Showing posts with label Personal

New Year, New Resolutions ☆ (Surprise! Surprise!)

by Hampton Ivy, 1/10/2019

We're only 10 days into the new year, but it feels like it's been a month already.. is that just me or do you friends feel the same? My mind has been racing and spinning in circles trying to create a plan for this year and I think the largeness of my goals is weighing me down a bit. Most likely because my main goal for 2019 is to make a six figure income and moving out of my parents home and into a home of my own, not exactly a small feat- of course 100% possible, but still pretty terrifying. BUT, I'm trying my best to not get caught up in the size of my goals and instead just take things step by step until I reach them. I not only want 2019 to be a successful year for my work, but for my mind and body as well. So, I've created a list of resolutions to make my goals for myself clear and to look back at to keep myself on track. I hope you friends enjoy reading this and maybe it inspires you to do some of the same things or check off the big items on your own list. Now, let's get into these hefty resolutions...

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Life Update ❣ Bucket list adventures, Traveling Europe, New products..

by Hampton Ivy, 9/07/2018

Summer of 2018.. you've been sweet.

 A lot has happened not just this summer, but over the last year. I've tried new things, such as... 
  ⋄ Surfing, thanks to my adventurous best friend Ally. We surfed in early May in Newport when it was raining and freezing out and I loved (almost) every minute of it! I'm pretty sure I almost got caught in a rip tide though..
  ⋄ Escargot, thanks to my dear friend Tom Samet. We had it at Le Charlot, Southampton and it was delicious.
  ⋄ Rock climbing, again thanks to Ally. 

 Oh and I got a tattoo too.. Surprise! I don't have any good photos of it, but it's on my ribs on my right side and says "Siamo tutti angeli con una sola ala, possiamo volare solo se ci abbracciamo l'uno con l'altro." in script, which translates to "We are all angels with only one wing, we can fly only if we embrace each other." I've been thinking about this tattoo for about five years now, but never bit the bullet. A few months ago a family member of mine was going through a rough time and when he/she was coming out of that rough time, he/she wanted a tattoo for his/her own personal reasons and asked if I wanted to join and get one too. The reason I was debating that tattoo for years and never bit the bullet, was because although the quote is beautiful and means a lot to me, I wanted a tattoo with even more special, specific meaning. Now it has just that and I absolutely love it. I actually want one more, but I'm in no rush. 

 I've also gone on a few vacations..
  ⋄ Estero, FL visiting my grandparents
  ⋄ Ocean City, MD partying with friends
  ⋄ Montauk, NY celebrating my birthday with friends
And I've been making some changes in my life. 
I've given myself a nice daily and weekly routine that'll keep me sane and happy. If I don't have some form of routine, I can get lost and feel like life is whizzing by me. It's rather simple and just includes giving myself the morning to do something I enjoy while drinking my coffee, whether that's reading a book or entering sweepstakes, which is a guilty pleasure of mine.🙈 
It also includes stopping work at 6pm, unless I really have to or want to work past that time, practicing Italian, being more consistent with my skincare and haircare, having an at-home spa day on Sundays, and enjoying Netflix without feeling bad for just sitting down and watching TV. I'm also trying to ease up on myself when it comes to working out and eating healthy. Any form of exercise is better than none, and it's not the end of the world or a failure if I miss a day or two, or even a week. Also, I'll never restrict myself when it comes to food. Life is short, and I love healthy food and try to eat mostly real whole foods, but I also love a nice spicy fried chicken sandwich every once in a while and I shouldn't feel guilty or beat myself up afterwards. As Julia Roberts says in one of my favorite parts of one of my favorite movies, 

"Let me ask you something, in all the years that you have...undressed in front of a gentleman has he ever asked you to leave? Has he ever walked out and left? No? It's because he doesn't care! He's in a room with a naked girl, he just won the lottery. I am so tired of saying no, waking up in the morning and recalling every single thing I ate the day before, counting every calorie I consumed so I know just how much self loathing to take into the shower. I'm going for it. I have no interest in being obese, I'm just through with the guilt. So this is what I'm going to do, I'm going to finish this pizza, and then we are going to go watch the soccer game, and tomorrow we are going to go on a little date and buy ourselves some bigger jeans." 

When you're relaxed about something and don't hold yourself to such strict, often unrealistic, standards, and just let yourself enjoy life, you have a better chance of actually accomplishing the goals you want to accomplish. And my goals are just to be happy and healthy.

I've also been working on a bucket list. I've mentioned it briefly on Instagram that I have a long list of things I want to do before I turn 25. Here are a few of them..
  ⋄ Visit Greece 
  ⋄ Travel across Europe
  ⋄ Become fluent in Italian
  ⋄ Road trip across the US
  ⋄ Go canoeing
  ⋄ Go parasailing
  ⋄ Water ski
  ⋄ Scuba dive
  ⋄ Snowboard
  ⋄ Ski
  ⋄ Learn sailing
  ⋄ Learn guitar (acoustic and electric)
  ⋄ Learn Krav Maga
  ⋄ Take kick boxing lessons
  ⋄ Start a YouTube channel 
  ⋄ Go to Hawaii
  ⋄ Learn Hawaiin
  ⋄ Learn Greek
  ⋄ Learn how to make a camp fire 
  ⋄ Go to a rock concert 
  ⋄ Go to a country concert 
  ⋄ See a waterfall
  ⋄ Go to Alaska and see the aurora borealis
  ⋄ Go on a safari
  ⋄ Take dance lessons
  ⋄ Zip line
  ⋄ Go to the opera
  ⋄ Sing karaoke at a karaoke bar
  ⋄ Take acting lessons
And can you believe I have more? But the rest are a bit personal. I'm not going to go broke or crazy trying to accomplish all of these before I'm 25, but I'm hopeful I'll be able to accomplish at least half or more. I know one item I will definitely be checking off next year though.. Traveling across Europe!💃 June 2019 I'll be traveling with my best friend across Greece (Mykonos), Italy (Amalfi Coast), France (Provence & Paris), England (London), and Ireland (Dublin), and I'm beyond excited. If you friends have any travel tips or favorite places, I'd love to know them!

 I've also made some changes in my life regarding Hampton Ivy. I went through a period of feeling lost, overwhelmed, and insecure about my future and abilities. I managed to snap myself out of it, or really my mom helped me, and now I've given myself a nice routine and schedule that I believe will bring huge growth this fall and winter and next year. Routines, schedules, and lists are my saving grace in life. I have goals, but I've choosen to focus less on the end goals now and focus more on the steps to get there, with no pressure on when I get there. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that every successful entrepreneur I've listened to took almost 10 years of doing business before they became what others have perceived as "over night successes". As long as you hunker down and follow the steps you need to take to get there, you'll reach your goals when the time is right.

 What you can expect from Hampton Ivy this fall and winter and 2019: 
  ⋄ New product launches.. home decor, apparel
  ⋄ New releases.. more scarves, new jewelry
  ⋄ Locations near you.. we're partnering with more and more retail stores to carry our line
  ⋄ More fun! Newsletters, blog posts, events, show booths, giveaways, etc.

 And I think that's all the updates I have! Do you friends have anything big and new going on in your lives or do you have anything on your bucket list you want to check off this year? If you're willing to share, comment them down below!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you friends have a wonderful day.
xo
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Welcome 2018! ☆ New Year, New Goals & Resolutions

by Hampton Ivy, 1/09/2018


Surprise! Long time no see/post, I know. 2017 was a whirlwind of a year. I graduated F.I.T. with my bachelor's in Advertising and Marketing (hallelujah!), I took things easy during the summer as a reward, met some new amazing people all thanks to Instagram, traveled to beautiful places around the U.S. with family and friends (Nantucket, Boston, Charleston, Savannah, and more), tried a part-time job (spoiler: I quit.. it took too much time away from Hampton Ivy, plus it was not the job I signed up for and I ended up being overworked and underpaid), and I took some time off to enjoy the holidays.

 Now it's 2018, and it's time to go full force into Hampton Ivy and life. I'm calling 2018 "the year to hustle", which may sound a little cheesy but it's true. I'm more determined than ever to make Hampton Ivy a big success and my full-time job for life. I'm also determined to achieve the goals that I'll share with you all below. I tend to give myself an insanely long list of things to do, but I believe I can accomplish all of these resolutions as long as I hustle hard (but not too hard) and put my mind to it. These are my 2018 resolutions:

  1. Wake up early at 7:30am or 8am & stop over sleeping- no more than 7 or 8 hours a night. I love starting the day early and I never feel good when I over sleep, so it just makes sense! (So far, so good and it's thanks to two new products in my life.. I'll share them in my monthly favorites blog post that'll come at the end of January!)
  2. Work 9 to 5. I've been guilty of working on and off all day (from waking up to going to sleep) but it just isn't healthy and hurts more than helps. My goal now is to just work through those 8 hours, and not get distracted, and then after 5 o'clock let myself relax and be a normal person.
  3. Read. I have an insane amount of books for how little I actually read now-a-days. My goal is to read at least one book a month. I'd love to be able to read 2 or more books a month, but that's probably wishful thinking.
  4. Be on social more. I'm sure most people have a goal of being on social less, but I'm guilty of almost never being on social media. A few years ago I was always on it and it ended up stealing too much of my time, so then I did the opposite and was barely on it. My goal is to have a happy medium this year, post across different social platforms and enjoy them, but not lose too much time on them.
  5. Blog. This was my resolution last year, but I let other things get in the way. This year my goal is to post two times a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll be sharing style as always, beauty, more about my life and owning a business, and a few lifestyle posts including decor, books, food, or whatever else I love enough to write about and believe you all would like to read about.
  6. Eat healthy and work out. Shocker, right? This was on my list last year and I'm sure it's on almost every human being's list of new year resolutions. Truly, I just want to incorporate more vitamins and nutrients into my diet, which is currently all carbs and dairy and barely any fruits and veggies. When it comes to working out, I just want to get moving more since I sit down almost all day while working. 
  7. Learn a new language. Another that was on my list last year.. yikes! I really want to learn another language this year, most likely Italian. It's not a priority, but I'd like to at least give 15 minutes of my day to learn it.
  8. Try video. YouTube, Instagram or Facebook live, regular Instagram stories- whichever it is, I just want to try being on video more. I love seeing other people on video when they actually have something interesting to share or say, so I might as well give it a go too and stop shying away from being vulnerable.
  9. Shop less, save more. This one is really important and I have to do it. I have a goal to buy a home before or when I'm 24 (I'm 22), so I need to save as much as I can. Lord knows I also have more than enough clothes and things already anyway, so I really have no excuse to shop. 
  10. Hustle. I have so many goals for Hampton Ivy and it's role in my life. They're private goals, so for now I'll sum them up into one word, which is hustle. I believe anything is possible if you love what you do and you work your butt off, and that's exactly what I plan on doing.

So 2018.. I'm ready for you and I'm determined to make this year the best one yet!
What're your new year resolutions? Do we have some of the same or similar ones? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to hear!
& Let's all make 2018 an amazing year together. ☆
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Q&A : Get To Know Me Better!

by Hampton Ivy, 3/05/2017

Hi everyone! This blog post I thought I would do something different, be a little more personal, and let you friends know more about me! I've put together a few different questions, 24 to be exact, that I've found online from other Q&As and answered them. Hopefully it'll give you some insight into my life and help you all know me better. So here we go!

1. What is your middle name? Grace.
2. What is your favorite color? Blue, both baby and navy!
3. How many countries have you visited? One, and that was Italy. I'd love to go back, but Greece is my next vacation goal.

(2012..throwing a wishing penny over my shoulder, & this is my natural wavy/curly/frizzy hair)
4. Are you in/gone to college? Yes! Currently in my last semester at FIT.
5. What is your favorite perfume? No matter which perfume I'm loving now, Burberry Brit has always been and always will be my absolute favorite.
6. Tea or Coffee? I love both, but there's nothing like a good latte.
7. What would you (or have you) name your children? I'm always on the fence about names. I really love Hunter for a boy and Winter for a girl, but I also love Melania and Giovanna for a girl and Matteo and Giovanni for a boy. I'm not sure!
8. What is your favorite book? Of all time, I really loved The Outsiders, but I also really loved The Husband's Secret.
9. Who are some of your favorite YouTubers? Now this is hard. I watch YouTube beauty vloggers all the time. Some of my favorites would be.. Tati Westbrook, she always has really fun videos with the newest releases. Casey Holmes, she seems so kind and down to earth but with a little sass too, which I love. Then I love Alex and Michael, who vlog their daily lives and are adorable. There are a lot of YouTubers I love watching, but those are my current top 3 favorites. 
10. What is your favorite movie? This is impossible because I always think of a different one every time I'm asked. So here are a few I could watch 100 times and never get tired of: Something's Gotta Give, Under the Tuscan Sun, Practical Magic, The Help, Dead Poets Society, Grease, Jaws, and Signs.
11. Are you Single or Taken? Single.
12. Whats your idea of an ideal first date? I personally like early dinner or lunch dates. Something casual, but nice, in town where you can walk around afterwards. 
13. Favorite memory from childhood? When I was very young, my grandpa and grandma were visiting and we went out to eat at a local spot. I remember ordering way too many Shirley Temples and getting sick like a typical little kid. But what I cherish about that day was everyone in the living room later that night, music playing, and dancing with my grandpa, standing on his feet. It was a simple day, but it's always stood out in my memory.


14. Do you speak any different languages and how well? I speak very little Italian. I mentioned it in my New Year, New Goals! post that my 2017 goal is to become fluent. So far, I still need a lot of practice.

15. How would you describe your fashion sense? I describe my style as classic and preppy, both old school and new. I gravitate towards simple, modest pieces that I know I can wear for years and never have to worry about being out of style. But I also love fun, bold patterns and prints. My closet is kind of a happy balance between Ralph Lauren and Lilly Pulitzer if that makes sense.

16. What are some of your favorite tv shows? I don't really watch too many TV shows anymore. Currently I'm watching Big Little Lies, of course. But past favorites have been The Good Wife, Dexter, Sons of Anarchy, Friends, That 70's Show, and my all-time favorite, The Sopranos. 
17. What is your favorite drink? Non-alcoholic: Iced Tea. Alcoholic: Jack & Ginger.
18. What is your favorite song at the moment? "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw, "Simple Man" by Shinedown, and "Salvation Works" by Jennifer Knettles, but those are always my favorites.
19. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas! I love the shopping, the parties, the decorations, the music, the spirit, everything. I never want it to be over!

 20. What is your favorite restaurant? The American Hotel in Sag Habor is always at the top of my list.


21. What is your favorite store? Well if it's a brand store, it'd be J.Crew. They always have beautiful pieces for the classic and preppy girl. But my other favorite store would be a thrift store, any of them/all of them, because I'm a bargain hunter at heart!
22. How tall are you? I am 5'1".
23. Do you have any pets? I do! My family has three fur babies; Sierra, our Labrador Retriever, who's not so much a baby anymore at 15 years old, Levi, our Yorkie, who is 4 years old, and Gia, our Pomeranian, who is almost 2 years old.

 24. Do you have any siblings? I do! I have two older brothers, Kyle who's 4 years older than me and Ryan who's 10 years older than me.


And there you have it! I hope you all enjoyed getting to know me a little better. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask! You can always comment down below anything you want to know and I'll do another Q&A sometime.

I hope you've all had a wonderful week and that you have another wonderful week to come!
xo

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New Year, New Goals! + Book of the Month

by Hampton Ivy, 1/10/2017


A new year means a fresh start! Time to sit down, reflect, and write down all of the goals we want to accomplish this year. I thought it would fun to share with you all my own New Year resolutions and you can comment below what yours are as well; maybe we'll have some in common!




Read More..
I've briefly mentioned it in a past blog post, but I love books. My shelves are jam-packed with them, and I'm a little ashamed to say I probably haven't read about 95% of my collection. So, it was a given that one of my goals this year had to be to read more books. My specific goal is to read at least two a month. Every day I now set aside a half an hour to an hour just to relax and read. 

I also plan on sharing which books I'm reading on my blog now! (Call it a "Hampton Ivy" or "Melanie's Book Club".. Or we can just call it "Books of the Month").. I love mostly fiction and young adult books, but I am more than open to any suggestions if you have them! Though my shelves are already packed, I always manage to find room for more.
Currently reading: Big Little Lies




Use a Planner..
I hate to admit it, but I'm guilty of buying planners and never using them.. My goal for this new year is to finally keep up with my planner, rather than just leave it to look pretty on my desk. The planner I have now is from Target by Sugar Paper.




Work Out & Eat Healthy..
Yes, the resolution probably every single one of us has made for this year, and every year that's passed! I want to start eating a healthy diet and working out again. I'm guilty of skipping meals and then going for quick, not very healthy meals when I do eat. So, my goal is start cooking and being more involved with the food I eat. I also want to start working out again, and I want to start doing yoga as well. (If you have any good yoga recommendations or tips, I'm all ears!)

I'm usually on and off with eating healthy and working out; where for months I'll be dedicated to both and love it, then I'll get terribly busy or occupied with something and go back to old habits. Getting back to healthy habits should be easy though, I just have to jump right in and do it!


& some more....

Learn Italian..
I've taken Italian twice in college and tried to learn it on my own before too, and then I gave up. The problem is, I, and I'm sure so many others learning a new language, want to know it immediately. It's a daunting task. But now I plan on studying for an hour a day and however long it takes to learn, I'll be O.K. with that. Currently I'm using the Duolingo app and listening to Collins Italian with Paul Noble on Audible. If any of you have studied and truly learned a new language, I'd love to hear any tips you have!

Blog More..
Yes! I want to blog more this year! I love blogging, and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't. What happens is that I get caught up with everything else and forget to fit in the time to blog. This year I'm making sure to schedule things out properly and accomplish everything I want to do, (with the help of my planner of course). My goal is have at least one new post a week and incorporate more lifestyle and beauty related posts, as well as my usual style ones.

& Those are my goals!
2017 is going to be an amazing year.
I'm so excited to see what new adventures and opportunities it will bring!

What're your New Years resolutions?!
xoxo
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About Us: Hampton Ivy and I

by Hampton Ivy, 9/12/2014

I’m Melanie,
CEO of Hampton Ivy jewelry and accessories,
author of this blog,
and this is a little about me and my company!


A little bit about me..
Over the years, (meaning 8th to 11th grade of school and even a little of my freshman year of college (living in the city and going to FIT has its effects)), my style has changed from one thing to the next, as a result of trying to fit in or find my place. I’d set my eye on a friend group I wanted to be in and I’d completely change myself. It sounds odd but hey, it actually worked, but it was also exhausting. Every year was a different style; a different phase. By the end of freshman year of college, I called it quits. Quits on trying to be anyone other than myself. As I’ve matured, I’ve been able to let go of the fear of just being myself even if it means sometimes I stand out, and even the fear of people not liking me for just being me. I started shopping based on what I liked rather than what would fit the mold I was trying to put myself in. I had always admired style icons such as Ralph Lauren, Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Kate Middleton, and many more, but now I was finally comfortable using them as inspiration, and they remain my inspirations to this day. The classic and preppy styles of these icons were also first introduced to me through my grandparents and my mother, whose appreciation for traditional preppy clothing and designs has always been evident in our home. (I laugh sometimes at how it must have been slightly torturous for her to see her preppy little baby girl not so preppy during those years..)

And after all those years of trying different styles and figuring out what style best fit me, I also realized something very important. Clothing is much more than what we throw on and walk out the door with. It’s not worn to fit in or to impress or gain approval from anyone else. What we wear represents who we are, it’s personal, and it should always be a reflection of who you are. When you feel good on the inside, you want to radiate that positivity outwards and share that with the people around you. The clothing you wear has just as much personality and feeling as you do, and it’s begging to be expressed. Nothing is more freeing than just being completely and utterly yourself, and you should be proud of it at all times. These lessons I've learned are a big part of why I started this blog.

A little bit about Hampton Ivy..
Hampton Ivy was created in August 2014 by myself and my family, at the start of my sophomore year of college at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It was after a summer of finally dressing for myself and building my wardrobe of pieces I actually loved when I realized that I could find preppy and classic clothes, but jewelry with fun designs to go with them just wasn’t available. My family and I grabbed at the opportunity. The name Hampton Ivy comes from our love of the Hamptons, including the style and the lifestyle there, and the Ivy League, where preppy style originated. Our designs draw inspiration from primarily old school, vintage preppy styles, but a little bit of the new preppy styles too. All of our products are handmade in the USA.

This blog started months before we launched our first line of products and it holds a special place in my heart and in the story of how Hampton Ivy began. The posts you’ll find here are mainly from me personally rather than from the Hampton Ivy brand and will involve my outfits, fashion tips and finds, inspirations, life experiences, and more. My goal is to give you all an enjoyable experience to walk away with and to share the things I love most in life! I owe so much to all of you for being a part of my and Hampton Ivy’s journey, and I cannot wait to see what more the future holds!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to get to know you all in the comments!

“Good style is traditional.” - Melanie Grace
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