16 candles...ok fine, 25

today is my birthday and even though i am a quarter-century now and don't really feel like celebrating getting older anymore, anthropologie found a way to make me want to subtly show the world it is my special day.

the always whimsical apparel, home & more store (just check out its amazing window displays that change from season to season, extra-touch gift-wrapping or adorable gift card presentations if you don't know what i'm talking about) sends a beautifully simple 15 percent off card to its anthropologie rewards card holders during the month of their birthdays. 15 percent off is not a fantastic discount, but what makes the card memorable is the real birthday candle attached to it. when you turn over the card, you'll find that the wick wraps around and is tied in a bow with a clasp on the end, making it wearable as a necklace. this is one of the best retail marketing pieces i've seen in a long time, and i absolutely love wearing my birthday candle...as long as no one lights it tonight.

it's twins!

so apparently when the temperature hit 50 degrees in palm beach county this morning, my friend/co-worker julie and i both had the same thought: "this would be a good day for gap's khaki patterned tights, a pair of brown boots and a ruffled, button-down, navy blue dress..."

even funnier is that we are probably the two that already look the most alike in the office. very strange, but i guess great minds think alike!

this oscar is no grouch: part 2

hospice evening was a showcase of high fashion this weekend, before, during and after oscar de la renta's spring line came down the runway. while running around with photographers during the cocktail party, i spotted a number of women in dynamite dresses and accessories - patty griffith's gorgeous one-strap, deep purple gown; ann heathwood's elegantly embellished, tiered pearl necklace; saks palm beach's elisabeth munder in her flowing, mermaid-like, gold skirt; and cathy flagg in her whimsically ruffled pale pink dress.

oscar de le renta crocheted silk cardigan, sleeveless
crocheted silk dress and crepe stain lace belt

once the lights went down and guests took their seat along the runway, my firm's vp and i stood back, accepted a glass of champagne and enjoyed the show. we quietly chatted about what we liked (the gold, strapless sequin gown; the models' braided "headbands;" the hyacinth, banded cap-sleeve dress; and textured gowns in lacy blacks and bright teals and purples in all kinds of shapes), and the few things we did not so much care for (the hats; linen cropped pants; and pleated twill linen shorts that looked too much like coolats from the early 90s).

all in all it was a fantastic and fashionable night accented in orange and stunning balls of roses. and for a surprisingly stylish celeb in the front row...rush limbaugh was there in support of the palm beach membership of the hospice foundation of palm beach county.

ring-ing in the new year

my current craze is oversized cocktail rings, and i've found it increasingly difficult to pass them up. apparently my friend and work "roommate" aly feels the same way so it has become dangerous to take our lunch breaks together.

we're just on our way back from stopping in francesca's collections at cityplace to pick up some fashion tape for an event tonight (read about it here), and we walked out with these for $18 each. not too bad and i plan on wearing it tonight and to the heart ball next month, which was my purchase justification.


francesca's has a bunch of other options too, including another even larger and very cute pink peacock feather ring my vp and secret santa jennifer bought me for christmas.

you'll also want to check out the jewelry sale table today too, which has drastic markdowns and even better deals if you buy two pieces. earrings are now two for $5, necklaces are two for $10, and rings are somewhere in between.

fashion line of the day #7

"i like my clothes like i like my women: options."

~ mike "the situation" from mtv's jersey shore

now you probably did not expect to read about the jersey shore in anything to do with good style, but this quote was too great to not pass on.

this oscar is no grouch

every once in a while the job - and even working on a friday night - offers perks that make it all worth while. viewing oscar de la renta's spring 2010 line up close and personal tomorrow night is one of those times. i'll be at hospice evening 2010 at the breakers to benefit the hospice foundation of palm beach county, and even though i'll be working with photographers most of the time, there will be a little time-out to see what oscar has in store for us the next few months.

saks fifth avenue palm beach sponsors the fashion portion of the evening, and past years have showcased bob mackie, geoffrey beene, vera wang, arnold scaasi, carolina herrera, badgley mischka and naeem khan. the last show i saw there was bill blass, and the pieces were breathtaking, so i'm really looking forward to tomorrow night.

this year, guests - and i - are sure to be captivated by de la renta’s vibrant colors, dramatic draped dresses, intricate embroideries, accessories and other exciting elements. one of the top design houses in the world, and the dominican republic native’s childhood was spent among the island’s color, flowers and sunshine, which continue to inspire his bright palette and beautiful designs.

only one problem for tomorrow night. my plan to "recycle" the black and white bcbg dress i wore two years ago is not going well (despicable, i know, but it's still full price at the store so i figure it can't be too much against fashion law). as stupid as it may sound, i did not forsee that my dress would be a bit too big from all my marathon training since the first time i wore it (which should be a good thing). plus even though it's not quite out of style, it's not exactly on trend either. any inexpensive ideas? i've already bought too many dresses for this social season!

next up on my list of perks...the michael kors and graff fashion show at the mar-a-lago club jan. 23 to benefit the palm beach heart ball, where i might just get the chance to meet mk himself...stay tuned!

* photos from oscar de la renta's spring 2010 line

house of style

the palm beach social season has been underway for a few months now, but the peak week of the palm beach style season seems to be just approaching. with the caron renaissance gala featuring zac posen's colorful and innovative collection tomorrow and hospice evening showcasing oscar de la renta's latest tropical-inspired line friday, palm beach is about to get a glimpse of some of the world's best fashions.

next up is the red cross designers' show house preview party wednesday, jan. 20, which benefits the greater palm beach area chapter of the american red cross and proves to offer a whole slew of posh players. the event offers a preview of the transformed interior and exterior spaces in the luxurious residential building on okeechobee boulevard, cityplace south tower. in years past, design icons and high profile guests have included carolyne roehm, lilly pulitzer, tiffany & co.'s john loring, mario buatta and charlotte moss.

besides offering a sneak peek of the four stunning spaces, the preview party on cityplace south tower's breathtaking ninth-floor pool deck will host a special fashion show by tibi. if you're not familiar with tibi, you won't want to miss this. and if you are, well then, all the more reason to go. the spring line is made up of bright and contemporary, asian-inspired pieces that look as if they were made to wear in palm beach. the mix of super short and structured dresses and skirts with more flowy patterns and textures are to die for.

tibi's spring line will be accented with pieces from palm beach's own jordann jewelry by jordann miller. jordann jewelry will also feature its simple yet elegant pieces in an on-site trunk show - another reason to go - and 15 percent of the sales will benefit the american red cross.

adding to the evening's excitement is special guest and show house honorary chairman michael smith, who is a best-selling author of elements of style and houses and one of architectural digest's 100 top designers and architects. he's designed homes for a long list of celebrity clients, including cindy crawford, steven spielberg, dustin hoffman, michelle pfeiffer and most recently, the first family.

so check it all out next week, and be sure to comment on which part was your favorite.

*photos from tibi's spring 2010 line and jordann jewelry

fab find: rainy day jackets

my most recent fab find showed up in a very unexpected place...a male-dominated fishing and hunting store!

while searching for a birthday present for my boyfriend in gander mountain in palm beach gardens last week, i "stumbled" into the women's and kids' section and surprisingly found so much cute (and distracting) apparel that had uses other than just shooting and hiking. it was a sea of pastel parkas, plaid rain coats and quilted fleece that were way too stylish to stay in the store or the woods.

after searching out a few jackets that were 20 to 40 percent off in the women's section, i still felt like they were too expensive for someone like me who rarely has time anymore to be the outdoorsy type. lucky for me, i can sometimes fit into a 14/16 girls' size, and some of the kids' water resistant wind breakers were big enough for me to wear - and on sale.

i got this columbia kite flier jacket in a purplish-pink color for only $24.99, marked down from $36, and already in one cold and rainy weekend i've gotten more than my money's worth.

and in case anyone is wondering, here is the north face apex bionic jacket i actually went there to buy for the bf in the first place, even though i had a few detours along the way...

brrrr...prêt-à-porter palm beacher on pbpulse.com

catch prêt-à-porter palm beacher on the palm beach post's pbpulse.com style blog today. they caught me shopping at cityplace on my lunch break!

cityplace's snowfalls may have ended until next year (though with a predicted low of 34 degrees, look out for real snow flurries this weekend!), but staci sturrock's piece about cold weather fashions is fun, and there were certainly a lot of wild winter fashions popping up around the property. check out pulse style's full post here, and the gallery of stylish snow babies and freezing fashionistas here.

stay warm!

will you accept this dress...oops, i mean rose?

creative title, i know (remember the shoe edition?), but while watching the first episode of the bachelor monday night, i felt a little deja vu in more ways than one. i recognized the majority of the dresses the bachelorettes were wearing to meet jake from my own search for a gown to wear to the palm beach heart ball earlier in the day - especially the red ones.

you may have missed out on the chance to snag yourself a sexy pilot, but if you want to mimic one of the girls' looks, here are a few options. and red must be the color of love...every one of these girls received a rose...

rozlyn

this abs by allen schwartz "eva" gown has a sweetheart, scalloped neckline that certainly showed off rozlyn's top half. originally priced at $350, this modern-day mermaid gown is now only $175 at bloomingdale's.

valishia

the photo of this layered bcbg gown doesn't give it justice and it is much better in person on the hanger or on the person wearing it. it's also better if you're a little on the shorter side so it hits the floor. orginally $398, this dress is now $278.60 at bloomingdales, or 50 percent off at bcbg at cityplace.

elizabeth from nebraska

now i can't be certain, but it looked like elizabeth was wearing the nicole miller cross-back silk charmeuse gown, which is going for full price at $320 at macy*s right now. if not, then it was probably a halter that looks just like it! like rozlyn's this dress also puts the top half on a platter.

jessie

now what i want to know, is who makes jessie's dress. i thought it was a bit much at first (like her - the "guns" pickup line, really?!?), but as the show went on i came to like the saloon-ish red gown with black beading.

in the end, i didn't settle on any of the dresses worn on the show. i chose this red hot silk chiffon layered gown from bcbg. i risked it by purchasing it online without ever trying it on since bcbg sale items are final, but priced at $174 plus an extra 30 percent - down from the original $348 - i just couldn't resist! be sure to hurry into the bcbg store at cityplace too, i know my co-worker also made some good finds with a short red dress and lbd on sale for a few of her upcoming events.

p.s. after all that red, i'm still team ali. yellow was a good choice for her. so was the peacock feather :)