Ugly Christmas Sweater - Pug Edition

Today was the annual Local Marketing, Inc. holiday party, and while we normally take the team out for a nice dinner, this year, we changed it up.

• We ordered food in from a local caterer, Figs and Honey. We decided on a mix of heavy hors d'oeuvres, and some of the eats included crab stuffed mushrooms (my favorite), deviled eggs, stuffed potatoes and much more.
• Everyone brought a toy to donate to Toys for Tots.
• We had our annual white elephant gift exchange. I ended up with a camel shaped candle holder. It will make an interesting addition to my office.

For the first time, we held an ugly Christmas sweater contest. While I did not win, I did have fun wearing this sparkly pug Christmas sweater from the Blizzard Bay brand, which you can still buy on Amazon! As you can see, not everyone participated in the contest, but we had a decent turnout. Jordan, in the middle with the Dolphins Christmas sweater, was the clear winner!

We had 17 people total at our holiday party, the highest number we've ever had. I looked around during the party and felt so proud. Puneet and I have really built an amazing company, and I continue to feel happy every day I come to work. It's not always easy, but it is definitely rewarding.

Happy Holidays!

Almost Famous

A few weeks ago, a photographer from The New York Times came to my office to take pictures to accompany a story that was going to run in its August 15th edition. The story focused on Puneet Mehta, my business partner, and a past effort to get a marketing company up and running. Local Marketing, Inc., our current company, was mentioned only briefly toward the end of the article.

I knew that being included in the photo was a definite long shot, but like any fashionista, I had to thoroughly prepare for the possibility.

Shoshanna Plum Sateen Dress and Kate Spade Slingback Pumps

I decided I wanted to wear one of my favorite, flattering and most professional dresses for the photo shoot, so I chose the Shoshanna Plum Sateen Pleated Cap Sleeve Dress. I absolutely adore this dress for its beguiling color, waist-enhancing silhouette, and simple cap sleeves that slim the arm.

The dress in this plum color is no longer available, but here's the same dress in a pink floral pattern: Shoshanna Hibiscus Jacquard Charlotte Plated Dress.

I paired the dress with my (current) favorite pair of work shoes: the Kate Spade Celeste Slingback Pumps in black leopard. These Kate Spade shoes are still available online at Amazon.com in a different color, and you can find the same color in just a few sizes (and on sale, too) at Eve's Apple.

If you like this dress, I've found a few others online that have a similar silhouette, so I hope you will check them out if you are in the market for a new addition to your closet:

Cusp: Shoshanna Allison Tweed Dress

Saks Fifth Avenue: Shoshanna Metallic Jacquard Dress

ShopBop: Shoshanna Antonia Print Dress

Nordstrom: Tahari Belted Dress (Petites) -- on sale!

Bluefly:  Calvin Klein Cap Sleeve Belted Dress --under $100

Happy shopping!