Galentine's Giveaway

For me Valentine's has always been about celebrating all the loved ones in my life not just a significant other...due mostly in part to my proclivity towards chronic singledom. No matter your romantic status, you can always count on your girlfriends to be there for you, and that deserves some recognition too! I am so excited to team up again with Lulu*s for their Galentine's giveaway. LuLu*s is giving away an entire year of free dresses to one lucky gal (and her best pal) for all of 2015!! To enter just subscribe to the LuLu*s newsletter by following the link here.

This year I got to shoot this post with my dear friend Mary Summers of So Then They Say. Mary is a prime example of the perfect Galentine. We met at fashion week a few years ago, and once I moved back to Dallas she started shooting me regularly for the blog. Since then we have become great friends. I love when blogging relationships transition into true ride-or-die friendships. In an industry that can get more than a little competitive, it is truly a comfort knowing that I have such a loyal friend in my corner...and our shared love of wine is another plus. Make sure to check out Mary's blog & her VDay look here!

FINDERS KEEPERS digital floral print dress c/o LULU*S | c/o BEBE navy leather jacket (similar here) | MANOLO BLAHNIK patent bb heels | RAY-BAN gold aviators | c/o TOPSHOP lipstick in tease

*Photography by Mary Summers

VDAY GIFT GUIDE

With Valentine's Day just around the corner I wanted to put together a little gift guide. I love this gold coordinates bar necklace - for only $32 you get to be sentimental and thrifty. If you are willing to drop some coin to really impress a lady, this gorgeous Tory Burch purse will definitely do the trick. Of course you can never go wrong with a thoughtful card & some sweets. What sort of gifts do y'all prefer for Vday: simple & classic or over the top? 

^^The perfect gift deserves the perfect card - here are a few of my favorites ^^

WHAT I'M WEARING: OLD NAVY heart pajamas | BAUBLE BAR ear crawler earrings

*Photography by Mary Summers

A CASUAL VALENTINE

COMME DES GARCON striped emblem tee (for him) | c/o MISSGUIDED plaid lumberjack coat | J.CREW grey pixie pants (I ordered a 0S so they are cropped to my ankle) | c/o JUSTFAB studded loafers | DOLCE GABBANA sunglasses | BAUBLE BAR ear crawler

The past couple years my Valentine's Day has been spent recovering from NYFW in front of the TV binge watching the latest 'House of Cards' installment. Needless to say the dress code was casual. And while I am no longer single this year {& plan on getting a tad caught up in the silliness of the holiday}, I still am a huge fan of spending the night in surrounded by the people you love. So whether you're with your Better Half or a BFF, I recommend spending the day in style courtesy of this festive little Comme des Garçons top...SideSmile.

*Photography by Mary Summers

VALENTINES BRUNCH

Sometimes there is nothing better than celebrating good friends with a sassy outfit and some champagne.When I was invited to attend this Valentine's Blogger Brunch a couple of weeks ago, I knew immediately what I would wear. This Alice & Olivia pout dress was by far one of the more fun & whimsical  things I've gotten to wear in a while. For even more photos and details about the brunch  head over to the Glitter Guide!

ALICE & OLIVIA pout fitted pouf dress (also love this cardigan) | ZARA court heels (last seen here) | STILA beso stay wear lip color 

*Photography by Dyan Kethley

LuLu*s The Great Galentine's Giveaway: Win Free Dresses for a Year!!

Who says that you can only celebrate romance on Valentine's day? I think that celebrating friendships is just as important as celebrating a significant other. Bethany and I have been friends for almost 2 years now, but honestly most of the time it feels like 10! The second we met and it was and instant connection and bond that we both knew went far beyond our shared love of fashion and blogging. Bethany and I have laughed, cried, and everything in between (including posting up at the Mulberry Project & leapfrogging down the halls of the Hudson Hotel); and I am so lucky to be able to call her my blogging bestie. 

In celebration of BFFs Valentines everywhere Bethany and I have teamed up with Lulu*s to bring you the Galentine's (see what they did there) Giveaway! Forget the flowers and treat yourself to a year of fresh frocks! LuLu*s is giving away one free dress a month to one lucky gal (and her best pal) for all of 2014! Follow the link to enter and refer your best gal pal with your custom generated link for a chance to WIN: http://bit.ly/dressesforayear!! 

c/o LULU*S 'in good company' black dress | STEVE MADDEN sequin platform peep toes (similar) | NASTY GAL lucite box clutch (last seen here) | KAREN WALKER super duper sunglasses | VITA FEDE titan bangles

*Photos by Mary Summers for SideSmile Style

Infinity X Infinity

c/o RUBBER DUCKY via Ellys Couture red pleated dress // c/o LINEA PELLE croco clutch // c/o HELZBERG DIAMOND infinity diamond necklace // ZARA pointed heels (last seen here) // DAVID YURMAN double x ring // NARS jungle red lipstick

This past week cupid did a little matchmaking and while he didn't find me a man, he did manage to fix me up with Helzberg Diamond. Now I don't know about y'all, but I'll take a date with some diamonds over a guy faster than you can say SideSmile. My favorite part about the new Infinity x Infinity collection (other than the fact that it was inspired by one of my favorite shows Revenge) is it's versatility. Be it a cocktail dress for Valentine's Day (as pictured) or a white tee shirt and jeans, this necklace is guaranteed to look great. And if it was given to you by a loved one (rather than your friendly neighborhood PR girl) it will serve as a constant reminder of their infinite love. Hopefully one of these days I will snag myself a man and he'll be smart enough to add one of these pieces to my collection. Happy Valentines Day All!

*The necklace featured in this post was provided by Helzberg Diamond via Fleishman Hillard, all opinions expressed are my own. How can I not be obsessed with a necklace inspired by Amanda Clarke?

Valentine's Day To Night

c/o RUBBER DUCKY via Ellys Couture red pleated dress // c/o LINEA PELLE croco clutch // c/o HELZBERG DIAMOND infinity diamond necklace // ZARA pointed heels (last seen here) // DAVID YURMAN double x ring // NARS jungle red lipstick

Today I collaborated with Danielle of Lou What Wear for  Valentine's 'Day to Night' look. Tomorrow I will be posting even more about my night time look and the gorgeous Infinity x Infinity necklace I planned it around.