After one of the busiest weeks of my life, I’ve finally made it to DC and I must say I’ve had quite the welcome! Last night began the flurry of various inaugural balls and I was fortunate enough to attend the Black Tie and Boots Ball hosted by the Texas State Society.  Traditionally, the attire for the ball is just as is indicated in its title – men and women wear tuxedos and ball gowns with their cowboy boots, making it oh-so-easy to dance the night away.

Strolling the red carpet at the Gaylord!

The event took place at the Gaylord National Harbor and was a celebration of all things Texas including live music, a performance by the Kilgore Rangerettes and Texas-themed snacks like seven layer dip and bacon wrapped sirloin.  I attended with a family friend who was born and raised in Texas and she introduced me to a bunch of Texas A&M students and alumni who officially adopted me after they checked out my cowboy boots.  We had SO much fun and I’m pretty sure I got at least three separate invitations to visit everywhere from Dallas to San Antonio.

New Texas friends!!

I hope you enjoy the album of my kick off to inauguration weekend! Tomorrow I’ll be attending the public swearing-in of President Barack Obama and I’m SO excited to be a part of this day in history.  The energy in DC right now is incredible!

One last thing, I got so many compliments about my dress that I want to go ahead and say that it’s by Halston Heritage and I got it from Rent the Runway.  If you’re unfamiliar with the site, it allows you to rent designer dresses and accessories for black tie events or even an upscale brunch if that’s your preference.  It was the PERFECT option for my ball because I’d probably only wear it once and I felt absolutely gorgeous.  Make sure to check it out!

Cinderella status 🙂