Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Ready to Pounce

When it comes to a good deal, you have to be ready to react -- quickly. I scored today's dress on RueLaLa.com for just $38! It's still hard to believe that I could buy a dress that retails for $298 for such a small price.

Outfit Details:


Dress: Parker Leopard Keyhole Fit and Flare Dress

This dress is so light and comfortable, and I love the color and print, though it does remind me of another dress I own. I cringe looking at some of those old photos, even though I'm a few years younger in them. I don't know what I was thinking not filling in my eyebrows for so long. They are so sparse, and need all the help they can get! Ladies: Don't pluck your eyebrows, because they may never grow back! I'm a victim of over-plucking in my youth.


Where to Buy:

You can buy this exact dress at Saks Off Fifth, or in a pretty blue or floral print at Nordstrom Rack. Unfortunately, although the dress is on sale at both retailers, you won't find it for the price I paid.

If you would like to check RueLaLa.com for the latest deals, let me know, and I will send you an invitation to the shopping site.

Sandals: Stuart Weitzman Soundtrack High Heel Sandals

Monday, November 27, 2017

When Design Meets Length

I'm not the biggest fan of long dresses that hit you right at the mid-calf. Often referred to as "midi dresses," these styles usually make my short frame look even shorter. However, today's dress, from the wonderful, feminine and stylish Alice + Olivia line, has a unique design to it, with lace cutouts toward the bottom that show the lining underneath. The effect is almost an optical illusion; I'm wearing a long dress, but it sure doesn't seem like it.


Dress: Alice + Olivia Mallie A-Line Dress

The dress was in stores a few years ago, but you can still find it on Bluefly and on eBay. I love all the details of this dress, but the armholes are enormous, and you can easily see my bra on both the sides and through the lacy back. Ideally, you should forego a bra when wearing this dress, but I'm not about to go bra-less at work!


Shoes: Kate Spade New York Idelle Ankle Strap Dress Sandals

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We had a lot of fun visiting with my husband's family in Alabama, including our nephews. They loved on Wally and Norman so much! Don't they look excited about all the attention? ;)

Thanksgiving 2017


Monday, November 20, 2017

Turning Red

It's a short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but I wanted to start it out strong in this bold red dress from Black Halo.


Dress: Black Halo Marcelle Sheath Dress in Bonfire Red

This dress works for both the office or after hours, and while the overall design is fairly simple, it really helps show off a woman's best features, the shoulders and calves, in particular. I always feel like a red dress is a power statement, too, perfect for days when you need an extra boost of confidence or just need to feel in charge. I recommend wearing heels to elevate your height and make you feel even taller. In a dress like this one, you can take on the world!

If I look a little more made up than usual, it's because I took some extra time today to experiment with my makeup. I did a darker, smoky eye and red lip to match the dress. I am not sure if red is really my perfect lipstick color, but you really can't wear another color lipstick in a dress as fiery red as this one.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Nude Tallow Sandals (no longer available)

This past weekend, I also wore red to my family's early Thanksgiving meal. Since we all won't be together on the actual day, we decided to do a Faux Thanksgiving the Saturday before (minus my sister, Gail, who is staying in Chicago this year). My mom is always so thoughtful to have gluten-free options available for me, and the meal was so good. Thanksgiving food is probably my favorite food.

Here's a photo of me with my sister, Laura. It's the only photo we took the whole day. Oh well!

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Cutting Out

When it comes to cutouts, placement is critical. The cutout needs to add "value" in some way, maybe showing a little skin to help elevate a dress (or other item of clothing) into a sexier stratosphere. 

The cutout on this structural green dress from Halston Heritage is very intentional. While keeping with the overall architectural design of the dress, the asymmetrical cutout allows a little cleavage to show through. Combined with the color, it helps this seemingly normal fit and flare dress really stand out. (The color is even more bold and beautiful in person.)


Dress: Halston Heritage Geo Cutout Silk Faille Fit and Flare Dress

Find the dress at AmazonBloomingdale's and HalstonHeritage.com.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Romy Embroidered Satin Pumps (no longer available)

It's hard to tell form the photo, but the buds on the shoes have a green center that perfectly matches the green of the dress!

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

November Floral Trend

I thought I would continue this week's floral trend by wearing this sweet dress from the Erin Fetherston brand. I'm in love with all the beautiful hues of blue, pink and green, and since the flowers are so small, I find the print overall so flattering. (A larger print design can sometimes be less flattering on a curvy figure.) The weather has been so mild in Atlanta the past few days -- I'm enjoying it while I can.


What made this dress a little more difficult to wear is the back, which has criss-crossing straps that will show a typical bra. I'm using a bra strap holder for the first time to help hide them, and it is doing its job -- for the most part. You can still see my bra at certain angles. Oh well!

Outfit Details

Dress: Erin by Erin Fetherston Floral Fit and Flare Devon Dress

The dress is for sale on Amazon, but also available to rent on Rent the Runway.

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik BB 105 Metallic-Striped Leather Pumps (no longer available)


Monday, November 6, 2017

A Fitting Floral

A sure sign of Fall in Atlanta: all the leaves littering the sidewalks and streets. Since I'm not a fan of the colder seasons, I'm trying hard to enjoy the cacophony of colors around me -- all the beautiful reds, yellows and oranges -- and dressing in bright floral dresses to remind me of the Spring to come.

Today's fit and flare dress is by Ted Baker London, and I call it my Tahani dress. (If you watch The Good Place, you know what I mean.) I'm a big fan of the higher neck here and the way it's designed to show off the shoulders. It's quite a beautiful look. Plus, it has pockets!

Outfit Details:

Dress: Ted Baker London Cesilia Expressive Pansy Skater Dress

Find it at Bloomingdales and TedBaker.com -- on sale!

I paired the dress with my pink Christian Louboutins, which I don't get to wear enough! I thought they matched perfectly with the dress and the overall fun vibe of the outfit.

I spent the weekend working, seeing my family and watching Stranger Things 2, which Chapin and I just finished watching last night. I'm more obsessed with the show than ever. If you want to chat about this latest season, let me know.


Have fun watching if you haven't seen the show yet. I'm a little jealous you get to experience it all for the first time. This show is a mix of genres in the vein of Buffy and Angel... sci-fi, romance, thriller and intellectual, all the same time. Highly recommend!