Par-tay Dress!

I know I shouldn't be buying anything before my trip to Europe, but Neiman Marcus had a
special promotion this weekend, so I decided to purchase a party dress for my upcoming birthday (October 31, yes it's on Halloween!). After trying on several, I decided on a black lace number by Leifsdottir, a fuchsia vintage-print Diane von Furstenburg, and a purple/gray silk Alice & Olivia. I wavered back and forth among the 3. They were all about the same price, and I nearly tossed out the Leifsdottir because it was above the knee, which I don't do because my legs are not my favorite feature. In the end, though, I decided that I wanted a party dress, not one that was suitable for brunch with the family, which the other 2 were. I was thrilled that I was able to fit into the size 6 (it's been a looooong struggle), but alas, it was a litle too snug for my liking. The lovely SA scanned the tag and told me that there was a size 8 in the store, so she fetched it from the back for me, and I tried it on. There was more breathing room, which was good because that means that I don't have to don Spanx for it! And I'm so thrilled that lace is in this season! However, I'll be wearing black opaque tights with it so that my not-so-best feature will not be on display. I had to include a close-up pic of the lace detailing on the neckline 'cuz it's soooooo pretty!

Now, I just need to confirm my birthday plans, which should be done within the next couple of weeks. Oh well, even if they're not confirmed, I'm sure to wear this dress somewhere.

And part of the promo included $50 off purchase and a free leather handbag by Joie, which I no longer have because I gave it to my younger sister. Some little goodies were also inside the bag, which included a bracelet by Alice & Olivia and an evening clutch. So I broke my ban. It's cool, though, because at least I didn't splurge on a pair of Christian Louboutins! In fact, I spent half of what I'd spend on a pair of CLs, plus I got some free stuff, too!