tailgating denim

now that college football season is in full swing,

you most likely have the perfect tailgate outfit on the brain

by the time thursday afternoon rolls around.

and let's not lie...

you want to look good.

but, what to wear when you've grown tired of the sundress & boots combo?
or if you've been wanting to give your saturday style a little more oomph?

throw a pair of colored jeans into the mix for endless (and sophisticated) gameday options

and support your home team in major style!

now, i'm very  partial to my TCU horned frogs
but i obviously couldn't ignore some of the other big 12 & SEC teams out there.
each of the below looks were styled using denim currently in stock at Hattie Sparks!

For the Fort Worth gal: Red Engine "Cayenne" skinny jeans in Grape
view the rest of the outfit details here

For the Longhorn lady: James Jeans "Twiggy" in Cinnamon
view the rest of the outfit details here

For the Georgia peach: Red Engine "Ruby Narrow Bootcut" in Cherry
view the rest of the outfit details here

For the girl shouting GEAUX: Red Engine "Scorcher" Skinnies in Darkwater wash

view the rest of the item details here

whoever you're cheering for this saturday,

look fantastic doing it in a great pair of jeans from Hattie Sparks!

p.s. GO FROGS!

how we'd style it: fall's equestrian trend

the equestrian trend is everywhere this fall

from riding-inspired getups

to equine prints

we can't get enough of this classic, preppy look

here's how we'd style this trend for fall

using jeans, a blazer, and necklace from Hattie Sparks

and a couple "dare to dream items" 

(hello proenza schouler PS1 bag)

pearl & turquoise ring, Vince featherweight cashmere shirt tail sweater, Frye 'dorado' riding boot

J.Crew gold bangle set, Hermes brazilian cashmere & silk scarf (a second dream item!)

styled by: juley

i've been reading juley le's blog upperlyne for a few years now

it's a haven of all things cool and stylish

and not only is the girl stunning, but she has impeccable taste. 

so, when the opportunity to collaborate with her popped up

i (first) pinched myself, then jumped at the chance

the first look was worn while she was in NYC for fashion week.

the idea was to use her favorite NYC neighborhood, the lower east side, as inspiration

she pulled together a very cool interpretation of classic southern seersucker by jolie & elizabeth

re-imagined for the streets of new york.

she accessorized their 'feliciana' dress with recycled metal chevron earrings

& a louisiana 'state pride' necklace from kris nations

(um, hello gorgeous!)

her second look was worn while in wilmington, north carolina

a post demonstrating how to style your whites post-labor day

she totally nailed it. 

she's wearing the camilyn beth "70's Go-Go" dress

but put her own unique spin on it by wearing it backwards 

styled with a brick-hued cardigan and luxe accessories

the little white dress gets made over for autumn.

(love the nod to nola with the fleur-de-lis pin!)

i had such a great time working with juley on these posts

a girl who's as sweet as she is stylish.

she's a consistent source of inspiration, and i always love reading about her latest culinary projects

and, of course, coveting her knack for striking the perfect casual/cool balance with her outfits.

(see why i was pinching myself?)

thank you, juley!

weekend snaps

what a fantastic week 

capped off by a very, very fun weekend

some snaps from the past few days

via instagram

(find me on the 'gram at: hattiesparks)

fresh blooms from my sweet sister in a shiny gold jonathan adler banana bud vase 

an absolutely gorgeous bedspread scored (on sale!) from anthro that makes our room even more cozy

a three-piece ensemble at the daytime wedding of our dear friends

so much fun & quintessentially Nola

the most fun bride & groom in celebration mode on the party bus

my handsome date

after all that fun, tonight calls for the couch, the Emmys, the return of Treme

and making this delicious soup

hope your weekend was full & happy!

cozy up

one of my favorite Fall looks at the store

cozy but still lightweight (perfect for nola)

classic but still current

with a unique little twist

get the look:

willow & clay star sweater

red engine 'cayenne' skinnies in blue moon wash

EllenL white spike necklace

rural revolution structured cross-body

all available at hattie sparks

creativity takes courage

alright, so i'm "back"

glad i got the re-introductory post out of the way,

but i have just a tiny bit of explaining to do

in regards to why i think it was important to resurrect my little corner of the internet

the store i own, hattie sparks, is brimming with unique designers & artists

whose stories i will tell to anyone who will listen.

now, there's only so much i can do on the ol' Facebook

but i have such a passion for these small, independent designers

why they do what they do, what influences them, how they got their start, why their product is special

that i want, and need to shine a bright spotlight on them. 

each one of their distinct fingerprints make h.s. what it is.

the store would not be the same without them.

this is why i want my customers to know 

that when they buy a dress from jolie & elizabeth, 

they're putting money directly back into NOLA's economy;

that proceeds from see scout sleep dog collar benefits our beloved gulf coast;

that the MCMC perfume they can't stop sniffing 

is named for and inspired by an event in its creator's life. 

are these products well made? 

yes.

are they little gems to be discovered?

yes.

are they crafted from distinct and creative points of view?

absolutely yes.

but, to me, what makes these lines different

are the people and the passions behind them.

i truly believe that a shopping experience becomes more complete

when there's a sense of discovery, or a story waiting to be told behind each product

so

that's one of my goals here.

to tell those stories,

to ignite a sense of discovery,

to depart from the generic, 

to pull the shades back and let some light fall on these incredible people & their passions.

because creativity takes courage.

and i want to honor that as best i can. 

hit refresh

hey!

remember me? 

remember that one time i posted regularly on this little blog?

yeah...i'm having a hard time, too. 

some big things have happened since i last posted

namely this: 

!!!

can you believe it? i alluded to this goal in this post last october (i'm so sneaky, right?)

and it happened.

it actually happened and it has been incredible. 

i have literally been pinching myself for the past seven months

and have been blown away and humbled by the warm reception i've received

from locals and out-of-towners alike.

some highlights include:

a feature in Anthropologie's 'Insiders Guide: New Orleans Shopping' 

(still don't know if this one really happened)

a spotlight on one of my favorite local sites, I Heart NOLA

being voted as one of the TOP 3 'best new retail stores' 

in The Gambit's 'Best of New Orleans 2012' Poll

...just to name a few

there have been several other articles, blog posts, & mentions

that i've had the honor to be a part of.

so you can see why i really am pinching myself.

the greatest part of everything though? 

aside from establishing and building relationships with incredible designers, artists, and collaborators

aside from getting to meet sweet and interesting customers each day

aside from having the opportunity to curate a collection i'm proud of...

the greatest part is that i am really, really 

living out a passion.

not a dream. a passion.

a dream is something, to me, that's a fantasy. a far-off. an "if only___"

a passion is something that burns in your spirit. it's who you are. 

and you know that if you don't follow that passion, you'll regret it every. single. day.

living out your passion is living out who you are, but to the fullest and most authentic degree.

it can be challenging, scary, maddening, and a huge risk. 

but if you leap, really jump, work your tail off, stay motivated, creative, honest, and kind

then the rewards will heavily outweigh the risks. 

and i get to do that 

every.single.day

i still can't believe it. 

so, now that i'm "back" we'll get down to real business soon....

stay posted, because it's gonna be good.