ask me anything: personal life

Today I'm going to answer a few more of the questions you guys had during my survey in April. You can find previous ask me anything posts here! These questions are all more about my personal life. Anything not answered below? Let me know in the comments!

How do you deal with your online presence? How do you balance your professional aspirations with having a significant online history? I consider you a tactful and professional blogger but just from a privacy standpoint, I know that as an engineer I wouldn't necessarily want my identity/personal preferences over several years readily available to colleagues/potential clients/employers. How do you feel about writing as a to-be-doctor and your patients being able to see your posts? Does this ever influence what you write?

top three [01.04.2015]

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replace the band on this watch for a similar look

On the Internet

• How cute were Jessica's 4 different NYE outfit ideas? I'm all about #1, in all honesty ;)
• 5 ways to wear the black and white trend
• While some end of the year reviews are a bit unnecessary (like a 10 part series...really), I love reading those that include some insight into their year as a whole. Some of my favorites included Audrey's, Anne's, Sarah's (I love that she has similar yay! versions), and Adina's (girlfriend has awesome luck with finding the best deals ever)

Spotted

• I know it's the middle of winter, but this flowy dress makes me look forward to spring
• Resolved to work out more? Nothing would motivate me more than having my workout pants match my shoes.
• While I don't think the cut would be very flattering on me, I love the idea of foil polka dots and stripes.

On Franish

• On the blog: this year's worst outfits, best purchases, and favorite moments
• On instagram: bigger cities mean better coffee shops :)
• On twitter: what happens when everyone's new years diets start

Notable Sales

• Shopbop has added a bunch of stuff to their sale section. Use that Christmas money to buy yourself a new wallet, or some heavily-discounted designer denim.
• Madewell: extra 40% off sale items (code: EXTRA40). I just ordered the back zip sweater and got it for a steal! Looking for a classic pair of cognac boots? These ones are beautiful, and now under $130 (less than half of the original price!).
• Ann Taylor: 60% off all sale items. A few of my picks below (how fun is that skirt?)

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Personal

• We are back from CR's after an amazing Christmas break. I had so much fun getting to know his family better, meeting a few more of his college friends, and spending New Years with another group of his friends. We're back at it tomorrow though - part of me is looking forward to it since it means we're that much closer to the end of pre-clinical years, but I also know how rough this next semester is going to be!
• After enjoying the holidays for all it's (carb) worth, we're going back to sticking to the 4 Hour Body. We were getting a little lax about it towards the end of the semester, so with the start of a new semester, it'll be good to get back to it. CR's parents gave me a food processor for Christmas, so I'm excited to explore all the new possibilities. I'm going to make so much cauliflower rice...and hopefully some of the recipes on my pinterest (next up - spaghetti squash!)
• My parents and grandma bought me these noise-canceling headphones for Christmas and I am.so.excited to use them. No more distractions during study time...except maybe for that pesky instragram ;)

stripes, the eternal trend

My boyfriend thinks that stripes are a trend right now. I think he sees my closet, full of stripes, and then sees striped shirts in stores, and thinks that they are the trendy thing. I'm still trying to convince him that stripes are a classic, not a trend, but you know how boys are ;)

But really, I love a great striped shirt. I think they are so versatile - they can stand on their own, they can be combined with other patterns, or they can be used as a layer to add interest. I've been looking for a white shirt with black stripes, long sleeves, and a longer hem for a long time. I finally found it when I found this tee at Loft a few weeks ago. I'M OBSESSED. It's has the longer rounded hem that makes it perfect for layering. If you've been looking for a simple striped tee, this one is currently on sale for $15 (no code needed). I found that it runs true to size, and I can't stop wearing it. 

Striped Top: Loft [exact]

Sweater: Soft by Joie c/o Zappos [exact]

Jeans: Uniqlo [exact]

Scarf: H&M [exact]

Watch: Kate Spade [save | same style]

Shoes: Sperry [exact]

Bag: Madewell [save | exact]

one of the good ones

I think blogging is one of the strangest things I have ever done - like yeah, you should definitely take pictures of your normal outfits and plaster them all over the internet. That's a really great idea Fran!

But along with how strange it is, there are some really wonderful parts to it, like all of the amazing people you meet along the way. Some of the ladies I've met through blogging are some of my favorite people on the planet. They are women I wouldn't have met otherwise - a teacher from Alabama, a Seattle-living lady with the cutest cat, women with style I could only wish to have who live all over the planet. Adina is one of those girls - in addition to being gorgeous, articulate, and well dressed, she's also such a sweetheart. After I sent my favorite Target scarf to her as a slight bribe (see it on her here), she sent me this beautiful scarf and a few other goodies. She's one of the good ones, you guys. Who are some of your "good ones" - the ones you would send scarves to internationally? ;)

Scarf: gift from Adina

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory [same style]

Tee: Everlane [exact]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Bag: Madewell [exact]

Shoes: Banana Republic [exact]

Watch: Kate Spade [current style on sale]

SALE ALERT: J.Crew currently is offering 30% off winter sale picks (code: SHOPNOW), which includes both certain new arrivals and on sale items. Here are some of my favorites. The sweater is gorgeous and so much fun, and I already own the skirt in black and would highly recommend it - I wore it for an entire day last week and it didn't show a single wrinkle.

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from play to work: banana republic striped ponte skirt

 

When I was offered to be an Expert Shopper for Chippmunk, I knew I wanted to get something versatile for my closet - I rarely buy anything that only has one function. The skirt I choose from Banana Republic (40% off the then sale price!) can definitely be more casual - perfect for a summer outing with friends, a trip to the zoo, or a barbecue - but I thought it would be great for school too. A more professional shirt, less/smaller accessories, pantyhose*, and a color coordinated bag make it appropriate for work/school, but still fun. Plus, the skirt is so comfortable - the most comfortable I own! A perfect skirt for a long day of anatomy lectures and my first cadaver lab.

*I recently purchased these from Target and really like them. The waist goes all the way up to your bra so there isn't anything cutting into your side, and it helps keep everything in check. I highly suggest checking them out in case you have to wear pantyhose too!

Shirt: H&M

Skirt: BR c/o Chippmunk [exact]

Watch: Kate Spade [exact]

Shoes: BR c/o Chippmunk [exact]

Belt: H&M

Bag: Target

one

 

I'm done! Yesterday was my last day of work and now I'm frrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeee. Alright, so I'm only exaggerating a little - I was very lucky to have the job I did for two years. It taught me a lot about the pharmaceutical development world, how to get the job done, and how to be an adult. There are parts I will miss a lot - the stable hours, the ladies I worked with, the insight to developing crazy new drugs, having my evenings for my hobbies - but there are also certain things I won't miss, such as never seeing the sunlight, having to wear pants all the time, and being around hazardous materials eight hours a day. 

This is what I wore on my last day. The shirt is the shirt I wore on my first day of work two years ago - I don't have a full length picture but you can see it peeking out on my work badge. I bought it when I was a sophomore in college when I worked at the Gap (man do I miss that employee discount!), and while it mostly fits, it's now too tight in the bust so I've only been keeping it specifically to wear on my last day at work. What can I say, I live for that kind of sentimental stuff ;)  The skirt also has a story behind it. As I was looking through the skirt section of Goodwill last week, I found this amazing tweed skirt. The tag looked interesting, so I googled it to see what came up -turns out it's a brand from Anthropologie. Unfortunately for my closet, it was a size two, but I figured I could sell it on eBay for a little extra spending money. As I was looking for the general prices on eBay for the skirt, I found the skirt in my size! Like the exact same one. So I bid on it, and ended up winning it for $20...and then I sold the one from Goodwill for $35. So...win win! 

I also didn't wear tights because what are they going to do, fire me? REBEL.

So now I have six free weeks and I'm cramming as much in as possible. I'm doing a bit of shadowing on Monday, then I'm off to Chicago for two days, then on Friday I leave for Germany for ten days. Then I have a fun little appointment with immigration services before I hop onto another plane for Seattle for another six days. Then I have a week left and then I move! I'm proud of myself for completing another one of my 30 before 30 - saving enough money to not work for a bit. It wasn't always easy to put as much money, including my work bonus and tax refund, away but I'm now happy I did. Let the festivities begin!

Shirt: Gap [similar on sale with code GAP35]

Skirt: Anthropologie via eBay  [similar]

Necklace: Forever 21 [very similar]

Belt: Gap [similar]

Watch: Kate Spade [exact]

Shoes: Tory Burch via Goodwill [similar]

Nails: Essie Spagetti Strap

ok, no more countdowns! ;)

and the last time I beg for votes (even if you voted before) - thank you!!

poser

 

As you guys (may) know, I take my own pictures for this little outfit blog. Overall, I don't mind doing it myself. I can take 50 pictures within 2 minutes and not have anyone judge me that it takes 50 pictures for me to find 4 that I find acceptable. I can go to a different location if I don't like the one I'm in, and I don't have anyone groan at me when I ask them to take my pictures out in public.

The awkward part for me is the posing, I think. If someone else is taking your pictures, you can at least pretend it's impromptu and if someone happens to walk by, you can just pretend you are a tourist. If someone catches you taking your own pictures, then you're just the weirdo in the middle of the street taking pictures of yourself. When someone else takes your pictures, you can give the camera all these cutesy looks because chances are you like the person behind the camera so it comes naturally...but truthfully I feel so silly doing that because I don't love my tripod all that much (not as much as I like my boyfriend anyway). On top of that, I don't really know how I'm supposed to stand taking these silly pictures. I have like three "poses" I do - hands on hip or pocket, looking down at ground, or staring off to the side - so versatile, so not a model. 

I hope you guys aren't too bored with me though :/  I can always do more twee poses if you prefer...

If you're looking for advice for your own selfie adventures though, I really enjoyed Megan's post on this a few months ago (her go-to poses are a lot cuter). 

Shirt: Gap [exact]

Cardigan: Target, thrifted

Jeans: American Eagle [exact]

Necklace: gift from Kimmie

Watch: Kate Spade [exact]

Shoes: Gap [save | splurge]

Nails: Essie Lapiz of Luxury

Ring: Jewelmint via a giveaway from Bedknobs & Baubles 

via instagram

P.S. Congrats to Sabrina Alley for winning the WCIS giveaway - Bri will email you!

perfection pressure

 

I almost always take my pictures before work, except today when my battery died after one picture because my camera had somehow turned on in my purse and drained the battery. After work, my co-worker Emily came over so we could make the bouquets for her wedding (we made them like this!) so I again coerced her into taking my pictures. The problem with taking pictures at the end of a work day is that clothes don't really look as nice as they do 45 minutes after putting them on in the morning. I suppose the point of my blog is to show what a girl who works under a lab coat all day looks like, and so this is it, wrinkled pants and flat hair and all. 

I do feel a sense of pressure from myself, and just the blogging world as a whole, to be more put together. I wish I could be so effortlessly beautiful, just swipe on some red lipstick in the morning and go, but I feel lipstick draws attention to my small mouth and chubby cheeks. I wish I could wear heels to work and therefore on my blog because wearing flats all the time means stumpy legs are a constant issue when I take pictures of my outfits. I wish I didn't take 30 pictures just to find one that I feel okay with putting on here. There are a lot of things I wish were different, but I think the biggest thing I've learned from blogging my outfits is that it's okay that it's not perfect. Personally, I read blogs because I like to see what real women out there are actually wearing to work and in life. If I wanted to see fake perfection, I'll crack open a magazine. Seeing what woman wear on the job, or while raising a family is more inspiring than anything I've read in Glamour.

So I guess my piece of advice is to accept your so call "imperfections" because it may be what people like the most about you.

Blouse: H&M [similar]

Pants: The Limited [similar]

Necklace: Forever 21 [exact]

Watch: Kate Spade [exact]

Belt: Old Navy [similar]

Shoes: Sam Edelman via Nordstrom Rack [exact]

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!

unexpected

A year ago I said that I don't really do florals. Isn't it funny where I am a year later, happily wearing a bright floral blazer? Okay, this blazer is still a bit out of the comfort zone, but I think it'll be a really fun piece to own. The shoulders are a bit more padded than any of my other blazers, but I was told it makes your waist look smaller so you girls on instagram better not be lying to me! 

Like I mentioned last week, blogging isn't changing my style but I do think it's pushing me to try new things. Is there something a year ago you thought you wouldn't wear? Besides florals I really didn't think I'd be wearing skinny jeans as much as I do. They're just so dang comfortable!

Blazer: Zara [save | exact]

Tee: Fruit of the Loom*

Jeans: American Eagle [exact]

Shoes: Crown Vintage [save | awesome "Cat" splurge]

Necklace: gift from Kimmie

Watch: Kate Spad [exact]

Nails: Color Club Age of Aquarius

*I'm pretty sure I used to work out in this tee. I really need to go find a non sweated on replacement. I've tried on a few so far, including this J.Crew Factory Version, this J.Crew version, and this Gap version but I'm not really thrilled about any of them. The search continues...

Looking for more ideas on how to wear a blazer like this? AJ and I have the same one, and she wore it yesterday and looked SO CUTE.

P.S. Heidi and Marissa are holding a Pantone-Spring Color Challenge next week. I know many of you enjoyed the 5 Days, 5 Ways Challenge Whitney and I held, and I think this one will be just as fun so if you are looking for another blogging challenge (who isn't, amiright?) I hope you join them! I'm already excited to see what everyone comes up with.

5D5W: Casual Friday

I think this may be one of my most favorite outfits I've ever worn. I was trying to figure out why that is exactly. Some theories:

+ I just feel best in these jeans. I think bootcut really just looks best on me. I haven't had any luck finding a second pair on eBay yet, but I continue to be hopeful that a pair will come my way eventually. I still will not pay full price for them because once school starts I won't be wearing jeans much, but some days I'm tempted. Some one hold me back.

+ This blazer rivals my schoolboy blazer for most worn top. I love the neutral color, the fit, and the elbow patches. The blazer is from H&M which has always been kinder to me than Forever 21. I may have to see if they have anything similar currently...in April (side note: budgeting bloggers goes up tomorrow! eek.)

+ My new soft striped tee. This outfit was inspired by Chioma - I don't think I would have paired stripes and plaid like this on my own, but it works. right? yes. stripes + plaid = win

+ Cognac on cognac - my closet neutral color. 

Okay so I may not have a concrete answer...but I really did like wearing this.

Blazer: H&M  [similar]

Tee: Tahari via TJ Maxx

Jeans: Joe's Jeans [same style]

Belt: H&M Mens

Shoes: Crown Vintage [similar]

Watch: Kate Spade [exact]

Bracelet: "J.Crew" via eBay [similar for less than $20]

Nails: Essie Fifth Avenue

Today is the last day for the 5 Day 5 Way link up I put together with my good friend Whitney. It brought such a smile to my face going to all of your blog posts and see you guys commenting, encouraging each other, offering advice, and just connecting in general. I love blogging because of my new found group of friends - you guys honestly bring so much joy into my life with every comment, email, and tweet. I hope this little challenge brought new readers, followers, and friends into your lives. Can we do this again soon? Maybe a end of spring 5 Day 5 Way Challenge? Please say yes.

Now onto the challenge - Casual Friday. Every day of the week is "Casual" for me - I could wear jeans and sweatshirts every single day. I make the effort to look just a little bit more pulled together than that (mostly so I can blog about it, amiright?). Here are 5 of my favorite "casual" looks from the past couple months. Jeans, flats, layers - doesn't get a lot more "work appropriate" casual than that! Go check out everyone else's definition of Casual Friday over on Along the Lines of Style....and thank you again for reading / participating / bringing joy into my life. You are all great :)

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Linking up with Plane Pretty.