all staples, no flash

I'm in the process of writing a "what are my closet staples" post, and I realize now that that every single item in this outfit is in that category. From my second pair of ponte pants to cognac boots to a neutral oversized scarf, these are items I grab for over and over again. While they aren't always the most exciting items, they are the ones I'm most loyal to!

Blouse: Banana Republic [cute similar on sale]

Pants: Express [exact - review here]

Boots: Vince Camuto [exact]

Jacket: Old Navy [similar below]

Scarf: Nordstrom [exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [save | exact]

and because my Old Navy coat is older and no longer available, here are three options in three price ranges. I think my favorite is the spend version, which comes in three colors and is marked down!

save (<$25) | spend (<$100) | splurge (< $200)

ps. sorry for the lack of pictures where my head isn't chopped off or down - it was super windy this day, and my camera died within a minute of taking pictures! but with a lack of days to take pictures currently, I still wanted to share this set of pictures because I loved the outfit :)

top three [01.17.2016]

three of my favorite bloopers from this week's post

medicine

• We learned about the Zika virus a few weeks ago during an infectious disease lecture, but it recently has been making the news because US travel officials have now advised pregnant women not to travel to certain Central and South American countries. Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitos, and experts believe that it is causing microcephaly in the fetuses of pregnant women. 
• Anasarca is the medical term for whole body edema. One thing you'll see easily is pitting edema - here's an idea of what that looks like. 
• Hepatitis C is a virus transmitted through dirty needles or sexually. In the long term, it can lead to liver cancer or cirrhosis. There is finally a cure for it...although it'll set you back $100,000 out of pocket!

on the internet

• Really enjoyed Sabrina's recent rundown of her favorite masks. I've added a few of her recommendations to my wishlists! 
• Elyse's thoughts on "being nice" are so well articulated and really hit home for me. In recent years, I too have found that being nice is just...easier...and makes life so much happier. On a side note, Elyse is one of my new favorite reads. She's an intern (starting her derm training this summer!) so she always has really interesting things going on in her life, and I have found she is just really wise. Fangirling a bit, maybe ;)
• I love how Jess is taking parts of her closet she hasn't worn, and styles them three different ways. Check out how she wears a pair of blue dress pants (something I also own and also don't wear often) here, here, and here (my favorite!)!

spotted

• While I didn't jump on the lace-up flat trend when it first started (it was too close to winter), I'm fully preparing myself to join in the spring. I'll probably try for this pretty blush pair from Halogen - or in black? Hmmm.
• It's a litttttle early to discuss spring clothes (it's like 5 degrees out today!), but how fun is this patterned chambray dress? I think it would work even in chillier temps with boots and a jacket!
• One of my "goals" for the years is to be a bit more organized than I already am. I have quite a few bath/beauty items just tossed into the deep cabinets of our bathroom, so I'd love to add this beautiful organizer to keep a few of the nicer products out. Can you believe that's from Target? I love it (ps. just noticed it's on sale now! I added in the marble canister that is also on sale to get free shipping)

ask me anything

• How did it work with your clinical rotations? Does your school only work with specific hospitals, and you get to choose which one you go to? Or do they just randomly assign you? Or is there a third option that I've missed? 
• For our core rotations, we have a group of affiliate hospitals who agree to take a group of students. That's our yearlong site where we do the majority of our third year rotations. To choose our hospitals, we all ranked them, and then we were assigned based on our ranking. CR got our first choice, and I got my second choice - we chose our rankings based on the fact that these were the only two hospitals close enough to each other. At my school we have two electives during third year, and we can do those anywhere. 
• I am curious about your decision to go into OB. I loved the field when I was in medical school as well but decided the lifestyle wasn't something I could make work with my life (my then boyfriend and now husband is in medicine too!) How do you plan to handle the hours and demanding schedule? I know many hospitals require an in house OB 24/7 and I've heard it's only second to trauma surgery in difficulty of attending lifestyle. It wasn't something that I felt I could make work for my family so I'm curious if you've considered this! 
• Great question, and it's something that I think about a lot. My thoughts are that for residency, you are going to work a ton of hours no matter what you go into. It's a busy time for everyone. Once I am done with residency, my hope is to find an OB group like the one my hospital has. They work a 24 hour shift on the L&D floor every 7-10 days, and work one weekend every two months. Otherwise they work in the clinic and do their surgeries one day a week. I think this makes the lifestyle a bit more normal. In the end, my thoughts are that I would much rather work doing something I truly enjoy, rather than settling for something I'm not as interested in just because of "the lifestyle". 
• I really like the little dainty necklace that you wear most days. I have been after something similar for ages. Would you mind telling us where it is from?
• Mine was a family heirloom I received for my 18th birthday from my mom. The style is pretty common though - it's called a floating diamond. Here's the same style for under $70!

on franish

• on the blog: a serum that will make your winter skin thank you (have any of you tried it yet?)
• on the instagram: I'm obsessed with my LL Bean sweater - I promise I wash it! Save 10% and get free shipping with code SNOW10
• on the twitter: <500 days now!

notable sales

• Ann Taylor: 40% off new arrivales + an extra 60% off sale items
• I have this "blanket" scarf and it is SO soft and the perfect oversized but not giant scarf. It's under $30 now!
• How gorgeous is this lace dress? Looks like a few more of my friends need to get married this year so I have a reason to wear it. 
• I'm a bit in love with this yoke top - it comes in tall, so it maybe wouldn't be super boxy on. I think it would look amazing with some skinny jeans and fun flats. I just ordered it in a tall medium and large so I'll let you guys know what I think when it arrives!
• Loft: 40% off everything + 60% off sale items
• I kind of love the idea of this blanket skirt - the colors are bright but fairly neutral, and is just so darn pretty. Maybe not the most versatile, but pretty!
• But speaking of versatile, their fringe trim cardigan would be so versatile! Think of it with jeans like on the model, or with a simple black sheath dress, or with dress pants. See, versatile!
• And in the sales section, a lace v-neck dress that comes in both maroon and black, and has almost sizes available in regular, petites, and talls!
• Madewell: extra 30% off sale items
• Their skinny skinny style of jeans is my absolute favorite pair of jeans!
• If you have a warm weather trip coming up, I'd definitely consider this wrap-front cami dress. It has pockets!
• And if you are staying in the colder weather, then their oversized buffalo shirt would be the perfect thing to keep you warm - pair it with riding boots and a big comfy scarf.
• PS: Shopbop's sale section has some great items right now. Check out the cute clutches from Oliveve - my favorite is the wine one! Their converse section also has quite a few options on sale now and there are quite a few good options for black jeans as well. 

personal

• It was quite a busy week this week in the hospital, but it's been a really great one. We had some really interesting cases, I got to help intubate a patient (my first time!), and just all around enjoyed being there. I didn't think I would really like IM, but it's really at the heart of medicine, so I have really been excited to learn something new every day.
• We went to the most amazing brunch yesterday with one of our favorite couples - we had biscuits and gravy, biscuit sandwiches, and the most amazing french toast bread pudding. Can we have brunch for every meal? 
• Anyone watch any good series lately? I'm itching to start a new series, but haven't really found anything good yet. Only three more months until Game of Thrones finally starts again!!

bloop bloop!

sweater // pants // similar boots // original post

dotted + spotted

Sooooo....these pictures are from like 6 weeks ago. Oops! Wearing scrubs almost every day has really put a damper on blogging. Good news is that my next rotation has a lot of clinic time, so in case you have just been dying for more work-appropriate outfit posts, you're maybe in luck ;)

Anyway - this outfit is from the first time I wore this polka dot blouse, but it certainly hasn't been the last time I've worn it since! I've been reaching for it every weekend and it's just so fun to wear. Unfortunately it sold out pretty quickly, but I found a few alternatives below. I'm excited to pair it with a skirt next!

Blouse: Loft 

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Bag: Mulberry via eBay [save | exact]

Shoes: Tory Burch [save | exact]

Scarf: H&M [similar]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

Here are a few similar polka dot shirts out there, both in white on black and black on white. My favorite is the Foxcroft version - I just think it would look so cute tucked into some dark wash jeans! Loft has the white on black version of my shirt currently available as well. 

one | two | three

four | five | six

beauty tuesday: first aid beauty ultra repair hydrating serum

A few weeks ago on my Fresh face oil review, one of my readers Musja mentioned that an oil may not give me the moisture my skin needs, and to try a serum instead. I didn't really know where to start when it came to looking for a serum, so I went to my go-to beautypedia to see what they recommended. The highest rated item was the Hydrating Serum from First Aid Beauty, and after reading a few other reviews, I quickly ordered myself a bottle. I generally like to wait several weeks before doing a skincare review, but I have had such great results so far that I felt I needed to share, especially since the winter weather is just starting to really hit a lot of us!

what it promises:
Formulated for all skin types, this hydrating gel instantly infuses skin with optimal hydration to plump and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid—a moisture-locking agent that stores up to 1,000 times its molecular weight in water—helps hydrate, hydrate, plump, and nourish. Antiaging peptides help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while collagen helps increase firmness and elasticity, restore texture, and replenish skin. Ultra Repair’s signature ingredient, colloidal oatmeal, along with aloe leaf juice calm and soothe irritated skin for an allover healthy-looking complexion. This water-based gel penetrates immediately into the skin leaving behind an invisible shield that seals in hydration. Its lightweight texture makes it perfect for layering under your favorite AM and PM moisturizers. 

how I use it:
In the morning, after I've washed my face and applied the Paula's Choice Exfoliant to problem areas, I use about half of a squirt on the dry areas of my face, which is typically around my mouth, the apples of my cheeks, and between my eyebrows. Once dry, I follow up with my CeraVe moisturizer.

what I like:
If the Fresh face oil was helping my dryness by 25%, the First Aid serum is helping it by 85%. From the first day I used it, I noticed a huge decrease in the flakiness of my skin. This has been a HUGE change for me - my face has been so dry and peeling the weeks before that that I really noticed a change. I used to have to go into the bathroom several times a day just to scarp the flakes off - and since starting to use the serum, I haven't had to do that once. I have been using the serum for 10 days now, and haven't had a single horrible flaky day yet. 

In an additional plus over the face oil, it doesn't leave any slickness to my skin at all. With the oil I always knew if I used even one drop too many that my skin could stay oily (and still flaky) for the whole day. This hasn't happened at all with the serum/gel since it absorbs right into the skin.

That is my personal experience with the serum - here is the beautypedia review that goes a bit into the ingredients and why it works (backed by published scientific research). Many of you have recommended finding a product with hyaluronic acid in it, which this serum has, and you guys were so right - it really does help with keeping my skin calm and moisturized!

what I don't like:
Like I said, I would say this is making my skin 85% better - I don't think any one product will really get me to 100% perfect dewy skin (is that even attainable? who knows). I wouldn't say that the product is sticky or leaves a residue by any means, but it definitely doesn't feel as luxurious and smooth as face oils do. Besides the price ($36 for 1 oz), those are really the only "downsides" I have found with this product. 

would I buy this again? 
Based on results, I would definitely buy the First Aid Hydrating Serum again. Since this is my first experience with serums and hyaluronic acid, I may test out a few other products once this bottle is done, but I see no reason other than that not to buy another bottle in the future. 

top three [01.10.2015]

medicine

• Myxedema is a word used to describe the changes seen in extreme hypothyroidism (but also sometimes in hyperthyroidism - the thyroid is a bit tricky like that!). This can cause bradycardia (slow heart rate) or hypotension (low blood pressure), puffiness around the eyes, an enlarged tongue, ascites, and tibial swelling. 
• How the heart develops in an embyro is one of the coolest processes we have learned about - here's a video that demonstrates all the changes the heart goes through to become a "normal" heart. As you can see, there are a ton of different ways the process can go wrong. A ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall between your ventricles, the lower chambers of your heart. Sometimes the holes will spontaneously close on their own, but sometimes they stay open. This causes a murmur - I actually heard one this week!
• Culture Bound Syndromes are a combination of pyschiatric and somatic symptoms that are found only within a certain culture. If you have the time, this is a pretty interesting article on some of them.

on the internet

• Kimi details her best and worst purchases of the year - I love reading her reasoning behind each piece, and how she is using that to drive her purchases this year. 
• Like I've mentioned, we have become addicted to HGTV lately because we are hoping to buy a home when we move next year, so I'm already so excited to finally have a place I can do what I want to. I loved seeing all of what Amanda accomplished in her home this year. I love seeing what "normal" people are able to accomplish, and how great it turns out for them!
• LOVED Sarah's post about getting back into shape for reasons that actually matter.

spotted

• I have wanted a gently distressed pair of jeans for so long, but I also don't want to pay designer-level prices for a pair of jeans that aren't something I'd wear all the time. While this pair from BLANKNYC is still expensive, it isn't in the $200 price range (although they look like they are!). They have just the right amount of distressing, don't you think? 
• A comfy faux fur vest is something I've wanted, but also not something I've wanted to spend a lot of $$$ on, so not only is this rose version from Target exactly what I want, but it's inexpensive as well!
• As much as I love my comfy scrubs every day, I kind of miss my real clothes too! These fun mosaic printed pants are just begging to be worn! 

ask me anything

• Are your ferragamo shoes comfortable? They are certainly beautiful and I have considered saving up (for a long time) to get a pair, but I am just concerned they will disappoint by being horrible blister traps.
• I do think initially that my Ferragamo flats [seen here] were a bit stiffer than other shoes and harder to break in. I also wouldn't say they are shoes you want to wear if you know you are going to do a ton of walking all day. I wear them on days that I know I'll be sitting more, or at least on days where I'm not walking long distances. That being said, I do think once your feet are used to them and them are a bit broken in that they are very comfortable shoes to wear! Plus they make me so happy to wear whenever I get to wear them. They are very very pricey but are definitely something worthy of saving up for - or searching on ebay for!
• Is what you learn in the classroom applicable in your rotations? Have you found that you have used what you have learned from the text books with your patients or is it "learn as you go" from your mentor doctors?
• Oh god, it's so applicable! The first two years of medical school are for us as students to learn how the body actually works, and to have a general understanding of all of the diseases. Once you get to the hospital floor, you never know what you are going to see, so you can't always prepare for the patients, so you kind of have to know something about everything. Having the first two years as a foundation is wonderful to now build on with we learn in actually diagnosing and treating the patient. You could never do the second part of school without the first! It is still "learn as you go" though, because what the text book says and what is actually done in a hospital may be different, plus you can't really learn the management of a patient through a book. 
• I was wondering how you met CR? Is he a medical student as well?
• He is! We met during our first year of school - our last names are next to each other in the alphabet, so we were partners in a lot of things. We started off as friends for most of first year, and towards the end realized it was more than that :)

notable sales

• Anthropologie: 25% off sale items
• Still way too expensive, but this floral skirt is SO FREAKING GORGEOUS. 
• Also pricey but maybe a bit more practical are their floral sneakers - how fun would they be to wear in gloomier weather? 
• With the promotion, this jacquard peplum top is now almost 1/3 of the original price. Wear it with black skinny jeans and heels!
• J.Crew: 40% off certain items + 40% off sale items
• How freaking cute is their blue + white gingham vest? WANT. It would make such a great transition piece in the spring. 
• I've heard such great things about the J.Crew ballet flats, and now their many colors are on sale! 
• It's almost sad how bad I want this cotton pj set - the red is so freaking cute!
• Shopbop
• Quite a few cute Kate Spade bags currently on sale - my favorite is the mini tote in blush!
• I've always loved Sam Edelman shoes. I have a pair of his flats that are so comfy. Some of his most classic styles are on sale too!
• Even though spring is months away, retailers are starting to kick out their winter gear for spring clothes, which makes it the perfect time to pick up a sweater you can still wear for months. 

on franish

• on the blog: sharing what a day on internal medicine looks like
• on the instagram: who needs a reason to celebrate when you have champagne gummies? YUM.
• on the twitter: I'm committing to watching The Bachelor this season (whoa, dream big) but ugh, I just cringe the entire time! but still, so good, amiright? 

personal

• I'm officially half way through my general IM rotation, and I can honestly say that I am really enjoying it! I feel this is the rotation I've grown the most in my medical knowledge and in my role as a future physician. Not to say that I'm not counting the days until my next OB rotation (only eight more weeks!) but I have been pleasantly surprised how much I've been enjoying this service. 
• We finally took our Christmas decorations down this weekend - everything is just prettier when there are lights up! 
• Has the weather been unseasonably warm for you too this winter? We haven't even had a real snowfall yet...but it's supposed to snow this entire week and I am NOT looking forward to it. 

day in the life: internal medicine

5:35: alarm. snooze.

5:48: whoops. time to get up! I kick the cat out of bed, go brush my teeth and wash my face. I just started using a serum from First Aid, but besides that, my morning routine is the same as always. A light foundation, blush, eyeliner, eyebrow powder, and mascara.  

6:05: All done!