Kate Spade Polka Dots

I love polka dots, and just immediately fell in love with this black and white polka dot Kate Spade dress when I saw it in the store around Christmastime. When it went on sale a few weeks back, I snapped it up. I feel sort of retro when I wear it... It reminds me of the dresses they wore back in the 1950s.

Outfit Details:

Dress: Kate Spade New York Deco Dot Fit and Flare Dress (Black and White)

Sandals: Kate Spade New York

The Informer

The name of this dress is the Nanette Lepore Informer Dress, so of course I get that silly 90s song in my head every time I wear it!

Outfit of the Day

Dress: Nanette Lepore Informer Lace Sleeveless Dress in Blue

The dress is still available online from a few retailers, but you should hurry if you're in the market to purchase it, because most of them only have a few sizes remaining:

• 6pm.com
• Amazon

Shoes: L.A.M.B.

This past weekend went so fast, and it was the first time in a long time where I really forced myself out of the house. I have been such a hermit since George passed away; I just haven't felt social. I hope as time continues to pass and I grow stronger that life will get easier. I still miss George every day, all day.

Gelato with George (2011)

My mom sent me this recent article about a pet loss support group. I actually attended this very group soon after Izzie passed away in 2010. My sister, Laura, came with me. It was comforting to know others were going through a loss just like mine, and that it wasn't "weird" to be in mourning over an animal.

I only went to the group once, mostly because of weekday traffic and my crazy work schedule, but I wish I could have attended the group at least a few more times. It helps to talk about your grief; at least, it helps me. George was such a huge part of my life for ten years. I really feel his absence, and I like talking to him out loud, wishing him a good night and letting him know I'm thinking about him and missing him.

I probably miss him the most in the evenings... When I return home, and he's not waiting to see me and give me nose kisses with his seafood scented breath... When I'm going to sleep and he's not snoring away in the bed nearby... When I'm watching TV or working on my laptop and he's not right next to me.

Spending time with family and friends, as I did this weekend, is a good thing for me right now, so that's what we did!

• Friday night, Chapin and I ate dinner with a friend (and her husband) from my Book Club. The fries at Ormsby's are not to be missed.
• Saturday, I had a hair appointment and then we attended a birthday party for a friend's three year old. Her present was a stuffed pug and a book about a sleepy pug.
• Sunday, we went over to see my parents and eat dinner with my visiting cousins and my sister, Laura, and her family. My mom made a Cajun Shepherd's Pie that Chapin makes a few times a year. She nailed it!

This coming weekend, we will be celebrating my nephew's third birthday, and my sister will be in town from Chicago. Hopefully, it will be another fun weekend.

Sparkle and Blue

It's finally Friday! It's been a long week, and I am looking forward to doing some relaxing this weekend. Thank goodness it's stopped raining, and apparently we are going to have some beautiful weather tomorrow, although the rain comes back on Sunday. I will have to get my run in early in the day tomorrow before my hair appointment. I am training for a 5K at the end of April - Lauren's Run for the Cure - and want to beat my time from last year. (My dad's company is a major sponsor of the event.)

Outfit Details:

Dress: Adrianna Papell Embellished Crepe Sheath Dress in Electric Blue

The dress is still  available at a few online retailers:

• 6pm.com
• Dillards.com

Here are a few similar styles as well:

• Adrianna Papell Woven Sheath Dress with Neckline Embellishments (Lord & Taylor)
• Adrianna Papell Faux-Wrap Cowl Neck Dress in Electric Blue (Dillards.com)
• Adrianna Papell Blue and Black Sheath Dress (Zappos)

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Abel Patent Leather Disco Hologram Pumps

Basket Case

I love the effects of today's Trina Turk dress; the geometric lines and basket weave pattern are so eye-catching. (I think it looks more like a basket-type pattern than a windowpane, as the name of the dress implies. What do you think?)

It's a very simple fit and flare dress, but I love how it looks. I didn't have any client facing meetings today, so I felt comfortable wearing something a little more casual. It was a great fit for a rainy day in Atlanta. It has been raining all day, since the moment I woke up at 4:45 a.m. Yes, I do get up that early every weekday. Otherwise, I can't fit in a good workout.

Outfit of the Day:

Trina Turk Savannah Windowpane Fit and Flare Dress

The dress is still available at the following retailers:

• Amazon
• 6pm.com

Pour La Victoire Carmendy Cap Toe T-Strap Pumps in Beige and Black

The pumps are no longer available online in this color, but Amazon has a large selection of shoes from the brand (and reduced prices), plus this exact shoe in black and gold.

Polka Dot Delight

I love polka dots, so I was super excited to find this beautiful fit and flare dress from 4.Collective. It's still available - and on sale! - from a few retailers, including Amazon and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Dress: 4.Collective Dot Jacquard Flirty Dress

Shoes: Kate Spade New York

The dress is super comfortable and oh so cute. It makes me feel younger than my 36 (almost 37) years.

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.

Back in the Game

I have thought quite a bit about whether or not I wanted to continue writing this blog. Since George passed away, I have felt so depressed and defeated. Chapin has dragged me out on a few occasions, but mostly I want to stay at home. I have binge watched so much Friends, Medium and 80s movies on Netflix (Troop Beverly Hills) that I used up all the data on our plan and was banned from watching Netflix for about a week.  Chapin calls me The Great Wallower, but I am just sad. I miss my friend.

Chapin keeps reminding me that removing fun things from my life, like writing this blog, doesn't mean I loved George any more or any less. I guess I felt that in starting up again, I was moving on, and I don't know if I want to move on quite yet.

Moving on means that George is really gone, and I have to face life without him.

This past Sunday, the weather was insanely gorgeous. I went for a run outside, and when I returned, I sat outside on our patio and just enjoyed the sunshine. Spring is in the air, and the dull lifelessness that seems to infuse January and February has finally lifted. It was a day George would have loved. He loved the sunshine so much. I can think about him now without crying, or re-living his painful last day. Maybe that means it is time to write again.

So... today's outfit of the day:

Dress: Cynthia Steffe Metallic Floral Fit and Flare Dress

Shoes: Kate Spade New York Licorice Pumps