all i want for christmas is you...free booze...and sales

I am in shock how quickly this year has gone by! I feel like it's still July (even though the weather is most definitely not as nice). Tomorrow is our Christmas party, and this is what I'm going to wear! My hospital has a family medicine residency program that has adopted all of its students, so we get to go to their holiday party - last year's was a ton of fun, so I'm excited to hang out with my friends, eat amazing homemade food, and drink free booze. 

Yay, holidays!

Also, besides the free food and booze, the holiday's come with lots of good sales. J.Crew is still having some great ones, with a current 30% off your entire purchase (40% if you spend more than $200!), which is pretty major if you still have a few people to shop for (or if you just really need a plaid blazer for your own holiday party!). Both my blazer and my peplum blouse are from there, if you are interested! If you need a gift, personalized pajamas are my personal pick. 

Blazer: J.Crew [exact]

Blouse: J.Crew [save | exact]

Pants: The Limited 

Necklace: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Shoes: Ann Taylor [exact, now 40% off]

Clutch: Clare V c/o Shopbop [save | exact]

two months

A lot has happened over the past two months...which is when I last took outfit pictures of dress clothes! I spent the last eight weeks with two different ObGyn programs, and am now so sad to see this time be over now. Since I figured out that I wanted to do ObGyn, I've been looking forward to these stretches of time where I got to just be around the field I'm so excited about. I love the patients, I love the happiness of a safe delivery, I love the procedures, I love being in the OR - there's no day that I've dreaded or not looked forward. From here on out (for the next 198 days!), I'll be on non-ObGyn rotations and while they are vital for my general medical knowledge, I'm bummed that I have to spend the rest of the year not in the OR, in delivery suites, or the gyn clinic. 

On the upside, I'll be living home for good now! No more dorm rooms or shared bedrooms. And then in two months, CR will be home too, and we'll be back to our happy little family, animals and all (who are currently on vacation at CR's parent's house as I'm either working 12 hours/day or traveling for interviews for the next two weeks). So that's our little life update :)

Blouse: Loft [very similar]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Purse: Mulberry [similar | exact]

Shoes: Madewell [similar]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

Loft is having a 40% off everything sale! Below are a few of my picks - the plaid shirt has adorable ruffle details, ponte pants that zip and come in three colors, and the most perfect lace dress (this one is my favorite!!)

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

ps. Sephora's VIB sale started today - here are my suggestions for what to pick up! 

the most comfortable flats...ever?

Okay, let's talk about my new favorite pair of shoes, Sam Edelman's scalloped flats. I've told you guys before how much I like the look of Chloe's flats, but they are a bit out of price range, so when I saw the same style for almost a fifth of the price, I was so excited! I went with the suede blush pair, which at first sounds really impractical, but I've worn these shoes at least five days of the last two weeks, and they go with SO much! Plus no lie, they are the most comfortable flats I have ever worn. The heel is cushioned, the leather is soft, and I easily wear these for 8+ hours in the clinic. I'm so impressed that I'm definitely going to try out other Sam Edelman shoes in the future - either their classic ballet flat or if I'm feeling particularly sassy, their pointy toe flats. Although, I really could see myself just getting these scalloped flats in the nude leather too - I just love them!

p.s. I know $100 is a lot to spend on shoes, so if you want to get the look for less, Target has a very similar style for $35. No promise that they're as comfortable as my Sam Edelman pair, but definitely worth checking out!

Blouse: Anthropologie [exact]

Blazer: Loft 

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Shoes: Sam Edelman c/o Shopbop [exact]

Necklace: made by Katrina

Purse: Mulberry [save | exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

^ I was in a small park near my house, which was completely empty when I got there at 7:30 to take these pictures. I set up my tripod, was about to take the first picture, when this guy pulled up right next to my car, and just watched what I was doing. I hate taking pictures in front of people, but I really loved this outfit (and my hair was cooperating!), so I just continued awkwardly smiling at my tripod. Half the pictures turned out like this though, with me side eyeing him the whole time!

wrapped

This is one of my favorite outfits I've worn in recent months - it's so simple, but I love every part of it, from the most comfortable flats I own (which are also the most inexpensive pair I own...) to my new wrap sweater to the uber-flattering blouse underneath. The cardigan is from Banana Republic, and while I've shied away from cardigans the past few years (I always find them to sit wrong on me for one reason or another), I think I may have to reconsider my stance. This one is definitely a unique take as it's not as versatile, but I just think it's so pretty. I really am considering getting the red version if it goes on even more sale - wouldn't it look great in the cooler months? Yep, I've basically convinced myself I need it now.

Sweater: Banana Republic [exact]

Blouse: Anthropologie [exact]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Bag: Mulberry [similar | exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

Shoes: Target [very similar on sale I may like even more]

Banana Republic currently has a "Now and Later" sale, for pieces you can wear now and later in the cooler weather. Below are my favorites - it's not secret that I already have the polka dot dress in my basket!

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

my secret wardrobe staple: fancy t-shirts

Somedays I'm all about playing around in my closet. Trying shirts under dresses, layering as many things as possible, figuring out what tops go best with what pencil skirts....and other days, I just want to throw on a tee shirt and go. 

The tee I'm wearing here is from Gap, and sadly no longer available, but it has quickly become one of my most worn items in my closet. It's comfortable, it goes with a ton of the items in my closet, it can be worn to multiple occasions (I've worn it to work, on a date, and to my high school reunion), and it's CR's favorite color, so that's a plus too ;) I have several go-to "fancy" tees like this for the summer time, and they are the only reason I get through these months! They're kind of my secret wardrobe staple. 

Tee: Gap

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Shoes: Tory Burch [exact]

Bag: Mulberry [save | exact]

Watch: c/o Larsson & Jennings [exact]

Below are a few more "your favorite tee, but for work" options I found. I kind of LOVE that scalloped tee from Topshop - how cute would it look under a blazer later in the fall?!

one | two [has an adjustable neckline!] | three

four | five | six

almost as comfy as jeans. almost.

This was one of the most comfortable outfits I've worn lately (and by lately, I mean a month ago, as I've been in scrubs all this rotation). I don't know if it's the smooth fabric of this Lush blouse, how forgiving the top is, or how worn in my pants are at this point (...I really need to find a replacement, they are starting to fade now!), but I just was so comfortable wearing this outfit. Not as comfortable as jeans obviously (why don't dress pants have more stretch?!) but it's as close as I'm going to get ;)

Tonight is my last night on night float, and after getting a bit of sleep tomorrow, I'm going home for the weekend! We are seeing Dave Matthews on Saturday, then CR's sister graduates from college on Sunday, and on Tuesday I take my last shelf exam of the year. It's been a really busy month, so while next month will also be busy as we are studying for our board exams, it'll be a different kind of busy as at least I'll be sitting in my house all day. I can't believe there's only a week left in my third year!

Blouse: Lush [exact] 

Pants: The Limited [exact] 

Shoes: Madewell [similar] 

Bag: Mulberry [similar | exact] 

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [save | exact]

This is my first Lush item, and so far, I'm a fan. Turns out, they have a whole bunch of cute clothes at reasonable prices. Below are eight of my favorites - I'd really like to try the tee shirt version next!

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

so trendy

I ordered these Topshop lace up flats a few weeks ago, and am so happy that it's finally stopped snowing so I can wear them! You may have noticed that I don't really own a lot of shoes - I have four pairs of flats that I wear on a regular basis. I tend to spend a little more on shoes, and therefore own less of them. I also have a very makeshift closet, so I have little room for shoes, so I just don't buy a lot of them! While these shoes are a bit out of my normal comfort zone, that's kind of what I love about them. The lace up flats trend is definitely a big trend this spring, and for under $50, I'll gladly play along with the cool kids for a few months. 

As far as fit goes, I do find they fit true to size - I'm typically a 9.5, and the 9.5 fit me perfectly. I wore them all day, and it wasn't until about six hours in that I felt them rubbing a bit on my heels (that's why I always keep this in my purse!), so definitely not as much of a break in needed as some of the other shoes I own! If you're interested, I've noticed that sizes keep popping in and out of stock, so just keep an eye on it as your size will probably be restocked at some point. 

Blouse: Banana Republic [similar]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Necklace: Forever 21 [similar]

Shoes: Topshop [exact]

Bag: Mulberry [similar | exact]

Watch: c/o Larsson & Jennings [exact]

In my list of top ten bags I'd love to own some day, the Reed Krakoff Boxer tote is definitely on the list. Like the rest of the bags on the list, that bag is a bit out of reach right now. Thankfully, with his collaboration with Kohl's, we can now get the look for less. I personally think the Kohl's collabs are almost always better than the Target ones, but without the crazy frenzy. Take a look at this behind the scenes article that explains his design process for the line a bit more.

I'm teaming up with Kohl's in a few weeks to show you guys a few of the products from the line, but wanted to mention some of my favorites today since they are now available. I love that this collab line shares the same essence of his own line - the shapes and colors are so expensive looking! Some of the pieces are basically the exact same look, just for less - here is one of his original designs, and then compare it to the REED version - they are basically identical!

Here are my picks - can you guess which one I ordered?!

one | two | three

four | five | six 

seven | eight | nine

bits & pieces

I found a new colored wall! Being a blogger in a small city is not the easiest - unlike those in bigger cities, we don't have any cute buildings, notable backgrounds, or pretty houses to stand in front of here. I found this blue building recently though, and was SO excited to finally have something new for the background.  I love the way it makes my new Loft blouse (which, btw, is currently on sale + 40% off + free shipping!) pop. I feel so bloggery! ;)

I'm currently on my second 24 hour call within the last week. Labor and delivery is all about the waiting game - we have a few ladies in labor, but we won't have a baby for hours. Until then, it's all about reading and doing practice questions...and finding snacks in between. 

Blouse: Loft [exact on sale]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Necklace: Forever 21 [very similar for < $20]

Bag: Mulberry via eBay [save | exact]

Shoes: Tory Burch [exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

...and since Loft currently has such a great sale (40% off everything + free shipping on any order!), here are a few of my picks. Their new stuff is so freaking cute, I just want one of everything. My favorites include that coral lace dress and the espadrilles, and notably, it looks like they brought back that chambray blazer that I own, and now in extended petite/tall sizing (here's how I've worn it in the past!). 

one | two | three

four | five | six

seven | eight | nine