Ahhh, you'd like to channel the luck of the Irish, would you? Well you're going to have to dress the part. You know you're going to partake in some of the festivities of the holiday tomorrow. But what to wear?

Style guide follows (Note: I've included male and female options–so no excuses!):

Throw a quick chapeau on your noggin'. I love both the Irish driving hats like this mossy fellow for guys…

and the Irish Walking hat found on somethingirish, is so cute for girls. Plus these have stylish staying power beyond 3/17…

Cool pants to rock, think "go big or go home" and about bringing a little extra flair to the party. Gents…

Found on Orvis.

And ladies, these are for you, from my favorite purveyor of "prep-chic", Vineyard Vines.

And finally for that finishing touch south of your ankles, guys, are you loving these Pumas?

Ladies, last and certainly not least, I bring you Christian Louboutin!! Dare to dream, dare to dream.

ERIN GO BRAUGH! (share my blog with a friend and I'll tell you what it means:)

I/we love to entertain. As a matter of fact, I have a cocktail napkin collection, that borders on insane, as I always want to be prepared for impromptu gatherings. The best place to get them by the way, both for variety and price is Tuesday Morning.

Anyways, cocktail hour is one of the most fun hours of the day. While that statement makes me sound like a lush, it's largely due to hors d'oeuvres that typically come along for the ride! So while my husband outshines me in most things culinary, I do make a few mean hors d'oeuvres. I've become pretty well known in my circles for a few of them, so I've decided to share the wealth, as they are SO easy and delicious. No one will know what little time you actually had to put in to make these delicious morsels for them:)

By the way, all credit for these goes to my Mom (this is a test to see if she's reading my blog).

Blue Cheese Balls

1. 4 oz of blue cheese crumbles
2. 1/4-1/2 cup butter
3. 1 tube of refrigerated baking powder biscuits (* brief aside: these bring me back to my Home Ec. days with Ms. Clark. The poor woman had a lisp, and we teased, "My name's Ms. Clark and I like to sew, I like to make things outta biscuit dough…")

Melt cheese and butter in over in pyrex baking dish. Quarter each pre-cut biscuit and roll into balls. line over the melted mixture of cheese and butter. Bake as directed on pkg. or longer to look somewhat browned.

Remove and serve pulled apart on a plate or tray with toothpicks.

Brie Cups

1. A nice creamy brie with the rind removed
2. Apricot Jam
3. Party cups or pre-made mini tartlets, like Sable & Rosenfeld ones that you can buy at Pasta & Co.in Seattle. My absolute favorite are made by a greek company and sold at Cost Plus World Market. The package is blue and they are crispy small shells. I wish I could reference them here, but searched high and low online and cannot locate, sorry!

Fill the cups 3/4 of the way to the top with brie. Add a dollop of apricot jam. Melt in oven, just till warm. Serve and enjoy. Also, you could fill these with a gourmet store bought chicken salad easily too.

Parmesan Party Rye (if you count the mini party ryes, I've gone over the 3 ingredient claim, sorry!)

1. Mayo
2. Green Onions
3. Parmesan cheese

Grate fresh parmesan in a dish, add finely chopped green onions about 1/4 in proportion. Add only a small amount of mayo to moisten. Spread on the party ryes (i know you all know what these are already, but they are found usually by the deli in the grocery) and broil in the oven till they get bubbly.

HAPPY HOSTING!

No trip to Savannah or the area is complete without a visit to The Crab Shack for you guessed it, some amazing shellfish, a low country boil (see below)of course, and a cold one. Their tagline brags: “Where the elite eat in their bare feet” This place is beyond entertaining, the first thing to experience are the alligators who live on-site in the alligator lagoon, naturally, right? The best place to sit is outside on the patio which is super kick-back and adorned with upside down barrel lights. Other on-site creatures include roaming cats, like a one-legged one we encountered, and parrots in cages, in the gift shop.

If you’ve made it out to The Crab Shack, then you are almost to Tybee Island, one of the beautiful smaller barrier islands of the area. The drive alone alongside salty beautiful marshes makes this a worthwhile outing. This low-key Island has an arty vibe (though somewhat cast of Jersey Shore meets the South, when you get to the strip) and for some relevant of-the-moment trivia: one of the homes to new Academy Award winning actress, Sandra Bullock.

But if I were be building my nest in the area, I would choose the very special community called Isle of Hope. The homes in this community seem to be frozen in the era of Southern grace. We are talking drippy southern charm here. Look at this gem,

oh how I could picture myself drinking a tall glass of iced tea on this lovely porch and watching a shrimp boat go by. The history of this community is also rich as pirates from the 1800’s would burry their treasure on these shores. Children to this day, are often found digging for buried treasure! “ARRRRGH!!!”

Thought I would leave you with this fun background and recipe from Coastal Living on the native, low country boil.

Did Y'all (favorite new southern phrase) miss me? OK, I promise not to change my dialect after four days down south, but it sure is catchy. And is it just me or are people from the South the most POLITE on the planet? Definitely going to try to emulate that for a while.

But onto other Savannah favorites. I just love when the imagery of a certain place imagined from reading a book, like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, matches the experience of being there. One step into one of the dozens of squares in downtown Savannah lined by by huge live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and some of the most beautiful churches and cathedrals in the world and you there you are. Savannah boasts a quaint and old downtown with touches of oozy goozy southern charm in every direction.

This area is steeped in history and culture, and a surprising modern vibrance, thanks in part to SCAD or the Savannah College of Art and Design. Which infuses the city with youth, galleries and creativity galore.

Hope your shoes were made for walkin' as this city is meant to be
explored by foot. One of my favorite streets is Jones Street, as the
original "Keeping up with the Jones'" phrase was coined after this street–for this was and perhaps still is,
considered to be one of the most fashionable addresses in the area. At
the corner of Jones and Whitaker lives One Fish Two Fish. A wonderful boutique that feels like the inside of a Tiffany's box meets the charms of the South…Here you are bound to find treasures specific to the area like an original painting like this one

of an oyster by local artist Bellamy Murphy. I had the chance to meet with Bellamy, an extremely talented gal who is known for depicting the look of the area by wonderful landscapes and a signature look on canvas. Another fellow blogger, Jane Coslick who does some pretty inspired interiors, features Bellamy's work in some of her rooms, like below.

I'm feeling pretty lucky as some folks very close to me recently invested in one of her gorgeous marsh landscapes. Looking forward to enjoying it over the years!

As I was leaving, the city was beginning to deck itself out in more green preparing for the country's second largest St. Patty's Day parade. Only wish I could have stayed longer as if anyone knows how to party, it's these folks. Darn.

Stay tuned for my next post, Savannah Part Deux, with more exploration of the low country…

This post comes to you as a result of a specific request from a READER, oh I love the sound of that!

The READER inquires into current interview attire.

Reader asks: “I’d love to see a fashion blog post on interview attire.  I feel like the “suit” has made its way out.  How to look perfectly professional, yet fashionable?”

My response:

Carefully choose attire according to industry.  The more creative the industry, the looser the parameters will be…the more traditional Fortune 500 say, the more conservative.  So here are 3 scenarios:

1. Agency type work environment (PR, marketing, advertising, software, fashion etc.):

• You have the most creative license here.  Definitely want to wear something that makes you feel confident and shows your personality.   Choose something in your favorite color that fits you fabulously (just never ever ever go hoochy). Think CURRENT, like being shown in this season as this industry is values the here and NOW.  Be fashion forward, and I’m sure this goes without saying, but there is a line–no denim, neon, hats, feathers, etc.  Here’s an example:

Check out this cute Marc Jacobs dress

Ruffles are very now, so you could rock a colorful ruffle blouse like this one from J.Crew under a nicely tailored cardigan (charcoal grey says: I came to work today!) or blazer with a slender metallic belt worn with nicely cut pants with a bit of a flare and some high shoes.

1. In Between Mid-Size (Publishing, Education, Medicine, etc.):

1. • Think Separates:  One of my favorite go-to looks is a fabulous jacket that looks expensive.  Just remember you work for money so you want to look like money.  This is a good idea on so many levels, plus you can remix with “non-interview” clothes like jeans, afterwards. I love slim fitting pants underneath or a pencil skirt paired with a long-ish jacket and some fabulous shoes.  Though you can be creative here, don’t be distracting.  Don’t pick too crazy of a pattern, or that will be the only thing you are remembered by.  You can also be a little bold with jewelry like a pop of color like turquoise is dying to be teamed up with this jacket from Ann Taylor.
   • 

*I also spotted a darling navy, Chanel-looking cardigan jacket today and that is in H&M right now (though I can’t find a picture, darn it!) with pencil skirt would be very cute and appropriate with bone colored shoes.

1. Corporate America (Sales, Legal, Banking, etc.):

• This is the most buttoned up the attire.  Minimal jewelry, pearls and stud earrings or small hoops, Color palette is somewhat limited, black, grey and navy (snooze, the most boring of the options if you ask me, plus, NEVER wear navy shoes!).  This may be a personal preference, but as interviews are already awkward, I feel more comfortable in pants and pant suits, but think separates and not matchy matchy.  Squeezing into my skirt suits circa late 90’s, sounds like a living nightmare (getting rid of them tonight!) If you want to wear a skirt, go black dress like this one from Banana Republic with opaque tights and nice black shoes, for a monochromatic while professional look.

And finally remember: Coco Chanel is the image you should be channeling, and that pearls are NEVER a bad look; think reserved…quilted bag, nice jacket, etc.  Here’s a conservative, but of the moment non-boring jacket I found at Saks. by Armani

KNOCK EM DEAD EVERYONE!!!!