top three [05.31.2015]

a few wedding looks from the past years

on the internet

• Maya killed it with this simple leather in the summer look. I NEED that purse!
• I love how bright and cherry Jess looks in this dress - plus I just love those cognac leathers with it! 
• Lindsay may be one of of the prettiest people I have ever met. Look how stunning she looks here!

spotted

• While technically a beach coverup, I kind of love the idea of this pom pom tunic with skinny jeans and pretty flats. 
• I'm fairly obsessed with my current phone cover (it's this one from the Rifle Paper Company) but the rose gold lines on this new cover is calling my name. Thoughts?
• I hattteeeeee summer clothes, and the only thing that gets me through is dresses. Madewell's newest blue + white embroidered dress is seriously my dream dress (with a belt, of course!)

on franish

• on the blog: this month's budget + answering some of your $$$ questions!
• on the instagram: my parents brought us the best housewarming gift :)
• on the pinterest: we are starting back up with the four hour body this week after taking the last month off due to no time to cook, and I'm so excited to find new recipes to try out

notable sales

• It's the last day of the Nordstrom sale - I recommend this Skagen watch as I prefer my watches as masculine as possible ;)
• J.Crew is offering 30% off sale items. If you need a white dress for any occasion, seriously get this one because it is gorgeous. 
• Loft currently has 40% off all their tops. How fun is this eyelet top? Make sure you wear sunscreen though, as it could leave some interesting tan lines ;)

personal

• CR and I moved in together this week! Our place is slowly coming together and I'm so excited about it. We are getting new carpets soon-ish, so we really only have our bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen set up, but it's so cute. Once our carpet is put in, and our couch comes, I'll be sure to do a house tour. I'm just excited that we are finally in one place together that is all our own. We are going to have so much fun :)
• My parents and youngest sister came to visit us this weekend! I haven't seen them since Thanksgiving, so it was definitely time to see each other again. We ate lots of cheese, drank lots of beer, did a lot of furniture shopping, and went on plenty of walks. I'm hoping I can make it back to Wisconsin this month, so hopefully we won't have too much time apart! 
• My first rotation starts tomorrow! I start on family medicine, so it's a nice way to transition into clinical rotations. I'm so nervous! The last time I was in a clinic was when I was shadowing, and I obviously didn't know anything about anything, so I'm excited to see how it feels now that I know a little bit of medicine. Wish me luck!

love is in the air

This past weekend, CR and I attended our first wedding of the season - two of his college friends were getting married in upstate New York. We had so much fun! He was in the wedding party, so I got to tag along to all the rehearsal dinners and so on, and it was just so nice to spend more time with some of his best friends.

For the wedding itself, I wore this beautiful dress from Nordstrom. I had actually ordered about four different dresses (free returns, duh), and this was the winner for me. I love that it has a slightly different shape from what I normally wear. It was perfect for dancing...and eating ;)

Dress: Halogen c/o Nordstrom [exact]

Belt: The Limited [similar]

Clutch: Lauren Merkin c/o Shopbop [exact]

Heels: Missoni for Target 

There are only a few days left for Nordstrom's Half-Yearly sale. Below are a few dresses (all under $100) that would be perfect for any wedding you have this summer, plus a few accessories (under $150) to go with it. My pick for dresses is this pretty blush dress - I wish I had seen it when I was putting my order in, because I would have definitely ordered it. 

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

one | two (comes in 4 colors) | three | four

Thank you to ShopStyle for sponsoring this post!

may budget + budget FAQ

Loft blouse: originally $44, on sale for $31
Birkenstocks: originally $100, with credit: $0
Anthropologie top: $88

May total: $119  ($381 left for June and July)


So not a ton of shopping this month, which is not surprising. My favorite purchase of the month is this top from Anthropologie. It's so pretty! The sleeves are a bit looser than I had hoped, but I actually did a little DIY fix that made it exactly what I wanted - I'll share more next week! The Birks were purchased using a Modcloth credit I've had for yeeeeeaaarrrs. While slightly bulky and hideous, they are very comfortable and will be perfect for a few of the concerts we are going to this summer!

No real big plans for June except to find a pair of comfortable black ballet flats - my first rotation is family medicine, so I'll be in dress clothes all month. While I love my TB Revas, they aren't broken in enough yet to wear for full days at work. I'm thinking something like these from Naturalizer, but I would love to hear any of your suggestions for comfortable and supportive black flats!

This month I received the following from my sponsors - a pretty black dress from Nordstrom for the wedding I went to last weekend, the perfect pair of white jeans (seen here), a striped dress that will double as a swim cover up that's currently on sale (seen here), and a beautiful floral skirt from Kohl's (seen here). Thank you for supporting those who support me :)

I had a bunch of budget questions during my recent survey, so I figured this would be a good time to answer some of them!

the end of an era...

I wore this dress for one of our last days of school a few weeks ago. I didn't do what I did last year, where I wore the same thing as I wore on the first day of school, but just wore something that felt completely "me". A simple dress, simple jewelry, and a little too matchy-matchy with my leathers ;) It's actually surreal to me that we are half way done with medical school now. I told someone yesterday that I'm a third year now, and it felt so weird. I don't know anything!!

It's a little sad to see the background of the picture from the first day of school though, because that is exactly what my room looks like now. CR and I are moving in together on Wednesday, and I'm so excited, but I'm also really going to miss my current apartment. I've had so many great memories here with my roommate - I really couldn't have found a better person to live here with. Now we are tearing up our little bachelorette pad to move hours and hours away from each other. Thank God for group messages and snapchat!

Dress: Tahari c/o Nordstrom [exact]

Shoes: Banana Republic [exact - get 40% off w/ code BRSUMMER]

Belt: Gap [similar on sale]

Purse: Madewell [save | exact]

Although my dress is currently still full price [although it does come in a ton of different colors - I looooove the blush version], Nordstrom's currently has so many cute work-appropriate dresses on sale. My absolute favorite one is the pink floral number because I think it could be super versatile - nude wedges and a cardigan at work, or with more dressed up heels and the right clutch it would be perfect for a wedding. 

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

top three [05.24.2015]

on the internet

• I love this look into Ashley's closet - our clothing styles are so different but I just want every single item in her closet!
• Ever wonder what an occupational therapist really is? Kaitlin explains it perfectly here - I'm so proud of her for all the good she is doing!
• My newest blogging crush is Corporate Catwalk - I love finding bloggers with real dress requirements in their careers who still manage to look amazing and so chic. 

spotted

• Can it get more perfect than scalloped chambray shorts? So freaking cute. 
• How pretty is this 3 piece ring set? They would look so great together and one at a time. 
• In need of a white dress? This one is seriously gorgeous and currently under $100!

on franish

• on the blog: building a cohesive closet always includes lists
• on the instagram: spending the weekend in upstate new york is picture-perfect
• on the pinterest: office inspiration for our future office (think CR will approve the pink walls?)

notable sales

• ASOS: 20% off everything (code: LONGWKND)
• I love this little polka dot number
• This swimsuit coverup definitely is happening. 
• Michael Kors: 30% off certain items
• Their watch selection is a pretty good steal right now! 
• Nordstrom: up to 40% off
• These shoes make it seem like you are walking on air.
• The perfect girly meets work tote, now more than $100 off than full price. 

personal

• My board exam was on Thursday and I am soooo happy it is over (so are you, huh?). I don't really know how I feel about the fact that it's all over and done, but now I'm just trying to kind of forget that it ever even happened!
• We spent the weekend up in Syracuse for CR's best friend's wedding. It was so great to hang out with his friends more, spend a few nights away from responsibilities, and just spend time together. 
• We move on Wednesday! We haven't even started packing yet, and our lease isn't signed, but it should all work out...right? Please say right. 

summer simple

While I don't consider myself a minimalist in the least, I absolutely love the look of simpler outfits, clean lines, and outfits that just look like they came together naturally. I've been working on having a cohesive closet for years now. I used to just own a bunch of clothes that didn't really go together, and over the years I've figured out what works for me and my closet, and how I can mix and match the pieces with each other. It's definitely a longer process (something I'm hoping to write about within the next month! yay free time :D), but one of the biggest things for me so far has been keeping a wish list.

One of the things I do to stay on track with my purchases and making sure I don't just spend money on a bunch of things that don't work with my closet is keeping a list of items I'd like to add. It used to be much longer, but over the past several years I've checked things off the list - items like the perfect white t-shirt, a classic wrap dress, Hunter boots that fit my calves, and a jean jacket. One of those items has been a pair of white jeans. I had a pair I bought a few summers ago, but they are now too big on me so I sold them. When given the chance to try out a few pairs from Nordstrom, it really was perfect timing. I LOVE how white jeans look on others, but wasn't so sure how my thighs would look in them. I tried on several pairs in a bunch of different price ranges and styles - from legging styles to almost $200 styles. This pair from Articles of Society was by far my favorite and the best part was that they cost under $55 - goes to show you that the most expensive isn't always the best. They fit true to size, aren't see through (with the proper undergarments of course), and have a long enough inseam. I'm so excited to wear these this summer!

Jeans: Articles of Society c/o Nordstrom [exact]

Blouse: Loft [similar]

Belt: Gap [similar]

Tote: Madewell [save | exact]

Shoes: Madewell [save | exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [save | exact]

Below are a few more easy summer pieces that can easily be mix and matched. My absolute favorite is the olive shirt dress that mayyyyyyy be sitting in my cart...

one | two | three [on sale] | four

five | six | seven [LOVE] | eight

nine | ten | eleven | twelve [a little pricy but sooo pretty]

This is the last post I'll have for the week - my board exam is Thursday and then there are several days of celebrating and weddings - follow along on instagram and snapchat (fhasselhof)! See you next week!

Disclosure: thank you to Shopstyle for sponsoring this post!

top three [05.17.2015]

my cognac wedges are my favorite spring purchase: one | two | three

medicine

• I mentioned a few weeks ago about external signs like clubbing that can point towards internal dysfunction (in that case, respiratory problems). Another one of these signs is the Trousseau sign of malignancy - it appears as vessel inflammation due to a clot that is often due to underlying pancreatic carcinoma. In sad irony, the man who discovered this sign, Armand Trousseau ended up diagnosing himself with this sign later in his life, and died shortly after of pancreatic cancer.
• The anatomical snuff box is on the back of your hand (diagram here) and is named this because it used to be (and still is....oh college) used as a surface for sniffing powdered tobacco. 
• Because the first two years of medical school are all about the books and not about seeing actual patients, I think it's really easy for first and second year students to just memorize the facts about the disease rather than thinking about how it affects patients. For example, I know the cause and symptoms of Fabry disease, but I never really think about how this actually affects people. My friend Caitlin shared this video about Fabry's with me yesterday (one of her study tricks is that if she can't remember a disease, she watches a video about it so she has some kind of connection to the disease) and I think it really drove home the fact that diseases aren't just facts to memorize, but have life changing effects on whole families.

on the internet

• I love the pretty flowers in these pictures - plus Lydia started a fashion blog + dogs pinterest board, which I think may be the best thing on the internet.
• If I could make any one celebrity be my best friend, Mindy is like #1. I just love her, her show, her first book, and what she stands for. I loved this quick "behind the scenes" where she discusses the more girly things in life. I can't wait for her next book to come out!
• 10 creatives you should be following - you may see a familiar name in there :) 

spotted

• The first wedding of the summer is next Saturday - I'm wearing this pretty black number, along with the world's softest clutch (now I just have to decide on shoes!). Rumor has it there's an open bar ;)
• How amazing is this sunburst mirror? Just a tiiiiiinnnny bit out of our decorating price range though. 
• Moccasins have always been my favorite kind of shoe - the top details of this Coach pair is so beautiful! Where you at, fall? :P

on franish

• on the blog: have you entered the shopbop giveaway? 
• on the instagram: the prettiest walk to the library 
• on the twitter: banana republic told me I looked nice, and it made my entire life

notable sales

• Banana Republic: 40% off certain items 
• I unexpectedly love this mustard dress - all you brunettes, please get this and let me live vicariously through you. 
• Loft: 40% off everything
• This chambray dress is adorable, available in all three lengths, and on sale. Go!
• This sweater has the cutest details - love that hem!
• Nordstrom's recent sale additions
• A Michael Kors watch for $100 less than the original. 
• A cute little cross body that adds the perfect pop of color this summer. 

personal

• I'm thinking about getting a fitbit for rotations - I think it'll be fun to see how much I'm on my feet! I'm thinking about getting the charge since it also includes a watch, which will definitely come in handy. Anyone have any experience with it, or have other recommendations? I'm definitely open to suggestions!
• I'm officially more than half done with invisalign! Only 20ish so weeks to go. Here's a progress picture. Next up after they are all straight? Whitening and then getting my fake front left (right in the picture) tooth fixed so it's even :)
• Thursday is the day! The only thing that stands between me and freedom is 400 questions. There is so much to look forward to afterwards - drinks, a haircut, a rehearsal dinner, a wedding, celebrations once my friends are done with their test too, the big move, my family coming, IKEA, setting up our house, and then my first rotation (family med)! I'm seriously just living right now for the moment I walk out of the testing center. Cross your fingers for me please :)

good bye, second year!

Yesterday was our last day of school! 

Technically we aren't done with second year yet (hello, boards!), but we are officially done with classroom work...forever! That's a pretty crazy thought. Besides the two years I worked between undergrad and med school, I've been in a classroom for 21 years. I love school - I think you kinda have to to go to graduate school. I love the office supplies, I love the learning, I love being stuck with a bunch of people who start out as strangers and become best friends. Although I bitch about sitting at the library for 12+ hours a day, I love just having control over my time, with headphones blasting and coffee in hand. 

It's hard to even quantify how much we've learned in the last two years. I was discussing that with my friend Neel the other day, who mentioned that he was looking through our old anatomy lab guide (from our first class in med school two years ago) and how he had to write in what cyanosis meant. Now that vocabulary, and the concepts behind it, are almost second nature to us. There is SO SO SO much left for us to learn, not only in the second half of school, but throughout our career, but it's really crazy to think about how much we've learned. I always tell people when they ask about how hard medical is, is that this isn't hard - the concepts aren't difficult, you just have to know everything about everything. 

Throughout the past two years, there have been doubts, breakdowns, and tears. I think that's just a part of the process. I'm so thankful for my closest girlfriends, CR, and my parents, for talking me through those difficult times, going on walks when it was time to get some air, and just giving me a hug because I needed it. I was told in the past that I wouldn't be able to handle the first two years of medical school, and I now love that I've proven that statement to be wrong. I'm also glad I only keep supportive people in my life now ;)

Thank you to all of your for your support these last two years. It really means the world to me! 

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory 

Bag: Michael Kors c/o Shopbop [exact]

Shoes: Madewell [exact]

Belt: Gap [similar]

My dress is currently sold out at Old Navy, but they have so many cute dresses right now. If you are looking for an inexpensive summer party dress, this one is adorable, available in 8 patterns in talls/petites, AND is on sale! This polka dot number is my absolute favorite even though I'm not sure I could pull it off. Thoughts?

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

twirl

If you've been following this blog for any period of time at all, you will have noticed that I tend to stick to a three looks. Ankle pants + blouse. Pencil skirt + tee. Fit and flare dress, belted. Mix in a few blazers, cardigans, and sweaters, and that's what I wear. I'm very picky about how things look on my body, which is why I don't really branch out from what I know works on me. There are so many things I'd love to look good on me - slouchy tops with skinny jeans. Off the shoulder dresses. Strapless anyything. But I hate being uncomfortable and I don't want look broader/bigger than I am, so I stick with my outfit formulas that work.

That being said, I've really tried over the last year just to branch out a little bit. I don't always want to stick to my "rules", which is why I kept this skirt after trying it earlier this year. I was a bit hesitant because I thought it gave me a weird hip shelf, and I didn't want it to cut me off weird, and what do you even wear with it?

But you know what? I looooooooooove it. I'm seriously in love with this skirt. Is a mid-length circle skirt really ground breaking? Nope. But for a girl who is very set in her sartorial ways, it was kind of exciting to try something new.

Plus it's fun to twirl in too :)

Tee: Ann Taylor [similar]

Skirt: Banana Republic [exact - more options below]

Necklace: Forever 21 [gorgeous similar]

Belt: Gap [very similar]

Bracelet: gift from my friend Lizzi [similar on sale]

Shoes: Frye [exact on sale]

Lipstick: Nars [exact in Roman Holiday]

and because my skirt is only left in a few sizes, here are eight fun options:

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

P.S. one of my all time favorite outfits of Bri's is this one, and I apparently felt it was time to copy it. It's like she gets me ;)

top three [05.10.2015]

my madewell transport tote is probably the most photographed thing on this blog [inexpensive alternative here!]

medicine

• My favorite muscle is the serratus anterior. It's a saw-shaped muscle on the side of your rib cage that helps stabilize your scapula. If its nerve becomes injured, you end up with a winged scapula - here's a short video showing one! Second favorite muscle? The extensor digiti minimi (just because it's fun to say)!
• I generally have a favorite tumor pathology for each body system - I'm still considering pathology as a future specialty, so it only makes sense to enjoy the pictures! Meningiomas are my favorite neuro tumor - they're so pretty! While they cause a variety of symptoms based on where they are located, most are luckily benign. 
• An absence seizure, or a "petit mal" as they are also called, is a seizure that results in brief losses of consciousness. Many times it arises in children, and characteristically is described as the kid sometimes having a blank stare. This video is great example of what they look like.

on the internet

• These style posts are my absolute favorite on the entire internet
• If I ever try a jumpsuit, I hope I look even half as good as Jo does (ps. go wish her a happy birthday! #30flirtyandthriving)
• You guys are all already following Kimi, right? She's so dang cute, I want all of her clothes! This week's outfits were some of my favorites of hers!

spotted

• If I could get myself anything as a post-board present, it would be this Chloe bag (in anenome pink *hearteyes*). But a purse worth more than my first car is probably not the wisest financial situation at this point in my life... 
• If you follow along on snapchat (@fhasselhof) you know that I'm slowly turning into one of those annoying people obsessed with their cat (and while Lucy is technically CR's cat, I claim her as my own). Does that mean it's okay if I buy this skirt? Does that make me a card-carrying member of the cat lady society?  [Cats not your style? I think we can all agree that this skirt is absolutely beautiful, and no cats are involved ;)  ]
• It's time to jump on the Birks wagon. I KNOW, WHO AM I?! But I've been slowly liking them more and more, and I've had a credit to Modcloth for seriously years that I haven't used, so...it's happening. Do we prefer the black 3 strap, or the classic style in this pretty salmon pink or this fun silver? My only rule is no white - those will always remind me of my German grandmother. I'm leaning towards silver just because I love Grace's gold pair! 

on franish

• on the blog: thoughts on dress pants (THANK YOU for all of your suggestions!)
• on the instagram: my house hunting outfit that was comfy and cute (my sandals are from Target and actually really comfortable!)
• on the twitter: the oh so hard life of full time blogging? I'm only bitter because I had spent 14 hours at the library that day.

notable sales

• Ann Taylor: 30% off everything
• Get this dress so we can be twins!
• Anthropologie: 20% off everything!
• For you: this blouse is what summer clothes dreams are made of
• For the home: how precious are these measuring cups? 
• Shopbop just added a bunch of their cute Tory Burch shoes to the sales section. My favorites are these simple thong sandals that come in 4 great colors. 

personal

• We have a place to live!!! CR and I drove down on Monday to look at houses for our move at the end of the month. The place we found is perfect - it has a fenced in yard, 3 bedrooms, a garage, and laundry. I'm so excited for us to finally have a place that is ours! 
• The stress acne is here in full force and it is killing me slowly. I finally broke down and ordered this acne set from Paula's Choice and I'm really hoping it'll clear this mess up swiftly. I'm 27 - this shouldn't still be an issue!!! 
• Have you heard the new Mumford and Sons CD? I was nervous at first that they were going to change everything I loved about them, but I can't get enough of their music. I reallllllllly hope they will be doing a show somewhere near me in the coming year.

Happy Mothers Day to the best mom out there. I love you!

400

Today our school had us take two practice exams in a row, to simulate the actual test day. Since our exam is exactly two weeks from today (eek!), it was good to get the experience of doing 400 questions in one day, but it was soooo tiring. All I wanted to do afterwards was sleep (...and drink). Instead we went and played at the dog park (it was so beautiful out!), got iced coffees, and then CR and I went out for a quick dinner...before sitting back at our desks to look over all the things we didn't know earlier today.

I stopped by Kohl's the other day to return a few items that didn't work out for me (this maxi was too short on me, unfortunately), when I saw a few pieces of the Milly collection left on the racks, so of course I had to get that striped dress I mentioned. I just think it's so cute! It's a nice and light weight, which makes it perfect both for quick nights out or as a cover up later this summer. It does run on the shorter end of what I prefer for dresses, but sometimes you need just to show a little thigh ;)

Dress: c/o Kohls [exact]

Jacket: Paige c/o Nordstrom [similar]

Bag: Madewell [save | exact]

Shoes: Banana Republic [exact]

Belt: Gap [very similar]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact]

Ring: Kendra Scott c/o Nordstrom [exact]