With Love

Love should be at the core of everything we do -- whether we're choosing a career path, a spouse, a friend, or how to spend our free time. Life is too short to fill it with anything but love.

Clearly, it's been extremely hard watching everything going on the world right now, but today, through the words on my dress, I wanted to share how we can move forward.

With Love.

By Saying That Black Lives Matter.

By Treating Others the Way You Want to Be Treated.

And that's all I'm going to say about that because, after all, this blog is about fashion and makeup and feeling good about yourself.

So here goes...

Dress: Maje With Love Dress (no longer available)

The straps repeat the mantra "With Love" -- a fitting dress to wear these days, right?

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

Affordable Fashion From AQUA

It's almost the weekend, but not quite... Happy Thursday!

AQUA, an in-house brand at Bloomingdale's, is not only super affordable, but the designs are incredibly chic as well. Just remember that the craftsmanship isn't going to be of the highest quality; you get what you pay for, I guess!

For example, today's dress isn't lined, but since it's not a tight-fitting dress, I wasn't too upset over that detail. I only spent about $35 on the dress, and that's not bad for such a cute outfit.

Outfit Details

Dress: AQUA Floral Velvet Puff Sleeve Dress

I was drawn to this dress because of its high neck and puff sleeves, two features I love. Plus, it's velvet!

Velvet has definitely been a trend this winter, and I have several new velvet dresses in my closet already.

I've never bought an AQUA dress before, but the next time I see a cute design, I won't hesitate.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals (no longer available)

Gift Dresses Are the Best Dresses

Today's dress is one I found under my tree on Christmas Day, a gift from my sister, Laura, and her family.

Dress: Taylor Dresses Black and White Lace-Up Bodice Dress

Sandals: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

The dress fits me perfectly, and I love how it flows all around me when I walk. The floral print in black and white also makes it easy to wear throughout the year, and the bodice that ties in front helps it stand out from all the other midi dresses in my closet.

I know I look exhausted, and that's because I am still recovering from New Year's Eve. I am just not used to staying up until almost 2 a.m.! But we had a fun time with our friends, and lounged around the house January 1st, watching Netflix and cuddling with Norman and Wally. That's a perfect day off in my opinion!

Something Wrinkled This Way Comes

I adore this dress from Karen Millen, but the satin fabric gets so wrinkled! It's times like these I wish I knew PhotoShop, so I could erase those pesky wrinkles from these pictures.

Dress: Karen Millen Satin Halter Neck Pencil Dress

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

Racy Lacy

I don't think I realized this Trina Turk dress featured lace cutouts on the sides when I bought it. I got such a good deal on the dress (on Rue La La) that I didn't look too closely at the details. But even though I feel a little "exposed," the dress is still exquisite and professional enough to wear to the office. Plus, there's always room for another LBD in my closet.

Dress: Trina Trina Turk Philo Lace Sheath Dress in Black

The dress also comes in a vivid pink (called guava), and both colors are still in stock at Saks Off 5th.

Sandals: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

In other news...

Work has been so stressful lately that I find myself looking forward to ordinary, everyday occurrences:

• My morning run on the treadmill, when I can lose myself in a good show. (I just finished Season 4 of Grace and Frankie. I love this Neflix series and hope my sisters and I can be like Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin when we grow up!)
• My afternoon walk with the boys. If I have time, I try to go home to walk Norman and Wally during my "lunch break". I so enjoy the fresh air and seeing my boys amidst a hectic day. I live just eight minutes from the office, so it's easy to run home if I have a free 30 minutes.
• A glass of wine and a good meal with the hubby in front of the TV. I'm so tired when I come home, I just like to relax. We are getting into some new shows, like Counterpart on Starz.
• Baking. I love measuring out ingredients and putting them all together to create something delicious. Although my recent attempt to create my own caramel brownie recipe failed miserably, I plan to try again soon.
• Writing this blog and photographing my outfits. I've been updating this blog on and off for about eight years now. That's a lot of dresses!

Divided

The last few days have been difficult; I can't stop thinking about the fact that Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. It still feels like a nightmare, and I am scared for the future of our country.

Today's dress seemed like a good choice for this tumultuous week, because I feel divided as a nation, and betrayed by other women who clearly should know better.

Did I vote for Hillary Clinton just because she's a woman? No.

Did I vote for Hillary Clinton because her policies take into account women's rights, gay rights, healthcare, childcare and so many other issues? Absolutely.

I feel as if education was a driving factor in this election, insofar as those with less education, who did not take time to read about each candidate's political issues and stance, voted for Mr. Trump because he promised to put more money in their pockets. Mr. Trump is not an advocate for women's rights, and he is not an advocate for small business, two issues that are near and dear to me. He is a bully, whose inexperience and platform of hatred will perpetuate a society of distrust and disaccord.

I don't want to use this blog as a platform for expressing my unhappiness about the way the election turned out, so I won't go any further than to say: I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed in every person who made a racist, sexist man the leader of the Free World, a man who will always put his own interests and the interests of his brand above the interests of the people who elected him.

Today's Outfit:

Dress: Shoshanna Connor Black and White Long-Sleeved Dress

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

Little Bit of Fringe

Although I'm not a big fan of fringe, today's dress only has a hint of it at the hem and neckline, so I'm not complaining.

I love Trina Turk for her figure flattering dresses, and this one is in a slimming black with just pops of neon color.

Dress: Trina Turk Abela Embroidered Fit and Flare Dress (sold out online)

Pumps: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

This will probably be my last post for the week, as I'm headed Friday to Charleston with two high school friends and my sister, Gail, for an all-girls weekend away. I'm so excited to do something fun with my girlfriends, including attending this author event. I haven't been to Charleston since 1994, when my family and I went there for a few days for a mini-vacation when I was just 16. I remember being bored on the walking tour of the city, a ghost invading our hotel room (my mom swears by it) and OJ Simpson dominating the headlines. I'm looking forward to rediscovering Charleston and all it has to offer as an adult!

Ripples

It's been a crazy start to the week, as I had to travel to Milledgeville, Georgia, today for a sales meeting. Since I wanted a professional dress to wear for the meeting, I opted to go with this French Connection sheath dress in a black, white and gray print. The pattern seems tailor made to match my new Jimmy Choo sandals!

Dress: French Connection Record Ripple Lolo Dress

In addition to Amazon, the dress in this particular pattern is still available at Bloomingdale's and 6pm.

The 'Lolo' style has been a popular one for the French Connection UK brand (FCUK). It's now available in a myriad of colors, like Navy, Pink and Sky Blue. You can order it from retailers like Bloomingale's and Belk.

The Lolo dress was also seen on TV: on my soap opera obsession, Pretty Little Liars! Of course, it's the moms on the show who wore it (in black and plum). Yes, that certainly does make me feel old. Laura Leighton, also known as the infamous Sydney from Melrose Place, plays the mom of one of the main characters, Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson).

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

Lions and Leopards

I scored today's dress for an amazing deal at Belk. It was just $20 (originally $158). I love a bargain, and the Belk at Phipps Plaza (almost) never lets me down.

Dress: French Connection Winter Simba Animal Print Dress

I've been looking for the perfect dress to wear with my new Jimmy Choo sandals, and this dress coming along, and at such a bargain price, was too good to be true. I love the all over animal print theme.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Lottie Metallic Leopard Print Sandals

The sandals also come in a gorgeous glitter option! I love shoes, and the Jimmy Choo brand in particular. Chapin bought me my first pair of designer shoes for my 27th birthday in 2005, and yes, they were Jimmy Choos.

Here's a photo of me wearing the shoes for the first time. My style has definitely involved over the past decade!

TBT: May 2005

It's hard to believe that was over ten years ago... just a few months after we picked up George and brought him home. Time sure does fly.