wedding wednesday: saying yes to the dress!

I was debating if I should write this post now, or later but because the dress that I ended up with is actually quite a bit different than the ones I shared here, I wanted to share the post now! I'm so excited about the dress I found, I really wish I could share it with you all right now! But it's my little secret for the next year - I can't wait to show you next June! After the wedding I'll share the other dresses that were top contenders :)

I've always loved weddings. While I didn't even go to a wedding as guest until I was like 22 years old, I've always had really strong feelings about weddings. Obviously Say Yes to the Dress is something I've watched for years and years because there is nothing more fun than judging people trying on wedding dresses.

So as you can imagine, I had pretty clear idea of what I wanted in my own wedding dress when I started really thinking about it. My taste has definitely changed from the time when I first started a wedding pinterest board (yep...like five years before I was ever engaged), so I had a lot of fun looking through hundreds of pictures online for the past few months to come up with what 2017 Fran likes versus what 2012 Fran liked. Since we are having an outdoor wedding and are doing the whole barn wedding thing, I definitely wanted something soft and flowy and appropriate for the venue. I started gravitating towards dresses with lace, sleeves/straps, and chiffon skirts - basically, this was my ideal dress based on pictures I found online. 

We have decided we aren't doing a lot of traditional pre-wedding events for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones is that both our families and our wedding parties are spread all over the country. I just don't feel like I can ask members of my bridal party and close friends, many who are about to start residency or work really demanding jobs, to travel to Rochester, NY or Ohio for engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and so on. So once I really started coming up with a general timeline of when things needed to be done for the wedding, I asked my mom if she would come to New York with me to go wedding dress shopping. I actually got the idea from Jessica, who went to NYC to go wedding dress shopping when she was planning her wedding. I loved the idea of having a weekend where I spent time with my mom finding my dress, especially because we aren't doing many other wedding related things. 

Before our scheduled weekend in New York, I wanted to get a sense of what wedding dress shopping is like. I ask my friend Amy to come with me to go try on dresses at the Nordstrom in Cleveland. I had found this Monique Lhuillier Bliss dress online that I wanted to try, and I found that the closest Nordstrom to me has a bridal boutique, so I made an appointment. It was very easy to do - you just choose your location, pick a date, and then tell them if there is a specific style you are looking for. I understand why they do that, because the wedding suite itself is not very big, and does not have a ton of dresses, so they have other Nordstrom wedding suites ship specific dresses that clients are looking for. They also have a small selection of other dresses - I think we had maybe around 40 dresses to look through in the show room and back rooms.

when your outfit uniform bores you...

Can I just say that an outfit has not made me this happy in such a long time?

I'm a huge advocate for having a work "uniform" - you know, where you know you can throw on a combination of clothes that you know always works for you, especially when you're in a rush? I most definitely have one, and I bet you that you could very accurate describe it. Basically, black dress pants + looser top + flats. That's pretty close to what I've worn constantly for the past four years.

And as much as I love my uniform because it always works, man does it get boring! Which is a huge reason I have hardly blogged outfits for the past year or so. I was really busy, I was wearing my go-tos, and I kind of felt uninspired by it when it came to blogging. Like how many times could I show you guys the same combination before you guys got super bored?

But then I fell in love with this skirt as I was walking by a J.Crew, and I'm excited about getting dressed again. I was initially unsure about keeping it because it's not exactly the most versatile item in my closet but you know, not every single item in your closet should be a part of your uniform. It's boring and tedious and uninspired. Sometimes you need a little black and white polka dot skirt to mix it up.

So thank you to all of you who encouraged me to keep this beauty. You guys were so right. 

Blouse: Banana Republic [similar at Everlane]

Skirt: J.Crew [exact]

Shoes: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Purse: Mulberry [save | similar | exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

Earrings: similar

You know who else has some really great skirts currently? J.Crew Factory! They have so many cute options right now! Below are my favorites - can you guess which one is on its way to me? I'll give you a hint: it's striped, and will go perfectly with a white tee and a denim jacket!

one | two | three

four | five | six

top three [05.07.2017]

my people <3

medicine

• It's Melanoma Awareness Month! Do you know the changes a mole can undergo that make them worrisome for skin cancer, specifically melanoma (the most dangerous type of skin cancer)? Joyce, a dermatology resident, describes those changes her in recent blog post. If you have any concerns about a mole, please make an appointment with your PCP or dermatologist as soon as possible. 
• To contract Lyme disease from a tick, the tick usually needs to be attached for 36-48 hours to transmit the bacteria that causes the disease. Always do a body check after spending time in the woods and long grasses!
• The ciguotoxin is a toxin that accumulates in certain types of fish, and when ingested by humans, can cause the human to change hot and cold senses into the other (like they taste hot liquids as cold). The condition is called ciguatera.  (thanks to my friend Kira for this fun fact!)

on the internet

• Y'all know I'm a neutrals girl through and through, but when I see someone look so amazing in such a bright outfit, I'm tempted. I'll leave it to the experts though and stick with my mostly white, tan, and grey closet ;)
• Jessica looked absolutely stunning for her baby shower. I especially love her jewelry and her nail polish color name! 
• Headed to New Orleans any time soon?  Bookmark Jessica's recent post - her photographs make me want to book a flight ASAP. 

spotted

• In a moment of panic, as our engagement shoot is scheduled for this coming weekend, I ordered another white dress. I KNOW. This is the one I'm actually planning on wearing (here it is on me), but I kind of couldn't help myself in ordering another to try on. 
• Okay, I need this fringe tunic top - wouldn't it look so cute with white jeans and red flats? I love it. 
• I'm on a bag buying ban (except my new work back pack...that doesn't count, right?), but how cute is this perforated cross body? The tan is super versatile and the white is so fresh for spring!

throwback

• For those of you about to start clinicals: my advice on what to wear on clinical rotations! (I am planning on writing a "shoes on rotations" post - hopefully I'll have it up soon!). 
• Remember how I donated my green vest, and then bought a new one this year? I do plan on wearing it a bit more toned down than I did here haha
• A review of 2014

ask me anything

• I'm looking for an everyday short to wear this summer. The last few summers I've spent lots of money on cheap pairs of shorts but haven't found a pair I truly like. Do you have any suggestions? I just want something simple, probably neutral, that will fit well. I find it tricky since there is so much less area to get a good fit, know what I mean? Oh, and I'm willing to pay more than $20 now that I know the $20 pairs aren't cutting it for me. Thanks!
• You guys know how much I hate warm weather clothing, so I totally understand the struggle! I have a pair of denim shorts I wear basically all summer long because they are casual and fit well - mine are old, but this pair from Caslon look very similar. I've also found that my black shorts get me pretty far in the summer - I have this pair from Old Navy, but if you are looking to spend a bit more, Volcom also makes what looks like a nice pair. On the more inexpensive end, a classic pair of Levi's, even if not expensive, will last you forever! Don't forget, it's about how something fits you, rather than how expensive it is - I've tried on $200 shorts that looked horrible on me, but have worn my Old Navy shorts for like four summers. If you find a pair that fits you almost perfectly but maybe are too big in the waist, you can always have a tailor take them in too! Don't be afraid to make something work for you even if it doesn't fit right off the rack. 
• How do you keep your black jeans looking so black? I have a pair and after the first wash they were significantly less black and faded. Do you do something special to keep them dark, or is it more in the quality of the jeans?
• It's definitely both how you wash your jeans and the quality, but even expensive jeans are prone to fading. First of all, I don't wash my jeans every time after I wear them - in fact, I don't wash any of my clothes after wearing them once (except of course work out clothes). I'm not a sweaty person, I shower every day, and my clothes aren't dirty, so I don't waste time and money on washing clothes that don't need to be washed. Washing your clothes isn't good for them either, so the less you have to do it, the longer they last. Second of all, when I do wash my jeans (which is like every 3-5th wear), I always turn them inside out. No idea how much of an affect that has, but I've read that over and over again, so I do it. Lastly, I use this laundry detergent - it's my secret weapon for keeping my dark clothes dark! 
• You mentioned your "home uniform" consists of black pants, an white Everlane tee and a drapey sweater. I LOVE the simplicity having a set uniform brings to getting dressed in the morning! I already have favorite black pants (Athleta leggings...yes, they do count as pants! :)) and am planning on purchasing my very first Everlane tee...wondering what drapey sweaters you would recommend? Thanks a bunch!
• First of all, I hope you love the Everlane tees - as I've said for years, I'm completely obsessed with them! Second, drapey grey sweaters are my favorite - they are basically all I wear at home (them, or my Patagonia or LL Bean fleeces....or as someone recently called them, my social media uniform haha). All of my grey sweaters are old, but here are some cute ones currently available: Calson makes an open knit version, Bobeau has a really cute longer cardigan, and if you want something similar to what I have, BB Dakota has a very similar style to one I own from the same company. Amazon also has several cute pairs - try this longer sweater, this cardigan that's a bit longer, or a classic open cardigan!

on franish

• on the blog: hair products that I've been playing with recently
• on the instagram: my precious
• on the twitter: how are we feeling on instastories versus snapchat? which ones do you prefer? 

at home

• Hello from Long Island! Our close friend and classmate Amy is originally from here, and invited us to come here for her graduation party. I've never been to Long Island, so this has been such a fun experience! It took us 11 hours to get here on Friday (did you catch up the updates on snapchat? We had fun with it!), and have since ate our way through the island. We had such a good time! It's always interesting to see where your friends are from and to get to know their families, especially if you've heard so much about it for years. 
• Can you believe we are three weeks away from graduation?! I can hardly believe it! 
• One more week until we officially close on our house!! Please tell me nothing can go wrong at this point...

hair products I'm currently loving

I've been trying out a few new hair products recently, so I wanted to discuss them all in one place! 

First up is L'oreal's Ever Pure shampoo in the Frizz Defy version. I've been using the Ever Pure line for years - I think it's one of the reasons my hair has been doing so well the last few years. This line of shampoo is sulfate free, and for around $8, always a really good deal. My bottle also says it's 100% vegan, if that's something you're interested in (it wasn't something I was looking for in a shampoo as I'm not vegan, but I did think that was interesting!). Anyway, I've tried a bunch of different Ever Pure shampoos, usually sticking with the version for colored hair. I picked up this Frizz Defy shampoo + conditioner the other day, and my hair has never been so soft while in the shower ever. It was actually the inspiration for this post because I was like "I have to share this!!!". So if you're looking for an inexpensive shampoo from the drugstore, I would highly recommend the Ever Pure line, especially this Frizz Defy Shampoo!

I've been using Kiehl's smoothing heat protector for years and years now, but was tempted to try out DryBar's Hot Toddy recently. This is mainly a heat protector - it promises to protect up to 450 degrees F, and also to repair split ends. I will say, this smells amazing - I think my hair always smells so good after using it! I find that a lot of spray heat protectors leave hair stiff and not very touchable, so I've always preferred a cream version. That being said, I don't think I've noticed a ton of difference between this and the Kiehl's version. Both say they protect your hair (but how do you know if it really does? No idea, I just have to believe it works!), both make your hair smooth, and make it more manageable. Since the Kiehl's cream is $17 for 5 ounces, versus $30 for 3.4 ounces of the Hot Toddy, I'm going to go back to the Kiehl's cream once this is done. It's not because I think the Hot Toddy isn't doing a good job, I just know I get the same results for less money.

I have these little short hairs along my right hairline that I've never managed to completely grow out (if you look at these pictures, you can see what I mean). No matter how much deep conditioner and minimal heat I apply to it, the hair just doesn't really stop breaking off there. I've used various methods to try to tame them (as they are frizzier and stick off my head) over the years. I recently tried Bumble and Bumble's contour cream while playing with hair products at Sephora, and it did such a great job of making the hairs lay flat without making them stiff or sticky. You really only need a tiny amount, especially if you have fine hair like I do, so I'd imagine that this jar would last for years and years. I think it's originally meant for shorter hair styles, but it has been doing a great job for me taming my baby hairs! If you also struggle with those short hairs along your hairline, this could be a good option to help tame them!

The last item I wanted to mention is Aveda's Shampure dry conditioner. I had never heard of a dry conditioner before, but I was excited to receive this from Aveda as I'm a huge fan of their dry shampoo. I would say this is similar to a detangling spray, except that you use it on dry hair rather than before blow drying wet hair. I've been using this on day three and four of my ~ 5 day hair process, as my hair tends to get a bit tangled from all the teasing and quick buns I do. As with all Aveda hair products, it has a slight floral/herbal smell, which I really enjoy, but I know some people are quite sensitive to smells, so I wanted to mention it just in case! This would be a great option for those of you, like me, trying to constantly push how many days you can go before you need to wash your hair again (mostly while figuring out your social calendar! 😂).

Alright, that's it for today! I have my eye on a couple of products in the future - t3 has some gorgeous curlers that I'd love to try on my hair since I love my curling iron from t3 so much (see Veronika's review here), Aveda's moisturizing hair mask, and eventually I'd really like to upgrade my current hair dryer (anyone have one they just love?) .

top three [04.30.2017]

medicine

• Biggest news of the week was a study came out that artificial wombs are being created to help premature babies. This could be a huge development in the world of neonatology. Many babies are born prematurely due to reasons like incompetent cervixes or because the mother has a condition like pre-eclampsia that can only be cured by delivery. This would give those babies a chance to continue developing in "the ideal" conditions. I'm very excited to see where this research goes!
• "Hexenmilch" is German for "witch's milk", which is an old term that used to be used to describe galactorrhea of the newborn. Babies are born under the hormonal influence of their mother, so a withdrawal of those hormones can lead to babies "lactating"!
• If you are someone who follows doctors on social media, Natalie and I would be so thankful if you would fill out this survey for us. There's a chance for you to win a $200 giftcard at the end!

on the internet

• Dani shares her favorite things to do in Madison, and it makes me want to buy a ticket home immediately. I miss it so much!
• Krista wrote a great post about the current Instagram algorithm. Anyone who is an "influencer" has seen changes, and her post talks about how you can combat some of those new issues. 
• I think about what Jane says in this post all the time. I'm also addicted to my phone - it's basically always in my hand. I feel like I've been trying to resist every urge to pick up my phone but it's hard! 

spotted

• I posted on instastories about this earlier this week, but one of my go-to tricks for wearing dresses in the warmer months is wearing these shorts underneath them. There is nothing worse than having your legs chaf from rubbing together after walking all day! They do add just a bit of warmth, but I take a little bit more sweating over aching skin any day! 
• Over the years, I've realized that skirts are really the only way I'll get through summer. I'm thinking this striped beauty has to be mine (and tbh, I'd basically wear it exactly like Katie did because I'm a giant copy cat). 
• If you're looking for a simple sandal for this spring and summer, try these cut out ones from Loft. The low heel makes they flattering but comfortable, and the nude coloring means they go with everything!

on franish

• on the blog: april's budget! it's a fun one this month :)
• on the instagram: mmmm, donuts (this is the dress I wore that day that I shared on instastories. It's so flattering!)
• on the twitter: my animals are disgusting

at home

• I had my first experiences with food poisoning earlier this week, and wow, do I never want to experience that ever again. It was a cycle of vomiting, sleeping, feeling awful, vomiting for about six hours. Awful!
• This week marks my last rotation EVER! This is my 24th rotation, and I'll be in the ED since it gives me a bit of flexibility with our schedule. May is JAM PACKED - we are going to Long Island next weekend, Rochester the weekend after that, we are hopefully closing on a house the week after that, then we are going to see Mumford and Sons, and then we graduate! Lots happening, all things I'm really excited for!
• Also, hello from NYC! I'm in the city mainly to go wedding dress shopping with my mom and sister. We had one appointment yesterday, and have the main ones today. I have a very good idea of what I'm looking for, now I just need to find "the one". Fingers crossed!

april budget

J.Crew shoes: originally $118, on sale for $90

J.Crew skirt: originally $128, on sale for $95

Leith dress: $70

H&M sweater: $20

April budget: $285

Quarterly budget: $500 - $60 in February  - $130 in March - $285 in April

I was going to say this is the most exciting budget post I've had in a while, until I look at the picture and realized it's all neutral color 😂 (although technically the sweater is a blush and not tan). But I am so excited about the items I purchased. I actually bought the Leith dress last month, and for some reason didn't include it in my budget post, so it's here now (you can see the review of it here). 

If you follow along on instastories, you know we had a lengthy discussion about the polka dot skirt. When I saw it in stores a few weeks ago, I beelined for it. I basically knew I had to have it, and so waited for a sale, and ordered it. I almost didn't want it to fit or have it be a really poor quality so I wouldn't be tempted to keep it, but you guys...this skirt. The pattern is adorable, the fabric is thick and forgiving, and since it's in such neutral colors, I know I could wear it with a bunch of different items I already own. On the other hand, I'm about to start a residency where I do spend the majority of the time in scrubs. After lots of discussions with readers, I've decided to keep it. I just love it so much, and it's rare for me to really really love something. So I'll just be a little more dressed up for clinic and look for reasons to wear it. I think sometimes it's okay to keep something you really love even if it's not always the most practical. Sometimes I'm a bit tired of always being practical! 

But I did lean more on the practical side with the pointed toe flats. My friend saw me looking at them a few weeks ago and said "those literally look like they were made for you" because they are everything I want in a shoe! I love the look of pointed toe flats (even if I only have two pairs of them) and they are such a neutral shoe that I can wear them with just about everything in my closet. I will probably end up having to put in an insole in them as they don't provide a ton of support, just as an fyi for those looking for shoes!

As far as sponsored posts, I worked with JCPenney on post (you can see it here). I'm obsessed with the dress and jean jacket, both of which are coming with me to NYC this weekend! Although most of our trip is centered around wedding dress shopping (!), you know there will be a bit of shopping involved. Fingers crossed I find both a dress and my graduation present to myself (eek! I'm so excited). 

sidenote: if you have just a few minutes, would you mind helping me out on a research project by filling out this survey? One participant will win a $200 Nordstrom giftcard. Thank you!

baby, you're so classic

Is there anything more classic than stripes?

You guys know I love a good stripe, whether it's a shirt, skirt, pants, sweater, or scarf! My favorite though is a striped dress - I just find them the most versatile! I used to wear a black and white striped dress all the time back in the day! I've always been on the look out for a short sleeved, black on white, t-shirt dress though. I've tried several over the years, but for some reason could never find the right one - some were too short, others were just too tight. I found this St. John's Bay dress at JCPenney though, and it's truly perfect. It's long enough on my frame (very important), has the type of stripes I've been looking for, and it isn't too tight around my midsection and hips (I'm wearing a size large). Best of all, I got it for $25! 

I paired it with this jean jacket from Levi's - it's technically called a trucker jacket, but I find it to be the perfect jean jacket. Jean jackets are another one of those things I find a bit harder to shop for - sometimes the denim color is off, some are super cropped, or the fabric is too stiff. This one is really soft (you can actually move in it!), and it hits me at the hip, rather than the waist. It's just the classic American jean jacket 👌

Dress: St. John's Bay c/o JCPenney [exact]

Jacket: Levi's c/o JCpenney [exact]

Purse: Liz Claiborne c/o JCPenney [exact]

Shoes: Bamboo Festival c/o JCPenney [exact]

JCPenney's VIP Event is happening from 4/27 until 4/30. Use code BUYNOW13 to save:

Online: An extra 30% off $100 or more select apparel, shoes, accessories, fine jewelry, home, furniture & mattresses. 

In stores & online: Extra 25% off with your JCPenney Card or Extra 20% off any other method of payment select apparel, shoes, accessories, fine jewelry, home, furniture & mattresses

Below are a few of my favorite striped items! Happy shopping :)

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

Thank you to JCPenney and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post!