Thursday At Tootsies.

What do you get when you put the top Dallas fashion bloggers and other fashionable Dallasites together in an upscale clothing store, with a MASSIVE sale and free-flowing cocktails? My Thursday night. 

Tootsies was host to an evening soiree with a competitive twist. They rounded up five blogging fashionistas and invited their fans and other lovers of fashion to come out and vote on whom they thought was most fashionable.

Wine, champagne and tequila were flowing, DJs (and bartenders) were mixing and shoppers were shopping. What's not to love?

The stylin', stiletto-wearing beauties met prior to the event and lived a personal dream of mine. Each girl was let loose to run around Tootsies and grab pieces that spoke to them. They were to take those pieces and create their own "look."

At the event the bloggers put on a mini fashion show. They flounced around in their decadent duds while us onlookers snapped photos and breathed in the fashionable air. At the end of the show the winner was announced and raffle prizes were given away.

Sadly, I was not the lucky winner of a $100 Tootsies gift card nor did I come home with a DVF dress. But I did come home with a few goodies! 

Stores like Tootsies are a lot like art galleries for me, only better because I actually get to take pieces home. The colors and the fabrics and the potential outfits...I love it all.

While at the event I caught up with a few friends and met some genuinely interesting people.

The outfits tonight were amazing and it was such a treat being around people who share the same love and interest as I do and I appreciate being in the presence of those who have made a career out of the industry .

It's a lot of fun being around fabulous people and it's a lot of fun feeling being fabulous ;) 

Caroline and I ended the night at The Village Burger Bar in Uptown on McKinney Ave. It was swanky and deeelicious! 

...Their fries are like the fries at Houston's for those of you who are familiar...in fact the whole meal was a lot like Houston's only cheaper...

We ended up having to park on the roof of the garage which initially we complained about but immediately took it back when we were greeted with an amazing sunset over the Dallas skyline. 

It's truly great to be home. 

Thanks for coming with me and making the night so fun, Caroline! I can't wait to use our complementary microdermabrasion treatments! 

Xx, 

-Lo. 

P.S. To those of you that I met tonight who told me you were going to look up my blog, I hope I didn't disappoint. Lovely meeting you! 

Stuff.

Lean On Me.

There are few worse things than receiving a text message from your roommate on a Saturday night to inform you of a shooting resulting in fatalities on your college campus.

It brings me great sadness to report on such a careless, senseless tragedy happening in my second home, the peaceful town of Auburn, Alabama; once ranked in the top 5 cities in America to raise a family.

It's a classic case of "I never thought this would be me." I never thought I would be reading or hearing about my school on CNN or ESPN for anything other than football games, let alone a murder case.

But alas, life is not always a fairy tale; nor did it ever promise to be, and unfortunately these things do happen.

Saturday night three men, two of them former Auburn football players, lost their lives in an apartment complex. The reason? They were arguing over a girl.

Three men took their last breaths at a party on a summer night because of a girl...Makes sense doesn't it?

What ever happened to the days of just plain beating the crap out of each other? 

Those men were sons, brothers, cousins, nephews, grandsons, teammates, boyfriends, friends, students, roommates. They came from hometowns.  

I went to church this morning and as I sat in the choir pew's looking out onto the congregation, I looked at all the children. I thought, those men were little boys once, going to church and Sunday School.

Their parents had no idea they would grow up to die so young or to be responsible for taking a life.

It makes you wonder what went wrong. Why was this their destiny?

At Auburn, we like to say we're "All In." We pride ourselves on our family-like togetherness. It's a spirit and a lifestyle that is unmatched. So to say we are not all grieving is simply not true.

Yes, I'm thankful it was not anyone I knew personally but it's a hit to the whole family nonetheless.

We always say God is an Auburn fan because when the sun sets, the sky is orange and blue. And tonight the sky was a little more orange and a little more blue.

I guess there were too many Bama fans up there for God to handle so he had to call for backup...

May these men rest in peace. And may their families and their friends find clarity in a time of such devastation and comfort in knowing that we are All Auburn, All Family and we are All going through this Together.

"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:14

-Lo.

A Little Bit Of Lately.

Shakespeare and Rain.

Rain.

Rain is rain. It's no different in California than it is in New York. It falls the same, it's of the same substance. It feeds the flowers and fills up swimming pools.

For something so simple it asks a lot of us.

To stay in, or to go out?

To sleep, or to be profound?

To cry, or to beam?

To be still, or to dance? 

I'm curious, what about rain makes people feel so strongly one way or the other?

Rain brings passion in love and in hate. It brings joy and immense sorrow. It feeds the mind of some who write

What about rain is so emotional? 

It has been said that rain on your wedding day is bad luck. If this is so, then why is kissing in the rain considered such a romantic thrill?

If it brings you any comfort, rain can't make up it's mind about what it wants to be either.

To bring life, or to beat?

To cool, or to humidify? 

To come in peace, or to destroy? 

To exist quietly, or to rumble? 

In a way, rain is its own little Shakespeare; simultaneously confusing and profound.

I suppose "To be, or not to be?" will always be the question?

It rained all day and my hair is frizzy...you never know what you're going to get from me with that combination.

-Lo.

Work Squared.

Woke up a little groggy this morning. It was one of those "try on 4 different outfits and hate every single one with immense passion" mornings. Somehow right when the clock strikes you'll-be-late-if-you-don't-leave-right-this-minute 'o clock I always manage to throw on a fab outfit and scoot out the door.

phewf . 

Grab coffee. turn on Kidd Kraddick in the Morning.

breathe a sigh of relief. 

This has become my favorite "me" time. I've figured out that if I get to Starbucks in between 8:32 and 8:35 the line to order my "tall blonde" is minimal and there is usually prime parking.

Turning onto the toll road at approximately 8:41  is a rather calm experience in opposition of the mad dash that happens at 8:30.

I am very much in my own world in between 8:42-8:55 a.m. It's just me and the voices of Kidd Kradick. The only thing that would make it better: being on a big, white couch in yoga pants and a t-shirt. With Beau.

Work was work. I was flustered mid-morning. That happens sometimes. But I went to lunch by myself and Carrie Underwood and I alleviated some stress.

By 6:30 I was hitting the pavement with Caroline. Savannah joined us later for a Nike Training Club sesh. Team skinny body is the name of the game.

The 3 of us sat down and had a very healthy dinner (grilled chicken-they had theirs in a salad and watermelon). It's both funny and sad to listen to girls talk about their bodies. We should all remember how beautiful we really are.

Welp, gazing at the clock tells me it's Law and Order: SVU time. Bring on the sex crimes.

Too much? 

Until tomorrow, 

-Lo. 

Bistro 31

Now that I'm a working woman, not to be confused with a "working girl" as my friend Hayden's date jokingly reminded me, I find myself caught trying to rest as much as possible while still making the most of my weekends. 

This is somewhat of a difficult task, however this weekend I feel I have achieved a perfect execution. 

Friday night I grabbed dinner and drinks with my freshman year roommate, Caroline.  I am beyond thrilled that she's living in Dallas for the summer because she is ALWAYS up for adventures. 

Today (Saturday) was spent in my natural habitat, Northpark with Savannah and Caroline. We were all in search of business-ish attire but somehow I left with yoga/workout clothes and Savannah left with Jimmy Choo's... Caroline: 1, Lauren and Savannah: -1

Seeing as though shopping left us parched, we grabbed obnoxiously large iced tea's from JDs and bee-bopped over to Savannah's house to basque in the sun by her pool. 

Rough life, right? 

Tonight Erin and I decided to try the new restaurant in Highland Park Village, Bistro 31. It's a bit hoity-toity but what isn't in this neighborhood? 

The inside decor was really pretty. Lots of dark woods, marble and white furniture. The menu was cute as well... if a New Yorker married a Northern Californian, Bistro 31 is what their house would look like.

Words of advice: when you go, they will ask you if you made a reservation and when you reply "no" they will anxiously look around the (empty) room and act like there is no place for you to sit. You will be seated immediately. 

Also, if you are hungry do NOT order the salad. It's a portion and plate designed for a rabbit. 

Oh, and they have a coat rack for you to check your coat...interesting how the rack has 2 floor-length coats and a hat hanging from it in Dallas in June... "yeaaaahh, about that" 

Xx,

-Lo.