Sunnies: Tom Ford | Necklace:Kendra Scott (c/o) | Wallet: Chanel | Rings: BCBG, Topshop | Top: JCrew Factory (option) | Bracelet: Tiffany & Co. | Bottoms: American Eagle (option) | Heels:Kate Spade (option)
This necklace is everything, you guys. I am absolutely, one thousand percent in love with it. And what's funny is, when I put this outfit on, it was just meh before I added any jewelry. The top has a boyish fit, and when I paired it with black skinnies, it was a big snoozefest. Then I added this necklace and my eyes turned into hearts. A lightbulb turned on and I grabbed my silver heels. All of a sudden, I'm obsessed with this outfit.
Today is my Friday and I'm a bit stressed thinking about everything I have to do!!! The days leading up to a trip are always the most hectic. It will all end up being ok, but having to pack and all of that just wears me out! And I have to remember to get dog food. And pay bills. And somehow make it to the tailor. And paint my nails…. Who wants to help me?
Man oh man. I have so much to update you guys on, I almost don't know where to start! I guess I will start with the #STLFW Spring Style Soiree that took place last Thursday evening! I gave you a little preview of this event in this post here.
I was a bit bummed because I didn't think that I was going to be able to go to the soiree since I knew I would be making the trip to San Antonio to get Petie this weekend. But the timing worked out, and since I didn't end up leaving for San Antonio until Friday morning, I was able to squeeze in the fashion show before I left!
The show started at 7pm, but the festivities began at 5:30. My office is 3 miles away, so I arrived pretty early. It was a great opportunity to snap a few photos before it filled up. It was exciting walking around the corner on the upper level seeing the runway set up down below!
Necklace: Express | Dress:Taylor | Bracelet: Tiffany & Co. | Heels: Vince Camuto (in Royal Blue Fishskin) (similar)
Before I get too far, I should share what I wore and why I wore it. I tried on four different outfits and took a poll from the husband and my fellow fashionistas, Gina and Jenna. It was a little bit of a split decision, but ultimately, this dress won. It was my second choice, but looking back, I'm glad I decided to wear it. Since it's a scuba material, it stayed crisp even though I wore it all day at work first. And, I mean, the shoes. They speak for themselves and rightfully received a slew of compliments not only at the office, but at the event itself.
Complimentary light bites were being served from Bravo, McCormick & Schmick's, and J. Gilberts, which you could enjoy in the lounge area with background beats by DJ TrashTalk. And if that wasn't enough, The Foundrie sponsored a DIY booth featuring mega blogger, Jenni, from I Spy DIY.
The Foundrie is quickly becoming my guilty little pleasure here in St. Louis. So many cute and witty pieces, I can't hardly stand it. The DIY booth involved making these adorable stamped leather bracelets. You pick the letter style, the ink color, and you're off!
Jenni is just too cute for words. I took an action shot of her helping attendees with their bracelets, but the photos she posted on her Instagram during her stay in St. Louis painted a better picture of how bright, fun, and stylish this gal really is. If you're not following her on Instagram, I demand you go here and do so right this second!
Now on to the fashion show! I mentioned in my introductory post herethat this show benefitted Siteman Cancer Center and that all proceeds from this event went to charity for cancer. Great, right? Well, imagine my goosebumps watching cancer survivors walk the runway showcasing White House | Black Market and carrying signs indicating the number of years they have been cancer free.
Each of their family members sat in the crowd cheering them on, and the glow that you can see in their smiles makes me tear up a bit as a write this! I just can't even imagine. What a perfect way to pay tribute to the survivors and to remember all that we have lost to this nasty infliction.
The show continued with more spring fashion from some of your mall favorites - Nordstrom, Macy's, The Limited, Ann Taylor, Gap, Banana Republic, and one new to me - Altar'd State. I loved seeing pieces from these stores glammed up for the runway. For the sake of not having 238723878 photos in this post, I decided to narrow it down to my favorite looks.
After all of this awesome spring inspiration, they set us free to shop. We were armed with plenty of discounts and coupons to further enable us! (As if the cocktails weren't enough!) I managed to walk away with only one new top, which you will see and hear more about later in the week!
Thanks for hanging in there with me on such a photo heavy post! It truly was a great event, and I continue to be impressed by the local fashion community and support here in St. Louis. Blogging has opened up a whole other realm of fun for me to which I would have otherwise never been exposed!
Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! Since I couldn't take proper blog photos for you, it actually worked out quite perfectly for a random roundup post instead. It also gives me a good opportunity to recap the week for you in one concise post, so let's begin. As with other random roundup posts, I am only linking to those pieces that are still available.
Necklace: Stella and Dot (gifted) | Blazer:Express | Tank:Express | Bag: Stella and Dot | Bracelets: Stella and Dot 1, 2, Nadri | Bottoms: Express | Shoes:Sam Edelman
This was my travel outfit on Monday except that I wore these black booties instead of the heels. We were meeting Gina and Noelle for dinner that evening and I knew I wouldn't have time to do much more than just freshen up when we landed. I would have opted for something a little more festive but needed something that would be easy to transition from airport to evening. I've had this tank for a few weeks now, but it's never been worn. This was the perfect occasion to break it in - meeting two fellow Express lovers!
This was a backup outfit for the blogger meet up - hence the head to almost toe Express pieces. This tank is another piece that I hadn't worn yet, and since I didn't wear it to dinner that night, I thought sequins would be appropriate for Christmas Eve on Wednesday when we started AND finished Christmas shopping for my family. Tuesday was spent recovering from whatever bug happened to hit both of us, and while I did manage to get dressed that day in my new blue plaid top, it quickly got ditched for pajamas.
My dad always has Christmas Eve service at his church, so this is what I picked for the occasion - my take on green and red. These wouldn't have actually been my first choice for heels for this dress, but for the sake of packing light, I thought they would do. Oh, and my brother walked in as I was taking a selfie, so naturally, I had to take a sibling version.
I'm sporting a couple of Christmas gifts - the clutch was a gift to myself. I could not resist it at half off, and Gina said this purchase was justifiable even though I already have this bag seen here. So, how can I say no to that? The bracelet was one of two gifts from the husband. I mentioned recently that I would love a blue box one day, and this Christmas he got me two of them!
The blue box and white ribbon themselves are just classic and pretty. I love that the necklace is dainty and simple but the bracelet is the perfect statement piece. A very well rounded gift!
And last but not least, is my outfit for Christmas day. We celebrated with my extended family - the typical eating and gift exchange frenzy. I definitely didn't need to be fancy, so I just gave my plaid top a second go at it and wore it over this tee that ended up being an impulse buy while I was getting a gift card at American Eagle. Pop, fizz, clink, repeat. Definitely appropriate for family time, eh?
Thanks for stopping by - now to spend my Christmas money!
