LLS 2013 Woman of the Year Candidate Gala

I had the pleasure of attending the Leukemia & Lymphoma (LLS) 2013 Woman of the Year Candidate Gala over the weekend.  Nora Sommerkamp was the woman of honor that evening because she has poured her heart and soul into raising money for LLS and that the amazing work the organization does.

This was my first time attending a Gala and I wanted to make sure my outfit was up to par.  Thankfully, your votes helped me pick this amazing Badgley Mishka dress from Rent the Runway. 

I paired it with a turquoise stone necklace to add extra color (because a hot pink gown clearly wasn’t enough on its own).  I received so many compliments on this dress, so kudos to all of you who voted for me to wear it!

There were lots of other very fashionable attendees. Just a couple of my favorites are below.

The event began with a lovely song performed by Jen Corey, Miss District of Columbia 2009 and Top 10 finalist in Miss America 2010.

And then the host of the evening’s gala, Nina, shared why she is so dedicated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

Like many in attendance, including me, Nina has known people impacted by blood cancers.  She played some inspiring video messages by the Rhode Island Boy & Girl of the Year and the head of the Rhode Island LLS chapter.  I was literally crying after watching them.  Thank god for waterproof mascara!

In addition to a martial arts performance and a ballroom dancing duo, there were two fashion shows featuring the works of local designers.  Nam Nguyen is just 21 years old and his designs fierce! I couldn’t get enough of his clothes.

Likewise, Elizabeth St. John’s bridal collection wowed everyone.

There’s so much more to share from this truly fabulous evening that benefited such a great cause!  I hope to attend for many years to come.

Vote: Gala Attire

My charity of choice is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  Every year, this amazing organization raises millions of dollars in order to inform the general public about blood cancers, provide resources to individuals and families suffering from these diseases, and ultimately funds research to find a cure.  After my mom lost her 20 year battle to leukemia in 2010, I’ve been involved with the LLS chapter in our nation’s capitol. It has been a way for me to connect with others affected by blood cancers as well as meet survivors whose stories always inspire.

This year, I am honored to be covering the LLS’s 2013 Woman of the Year Black Tie Fundraising Gala.  Not only will the night raise money for a great cause, it will also undoubtedly be majorly chic!  Even if you can’t make it for the Gala on April 12th, you can make a donation to support this fantastic organization.

So now there’s a fashion problem.  What to wear to this event?  To solve this dilemma, I’m turning to the always reliable Rent the Runway.  I have some dresses below that I’m considering.  Please share with me what you think I should wear by voting!  Also tweet me @thingsicovet to let me know which one if your favorite or if you have other dresses in mind.

Fluorescent Chiffon Gown by Badgley Mischka / Rouge Rosalind Peplum Gown by Badgley Mischka / Carlos Miele / Jolie Jersey Gown by Ports 1961

Kate Spade Saturday

It’s finally arrived! Kate Spade’s more affordable collection, Saturday, is now available online. There are so many items that I instantly gravitated to that are perfect for Spring.

These items by themselves are cause for excitement. However, I was happily surprised when I stumbled upon the “Design A Weekender” page. This gives you the ability to create your own custom weekender bag. So brilliant! Even better, the canvas bag features a zippered shoe compartment, perfect for schleping gym shoes or a pair of heels for a trip.

Below is one I designed for every day use.

How would you design your own custom Kate Spade Saturday bag?

The Day That Changed Everything: My Engagement Story

I apologize for my blogging absence, kind of. I’ve had a super crazy week between work and school that hasn’t left much time to prepare posts.

Also, I had the best weekend EVER. Why you ask? I’ll give you all the details below…

Last week was my 26th birthday. Celebrations were low key and the only present I was expecting was from my boyfriend. We both planned to travel up to NYC for the weekend—he to attend a basketball tournament with friends and I to hang out with my girlfriends. Since we were going to be in the same city for the weekend, my boyfriend said he’d plan a birthday dinner for just the two of us that Saturday night. We scheduled it for 8:30, the location was being kept a surprise.

While my boyfriend was watching his alma mater play basketball during the day on Saturday, my girlfriends and I did what we do best: eat and shop. It was snowing quite a bit, so we thought a good indoor activity would be getting manicures. In my mind, NYC manis are always the best so I couldn’t say no.

                                    So fresh and so clean mani!

We continued the day by heading to a food destination I’ve had on my list for awhile. Babycakes is a vegan bakery that also specializes in gluten free baked goodies. I was so excited to go to a bakery where I could pretty much eat anything! Also, J.T. was being played and my girl friends and I were definitely having our own little dance party.

 My delicious slice of banana chip bread and a raspberry chocolate tart

                                   Justin Bieber v. Justin Timberlake

Next on the list was shopping. We just wandered in and out of shops in the Lower East Side. My wallet almost got in trouble when we stumbled upon Blessed Peacemakers. I loved literally everything in the store from the clothing and accessories to the decor.

Before I knew it, we had to leave so I could get ready for my birthday dinner. I rented this amazing Diane von Furstenberg dress from Rent the Runway and couldn’t wait to wear it.

Meanwhile, I received instructions from my boyfriend to meet him at the World Trade Center subway stop at 7:30 PM and to bring all my luggage for the weekend with me. I thought the WTC was a strange place to meet for dinner, but didn’t ask questions and met him on time (anyone who knows me well, knows promptness is a big achievement for me!).

When I arrived at the WTC, I was given directions to the Millennium Hilton. This hotel is across the street from WTC and overlooks the site. My boyfriend met me at the hotel entrance and took me up to our room on the 46th floor. I was told to drop my stuff off quickly so that we could head straight to dinner.

I opened the door and saw rose petals all over the floor. My heart started racing. Then, I may or not have lost my breath when I saw this scene before my eyes.

I quickly noticed that the box on the bed was not a ring box, but a regular jewelry box. I was confused; was this not a marriage proposal in the making? My boyfriend explained that he had taken some jewelry that I inherited from my mom and got them cleaned up and ready for me to wear whenever I wanted. I was appreciative, but obviously a little disappointed, and thanked him for being so thoughtful. I think my exact words were: “Oh, that’s awesome! Thanks!”

But then, my boyfriend admitted that he did get one other piece cleaned up. And then it happened. He pulled out a ring box, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him! And of course (after a bit of happy crying) I said yes!

After a couple quick phone calls to our families to share the good news we were off to dinner. I still didn’t know where we were headed. I was happily surprised to learn we were going to Balthazar—a place I remember going as a child with my mom who loved French food. We got to celebrating right away with some champagne!

       Will figure out how to get rid of the not so attractive red eyes

              The ring! Inherited from my mom. Didn’t change a thing

Once we finished dinner, I was informed that we had plans at 11:30. Since this whole “not asking questions” thing was going so well for me, I decided to stick to that plan and just see what my boyfriend—now fiance!—had in store.

A cab brought us to a club/music venue called Highline Ballroom. I was thrilled to see that outside waiting were some of my closest and dearest friends that live in NYC. They thought they were meeting us for a surprise birthday party in my honor, so I got to surprise them with our good news! We took all our excitement and celebratory moods inside to the VIP area that my fiance reserved and literally danced the night away.

Saturday, March 16th, 2013 was by definitely the happiest day of my life. I got engaged to the love of my life and got to share this moment with some of best friends. I’m so thankful to my fiance, my friends, and everyone who enabled all of this to happen. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop smiling for awhile.

Thank you for letting me share this with you. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back to posting regularly very quickly.

Have a great weekend!