One of my favorite things about weddings is not only the cake, but when it's a friend of mine, I will pick up the pew pen and illustrate the wedding dress on the spot. Yes, I'm not 100% paying attention during the ceremony, but I hope the bride at least appreciates the end result. This was from a few years ago, but it was a dear friend from  high school's wedding, and her dress was stunning! 

The annual Met Gala is something I look forward to each year. 

It's the debut of the new costume collection inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So, celebrities, designers, and the like show up dressed according to the theme. More or less, it's a very expensive costume party. This year's theme, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, raised some eyebrows (take a peak inside the museum here and don't miss this post highlighting the perfectly polished table settings). Putting all that aside, let's focus on the fashion and how it might have been one of my all time favorite red carpets. The theme lends itself to lavish golds and reds, heavy embroidery, over the top headpieces, and angelic dresses. I loved seeing

different designers' interpretation of the theme. See all the red carpet looks here. Don't miss my absolute favorite of the night, Hailee Steinfeld wearing Prabal Gurung. 

Hey Nashville, come say hi! There are two (FREE) events this week that you're not going to want to miss. First, stop by Hot Pink on Thursday for a free personalization event. I'll be there from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm adding names to notecards on the spot (for free). It's the perfect opportunity to pick up a few graduation gifts or Mother's Day happies. Better yet, Katie Jacobs will be there signing copies of her new book So Much to Celebrate and our

local favorite Puffy Muffin will be providing treats. Sounds like the perfect lunch break to me!

Thursday, April 12th

11:00 am - 1:00 pm

231 Franklin Road

Brentwood, TN

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Last night's Golden Globes red carpet became a sea of black

as Hollywood took a stand against sexual harassment in the work place. It was a moving sight to take in as everyone stood together in solidarity for the #timesup movement. Learn more about the movement here. While the focus was more on motive than fashion, I can't help but point out the trends that took center stage... Velvet has been a huge texture trend this season, so plenty of stars showed up in black velvet (Jessica Chastain and Zoe

Kravitz being two of my favorites). Also a major trend of the night was a pop of emerald green. It made the perfect accent to all the black on the carpet (it's also my birthstone, so I've always been a huge fan of the deep green hue). As expected on any carpet, there were loads of sequins and sparkle (Kerry Washington in particular). A more casual carpet than other award shows, I was a huge fan of the shorter hems on some of the gowns. Ankle-grazing gowns that show your shoes is the perfect way to make a look a little less fussy. On the other hand, countless stars showed up in pants, a welcomed change from the sea of evening gowns. (The Queen) Claire Foy and Hollywood royalty Kyra Sedgwick were both donning perfectly tailored power suits.  As I've been doing some pre-spring shopping, a trend I've noticed becoming more and more popular is a hint of boho, a nod to the 70s. Alicia Vikander (one of my red carpet favorites) wore a long sleeved peasant gown that makes me long for the warmer days of spring.

But let's all stop and slow clap for the true queen of the night, Oprah.
Am I right or am I right? Go Oprah.

Today's the day! If you're in the Nashville area, come see me tonight... Sip & shop the stunning jewelry of Brooke Worthington; see all the new fall arrivals in the dreamy space of H.Audrey; work directly with the designer of Mabyl handbags to create a custom bag made from the most luxurious exotic skins. After designing your bag, receive a custom illustration done by yours truly! We hope to see you tonight!

A T L A N T A . . . . . 

Stop by the Neiman Marcus Last Call studio for an event tonight! I will be there live illustrating from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. I hope to see you there! 

If you didn't watch the Oscars last night, please tell me you have at least heard about the dramatic ending. Such an epic fail. 

But let's focus on the red carpet...I loved how Voila Davis and Ginnifer Goodwin both stepped out in bold red. Brie Larson's bold black velvet gown was breathtaking and seems to  be an emerging trend for fall (velvet - Busy Phillips also wore the trend). I love the unexpected ruffle and interested hemline. I was a big fan of this one. Janelle Monae is never one to fly under the radar and killed it in this over the top detailed black and white gown. I might have preferred it without the side panels, but it's the kind of look we've come to expect from her and I look forward to seeing what she's wearing. A true statement maker. 

White was a huge trend last night. From Priyanka Chopra in this structured

column gown from Ralph & Russo to Naomie Harris (who sadly I had never heard of) but my goodness, she is absolutely stunning. I love the simple sequins in such an interesting cut. Chrissy Teigen is also one who never disappoints and

looked oh-so-pretty in this white goddess gown. One of my favorite white gowns 

was worn by Darby Stanchfield (Abby for my Scandal watchers). Such a different dress that was truly breathtaking. 

Then there were the girls in gold. Winner Emma Stone looked age-appropriate

in this sleek flapper-inspired gown that was pretty, but it didn't make me swoon. 

Nicole Kidman also looked understated and like the true movie star she is, like

meh, this is my 15th Oscars, I'm going to be comfortable. She looks effortless as

per usual, it's really not fair. Jessica Biel also looked completed stunning in this

detailed gold, sequined gown with a bold accessory. I loved it. But did you see

her after party dress? I can't decide which one I love more. 

My two favorites were like breaths of fresh air when they appeared. First, 

my girl, Giuliana Rancic stunned in this periwinkle gown with an added cape. 

Nobody else on the carpet had on a similar color so it stood out in the best way. 

Truly truly stunning. (Speaking of fresh colors, Demi Lovato showed up to the 

after-parties in this beautiful lavender gown that makes my heart skip a beat. 

So pretty).

And then there was the princess of the night, Hailee Steinfeld (also in 

Ralph & Russo). The back was just as interesting as the front, it had so many

interested details, and the airiness of it was just etherial. I want to borrow this one and just twirl and prance around a castle. It's true princess perfection. Her outfit change was also well worth it donning another Ralph & Russo gown, this one a more sleek column gown with a dramatic train. 

While red carpets are a designer's showcase, we can pick up on what will be big
in the coming months. Last night's Golden Globes ushered in a new wave of trends. The up-dos were tighter, the necklines were plunging, the slits were thigh-high, elegant black bows made the perfect finishing touch, the colors were soft and pretty.... overall, every look was feminine and ladylike to it's core. Gone are the deep, bold hues and structure from fall. Here come the lighter days of spring. 

A few of my favorites were Mandy Moore in a cape like dark number, Priyanka Chopra in this embellished gold gown (I also have major hair envy), and Octavia Spencer making a tuxedo look oh-so-elegant. I loved how both Michelle Williams and Sienna Miller's added a little black bow. 

Winner Tracee Ellis Ross killed it in this heavily embellished shorter gown. 

But Kristen Bell was the belle of the ball. She killed it at the Emmy's, and after last night I'm wanting to make a hair appointment asap. Hair goals. Body goals. Goals in general. 

The Met Gala is something to look forward to each year. It celebrates the debut of the new costume collection. So it is, for lack of a better term, a couture costume party. Designers arrive with their muses dressed in their take on the theme. "Manus x Machina" led most designers to heavy metals, silver beading (see Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford, Jourdan Dunn), and other tech-inspired elements. An early favorite was Karolina Kurkova in Marchesa. It was, however, Zac Posen's night. His creation for Claire Danes basically broke the internet. It had my Cinderella-loving heart beating abnormally fast because she stepped inside and the dress was glowing, as in glow in the dark. What?! I died a little bit. 

It also gave me the perfect opportunity to experiment with my new black paper...

See all the red carpet arrivals here.
I also love Vogue's exclusive gallery Inside the Met Gala 2016. 

I also came across Zendaya dressed in a lovely Michael Kors gown that was quite stunning.

Did you watch? 

It's a night I look forward to every year. I'm always on the edge of my seat to see who's wearing what.   The cute couple moments on the carpet, the awkward acceptance speeches, the instant updates on instagram - it's a night that makes me stay attune to all social channels, a night where DVR serves us no purpose because the show inevitably goes two hours longer than expected. 

Seeing Leo & Kate pose together. My Titanic-loving heart completely exploded. Best Ensemble Cast? Jacob Tremblay & Co. How adorable is he and how perfect is his family? I'm rooting for a Tremblay reality show. 

I was a bit surprised by Alicia Vikander's bold, bubble-hemmed yellow dress. She looked youthful and like a true princess in custom Louis Vuitton, though it wouldn't have been my first choice (I couldn't agree more with the major Disney vibes from this post). I actually preferred her sleek black sequined dress for the afterparties... work that Oscar, girl. 

Though she's often in the background, I was smitten with Eddie Redmayne's precious pregnant wife's black number with gold details. 

On the mom-to-be note, I can't get enough of Chrissy Teigen's pregnancy style. She's making the bump the best new accessory. She looked ravishing in a red lace Marchesa gown and a perfectly messy braid (see a better angle of the hair here). 

I've had a longtime girl crush on Margot Robbie that dates back to when Pan Am was on the air. It was a short-lived show, but she caught my attention then and I've been tuned in to what she's doing ever since. She stunned in black last year, but it was a breath-taking gold sequined dress by Tom Ford that stole the show this year. 

And then there were the girls in green, Saoirse Ronan and Rachel McAdams. Both looked stunning in this deep jewel tone with perfect hair to complete the look (also, thanks to @shawnjohnson for this post).

Yes, JLaw looked stunning in her black lace Dior (I love that it was so different from everything she's worn this season), and Olivia Munn was sleek and stunning in Stella McCartney, BUT it comes down to two. Two that made my jaw drop. Two that I literally said, "oh wow" to when I saw the photos. Sleek, simple, effortless and completely flawless in every way. 

Charlize Theron returns to the red carpet in red Dior, slaying it every step of the way. Red done right. 

Lady Gaga stuns in a pant suit (is that what we're calling it?) by Brandon Maxwell. I mean... the head-to-toe look is perfection.




Top Trends:

The hair: if it wasn't a braid (like Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Wilde, Anne Hathaway at the Vanity Fair after party) then it was loose and unkempt (Margot Robbie - seriously, how stunning is she? Naomi Watts, Alicia Vikander, Saoirse Ronan all worked the look). Others went sleek and straight with a fresh blowout like JLaw and Reese Witherspoon, or a really tight bun (Rooney Mara, Charlize Theron, Rachel McAdams all sported this one).

The dresses: at the afterparties, plunging necklines and a high split seemed to be the trend of the night (Taylor Swift, Rachel McAdams dress #2, Jessica Alba. And SEQUINS. A plethora of sequins as seen on many of the lovely ladies listed above (even Chrisy Teigen opted for a black sequined dress to end the night).

We'll end with this because Justin & Jessica are everything. And this...

Who were your best dressed? What were your favorite moments?

If I'm invited to your wedding, I'm most likely using those handy pew pencils and sketching on your wedding program. It's one of my favorite wedding gifts to give - a framed illustration that was sketched live during the wedding of the bride in her wedding dress. Below are two from summer 2015, both very close family friends.