelancing (or whatever else).

I’ll round-up the most common and answer ’em here next week.

london-sweatshirt-white

Now, as for today’s look: This is another outfit I styled for Shoptiques — which, if you recall from this post, is a website that allows you to “filter through the clutter” of the fashion world and get immediate access to local boutiques in New York, San Francisco, Paris and more.

This pleated maxi skirt was one of the first items I plucked off the hanger — unsurprisingly, it came from one of my favorite New York boutiques, Pinkyotto. I instantly fell in love with the skirt’s grid print, and the rest of the styling portion was a breeze.

You really can’t go wrong with black ankle-strap heels (or the price of these — they’re $25!), but I decided to down-play the feminine elements of this ensemble by topping off the outfit with super-casual city sweatshirt.

london-paris-tokyo-sweatshirt grid maxi skirt black-strappy-sandals

*In this post:

City sweatshirt
High-low black blouse
Grid-print, pleated maxi skirt
Ankle-strap heels (under $25)
Gold mountain ring

*Click to shop: my picks | this post (below):

sweatshirt-styling-tips

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Photography by Shoptiques

Click to read more from corals + cognacs:

31 comments

  1. Hi! I want to start off by saying how much I enjoy reading your blog here in Canada :)
    I’ve recently started my own lifestyle blog and I wanted to ask you about advice on how to get things going in the beginning when you have so few readers and followers. I work full time so I’m trying my best to post regular content but it’s not always easy. It’s also hard to stay encouraged when there are no reader comments. Is this is a normal experience in the beginning phases of blogging and how do you stay encouraged to keep blogging throughout it all?

    Reply

  3. I’d love to know more about the financial side of it… do you feel you have a steady stream of income to survive financially?

    Reply

  4. I would love to know a little bit about what your numbers are like – page views, unique visitors, etc. And then at what level of page views/visitors did you start working with brands? At what point did they find you valuable?

    Lindsey // http://www.building-a-vision.com

    Reply

  5. A thousand questions come to mind, but I’m mostly interested in what your day-to-day looks like and the various projects you’re working on that make up your “job.” I’m also curious in the financials, but I know that’s an extremely personal and somewhat taboo topic. We know you’ve got Soul Cycle, blogging, but what other freelance work are you doing at the moment? I know we talked briefly before and you said most of your freelance work comes from word of mouth. Has that changed? I’ve also been thinking a lot lately about blogging in terms of location. Do you think that bloggers in certain areas (New York, bigger cities) have more opportunities and how do you think that affects their growth?

    I’m still in that weird transition phase after losing my job, but I feel like I’ve done all that I know how up to this point and I’m searching for the next step to push me in the right direction.

    Hope you’re easing back into the week after vacation!

    Jess

    Reply

  8. This is a really beautiful look! I wish you could include the name of the nail polish your wearing. Happy Tuesday :) (I’m looking forward to your answer to Jamie B’s question.)

    http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/thinkoutloud/2015/3/24/32415

    Reply

  10. Hi Hal, Big fan have been following you since my Chicago days (or pre- obsession with bloggers before i became one) How do you manage finances, NYC is expensive how do you keep your finances in tact to make sure that you are covering all necessary expenses while being your own boss? I thought id like to go full time with my own blog , but it wouldn’t cover my needs as far as paying bills?

    Reply

  11. When you really love something, you make it work….you look like you’re loving it! Keep up the good work . What kind of camera do you use?

    Reply

  14. Apart from planners and iPhone reminders, how do you keep track of everything going on? From business meetings, to networking, or just personal dates. Do you have any apps that help schedule your day? What about project management, I’m sure you have multiple projects with different “due” dates, so how do you go about space your time out and know which task to give priority to.

    Reply

  16. I’d love to know how to get your voice heard with all of the “noise” because there are SO many blogs out there.

    P.S. You are looking fab! You look SO healthy in these photos, girl!
    Alyssa

    Reply

  18. I’m new to the whole blogging world and also work from home a few times a week, so I have a few questions for you!

    1. How do you being approaching companies to work with, or do you wait for them to approach you? Specifically when you were a fresh, new blog.

    2. What do you do when you need to get some creativity juices flowing?

    3. What were some of your go-to sites or books you used to get started, or what do you still use now (HTML coding help, SEO information, blogging basics, etc.)

    4. How do you get motivation to work from home and not slack off?

    5. How DO you balance travel/vacation with blogging? Any tips or secrets?

    Reply

  19. Hi Hallie! Love this little Q&A. I think what you’re doing is amazing and I only foresee amazing things! I’d love to know if and how you pitch to brands/companies? Any tips/tricks you could share? When reaching out, what are the best things to play up and/or play down? Thanks lady!

    Reply

  20. Hi Hallie! I’d love to know your take on guest posting — is it something you swear by / can live without? Also, what do you think is the most powerful social media platform for blog promotion?

    Also, do you like social media? Is it fair to admit I have a love/hate relationship with it that might be a little closer to hate? :) I’m hoping to get into writing (books for 3rd-6th grade children) but do have a blog I enjoy for fun. Do you believe in “just blogging for fun”? Or do you think it will hinder me if I have a so-so blog with not a lot of followers? Is it better to not blog at all?

    Jeez - I didn’t know I had so many questions!! Sorry about that. Thanks for the opportunity to ask!

    One thing I adore about your blog is you seem so approachable!

    Joyce

    Reply

  21. Love this! I’m so voyeuristic that I love to see how other people get shit done.

    One thing I’m interested to know is how do you separate yourself from your blog? Or even, do you separate yourself from your blog? Is the Hallie we see here exactly who you are in person/how much do you filter yourself? Please don’t feel pressured to put anything out there that you’re not comfortable with, its just that I know I try to think about my blog as a character to keep it from getting too personal and to make sure I’m also building a brand. On that note - did you actively try to build a brand, or did that just happen organically? Any tips for doing that?

    And, what are your favourite sites/blogs to visit? x

    Reply

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