Finding the Perfect Dress.

Happy Sunday Ladies. <3

As promised, today’s post features a new fashion find.  Some of you may have heard of Rent the Runway, but for those of you that haven’t, let's get you introduced. :) 

At a certain point in all of our lives, we go through this cycle where it seems like every other weekend we have another engagement party, shower, wedding and/or event that requires us to dress up. Thanks to today’s social media culture, you don’t want to be seen with the same dress twice, but who has the budget and closet space to have a new dress for every event?! Not me! So, what’s our saving grace? Rent the Runway!

Rent the Runway is your one stop rental shop for all of your dress, gown and/or accessory needs. 

This past August was my first Rent the Runway experience and I absolutely loved it. Here’s my story and how this process works.

1. Search the Rent the Runway website for the type of dress you want to wear.  Filter based on size, rental date, price and style of dress (length, neckline, body type, etc.).  You can literally narrow it down to the exact type of dress you are looking for.
2. Once you've found the perfect dress, it's time to rent it. Book for a 4 or 8 day rental period. 
3. Need some of the other essentials like Spanx or Fashion Tape, etc.? Rent the Runway offers these too (for an additional cost of course).
4. How about some accessories? Rent the Runway offers suggestions on how to complete your look on the bottom of their page.  From a necklace, to earrings or a bracelet, they suggest the perfect accessories rental to match your selection.
5. Your order will arrive by 8pm on your delivery date via UPS, so make sure you allot the proper amount of time before your event.
6. Post party, send back your items in the pre-paid envelope that Rent the Runway provides – they take care of the dry-cleaning.

The Positives:

The cost! The rentals are very affordable. For instance, you can rent a $385 Badgley Mischka dress for $35. 

The ability to choose two sizes! Let’s say you’re a size 6 in most dress styles, but based on the reviews, you're worried that your selected style might not fit. Well, Rent the Runway allows you to rent two sizes for the price of one. In this example, you could rent a size 6 and a size 8 just to be safe. The fact that they do not charge you for that second size is amazing and puts your worries about the fit at ease! 

The testimonials from real women! While you’re searching for your dress, they highlight women who have rented the same dress along with their comments.  This is extremely helpful because you’re looking at real body measurements (not just model sizes) and they offer helpful tips such as, “this dress showed off my love handles so don't wear it if you are self conscious" or "you may want to reconsider the type of bra you wear with this dress because it has a wide open area under the arms". 

The Concerns:

I'm not sure if I would like wearing a rented dress? This is a common concern and one that I expressed at first too. However, after I made the decision to try it, I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the service (especially coming from a major OCD/Germaphobe like myself).  Upon receiving my rental, these concerns were quickly put to rest. It comes in a pretty package and dress bag, freshly cleaned and pressed (as a daughter of a dry cleaner - I could spot this a mile away ;) ) . 

What if I spill on the dress? It's not a problem.  Rent the Runway charges a $5 insurance fee during your checkout process, which covers minor stains and damage. Obviously if there is significant damage (i.e. you had a run in with a bear) then it would not be covered under the insurance. 

Have additional concerns? They offer an FAQs page to help answer your questions. 

Below are a few shots of me in my rented dress as well as the packaging that it came in:

Myself and the hubby at the wedding!

Here's another shot of the dress in brighter light:

It also comes in some great packaging. The first is the outside box and the second is the dress bag, which is perfect for transporting if you're not getting ready at home.

Have you used the Rent the Runway before? If so, I'd love to hear about the dress you chose.  If it will be your first time, happy shopping! 

Here's to looking like a million bucks without having to spend it. xoxo

Comfort Food Sunday

Happy Weekend Ladies. I've missed you!

I'm sorry for being MIA from the blog these last couple of months. Summer and the start of fall have been a complete whirlwind. Now that I finally have my weekends back, and can turn my attention to Wear It For The Ladies, I wanted to kick my blogging into full gear today.

On this breezy fall Sunday, I thought what better day to catch up with all of you ladies and make some comfort food. Before you throw out those over ripe bananas sitting on your counter, let's whip up some banana bread. The riper the banana, the better!

With the candles lit, the trees changing outside, and the warm smell of the bread, I couldn't feel more surrounded by fall. I love this time of year, so let's create the same scene in your home; it's time to get baking.

The ingredients:

• 2-3 very ripe bananas (I used 3 bananas)
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (you can use less sugar if desired - 3/4 or even 1/2 cup - I used the full thing)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 

Let's bake: 

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), and butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan.

Step 2: Peel your bananas and place them in a bowl. Begin to mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth (that's why very ripe bananas are recommended). 

Step 3: Stir in melted butter into the mashed bananas. 

Step 4: Mix in the baking soda and salt.

Step 5: Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract.

Step 6: Mix in the flour.

Step 7: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.

Step 8: Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes (check at 50 minutes) at 350°F (175°C), or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. I checked mine at the 50 minute mark and it was finally fully baked at 60 minutes.

Step 9: Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Remove the banana bread from the pan. (Quick tip >> a bread knife helps to make slices that aren't crumbly.)

Step 10: After it cools, slice off a piece and pair it with a cup of tea it's so delicious!

Enjoy your bread. Check back next week - I'll be writing on a new fashion find. xoxo