Happy Hanukkah

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

The president and first lady celebrated Hanukkah at the White House last night. For the event, Mrs. O wore a deep purple suit with black beading at the collar.

For more on the event, check out the report from Politics Daily, here. Thank you to those who pointed us to a second photo that shows more detail of Mrs. O's suit:

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

Dressed to Donate

Photo by Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

First Lady Mrs. O travelled to Quantico, VA this morning to deliver more than 500 toys to the Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots campaign. The toys were collected as part of an East Wing toy drive at the White House.

Per Political Punch, the First Lady said:

"On behalf of the President, Malia, Sasha, Bo and Grandma, we wish everybody a happy holidays, Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukah, anybody who's out there celebrating anything: happy!"

On the style front, Mrs. O was well coordinated in layered black and white pieces. A salt and pepper tweed pea coat topped black pants, a black cardigan, and checkered blouse adorned with bows.

Worth the Wait

Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

"These performers are indeed the best. They are also living reminders of a simple truth: The arts are not somehow apart from our national life; the arts are at the heart of our national life." - President Mr. O, Kennedy Center Honors

This video has been an inspiring start to our day; we hope it's the same for you. It's also an opportunity to see a full-length view of the first lady's simply stunning Peter Soronen corset gown worn for the Kennedy Center Honors. The choice of dress, paired with a Tom Binns necklace, is a fantastic celebration of the arts in its own sartorial right.

Christmas in Washington

Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

In the company of four darling little elves (note their belted waists), the president and first lady hosted the Christmas in Washington celebration this evening at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

The first lady looks positively radiant in a black party dress, featuring a v-neck, banded waist and full skirt. We wonder if this might be the Isabel Toledo dress that the designer described as, "a pleated jersey number with some real swing. It's very Marilyn Monroe."

Update: Indeed this is the stunning work of Isabel Toledo. Gorgeous!

Oprah at the White House

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Plans this evening? "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special," airs on ABC at 10PM EST tonight. If you missed the special, Oprah as posted clips to her YouTube channel, here.

Any ideas about who made Mrs. O's plum velvet dress?

Update: We have confirmation that this dress is another stunning creation by Azzedine Alaia.

What a lovely, incredibly flattering shilouette on the first lady. We do love the cut-out details on the sleeves and through the skirt. To accessorize, Mrs. O paired a double strand of pearls with a diamond floral brooch - the same worn with her Lanvin dress in Oslo last week.