june budget

J.Crew chambray shirt: $78, on sale for $58

Boden dress: $128, on sale for $96

June budget: $154

Quarterly budget: $500 + $185 left over - $180 spent in May - $154 in June = $351 left for July

First of all, I wanted to thank all of you for your comments and feedback in my last budget post. For the last few months, every time I put together these budget posts, I'm a bit underwhelmed by them just because they have been quite sparse lately. But reading your thoughts and why you've enjoyed the posts over the years has motivated me to stick with it. 

So May, June, and now July were and will be really busy months for me. In May, I was away from home for the month on an elective rotation, in June I spent the whole month studying for Step 2, and now in July I'm gone again for my first audition rotation. That has meant I've been almost exclusively in scrubs or lounge clothes, which makes for a really boring style blog. No need to wear real clothes = no desire to buy real clothes = not a lot of blog content. The two items I did purchase this month are two I'm super excited about though. First is the J.Crew chambray shirt, which I reviewed at the beginning of the month. Second is a black wrap dress from Boden. I actually purchased the Boden dress and a similar dress from Ann Taylor and even though I really did love the Ann Taylor wrap dress, the simple black dress won in the end because it will just be more versatile. I see both becoming major staples in my wardrobe! 

To be honest, July will probably also be pretty minimal when it comes to shopping. After this audition, I will have two months of family medicine though, so I will be both home, and on a bit of an easier schedule (right now I'm at the hospital at 5:00 AM and don't leave until after 6 PM, which is also why it's been more quiet around here) so I'll have a bit more time to get back into blogging. I'll also start the hunt for an interview suit (or two, as I've been advised), all which will of course be documented along the way. If you have any tips for suits, I'd be so interested to hear any advice you have! I'm pretty set of having a black pant suit, so I'm looking for something along the lines of this suit from Halogen. I'll probably end up wearing my go-to black wedges, as they are the most comfortable yet professional shoes I own. 

the red, white, and blue

Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. As a non-citizen (I'm a permanent resident), it's probably a bit strange to have America's birthday be one of my favorites, but what is not to love?! Picnics, barbecues, time at the pool or on the boat, and top it off with fireworks. Apparently food and pretty sparkly lights are the way to my heart. That, and stripes. 

I own more striped things than another other pattern in my closet, so of course I had to add this cute striped dress from Kohl's to my collection. I love that in the context of the Fourth of July, it fits in perfectly (trust, I'm going to be wearing it all next weekend), but then it also works the rest of the year. Paired with summery accessories like sunglasses and sneakers, and it's pretty much a summer uniform. 

Dress: Chaps c/o Kohl's [exact]

Bag: Dana Buchman c/o Kohl's [exact]

Ring: Freshwater by Honora c/o Kohl's [exact]

Sunglasses: Converse c/o Kohl's [exact]

Shoes: Converse [exact]

...and just in case you feel you aren't ready for the upcoming weekend, below are a few cute options. Some are super patriotic (hello, flag shirt!), while other (like this adorable gingham dress) just have enough of the theme going on while still being something you can wear all year long. 

one | two | three

four | five | six

seven | eight | nine

Thank you to Kohl's and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post! 

top three [06.26.2016]

Jessica shared this article recently, and now I need to figure out how to exploit Hansi for his cuteness

medicine

• Rifampin, an antibiotic, is known to turn your urine (and eyeballs!) orange. Don't worry, it's not permanent. 
• The stethoscope was invented for modesty's sake - it meant doctors no longer had to press their ears against their patients' chests. 
• The Babinski reflex is a reflex that is tested by stimulated the foot with a blunt object. In you and I, this would cause our toes to flex down. In an infant, or someone with a central nervous system injury, it would cause the toes to extend up. 

on the internet

• Chub rub is one of the worst things about summer (besides the humidity, the sweating, and the lack of AC in my house) - Allie shares some of her remedies about what has worked, what hasn't worked, and what do if there's been too much chaffing. 
• Not only does AJ look adorable in this black maxi (something I wish I had in my own closet!) but what she says about it (and all cute clothes) is so true!
• Grace shares her dry brushing techniques - that reminds me that I need to restart! My skin needs it. 

spotted

• This crossbody from Target is the best Chloe dupe I have ever seen - and for $12?!
• And speaking of Chloe dupes....I've loved their scalloped flats forever, but I just found a very similar pair for one tenth of the price (and it comes in so many colors!!!). Isn't that crazy?! They look exactly the same. 
• How fun are these striped shorts from Old Navy?! I love them. 

ask me anything

• What have you learned on rotations that help you take better care of yourself physically?
• Ohh, that is such a great question! Honestly, one of the biggest things for me was that now I'm pretty vigilant about my preventative medicine practices. I was disappointed that so many of the patients I saw weren't willing to go through the various cancer screenings we offer (that for the most part are easy and that truly save lives!), and then I realized that I personally was slightly past due for a Pap smear. I felt like such a hypocrite, and immediately went about finding a new gynecologist (as we had just moved). I also really do try to exercise three times a week, minimum. Your health and body is a one time thing, and while I truly believe in everything in moderation, I think taking the time out of the week to get your body moving is so good. 
• Which residencies do you and CR want to be matched into?
• I will be applying for ObGyn, and CR is applying for family medicine.
• I will be going to a birthday party next month where the dress code is "Night Out". I also prefer to dress more on the conservative side, and it's pretty difficult to find an outfit that fits both categories! I was wondering if you have any recommendations?
• Ohhh, that is pretty tough combo, especially if you aren't constantly going out! I would also have a similar problem, so here's what I would do. I personally would wear dark skinny jeans (my favorites are from Madewell, but these are similar and cheaper), some cute wedges (these Caslon ones are adorable and under $60), and then a fun top that is still somewhat more covered up. Two options are this Lush top (that I also own) that would look great with some sparkly earrings, or if you want to go just a bit more daring, something that's off the shoulder but still has a strap, like this top from Target. 

on franish

• on the blog: how to get my favorite face mask for more than 40% off!
• on the instagram: both hansi and I are excited about our new door mat
• on the twitter: right?! how does she get her hair to look so good all the time? 

notable sales

• Ann Taylor: 50% off all items
• Scallops and eyelet in one pair of shorts?! You know these are screaming my name. 
• I am living for this striped v neck top. LOVE.
• While I don't think it would look good on me, I'm a bit obsessed with their kimono dress. So darn cute. 
• Kate Spade: 30% off sale items
• I've been using my KS travel wallet as a regular wallet for years now, and it gets so many compliments. 
• The perfect work/school/life bag that goes with literally everything. 
• Recently married or have a bestie who is? Get yourself or her the perfect necklace (it's my go-to bridal shower present!)
• Tory Burch: 30% off sale items
• These gold sneakers are THE COOLEST sneakers I have ever seen. Seriously, how fun are they?!
• You guys know that I love my Revas, but I'm very tempted by the Lowell flats - they just look so sleek!
• Other temptations include their laser cut cross body - cute, right? 

at home

• DONE! so so done! We took our last exam of medical school on Friday and man, does it feel good. I have a whole post coming up in some months about the numbers of medical school, but as a sneak peak, we took 102 exams over the past three years. And now...no more!
• After our exam on Friday we went to a Dave Matthews Band concert and it was the perfect end to the day (except the part where some roid raging bro came and tried to fight us for standing during the concert? yeah, that actually happened). In two weeks we see DMB again, but this time we will be in the pit - I can't wait! 
• On Saturday we drove down to Delaware to visit CR's best friends from college and we had so much fun - day drinking, playing games, dinner, and pizza - what more could you want?! Now we are on the 6 hour drive home, and then I have to throw my life into a suitcase to move to Dayton for the month. Thank you to everyone who left suggestions in my last post - I can't wait to try out all of the places you guys recommended! 

beauty tuesday: glam glow for over 40% off!

I have talked about my love for the GLAMGLOW masks for years now, I'm sure (see what I mean in this post where I talk about my skincare routine). I used to just get a small sample of it every time I went to Sephora, but finally justified purchasing the full sized jar when I found a holiday set last December that included the full sized jar of the Youthmud (my personal favorite), smaller jar of the clearing mask, a small bottle of their cleanser, and a brush, all for the price of the full sized Youthmud (that's a $130 value for $69).

Now seven months later, I'm finally getting to the bottom of my jar, and can honestly say I'm so happy with that original purchase. I use the Youthmud about once a week, and usually follow up with a sheet mask (still loving the Tony Moly set I got on Amazon) - my skin looks so so good after. I did that combo last night (as you may have seen on snapchat, @fhasselhof if you don't already follow long), and it really toned down my current stress-induced/hands-on-face induced breakouts I have going on right now. It also was one of the only ways I was able to get rid of the flaking my skin was going through when I started using a retin-a cream this past winter. I use the clearing treatment as an overnight spot treatment (more on that to come in a few weeks), and it has drastically cut down on the time it takes for those pesky pimples to go away. Overall, I feel the masks have really helped rejuvenate my skin in a way I haven't found other masks to accomplish.

All of this is to say that if you have been interested in trying the Glamglow masks, or are a firm believer like I've become, Hautelook has a sale going on right now for the exact same kit. The kit retails for $69, which is what I bought it for last December (and what it still sells for at Sephora), but is currently $39 on Hautelook! That's almost 50% off the original price, which is a pretty darn great deal. I just ordered mine (...I was really close to actually buying two, to be honest) and if you're interested, the sale goes on for another four days!

A big thanks goes out to Halley, one of my fav readers, who let me know about this great deal :)

the best part about summer

There is nothing that makes me happier than a pretty dress. Over the last few years, I finally embraced that dresses really are the best part about summer - I used to really dislike summer just because I felt I never had anything to wear, and then as my closet slowly filled up with more dresses, the less I hated summer. The more pretty details, patterns, or colors, the better!

When given the opportunity to pick out a dress from ModCloth recently, I was compelled to try this beautiful floral number. I have so many good casual dresses, but lack ones that are a bit dressier. The one I'm wearing is called Dress in a Flower box, which is adorable, and very fitting. I now own several items from ModCloth, and one of my favorite things about their brand as a whole is that they have extended sizing in so many of their items - not all of us fit in S / M / L sizes, so it's really great to have more options in pieces we feel comfortable in!

Dress: c/o Modcloth [exact]*

Shoes: c/o Modcloth [exact]

*a note on sizing: I'm wearing a large, and feel it runs just a bit small in the chest, so if you are between sizes, I would suggest sizing up!

From more casual summer clothes (did you see the baseball shoes?! makes me miss going to Brewers games every summer) to pretty patterned dresses to this summer's trends, ModCloth has a ton of great options. Below are ten of my favorites for dressier events, from bridal showers to graduations to weddings. My favorite is the elegant navy dress - it's definitely one of those timeless pieces you'll wear for years!

one | two | three | four | five

six | seven | eight | nine | ten

Thank you to ShopStyle and ModCloth for sponsoring this post!

top three [06.19.2016]

my favorite little corner of our house 

medicine

• Chromosome 5p deletion is also known as Cri du chat, as this genetic disorder causes infants to sound like a crying cat when they are crying. Here's an example of the cry.
• Stevens Johnson syndrome is a type of hypersensitivity reaction where your body reacts to certain types of medications. It causes mucocutenous lesions to appear that eventually can spread to other parts of your body. If more than 30% of your body is covered by these lesions, it's known as toxic epidermal necrosis. I'll let you google that, if you're so inclined, as the pictures are pretty gruesome. 
• Eikenella is a type of bacteria that lives in our mouths that if grown on agar supposedly smells like bleach!

on the internet

• I love a good beauty review post - Veronika makes me want to try allllll of those items!
• Grace, killing it in a jumpsuit. What can't she do?!
• Style sudoku is the coolest "blogging challenge" I've seen in years - remember when those were still a thing in blogging?! We need more of them. Love this fun idea, Kimi!

spotted

• How freaking cute is Ann Taylor's newest eyelet shirtdress?! I have literally no where to wear it, but I want it. 
• ...luckily I'll have most of my weekends back after tomorrow, so I have tons of places to wear this light weight dress. LOVE!
• Okay, actually obsessed with this foldover crossbody from Nordstrom - it comes in 3 colors (cognac is obvi my favorite) and is under $40! Plus it looks like you can take the straps off and use it as a clutch. Yep, definitely just ordered it. 

ask me anything

• What do you think about double majoring? Is it worth it to get accepted into medical school?
• I think you should double major if YOU want to double major, not because you think it'll help your med school application. I was a double major by chance (I was so close to being done with my German degree by the time I started taking science classes that it would have been silly to stop), but I don't know if that really did anything for my applications. If you are far enough into a second major, or you just really love something, you should definitely go for it if you can make it work! Just don't do it because you think it'll help your application though. 
• I would be super interested in seeing a post about your invisalign experience. I've been considering getting them myself.
• I actually did one a few months ago all about it! I am very happy with my results :)
• I was just wondering how you take your pictures? They are all beautiful.
• You are so sweet, thank you. I am going to say outright that I am not good at photography, neither is my boyfriend, and really it all comes down to the equipment rather than our skill set. I have a Sony DSLR I bought six years ago, and now use an 85mm lens on automatic (I used the 50mm in the past too) to shoot all of my outfit pictures. So combined with just finding shady areas while it's bright outside, and the use of Lightroom to edit my pictures, that's about as complicated as it gets for me! I really wish I knew how to take pictures better, but CR and I just haven't found a time to really learn how to use the manual settings on my camera. Some day I'd really love to do that though - maybe this year will be the year! 

on franish

• on the blog: sharing what a typical study day looks like around here
• on the instagram: you'll find inspiration in the most random places...like the cookie shop. 
• on the twitter: can't recommend Maru enough! if you are looking for someone to do your redesign, she's your girl!

notable sales

• J.Crew: 40% off summer essentials
• I'm as shocked as you are that I don't own a chambray dress yet! May just have to pick up that version...you know, just to try!
• Now that I'm starting to think about residency interview suits, I've been keeping my eye out for nice tops to go with said suit. I kind of love this minimal ruffled blouse as an option!
• I love the slightly larger than life ties for their poplin wrap dress - cute, right? 
• Loft: 40% off 
• Yaaaaassss, Loft killing it with the fringe wrap romper - so fun!
• An equally cute, but more work appropriate, chevron dress you'll wear now with sandals and later with boots and a cardigan.
• Their jacquard skirt is really different from anything else in my closet, but...I kind of want it? 
• Madewell: 25% off select summer pieces
• Jealous of all you ladies who can wear higher heeled shoes all the time - I'd love to own and wear this leather sandal pair all summer long!
• I swear, one of these summers I'm going to finally try a jumpsuit that looks good on me - until then, I'll dream about this pretty lace version instead. 
• If you've been looking for a pair of minimalist sandals for the summer, look no further. 

at home

• Have you guys heard the new song from Mumford and Sons? I can't stop listening to it. 
• I took the USMLE board exam on Thursday, and boy, was it a long day. It's 8 blocks of 44 questions, and it takes 8 hours to complete. I feel pretty good about my performance on it but of course now I try to remember questions and am totally second guessing myself! Now tomorrow we take COMLEX, and then I'm officially done with taking written board exams while in medical school. We have the physical exam boards on Friday, and then NO MORE EXAMS. I can hardly believe it. 
• Starting next week I will be living in Dayton, Ohio for a month, so if any of you are from the area, I'd love to hear any suggestions you have for me!

day in the life: step 2 studying

My day in the life posts are always my most popular posts - I love writing them, documenting these various times in my life, and from the response, you guys like the little glimpse into a life in medicine as well. While a day of studying is not as exciting as say, a day on general surgery or a 24+ hour OB shift is, this is also a huge part of my life, so I wanted to share it as well. I also wanted to write this post because I'm often asked about how I study - I'm your typical medical student, so nothing I do is groundbreaking, it just gets the job done for me, but I go a little bit into my methods here. So with all of that being said, here's what a day around here looks like as we prepare for Step 2 (which...is tomorrow)!

7:45am: You know what the best part of having a study month after a year of 5:30am or earlier wakeup calls? Making your own schedule, and therefore getting to sleep in a little! I'm always up first, so I spend a little time reading the news, checking social media, and reading my email. 

top three [06.12.2016]

well, looks like I'm a crazy cat lady now...but can you blame me? look how pretty she is!

medicine

• Polycythemia vera is a myeloproliferative disorder where your red blood cells proliferate more than they are supposed to. One symptom of PV is getting really itchy when taking a hot bath. The medical term for that is aquagenic pruritus. 
• Lisch nodules, or iris hamartomas, are a sign of Neurofibromatosis, which is a tumor disorder. They have a very characteristic appearance, which if they weren't a symptom of this disease, look quite interesting. 
• Those kids out there huffing glue are likely to have a "glue sniffer's rash" around their mouth. Yikes!

on the internet

• I shared Dani's homemade dog treats a few months ago, and now she's back with dry shampoo for dogs! My dogs have a lot of fun coming their way, post boards!
• How amazing does Olivia look in this striped dress? She's like, so pretty. 
• I know I say this every few month, but Adina's style is seriously some of the best on the internet. 

spotted

• In my never ending search for the perfect striped summer dress, I came across this adorable version from Kohl's - I love that red accent!
• And speaking of cute dresses, how freaking cute is this longer shirt dress from Target?! I love how simple but put together it looks with the wedges. 
• You guys know I love my Revas, but they just aren't always the most comfortable. I just spotted the Jolie flat, and between the soft leather and the elastic banding (and that pretty blush color!), I'm in love. 

ask me anything

• You should do a post about workout clothes. Your favorite tops, shoes, shorts, etc. and where you get them. What items last the longest and are worth investments vs. getting cheaper versions.
• It's definitely on my list of future posts, as soon as I have a bit more time! I've said it time and again, but I think the active wear section from Old Navy is amazing. From their sports bras (I just got this cute version!) to their tops (my new bra works perfectly with this new top) to their leggings (they are basically all I wear to the gym), they really cover everything you need for great prices. A more in depth post coming though :)
• I am also a future OB/GYN hopeful DO student, currently just finished my second year and am prepping for Step 1 boards. I was just wondering if you took both the COMLEX and USMLE for step 1 and if so, have you found USMLE to be helpful in preparing for your residency interview season? Or if you didn't take the USMLE, do you wish you did? Thanks!! Good luck with Step 2!
• I actually only took COMLEX for Step 1. ObGyn wasn't so much on my radar at the time when I was making my decision, and I kind of regret now not taking it. I'm obviously still in the prepping part of residency applications so I don't know how much that will affect me in the end, but we only had to cross one hospital we were interested in off the list because they required USMLE. But, I am taking USMLE Step 2 (this Thursday! yikes!) to make myself a stronger applicant overall, so while that won't make up for not taking USMLE Step 1, I hope it will help. I have spoken to several ObGyn DO residents at allopathic programs who either didn't take either USMLE steps or just Step 2, and it worked out for them, so fingers crossed!!
• What size/height are you? I like a lot of your styles, but I'm wondering if it's something I could pull off.
• I'm 5'9'', and I wear a size 10-12 (usually 10 in tops and dresses, and 12 in pants). 

on franish

• on the blog: ...nothing. whoops! 
• on the instagram: the most makeup I've worn in weeks
• what you missed on snapchat (@fhasselhof): meals from the week that included lots of veggies, and plenty of Lucy snaps (that dirty devil!)

notable sales

• Anthropologie: 25% off sale
• Okay, their bow dress is officially the cutest dress I have ever seen on that website. That back!
• While not as like OMG as the dress above, I also love the simple Ardmore - it would be so versatile!
• It's a bit different from my usual style (which is what I think I love about it), but how fun would this longer cardigan be over dresses and jeans once it cools down again in a few months? I love the details. 
• Boden: 30% off certain items
• A palm leaf tunic screams "time to go on vacation!"
• And when you go on that vacation, also pack this jersey dress - it'll pull double duty as a casual dress and a beach cover up. 
• My favorite tees now come in dress length?! One of each please!
• Madewell: 20% off sale
• The best weather is when you can wear shorts and a light weight sweater, amiright? 
• I love the idea of their white shirt dress paired with a thick cognac belt. 
• A year later, and I'm still in love with their dalmatian d'orsay flats. 

at home

• Thank you so much to all of you who have left me sweet messages, comments, and DMs wishing me luck during this crunch time. I'm 4 days out from the first of three board exams in the next two weeks, so life around here has just been gym shorts and studying all day. I'm hoping to have a day in the life post up this week to give you a bit of glimpse into the glamorous life. Part of me kind of enjoys the freedom away from the blog, but another huge part of me misses doing something other than practice problems all day. Oh well, this time is super transient in the grand scheme of things, and honestly, there are some pretty great things about dedicated study time (more on that in the upcoming post!). 
• While I spend all day in lounge clothes or work out clothes, I did receive that beautiful wrap dress from Ann Taylor that I mentioned a few weeks ago, and you guys...it is beautiful. Cant' wait to wear it!
• The weather has been amazing lately - I'd love to hear how you've been enjoying it :)

top three [06.05.2016]

a few instas from the weekend :)

medicine

• The chest x-ray of a patient who has pulmonary alveolar proteinosis has infiltrates that resemble a bat shape. I can almost see it. 
• Trismus: the inability to open the mouth normally. This is often seen in retropharygenal abscesses. 
• Did you guys see the story about how the man who invented the Heimlich maneuver, Dr. Heimlich (obviously), use it to save the other day to save the life of a lady who was choking while seated by him? Talk about a lucky day!

on the internet

• How great does Rachelle look in this bright and summery yellow dress? I love the red lipstick with it!
• All the sass and none of the homemaking is also how I like to describe my life, Sarah ;)
• I'm so excited to follow along as Lauren starts her new life in NYC (plus doesn't she take the cutest pictures?!)

spotted

• I just put in a huge Old Navy order (so many work out clothes currently on sale!) but I'm sad I didn't spot this adorable white dress until after I ordered - how freaking cute is it?!
• The shape and style of this Emperia purse is so similar to the Givenchy satchel...for about 1/100 of the price!
• I tried on this striped top from Banana Republic yesterday, and I just fell in love with it. If only it came in black and white, I would have purchased it immediately!

ask me anything

• I'm going on a beach vacation in a few weeks and was wondering if you had any cover up recommendations?
• Yay! Where are you going, and do you have room in your suitcase for me? So I have several suggestions, all under $50. From Target, there are two really cute options - there's a crochet paneled one that comes in black and white, and my personal favorite, this striped tasseled kaftan (so cute, right?!). J.Crew Factory has a pretty good sale going on, so their striped v-neck dress would be a perfect dress that doubles as a cover-up (perfect for when you have dinner plans after a day at the beach). The most unique of the bunch is a romper from O'Neill - I just think it would be so fun to wear!
• I am pregnant with my first baby, due in August, and I didn't really know what to expect from childbirth so when a friend suggested I take a Hypnobirthing class, I signed up. I had no idea what Hypnobirthing was but she said the class would be informative and helpful, regardless of the type of birth experience I wanted. I had always planned on getting an epidural and just going along with the process as the OB saw fit but the class has me rethinking this. From what I've heard, many OBs aren't very supportive of Hypnobirthing. I'm just curious what you have learned about Hypnobirthing from school or the OBs you have worked with?
• Congrats on your first baby! To be honest, I don't have any experience with Hypobirthing, and actually had to look it up! From what I understand, it's a way of working with your body to get through labor and delivery, which I think most OBs would be supportive of. I've never experienced a doctor push a patients towards an epidural, so I hope you won't have that experience either! I think women need to do whatever they want in their delivery, whether that's an epidural, going without anything, or using hypobirthing. If you feel it will work for you, then I think that's wonderful :)
• Have you ever fainted? How did it happen?
• I have actually only fainted once, but I've been close several times. The one time I fainted was when I was shadowing my friend's father, who is a plastic surgeon, a few years before I went to medical school. I was under the impression we were just going to stand in the corner during a breast lift, but he had us scrub in and participate. Between the hot lights, and watching someone cutting into a nipple, I just basically lost it. The nurse noticed that I was breathing funny, and had the circulating nurse bring me a chair right as I passed out. Embarrassing, that's for sure! 

on franish

• on the blog: reviewing the differences between J.Crew chambray shirts
• on the instagram: the biggest cliche of all (ps. my sunglasses are $10 and basically a complete Celine knock off!
• on the twitter: #medstudentproblems (my most retweeted/liked tweet ever!)

notable sales

• Boden: save 25% off your purchase with code 3H9P
• I tried on this short sleeved wrap dress a few months ago, and fell in love with the cut - time to order that black version, for keeps this time! I can see it becoming one of the most worn pieces in my closet. 
• If you have any plans that involve a swimsuit coming up, then I think you need this adorable pom pom coverup to go with it!
• I have both the long sleeved and the short sleeved striped bretons, and they are two of my favorite shirts in my closet. HIGHLY recommend, if you are looking for a good striped shirt!
• Madewell: 20% off summer picks
• I love the idea of a short sleeved chambray top for the summer. White jeans, chambray shirt, cognac accessories sounds like a perfect summer uniform to me!
• And if you need some cognac wedges, I found you the perfect pair (or the coral pair, because they are so pretty!). 
• I love this pretty rose cardigan - it would just be so versatile during all months of the year. 
• Nordstrom: last day of the half yearly sale!
• I've always liked the sleek style of the Gigi sandal, and now you can get them for 33% off!
• The Transport Tote lookalike is now $30!
• I have the Tahari A line dress (see it on me here) and it is such a comfortable dress - perfect for those work days where you feel like you have nothing to wear!

at home

• Since returning home from the dorms, CR and I have been so good about eating and exercising - it feels so good to wake up in the morning not feeling guilty (or am I the only one this happens to?). We did the first week of BBG (yep, he did it with me!) and I'm excited to keep up with it. It's nice to have one physical thing to do every day as we spend the rest of the time sitting on our butts studying!
• I came home to Wisconsin for the weekend to see my family and go to my high school reunion. I only get to come home once a year, so it's always such a treat to visit all my favorite places, eat my favorite foods, and see my favorite people. Our high school reunion was pretty fun too! My graduating class only had 69 people in it, so I grew up with all the same people, so that makes for an interesting time together!
• Less than two more weeks until the hell of 3 board exams in 8 days start. EEK!

review: j.crew keeper chambray shirt versus j.crew always chambray shirt

I purchased the J.Crew Keeper chambray shirt almost two years ago, and it is without a doubt the most worn shirt in my closet - I wore it all. the. time. It was comfortable, it went with everything, and it was just all around the perfect shirt...until it ripped (even then, I still wore it around the house. shhh, don't tell anyone). While the Keeper chambray shirt was a long time J.Crew staple, it turns out they have replaced it with the Always chambray shirt. Since I was such a fan of the original, I purchased its replacement during a recent 30% off sale. Here are the similarities and differences between the two. 

Keeper chambray || Always chambray

Similarities: Both are 100% cotton, which is very important when it comes to picking the comfiest shirt in your closet! I assume that sizing is very similar between the two - I can't say this with certainty as my Keeper chambray is a size 12 and my Always chambray is a 10Tall (more discussions of that below), but according to the measurements online, both regular sizes come in at the same body length of 27 1/4. If you have the Keeper in a size that you like, I'd advise going with the same size for the Always chambray.

Differences: The most immediate difference is in the color of the shirts. Both are portrayed brighter online than they are in real life, but I assumed they would be similar. Granted, my Keeper chambray has gone through the wash many many times, so some of the color differences is due to fading, but even the online version of the Always chambray is much lighter than the real life version. I personally prefer the slightly lighter coloring, so I'm hoping that the Always chambray will fade a bit with time as well. Another big obvious difference is that the Keeper chambray had two pockets with buttons on the chest, while the Always chambray only has one button-less pocket. While I like the look of the buttons for the most part, the fabric tends to get a bit wrinkly and distorted (as you can see above), and it also puts a limit on layering it under sweaters (the button placement just makes you look...chilly, if you know what I mean). So points for the Always, as it requires less maintenance and is more versatile. The Keeper also had buttons on the sleeve (which I never used), which the Always does not. 

I wanted to also just show you how the tall sizing looks on me here - I'm 5'9'', so I don't always need tall sizing, but appreciate the option if it's available. Since I always felt that my Keeper chambray was just a tiny bit too short on me, I opted to go with the tall sizing, one size down for the Always chambray - I typically order one size down when I buy something in talls, as I find that talls generally run larger overall. I do prefer the tall sizing here - it's two inches longer in the waist (29 inches instead of 27), which I really like (I think it looks more proportional, don't you?). If you have longer arms, you'll appreciate the longer length of the sleeves as well - I always roll my sleeves up though, so this wasn't a big deal for me. I also think the waist comes in at my natural waist as opposed to a little too high. 

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Always chambray, so if you've had your eye on it, get it so we can be twins :)