i have no idea what i'm doing

Today was the first day of my third year of medical school - that's crazy! I still feel like I'm supposed to say I'm a first year, when I'm really a third year who supposedly knows things now.

My first month of rotations is in family medicine. I'm in a one doctor clinic, and so far (...one day), it's been really great. All of my shadowing experience was in family practice, so it was the one rotation I knew what to expect. I spent the day following the doctor and the nurse practitioner around. I got to feel some hernias, help with an EKG, and gave someone a shot. All around, I think it was the perfect way to start all of this off.

And since this is a style blog and all, this is what I wore. I wanted to go in pretty conservative as I wanted to make a good impression and I didn't know how the atmosphere would be. Bootleg slacks, my new "watch", and a flower blouse that buttons high enough - can't really go wrong! Turns out they are super relaxed there, so I can play around a bit more with outfits than I will be able to when I'm on surgery for my second and third rotation ;)

For you med students out there - any reading material suggestions for family med? I don't even know where to start.

Blouse: Loft [very similar on sale]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Bag: Madewell [save | exact]

Shoes: Banana Republic [exact]

Belt: Gap 

via instagram

do the peg bundy

I love leopard print, but in very small doses.

Belts? cute.

Shoes? yes please. 

Clutches? adorable.

But leopard print in giant doses always feels very Peg Bundy to me, so even though this shirt is actually a bunch of poppy flowers, it looks like a leopard print from far away. I tried to tone that down by wearing it with other neutrals (no red shoes this time!) but I'm always unsure about it. Maybe if I ever find that perfect maroon pencil skirt (which thanks to Barks and Baking, this J.Crew Factory version, currently on sale, is now heading my way!) it'll feel less Peg and more Fran. 

Or I'll just embrace the Peg. All I need is a little more hair teasing and a better push-up bra. 

Blouse: Loft [similar as an actual leopard print]

Skirt: thrifted

Belt: Gap

Shoes: Banana Republic - currently on sale

Watch: Michael Kors

So if you're like me and like leopard in small doses, here are a few leopard calf-hair shoes currently out there. I own the Madewell version (found on major sale last year) that I love - it's the perfect way of adding just a little bit of sass to an outfit ;)

january budget

1. Gap Fit and Flare Dress: originally $70, on sale + Gap rewards:  $5 + $40 tailoring = $45
2. Loft Mini Blossom Blouse: $60
3. The Limited Dress: originally $80, on final sale for $12
4. Loft Ink Striped Tee: originally $30 + BOGO 1/2 = $15
5. Madewell Terrace Dress: originally $128, on sale for $58
6. Limited Cardigan: originally $55, 50% off = $30

= $220

Quarterly Budget: $590 - $195 in November - $150 in December - $220 in January = $25 leftover

This was one of those months that I didn't realize what I had spent on clothing until I added it all up, and was actually surprised by how much I spent! I think one of the biggest disadvantages to my current shopping situation is that it's much harder to really shop sales and get the best deal because of a lack of close stores, and time. For the items I bought in store, I couldn't really wait for a sale because the mall was two hours away, so I end up paying a little more than I would usually. For example, with the Loft items, I would usually wait until they had a better in store promotion (at the time we were there, they had a buy one, get one half off promotion), but I knew we wouldn't be back any time soon, and I didn't want to risk the blossom blouse not being offered online. I guess that's a trade-off I have to work with though.

Overall, I feel I got some good deals and items that will get plenty of wear. I'm pretty excited about the dresses I purchased, and really see myself wearing them a lot (especially on days when I just want to throw something on for school).

This was my second quarterly budget since I've started budgeting this way. With around $500, I purchased:

3 sweaters
4 dresses
5 blouses
1 winter coat

I really like the way this method is working out - I can shop more when I have the time to, and then don't when I don't. It's also a lot easier to keep track of the money because it's all already in one account, and I just remove it for each purchase. There's not pulling money from different months or accounts to make up for it, so that really helps when trying to stay on track with keeping my financial state in order.

As far as sponsorship goes, I won a contest from OnlineShoes.com back in the fall, and used some of the gift card to buy these boots (seen here). BaubleBar was also kind enough to send me this beautiful necklace (seen here), which is even prettier in person (P.S. have you seen their collection for Valentine's Day? It's super cute - this cuff is great for all year round, stacked with a watch or alone!)

On a side note, thank you for sticking with me the last few months! It's been pretty hard to blog lately with the crazy winter weather and the hours I've been putting into school, but I'm hoping that it will all get a bit easier with nicer weather and a more consistent schedule.

How'd the beginning of this year's budget start for you? Please link up below!