Q: What should I wear to a Masquerade wedding in Italy? A: Can I be your plus one?

Yes, I'm for real. Better said, my friend whose attending a black-tie-mask-required wedding in Venice tomorrow night is for real. And I, for one, am geloso (that's Italian for jealous, although it also sounds like what my boday feels like after one too many skipped Soul Cycle classes).

I always get asked about dresses to wear to formal weddings, and the jewel-toned numbers in today's post are a few of my favs because they all would work in your favor on the dance floor (strict criteria I adhere to in selecting my wedding-attendee wardrobe). In this covetable case, the masks are the appropriate accessory and I'd probs not recommend them for a stateside affair - although who am I to keep you from living out your inner phantom-of-the-opera fantasies if you so desire? 

Black Dress - Alice McCall// Orange Butterfly Mask - Etsy// Gold Leather Headband - Morgan and Taylor// Black Lace Mask - Etsy// Sicily Earrings - Etsy// Yellow Sequin Dress - DVF// Peacock Mask - Etsy// Teal Dress - Sachin and Babi// Feather Mask - Etsy// Fil Coupé Dress - Erdem// Green Butterfly Mask - Etsy// Green Strapless Dress - Solace London

Q: Can you find me a graduation dress? A: Can you like, not remind me of how old I am?

Today's post is aging me just a lil' bit - a decade, to be precise. I graduated from my all-gals Catholic school, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, just shy of ten years ago and in about a month my youngest sister will do the same. Talk about livin' the "but where has the time gone?! a 10 year reunion - how could this be?!" cliche - someone get this wannabe millennial a hot tub time machine.

There are endless things I can say about my dearest alma mater. But for the sake of retaining readership, I'll narrow it to the two most important points, sparknote style (since we're in high school mode, after all): 1) Lourdes is where I met my soul sistas and some of my BFFAE and 2) Lourdes is where I learned how to use Photoshop (all credit goes to Ms. Martinez for suggesting I bow out of AP Economics for a class I could - what's a good term here - comprehend a lil' betta - Digital Imaging). So, in a way, my high school is responsible for this post/blog even existing, while at the same time being the inspiration behind it today (like, whoa). 

The graduation regalia required at Lourdes is a white dress and while I (oddly enough) never questioned why, I'll chalk it up to a combo of symbolism (representing our pure-hearted, angelic selves) and practicality (the graduation robe is white). I'm proud to report my a-line eyelet Milly SS '07 number that I rocked with pomp and circumstance is still hanging in my closet. So when when my Yale-bound sister (casual) asked me to help her find some options, I did what every overbearing older sister would do: I made a post with some strong suggestions (should be an exclusive list of options but what do I know - I only have a decade of wisdom to impart). Ahem - all honor goes to you, dear Lourdes Academy. 

Top (from left to right): Stevie May// Cinq a Sept// Three Floor// Edit// Alexis// Maje 
Bottom (from left to right): Rebecca Taylor// Stevie May// Derek Lam 10 Crosby// Rebecca Taylor// Black Halo

Q: What should I wear to the tennis tourney? A: Something that Will Cause a Racquet

... because of how fly you look, of course. I know I said I would lay off the puns today - oh wait - I didn't say that. But I'll be courteous and stick to the matter at hand: tennis week in Houston. Monday heralded the start of the annual Men's Clay Court Championship at the River Oaks Country Club, which is scheduled to run until the finals on Sunday (rain & bipolar Houston weather permitting).

The springtime tennis tournament is - dare I say it - an event aptly fitting the description of somewhere you go to see and be seen. So what exactly can you expect to see? Tennis done the old-fashioned way ("River Oaks is what tennis used to be, much like Augusta National is what golf used to be" - purposely left in quotations so that you don't kill the messenger), these fine young athletes (can I get a helloOo, Feliciano), and a swanky crowd playing their own round of the who's who game. And as for the what you should be seen in part, I got you covered.

Fun fact on the RO tennis tourney: no tennis tournament in the country has been played longer on the same surface at the same locale. So it ain't only fun and games - although (dare I say it) that is the best part. 

Yellow Fringe Earrings - Bauble Bar// Hats - Reiss// Spectrum Sunglasses - Free People// Pink Off the Shoulder Top - Tuckernuck// Striped Shorts - MDS Stripes// Tennis Clutch - Parker Hatch// Tan Slides - Carrie Forbes// Pom Pom Hoop Earrings - Asos// Twist Tank - Club Monaco// White Culottes - DVF// Yellow Slides - Zara// Mini Yellow Bag - Stella McCartney//
Tennis Clothes - New Balance for J. Crew (top, skirt, dress)

Q: What should I wear to a Napa wedding? A: How do you take your grapes?

I was recently popped the question of what to wear to a springtime wedding in Napa. For the record, I do not play hard to get with such proposals - the answer is usually always a resounding YES! so feel free to pepper me with some here. 

Also for the record, I've never been to Napa. And while I continue to ride this confessional train, I might as well add that I'm no vino connoisseur neitha'. My knowledge of Napa Valley can be equated with my knowledge of the Parent Trap, and I'm fairly certain my dependable inability to tell a cab from a merlot from a pinot would make a Grand Sommelier question whether my taste buds and sense of smell are functioning at all. BUT that's not to say my sophisticated mastery of the language of wine (red, white, pink & bubbles) can't be put to good use somehow (besides the nightly I-just-got-home-so-'Ima-pour-me-a-big-one ritual).

So having just really impressed you all, I'll leave you with these four different looks, each styled so that the curtains match the cup. Even if you gotta whisper "I'll just take the house wine, porfavor," you can still look like you know what you're doing - fake it 'til ya make it, baby.  

Metallic Earrings - J. Crew// Silk Organza Off the Shoulder Top - J. Crew// Skirt - Zimmermann// Woven Clutch - Ted Baker// Pink Suede Heels - Alexandre Birman// Beaded Bon Bon Earrings - Rebecca De Ravenel// One Shoulder Dress - We Are Kindred// Cage Sphere Clutch - Asos// Denim Pearl Heels - Stuart Weitzman

Flower Earrings - Ken Samudio// Floral Dress - Nicholas// Red Bucket Bag - Rebecca De Ravenel// Velvet Ankle Tie Heels - Gianvito Rossi// Green Agate Earrings - Bauble Bar// Pink Lace Dress - Nicholas// Leopard Clutch - Serpui// Gold Heels - Zara

Q: What do I wear to a Contemporary-Mexican Themed Party? A: To better your chances of survival, go all out

There's something in the San Antonio water that gets you dreamin' and schemin' of all the vibrant and festive Tex-Mex-themed ensembles you can whip together. I liken it to a type of human mimicry, which (for those fungus-among-us who didn't overdose on Animal Planet as undergrads) is the term for the resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment or protection from predators. Here, the better and brighter and more jovial the outfit, the better your chances of ensuring your Marg is always refilled, the Mariachis play yo' song, and your queso bowl never goes empty - aka survival in Texas. 

The next Alamo City shin-dig on the agenda is Artpace's annual party, The Happening, a yearly gala celebrating San Antonio's "laboratory of dreams," a nonprofit art gallery that doubles as an art lab and community center for contemporary artists. This year's theme is "Contemporary Art of Mexico City," which aims to honor the strong presence of artists and architects from Mexico who have passed through Artpace’s programs (more info below). I look forward to this event every year because the magic of gathering a bunch of artsy-fartsy Texans together to par-tay is not lost on me: the conversation, the clothing, and the consumption (these are a few of my favorite things) is just that much more wild and colorful. Which brings me back to the dreamin' and schemin'...

Cactus Purse - Charlotte Olympia// Off the Shoulder Dress - Del Pozo// Pink Earrings - Ranjana Kahn// Green Shoes - Aquazzura// Flower Headband - Etsy// Black Eyelet Romper - Nightcap Clothing// Red Clutch - Cleobella// Pom Pom Bag - Serpui// Mexican Slides - Schutz// Neon Cactus Earrings - Etsy// Strapless Dress - Del Pozo// Silver Pom Pom Clutch - Loeffler Randall// Cactus Wedges - Charlotte Olympia

To purchase tickets to the event, click here. 

To purchase tickets to the event, click here.