Pretty in Pleats

It's February 2nd, Groundhog Dog, and it's 70 degrees here in Atlanta. I love this weather! I am celebrating by wearing this pink Shoshanna confection, which has pockets, pleats and a simple fit and flare silhouette. It's perfect for Valentine's Day... but I just couldn't wait. I am so stressed this week at work that I need a fashion pick-me-up.

Dress: Shoshanna Abigail Fit and Flare Dress in Rose

The dress is also available at Saks Off 5th.

Shoes: Christian Louboutin Patent Peep-Toe Slingback Pumps (They match perfectly!)

The pumps are no longer available, and believe it or not, I found these on sale at Saks this past summer. They are so beautiful... works of art, and worth every penny.

Earrings: Three Sisters Jewelry Diamond Bar Stud Earrings

I get so many compliments on these earrings, and they are fairly inexpensive. I'm a big fan of Three Sisters Jewelry, and have bought my sisters (and myself) pieces from the site over the years. Laura has a necklace with the names of her sons, and Gail has a necklace that includes the first initials G (for Gail) and R (for her husband, Rich). The pieces are really flexible, too. When Laura had her second son, I just sent the necklace back to get an additional charm added on. Of course, my George necklace is also from Three Sisters Jewelry. If you are looking for Valentine's Day gift ideas or just want to treat yourself to something nice... look no further.

Earning My (Fashion) Stripes

Outfit Details:

Dress: Shoshanna Striped Sweater Dress

Sandals: Manolo Blahnik Perpia Strappy Stretch Sandals

Hair: Courtesy of Atlanta Humidity

Necklace: Three Sisters Jewelry (my George necklace)

It's been pouring off and on today - you can see the rain puddles in the photo above - and the resulting humidity has not been kind to my hair. I love Atlanta's mild winters, but I could do without the random rain storms and searing humidity levels that seem to plague our city for most of the year. I guess the grass is always greener...

Lucky Charms

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today I'm wearing green for the holiday, and we just finished up a fun St. Patrick's Day party at the office, complete with green velvet cupcakes from Piece of Cake. It was so difficult not eating one, but alas, they were not gluten-free.

I do not have a drop of Irish blood, but I felt sort of Irish in my green dress and with my reddish hair. I'm really loving the red hair. I think it suits my complexion.

Outfit Details:

Dress: Shoshanna

Booties: Prada

You may also notice that I'm wearing something new around my neck. Chapin gave me a beautiful necklace from Three Sisters Jewelry for Valentine's Day. The charm in the middle says "George," and I've included a close-up photo below so you can see the beautiful detail.

I have long been a fan of this website for its hand-stamped jewelry. I bought my sister, Laura, a necklace with the name of her son when she had her first baby, and added a new charm when she had her second. I've bought friends gifts from the site as well, some with the names of children, some with their own names!  I love personal accessories that not only look great, but also serve to remind you of something wonderful.

On that note, I want to thank all my blog readers and Instagram followers who have posted words of encouragement and support over these last few months. Reading those comments has meant so much to me. I know I'm lucky to have people in my life - some whom I've never even met! - who care about me and how I'm feeling.

A Toast to 2011

New Year's Eve

My sisters and I, as married ladies, have to take turns spending Christmas/ Thanksgiving with our parents and family in Alpharetta. In 2011, we were all with my parents for Thanksgiving and our in-laws for Christmas. On the years we are not all together for Christmas, we usually try to get together for New Year's Eve, and this year was extra special because we also waited to exchange gifts until December 31st.

We did a Secret Santa gift exchange so that we could all buy a gift for just one other person. The dollar limit was $50. I drew my sister, Laura's, name, and since she is expecting her first child in March, I wanted to get her something that was really meaningful, to help her understand how excited and happy I am about the impending arrival of my little nephew.

I decided on this Tiny Name Charm Necklace from Three Sisters Jewelry Design by Zoe. Not only do I love the name of this website (Three Sisters!), but this necklace was the perfect price at right around $50. I also had "Reid," the name of my upcoming nephew, engraved on the charm. Laura loved the gift, and tells me she wears the necklace everyday. I'm glad I could get her something so special.

I had heard about the company through People's Style Watch Magazine, and had been wanting to buy something from the site for quite awhile. The craftsmanship on the necklace was top notch, so I most likely will buy again. I love finding unique gifts for my friends and family, though most of the time, I end up getting a gift card, sweater or purse or something typical like that. My friend from college, Laurin, is probably the queen of unique gifts. I will always treasure the Izzie necklace she gave me for my birthday in 2010, and every year she surprises me with something totally unexpected. I wish I could be so creative. Some years, she even makes the gifts. I could never do anything like that.

Magret Duck from di Paolo

After we opened gifts, we spent the rest of the afternoon snacking on appetizers and cookies leftover from the Cookie Party the day before. We also played games, including Bananagrams, and after Laura and her husband went home to tend to their pugs -- we are a pug family -- Chapin and I dressed for our dinner out. We had planned to eat a nice meal out with my other sister, Gail, and her husband, Rich, at one of our favorite Alpharetta eateries: di Paolo Restaurant.

I wore the Royal Purple Nanette Lepore Still Free Shift Dress (no longer available), which I paired with my new Kate Spade New York Women's Gina Platform Pumps in Gold and Kate Spade Sparkler Coin Purse (that I use as a little clutch).

We ordered a bottle of wine (or two), the special bruschetta of the day, and then dug into our entrees. Chapin and Rich both had the duck special: Magret Duck with roasted sweet potatoes, pancetta and an orange duck demi glace. (Check out the picture on the left.) Gail opted for pork and I had fish: the Pan Roasted Grouper with Corn-Mascarpone Risotto. It was just a wonderful meal, as it always is at di Paolo, and I loved getting to try out the risotto. It was delicious!

We ended the night with a game of Taboo with my parents, and drove home just in time to see the ball drop in Times Square. Happy New Year 2012 to all!

With my sister, Gail, on New Year's Eve 2011