Tara Colleen: gracia

my ADD self is skipping around a bit and taking you back to my Friday night CFW look. I promise i'll go back to Thursday's islander look, but I just love this look so much, I couldn't wait to share! Belk's style statement of the night was Garden Party and I also had the privilege of working with the nights sponsor, Alex and Ani who was showcasing their newest collection Road to Romance, so the themes mashed together so perfectly to create this floral frenzy look! Before i get to the good stuff (ie: the deets of this outfit), let's discuss the events of the evening!! i kicked off the night scoping out the latest goods to hit the Style Lounge. the Alex and Ani booth is always tempting because a girl can just never have too many bangles, am i right?? with the exception of adding the initial of our newest babe to be, i have officially completed my sentimental stack and started adding some fillers and stone wraps to my collection. the Road to Romance Collection offers some seriously stunning stones in both the pale pink or baby blue family, but my favorite is the rosette beads on the collections signature bangle. we'll talk about that stack in a second ;) also new to A+A is the addition of leather goods! did y'all know they carry handbags?? this was definitely news to me, but one smell of that buttery leather and I was sold. the Gabriel collection offers the perfect essential styles for every girl so, being a clutch kinda girl, the fold over is my fave and even though I snagged the Earth shade, their new batch of colors has me seriously contemplating the Shoreline and Tidal shades as well!!
moving on to the main tent, the runway shows commenced. I always look forward to the spring styles of the local boutiques and the fall trends from emerging designers, which did not disappoint, but the highlight of the night was the Rock the Runway show. think America's Next Top Model meets Project Runway. 15 Models work the runway for a panel of judges who choose 1 male and 1 female winner. I can only imagine the nerves and I definitely would have no clue how to judge, but I give mad props to all the models who walk.
simply being an average (and very pregnant) girl, I was slightly hesitant to wear this look that was shown on the runway in Tuesday nights Tres Carmen show. but, having fallen in love with the floral print and pleated waist, I knew I couldn't possibly find a more fitting outfit to meet the Garden Party/Road to Romance vibe of the night. just as on the runway, I paired the floral maxi with this black lace crop top and layered a black bralette underneath to cover my ninnies. I replaced the black sash belt with this skinny leopard for a little pattern play and added even more color with these baby blue lace up heels. sticking to a pink theme for the rest of my accessories, i wore these super fab tassel earrings and my brand new road to romance bangles and added one more mix of prints with this kaleidoscope clutch (and the fact the stones matched my sunnies to perfection was definitely not an accident!) a pop of pink on my lips and loose finger waves completed the look. i just loved everything about everything of this night!!

"romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze"

ALL IMAGES MARIE RODRIGUEZ

top and skirt Gracia c/o Tres Carmen // heels Lulus // belt Banana Republic //

clutch c/o GARB Designs // sunnies c/o SEE Eyewear // tassel earrings c/o Theodosia Jewelry //

rings c/o Peyton William // chain link c/o Towne & Reese // lip "wildflower" c/o Kismet Cosmetics

road to romance - peony gyspy wrap - braided leather wrap - sentiment wrap - gleaming moment - bangle set c/o Alex & Ani

special thanks to Alex and Ani for sponsoring this post. all thought and opinions are my own.

oh my goodness, sooo soo much to talk about when it comes to day 2 of Charleston Fashion Week!!

let me just apologize ahead of time if I start rambling, because Wednesday thru Friday were jam packed and I don't want you to miss out on any of the juicy bits! As i mentioned before, I was asked to join an incredible group of bloggers to sit on Belk's Southern Style Summit and upon checking into the hotel, the pampering began! Seriously you guys, the fact that they put me up in a hotel had me feeling spoiled enough (and I fully embraced having that big ole bed all to myself) but the amount of swag I received was off the charts! from dresses to jewelry, shoes, makeup and so much more, I am still sorting through all my goodies and will most definitely be posting some sick looks courtesy of Belk with my (hopefully soon) post baby bod. already floating on cloud 9, we were shuttled off to a private dinner with THE Trina Turk! yes, you read that correctly. Mrs. Turk herself joined us for an intimate dinner at The Grocery alongside the queen of Belk, Arlene Goldstein. I mean, I don't know what in the world I ever did to deserve such company, but I totally soaked it in (and of course stuffed my face) while we discussed everything from spring trends to dirty diapers. and honestly, it was mostly the latter. How refreshing is that to meet such a prestigious group of women and know that they are just like you? no façade, no ego, just total down to earth chicks. It was one of the best nights I've ever had, and to top it off, Trina (i feel that we're borderline bestie status at this point, so it's ok for me to leave off the Turk) hand selected and item from her spring collection for each of us to have. for me she chose this gorgeous orange lace romper that has been on display in my closet since the second I got home and will probably be the very first thing I wear when my waist returns! I mean, incredible! and this was just the first night!! wait till you hear about the events that unfolded the next day!! for now, you'll have to wait, but I promise it's goooooood!!

so lets dish on this dress shall we?? Belk highlighted specific style statements for every night in the style lounge and on this night the theme was "Spare Me". not sure what that means? it's ok, I didn't either, but thanks to a little research I found that it is a modern/architectural aesthetic. thinks A-line, columns and trapeze dresses in modern fabrics with bold cuffs and chokers and oversized clutches. my vision of this statement came to life the second I saw this dress! trapeze cut, bold choker . . . I couldn't have hammered the nail on the head any harder if I tried! so, sold on the dress, I wanted to keep everything else fairly simplistic with a few specs of shine. art deco earrings, a little nod to mod with my sunnies and some extra metallic in my heels kept the look chic and then for the wow factor, I added a bright pop of fuchsia with this ridiculously fabulous cross-body. I got to carry an assortment of Taxidermy bags throughout the week (one more drool worthy than the next) but this little guy is quite possibly my favorite! the bold color, the chain, just everything about it is perfection! did i mention its python?? oh yea, and the gold antlers make it the perfect "trophy" to add to my collection!!! everyone should have the privilege of carrying a bag this gorg!