Party Dresses for the Holiday Season

I'm in New York for the week and am having a fantastic time so far :) I was invited to be a guest at a blogger event hosted by Bose, so my husband and I decided to make a mini-vacation out of it and flew in yesterday. I've never been to New York during the holiday season and it's absolutely magical!

Today's blog post is all about that fun little cocktail dress we all love to shop for in December. With holiday parties, Christmas, and New Years Eve, it's a great excuse to splurge on a new party dress (even though most of us probably have plenty of dresses in our closets we could wear...). Here's a round-up of some fun options (some affordable, and some not so much). What fun events are you looking forward to attending this month?!

{Versace for H&M Gold Dress}

{Sheri Bodell Venus Metal Halter Dress}

{Tahari Black Stretch Jersey Tank Dress}

{Belted Leopard Print Dress}

{Noon & Night Dress}

{Lace Panel Pleat Tunic}

{Wyatt Silver Sequined Stretch V-Neck Dress}

{Midnight Glare Dress}

{Temperley London Andrea Silk Crepe Dress}

{Color Block Halter Dress}

{Fosse Silk Print Dress by Trina Turk}

Baby Shower Tea Party

I mentioned last Friday that I was throwing a baby shower for my sister last weekend. The theme was "An Afternoon Tea," and the color scheme was hot pink, black and white.

I scored the most amazing roses at Costco, the day before the shower!

We served tea in my grandmother's antique bone china - she'd be so happy to know we used her beautiful china; my mother-in-law made the adorable chocolate teacup & teapot favors...I painted the flower pots and wrapped them with ribbon to display the treats.

(From top left): we served several different teas, each pot labeled with a description of the tea flavor; yummy cream puffs covered in chocolate and powdered sugar; one of my floral centerpieces along side a bowl of M&M's and peanuts (as requested by my very pregnant sister); an adorable sign created by my 8-year old niece and big-sister-to-be, which reads "Welcome funny Baby!"

Petit fours that my mom and I made together - we were so proud of ourselves :) We actually sliced up butter pound cake, covered the cubes with homemade frosting and then I decorated them with regular cake frosting in pastry bags. So easy and really tasty!

Chocolate covered strawberries created by my mom :)

The shower was a total success! Everyone, including my lovely sister, had a great time and enjoyed all of the tea and treats. I wish you all a wonderful weekend! Any fun plans? I'm planning on doing NOTHING and will enjoy every moment of it! Ciao :)

Tea Time

I honor of my sister's baby girl, due April 5th (her 4th child, btw), my mom and I are throwing her a "Tea Party" themed baby shower tomorrow afternoon. Here are some inspiration photos I found while browsing the Internet for tea party decor and food ideas. I'll post photos of the shower next week. Have a lovely weekend!

PHOTO CREDITS: FLICKR & FFFOUND!