Lulu's, where have you been all my life?

I can not believe that I never knew of Lulu's! So many cute dresses in one place. I'm on cloud nine.
Here are some options for Gold Cup..

Virginia Gold Cup

The Virginia Gold Cup is an annual celebration of hunt country tradition. This year marks the 85th running of the world famous steeplechase. Of course, as much as it is a day of races, it is one of the year's biggest social events for Washingtonians.

With just 5 weeks left until Gold Cup (!), it's time to start thinking about what I will wear! I want something that I know I will wear again, and can be dressed either up or down. Here are some of the cute dresses I've found so far, in order of my current favorites...

{Ella Moss on BlueFly - $104}

  {Seersucker Playa Dress from J.Crew - $118}

{Embossed Playa Dress from J.Crew - $98}

{Waterfloral Pastiche Taryn Dress from J.Crew - $295}

{Flying Eel on BlueFly - $79}

{C&C on BlueFly - $47}

These are the wedges that I already own...

{Seychelles}

Hmm...which will I choose? I'll be on the lookout for more chic options.

Pay It Forward

I will soon be starting as a volunteer at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. My excitement has me thinking of other ways that all of us can pay it forward.

• Volunteer at your local animal shelter or human society.
• Be a big brother or sister for your local Boys & Girls Club.
• Adopt-a-stream.
• Volunteer at a hospital or nursing home.
• Start a community garden.
• Recycle!
• Start a compost pile in your backyard.
• Work with Habitat for Humanity.
• Donate blood to the Red Cross.

Volunteer Match is a great resource for finding volunteer opportunities in your community.

With various levels of commitment required for these ideas, you really have no excuse not to do something! Enjoy this beautiful weather. Get out there and do some service!

Rain, rain, go away...

All this rain has me dreaming of the perfect rain boots. I especially have my eye on the original Hunter Wellies. Now if I could only decide on a color.

Yellow is just so bright and cheery...

and it brings me thoughts of this cuteness...

{Source}

Of course, you can never go wrong with neutrals.

Black is always chic...

as shown by celebs...

As these seem to be growing in popularity right now, my next task will be to actually find them somewhere in my size.

Kaiah gets a visit from her BFF Anny

As we drove home to Northern Virginia for Spring Break, Derek and I kept wondering what in the world Kaiah would do without Anny for a whole week. Kaiah and Anny, now 10- and 8-months old, respectively, had a rough start Believe me when I say that six months ago, I never thought they would end up inseperable.

The very first day that Anny came home from the shelter, she was brought outside to meet Kaiah, Jackson, and Sam (more on them later). She was nervous, but we heard that she had been the bully of her litter. Kaiah did not know what to make of her! She had been playing with 85-pound Jackson and 60-pound Samantha for most of her life. What was this little thing? Kaiah, being the gentle, yet curious, ball of fur that she is, was going to find out. She laid her self down right in front of Anny, with her nose just inches away from Anny's sweet little face. And then...Anny barked! Kaiah's ears shot straight back as if some immeasurable wind had just blown into her face. She quickly returned to wrestling with the big dogs. That little thing had some nerve!

Somewhere between then and now, they became the best of friends. They enjoy staring competitions that resemble something out of an old western movie, tackling each other while making crazy noises, and laying in the grass as they plot how they can next cause trouble. Oh, how they love to cause trouble.

So imagine the chaos that ensued when Anny appeared in my parents' driveway. The two of them were overwhelmed with disbelief, shock, and of course, excitement. They spent the day playing and causing trouble. You didn't really think they could go one day without causing trouble did you? They decided to get loose and explore the golf course, finding mud to swim in along the way. Yes, I said mud to swim in, because that's just what they did. We eventually got them showered and clean and they enjoyed the rest of their day. Just a few more days left until they are causing trouble reunited again in Blacksburg.