Black tulle

Dress: Allison Parris c/o Rent the Runway || Heels: Christian Louboutin || Clutch: Similar || Earrings: Tova c/o Rent the Runway || Hair by Sue at W Salon

The weekend before Christmas, I got to attend one of my favorite holiday events -- the District Gala. This was the third time I've been lucky enough to go and be one of the best dressed judges. It's always so fun to get dolled up, maybe have a glass (or three or four) of champs, and party like it's 2014.

This year, Rent the Runway's new store in Georgetown agreed to take my formal wear game up a level and let me borrow this Allison Parris stunner. Truth time: I've never been a fan of tulle. But when I put this dress on (it was the very first one I tried out of like, 47 others) I fell in love. It was so beautiful and elegant, but the black made it feel a bit more edgy...totally my style. I actually felt a little like Cinderella at the end of the night when I got home and swapped it out for sweats. Mom life, you guys!

And thank heavens for W Salon. I've been going there for a few years now after meeting Sue at a blogger event where she promised to give me the "Victoria's Secret Angel haircut" I couldn't seem to get anywhere else. Girlfriend did not disappoint, and I only trust my locks to her now. For the Gala, I asked her for a slightly undone but sleek 'do where all my hair was kinda slicked to one side. Especially so that I could let my earrings make the statement. As always, she killed it. The moral of that story: if you're in the DC area and need a new salon, now you know where to go.

Oh, and I should probably mention that I had every intention of bringing my camera -- and then accidentally left it home. Mostly because a DSLR does not fit in a clutch and -- as a life rule for most things -- if it doesn't fit in whatever bag I'm using, it usually ends up getting left behind. But I still wanted to share some pics with you so I hope you'll excuse the shoddy iPhone quality. I just really wanted to share!