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Hi, nice to meet you.
I'm Hallie, a Midwest native, New York City transplant and the mind behind corals + cognacs. If you're looking for an online destination for stylish inspiration and musings on Manhattan living, you've come to the right place.
Here's a bit more about me (and if you'd like to keep in touch, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
I hope you enjoy reading corals + cognacs as much as I enjoy writing it.
FAQ //LOCATION: New York, New York •BY WAY OF: The Midwest (Cleveland/Chicago) •HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? Attainable, trendy and fun. I’m constantly wearing unexpected pairings – like statement pumps and a graphic tee. •FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR CLOSET? The vintage Gucci clutch I thrifted for $40. •ANY OBSESSIONS? I like my coffee black, my heels high and my martinis dirty. •GUILTY PLEASURES? Complex carbohydrates and shoe shopping -- both in excess. (And SoulCycle, as a result.)
ARE YOU A FULL-TIME BLOGGER? No, I work as a Development Manager and Contributing Editor at Glam.com. •WHY DID YOU START YOUR BLOG? I've spent nearly seven years on the corporate grind, where sartorial humor and an expertly crafted color-block can get lost in the boardroom. As a result, I decided to create a blog -- a space where I’d hoped my writing, styling and excessive shoe collection would be better comprehended. •WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Living stylish and spontaneously in New York City – and beyond. I aim to inspire others to have fun with fashion and to live lightheartedly •HOW’D YOU THINK OF THE NAME? To be honest, the name just came to me. I’m a big color-blocker and a sucker for alliteration in writing. It just fit. •WHAT’S THE CORRECT WAY TO WRITE IT? corals + cognacs.
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT? corals and cone-yaks. •WHAT KIND OF CAMERA DO YOU USE? A Canon T3i with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. •DON’T YOU FEEL WEIRD TAKING PHOTOS OF YOURSELF? Absolutely. Everyone looks at me like I’m insane – especially when it’s cold. Wouldn’t you? •DO YOU WORK WITH ADVERTISERS/SPONSORS? Yep! Shoot me an e-mail and let’s talk. •HOW ELSE CAN WE KEEP IN TOUCH? On Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
I have a confession: I didn’t check my e-mail once over the past weekend.
Another confession? I didn’t feel bad about it. And I never do.
But like, real talk: Lately, do you feel like you start all your e-mails or messages with “Hi, sorry for the delay!”
Yeah, oops.
I’m so guilty of it, too.
Honestly, though. Is that such a bad thing?
Consider this: Your computer works a lot better when you restart it, no? Or rather, when you shut it down at night and re-boot it again in the morning.
It’s like a way to you a CTRL+ALT+Delete situation entirely… Simply by reseting — so-to-speak.
It sounds nuts, maybe. I know. And I harp on the idea of disconnecting and recalibrating (over summer especially) all the time. But it’s important! Do you ever just take time for yourself? To get shit done for you?
I have been working non-freakin’-stop the past four weeks. Like, teaching upwards of fifteen classes with rarely a day off (at SoulCycle, which translates to around a 60-hour work-week).
I love what I do — obviously — but there’s nothing quite like working ’round the clock to really show you that you just need some space. You know?
Creatively, this is a struggle for me. And I bet you face it too.
We have so many passions and ideas and the like, but we just don’t have the time or brainpower to weight which are more important or feasible than the others. So they just, kinda, stay there. In our heads.
For me, since my schedule doesn’t allow me to get away for a quick week/end like I used to, so that element of escapism now comes in the simpler form of a daydream.
An idea, a creative spark — or what have you… The ingredients of a daydream are that little piece of time where we can get lost in our imagination.
//
Generally speaking, my most creative ideas come to me when I’m least expecting them. It’s almost like you can peek into what you want your life to look like when you actually believe it has no boundaries or limits…
Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
If you knew that all that stood between you and making your daydream happen is the shit you make up in your head, what would you do differently?
So go ‘head, girls. Daydream. Let your mind wander off.
Often times, it’s the moments we take to do nothing at all that everything seems to fall into place.
Yes girl!! I feel this so much. Sometimes we need a day free of “shoulds,” and we get to ignore or say no to the things pulling us in all directions. Recharging, particularly for us fitness coaches and creative entrepreneurs, is crucial. Glad you took a little time for yourself this weekend! <3
I start almost EVERY email off with “Sorry for the delay!” I’m glad you wrote this post. We shouldn’t have to feel guilty for taking a break to reboot.
Love! Lately I’ve been working on not apologizing constantly. I used to apologize for not getting back to someone right away, or missing their call, or saying no to an invitation. I’m learning that it’s ok to just say no, and to stop apologizing!
I love this post! I totally agree that sometimes you just need to reboot (and not have your face constantly in your phone checking emails) P.S. I’m diggin that clutch!
So gorg, lady! So happy to hear that you had a bit of a reboot this weekend! Happy Thursday!
Yes girl!! I feel this so much. Sometimes we need a day free of “shoulds,” and we get to ignore or say no to the things pulling us in all directions. Recharging, particularly for us fitness coaches and creative entrepreneurs, is crucial. Glad you took a little time for yourself this weekend! <3
I start almost EVERY email off with “Sorry for the delay!” I’m glad you wrote this post. We shouldn’t have to feel guilty for taking a break to reboot.
PS: Gimme this shirt… And hat… 😉
Pink Champagne Problems
Love this post girl, you always nail it! xo, Darci
Love! Lately I’ve been working on not apologizing constantly. I used to apologize for not getting back to someone right away, or missing their call, or saying no to an invitation. I’m learning that it’s ok to just say no, and to stop apologizing!
I love this post! I totally agree that sometimes you just need to reboot (and not have your face constantly in your phone checking emails) P.S. I’m diggin that clutch!
Love, Lindsey
http://thenomisniche.com/
I unfortunately (or fortunately) start emails with that sentence very often…
http://thedoseofchic.com
You and me both, girl!
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