Puff to It

Are puffed sleeves the new shoulder pads? Today's dress features a very nice puffed sleeve -- not a cap sleeve or small puff, but a good bouffant sitting right on my shoulder. It's a little daring... but I love it!

Outfit Details:

Dress: Rebecca Taylor Metallic Ruched Jersey Dress

The dress is extremely comfortable, as most jersey dresses are, and is made well. The dress is lined, so while the metallic fabric looks scratchy -- it's not. It feels super light and I only wish I had ordered one size smaller. The dress, a size small, is a little big on me. Size down if you're considering buying it. I definitely should have ordered the extra small.

Find the dress on the Rebecca Taylor website, as well as Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's and Saks. It's on sale, so now is the time to buy if your size is in stock.

If you like this style, but don't want a dress, check out the top!

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Chaos Metallic Mesh Ankle Strap Sandals

I'm excited that today is Friday and the weekend is on the horizon. Tonight, Chapin is making pizza for dinner using gluten-free dough we ordered from Williams Sonoma. I can't even remember the last time I had decent pizza, and I want to find out if this gluten-free dough tastes any good. (It sure cost enough!) Pizza and bread are the two things I miss most since my Celiac diagnosis.

Tomorrow morning, my mother and I are also going to hear an author, Soniah Kamal, speak at a local library in Alpharetta. Kamal lives in Georgia and is the author of Unmarriageable: A Novel, billed as "Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan." I love hearing authors speak about their experiences getting published. It's still my dream to write my own work of fiction one day...

Puffed Up Glamour

I wasn't sure I would like today's dress on, because the sleeves are a bit puffy, but somehow it works! I love the combination of the long sleeves with the shorter skirt, too!

Dress: Rebecca Taylor Glitter V-Neck Long-Sleeve Sheath Mini Dress

Available at:

• Gilt
• Neiman Marcus (almost sold out)
• RueLaLa

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Chaos Metallic Mesh Ankle Strap Sandals

My sister, Gail, is in town with her son, Max, so instead of my usual lazy weekend, I was going, going, going all weekend long. I especially loved getting to spend time with Max, my adorable little nephew whom I only get to see a few times a year.

Other highlights included seeing my dad sing at the annual Johns Creek Christmas Gala Holiday Pops event, and attending the new production of The Nutcracker at The Fox Theatre.

With my Dad and sister, Gail, on December 15, 2018, at Johns Creek United Methodist Church

Dress: Alice + Olivia Corina Dress in Ivy (sold out)
Shoes: SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Women's Glass Glitter Dot Pointed Toe High-Heel Pumps

With my friend, Lindsay , and sister, Gail, before we left to see The Nutcracker: December 16, 2018

Dress: Milly Kiss Lace Grace Dress in Ruby Red

Find the dress at Bloomingdale's and Revolve Clothing.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Chain Reaction

I'm taking advantage of the chilly temperatures today to wear another long-sleeve dress -- this one with chain link detail at the neck and in a beautiful shade of red. I know I just wore Shoshanna in my last blog post, but we've had such beautiful weather lately, I wanted to wear this dress while I still could!

This dress is so comfortable and flattering. It's fitted on top, with a flared skirt that hits well above the knee. It's the perfect length for me; I think people forget how short I am when I'm not in my heels!

Dress: Shoshanna Chain Link Knit Dress

The dress is still available on Gilt, but only in limited sizes. Here is a similar style you can still buy on Amazon.

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Chaos Metallic Mesh Ankle Strap Sandals

A Cut Above

I've been loving having long hair, but my ends were so fried that I needed a good cut to get them healthy again; thus, I had almost two inches cut off this past weekend. You can't really tell, but my hair feels so much lighter, and the ends are so new they are flipping out on me!

The weird weather isn't helping, though. (High humidity and my hair aren't a good combination.) It's not only chilly for April, but it's been raining all day. And not the real kind of rain, either, but that weird misty/ drizzly rain that doesn't even feel like real raindrops. Sheesh!

I was actually glad the temperature dropped a little, since it gave me a chance to wear this flattering sweater dress from BCBGeneration. It's great for showing off your curves and is really comfortable, too -- a perfect choice for this sluggish Monday. At least it's a short week for me; I'll be traveling on Friday to Chicago to finally meet my new nephew, Max! I'm so excited.

Dress: BCBGeneration Lace Stitch Sweater Dress

I wish I would have worn the dress sooner, but I bought it back in February and then promptly forgot about it. Although it's listed at full price right now on Amazon, I spent only $27 on it. I love my good deals!

In addition to Amazon, you can also find the dress at Lord & Taylor.

Sandals: Manolo Blahnik Chaos Metallic Mesh Ankle Strap Sandals

I love how the silver tone in the shoes plays up the lace detail in the bodice.

Speaking of silver, I actually won a "silver medal" for my age group in yesterday's Lauren's Run 5K, even though I was probably running more slowly than I've ever gone in this race. (I've been having some knee and calf issues lately, so I didn't want to push myself too hard.)

I look forward to the event every year now, because I'm not only helping to support a wonderful cause (curing childhood cancer), but I get to spend some quality time with my parents.

Lauren's Run 5K 2017: My dad and I had just finished our runs.

Although we don't agree on a lot of things (mainly politics and religion), I love my mom and dad so much, and I'm happy we can still do so many things together. I am so thankful to have them in my life!

Plenty by Tracy Reese

One of my most favorite things in the world is finding a dress I like on sale... and if it's a good sale, then that's even better. I found today's dress on Amazon for just $23!

Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese Ania Dress

Tracy Reese is an African American fashion designer favored by prominent women like Michelle Obama. Her Plenty by Tracy Reese line is lower priced and has a younger, sportier feel. This dress could be dressed up or down depending on your footwear and accessories. It's comfortable and very flattering for all body types, and pairs great with a cardigan if you're in an area of the country where the weather is starting to cool. (Here in Atlanta, it's been in the high 70s, low 80s all week, so no sweaters for me just yet!)

Sandals: Manolo Blahnik Chaos Metallic Mesh Ankle Strap Sandals

Getting Old

I hope everyone had a Happy July Fourth! I love this time of year, when the days are long and you spend a lot of time outdoors. I'm realizing more and more, though, that I am getting old. This year marked my fourth time running the Peachtree Road Race (10K/6.2 miles) , and at 38, I sure did struggle in the heat and humidity. I had my worst time ever (around 53 minutes), but when it's hot like it was this past weekend, it's just hard for me to run at my normal pace. I had to stop twice for fear that I might pass out or just fall over. I just don't do well in the heat, and today, my calves and my back are killing me! Yep, I'm definitely getting old.

Today, I wanted to wear something fairly comfortable, since most of my body is still recovering from the race (and the huge hills in the second half of the course). But I still needed to look professional since I had a client meeting this afternoon. The answer: this sheath dress from Tahari ASL.

Dress: Tahari ASL Tri-Tone Sheath Dress in Grey/Neon Pink/Black

The dress is no longer available in this color scheme, but I did find it in a pretty blue on Overstock.com. Here is also a similar style to check out at Neiman Marcus Last Call.

Sandals:  Manolo Blahnik Chaos Metallic Mesh Ankle Strap Sandals

Here's a photo taken early Monday morning. I knew going in it was going to be a difficult race (the humidity was at 85%), so I was just dreading it. The shorts I bought especially to wear on the Fourth -- there are stars on the sides -- but they ended up chafing my lower back. At least I was somewhat dressed up for race day.

July 4th, 2016, around 7 a.m. (no makeup)

Tryouts

I love Internet shopping, but every once in a while it's nice to go into a store and actually try items on. That's what I did with this particular dress, and discovered that I actually liked the way the extra-small fit me over the small. I never would have made the decision to purchase the smaller size unless I tried the dress on in advance! Sometimes a trip to the store pays off.

Dress: BCBGMaxAzria Kristin Patchwork Print Dress

You can still snag the dress at several online retailers:

• Amazon
• Belk
• Lord and Taylor

Sandals: Manolo Blahnik Chaos Metallic Mesh Ankle Strap Sandals

This dress would pair well with a black or red shoe, but I chose to go with a metallic hue. I love any chance to wear these Manolos!

You can still buy the Chaos sandal, just not this particular style. I've seen these sandals on just about every celebrity, from Rihanna to Reese Witherspoon to Jennifer Lawrence. They are extremely versatile, and are still available at retailers like Saks.

Since today is Monday, I'll give you a quick weekend recap:

• I had my parents over to my house for dinner and a movie on Saturday. I wanted them to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. They both enjoyed it, even my dad, who actually asked me midway through the movie: Now who is Luke's father? How could he not know that?! He just doesn't like science-fiction as much as my mom. My sister, Gail, and I also love the genre.
• Despite the pouring rain, I made the trip out to Sugar Hill, Georgia, on Sunday to celebrate my nephew's second birthday. He has the best birthday: May Fourth (Star Wars Day: "May the Fourth be With You"). I guess you could say I had a Star Wars-themed weekend.