AARP The Magazine

First Lady Mrs. O livens up the September/October 2011 cover of AARP The Magazine wearing a L'Wren Scott burgundy jacquard dress. Lovely! 

In the feature story, which profiles Joining Forces, Mrs. Obama is asked if she has a future in politics. And her response?

“The answer is N-O. Period, dot. ... I think one reason Jill [Biden] and I are comfortable and happy is that we’re doing what speaks to us. And what I’ve learned as a woman growing up, getting older, is you’ve got to know who you are. And a politician — it’s never been who I was or wanted to be.”

The full AARP story can be found here.

"First lady says 'N-O' to career in politics post-White House" [The Hill]

Sunday in Concord

Photo by Jim Cole / AP Images

First Lady Mrs. O and Mrs. Biden traveled to Concord, New Hampshire today to attend a Joining Forces cookout for military service members and their families. For the event, the First Lady wore a red and white (with flecks of light blue) window pane print dress paired with a thin red belt at the waist. Details on the designer to follow.

Hope everyone is having a splendid and restful weekend!

Update: Mrs. O wears a ASOS Midi Dress in Check Print, seen here. Thanks to reader "sparkle_ang" for the spot!

Heat Wave

Photos by Jason Hirschfeld, Gerry Broome / AP Images; Elaine Sanchez / DOD Photo

The First Lady had a full Thursday, taping an appearance for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Fayetteville, North Carolina (where, speaking of extreme, Mrs. O had to endure stifling East Coast heat), followed by a visit to Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode focuses on a North Carolina community resource center for homeless female veterans, which will be redesigned and expanded with a new greenhouse and children’s playhouse. The episode is scheduled to air in October. The First Lady's TV appearance, as well as her stop in Virginia Beach, are part of her Joining Forces initiative with Jill Biden to support military service members and their families. 

Style wise, Mrs. O stayed cool with a pair of summer dresses belted at the waist. For her TV appearance, the First Lady chose a vibrant blue and green Chris Benz Nelda dress from Resort 201, seen here, accessorized with a jeweled bee belt from House of Lavande. For the stop at Oceana Naval Air Station, Mrs. O turned to a trustworthy staple, a Merona for Target dress, paired with a Sacai belt, first seen in August 2009, here. 

Some will remember that Malia Obama wore a Chris Benz dress this January, seen here. To my knowledge, this is the first occasion that the First Lady has done the same. Chris Benz is a young Parsons alum, who cut his teeth as a designer of dresses and special occasion for J.Crew before venturing out with his own eponymous label in 2007.

Mrs. O Takes on 'Food Deserts'

Photo by Mark Wilson / Getty Images

The First Lady is employing a multi-pronged strategy in her fight to end childhood obesity. While Let's Move is often the focus, increasingly, there is a policy effort too. Today, Mrs. O was joined by executives from Wal-Mart, Walgreens, SuperValu and other stores at the White House to announce a plan to open 1500 new stores offering nutritious foods in communities that have been labeled as "food deserts." 

Per the New York Times:

The Obama administration’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative, begun by Mrs. Obama in February 2010, aims to financially assist stores that open in food deserts. The initiative received a $35 million budget this year, well short of the hundreds of millions requested by President Obama. The administration asked for more than $300 million to be approved for it in the next budget.

On a style note, the First Lady looked smart and sharp for the event, pairing a pearl grey cotton poplin Narciso Rodriguez dress with silver heels. A wrist full of bracelets completed the look.

"Big Retailers Make Pledge of Stores for 'Food Deserts'" [New York Times]

Behind the Scenes

Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson 

Shown in a new White House Flickr photo, First Lady Mrs. O waits to be introduced during an event held at the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa in Berkeley, California on June 14. It's a quiet, contemplative moment, truly behind the scenes.

For the appearance, the First Lady paired a white eyelet skirt with a white top and cardigan, completing the look with a double strand of pearls and green patent pumps.