x marks the spot

We're half way through our summer, and I'm almost done with my summer prosection job in the cadaver lab. The last five weeks have had a ton of events stuffed in, including family commitments, concerts, camping, and baseball games, and the next five are just as packed! We are going to Seattle for a whole week starting next week, and then more camping, baseball games, and enjoying the last few weeks of freedom. 

I've loved having this time to pick and choose what I want to do and wear. I'm sure you've noticed that these shorts have been on constant rotation, and that's because they are just so dang comfortable in the hot weather. Old Navy currently has a 30% off online sales [code: SURPRISE, ending the 1st], and I plan on picking up the grey pair as well. Based on the cost per wear, they'll cost me pennies in the end!

Blouse: ASOS [exact on sale]

Shorts: Old Navy [exact]

Belt: Gap [similar]

Shoes: Madewell [exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact]

x Ring: BaubleBar [exact]

Sunglasses: Amazon [exact under $5!]

Nails: Essie [exact]

june budget

1. Loft Chambray Blouse [seen here]: originally $55 + 40% off = $33
2. ASOS Blouse [seen here]: $60
3. Forever 21 Necklace: $5 + giftcard = $0
4. Loft Pleated Blouse [seen here]: originally $50 + 40% off = $27

June Spending: $120

Quarterly Budget: May ($110) + June ($120) = $270 left for July

My plan for the summer was to spend a bit less in May and June, and save up for July, and I think I'm doing alright! We are going to Seattle in two weeks, and I'm visiting a college friend in NYC the week after, so I wanted to save up for all the shopping experiences I will have there that aren't possible where I live.

That being said, I'm very excited about the pieces I decided to keep from the large orders I put in online. I did decide to keep the lace/crochet top after trying it on with a pencil skirt - I definitely see myself wearing it a lot as it has a higher neckline, which will be great for patient contact days this coming school year and beyond. The necklace was a style I've been looking for for a long time, so I was excited to find an inexpensive option, especially since I had a gift card from when Forever 21 opened in our mall here (it replaced the Gap though, so I'm not too excited about that!).

In addition to my budget purchases, I also purchased this watch. I wanted to gift myself a little something for finishing my first year of medical school, and I originally bought this dress from Madewell but it ended up being a dud on me (although they have shorts in the same pattern that are currently on sale that I am so tempted by!). Since I've wanted this watch for so so long, I finally decided that it would make sense to get something I would actually use for many years to come. The watch was out of my intended price range of $150 or less, so I found this guy on eBay for $150 less than retail price. To say I'm madly in love with it is a slight understatement ;)

So looking towards July (and unfortunately the end of summer!), who knows what will happen. I'd love to visit some smaller boutiques in both Seattle and NYC to get something unique that will always remind me of those trips (if you have any suggestions, please comment below!). I also just ordered both this glittery and this pair dual tone pair of sandals from Target to try on - I love that type of simple sandal and I find they wear well, especially for the lots of walking I anticipate. Target is currently having a buy one, get one half off sale if you are interested in getting a pair (or two) for yourself!

I hope you did alright sticking to your budget this month. If you blog, please link up below (and make sure you link back to this post so your readers can read other people's shopping adventures) and if you don't, I'd still love to hear how you did, what steals you found, and how temping those holiday sales are ;)

inspiration: kimonos

top: one | two | three
bottom: four | five | six

Last week I really had an itch to go shopping, and even though we've been traveling all over ever since school got out, I haven't actually found a way to do some "real" shopping, so instead I took to the internet (as one does when you live in a city with few shopping options). I ended up finding a bunch of cute things to order from ASOS, ranging from pieces that are pretty typical me, like this fun baseball tee (even for the tall girls!), to something a little out of my normal style like this cute lace top (reviews to come). I have always like kimono-style tops, so I ended up adding this one to my order as well, thinking it would be the one thing for sure I was going to send back (I had added a few things just to try on since ASOS as a free return policy so there was nothing to lose). 

Turns out, it ended up being my favorite piece from the order! I loved the pretty print, that it's simple enough to be worn in a few different ways, but different enough that it's something unique in my closet. I loved hearing everyone's feedback on instagram about it, and for now, I think I'm going to keep it. I can't wait for the weather to cool down just a little bit so I can wear it with some black skinnies and my new pendant necklace I just got.

A couple of options for purchase below, or you can follow this easy tutorial (I LOVE the fabric she made hers in!)....

who wears short shorts

There was a time in my life when I refused to wear shorts. A girl in high school once told me I had fat thighs, and it's one of those things that kind of stuck with me, so I tried to hide them for years and years. It wasn't until the first summer that I worked as a camp counselor that I kind of let that notion fly out the window - it was hot outside, I was having fun playing with the kids, and no one was paying attention to what I was wearing. Ever since then I've been pretty "eff it" about wearing shorts in the summer. My wallet may be wider than my shorts are long, but it's hot outside, I want to have fun, and no one is probably looking at my "fat thighs". 

It also helped that I always lapped that girl during our 2 mile runs in softball practice ;) 

Anyone else out there with a body hang up based on one comment? It's so ridiculous but it's just one of those things that is hard to shake.

Blouse: H&M [expensive similar...but beautiful]

Shorts: Gap [similar]

Sandals: Madewell [exact]

Rings: JewelMint [exact]

Wallet: Kate Spade [current version - it's called the travelers wallet if you want to ebay it!]

medical school and dating

One of the most popular google searches that brings people to my blog is something along the lines of "dating in medical school" based on this post I wrote a year ago. I figured a year, and many many experiences later, that it was time to write an update to that post.

So for a bit of my own background: I dated a guy for 5.5 years, with 3.5 of those years spent with him in medical school. We went through the whole process of applying, starting, doing the pre-clinical years, and all of his third year together. At the beginning of his fourth year, I moved four states away so that I could start medical school. Three months in, we mutually agreed to end our relationship. While we had some great years together, ending that relationship needed to happen. I won't blame it on medical school itself, as we had our problems before my moving, but I would say that overall, medical school changed our relationship. We weren't on the same life path, didn't want the same things, and overall weren't a good match anymore. Three quarters of a year later, I'm now dating someone I go to school with. We started out as lab partners, then gradully friends, and as the school year progressed, we grew closer. I know some of you have asked more about him, but I prefer to keep that part of my life a bit more private :)

So having been on all sides of the medical school relationship, as I watch my own relationship grow, and watching the paths of some of my classmates' relationships, here are some of my thoughts on the crazy medical school dating path.

searching for: the perfect striped v-neck tee (and other ramblings)

one | two | three | four

There are several things about clothing and shopping I've learned over the last few years. I prefer dark rinse jeans. As much as I like pointy toed flats on others, they don't always look the best on my size 9 feet. Crop tops are for teenagers, and actually shouldn't be back in fashion for anyone. I want to like peplum tops, but finding ones that hit me at the right part of my waist is apparently impossible. Matching leather is my favorite. And most importantly, every tee looks better on me if it's a v-neck.

I love my Boden striped tee, but the crew neck tends to make me look a little square if I wear it with pants instead of tucked into a skirt. So until Everlane comes out with a striped version of my beloved solid v-neck tees, I'm on the hunt for an alternative. The four above are ones that fit my requirements: no cap sleeves, thinner black/navy stripes on a light background, and a solid v-neck. Now do I think I'll really spend close to $100 (one fifth of my quarterly budget) on this beautiful shirt? Probably not, but I could do about half of that cost, especially because I know it would be one of those staple pieces that would be worn all the time.

I'm going to a bigger mall later this week (partially to return these pants, but mostly because I have a real itch to go shopping) so I'm going to keep my eye out for something that fits my preferences before ordering online. While I'm there, I'm also hoping to try on this super soft looking tee, and this easy going dress while at Loft. I feel Loft has really stepped up their game lately, especially with their Lou & Grey line - everything has the slightly worn in, unique but not weird, affordable but looks expensive vibe that I love about Madewell.

And speaking of Madewell... ever since that blue dress didn't work out for me (see the mini review here), I've been thinking about what I would like to use that money for instead. I've decided that I am finally going to get a new watch. I've wanted a larger Michael Kors watch for years now, so I think buying something that will also last for years will be a great "self present" to celebrate the end of year one of medical school. I always thought I would go for the traditional oversized gold watch, but now I'm torn and am considering a slightly smaller rose gold version instead. I know they have sales on these watches all the time, and they also pop up on Hautelook and Gilt and so on, so I think the next time one pops up (keep an eye out for me!) that I'll make one mine!

the adored life (+ giveaway)

I'm currently driving around the state of Wisconsin showing off the wonders of this beautiful state, so I asked Alissa to come over here to say hello! I love how open she is about life, blogging, and what it's like to be a 20 something. Make sure you check out her awesome tutorials, including how to get the perfect head of curly hair and the amazing quality of pictures you see here. 

Your eyes are not failing you, this is not Fran. Although sometimes I wish I could be as cool as she is. My name is Alissa and I blog over at The Adored Life. Here are some fun facts about me: I'm not going to put up with bull, I am a little too snarky, I have an addiction to polka dots, at any given time I am thinking about doughnuts or Beyonce and I just graduated college last month. 

Currently my life is living in Kansas City, begging for a full-time job, trying to work off said chocolate chip cookies or doughnut calories, managing social media accounts freelance and working at the University of Kansas while transitioning clumsily into this thing called the real world. On the blog you can ready about how I feel about Instagram fakeness, smashing exercise balls into my face, people not understanding what my name is, and not being a size zero in the blogging world. 

Typically you can find stories about my lack of coordination, baking disasters, embarrassing stories and other things that my mom probably wishes I wouldn't share on the internet. Sorry mom, but other people like reading about it. I think it's secretly because it's relief that someone else has done something just as stupid as them. 

Thank you so much Fran for letting me guest post! 

Oh and an added bonus if you have read this far: I'm giving away a $25 gift card to anyplace of your choice! You can enter below and it's super easy, no following 45 people because we all know how annoying that is. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

scrub a dub dub

I started my summer job last week. I'm working in our cadaver lab for four weeks removing the skin from the cadavers used for next year's class. We wear scrubs (thankfully! in anatomy lab we had to wear dress clothes) and I'm already having a love hate relationship with them.  Love because I get up and put pajamas back on. Hate because is there anything less flattering? 

I went to the movies with a few of the girls I'm working with, so I used that as an excuse to actually put on real clothes. I figured my new top would pair perfectly with my white jeans and beloved cognac accessories. Unfortunately for me, my black dog's hair also loved this outfit ;)

Shirt: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Jeans: Kut from the Kloth [similar]

Monogram Necklace: c/o oNecklace [exact]

Belt: Gap [similar]

Shoes: Madewell [exact]

Watch: Kate Spade [same style]

via instagram

can't wear the same shirt all the time

...or can you? I live in my Everlane tees - I have at least 4 white ones, several blue and blacks, and a few of the other colors they have in their rotation. They just fit so nicely, hold up really well, and are always comfortable (Everlane is also currently offering free shipping if you want to give even just one a shot here)

But also boring. Lately I've been really anxious about feeling overdressed when I go anywhere, so even though the plain v-necks are a great way to not feel overdressed, I also think it's time to just add a few more detailed tops into my closet that are still comfortable and not too dressy. I prefer them to have sleeves though, and that always seems to be a little difficult because all the pretty things seem to either be completely sleeveless, or have the dreaded cap sleeves (who thought those were a good idea?! seriously). 

This pretty eyelet shirt though is something I hope to try on next weekend when I'm back home for the weekend - it's cotton and not too detailed, but still interesting in it's own right. Fingers crossed it is as pretty in real life as it is online! Someone was just raving about this shirt (who was it??), and it's currently under $10 - if only they had the navy left in tall sizes, it would be on it's way to me immediately. And lately it seems that I can't get enough of Madewell - even though many of their pieces are boxy and for the skinny minnies out there, I want nothing more than for this shirt to look good on me. Why can't you have a v-neck, pretty shirt? 

And I know I said short-sleeved shirts, but can you blame me for wanting this blouse? It just looks so comfortable! Damn you online shopping. 

Tee: Everlane [exact]

Shorts: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Belt: Gap [similar]

Shoes: Madewell [exact]

and in case you've wanted more outtake pictures than I share on twitter...

asymmetrical pearl ring tutorial

I saw this picture on instagram a few months ago, and saved it to my camera roll so I could recreate it once I had more time on my hands. I picked up the materials last week, and have loved the results - I even made a few for my mom and sisters! This is super easy, and doesn't even really require a full tutorial, but we snapped a few pictures while we were making them while I was home last week, so hopefully you can make a few of your own!

the materials:

- 16 gauge wire [I used this kind]

- pearls (I bought the $0.99 ones at the craft store in 2 different sizes)

- super glue

- wire cutter

Step 1: Cut a piece of wire large enough to fit around your finger - it doesn't have to be exact since one side will be cut.

Step 2: Bend the wire into somewhat of a circle. Because the wire is obviously bendable, the rings will also form to your fingers, so they will bend some, but also fit your finger better.

Step 3: Make sure it fits your finger! You'll want it to be slightly loose.

Step 4: Add super glue to one side of a pearl. 

Step 5: Place the pearl onto the wire, and hold until dry.

Step 6: Test how the ring fits, and determine where you want to make a cut. You'll want to leave a little space in between the wire and the larger pearl.

Step 7: Cut the wire, and then repeat the super glue/add bead step.

Step 8: Admire your work! I ended up putting little dabs of white nail polish (I used this Essie polish which I'm also wearing on my fingers) on the other side of the pearl so the hole wouldn't show through, but that step is completely optional. You can always buy pearls with only 1 hole in them, but my craft store did not have those in stock. 

Let me know if you make a ring of your own! I would love to see it on instagram, twitter, or facebook!

can't help myself

If this is giving you major deja vu...it's because this is the dressier version of what I wore last week. I already have a tendency to hardcore match my belt and shoes, but with this recent obsession with black and cognac, I just can't help but repeat myself all the time. I promise I'll dip back into the colorful side of my closet soon ;)

Blouse: Loft [similar on sale]

Shorts: Old Navy [exact]

Belt: Gap [similar]

Sandals: Madewell [exact]

Nails: Essie

Ring: DIY - tutorial coming later this week!