Thursday, April 30, 2015

In Living Color

It's been a crazy week... and it's not even Friday yet.

Sunday I ran a 5K (and won a silver medal for my age group), Monday I spent 14 hours as an extra on an Atlanta movie set, and in the days since, I have been playing catch up at work. There is so much going on! As the old saying goes... when it rains, it pours.

So the best way to brighten up a crazy, busy day? A colorful dress from my favorite designer, Shoshanna.


Dress: Shoshanna

Shoes: SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker

Friday, April 24, 2015

Busy as a...

This week has passed so quickly because I've been so busy at work. I'm glad it's Friday, and I'm looking forward to spending the evening with my good friend, Erin, who is in town visiting. We are headed to one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants: JCT Kitchen. I definitely plan to sample some fabulous cocktails so I can really unwind!

Today's photo and outfit details:


Dress: French Connection Black and Grey Sheath Dress

I bought this dress back in 2013, so it's no longer available. I don't wear it all that often, honestly, because it's not lined, and as you can see, it's supposed to fit your every curve. My advice when you're wearing a close-fitting dress like this one? Spanx. My husband hates when I wear Spanx, but it makes me feel better about myself (and not so self-conscious about my hips and thighs).

There's nothing wrong with Spanx-ing it up from time to time. Even celebrities as skinny as Kristen Stewart love Spanx, and Miranda mentioned the brand on more than one occasion on Sex and the City.

Shoes: BCBGMaxAzria Black and Silver Pumps

This weekend, I will be running a 5K - Lauren's Run to Cure Childhood Cancer - with my dad. I haven't run a race since the Peachtree Road Race in July, so I hope I can improve upon my time from last year. My knee has been giving me some problems lately, so we shall see... Wish me luck!

Thursday, April 23, 2015

All the Right Curves


Dress: Black Halo Tara Sheath Dress with Front Slit and Contrasting Panels

Chapin gave me this dress for my birthday a few years ago, so it's no longer available online. I would check out Nordstrom Rack online if you're interested in Black Halo dresses; the site just got in a lot of great pieces that are 50% off or more!

Shoes: Prada Leather Cutout Ankle Booties

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Teardrops


Outfit of the Day

Dress: Dear Creatures Harper Teardrop Print Fit and Flare Dress

Available now at Amazon and ModCloth.

Shoes: Betsey Johnson T-Strap Pumps

Celebrity Sighting!
You may have seen the dress on TV! Jess (played by Zooey Deschanel) wore it on a recent episode of New Girl. Zooey is expecting a baby in real life, so I expect to see a lot of fit and flare dresses on Jess for the remainder of the season.




Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Sweet as Honey


Outfit Details:

Dress: Shoshanna Honeydew Shift Dress

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman Peep Toe Pumps

Work has been crazy so far this week - and it's only Tuesday! - so I'm expecting some long days and less sleep than usual. Hopefully, wearing bright, vibrant colors, like this orange-peach from Shoshanna, will help take some emphasis off the dark circles under my eyes!

Monday, April 20, 2015

Work Wear Fashion


I'm an everyday fashionista, but I'm also (mainly) a corporate fashionista, since most of the outfits featured on this blog are ones I wear to work. Today, I'm definitely dressed in more "corporate" attire.

Outfit Details:

Dress: SINGLE V-Neck Vera Dress in Black and Teal

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Black Suede Pumps

My career has had its high and low points, but lately, I feel excited to come to work every day; I know most people can't really say that. My company is expanding to another city (Manhattan), and we are adding new team members that bring a fresh perspective and energy to the office. The next few years will be extremely chaotic as we grow the business, but extremely fulfilling, too. It's quite an important time to be part of Local Marketing, Inc.!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Purple Leopard Print


The temperature dropped in Atlanta this morning, so I decided I needed to wear a slightly heavier fabric. I love the print on this knit dress from 4.Collective, and that it's in such a vibrant violet hue. I wanted to pair it with purple shoes, so I thought these plum Manolos worked well. It's just a purple kind of day. Even my earrings are purple (amethyst)!

Tonight, I am meeting up with my book club at a new Vietnamese restaurant in town: Le Fat. I'm excited to try some exotic dishes like the papaya salad with fish sauce and the salt and pepper calamari. Yum!

Outfit Details:

Dress: 4.Collective Pasha Leopard Knit Sleeveless Fit and Flare Dress

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Suede Ankle Strap BB Pumps

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Missing George

Most days, I think of George with fondness, and remember his sweet face and how much he loved me (and vice versa). Last night, I was just really missing his presence.

Cuddling with George was one of my favorite things to do!



Yes, that's me in my pajamas, lounging at home on July 29, 2012. I'm not sure why I'm in flannel pajamas under a blanket in the middle of summer, but we like to keep our home cool. We can't sleep if the temperature is too high. My sister, Gail, always freezes when she sleeps over.

Pajamas: The Best Loungewear for Post-Work Vegging 

Since this blog is focused on fashion, I will mention these P.J. Salvage cupcake pajamas. I adore two brands of pajamas: P.J. Salvage and The Cat's Pajamas. Both brands make ultra-comfortable pajamas that come in the cutest prints. I love anything with sweets (macaroons, cupcakes, etc.), pugs or favorite foods (sushi!).

Nordstrom Rack is having a sale on flannel P.J. Salvage pajamas. At just $12 (marked down from $58), you can't go wrong!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Earning My (Fashion) Stripes


Outfit Details:

Dress: Shoshanna Striped Sweater Dress

Sandals: Manolo Blahnik Perpia Strappy Stretch Sandals

Hair: Courtesy of Atlanta Humidity

Necklace: Three Sisters Jewelry (my George necklace)

It's been pouring off and on today - you can see the rain puddles in the photo above - and the resulting humidity has not been kind to my hair. I love Atlanta's mild winters, but I could do without the random rain storms and searing humidity levels that seem to plague our city for most of the year. I guess the grass is always greener...

Monday, April 13, 2015

Jumping In

It's always hard coming back to work after missing even one day in the office. There's always so much to catch up on! But I do like returning to my regular routine.

This week looks like it's going to be a rainy one, which means allergies, humidity and bad hair days. Oh joy! It's good to be back in Atlanta.

Chapin was home longer than usual this morning, so he took today's photo:


Outfit Details:

Dress: Trina Turk Rena Fit and Flare Dress

This black and blue dress has a super cute, quilted design, so it's extremely comfortable. The fit and flare (a-line) silhouette means it's ultra-flattering as well. There tends to be a lot of blue in my closet, but it's my favorite color and definitely goes well with my coloring.

Shoes: Kate Spade New York Black and Rose Gold Pumps

Long Weekend in Washington, D.C.

Chapin and I spent this past weekend in Washington, D.C. It was not our first trip to our nation's capital. I came as a child with my family, and Chapin and I visited the city about ten years ago on our trip to see my cousin, Alicia, get married. But we wanted to go back to see the sights and cherry blossoms in bloom. Plus, we had a free companion pass on Delta that we had to use by the end of April.

Chapin and I realized as we were planning this recent trip that we have not actually gone on a vacation in over a year - since our long weekend in NYC to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary in November 2013. It was our first time leaving Norman overnight as well. I have to say - I really needed some time away!

Cherry Blossoms in D.C.: April 11, 2015

Of course, we didn't realize that this weekend was also the Cherry Blossom Parade, 10K and Festival, so everyone else made a trip to D.C., too. I have never seen such crowds! But we did manage to see quite a bit during our long weekend. Here's a breakdown of all the spots we visited:

Friday, April 10th:

Upon our arrival, we ate lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill, a "D.C. tradition since 1856." It was filled with tourists, but the food was quite good, and the decorations were apparently courtesy of Teddy Roosevelt himself.

We ate late in the day, since our flight was delayed due to bad weather in Atlanta, so we started walking around after lunch to see the White House and Washington Monument. Our hotel was right on Pennsylvania Avenue, so we were close to everything. As we took out the camera to take some photos, we realized we had left the camera battery at home on the charger. As Homer would say, "Doh!"

Chapin and I do not have good luck with cameras! Here's a quick history:

  • 2010: Left our camera in a cab in San Francisco.
  • 2012: Had our camera bag stolen on a train to Milan, Italy, on the last day of our Italian vacation.
  • 2015: Left the camera's battery charger at home on a trip to D.C. 

We gave up trying to find a new battery after visiting one camera store and calling another,  and decided the cameras on our phones would have to do. Suffice it to say, we didn't end up taking too many photos.

The White House: April 10, 2015

After a short rest, we decided to take a cab to a pub that we both wanted to visit. (It's called The Pug. How could we resist?)

But we never made it.

We could not get a cab since everyone else seemed to be in the city at the very same time also trying to hail a cab, so we started walking. Our hotel was near the Warner Theatre, a beautiful 90-year-old theater similar to the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. As we were walking by, I happened to glance over and see on the marquee that Patton Oswalt would be performing that evening. We stopped in to see if any tickets were available, and found out the show was sold out. But, the vendor said, they're just now releasing the last two tickets - and in the second row. Our luck was improving!

We love Patton Oswalt, and if you don't know him, you've probably heard his voice or seen him on TV shows or in the movies, and just don't know his name. He voiced Ratatouille, narrates The Goldbergs, and has been on a slew of TV comedies like Parks and Rec and The King of Queens. We had actually wanted to see him when he was in Atlanta a few months ago, but we waited too long to get tickets. It was a great show, and I'm so glad we could see him in person.

Saturday, April 11th:

Chapin and I had reservations to eat breakfast at Founding Farmers, and the food was amazing. I especially loved the leek hash browns, and I definitely recommend that if you are in the area, stop here to eat at least one meal. Just make a reservation first! We did, and we did not have to wait.

After breakfast, we tried to catch a glimpse of the parade and walked over to see the Washington Monument. We had beautiful weather on Saturday, so the skies were blue and the crowds were abundant.

The Washington Monument: April 11, 2015

We spent the next several hours wandering through the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. I was on a hunt for the infamous jacket that Fred Savage wore as Kevin Arnold during the first season of The Wonder Years, but alas, I never found it.

I did, however, get to view the Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz, and oh, are they a sight to see. They are probably the first pair of shoes most girls covet - myself included. I dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween twice - in 6th grade and again in 9th grade, one of my last years trick-or-treating.

The museums were so crowded that it was hard to enjoy them, so we ended up at City Tap House for a brief rest to drink beer (for Chapin) and hard cider (for me). Then we were off again to meet up with my cousin and her family, where we wandered around the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. After seeing all the U.S. presidential portraits, Alicia's boys wanted ice cream, so we walked to Pitango Gelato for some amazing gelato. I had a large cup with three flavors: Cinnamon (my favorite), Crema, and Gianduja (chocolate hazelnut). Delicious!

Hanging out at Barmini in D.C.
Alicia and her family had to head home, so we said goodbye and decided we needed another rest before we walked back to the hotel. This time, we ended up at the Iron Horse Taproom, which was a cool find. Beer and games... you can't go wrong!

We had a late reservation for dinner, so after resting at the hotel, we changed and headed out to Barmini for some pre-dinner drinks. Talk about sophisticated. Chapin said it was probably one of the "coolest" places we had ever frequented. But the service? Not great. We were there for one hour, and were served one drink each.

We tried to take a photo, but the lighting in Barmini was very dim, so we did not get a great shot.

Finally, it was off to dinner at Fiola, where we splurged on a delicious four-course meal. I had clams, scallops in risotto, snapper... it was heavenly, and a great end to our mini-vacation.

The next day, we headed home to Atlanta. It was a whirlwind trip, but a fun one!





Thursday, April 9, 2015

Presidential


Outfit Details:

Dress: Kate Spade New York Sonja Dress

Sandals: Jimmy Choo

This red, white and blue dress is no longer available online. I actually bought it back in 2012 and wore it on our trip to Italy in May of that year. I love the navy bow belt, and the overall silhouette is so flattering. I always get compliments on this dress whenever I wear it.

Celebrity Sighting!
Reese Witherspoon was seen wearing the Kate Spade New York Sonja Dress in light blue with black flats.

Reese Witherspoon in Kate Spade New York

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

It's a Sunshine Day


I am 75% Italian, and while my skin tans very easily, it also has yellow undertones. That means it's normally hard for me to wear yellow, but I just fell in love with this little dress from 4.Collective. I paired it with purple shoes and amethyst jewelry. What do you think? Is yellow my new color?

Outfit Details:

Dress: 4.Collective Solid Crepe Cap Sleeve Fitted Dress in Daquiri

The dress is sold out, but here's a similar style in the same yellow color.

Shoes: Studio Pollini

I've had these shoes for years, but highly recommend the brand. They are so well made! There is that quality Italian craftsmanship, after all...

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Shoes Make Me Smile


I had a difficult night, so please excuse the dark circles and puffy eyes. Chapin and I spent some time last night looking at photos I took of George just a few weeks before Christmas 2014, about 6 or 7 weeks before he passed away, and it was just too much for me. I started crying, and it was hard to stop. I miss George so much. Work is a nice reprieve, but coming home and not seeing his face hurts every time.

So what better way to heal than to wear a favorite pair of shoes. I love, love, love these Prada pumps.

Outfit of the Day

Dress: Black Halo Red Peplum Giovanni Dress

Shoes: Prada Black and White Bow Pumps

Necklace: Feather pendant by Blue Nile

Monday, April 6, 2015

Dear Fashion

Dress: the letter

Shoes: L.A.M.B.


My parents gave me this dress for my birthday last year. I just love the pastel blue hue! Gilt Groupe has started making its own clothes, and the letter is one such brand. (Ava & Aidan is another.) The clothes are designed well, usually to imitate popular styles, but they don't use high-end fabrics, so beware.

This dress has a t-shaped back, so finding a bra that doesn't show was difficult. I ended up wearing a strapless bra.

Friday, April 3, 2015

It's a (Good) Friday


I'm in a great mood today because it's finally Friday... and a Good Friday, at that. What are your Easter plans for this weekend? Chapin and I will be taking my parents out to brunch at one of our favorite Atlanta restaurants: 4th and Swift. I love the food here and I'm excited to share the experience with my Mom and Dad.

Outfit of the Day

Dress: Nanette Lepore Short-Sleeve Cliff Hanger Textured Dress

The dress is still available at Amazon and 6pm.com (in red) in limited sizing.

Shoes: L.A.M.B. Sandals

I love the pop of red on the heel of these sandals. I think it complements the violet color of the dress so well.

Have a great Easter/Passover/Weekend!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Real Women, Real Style... Shop 4.Collective


I love a structured sleeve, as readers of this blog well know, so of course I fell in love with this blue sheath dress from 4.Collective. I frequently tout this (fairly new) brand's designs, because they are so ideal for the working woman. 4.Collective even launched a real women, real style campaign that I think perfectly defines the brand's aesthetic.  It's important to me that I still feel feminine, fashionable and chic in the office, and 4.Collective dresses definitely provide me with some stylish choices.

Dress: 4.Collective Pipe Trim Cap-Sleeve Sheath Dress in Blue (no longer available, but check out this similar style)

Shoes: L.A.M.B. Pumps

As a part owner in my company, Local Marketing, Inc., it's important that I look professional every day. You never know if a client is going to make a sudden appearance in the office, or if I will be called into an important meeting. My days of wearing jeans to work are far behind me.

Celebrity Sighting!
Amy Robach and Ginger Zee from Good Morning America are fans; I've spotted them in a few 4.Collective dresses. My mom and I both love this morning show and Ginger's fashion sense in particular, maybe because we normally get to see her whole outfit. (She is in front of the weather map and not behind the anchor desk like Amy.)

April in Atlanta

If the bags under my eyes seem heavier than usual, it's because it's April in Atlanta, and that means allergy season. The pollen hasn't been too bad (yet), I think because of a brief cold spell we had in March, but my watery eyes and constant sneezing tell me the worst is yet to come.

I've been debating getting allergy shots again for years - I suffered through three years of them as a child - but my work schedule is so jam packed I don't really have time. I guess I will just see how the season goes...

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Feeling Good in Trina Turk


Dress: Trina Turk Medina Printed Belted Twill Dress

I absolutely adore this fit and flare dress from Trina Turk. I always feel so good when I wear it, and isn't that what fashion is about?

Shoes: Butter

Celebrity Sighting!
Quinn (Dianna Agron) wore the dress on Glee earlier this year.