My Day on the Runway

My two daughters love to dance.  They love to perform.  They love a stage.  Me, I love writing.  That is  my form of expression.  But this past Sunday, I branched out.  For fundraising, for self-promotion and for having fun (and a nice clothing discount didn't hurt either), I walked the runway and modeled for the Hadassah Spring Fashion Show.

I had a great time, and it was an amazing experience.  Hadassah is a volunteer organization that supports medical care and research at Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem.  This year was their 4th Annual Fashion Show and Fundraiser.  It was held at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Lincolnshire, Illinois.  About 12 other models and I showcased fashion by White House Black Market and Chico's with shoes by Stiletto's Shoes and accessories by Sweet Magnolia.

I know you just want to see the pictures, right?

Here I am in my first outfit by White House Black Market:

And my second walk down the runway in fashion by Chico's:

Now, a little bit about the hot and trendy fashion I wore:

In the week and a half before the fashion show I went to both White House Black Market (WHBM) and Chico's to choose what I was going to wear.  At WHBM, they put together this rocking leather jacket and printed jeans ensemble.  I love the leather jacket.  It is a periwinkle blue color, which WHBM calls "Majorelle blue."  It is real leather, no pleather on this awesome jacket.  It is very popular at WHBM and is going fast.  The belt and scarf match the amazing jacket.  The printed jeans fit so nicely, and they can be worn with so many things I already have in my closet.  The top underneath has some bling on the collar which really completes the outfit.

The Chico's outfit, is a very summery khaki color and would be perfect for a luncheon.  I received tons of compliments on the flowy vest, which would look great with jeans too.  When I was in the Chico's store, they showed me a terrific selection of embellished jeans.

Here are other models looking fabulous in more Chico's fashion:

On the morning of the fashion show, the models had their hair and make up done by Teddie Kossof Salon and Spa.  The stylist said she would give my hair some "sass", which I think went perfect with the edgy WHBM outfit I wore.

Pictured above is the top I wore to the luncheon.  It is from ENAZ, by sanctuary.  I love the dangling tassels of the collar and the flowy sleeves.  It is a versatile spring top that can also be worn in the fall too.  I paired it with a black pencil skirt from Hot Mama.  My necklace is also from Hot Mama and is called the Harriet Isles Leather Trim Necklace.

Here are some photos of the fab jewelry and accessories by Sweet Magnolia (stay tuned for more in a future post spotlighting Sweet Magnolia..coming your way soon).

And, since I am so shoe obsessed, I took pictures of all the models' shoes from Stiletto's.

These color block heels were awesome!  The neon is totally in…if only I could walk in heels.

I loved these booties.  They would go great with tons of outfits.  Hmm...

These were the sandals I wore with the WHBM look.  These are by Vince Camuto and are very cute, don't you think?

I had a ball on Sunday getting dressed up and playing model.  The first time down the runway (I love to call it that) was bit nerve-racking, especially with a slight wardrobe malfunction trying to remove the periwinkle scarf!  But by the second time, I really started having a lot of fun.  I am definitely thinking about doing the fashion show next year.  Maybe they can get Chanel...

Holiday Sparkle

Wake up!  It's the day after Christmas!  Sales!!!!!

New Year's Eve is a mere 5 days away, and it's time to start thinking about what you are going to wear to bring in the New Year.  And since you have most likely been busy with holiday preparations and entertaining your kids while they are off from school, you probably have had little time to shop for yourself.  So I scoped out some area stores to give you an idea of some pieces you can put together to start 2014 off with a fashionable look.

Many of us don't have exotic plans for New Year's Eve.  Since getting a sitter can be costly and difficult, a lot of families spend New Year's Eve celebrating with other families. With that in mind, all of the outfits below can be dressed up or dressed down depending on your plans for New Year's Eve.

I will start with White House Black Market, which always has lots of pretty, shimmery, sparkly sweaters this time of year.  White House Black Market is a great place to go because they are very helpful there and will help you put together an outfit, including shoes and accessories.  They have great sales this time of the year, too.

I thought this gold cardigan below was beautiful and can easily be worn with jeans or a skirt.

Here are some other great choices from White House Black Market:

I think the white sweater in the middle is stunning with the beautiful necklace.  I keep hearing that winter white is very in.

Of course, if you are fortunate enough to go to a real party with real adults, then the cocktail dress below from White House Black Market may be perfect.

White House Black Market also has lots of other great dress options for your holiday celebrations, and they are a good go to store for dresses throughout the year.

Alice B. in Buffalo Grove, IL also had a ton of great options for New Year's Eve, including this great handbag, which can even be used to dress up an outfit you already have in your closet.

I loved this pleather jacket below with the peplum look.  At Alice B., they can help you put this together with a top and bottoms to form a great outfit.

I love this coated black denim by Blank NYC.  They were so popular at Alice B. that they had to order more.  Put these jeans together with a fancy top and you are good to go for a super casual New Year's celebration.

I loved this great put together look from Alice B.:

Another great sweater options at Alice B.:

I found some other great casual options at Illusions by Jill (Lincolnshire, IL):

Super soft and cozy sweater:

Illusions also had great dressier tops they put together with great jewelry sure to add some sparkle to your NYE:

I loved this sweater and necklace combination:

And check out these great bags to add to the above two outfits:

For those ambitious moms going out on the town for New Year's Eve, Priceless (Vernon Hills, IL) showed me some terrific dresses that can be worn for New Year's Eve and other special occasions you may have in 2014:

 These two dresses below have gorgeous beading:

I loved this one below because it can be dressed down and worn more casually as a top (but still a nice dressy look) with leggings or tights and boots.

Same goes for this dress:

Here is another stunning looking piece from Priceless that you can get great use out of year-round:

I thought this jacket below would make a beautiful outfit.  Here is also a close up of the glimmering material:

One more store that I wanted to include in this post is Hot Mama.  I tried to carve out some time to visit the store, but never made it.  There are two great pieces that I saw online that you should definitely check out as options for New Year's Eve.  One is a sequin cardigan by Design History, and the other is a sequin tank by BB Dakota.  Don't worry, I am not talking about wearing them together…way too many sequins!!!  Either one is a great addition to your wardrobe.  I know a salesperson at Hot Mama would be very helpful in putting together an outfit around either piece. Plus, they are both on sale now, and you cannot beat that.

Have a Happy New Year and keep reading my blog in 2014 for more fashion, new trends and great deals!!