When Chad and I got married, I was a bridezilla about one thing, and one thing only:

The music at the reception.

The morning of my wedding, while I was supposed to be sitting still for the makeup artist to do her job, I had my laptop in my lap burning a CD that the band could play while they were on their breaks.  My do-not-play list was about 100 songs long, and I scoured the internet for every awful, cheesy wedding song that I could possibly tick off.

What I wanted: Classic Rock/Eighties Dance Party.

What I got: So… um.

Bon Jovi?  Tom Petty?  Whitesnake?  Guns and Roses?

Yeah… not so much.

But there was this moment, at the very end of the night, when the band seemed to realize that the all the oldies and the wedding songs had been played, and that the people who were still dancing were basically all under 30.

So they threw us a bone.

And that bone was Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.

So now, when I remember our wedding, I remember the cake and the flowers and our families and how happy I was.  And how, weirdly, one of the happiest moments of the whole crazy day was when I finally got my 80s Dance Party moment.

And best of all: they followed up with a Michael Jackson montage (that one was Chad’s request).

None of this has anything to do with the outfit I’m wearing, except that whenever I see train tracks, I think of that song, our wedding, and just kind of smile.

Lanvin top, ASOS skirt, gifted Falke tights, Alexis Bittar and J. Crew bracelets, gifted Payless heels, gifted Chanel sunglasses (via Lenscrafters).

I took these at about 8 a.m. on my way to work the other day, so please excuse the bleary sleepy eyes.

I tried on this dress way back in September and came really close to buying it, but I held out (it was full price) and managed to find it on sale for 40 or 50 percent off on the Kate Spade website two days after Christmas.  I’d almost resigned myself to living without it, so I was pretty psyched to find it in my size so heavily on sale.  It’s conservative enough for work, but still incredibly fun — it’s pretty rare to actually find a great work-to-play dress, but I think this one actually manages it.

I’m thinking of getting the hem shortened a little bit, what do you guys think?  I’ve found a great tailor here (Nick Lopez, if any of you live in Houston) and it’s amazing how much a little nip and snip can turn a good dress to great.

And if you’re wondering about the title of the post, this Rachel Roy clutch is part of her Kindness is Always Fashionable (I agree!) line, and 100% of the proceeds go towards relief efforts for victims of natural disasters.  I love pieces that, in addition to being really beautiful, actually make me feel good about carrying them.

Kate Spade dress (still on sale!), gifted Rachel Roy Ghana clutch, Forever 21 bracelet, gifted Payless shoes.

I know I’m a broken record on this, but I really don’t think you can say it enough.

I am so, so lucky and so grateful for all the amazing opportunities that Sugarlaws has brought me — I can never quite get it out of my mind that if I hadn’t started this blog back in 2007, I probably would never have had so many incredible experiences that I’ve gotten to have just because of Sugarlaws.

And one of those really incredible experiences was this video I shot last week, along with Noritake, Macy’s, and the Knot!

We had so much fun shooting this segment on china and wedding registries, adapting a few of my recipes to complement the dishes, and generally dishing (no pun intended… no, seriously, I actually wrote “dishing” in a post about china and did not intend a pun) about what couples today want and need in their kitchens.  As you guys know well, there’s nothing nearer and dearer to my heart than that.

The full video will be out next month, but I couldn’t resist sharing some quick snaps we shot that day!  Since most of my videos on this site consist of me talking into a Flipcam on a tripod, it was pretty exciting to work with a real, professional film crew.  As I’m sure you guys can tell from the photos, I had a total blast.

Getting Mic-ed Up!

With Jamie from Noritake

Demonstrating a homemade raspberry sauce with Anja from the Knot!

Chatting About China!

The first time I tried this dress on, it was on sale for 30 percent off, and I couldn’t even come close to justifying buying it.  Nonetheless, I was in love.  It was close enough to Christmas that I thought a second markdown might be a possibility, so I gave the saleswoman my number and told her to let me know if it was still around when the next sale hit.

She called me back that night — it was scheduled to get marked down to 60% off that weekend, and she could hold it for me if I still wanted it. 

Still, oh my gosh, we’re talking Balenciaga here.  This wasn’t exactly a Forever 21 or H&M impulse buy!  But I’ve really been making an effort to buy more investment pieces, things that I’ll have in ten or twenty years and still love. 

And for me, this dress was it.  Classic, elegant, simple as can be, but beautifully crafted.  My tailor took up the hem a little bit (I’m short), but other than that, in my mind, it’s pure perfection.

Balenciaga dress, gifted Falke tights, J. Crew (on sale!) and Alexis Bittar bracelets, gifted Payless heels (under $40!). 

Makeup: Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Duos (in Modern Mercury and Black Chrome); Estee Lauder Liquid Eye Liner in Black Quatz, Duralash individual false lashes, DIORSHOW mascara.

Sorry for the technical difficulties this morning!  I accidentally hit “Publish” rather than “Save Draft” when I put away my computer last night, so those of you checking Sugarlaws this am got a no-text, crazy-formatted, lack-of-post.  Seriously, it’s a wonder I even get my shoes on the right feet some days. 

We had a brief cold spell a few days ago, and I took it as an opportunity to break out a coat that was sent to me in September, that I’ve barely even worn!  I have a couple very brief trips to New York over the next month, and it’s going to be a little bit of a shock to drag out all my heavy wool coats and boots again.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend!

Madewell top, Abercrombie shorts, gifted Ralph Lauren Denim Supply jacket, gifted Samantha Wills necklace, Via Spiga booties, gifted Rebecca Minkoff bag.

The weather in Texas has been just incredible this week — it was 77 degrees yesterday, and I even had a little free time to soak it up!  This dress was one of my favorite Christmas presents (from my very stylish mom), and I’m trying to figure out how to possibly work it into my substantially-less-than-77-degrees NYFW wardrobe.  Any ideas?

After last weekend’s pity party over how crazy the next two months are going to be, I’m feeling SO much better.  I’m so lucky to have these amazing opportunities, and to be able (so far) to balance them as well as I’ve done!  I’m just going to buckle down, ditch my reality television addiction for the next seven weeks, and even try to enjoy myself a little! 

Last thing — I’m usually such a platform-heel girl, but how cute are these pointy pumps?  They’re almost enough to convince me to forgo the extra inches of height and make the switch for good.  If nothing else, it’s nice to mix it up a little!

Madewell dress, Chanel bag, Jimmy Choo heels, Ben Amun bracelet.

I always think about the week between Christmas and New Year’s as this very reflective time, when I try to take stock of what’s happened in the past year and what my hopes and goals are for the coming one.  I feel so incredibly lucky that every year seems to get better and better, and I hope that 2012 is going to be the same way. 

It doesn’t seem like it could possibly be New Year’s, though, because I’m still in shorts most weekends!  It’s funny to watch so many Texans break out their heavy coats and gloves when it dips into the fifties, but at least this year, I’m enjoying leaving mine at home.  I’d rather be chilly in shorts, thank you very much!

But that’s enough nostalgia — and now onto the outfit!  This sweater is actually from the swap we did during my trip to New York with Payless, and it originally belonged to Andrea!  I’m a sucker for soft, comfy fabrics, and I’ve been wearing it nonstop. 

The jacket is from C. Wonder and almost sold out (they have online shopping now)!  It’s such a unique piece, but it actually goes with so much!  I love throwing it over a black dress for work or with a contrasting-pattern blouse for a night out.  Love!

Cardigan from Payless swap, gifted C. Wonder jacket, gifted Accessorize bracelet set, gifted Samantha Wills necklace, gifted Chanel sunglasses, Via Spiga boots, gifted Katherine Kwei bag.

Cindy Crawford’s Meaningful Beauty line offered me $200 to the charity of my choice, and I made this video (with Calvin’s help) to tell you guys what charity I picked!  I was thrilled to work on a campaign that also did some good at the same time. 

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and generous holiday season.  I’m looking forward to having skin like Cindy Crawford’s come 2012. 

I’m usually a last-minute holiday shopper, but with all the insanity of this holiday season, I was lucky enough to get a jump on my Christmas list at T.J. Maxx!  I had SO much fun going shopping for all the important people in my life, and finding some pretty fabulous pieces for them (and me) at incredible prices.  I told you guys I’d show you exactly what I got — so here are my finds! 

(For those of you in Houston, I went to the Richmond Ave T.J. Maxx, but I’ve heard amazing things about the River Oaks one as well — and for you New Yorkers, the one in Chelsea is amazing!)

My budget was $200 to shop for great gifts (and maybe a few things for myself…) and it was a total success.  The best thing about T.J. Maxx and Marshalls is that the inventory is different every time I go in — which is why I feel so lucky to have snapped these up when I found them!  I’ve made the mistake of waiting on an item thinking that it might go on clearance, and of course, when I check back a week or two later, they’re gone.  But with new items coming in all the time, there’s always something to look forward to! 

For the Fashionista:

Oh my gosh.  This was absolutely my favorite section of the whole store, and frankly, where I spent most of my time.  I died over this Theory leather jacket that was marked down from $750 to $299. 

The craziest thing is that SO many of the price comparisons on fashion items actually understate the original retail price of the item — I’m pretty sure that this LaRok mini retailed for much more than $120, especially because the jacket from the same collection started at $498. 

But most importantly, it was super cute and absurdly fun for the holidays — and who doesn’t need a sequined mini at this time of the year?  I certainly did (ok, yes, I started with buying myself a Christmas present, ugh)! 

For Your Guy:

I found some amazing stuff for Chad too!  Poor Chad always gets clothes around the holidays, which probably isn’t the most exciting gift for a guy — but I can never resist a change to restock his wardrobe.  He loves polo shirts, and I was really excited that T.J. Maxx had a selection of several cute colors for $34.99 in all of the standard sizes — actually, a much better selection than the Polo outlet we’d gone to in October, which had nothing in Chad’s size!

But in addition to clothing gifts, I found some really cute (and slightly more fun) gifts too!  For $99 (down from $150), they had desktop iPhone chargers and speakers!  These are perfect for an office, home office, or any apartment!  And speaking office equipment, what guy (or girl) couldn’t use a mini putting green?  $29.99, baby, and you just made someone’s day. 

For Friends:

One thing I’m always on the lookout for at this time of the year are good presents for hostesses!  I love that December is such a social month, and even though we’re newbies to Houston, Chad and I have been invited to several holiday parties per week lately! 

I love bringing something for the kitchen rather than just a bottle of wine, and I found these gorgeous bottles of truffle and avocado oil and completely fell in love!  Chocolates are always a great go-to, and I couldn’t believe these little hors d’oeuvre plates were only $6.99!  And best of all — it’s not Margarita mix, it’s Texarita mix!  Because everything’s better in Texas, of course.

For Kids:

We don’t have kids yet, but I’m grateful to our friends who do around the holidays!  Getting presents for babies and young kids is just plain FUN.  Unlike friends and family, kids are actually pretty easy to please — babies don’t really know any better, so just pick out the most adorable thing you can find!  And TJ Maxx has an amazing selection of toys for the older ones — I found the original Candyland for $12.99!  I kind of want to snap it up for our someday-kids. And I know enough from my friends to know that Baby Einstein is Very Important and Not Cheap — so wouldn’t you rather snag it for $6 than for $9?  Finally, I die over these little stuffed bears on clearance for TWO DOLLARS.  Are you kidding me?  Calvin and Coco’s toys cost more than that! 

…And speaking of which — no shopping trip would be complete without picking up something for my little pooches.  Coco is going to be fully mortified when I stuff her into this “I Believe in Santa” shirt.  I can’t wait. 

All in all…

$12.99 (Truffle Oil for foodie-est friends)

$3.99 (Texarita Mix for Chad’s brother)

$10.98 (Lindt Chocolates — two Boxes for Chad’s and my parents)

$6.99 (Hors D’Oeuvre plates as a hostess present)

$15.98 (Picture Frames for my sister)

$8.99+$4.99+$7.99+$3.99 (Dog outfits and toys for Calvin and Coco)

$5.99+$2.00+$4.99+$3.50 (Baby onesies and stuffed animals)

$34.99 (Polo shirt for Chad)

$59.99 (Sequined miniskirt for me… I couldn’t resist!)

And the grand total…. $187.36!
It would have been way less if I hadn’t fallen obsessively in love with that mini — but all in all, an amazingly successful trip!  (And SO much less crowded than the Galleria at this time of the year!)

Just wanted to share a few photos with you guys of my book party last week!

We had so much fun — and thank you so much to everyone who came out!  It was so great to have so many old and new friends there to celebrate!

I had a blast sipping wine, swooning over handbags, chatting with everyone and even doing a short reading of the beginning of Moving Neutral!  This book has been a part of my life for such a long time, and I’ve been so thrilled lately to have so many people read it!

I’ve also been lucky enough to get feedback and press from several other amazing bloggers — Colleen from Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill reviewed Moving Neutral here, and the always fabulous Monica (of the aptly-named Classy and Fabulous blog) wrote an adorable article about the party here.  And Megan of Mmm-Style wrote another awesome post about the party here!  Finally, Jamie of C’Est Si Bon wrote basically the sweetest post ever (thank you so much)!

Most of all, though, a HUGE thank you to everyone at Elaine Turner for putting this together!

If you haven’t already read Moving Neutral, it’s available on iBooks, on Barnes and Noble for the Nook, and on Amazon for the kindle.

And if you *have* already read it, please leave a review on Amazon or iBooks!  Good reviews are really important for new authors, and I would really appreciate your help!