a neon moment + [giveaway]

 

I'm wearing neon.

Okay, so when neon first came around in this decade, this is how I felt about it:

But now I'm more like this:

Ok, only a slight exaggeration. I can see the appeal though, especially when it comes as a $6 tee. I doubt that I'll buy anything else neon because one item is enough, but I intend to wear the heck out of this shirt this summer. 

I guess I should never say never. What's next, wedge sneakers?! 

Tee: Old Navy [exact on clearance]

Jeans: American Eagle [exact]

Shoes: Aldo [save | splurge]

Watch: Target

Bracelet: gift from Caroline :)

And for today's moment that doesn't include awesome Saved by the Bell gifs, the pups and I went over to fellow Madison blogger Dani's for a puppy play date with her adorable dog Walter. We had a a great time hanging out on their beautiful porch, eating, drinking, and chatting about both life and blogging. Dani blogs at Life's a Journal and also has an Etsy shop where she sells these so smart notepads. She was so sweet and gave me one to try out. I think I'm going to save the majority of them for when school starts but seriously, how smart of an idea is this? It organizes your whole life for you, down to how many glasses of water to drink. If you are interested in trying one out, you can get 10% off your order with the code FranFan (awesome right?) or you can try to win one with the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

fittings and failings

 

and we're back... and with my new coral blazer! This is the second time I've worn this blazer in the last three days, except this time it was for a more appropriate occasion. I initially wore it Saturday night for dinner with Chris but he asked me if I was going out for a job interview so um, memo to self: buy sexier date night clothes. 

But for work, it is very much appropriate. Like I've mentioned, I love the color, and flexible fabric and fit. My only issue with the blazer is that it isn't very fitted in the waist, which may because I was debating between sizes and  decided to size up. It fits well in the shoulders though which is the most important issue for me. While I've been dabbling in altering my own clothes (I slimmed the sides of both this polka dot popover and my chambray popover recently), I do not trust myself at all with the blazer. I think it'll be worth the ~$20 to have a tailor slim the sides for me so it looks more like this.

Blazer: Gap [exact - now $60 + 30% off]

Blouse: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Jeans: Joe's Jeans [same style]

Necklace: gift from my mom [save | splurge]

Watch: Kate Spade [exact]

Shoes: Tory Burch [exact]

Nails: Essie Fifth Avenue & Julep Oscar

And for BEDIM: the thing I'm most afraid of. This is pretty easy for me to answer: failing. 

I'm not very used to failing because once I set my mind to something, I get it done. Starting medical school will be like a whole new world for me - the dedication needed to not only complete, but to do well, is something I have yet to experience. I'm terrified that I won't be able to handle it - the coursework, the new lifestyle, the lack of free time, the new roommate, the newly long distance relationship. I'm so afraid that I won't be able to handle it all as well as I want to but in the end, I don't have a choice in the matter. I have to not fail.

P.S. Congrats to Denial Renae Nichols for winning Tea & Sequins' $50 Gap Giftcard Giveaway. Be on the lookout for an email from us!

fixations

 

You guys. Remember how in my April Budget post I said that I had ordered this Gap blazer online because I wanted it in a "tall", and because they were having a 30% already reduced items promotion? Well, it came yesterday and I'M IN LOVE I'M IN LOVE and I don't care who knows it! It is so cute. It's that bright and fun blazer I wanted when I ordered this floral blazer, but it's going to be so much more versatile and actually wearable. I feel so content with this purchase, a feeling I didn't have when I ordered that Zara blazer. I'm really excited to wear it!

Okay, so now about today's actual topic: things that make me uncomfortable. I don't know how much this qualifies, but I'm a person who fixates on repetitive motions or sounds, which annoys me and therefore makes me uncomfortable. Does that make sense? For example: pen clickers. or people who twirl their hair. or foot tappers. or whistlers. or even worse, hummers. I get so distracted by those motions or out of place noises that I just fixate on them and how much I hate it, and I just want to crawl out of my skin. In college there was a girl in my physiology class who always happened to sit in front of me no matter where I sat, and she was a hair twirler. I always had to hold up a notebook to shield my eyes. I would sometimes even "accidentally" kick her chair to see if it would startle her out of the twirling. It never worked.

There you have it, people of the internet. I am a crazy person.

Shirt: Forever 21* [similar]

Cardigan: NY&Co.

Jeans: American Eagle [exact]

Glasses: c/o Firmoo

Necklace: Forever 21 [exact - I'd love the silver too!]

Watch: Target

Shoes: Tory Burch [save | exact]

*This shirt used to have sleeves, but it's also from Forever 21...which means the quality isn't always the most reliable. It lasted a good 6 months but then the sleeves just started to tear on the cuffs. I cut off the sleeves and it's now a great layering shirt :)

via Instagram.

Also, this outfit is a direct copy of this pin. I knew it would be the perfect inspiration for the Pantone Color Challenge!

how to: be in a relationship with someone in medical school

I wrote an update to this post - you can find it here!

Chris's white coat ceremony day - so tan, so poorly dressed

Today's prompt for Blogging Every Day in May is to educate you on something you're really good at or know a lot about. I debated between several topics (for example: how to have no idea what you are doing with your life for several years, how to hate the windowless soul-sucking room you work in, how to eat as many brats in as short amount of time as possible, how to feel as like you know nothing about everything) but in the end, I decided that maybe talking about what it's like to date someone in medical school could be interesting.

blogging errday

This month I will be participating (or at least trying to participate) in Jenni's Blog Every Day in May. I usually don't know really what to write about anyway, and talking about what kind of shoes I would like to buy is kind of boring I'm sure, so it'll be a good opportunity to have a topic to talk about every day. Today's topic is the story of our life in 250 words or less, so buckle up kids. Here's what's gone down in the last 25 years:

I was born in Germany, and because the USA seemed a lot more glamorous to my recently MD-ed father, we moved to Wisconsin when I was five. After moving around several times, we arrived in the “town” (read: village) my parents still live in today. Twelve years of school involved constantly battling being known as the German doctor’s daughter, spending summers on a vineyard, living in Germany for a year, finding true friends, driving a giant teal ’57 Chevy Bel-Air, life-guarding, finding love, losing love to “friends”,  cashiering at Wal-Mart, sneaking out, getting caught, and getting into my dream college.

Finally I got to leave my small honky tonk town and move to the big city. I got into an extracurricular that changed my whole life. Struggled with what I wanted to study, and after random classes settled on science because I thought I wanted to be dentist. Eventually decided on medicine when I realized teeth are boring. Worked as a camp counselor and got to re-live childhood. Met a boy on the back of a bus, fell in love, moved in together, and adopted two pups. Became friends with the greatest group of girls. Traveled all over the country for band. And then eventually graduated, which was a huge mistake.

Started working, started losing my friends to fun cities all over the world, supported Chris through his medical school education. Visited Australia and New Zealand, got to hug a koala. Cried when my medical school plans didn’t work out as planned. Started a blog. Cried again when I finally got into school. 

And in less than 7 weeks I get to start a new chapter in the story of my life #soexcitedtoquitmyjob

Shirt: Ralph Lauren, thrifted [similar]

Jeans: American Eagle [exact]

Belt: Gap [same style]

Watch: Kate Spade [exact] 

Shoes: Gap [save | splurge]

Nails: Essie Lapiz of Luxury

and in case you forgot what my puppies look like....