haiiii

Hello everyone!

Well...it's been a hot second, huh?

To cut to the chase, I really just needed to step back from blogging for a while. We have had so much going on for the past six months, that the easiest thing to drop was the blog. It was honestly so nice to not worry about it, and just live my life and work and figure out this new life as a doctor, daughter, future bride, new homeowner, and person. Blogger just didn't feel to fit into that for a while.

But this past weekend, CR sent this blog post I wrote about couples matching to a current third year medical student, and I went back to read that post, and I remembered how much I loved writing those posts and being connected with you guys. It was nice to have a space just my own, and while I needed to step away from "my space", I think I'm ready to get back to it.

Things are going to be different, but I think it only makes sense that my blog grows and changes as my life does. I wear scrubs every. single. day. New clothing and outfits just doesn't make sense to the be center focus of my blog because it's not a part of my life at all. I definitely plan on sharing things once in a while when I find something new and worthy of sharing (hello, my new favorite piece of clothing I wear whenever I get the chance), but just as I've never lived my life for the blog, it doesn't make sense to buy clothes just to blog about them.

So what are we going to talk about?

Skincare (hellllo, baby facial!)

Makeup (I'm obsessed with this under eye brightner!)

Hair care (always chasing that perfect blond and trying new products - like L'oreal's new hair mask!)

House updates & how-tos (a post about how we built our "built-ins" and a room by room update)

Wedding posts (do we want the all in one invite or the traditional style for invitations? help!)

Travel posts (mostly about our recent trip to Arizona!)

Top three posts occasionally

And whatever else comes up!

There will be occasional posts about residency, but as I'm sure you can understand, I won't be sharing a ton of my day to day life or about patient care. Things you can expect though are topics I wrote about before - great presents for new residents, how meal prepping in residency helps me stay away from the daily treats, and the best shoes for long days on the floor (spoiler: still loving my danksos, but considering a pair of klogs!). You can always follow along on instastories, where I definitely share a bit more of the day-to-day life!

So hello, and welcome back! I missed you!

p.s. got any other requests for posts? would love to hear from you!

to everlane, with love ( + giveaway)

silk tank | mules

Everlane was one of my first blogging discoveries back in the day. Back then, they only made one item - a t-shirt. And I fell for it hard.  I've reviewed it, I've worn it, and now I own at least 15 of their shirts. I wear one every single day (my home uniform is always black leggings, Everlane tee, and a drapey sweater). It just hits me in all the right places, it's not see through, and it holds up so so well.

Over the years, Everlane has added more to their collection of clothing, always staying true to their "radical transparency" tagline about knowing where your clothes come from, how much they cost to make, and where the money goes. I own probably a dozen of their items besides the tee - I carried their backpack for all of first and second year of school, I wear their dress pants, their pocket tote is my gym bag, and I own several of their silk blouses and dresses. Not every piece they make works on my frame - some items run boxier than others, but they now have such a wide variety of items that I always find something I love in their new arrivals. Check out a few of my favorites below - that back zip tee looks just like my beloved BR tee, and the silk v-neck blouse would be perfect for the summer.

silk v-neck | back zip tee | trench coat

sweater | blouse (already on the waitlist!) | silk dress

Basically, I'm a huge fan of Everlane, and have been for years and years. To celebrate my "blogging anniversary" this week, I want one of you to experience and love Everlane as much as I do, which is why I'm giving away a $100 Everlane giftcard. You can enter the giveaway below - open to US, Canada, and Australia only as that is where they ship. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

real tips & tricks for growing and improving your blog

I think the most common question bloggers receive is "how do I grow my own blog?", and to be honest, that's a really difficult question to answer just because there isn't any one thing that bloggers are doing to grow their "brand" (don't you hate that phrase? me too). You'll get answers like "be consistent", "connect with your audience",  or "improve your site", but those are fairly vague and hard to implement. I've been blogging for over four years now, and while I never had a time where my blog really blew up, I've been growing very steadily over these years. I make more than a full time salary by blogging on the side, and have found certain things that have really improved my blog all around. Here are the things I've learned and implemented along the way.

four. vier. cuatro. quatre. (+ a giveaway!)

Four years ago, I started my blog on a complete whim. I liked my outfit one day, and inspired by Pinterest, I snapped a picture using my macbook, and using a nickname from one of my friends, started a blog.

In some ways, not a lot has changed around here. My outfits are still clothes I wear to work. I'm still working on improving myself and my wardrobe. I still have a clothing budget, I still have adorable dogs, and I still get excited to post new content on here. In other ways, my life and blog are so different from where I was four years ago. I'm a year away from finishing medical school instead of working at a dead end job I didn't love in pharmaceutical development. I'm in a wonderful relationship, no longer feeling less than, but equal to. My pictures have improved, my closet is more cohesive, and I'm always looking for new things to talk about, whether it's about medical school or beauty products.

Many of you have been with me from the beginning, and I can't thank you enough for your support. Alissa wrote a post recently about how blogging has changed her life for the better, and I can very much say the same. The support you give me through clicking on my links has allowed me to become more financially independent than I could have imagined. I take out less loans, I've paid off all my consumer debt, I've straightened my teeth, and I'm able to prep for the future. I can not thank you enough for all of your support, comments, likes, shares, tweets, and emails throughout the years. As a small thank you, two of you will win a $100 giftcard to the store of your choice. Open to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

picture via cocorrina

a survey, a giveaway, and a thank you

via 

Three years ago today I started my blog. Like most people, I stared it on a whim - I took a picture with my computer, used a nickname my friend Lizzi gave me, and somehow here I am, three years later. Blogging has been such a blessing - it's kept me in touch with my family, I've met some of the coolest people, and it has given me the opportunity to do things I wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

blogging tips and tricks

I'm coming up on my three year blogging anniversary, and so I have a few things lined up for this month! First up is a post I've been working on for months - blogging tips. I'm emailed quite often about what tips I have for blogging, so I'm laying it all out here. I'm obviously not the world's biggest blogger, but I do alright for myself :) So! Below are my little tips and tricks I've learned throughout the years - what has worked for me, what hasn't, and why. I'd love to hear your tips, what you've learned from blogging, and what you've done that has helped your blog grow.

participation
This is #1. You have to get out there and mingle. People aren't just going to come to you out of thin air - you have to put yourself out there. Join link ups (a few I've done for years include Bri's Third Thursday Link up, What I Wore Wednesdays, and What I Wore to Work) and visit the other bloggers. Leave real comments (not a copy and paste comment) and if you enjoy their post, follow along and keep visiting. That is how I have found SO many of my favorite blogs, and if we had just left "cute blog!" comments on each others blogs, we would still be where we started. Joining link-ups is a great way to drive traffic to your blog from bloggers who are interested in the same things as you!

Another way to get involved is participate in a challenge. I did a few back when I was able to blog every day, and they were so much fun! Sarah is currently starting a new one, so if you are looking for a place to start, this style challenge is super easy and something any blogger can do. Visit the other bloggers participating and say hi!

(and don't forget to link back to the original link up - it's the polite thing to do!)

You can also always start your own link-ups or ways to get others involved in your blog. Every month at least 50 women link-up to my budget post. I love that more and more people are sharing their budgets, and that we have our little group that comes together monthly to share. If you're doing something unique to your blog, but think it's something others would enjoy doing, try hosting a link-up. Just don't be pushy about it - people will come if they want to! And if doesn't work out, that's okay too.

make friends

2013: a review

I'm kind of a nostalgic sap, so looking back at this past year puts my heart all over the place.

2013 was quite the year - probably the biggest I've had in a long time. I was accepted to medical school, quit my job, enjoyed funemployement, moved hundreds of miles away, started medical school, ended a half a decade relationship, and finished my first semester of school. I found a great great great group of friends who have been a blessing - I don't think I would be anywhere as happy as I am if it weren't for them. I love my living situation, and having such an amazing roommate. My dogs are happier, my calendar is busier, and my heart is fuller.

In a blogging year, I've finished a whole year of budgeting. I worked on defining my wardrobe. I took one, and then passed it on! I showed how to wear five things five ways for five days. My budget changed to reflect living off student loans while still needing to be dress code appropriate. I hit over one million pageviews since starting this thing. Blogging friends became real life friends. I had to learn to adjust my time towards blogging as school picked up - I'm still working on that :/

Overall, a wonderful year! Here's a little look back over the year, with similar topics to last year's review. Thank you for everything! I'm so glad that we "met" over the internet (and in some cases, in real life!) and how supportive you've all been. Here's to 2014!

Favorite Outfits:

one | two | three | four | five

2013 was a year of figuring out what I like and don't like. I gravitate towards layers, heaps of scarves, and more basic colors. I generally stick to two similar silhouettes - slimmer pants with layers on top, or skirts with shirts tucked in. My accessories tend to be matchy matchy but I like that, and it's easy! I like simple patterns - stripes will always be number one, followed closely by polka dots.

Least Favorite Outfits:

Along with figuring out what you like comes with the price of figuring out what you don't. I tried to take a few "risks" for my closet, but it turns out that I should stick with the color palettes and proportions I know and like. Neon and 80's geometric prints are great for some, but not for me. Now I know!

Favorite Purchases:
I've really tried to curb my spending from where I was a few years ago, and really am proud of how far I've come when it comes to making purchases for my life and bank account. Having a budget, and sticking to it, means I buy less, but what I buy I really do like. I try to think more about what I need for my current life, and what I still want around in five years. These ponte pants are a staple for me - I wear mine so so much that I will be buying a second pair during the next great sale. My birthday present to myself, a classic Burberry trench coat (at 50% off retail price), will be one of those lifetime pieces, truly. The tax refund purchase, a pair of Hunter boots that fit just right, was one of the more practical purchases of the year - I wear them every single day!

Biggest Regret Purchases:

This goes right along with my least favorite outfits. The Madewell sweater was something that I was initially excited about, but once I wore it the one way I thought about, I just didn't know what to do with it anymore. The pastels and pattern are just not "me", which is why I sold the sweater during the big closet clean out. The neon shirt, while inexpensive, was a purchase inspired more by other bloggers than what I wanted for myself. Makes for a good lounging tee though!

Most Pageviews:

Same as last year, a post about how to layer more efficiently took number one, mostly thanks to Pinterest. A few reviews, including these unflattering pants and my favorite t-shirt, made it to the top by google searches. I posted about wanting a herringbone vest, and due to the overwhelming popularity of that item, it also made it to the top thanks to Google.

Favorite Discussions:

Investment Pieces - made up words to convince ourselves to spend more on certain items?
What's "Blog Worthy" - are we trapping ourselves in by only showing the best of the best?
Who knows about your blog? - what happens when your classmates/co-workers find out?
The Business of Blogging - where does the money come from, and where does it go?
The Perfection Pressure - do you feel the pressure from blogging to always be "picture perfect"?


Thank you again for all of your support! Hope you all have a safe (and awesome!) New Years :)

ask me anything!

This week has been kind of weird for getting dressed because half the time I have been at home napping with my puppies, and the other half I'm only in school for an hour so I haven't felt the need to put too much thought into what I'm wearing. I've been receiving more emails lately asking questions, so I thought maybe others had questions too but just didn't want to email me or whatever (but you totally should if you want to! I love emails). If there's something you've always wanted to know - how I manage to have the cutest dogs in the world, how hard is medical school really, how many licks does it really take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? - just ask below in form (or comments if you prefer). I won't be able to see who asks the questions, and I'll do a little Q&A next week!

P.S. Don't even think about it, Eric/Travis/Neel/Chris!

to disqus or not to disqus

I've been going back and forth about trying to decide if I want to enable disqus comments again on my blog. I had them for a while, and then removed them. In the end, for me commenting is about having a discussion, and that discussion is with you, so I need your input! Here are my thoughts on Disqus:

Pros
- We can communicate better. There aren't any "no-reply" commenters, I can respond directly to you in line and you will receive an email, and everyone else can see the reply as well. You can't do that with blogger comments - if I reply in line you won't receive a notification, and if you leave an email address, no one else sees the reply.
- You can see what other blogs people comment on, and discover new blogs (although this may be a con for some people)

Cons
- Some people don't have a Disqus profile and may not comment
- Some profiles are not set up correctly, so I can't find other people's blogs
- It takes a few seconds longer to load
- Doesn't always work on the mobile layout

So what are your thoughts? Do you love Disqus as a blogger? Prefer not to use Disqus as a commenter? Please cast your vote or let me know your thoughts!

slip & slide

First of all, thank you SO MUCH for all of your kind words yesterday - I am so excited!! To answer a few questions, I do intend to continue blogging as long as it still is fun for me. Medical school is a crazy time, and I always regret not documenting college better (other than lots of facebook albums haha) so I'm hoping to document this new chapter. There are many ladies out there blogging through med school/residency (find some here under Dr. Blogger) that have really inspired me so I hope to follow their lead.There will be lots of changes, of course - I'll need a somewhat different wardrobe (more skirts, less ripped jeans), I probably won't blog daily, I'll be wearing a white coat instead of a lab coat (just kidding, that'll pretty much be the same). I'll take it all one day at a time, but there are several more months until anything really changes.

Second of all, don't let what looks like a clear road here fool you. While there isn't any snow, the road was covered in some fun black ice. Which I didn't realize until I started sliding all over the place, which included accidently taking this:

Feel free to laugh because I laughed for about 5 minutes when I saw it on my camera.

Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Tee: Forever 21*  {exact}
Gingham: J. Crew Factory  {very similar}
Jeans: Gap  {similar}
Boots: Frye  {exact}
Watch: gift from my Oma {similar}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co. {exact}



* Thank you to Audrey for finding this gem. It's actually a t-shirt but it worked so well for layering as long as I kept the blazer on - otherwise it looks kind of funny

ok so not the most innovative take one pass it on...but I loved it so much the first time I wanted to wear something similar!

Changing Locations

Hey guys,

As some of you may have noticed, I have changed the URL of my blog. When I first started it, I wanted it to be Franish with 1 h, but it wasn't available which is why I had 2 h's at the end. When I was playing around on the design yesterday, I realized it was available and made the change. If you follow on bloglovin / google reader / facebook / twitter / instagram (Christ, social media seems to be taking over my life) you won't have to do a thing as everything has been transferred over. Older posts may have backlinks that don't work though. Please let me know if you have any troubles or if something isn't working.

Thank you for following along on this little hobby of mine. You guys are wonderful and I love that blogging has brought you into my life.

Franziska

IRL

Documenting what I wear daily on this blog has been a really valuable experience so far. I'm building a workable wardrobe, I'm learning what works and what doesn't, and I've become more aware of the money I spend.

The problem with taking pictures of yourself and putting it on the internet is that I feel it has to be special/pinterest worthy/worth remembering. I would love to accessorize more, wear cuter shoes, spend more time on my hair, wear skirts. But the reality is that this is what I wear in real life. I like simple and clean, I have to wear pants, I can't wear rings that can't be worn with gloves, and after almost 25 years, I still don't know how to do my hair. I can't pretend to be something on this blog that I'm not in real life. This may not be the most special outfit ever posted on the internet, but it is what I actually wore to work today.

Shirt: Thrifted Ralph Lauren  {similar}
Jeans: Joe's Jeans  {similar}
Belt: Gap {save, spend, splurge}
Shoes: Rocket Dog (that need to be replaced...)
Necklace: 18th Birthday Present
Bracelet: J. Crew  {similar}