sunset | haley on the daily blog

Santorini Sunset Cruise

Posted on July 28, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

*Check out my video of our catamaran cruise here!*

One of the highlights and favorite things of my entire abroad experience was the sunset cruise my friends and I took in Santorini. Once we arrived in Santorini and saw all the storefronts trying to sell sailing cruises we were really interested in doing one but figured that we wouldn’t be able to afford it. We stopped in at several different tour companies and finally said what the heck we have to do it. We booked through Sunset Oia and did a semi-private tour meaning that we did not have the entire boat to ourselves but would be sharing it with about 15 other people. Being college students studying abroad we were on a budget but willing to splurge a little and this was a great option! Because we were still off season for Santorini the sales guy at Sunset Oia gave us a really great deal! We couldn’t pass up such a memorable experience.

We were a little worried about the weather since it can be hit or miss during this time of year but the weather gods were on our sides because we ended up having a hot sunny day!! The Sunset Oia van picked us up at our hotel at about 12 pm and drove us across the island where we would be embarking on our catamaran.

When we arrived we put our shoes into baskets and climbed onboard the most beautiful catamaran. I felt like I was dreaming. We all gathered in the cabin while we taxied out of the harbor and were informed of the safety rules. We were then given free reign of the boat. The crew served us Greek wine while we laid out on the front of the catamaran. We were all in heaven and pinching ourselves asking if this was real life.

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When the boat docked for lunch we decided that we had to go swimming. I mean we were in Greece and were being provided snorkel gear how could we not?! The other guests on boat and the crew thought we were slightly crazy for jumping in and swimming around but I have to say we were in for a good 30 minutes and I could have stayed in longer. The water was so clear and fish were swimming around I honestly didn’t know how life could be much better than in that moment.

The captain then called us in to eat. We were served the most delicious assortment of traditional Greek foods. The meal was delicious and it was really nice getting to try some local cuisine. We then set sail again for the hot springs. Since we had dried off and the sun was starting to sink a little it was starting to get a little chilly so we decided against jumping in again.

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Finally we arrived at Oia, the tip of the island and where the sun sinks into the water on the horizon. We had a great view of the sunset and my friends and I sat in awe of the beauty reflecting on such a fabulous day.

When the sun finally sank into the inky black water we headed to shore where were got a van back to our hotel. Taking the sunset tour was such an incredible experience and so worth every penny. It was so fun and so relaxing at the same time. It is a memory I will have and look back on for the rest of my life.

To see how we spent the day here is my go pro video recap of our week in Greece!

xo,
H

Greek Sunsets

Posted on July 6, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

For my spring break, while I was studying abroad, my friends and I planned a trip to Greece. It was quite the undertaking seeing as there were 5 of us and it is somewhat complicated and expensive to get to the islands but we pulled it off and had a fabulous time!

Our first stop was the island of Corfu. We stayed at the Pink Palace. Which you guessed right, is a hotel where everything is pink!! Right up my alley. One night before dinner my friends and I threw on some cute outfits to head down to the beach to snap some photos. We all sported easy sundresses, freshly washed un-styled hair, and minimal makeup…but isn’t that the way vacations are supposed to be?!

So of course before heading down to take pictures at sunset I roped in one of my friends (hi Izzy!) to take some photos. I have the best friends who put up with me and my need to document everything haha.

Greece is known for some of the most stunning sunsets and Corfu did not disappoint. I wore this really cute and breezy maxi dress. It was perfect because during the day it was warmer but once the sun set it got a little chilly. It was also nice to have a dress that was not too clingy seeing as I didn’t realize the strength of the greek sun and lets just say I may have looked like a tomato. These photos don’t do the redness I am sporting justice (you can kind of see it in my strap lines) I learned my lesson because I had to cover up my burned legs for the next few days and basically bathed myself in aloe each night after showering (you live and you learn I guess 😉 Anyways, I forgot to share these photos so I hope you enjoy!

xo,
H

Stripes for the 4th

Posted on July 3, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

Okay so there is a little story behind this skirt. I spotted it this spring in my favorite store in Madrid. I tried it on and really liked it but I told myself I didn’t need it, that I should be saving my money for adventures and not things while abroad. (I also was starting to get a little worried about how I was going to fit everything I bought into my suitcase to bring back to the states 😉

I had taken a few dressing room selfies with it on to show to my mom and friends. As I was showing my friends it hit me, I knew why I loved the skirt so much. It was similar to a skirt my style idol, Julia Engel, had worn a while ago that was from MDS stripes, however this one was a fraction of the price. I kicked myself for not picking it up. Fast forward a few weeks, I went back to browse through the store and found THE skirt, in MY size, and ON SALE, for…wait for it…under $10!!! Can you believe it?!? How can this adorable skirt that looks so luxe be under $10?!? I knew at that point that it was meant to be (and I mean, how can you pass up such a good bargain?!?)
(PS unfortunately I couldnt find this skirt online…)

I knew immediately that it would be the outfit I wore for the 4th of July (is that sad…that I was planning my outfit months in advance?! What can I say?! It is one of my favorite holidays…and I must have been missing America just a little haha) I knew I wanted to style it with a white top but didn’t know how I would add in a pop of red. I had a potential necklace but then an idea hit me. I could add a pair of tassel earrings as my something red. However, I was not willing to spend a fortune on a pair so I thought, I have embroidery floss, I can make myself a pair!

I had made a bunch of tassel bracelets last summer so I just replicated the tiny tassels I had made last summer on a larger scale. I thought they turned out super cute and I made them for less than $1.50!! I mean come on? I think I need to make myself a pair in every color!! (If you are interested in a tutorial post comment down below!!)

I really love this entire look and know that it will be one of my go to skirts this summer. It is just so easy to style and wear and makes me feel so put together.

I hope that you all have some fun plans to ring in the 4th of July! Thanks for reading.

xo,
H

Peek into my Week

Posted on June 13, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

Sorry this post is getting up a day late! It was just such a beautiful day yesterday that I had to spend it outside!

Monday:
With the weather being pretty miserable my mom and I ran a bunch of errands. We have a couple of crafty projects we are working on so we headed to Hobby Lobby. Since we were over in that neck of the woods I couldnt resist stopping at Christmas Tree shops. I found a few great deals including super cute wine classes that say “instant mermaid, just add wine”, I mean can it get any more perfect?! I also found some affordable frames for a gallery wall I am working on for my room down at the shore. You can always count on Christmas Tree shops haha

Tuesday:
Because it rained all day, I spent the whole day making photo books with pictures from my semester abroad. Lets just say I had some technical difficulties and just the whole process of selecting the photos, laying them out, adjusting them and adding text can take a while (then I became a bit obsessive and had to force myself to stop adjusting everything haha) I made one for myself and one for my parents as a gift. I ended up making them on Walgreens. I have made them on CVS in the past, but one of my friends made a really cute using Walgreens so I decided to give it a try. Guys! They came out so cute! I am obsessed and I know that I will find myself flipping through this book for years to come.

Wednesday:
The sun finally reappeared!! Praise the lord! I was finally able to work out in the sunshine, repot some plants and make these really cool stepping stones the garden down at the beach. Because my dad and brother were gone for the night, my mom and I then decided to have a girls night and walked down to my favorite Mexican restaurant in town called Sayulita. Oh how I missed that place while I was abroad. I ordered the Sangria (because I was missing Spain a little) and a lobster truffle taco and shared the delicious guac and chips with my mom. To say I was stuffed was an understatement. But of course your girl couldn’t leave without a doggie bag of churros con chocolate for later 😉

Thursday:
My mom and I headed down to the beach to get our house ready for my girls weekend! We cleaned, did laundry and tidied up the house so it would be in tip top shape for when my fairf friends arrived! I also clipped these beautiful peonies from our garden! How stunning!?

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Friday:
I finished up prepping for my girls weekend and then headed down to the shore. I made this adorable cake for to celebrate two of my girl friends’ 21st birthday. Does anyone else love decorating cakes as much as I do. When my friends saw the cake they joked that my kids are going to have the best birthday cakes some day haha

Saturday:
My friends arrived Saturday afternoon. They were coming from Mass, Long Island, Connecticut and Jersey. It was so good to see all of them after a long 6 months apart. But the nicest thing is we picked up right where we left off as if no time had passed. We spent the day laying in the sun at the beach just chatting and then had a cute little photo shoot at the beach after dinner when the sun was setting. It was a fun day full of lots of food, beach and laughs.

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Sunday:
We woke up had breakfast and then most of my friends hit the road by noon so that they wouldn’t hit the weekend traffic. I then went on a nice bike ride around town and relaxed the rest of the day. The weekend was a blast but boy was I wiped by the end of it!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and is off to a good start of the week!

Spanish Sunset

Posted on March 27, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

One of the nights we were in Malaga my friends and I decided to dress up and have a little photoshoot on the beach before dinner. While we missed golden hour, we made it to the beach just in time to catch the sunset and snap a few photos. It was a beautiful night.

My friend let me barrow her top for the night because I didn’t really think to pack anything a little dressier that weekend. I thought the outfit had such a fun Spanish vibe too it, between the color of the top and the choker chain necklace. I originally did not think I could pull off the off the shoulder trend because I have broader shoulders, and for that reason I avoided the popular trend all last year. But, after trying this top on I have to say that I am now a huge fan and don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner because the look is actually very flattering. Let’s just say I have gone a little off the shoulder crazy and have picked up quite a few pieces in the last few weeks that I am so excited to style once the weather warms up a little. Can’t wait to show you all!

This super simple outfit was the perfect thing to wear for a little walk on the beach and then to tapas for dinner. These are the outfits I live for, no fuss, yet still put together; the kind where you can throw your salty hair up into a bun and that don’t require shoes! Counting down the days until I have more beach weather! Is anyone else off the shoulder obsessed?!

Thanks for stopping by!

xo,
H

Saturday Sunsets

Posted on July 18, 2016 by haleyonthedailyblog

I have a weak spot for sunsets. While some may chase storms, I am a sunset chaser. Each and every sunset takes my breath away with its unique configuration of colors, clouds and rays. In a way they are like snowflakes in the fact that no two are the same. I could spend every evening for the rest of my life watching the sun sink into the horizon and never be bored. One of my favorite quotes also relates to sunsets…

“Enjoy every sunset, look forward to every sunrise”

This quote reminds me to live in the moment, to not only enjoy the things that are unfolding before my eyes but to also get excited for all the things that lie ahead. A sunset also promises that the sun is setting on today and that tomorrow is a new day; a fresh start; a blank slate.

This past saturday my brother and I went on an evening moped ride through town. We had to stop and snap a few photos of this beautiful sunset at a cove in our town. These kinds of nights are what summer is all about. Balmy evenings full of beautiful sunsets and salty air.

Now onto the outfit. I have been choosing what to wear based solely on what clings to my body the least due to the fact that we are in the midst of a extremely warm heat wave. This light lacy tank was perfect for a evening cruise on the mopeds. I paired the tank with my favorite Lilly Pulitzer shorts to give it a more beachy feel and to go with my adorable Harding Lane hat. Now with the current heat we are experiencing my hair has been a monster to try and get under control. That is why this Harding Lane hat has been my new best friend. I just throw my hair in a braid and throw this adorable baseball cap on and voila, 100% better.

Shop this look {top: similar here shorts: similar here Bracelet: KJP Yacht knot Baseball hat: Harding Lane

How are you staying cool in this heat wave we are having?! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

xo,
H

Flowy Shorts

Posted on March 21, 2016 by haleyonthedailyblog

Today we are talking about my latest obsession…Flowy shorts. When the warm weather rolls in or I am in a warm location I hate wearing anything too form fitting or clingy in terms of clothing. Because when you sweat your clothes stick to you and it is just a totally uncomfortable situation for everyone involved (TMI?!). Hence when flowy shorts and pants came into style last summer I jumped on the wagon and have acquired quite a few pairs. Between the airy fit and the fun patterns who could resist. Its like wearing a skirt but better because you can do all the fun activities that shorts allow but while looking cute. Flowy shorts allow me to feel comfortable but also make me look put together. It’s a win win.

Another recent favorite of mine are halter neck tops because I love a good open back. Until I purchased this top last summer the last time I had worn a halter was when when I had this favorite halter when I was a child. I can still picture it so clearly. A purple gap striped top that I wore incessantly. Isn’t it funny the things the mind remembers. Of coarse I remember my favorite childhood wardrobe #stylinevenbackintheday

I have this obsessing with life guard chairs and lighthouses. Whenever I see one I can’t help but snap some pictures. Just another reason I love being by the water. I had to wait until the lifeguards were off duty to snap these pictures. I mean I didn’t want to interfere with the potential saving of lives ya know.

Can we also talk about how hard it is to take photos when the wind is blowing #thestruggle You can tell my hair is a little cray in some of these photos but I just kinda embraced it.

Does anyone else love the flowy shorts style? Thanks for reading!

Outfit details: {halter top // flowy patterned shorts}

xoxo,
H ⚓️

Lilly in Paradise

Posted on March 16, 2016 by haleyonthedailyblog

When I think of a warm tropical vacation and the clothes I will be packing in my suitcase I can’t help but envision a suitcase full of Lilly Pulitzer. Her clothes are so well made and just put you in a happy mood with all the bright cheery colors. Who wouldn’t love that?!

This skirt is unfortunately not available anymore however there are some options currently available on the website that are very similar. This skort is actually vintage Lilly I recently scored from this adorable boutique. Because the skirt does all of the talking I paired it with a simple silk blouse and adorable straw clutch. It was an easy and comfortable look to explore the resort and have dinner in. You can never go wrong wearing a Lilly piece while on a tropical vacation.

Sunset is my favorite time to take pictures. The sun is not too intense and the colors of the sky always take my breath away. The sunsets in the Dominican were beautiful and my favorite thing to do each night was walk down to the beach to see the the sun sink into the water. These photos do not do them justice.

What is your favorite time to take pictures? I would love to hear what your favorite thing is to wear on vacation?!

Get the look: Lilly pulitzer skirt (Similar)//white tank top//straw clutch (Similar) //simple flip flops

xoxo,
H⚓️

Spring Break Countdown

Posted on February 18, 2016 by haleyonthedailyblog

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T minus 15 Days.
Is it too early to have a count down to spring break?!? I know I got back to school a month ago and don’t get me wrong I love New England weather but lately I have just been craving sunshine and warm weather. I recently found out I had a vitamin D deficiency (partially due to the fact that my skin doesn’t see the light of day in the winter). When my skin is visible it looks pasty, and dry making me lust for the day when it will be tan again. My skin and apparently my body is in need of some serious Vitamin D!

Last year I spent my spring break at home in Connecticut doing homework (let me tell you that was a blast and a half..not!) but this year I am fortunate to be traveling somewhere sunny and warm! I will not be having a wild spring break like you see in the movies. Many of my friends will be traveling abroad in the fall and are saving money for their European adventures while some of my other friends are traveling to Italy for spring break with a club at our school. So my dad and I decided to reward ourselves and I am so excited to say that we will be visiting the Dominican Republic! My brother has a different spring break week than me and after traveling to Europe this past fall my mom is all traveled out for the time being haha.

My dad and I are definitely the more adventurous ones in the family and have many fun activities in mind, one of them being just lying on the beach catching some rays. Being a Spanish minor I am excited to put my skills to use and see how good my abilities really are. Also if you don’t know me I am a huge fan of spanish food…I could eat rice and beans all day everyday. My mouth is salivating just thinking about the delicious foods I will be able to try! I guess until then dreaming of my toes in the sand and the sun on my face (in addition to having to dust on layer after layer of bronzer to combat looking like a vampire..okay maybe I am over exaggerating) will have to do!
Is anyone else going anywhere fun?! Anyone else been to the DR before?!

xoxo,
H ⚓️