on the internet
- If you binge Fixer Upper regularly like I do, you probably wonder what the houses look like after the staging. I thought this post was so interesting to see how the people decorate after JoJo leaves.
- 15 things to remind yourself of this week.
- Tips for dressing yourself while pregnant (I KNOW, another pregnancy post. I promise that I'm not pregnant, but when you read blogs for years and years, a lot of people get pregnant! I also am regularly asked about maternity style, and since I have zero clue about that, I like to point out other places for inspiration!)
spotted
- I'm obsessed with my distressed jeans, but since my exact ones are sold out, I found a very similar pair for under $70.
- We've officially booked our engagement shoots for the middle of May! We've been talking to our photographer about locations, and I think I'm going to order this pretty white wrap dress as a possible contender for my outfit. I'm hoping it's not too short!
- How fun is this flowy giraffe print blouse? Just imagine it with some skinny jeans and cute shoes. I love it, even if may not look the best on me haha.
throwback
- I spent all of yesterday catching up on Grey's Anatomy, so I had to go back to my post about when I went on the ferry boats in Seattle. I need to go back.
- A style Q&A from 2015.
- How Paula's Choice change my skin. I can't recommend their products enough (if you are looking for places to start, get the cleanser and the BHA liquid).
ask me anything
- Can you give some advice on what to wear for Step 2 Clinical Skills exam? I'm an international med student so I'm not familiar with clinical attire of US docs. For example, while I'm comfortable wearing ankle-length dress pants for clinic in my country, I'm not sure is it considered professional in the US? Is dress code for the exam similar to that of residency interviews? What about blouse/shirt? Is there any preferred color (white?) or style (button down?), or it doesn't matter as long as it is conservative and professional looking? Also, flats or heels?
- Absolutely. So my advice is to veer more on the conservative side for the Step 2 CS. I wore my straight dress pants (like this pair). While I too wear ankle length dress pants in the clinic, I wanted to go with the most professional option of pant I owned. I would say half the girls on my test day wore ankle length pants though, so if you only own ankle pants, don't feel like you have to go buy a more conservative pair. For my top I wore one of my Loft blouses (like this style) because it was going to be covering everything no matter how I was standing or bending over, and that way I wouldn't have to mess with buttons or worrying I was showing too much cleavage. Color probably matters less, just stay somewhat in the neutral or subdued range, and it's absolutely appropriate. Absolutely wear your most comfortable flats!! You are standing almost the whole day, and you don't want to be distracted by uncomfortable heels or new shoes digging into your heels. My belief is that if you just look like a normal person, they won't even factor in your appearance, it's when students look out of place that how they are dressed can affect how they do. Good luck!
- I need to find Cognac heels for a wedding in May. Do you have any recommendations? I'd love to find cute wedges that aren't too bulky and would be comfortable enough to wear all day.
- Well you know how much I love cognac, so I'm all over this! Okay, so Nordstrom Rack has a really cute pair of Steve Madden wedges that are a bit lower and look like they'd be really comfortable. If you're looking for something a bit taller and for a more casual wedding, Lucky makes a wedge espadrille that would look great with a sundress, and Jack Rogers has a pair that's just been price reduced. Splendid makes a cute pair of shoes that aren't technically wedges, but have a thicker heel, which makes them comfortable to walk in. On Amazon, Nine West makes a sleeker pair that would go with a ton of different dresses. If you want to go a bit pricier, Tory Burch makes a pretty classic wedge with a small peep toe!
- Any advice for a medical student starting a blog?
- I have several pieces of advice! 1: don't make your whole blog about medicine. I find blogs and instagrams that are solely about medical school kind of boring, because medical school for the most part is pretty boring. Definitely mix in other parts of your life to keep your readers interested and engaged. I only write a medical school related post maybe once a month, and I think since the majority of my readers aren't medical students, they don't really care how many pages of First Aid I read that day. 2: remember that if you share anything on the internet, it's about you and no one else. There are so many cool things I've seen the past two years, but I always share my side of the experience rather than sharing a patient's story. 3: Remember that nothing is anonymous on the internet, so write as if your parents, grandma, priest, and future program director are reading it. I've talked about this before, but I definitely am not as vocal on my blog and social media as I am in real life, and for good reason. Future patients can easily find me by just searching my name (it'll be harder once I change my name, but still), so I don't put anything on here that would be considered inappropriate. There is a lot of discussion in the medical community right now about physicians and social media (there are so many on instagram now, and plastic surgeons snap chatting their whole days!), so while I think the community as a whole is definitely a lot more open about being "public", you still want to be a professional. 4: Just have fun with it! It's supposed to be a creative outlet for you, not something you feel you have to do every single day.
on franish
- on the blog: loved reading all of your comments about microblading! I'm still very much on the fence right now...
- on the instagram: the picture that got a bunch of spam likes this week. SO WEIRD.
- on the twitter: any suggestions? our future may have lots of hardwood in it :)
notable sales
- Ann Taylor: 40% off dresses, skirts, and more
- If you have a bunch of weddings to go to this summer, this simple lace dress will be super versatile and can be mixed with a bunch of different things to make it unique.
- The reviews of their leather block heels can't stop raving about how comfortable and nice they are! Definitely worth checking out if you want a new spring sandal.
- And if you're looking for a flat pair of shoes, how fun are these tassel tied flats? I think they are so cute.
- Kate Spade: 25% off everything
- OMG. I waaaaaant this tote bag. It's just everything I want in a tote bag. If I wasn't planning on having a backpack for work next year, this is the bag I'd get.
- I love the idea of this travel wallet - I'd even print out my boarding pass instead of using the app just so I could get the most out of it!
- Who knew they made rugs?! I'd like their rose one for my future office please (although I'll need more than 25% off to afford that...)
- Old Navy: 40% off everything
- I love the distressing on this denim jacket - it looks so much like the way more expensive jackets out there! Wear it all spring and summer long with sundresses and white jeans.
- I have a feeling this one shoulder ruffled dress with the darling of bloggers this spring. Get it now while all sizing (including petites and talls!) are still available.
- And speaking of wearing white jeans, pair them with this lace up striped top for a look that basically screams spring.
at home
- We put in an offer on a house this week! Fingers crossed it all works :) Man, this process is exhausting! So much looking and searching and back and forth and papers! We ended up looking at around 25 houses (not bad for the 10 days we looked haha), and found what we think is the perfect house for us! I'm probably going to keep things a little quieter around the house searching process until closing (just because you never know what happens!) but I'm very excited about the possibilities!
- Next month I start my maternal fetal medicine rotation (the high risk Ob doctors). I'm excited that I get to spend a month learning from them just before starting residency because I know they are just a wealth of knowledge. It's getting so close!
- Did I tell you guys that my sister matched to a residency one hour away from mine?! It's going to be so nice to have her so close to me again - we haven't lived near each other since 2008 (she lived in Germany for six years for medical school).
