ALL SANDBOX NEW

To find a dress for my baby shower, I scheduled an appointment at the new Rent the Runway showroom in Georgetown. This was my first time using this service. I normally rent my dresses online and use the customer reviews to help me pick out the right size. With the free back up size that Rent The Runway offers, I've never had a problem and have always loved each dress rental. Though, now that I'm pregnant and it seems growing by the second, I had no idea what size would be right for me. Making an appointment at the showroom was necessary.

Appointments are $25, but they are not mandatory. You can definitely just pop in to try on some clothes. However, the appointment guarantees you your own fitting room and personalized attention from one of their stylist to help pre-select dresses, discuss more options, and get more sizes. Scheduling an appointment saves you time.

A few days before your appointment, you'll be emailed a confirmation and link to a "Style Assessment" where you will tell your stylist about your personal style, your size, and if you’re looking for a specific length, color, or designer. They can’t guarantee that specific styles will be available to try on for your appointment but will use the information you provide to pick out dresses for you.

Here are some dresses my Rent The Runway stylist, Ridasian, picked out for me based on my Style Assessment. Ridasian was very friendly and helpful and is also pregnant which made the whole experience even more fun and comfortable.


Want to know which dress we picked out together? Check back next week! I'll be sharing more pictures from my shower and what I wore.

Click here schedule your appointment at Rent The Runway in Georgetown.

SHOP THE DRESSES \\

On New Year's Eve my husband and I had dinner at a restaurant that's been on our "to try" list for a while, Kapnos by Mike Isabella. The menu is inspired by Isabella's travels to Greece and mostly consists of mezze (small plates). We're not typically fans of small plates (this reaction is familiar), but everything we ordered was delicious - my favorite dishes being the marinated spring lamb, the tyrokafteri spread with flatbread, and rizogalo (rice pudding brulee). We then relaxed at home, chatted with family, and took a small nap before midnight. Yes, I said nap. It would be easy for me to say the nap was induced by the baby, but honestly, I rarely stay up past 10 PM. I'm a morning person. I was up in time to ring in the New Year with my a kiss from my husband and a kick from my baby. She loves to dance too! I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend New Year's Eve.

How did you celebrate the New Year, and what did you wear?

Wearing: Ali Ro Shift Dress via Rent The Runway (size 4), H&M maternity pantyhose, Zara heels, Shop Proper Hunt necklace, New Year's Eve props via Walgreens

SHOP MY LOOK \\

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.


(Sarah Magid Mixed Metal Stack Ring, Kotur Fitzgerald Geometric Clutch, Kate Spade New York Night Sky Jewels Ring, Eddie Borgo Small Cone Bracelet, Oscar de la Renta Navette Ear Cuff, Halston Heritage Tortoise Paneled Minaudiere, Rafe Azura Rainbow Minaudiere, Pamela Love Rose Cinque Earrings)

Last week, I shared my favorite picks for "What to Wear on New Year's Eve 2014". While those looks are stunning all on their own, the addition of a statement ring, a unique pair of earrings, or a bracelet would take each look to the next level. Then, of course, no look is complete without the perfect purse\clutch to hold your cell phone, make-up, money, and ID. Can't afford to buy luxe accessories? Rent them! All of the beautiful pieces above can been found on Rent The Runway (RTR).

Have you completed your New Year's Eve look yet? If you shop between 12/22-12/31 and choose a rental start date between 12/26-12/31, you can get a fabulous New Years Eve look from RTR for only $20.15!

P.S. - Merry Christmas Eve!

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

I've already put in my order for my New Year's Eve dress with Rent the Runway (RTR). Why? Because RTR never lets me down (proof is here and here), and also, if you shop between 12/10-12/21, choose a rental start date between 12/26-12/31 and use code HAPPY2015, you can save 20% on your order of $50 or more! Don't worry about ordering the wrong size - with Rent The Runway you can select an additional backup size to be shipped at no extra cost. Here are some of my favorite New Year's Eve looks available on RTR:


Come back to see what I'll be wearing this NYE. (Hint: It will be "baby bump friendly" like the last two dresses.)

It's my birthday, but as you already know, I've claimed the whole month! I've always wanted a a very girly Hello Kitty themed birthday and decided that this year was the year I was going to make it happen for myself! Thanks to some assistance from Betty Crocker I baked the most delicious and cutest red velvet Hello Kitty cake and popped some sparkling grape juice!

This Jill by Jill Stuart Polka Dot dress is, of course, from Rent the Runway (RTR). (As a pro-member of RTR, I get a birthday rental on the house!) It fit my pregnant body and girly birthday theme perfectly. Speaking of girly...



I also have a special birthday surprise to share with my loyal readers - WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!!! Let the baby girl shopping begin!

Tonight I'm attending the launch party for the new Rent the Runway store in Georgetown!! Of course I couldn't attend without wearing one of the beautiful dresses they offer. (Thank you so much to Rent the Runway for treating me to this dress rental!) To make life easier on myself, I went straight to their 'bump friendly' section and found this Liquid Metal Shift Dress by Faith Connexion. I'm in love the pique lame fabric and the assymetric details of the hem. It's completely different than any dress I've ever worn. I also chose a long sleeve dress because it's been so cold here in DC, but the forecast for today is a high of 70?!! Who knew? I'm not complaining! That just means I won't have to add tights! Enjoy this 'winter break' DC!

I've written about my love for Rent the Runway (RTR) before. I've been a long time fan and customer (my first rental was in 2009), and I have continued to go to them for important events where I wanted to feel special but didn't want to invest in another dress. I've always been very pleased with their continually updated selection and even more pleased with their customer service.

So when I got invited to Washingtonian's Style Setters party, I went directly to RTR. I knew I didn't want to buy a new dress, and I couldn't wear an old one because my baby bump and my butt are growing everyday. They even have a "bump friendly" filter under "BODY TYPE" which made it much easier for me to make my selection. I went with the BCBGMAXAZRIA "Cross my Heart Gown", Halston Heritage "Tortoise Paneled Minaudiere", and a House of Harlow's "Gold Textured Cut-out Cuff" (all care of RTR). With the dress rental they let you pick out a backup size for free. I ordered a 2 and a 4 and ended up wearing the 4. I actually picked out the Inge Christopher "Corsica Scale Clutch" first but was notified by customer service prior to shipment that it had come back from the previous renter a little damaged so they let me pick out any bag I wanted! I think the Halston bag worked out even better, and I felt like a million bucks!

What I'm even more thrilled to share is that RTR is opening a showroom in Georgetown in November!! See this article from Washingtonian for more details. Have you rented from RTR? If so, what'd you rent? Did you love it? If you haven't tried RTR, what are you waiting for?!

GET MY LOOK \\