My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR

Extra LSR: My Birthday + NYE.

Date Night, Extra LSR, Fashion, Fun and Friends, Shoes, Winter, 139 Comments

by Ashley

Ashley Style Blogger + Creative Director

Told you I was going to dress as a disco ball for my birthday.

My birthday is New Year’s Eve. Yep, last day of the year, full-stop tax baby. Each year I gather my best pals and throw some sort of birthday + NYE combo fête, usually involving dinner somewhere and some sort of gathering after to ring in the new year with music and lots of champagne. And the outfit I wear is always pretty ridiculous– you wouldn’t expect anything less from me, would you?

This year, I decided to dress like a damn disco ball.

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR
Express dress (almost exact here, here, and here) and choker (on sale!) // Schutz sandals

I just wanted to be shiny. (And nearly naked, apparently.)

I found my dress at Express, and it was so Paris-Hilton-circa-2001 (or Kendall-Jenner-circa-2016, take your pick) that I had to have it. Yes, it was really skimpy. No, I wasn’t 100% comfortable with that. But when I like something, I wear it– pretty simple. Also, a good spray tan hides a multitude of body insecurities. (Shoutout to Amanda with Recreating Rays for the killer spray tan!)

My boyfriend booked a suite at the Sheraton in OP for our post-dinner party, but it provided the perfect place to get ready. New Year’s Eve, one’s birthday, and a chain mail dress mean you have to bring it with the makeup. My pal + makeup artist, Loni, came over and hooked me up.

We went for a smokey eye, sculpted cheek (I think my words were: “Contour the hell outta my face, please”), and a nude lip (because she knows I’m terrible at reapplying lipstick throughout the night, so we needed something un-fussy).

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR
Documenting the dress because it might just be the sexiest thing I’ve ever worn // One of the only snaps I got with my babe, because once the party starts we always forget to take pictures with each other

The outfit was a pretty big deal, and it came in stages. I wore another dress over this dress (the Zara sequin blazer dress) and these sandals to dinner because we were in public and I really couldn’t be bothered to worry about a nipple slip at our local fancy steakhouse. (Ha!) More coverage at dinner was a good idea.

Being the horrible real-time documenter of events that I am, I didn’t get a snap me in the blazer dress (although I’m sure it’ll make an appearance on the blog soon– because it was just too good). Nice, Ashley.

After dinner, it was hotel time. And time for an outfit change– or outfit alteration, rather. I took off the blazer dress (putting the whole party on Nipple Watch) and swapped out the strappy silver sandals for iridescent crystal boots. My sister and brother-in-law provided old-school Polaroid cameras as a party favor, which proved genius.

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR
With my best friend, Lauren // Steve Madden boots

Funny (traumatic) story about the boots: my initial plan was to DIY a pair of the YSL Niki boots. (Because I do not, in any universe, have $10k to spend on boots, no matter how insane and beautiful.) I found the perfect tutorial that included all the elements you needed to make the boots, and scored a pair of slouchy satin thigh high boots from ASOS to decorate. I spent eight hours one Sunday carefully gluing crystal paneling to the boots, fixing seams, and getting everything (on one boot) perfect. I waited for the glue to set, and then tried the boots on (for the first time with the crystals, obviously I had tried ’em on when I got them initially)… and the boots didn’t fit.

The glue had fused the slight bit of give the boot had, which meant they now didn’t make it above my calf (athletic calves, why do you hate me?). This meant the boot was unwearable, and meant I had just spent eight hours and a good chunk of money on a pretty piece of crystal-encrusted garbage. Awesome!

What I learned from this experience: I am not a DIY-er. I should just pay the money for the thing I want (not the $10k thing, obviously, but in general).

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR
My best pal, Brina
My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR
Polaroid snaps with Cait from SophistiCAITed

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR

We had more bottles of champagne than we could count (and somehow I still managed to make it home with a half dozen unopened bottles!) and rang in 2018 at midnight.

Shortly thereafter, a kind (but very strange) old lady named Allison wandered into our suite and sat down at the table. No, she wasn’t lost– she had squabbled with her boyfriend (he had been flirting with another lady) at a party on the fourth floor and stormed back to her room, when she heard our music from across the hall. It sounded like we were having fun, so she invited herself inside. (Because hey, there’s no age limit on party crashing.)

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR

After entertaining Allison for a bit with some champagne and personally calling her boyfriend to inform him he had royally messed up via voicemail, we guided Allison back to her room.

…but she didn’t stay gone.

Note: Dave didn’t actually slam the door in her face- he escorted her outside and when she started to argue with him about coming back to the party, he bid her goodnight and shut the door.

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR
Cait documenting the evening.

My Paris Hilton-inspired outfit inspired Cait to take a little poll via her Insta Stories: a game of Who Wore it Better?

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR

I’ll take that victory, thank you very much.

 

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR

My birthday was a big success! So thankful to everyone who came out to celebrate. I don’t know how I’ll top this outfit next year, but I’ve got a full calendar year to think about it.

My Birthday + NYE. | Ashley from LSR

Shop the look:

 

Linking up with Stylin in St. Louis, Curly Crafty Mom, Elegance & Mommyhood, Living on Cloud Nine, Adri Lately, Meet at the Barre, Threads for Thomas, Nancy’s Fashion Style, A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Shelbee on the Edge, More Pieces of Me + Sincerely Jenna Marie, Michelle’s Pa(i)ge + Northwest Blonde, and Pink Sole.

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139 Comments

  1. What a fun party and how awesome that your birthday falls on NYE. Double the celebration. You looked fabulous! And so “interesting” about the party crasher, haha.

    Reply

  3. I love this post…from that sexy gorgeous dress, dynamite boots and funny stories, you are a gem and deserved to be celebrated! AND a million times better than Paris Hilton! You make sexy look equally classy!

    Reply

  8. That sounds like a wonderfully fun and funny (hello strange lady who just wants to hang out and party with you) evening. And I love your tale of DIY woe. I’m awful at DIY and totally threw in the towel on it a few years ago. And that dress!!!! Seriously, wowza. You make dressing like a disco ball look good.

    Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines

    Reply

    1. Our little party crasher was quite entertaining, that’s for sure! And yes- I am definitely on Team No DIY in the future!

  10. What a fabulous post! I’m gonna tweet about this one it’s so good. Glad you have a double-reason to celebrate each year; certainly inspiration for extraordinary outfits like this one. My heart breaks at hearing your DIY boot story. Someone as glam as you deserves the real $10k boots or at least an assistant to do all the glue-ing. 🙂

    Reply

  17. LOL this post is so funny. Your boot DIY sounds like the time my grandmother put lace on a pair of my socks (i was like 4), and I had one I couldn’t get on and one I couldn’t get off. Also, I love your Paris 2001 dress. Sounds like you had a great night!

    Reply

  24. Aw! Happy Belated Birthday, beautiful! I loved this more intimate post. You looked absolutely gorgeous in that dress and OMG, those boots! Leave it you to find the most gorgeous and original pair! Thanks for sharing and I hope you’re having a great week so far!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    THE STYLE CONTOUR

    Reply

    1. Yessss- Kendall totally wore something almost like Paris’s original and looked amazing! I am just trying to hang, hahahahaha. 😉

  29. ok, I think I will have to buy a disco ball, you are smoking hot in this look, ultimate date night look and yes you wear it way better then Paris

    Reply

  41. OMG I looooooooooooove the dress babe!!
    You look amazing in it and as you said – if you want to wear something, why not??!
    And I love the retro-paris hilton- vibes here 😉
    You definitely nailed it with this dress and your party looks like so much fun!

    Happy belated birthday again and all the best for you ♥

    xxx
    Tina

    https://styleappetite.com

    Reply

  48. That’s SO much fun that your birthday falls on NYE! I hope you had a fabulous time celebrating girl – you looked incredible in all silver!

    aglassofice.com
    x

    Reply

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