Playgrounnds & Lollipops - A Lesson Learned

 {Dress: Patterson Kincaid; Tights: Hue; Booties: Stuart Weitzman; Watch: Michael Kors}

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this dress.  And I'm going to teach them to you, whether you want me to or not.  But first, I need to go make myself a cup of coffee.  I've now come to the realization that I'm not working out this morning so I might as well ingest my coffee now.  Blogging vs. working out?  Blogging will win every time.  Sorry abs and butt.

Okay, I'm back and the coffee tastes great.  So where were we?  Oh, yes, the lessons learned from a dress.  In my ever so humble opinion, I don't think we women wear enough dresses and it's a shame.  Dresses make a statement.  You don't have to think about putting together an outfit since it's an all-in-one outfit.  It's a great value item because you don't have to buy two pieces.  And they're so feminine and versatile.  Again, in my humble opinion, I think the basis of a strong wearable closet starts with a couple of versatile dresses that you can wear to baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, a DATE with your husband perhaps?  I used to scramble the day before an event searching for a dress to wear and would end up spending too much money on something that I didn't love because I was in a time crunch.  So now I always sort of keep my eyes peeled for a dress so I have one when I need it.

 

And this dress in particular is going to get a lot of mileage in the next year.  I found it on a sale rack at Bloomingdale's last week when I was visiting stores and it was an additional 40% off, which means I paid about $5 for it.  Really, I paid $53 for it which ain't bad considering the original price was $165!  Always scan the sale racks first my friends, you are bound to unearth a treasure.  This is the only clothing purchase I made this month too by the way, leaving me well within my budget for February.

I love that the graphic floral print makes a statement.  I love that it has both black and cognac colors going on so I can wear it as seen with black tones, or else wear it with brown tones.  I love that it's short sleeve, not sleeveless or long sleeve, so it can be season-less.  And I love the funky pleated waist line.  I have great vision for this dress.  I see it being worn not only with heels as seen here, but with my oxford flats during spring time for sort of a hipster/artsy look, with wedges for a fun dinner date, or with flat sandals for a birthday party.  Just about the only thing this dress can't do is make dinner for me.

So what have we learned today friends?

1. Always shop the sale racks first
2. Dresses are versatile and cost-effective, and make a statement
3. Add a dress to your wardrobe
4. If you find a dress that you like, in your price range, pick it up even if you don't have a specific event in mind because something will inevitably come up.
   
5. Don't shy away from a bold print; while basics are great, too many basics are boring
6. Look for a print that holds both black and brown tones for even more versatility
7. Look for a dress that can be worn all year round
8. Lastly, we have learned that when Andrea does not blog for a few days, Andrea gets very verbose

And that has been our lesson plan for the day.  Study hard, there will be a test later.  Okay not really.  Oh, and don't ask why our firewood is wrapped in plastic wrap, or why half these pictures are crooked.  Have a great Friday.  Any good plans this weekend?  Oh, and do you like this type of lessons learned format?