You may (or not) find this hard to believe, but this is my only office LBD. I have a couple of casual black dresses, and a special occasions one, but I’m not a huge fan of black dresses generally. I know that they’re supposed to be a wardrobe classic, and yes, black never goes out of style, but they just don’t make my heart sing in the same way as a fun print, or bright colour.

Well, except for this one. This LBD is pretty much the definition of awesome.

I still marvel at the fact I found it while thrifting, and paid $12 for it. The fit is superb, as you can see. This style can sometimes be unforgiving, especially through the mid-section, but this dress is the opposite of that – I think it actually minimizes bloat. Crazy, right? I know I’ve said this before, but keep an eye out for Sweet Chemise dresses – they’re made in Canada, and pretty darn sweet alright.

This is one of my fave dresses, and you are not surprised because I think we have agreed that I am the queen of dresses that look like separates and vice versa. I wore it again, after too long of a break, for my birthday dinner and it did not disappoint. It is just so darn pretty. And pretty comfortable too, especially now that I have a bit more wiggle room in it.

Speaking of which, I was a bit surprised when I dug out the photo of the last time I wore this dress, almost exactly one year ago. I honestly didn’t think my body had changed quite so visibly in the last six months or so, so this side by side was a bit of an eye-opener. Funnily enough, I see the biggest difference in my face. I am reminded of the saying attributed (if I remember correctly) to the great Catherine Deneuve: after a certain age, women have to chose between their face and their ass. She spoke, of course, in an era before injectables. And I won’t lie: I have a different perspective on Botox now than I did at 25. (Which is to say, I have been thinking about it.)

In case you couldn’t tell, issues of age and self-image have been on my mind more than usual lately, which I fully attribute to this damn birthday. 35 has hit me in a way that 30 never did, and I’m still working on figuring out why. Anyone else out there who’s felt/feeling the same?

Working on weekends, especially in the summer, is a mixed bag. On one hand, it sucks. And, really, at least 70% of the time, we can just stop at the one hand. But, from time to time, it’s great. I get to be super productive, enjoy a quiet office, and feel super accomplished come Monday morning. And I can skip the nap time negotiations at home. Ok, working on weekends is actually not that bad now that I think about it.

I also get to wear whatever the heck I want, which means … grandma’s floral couch rides again!

I still love these pants so much, you guys. And I love how they look with my new platform sandals. The t-shirt was a “laundry day” type of call, but I think it might actually work? Maybe? Eh, who cares. It’s just another Sunday at the office.