Image via Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection

Many of you will recall that a few months ago, the wonderful Carole Tanenbaum debuted a dazzling collection of Mrs. O-inspired, 60s-era vintage flower pins, collected with the readers of this blog specifically in mind (and affordably priced, just for us!).

The collection proved to be an overwhelming success, with Carole Tanenbaum's website subsequently inundated with our orders. With requests for additional pins coming in, Carole began compiling a second collection of Spring-inspired vintage flower pins, which I'm excited to announce will debut on Mrs-O.org on Monday, March 22! I'll have a new post up on Monday, with a link to the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection website and instructions for ordering.

The photo above is a first sneak peek of what we can look forward to!

xo, Mrs. T

Image by Saul Loeb / Getty Images

Yesterday the first lady spoke to the annual meeting of the School Nutrition Association in Washington, D.C., where she was warmly received by a crowd of several hundred.

Per the Washington Post: "In her 25-minute speech, the audience of hundreds of food service directors applauded as often and as earnestly as if the first lady were delivering the State of the Union: 15 times in all. And they gave her standing ovations at the beginning and end of her speech."

For the appearance the first lady wore a hot pink dress, with origami folds at the neckline. A jeweled brooch completed the lovely look. Thanks to reader 'Nora' for the title suggestion!

Update #1: Mrs. O's brooch is a 1960s Schreiner piece, acquired from the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection and purchased at Ikram in Chicago.

A few words of perspective from the fabulous Carole Tanenbaum: "What is wonderful about Mrs. O's style is that she is comfortable in her skin and therefore wears clothing casually but elegantly. This is true even when we think of her in evening wear. She choses fabrics that move with her body. Her approach to jewelry is the same. She wears her brooches in unconventional ways, and they look especially great because of this!"

Also, a full-length image of Mrs. O's dress can be seen at InStyle.com, here (thanks to reader 'chrystelle' for the lead).

Update #2: Thanks to reader Rebecca for the tip that Mrs. O's dress might be Talbots - it is! Mrs. O wore a Summer 2009 ponte knit dress from Talbots. Though no longer online, it may be available on sale in some stores.

Image via the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection

A few weeks ago, Mrs. O gave a speech to the Joint Armed Forces Officers Wives Club in Washington, D.C., wearing a sleeveless green dress, accessorized with a stunning black floral brooch. It's a finishing touch we've seen the first lady turn to before -- a quieter take on the statement brooch, and a perfect complement to the wintery hues of the season. Our friends at the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection have been kind enough to point us to a similarly inspired vintage '60s piece, measuring 4" in diameter, seen above and available here.

I'm also delighted to announce that the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection will offer a second collection of Mrs. O-inspired pins to readers of this blog on the first day of spring. For those who missed the first collection, have a peek here. We are beyond excited to see what gems Carole Tanenbaum has in store for us come March 20.

Images by Tim Sloan / Getty Images

Image via Food Network

We're excited to see First Lady Mrs. O this evening, as she makes a cameo appearance on Super Chef Battle (an Iron Chef America event). The episode airs tonight, Sunday, January 3 at 8PM EST on the Food Network. For a video preview, click here.

Per the Washington Post, Mrs. O will reveal the secret ingredient in the competition, which can be anything from the White House kitchen garden. White House executive chef, Chris Comerford, is participating in the challenge.

For the appearance, taped earlier this fall, Mrs. O dressed in a bold mix of colors, wearing an orange Liz Claiborne dress, topped by a aquamarine Moschino cropped cardigan, and a Hattie Carnegie flower pin from the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection. Coordinating aquamarine pumps completed the look.

Image courtesy of the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection

Carole Tanenbaum, the curator behind the magnificent Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection, is one of the most lovely people I met in 2009. She is as genuinely enthusiastic about the first lady's style as we are, and the source for many of Mrs. O's stunning vintage brooches (including the Victorian sash pin that Mrs. O wore for the inauguration).

To end the year, Carole Tanenbaum has done something exclusively for the Mrs-O.org community, which just excites me to no end. She recently acquired a collection of 60s metal flower pins - of the John Lennon "make love, not war" flower power era - with Mrs. O readers specifically in mind. Beginning today, she's offering them on CaroleTanenbaum.com, in the "Mrs. O Lovers" spotlight section.

Each flower pin is made of metal and enameled, and offered in a range of bright hues and metallics. True to Mrs. O's propensity to wear flower brooches in clusters of three, Carole Tanenbaum is also offering these pins in trios. You can purchase one pin for $35, or a very Mrs. O-inspired group of three pins for $90. You can mix and match or make your own signature selection. In any combination, these pieces are sure to make a 'wow' statement.

Click here to peruse the "Mrs. O Lovers" Spotlight on CaroleTanenbaum.com, and have fun!

Update #1: Wow! There seems to have been a buying frenzy. There were 18 pins and trios when we first posted, down to only 7 left!

Update #2: We've just heard from our friends at the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection, who are working to accomodate the overwhelming response for these pins! There are a few more pins that have just been put up this afternoon for a final go-around. All orders will be processed on Monday due to the New Year holiday tomorrow.

Also to note, the Carole Tanenbaum site does not automatically mark things as sold when someone puts an order through (orders are taken and then the site is updated manually). In the case of duplicate orders, they are operating on a first come, first serve basis. In the event that you placed an order for an item that was already sold, your credit card will of course not be charged. Apologies to those that this affects. The response has simply been overwhelming!