Tuesday, October 15, 2013

hell week

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So much pink, so little time. It's our last anatomy hell week - 8 tests in 8 days. As much as I like anatomy (for the most part), it's draining to learn all of it in such a short amount of time. It's also pretty gruesome as we are literally removing heads from spines, and sawing faces in half to see the inside of the head. Medical school is so weird.

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Blouse: J.Crew [exact on sale]
Cardigan: Banana Republic Factory
Skirt: Banana Republic [similar <$20]
Shoes: J.Crew Factory [exact]
Earrings: Tiffanys [exact]
Belt: Old Navy
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Monday, October 14, 2013

who knows about your blog?

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This was one of those outfits that I didn't really plan ahead on, but it was the day I received the most compliments about my outfit (it must be my awesome "carpet" shoes!). 

It was also the day one of my lab mates (CHRIS - yes, my lab partners name is the same as my boyfriends. Their birthdays are also a day apart. It makes it complicated when I'm talking to my girlfriends) decided it was time to let everyone around us know about my blog. The conversation went like this:

Girl in my class: I really like your shoes Fran!
Chris: YOU CAN GO READ IT ON HER BLOG, IT'S CALLED FRANISH, GO READ IT:
All boys around: YOU HAVE A BLOG?!?!? WHERE IS IT, I WANT TO UPLOAD IT TO REDDIT

It's weird, because he makes a good point about the fact that I don't care if all of you read my blog, but I don't want any one in real life to know about it. I think the big thing is that you guys read because you "get" blogging - outfit inspiration, reading about people's lives, talking about shopping. But to a bunch of medical students it might seem like just about the weirdest thing you can do. I kept blogging a secret from everyone for at least a month after I moved here, and then told some of my closer girlfriends, who think it's awesome (you'll meet them on here in the next few days!), but never intended for it to really get out to others. And especially not to boys! 

If you blog, how many people know about it? Do you tell everyone, or keep it all to yourself as your little secret?

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Shirt: Gap [similar for a steal]
Pants: The Limited [exact]
Scarf: Victoria's Secret 
Shoes: Gap [exact | amazing splurge] 
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Friday, October 11, 2013

save or splurge: herringbone puffer vest


Last winter, I bought the J.Crew excursion vest in navy. I wore it a few times, but the color made me get all weird about what to wear it with. I really liked the idea of the herringbone vest at J.Crew Factory when it first came out earlier this fall (as a re-incarnation of the herringbone vest from the retail store) but I wanted it to be actually embroidered instead of screen printed on. Jess also said that it is pretty boxy, which is something I try to avoid at all costs. Even though all of those things were in the back of my mind, I still starting getting the closet fomo after seeing all of the cute outfits on instagram. I even started searching on eBay to see if I couldn't get one for a relatively good price! I gave up that search pretty quickly (a $100 printed vest is not worth $200) and I was actually pretty upset that I would let myself spend money on something I didn't even really like. All that time on eBay made me realize I could sell my vest for a similar price I bought it for, so I ended up selling it for $100.

A few nights ago I was looking around the Gap website, and I saw the most perfect vest. It wasn't anywhere for purchase yet (I even tweeted at them asking why I can't find it anywhere), but they finally put it up yesterday. It's actually wool, not just screen printed polyster, it's fitted, and best of all, it comes in both regular, petite AND tall sizes. Full priced it's almost $90, but with the Columbus Day sale (code GAPSAIL for 35% off), it comes to just under $60. I ordered two to try out two sizes, both in tall, and can't wait to receive them! I think these are like the second coming of the original J.Crew vest, but better, so if you are looking for the perfect vest, I think this is it :)

Other awesome sale going on: J.Crew Factory is 50% off everything both online and in stores (perfect time to pick up my favorite Sylvia wedges if you've had your eye on them!). Here are a couple more pretties that are as low priced as they're going to get:

Thursday, October 10, 2013

baublebar: buy all the jewelry!

tweed blazer, frye boots, maroon scarf

My preferences with jewelry have slowly been evolving. I use to be a one simple necklace, two simple rings kind of girl. That is, until I discovered Pinterest. I realized that clothes are fine on their own, but the jewels make the outfit. I have been a long time peruser of BaubleBar (the monograms were what initially drew me to their site), so when Grace, blogger and social media maven for BaubleBar, reached out to me I was SO EXCITED. They sent me this adorable little midi ring, and these gorgeous earrings to try out. If you follow along on instagram, you will have noticed I haven't taken the ring off since I received it. BaubleBar is currently celebrating their Friends and Family event, so if you've been considering buying something, now is the time! Through the 13th of this month:

Get 10% off orders of $50 or more with code FRIEND10
Get 15% off orders of $100 or more with code FRIEND15
Get 20% off orders of $150 or more with code FRIEND20

My recommendations? This tortoise necklace will go with everything, and this cuff will look great stacked with a watch.

baublebar chevron midi ring
maroon infinity scarf, tweed blazer, riding boots
Ring: c/o Bauble Bar [exact]
Blazer: J.Crew, thrifted [save | worth it splurge]
Blouse: Forever 21 [exact]
Pants: Gap [exact]
Boots: Frye [exact]
Scarf: H&M
frye paige riding boots
a few more favorites: 
linking up with mix and match fashion

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

over-thinking it

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Navy. A color that should be so easy to wear, but I always have a problem with.  Back when I got to wear jeans every day (THE GOOD OLD DAYS), wearing blue was easy because what doesn't go with jeans? My schoolboy blazer (which is currently on sale for less than $120, down from $200) was worn at least once a week. Now that I have to wear dress pants/skirts/dresses, I'm always a bit confused about what to wear with the few navy tops I have. Navy doesn't go with black, but can I wear it with other blues? What about red? Do I always have to wear my cognac shoes/belts since my black ones would clash?

Is this the dumbest blog post you've ever read or what? Just wear your clothes Fran! I know, I know. I tend to over-think getting dressed. I want to improve my style while sticking true to what I like while re-wearing all the pieces I have, but in different ways. Oh, and then take pictures of it, and put it on the internet. Writing this blog has definitely helped me do those things - figure out what my style actually is and work on building a wardrobe that is composed of pieces I love but can re-wear, and if I go back to even a year ago I can see the improvement (OMG. I just went to look what I wore exactly a year ago, and it's this same shirt. Promise I did not plan that). At the same time, it makes me hyper-aware of things that are just so dumb: 

"My buttons are gold, but the metal on my belt is silver!"

"The watch band is dark brown, but my shoes are cognac!"

"WHY DOES THIS SKIRT WRINKLE SO EASILY"

Looking for a friend here. Anyone else over-think it?
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Skirt: Anthro via eBay [similar]
Blouse: H&M
Scarf: H&M [similar]
Belt: H&M Mens
Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]
Shoes: BR c/o Chippmunk [exact]
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linking up with wiww.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

review: banana republic sloan pant versus the limited exact stretch skinny pant


It feels like finding pants I like is a never ending thing here on the blog and in my life. I kind of hate dress pants, and wish I could just wear jeans all day every day, so finding something I actually like to wear, and am allowed to wear, has been a bit of a journey.

Many people have suggested trying out the Banana Republic Sloan Pants, and with all the great reviews and available colors online, I wanted to give them a try too. Because the navy pair was on back order until the end of the year, I ordered the Mythic Blue instead. Here are my thoughts:

banana republic sloan pants review

I ordered these initially during a 40% off sale, which brought the price down to around $55 from $90. I am not the biggest fan. 

Pros:
  • The fabric, a 50% viscose / cotton / spandex mix is very comfortable, and surprisingly thick.
  • They come in a bunch of fun colors, and even in patterns.
  • If you are taller than I am, these do come in talls which could make them long enough to be ankle pants instead of crops


Cons:
  • I ordered them in a size 12 Tall because my pencil pants from the Limited are just a tiny bit shorter than I want (which is why they are currently at the tailor to be let down), so I was hoping that the tall length would fix that. I think these are now too long, and are full on pants, not ankle pants. 
  • They are too loose in the knee and leg area, which makes me look dumpy. I'm not sure how much my opinion would change if I tried these on in a regular instead of a tall, which would make them more like real ankle pants. Unfortunately, I do not have a BR in my area so I can't try them on.
  • Like the J.Crew Minnie pants [review here], these also do not have front pockets, which I just don't understand. Maybe it's different for me because on my body my thighs stick out in the front, so I need something that breaks up that area, instead of drawing attention to my thighs like this whole no pocket business is doing. 
  • Dry Clean only 
See Jean's [of Extra Petite] review here, and Lauren [from The Pear Shape] will have one coming up in a few days as well, if you are interested in seeing them on various body types.

In comparison, The Limited Exact Stretch Skinny Pants:
the limited exact stretch skinny pants review
I already own these pants in the maroon color, so I knew what I was getting myself into. I went in recently with my roommate while they were having a 40% off sale, and picked these up in blue. Here are more detailed thoughts, and what still needs to change

Pros:
  • Machine washable! 
  • Front pockets help break up the thigh area
  • The color isn't too dark (I thought the pencil pants in navy were almost black, but these you can clearly see are navy)
  • Long enough off the rack in regulars to be considered ankle pants, not cropped pants (per our dress code anyway!)
Cons:
  • I liked the fabric of the Sloan pants a bit more. These are still nice and stretchable, but not as soft as the viscose fabric of the Sloan.
  • Still too loose in the knee. This is a problem I have with all pants, so I spoke with my tailor, and for around $10 (as these are unlined pants), she's taking the knees in on these. If that is successful, I will have her do it to my maroon pair as well. I'll write an update on that for sure as I think it's somewhat of a stranger alteration, but something some of you may be interested in too if you have weird legs like me ;)

So that's it! The Limited Pants are here to stay - they've really been pulling through for me as all but one pair of my dress pants are from there. I'm now officially done buying pants for a while. I hope all of these various reviews (see the Gap dress pants, J.Crew Minnie, Gap Ponte Pants) have helped some of you in your own journey to find pants that don't make us look like we have elephant legs!

P.S. J.Crew is running a 40% off all final sale items using code EXTRA40 - I may have made my friend Neel add this shirt in with his order so we could split shipping. I'm glad I waited out on the price as it's been hovering around $90 for months now, and finally went under $50 with the current promotion. Is there anything you have your eye on? 

Monday, October 7, 2013

happy heart happy life

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It was such a good weekend! Like I said on Friday, Chris and I have spent the last three months apart so deciding to do a last minute trip half way between us was exactly what we needed. It was Chris's birthday on Friday, and I'm so glad we got to celebrate at least the last hour of it together (in the middle of Indiana).

We did a bunch of annoying couple things, but also went out into the real world to buy his birthday present. He wanted a second G-Shock watch because they apparently are what all the surgeons he works with wear, so we went and bought him this one. Boy fashion, mmkay. While he was busy deciding which watch he wanted, I spent a good amount of time staring down all the rose-gold watches. I've wanted one for so long (years!) but I'm really picky about watches (I hate little fake diamonds and little fake hands). I have a little bit of extra money coming in in about a month, so I'm thinking about taking a portion to buy a watch (outside of my budget - such a rebel). I really like the look of this one, and possibly something a little bit more masculine like this (which is actually a guys watch). Any recommendations or experiences with Michael Kors or Stuhrling watches? I'm not looking to buy one immediately, but would like to narrow down the choices.

On the way around the mall, we somehow found ourselves in Forever 21. I've been wearing my cream open cardigan almost every day (it's a great cardigan to study in), so when I was heading towards the check out line to buy this sweater (it's super soft and long enough on me!) and saw that it came in maroon too, I was torn. I rarely buy duplicates of items, but I like the cream version so much, and I knew that I would actually wear it all the time (and actually do that, not just say it), so I bought it as well. I used to really hate open cardigans, but I've completely changed my mind on them, especially the thicker sweater kind. It's like wearing a snuggie, but a socially acceptable one. I'm always a little bit torn on shopping at Forever 21 though. While filled with heaps of super trendy items a la the lip sweater seen all over the blogosphere, they also have some great "staple" pieces that I wear over and over again. The quality is totally hit or miss, but I've had pretty good luck with their knits, even though I'm always a bit sheepish to admit where they're from. I know that they've also had some issues with copying of smaller designers, so it's a constant internal battle of inexpensive clothing versus being a better consumer.

We went into Gap looking for a winter jacket for Chris, but of course made a quick trip to the women's section. I've been admiring Whitney and Dotty's black and white geometric shoes, so when I saw this awesome herringbone pair, I marched them straight to the cash register. Chris says they look like carpet (may be true) but I think they are awesome, and I don't own any printed shoes (does leopard count?) so I'm really excited about them. Like most Gap shoes, they'll require some breaking in, but that's nothing a little buffer stick can't take care of. I also spotted this sweater dress, which is a total dupe of the Madewell version, so if you've had your eye on the more expensive version (as seen on Dotty, Erika, all the cool kids), this may be a great alternative for winter as it's fleece lined. I wish the sleeves were not so capped sleeved (never my friend) or else I would totally have tried it on. 

Of course there was more than just shopping, including delicious Mexican food, arcade game playing, and late night pizzas for watching Miley on SNL. Driving away from each other was a lot easier this time than it was when I first left because I knew I was returning to good people, and because I know that I'll get to see him in 6.2 weeks (at Thanksgiving. No I don't have a countdown. Okay, yes I do.)

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Jeans: Kut from the Kloth via Nordstrom Rack
Tee: Everlane [exact - reviewed here]
Belt: Gap [current color]
Shoes: Banana Republic c/o Chippmunk [exact]
Bag: Coach [very similar style]
Bracelet: c/o Apple of My Eye
Watch: Target

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