Add Some Sparkle

This week seems to be flying by in slow motion -- I'm super busy, so the days pass quickly, but the week feels long already -- so I decided to wear this sparkly dress today to inject some extra dazzle into my mid-week doldrums.

Dress: Donna Rico Printed Sequin Dress

I bought the dress on Amazon the day after Christmas last year for just $18.52. I couldn't believe my good luck that I could get such a pretty dress for such a huge discount. It was originally $159, so I definitely scored a deal.

You can still find the dress online -- and on sale -- at Amazon, Bluefly and RueLaLa.com. (Unfortunately, the dress has not been discounted as drastically as it was back when I purchased it.)

Sizing Tip:
It runs a little large, so I would size down.

The dress falls to my knee, which I know makes me look shorter than my five feet, three and a half inches, but it wasn't worth it to me to get it altered. With heels, it still works.

You're probably wondering why I bought the dress ten months ago and am just now wearing it. Well... To be honest, I really debated whether it was work appropriate. It's definitely eye-catching with all the sequins, so it seems more suited for a weekend outing or even something fancy like a wedding. But, I needed some sparkle in my week, so I wore it to work on a day when I didn't have any in-person meetings with clients (or potential clients) planned.

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik BB Ankle Strap Suede Pumps (no longer available)

Keeping Touch

I'm starting this hot and humid week wearing a Karen Millen dress that I scooped up on sale a few months ago at Bloomingdale's. I was drawn to this dress mainly because of the bold colors used: two different shades of red and a deep purple. I paired it with my purple Manolos, even though the two shades of purple aren't an exact match (they're close enough).

Dress: Karen Millen Color-Block Pencil Dress (no longer available)

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik BB Ankle Strap Suede Pumps

Actress Vanessa Hudgens was seen wearing the dress on the short-lived TV shows, Powerless. I never watched the show, but this character obviously has fabulous taste in clothes. ;)

Since it's Monday, I will mention that I had a great, very low-key weekend celebrating Father's Day with my family, and enjoying some time with my sister, Gail, and her son, Max.

Little Max is not even four months old, but he's already smiling, laughing and teething. His skin is so soft, and while he had trouble putting on weight during his first few weeks, he is now a healthy, chubby baby. I can't wait to see more of my nephew this week.

I also have to mention the book I just finished reading, or -- rather -- listening to: The Keeper of Lost Things, by Ruth Hogan. I've been having to travel a lot lately, and audiobooks are the only things that keep me sane on long car trips by myself.

This book was wonderful: it made me smile, laugh and cry, and the characters truly come alive through the audio presentation. Finishing the book felt like losing touch with good friends; I hope the author writes a sequel. Bonus: there's a pug named Baby Jane that makes an appearance about halfway through.