T minus 36 hours

I apologize for any typos or weirdness to this post as I am typing it from my iPad since the bf is using my laptop for real work. We leave for Maui in approximately 36 hours and I am so excited!!! Today I bought a cocktail dress for the awards dinner that we'll be attending. There weren't really specific details on the type of cocktail dress, and upon going through my wardrobe, I realized that the thigh-length dresses from my sorority formal size 00 days were no longer realistic options. Another milestone in growing up. Since I of course realized this two days before the trip, that meant a slightly stressful time-crunched trip to Nordstrom. As I began pondering a Diane Von Furstenberg dress, Paul  brought up the suggestion of giving myself a budget. Such a smart man he is. I hate that word- budget- it's so depressing. And elusive. I had a rough idea of what I was looking for- nothing too bright (even though it was Maui, I don't want to look like a peacock or anything), nothing that belongs in a strip club, yet nothing too formal or "work attire". Possibly lace, and absolutely nothing super snug or tight. I brought about 15 dresses to the fitting room with the help of a very friendly salesgirl. Friendly, but terrible taste , or maybe just poor at reading mine, as one of the dresses she picked for me looked like the Easter bunny humping a lamp shade ( I kid you not).  The other two she chose were in the color I hate most - orange. Worse still, one was orange with lighter orange polka dots, and the other was orange with what looked like a Hawaaim sunset printed on it.

After about a half hour of suffocating myself in lace, tulle,  and satin while simultaneously destroying my self esteem, I had finally narrowed it down to two. One, a gorgeous Rachel Roy sleeveless red dress that drapes to mid calf with an uneven hem.. The other was a lovely teal Trina Turk stretch sheath with a slight V in the back. After much deliberation, I chose the red. I'm a sucker for a red dress, especially one that can pull off being so classy and elegant in such a bold color. The teal was great too, but seemed better suited for a day time event. Ill post pictures when we return! Next, of course, came time to actually check the price tag since I had ignored those pesky little things while hunting for a dress. It was approximately double the budget I had set for myself, but worth it, I justified, considering all the weddings we'll be attending the next few years, and hopefully classy political functions as well. I also figured it was pretty much next to impossible to find a red dress of this level of class. So worth the price. And I'll keep telling myself that the next 6 months while my credit cards sits in a block of ice in the freezer. Such is life.  I do have to say though, that my justification skills surprise even myself sometimes. I can pretty much find reasoning in any thing imaginable that I want, and make it sound like an amazing idea that no one can resist. I don't know if that's good or bad.  The devil in the red dress on my shoulder seems to give in every time.

Well that's all for now, I am going to quit while I'm ahead before i accidentally delete this whole thing while typing away on my iPad.  I will post once we return, as you can imagine that tomorrow evening will be filled with endless hours of packing, ensuing panic attacks, and repacking (squeezing a mani in there too). Next time I talk to you all, I plan to be gorgeously tanned and relaxed! Aloha!

The times, they are a changin'

I feel like I've been in a rut lately here.  I've become too settled on things that fall short of what I want for myself. I lost sight of what I really wanted, and just let things happen. But I think that after today, I am ready to make some changes and go after the things that I want.  There are so many things I want to do and accomplish, and I can't just sit around and wait for them to happen.  Life is too short!  I'm not the kind of person who sits idly by and lets life happen.  My dad says that when I want something, he better help me or get out of my way.  I am very ambitious and focused! I think I finally know what I want, and I am ready to get it. This quote describes my life perfectly- things aren't going the way I want, so it is time to change my own direction, instead of just waiting for things to change on their own.  Stay tuned!!

Weekend Shopping

Happy Hump Day everyone!! My mom came to visit this weekend, which was super fun!  We did a lot of shopping!  See below for some of my new purchases :)

I've been eyeing this bag for a while and trying to decide which bright summer color I wanted.  I finally caved and bought the yellow!

  

These two supercute work dresses from Ann Taylor. I love dresses that I can just quickly throw on and don't have to think too much about coordinating in the mornings.

  

J Crew work dress

JCrew casual dress



Sorry this picture is so blurry.  Mint is my favorite color right now, I really want a pair of mint shoes. This sweater is from C Wonder.  I'm obsessed with that store- it's like Tory Burch and Kate Spade got together and had a kid. Though the real fairy tale is that Tory Burch and her husband, Chris, had a bitter divorce and Chris decided to create C Wonder.  It's been quite the legal battle between the two of them.

Anyways, I also got some shoes from DSW and other apparel from JCrew, Ann Taylor, and the Loft.  W
We also went to Bluemont vineyard on Monday and had a great time.  The highlight was my mom finding a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo peep toe pumps and Nordy Rack.  I'm so jealous!  What a wonderful weekend.

In Memory of Lilly Pulitzer, May she rest in Pink.

 

 

As you all may know, Lilly Pulitzer passed away this weekend at the age of 81.  She was adored by sorority women and resort-wearers around the world.  Lilly married the very wealthy grandson of Joseph Pulitzer (aka the Pulitzer Prize).  The couple was known for hosting wild parties. However, after a few years, she had a nervous collapse and went crazy. When she finally returned home, she began an orange juice stand to keep herself entertained while her husband was at work. This soon turned into a fashion empire, after she realized she was spilling juice on her clothes and needed a way to camoflauge the mess.  So, she created a sleeveless floral shift dress made out of a bright and colorful cotton.  With that, Lilly Pulitzer's bold and tropical design was created.  Customers loved her dress, so she created a few more to sell with the juice. Her dresses, or "Lillys" as she called them,  rose to fame (her marriage was not as successful and she divorced to marry Enrique Rousseau). She began selling her dresses exclusively in Palm Beach circles, and then globally as her friends appeared in magazines.  Then, her childhood friend from boarding school, Jacqueline Kennedy (my idol), wore a Lilly dress while on vacation.  From there, Lilly Pulitzer became a brand that none of us will ever forget.  Due to a few unfortunate business decisions in 1984, the brand sought bankrupcy protection, but was revived in the 1990s.  Personally, I blame the lack of fashion in the 80's generation.  Although Lilly consulted with the company in recent years, she mostly stayed out of it, and lived a private life in Palm Beach.

      The takeaway here, is how inspiring Lilly Pulitzer really is.  She had a bit of a mental breakdown, but was able to overcome and rise above to new heights.  She took lemons, well, oranges actually, and turned them into a beyond successful clothing brand.

      Lilly Pulitzer was wealthy heiress who lived a colorful life, and wanted everyone else to live that way as well.  She was a fashion icon who believed that happiness never went out of style. To her, life was a party all the time, and what better way to live than that? 

 

We believe elegance can be casual. We believe gracefulness can be compatible with fits of laughter. We believe in living a colorful life- Lilly Pulitzer (1931-2013)



DC Cherry Blossom Season

Its Cherry Blossom time here in DC!! I've missed this both summers I've been here now and I'm so excited to see them- hopefully this weekend.  Thanks to all the random cold weather, peak blossoming time has delayed over and over.  It is now April 6-8th, meaning this weekend and next weekend should be perfect times to see them.  We'll be enjoying them this weekend with friends, as well as going to the Fireworks show for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Hopefully they'll still be around next weekend for my mom to see too! 

Aren't these pictures beautiful?

       Cherry Blossom history (since I'm a nerd):  Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued close relationship between the two countries. Over the years, the gift giving has been reciprocated, with the US giving dogwood trees to the people of Japan.  In 1981, we were able to give Japan cuttings from the cherry blossom trees to replace some of their cherry trees that were destroyed in a flood.

       First Ladies of the US have been big supporters of the Cherry Blossom celebrations, starting with First Lady Taft.  Historically, many were involved in events through the National Conference of State Societies’ Princess Program.All first ladies in recent years have served as Honorary Chair, many participating as well. In 1999, First Lady Hillary Clinton took part in a tree planting ceremony. In 2001, First Lady Laura Bush greeted guests with remarks at the Opening Ceremony. Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama was involved in 2012, planting a cherry tree in West Potomac Park among dignitaries and guests. Today, more than 1.5 million people visit Washington, DC each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees and participate in diverse programming that heralds spring in the nation’s capital. (courtesy of National Cherry Blossom History.org)

Fun Fact- it is a federal crime to pick a cherry blossom from the trees that surround the Washington DC Tidal Basin!  Glad I learned that beforehand!

Go ahead, wine a little.

True Story.  I would really like a glass of wine right now, but I would also really like to look good in a bikini in Maui in a few weeks, so unfortunately I'll be postponing my wine until after the gym.  I just got a wine rack from my grandma's house that used to be my grandfather's and it's currently taunting me. I'm so glad it's almost Wednesday, which means just 2 more days until Friday!!! (I know, I live for the weekend).  I'm so excited for the Cherry Blossoms in DC this weekend.  I've missed them both summers I've been here and so it will be my first time seeing them.  We have a full weekend planned with friends, and I also need to squeeze in a trip to the dreaded DMV. Still, I'm so excited for some nice weather and a fun weekend with friends.  The last two weekends were spent with family for my grandma's 80th bday, and then for Easter, which was great, but I need a few cocktails and some people my age!

One thing I love about living in Virginia are all of the amazing vineyards not too far away!  Since living here for less than a year, I've already been to about ten of them! Paul first took me on a wine tour with a town car for our anniversary, and then we went on a bigger tour in a limo with a bunch of friends.  We also like to go on our own on weekend afternoons to try some new wines.  It's so much fun, and I've learned a lot about wine, as well as improved my taste- no more Barefoot for me haha! My favorites are Chardonnay or Cabernet, depending on my mood. I'd pretty much drink it all though. I better stop- I sound like an addict now.

In other good news, an update from my last post.  After all of my problems with my cable company and their refusal to fix anything, I was so irritated that I tweeted a rather rude tweet about their lack of customer service.  I was contacted by a rep via Twitter, and then by phone, and I got my bill back down to the last price I was paying - not the best, but better than nothing.  Just goes to show the power of social media! Well, that's all for now.  Hope you're all having a Happy Tuesday!!