Who Can It Be Now?

I MADE IT TO DAY 150!

Day 150 of the Fashion Challenge!

When I was getting dressed this morning, I wasn't sure I had the energy to look through the different sections of my closet to find an unworn outfit. I tried on several options, and then discarded them, because they either need to be altered or are not appropriate to wear to work. Then I stumbled upon this old dress. I have had this Ann Taylor Loft dress since 2005 or 2006, and I'm really thankful I still fit in it. The basic a-line silhouette is one that hasn't gone out of style, and paired with a little cardigan, it's perfect for the office.

I'm also wearing my "Izzie" accessories today: my Izzie necklace (the pug with "Izzie" imprinted on it that my friend Laurin gave me for my birthday last year) and my Jimmy Choo Izzy Slingbacks.

I am definitely having a difficult day already, since I went to bed too late and ended up struggling to open my eyes this morning. It was really tough to get through my workout, and I generally feel like it is taking me ten times as long to do any simple task.

I did not stay up late last night for any good reason, either. After Chapin's wonderful meal of grilled duck, polenta, sauteed mushrooms and red wine from our Alpha Omega wine club, we watched TRON: Legacy on Blu-Ray. As I had not seen the first one, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I geared myself up for a good action movie. While the visual effects were amazing, and some of the initial action scenes were quite tense, the overall plot just had me muttering, "This is stupid," over and over under my breath as the movie neared its end. One visual effect that was sort of jarring was a character that was supposed to be Jeff Bridges as he was 20 years ago. Looking at his face as he speaks, you know something's off. It was just weird. Take my word for it.

After the movie, I planned to go to sleep, but then I remembered that Tori & Dean's show on Oxygen was coming back for its season premiere. I am not one for reality shows, but I am sucker for anything 90210, and, of course, Tori Spelling is a huge lover of pugs. This season, she and her husband are planning weddings, and last night's wedding had a pug theme. How could I resist? The answer: I didn't!

How Will I Know?

It's finally Friday, and I am so excited for the weekend to begin so I can catch up on all the sleep I've missed during the week. Although George and I slept very soundly last night, I am still feeling sleepy this morning. I am really looking forward to tomorrow, when I can sleep in and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather.

In celebration of Spring, which officially starts this Sunday, I am wearing one of my favorite sundresses: Alice + Olivia's Jordana Floral Vine Print Dress. I bought this dress about two years ago as a treat to myself for my 31st birthday, and I wore it to my sister Laura's bridal shower that year. As you know, I love belted dresses to show off a small waist, and I just thought the print was so beautiful and perfect for Springtime. Usually I'm not a fan of orange with my complexion, but I think the orange combined with the other colors, mainly the greens and blue, work well.

Since this style is not available online, I thought I would mention some other similar Alice + Olivia styles that are new for Spring:

- Alice + Olivia Cabella Silk Floral Print Dress

- Alice + Olivia Belted Floral Print Silk-Satin Dress

- Alice + Olivia Jocelyn Exposed Zipper Tank Dress

I'm also wearing my Jimmy Choo Izzy Slingback Heels. The muddy color actually matches the dress perfectly.

This weekend, in addition to catching up on my sleep, I will be attending a baby shower for my friend Sabrina, who is having a baby boy. I am so excited for her and her husband. I met Sabrina in grad school and I know she will make a great mom. Right after the shower, I am also heading over to a friend's house to celebrate the new arrival of their son, as well as their daughter's 3rd birthday. And since Gail will be in town, my sisters and I have planned a Girls Night Out for Saturday night. It should be a very busy but extremely fun day.

Wouldn't It Be Nice

With the weather continuing to be Spring-like here in Atlanta, today I'm in another casual Springtime outfit: BCBGMaxAzria's sapphire blue dress with Jimmy Choo Izzy pumps. I love the cut and style of this dress, as it cinches in at the waist but is very loose in the hips, and is thus slimming. Although the material does wrinkle easily, this dress is easily a favorite of mine, and I don't think I've worn it in a while, so thank you Fashion Challenge.

Jewel-tone colors have been dominating fashion for the last few years, and I, for one, am thankful. I love ruby, sapphire, amethyst and emerald colored clothes, because no matter what your complexion or body type, these colors definitely breathe some life into your wardrobe. I especially loved the gorgeous emerald dress that Angelina Jolie wore to the Golden Globes in January. It was just fabulous!

With a blue, you can also wear a myriad of different shoe color options, although I tend toward wearing blue with brown or camel colored shoes. These Jimmy Choo Izzy pumps are a mud color, so I think they work great. Pointy-toe pumps are also a trend that seems to be coming back in style this season. Stay tuned!

Hello

I watched a bunch of Glee episodes last night, so today I have Lionel Ritchie's "Hello" stuck in my head. (The last one out of the bunch I watched was the episode where Mr. Schuester asks the group to find some songs with the "Hello" theme.) So that explains the title of today's post. I have discovered Glee much later than many other people, mainly because I didn't fall in love with the pilot episode, and I find Mr. Schuester to be an annoying goody-two-shoes. But I have gotten more into the series of late, and have added the actor who plays Puck to my "Top 5 List." He reminds me of Brad Pitt: The Early Years! :)

Anyway, the outfit, on this Day 101, is from one of my favorite brands, BCBGMaxAzria. The BCBGMaxAzria Long-Sleeved V-Neck Dress with Mesh Detail is unique to my closet because it is one of my few long-sleeve dresses. It has been so cold in my office this Winter -- the temperature literally drops about twenty degrees once you cross over from the outer office area, where all the cubes are, into my office -- and since we are expecting snow flurries in Atlanta today, I thought it would make a good choice. This dress also goes great with my new Jimmy Choo Izzy Pumps!

I also wanted to call out a few of my favorites from Paris Fashion Week, going on now. Fashion Week often reveals clues as to some of the trends we will start to see in our stores soon. My favorite trend is what they are calling "liquid metal" in bold, rich jewel tones like red and sapphire. I love this dress form the Armani show:

Here is another favorite from Christian Dior. I love how the styles from the 1940s and 1950s are really starting to come back more and more. The 50s (Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief and Rear Window... fabulous) is definitely my favorite era in terms of style. I also love the Barbie Doll makeup and hats from this show.

Finally, I love two beautiful dresses from Elie Saab's show. You might remember it was Elie Saab who designed Halle Berry's Oscar dress the year she won for Monster's Ball. (I just knew that fact... I didn't even have to look it up!)