Oh, the places I'd like to go in this fun summery dress!

1. Topshop floral one-shoulder dress,
2. Marc by Marc Jacobs cat-eye sunglasses,
3 . Aurelie Bidermann bracelet,
4. Verve print clutch,
5. Ancient Greek leather sandals,

A family wedding in Bali this August is already giving me some what-to-wear-anxiety. I need a dress that's equal parts floaty, beachy, elegant, vibrant, feminine and memorable. One that represents, so to speak, without being outlandishly expensive! And so I'm already on the prowl for that perfect (yet elusive) frock, and since many of you may have festive events on the horizon, I thought I'd share some of the standout dresses that I've discovered thus far. They range from black tie-worthy to rustic-chic to tropical beautiful, and in no particular order, they are as follows: a (ideal for a fancy city wedding), a daringly seductive black lace floor-grazing gown by (think edgy black tie), a (for a more laid back setting), a dramatic black-tie-fantastic , this alluring wear-it-again-and-again , a distinctively cool, no-one-else-will-be-wearing-it , an unabashedly feminine (that could go from the beach to a hip downtown venue), a (I bought and love!), and a . P.S. The Outnet is having an epic sale, featuring tons of festive (primo designer) frocks at up to 85% off, including this , this and this .

This white denim moto jacket will add a flash of fresh-edgy-cool to any spring outfit. Greatly versatile, too!

I bet many of those actresses who walked the red carpet last night wouldn't mind slipping into this cute schmatta today. I'd like to slip it over a swimsuit ASAP.

The unexpected combo of pearls and spikes makes for a distinctly cool everyday earring.

There was a time where my party dress acquisition process went something like this: (1) receive invitation, (2) eventually get around to shopping for said dress, (3) run out of time, (4) settle for something good enough but often not fantastic, and then (5) repeat. And, of course, the problem worsened after I had kids and my shopping time was in even scarcer supply. Eventually, I found my solution: I just resolved to buy fantastic party dresses as I came across them, regardless of whether I had an actual party on the immediate horizon. I must tell you--it works quite nicely. Thus, when I recently stumbled upon Self Portrait, a new UK-based nicely-priced line of dresses, I did not simply bookmark the site, I immediately bought not one frock, but two (!): the on the left and the , above. This sweet success put me in the mood, and I've since found a few more festive options including this, this , this , this , and this . Now I just need some fun invites!

These sandals have an offhand glamorous air that I find irresistible. They also have the insta-outfit-making gift!

Valentine's Day (happy, happy!) has me fantasizing about a romantic tropical getaway wearing this short off-the-shoulder dress over a very cute bikini. Hint, hint, hubby!

Valentine's Day--or any old date night for that matter--would be a legit excuse to slip into this flirty dress.