Heading North

It was so cold here today! Brrr. I wanted to take a page from Lester's book and spend all day under a pile of blankets.

Instead, I went to my boyfriend's house for Hannukah with his family and had a great time eating latkes and gingerbread. Since Zach and I have been dating for well over four years now, I feel like his family is my family, too, so I usually enjoy get-togethers. This is also the first year we've been "adults" enough, so to speak, to buy gifts for everyone (read: one of us has a job and so we can afford it), and it was fun picking things out for each person.

I'm about to head to Illinois to spend Christmas with my family, so I won't be back till after New Year's. There's no internet at my Papa's house, but it's actually kind of nice to be disconnected and just catch up with family and read and sleep and slow down. But I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday, and I'll be looking forward to catching up with everyone's posts when I return!

Merry Christmas! And love from me. :)

Outfit: Dress: Anthro; tights: Target: Shoes: Target; Jacket: Arden B.

Outfit Treat

A few posts back, I put together an outfit on the addictive Polyvore and said I would get it as a treat when finals were over...but luckily all I had to buy was the skirt! I'd been wanting a lace skirt anyway, after seeing all the lace on the runways, so everything worked out.

The total from the Polyvore outfit was $4,355--hahahaaaaa. Hilarious.

My outfit:

Cardi: $20 from AT Loft

Tie-front shirt: $50 (ish, can't remember, but on sale!) from Banana Republic

Ring: Free! From when WHBM messed up my order.

Bag: $20 from Nine West Outlet

Skirt: $118 (Christmas splurge; some remorse)

Shoes: $55 from Stuart Weitzman (as an aside, I have good luck with designer shoes for cheap--I've had these for years! They've got a cut-out flower detail on the toe box and are very comfortable.)

Grand total: $263. Actually, still a lot. But since I didn't buy it all at once or even to go together, I won't feel too bad. (Also, please excuse the red eye.)

I tried to watch Tropic Thunder tonight, because it was supposed to be hilarious...not so much, to me. However, I also just watched Borat, and am kind of embarrassed about how hard parts of it made me laugh. And, in my scurry-hurry-watch-all-the-movies-I-can-before-school-starts-again mode, I went and saw Doubt with my best friend, and it was very good. I greatly admire Meryl Streep...wasn't she luminously beautiful when she was younger?

Final-ly Done

This is my Civil Procedure book--THE most boring class I've ever had.

It's kind of hard to believe that I finished my first semester of law school...and it's not as bad as people say. Yes, it's hard work, and yes, it's boring--but there's still time for showering and friends and eating delicious food and spending afternoons curled up on the couch with a book.

I learned a lot and have made some great friends so far...and I've also met more pompous type-A people than I imagined existed. As individuals, most of them are quite tolerable, but put them in a group and then you have...lawyers.

Anyway, my grades don't come in till February, so I'll save my "Law School Advice Post" for then...assuming I am in a position to give advice. :) Regardless of how that comes out, though, right now I think I did well and I'll stick with that belief until I know otherwise.

Oh, and if anyone has a lawyer friend in Dallas...please tell them you know a stylish, smart little law student who needs a job for the summer...and she'll work for free.


Outfit: Tie-front cardigan: Moth; Tank: Old Navy; Jeans: Seven for All Mankind; Boots: Anne Klein; Jewelry: NY&Co.

Ladies in Ballgowns

I definitely fell down on the studying this weekend...I panicked Thursday night about one of my exams, and so Zach headed over and took off Friday to study with me. It actually really helped, so I think I did fine on that exam...but the one tomorrow fell prey to Harper's Bazaar and cheesy Christmas movies. (Aren't the Harper's Bazaar fashion shoots consistently amazing? They're always beautiful and lush and arty, not just stark, contorted women posing in front of flat canvas.)

But on to more enjoyable and interesting subjects, I ate at a Spanish restaurant this weekend and had amazing roasted curry-spiced chicken and roasted apples and pan con tomate and crema catalana...delicious! We also saw a Swedish film called "Let the Right One In," about an incredibly lonely and isolated little boy who, physically and emotionally abused by his peers, befriends a girl outside his apartment who turns out to be a vampire. It was an odd, sad little movie, and some people left in the middle, but I liked it. There are tons of films I want to see soon..."Nobel Son," "Happy-Go-Lucky," "Doubt," "Slumdog Millionaire."

This is my $10 shirt from Anthropologie--I love the ladies-in-ballgowns print! The shoes were also ridiculously cheap...I bought them three years ago at Dillards, and someone (*cough*Zach*cough*) said, "You'll never wear lavender shoes!" But see, I was just waiting for the right shirt to go with them. They were a little too sweet to wear with just any old outfit.

Outfit: Shirt: Anthro; shoes: Gianni Bini; Tights: Target; Skirt: Old Navy; Belt: Nordstrom BP

Tension Tuesday

Today was not a good day. I realized I did make a mistake in my property final, and then one of classmates kept calling me to ask me questions and then argue about why I was wrong (and how it didn't snow here today--it did). By the end of the conversations I was doubting myself and felt like I didn't understand anything and ohmygod I was going to fail contracts.

So when I got off the phone I burst into tears, which coincided with the UPS man delivering a package, which resulted in a very awkward exchange.

Me: *Sob, gulp* I'm so sorry I'mhavingacrisis.

Him: "Hmm. Sign here, please."

Him, while I sign: "So, that temperature's really dropping, huh?"

I think I lost my dignity there for a little while. But I got it back when I looked up what I was confused about and was actually right in the first place.

Outfit: Dress: Free People; Boots: Rocket Dog; Black tee: Limited; Chihuahua: Lester

It looks like I'm giving the camera the finger here...I promise I'm not! Intentionally, at least. I think that's my index finger.

Property Passed....

I just took my first exam, and I actually think I did well! I'm trying to not get too hopeful, however, as the test is graded on a curve, so what really matters is how much better I did than other people. But secretly, I think I did better than them. ;) And if not, I'll never mention it again.

However, I take it as a sign from above that I did do well, as I went to Anthro and found a shirt for $10!! And even better, it was one that I contemplated buying several months ago but held off on.

I have four more exams left, with the two hardest ones next week. After they're over, I'm going to lay in front of my boyfriend's big TV and watch No Country for Old Men and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, my favorite movies. I highly recommend them both....Umbrellas is a French musical from the sixties, and at first I was jarred by the sung-through narrative and thought it was going to be brightly colored fluff...and then by the end I was sobbing. Several of my friends hate No Country, citing a lack of plot and and substance, but...it does have a plot, and it's about everything, namely the randomness and futility of life but the pushing hope to keep going anyway. I actually liked the movie better than the book, which almost never happens.

Anyway, Lester is trying to sit on the keyboard, so he probably wants me to watch TV with him before I start studying again.

Outfit: Sweater skirt: Old Navy; Tights: Target; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via outlet; Cami: Ann Taylor Loft; Sweater: Anthro

A picture of my tree! Note the shoe ornaments. :)

Lace Lust

I studied almost all day, and had a rather disheartening meeting with my career counselor wherein she informed me that I shouldn't expect to do too well balancing family and life with a law career, because the practice just doesn't lend itself to such. I suppose, as a career counselor, she wants to hear about my dreams to sit on the Supreme Court, not to have sit around the table on a Sunday night with kids. But that's what feminism is about, choosing one or the other or both, and I plan on proving her wrong in grand style.

But then I visited D'rae's site and discovered Polyvore, and so as a nice break I made this outfit:

She and OTG are very good at recreating looks, and I'm inspired to give it a try, as well!

So when finals are over, I'm going to brave the pre-Christmas crowds and try to re-create it in a less expensive fashion. Any suggestions of change to the outfit are welcome! I've been wanting a lace skirt, so I'll use it as a reward to get through the next two weeks with a smile.

So be looking for a similar outfit in a few weeks!

Exam Time

My posting might be more sporadic than usual, because it's time for the dreaded law school exams. However, I'll try to keep up with it, because picking out a great outfit every day takes the sting out of heading to study group or the library.

I loved this dress so much I bought it in two colors, but I think it makes me a little shapeless...maybe a belt next time, or a little jacket. And a heeled boot.

The necklace is my favorite one...I bought it a few years ago when I took my mom to San Francisco for senior year spring break. They were having a jewelry trunk show in Bloomingdale's, and I fell in love with some of the designer's pieces and snapped them up. (It helped that her items were reasonably priced!)

Also, Lady D, one of my favorite bloggers, gave me the Butterfly Award, which made me very excited! I think I'll break the rules and tag people in another post, though, because it's late and I'm heading off to bed.

Dress: Express; Necklace: Kris Nations; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via Outlet; Tights: Target; Cami: Express

For fun! Me and my mom in San Francisco

Polka Dots

Unfortunately, I didn't find any good deals during Black Friday...this might be the last year I venture out. It was too crazy at the mall for me, and I got there before 7 am.

Exams start a week from today, and while I'm not generally a panicker, it's stressful that one test is worth my entire grade...so there will be a lot of studying this week! But hopefully a little fashion, because I need to destress somehow. :)

Unfortunately for me, I sit by the class "gunner" (a law school term defined as that kid who always has his/her hand raised, usually waving it frantically, and who sighs loudly when someone else gets an answer wrong and occasionally mutters about their stupidity, and who runs up to the professor after class, book clutched to chest, to discuss some pressing matter of tort law). This means that I get to hear about how long her outlines are, how many hours a night she studies, and how many internships she has already applied for for next summer.

That does not help my psyche...while I have been working hard, and keeping up with everything, I know I'm not working nearly as hard as some. Some people have entered the law vortex and made it their lives, but I...just can't. I like dinner with friends, and dates with my boyfriend, and naps on a Sunday afternoon with the dog. So I choose to believe that even if I am not at the top of my class, I'm ultimately a happier and saner person for the balance I worked at during the semester...but we shall see if I'm kicking myself when grades come out!

I decided this dress was too short for heels and put on black mary-jane flats before leaving. However, I was too lazy/late to get another picture. Looks like I was too lazy to take the red eye out, as well.

Outfit: Dress: Macys; Tights: Target; Bracelet: Forever 21.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm going home for the holiday, so I won't have internet till Sunday! (Horrifying, right?) So everyone have a safe and happy holiday with your friends and family.

I leave you with the above (low-key) outfit.

And this sonnet, stolen from my undergrad nemesis Shakespeare (preferring Rochester to Romeo, I loathed any lit before 1800)

Erica's Sonnet #1--To Torts Class

Shall I compare thee to a winter’s day?
Thou art more dismal and more miserable.
Your words do barely brush my mind,
My focus hath all too short a span;
Sometimes too confusing your questions pose,
And oft is my understanding dimmed;
And from dutiful care to Britney I sometimes slide,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal morning shall not end
Nor grow in interest as it could;
Boredom brags I wanderest in his shadow,
When in eternal lines to time this class growest;

So long as I can sigh, or eyes can glaze,
So long lasts torts, and this gives despair to me.

(Written this morning in torts. I hate torts class. It's truly awful. The professor mumbles and meanders from one topic to another, and by the end I'm more up on Madonna's divorce and Angelina's twins than I thought possible. Thank you, perezhilton.com)

Outfit: Dress: Jeans: Seven skinnies; Shirt: Urban Outfitters: Satin Ballet flats: Nine West; Ring: WHBM. I like the embroidery on the shirt, but too bad it was hidden by my hair!

Bite Me, Edward

Ugh, this is how class makes me feel. (That is my boyfriend's leg, not mine!! I am not that hairy. Also, his heel could use some moisturizer.)

But this is how I look.

Outfit: Dress and shirt: from Dillards, a brand called Dex; tights: Target; Boots: Rocket Dog via DSW.

And, to briefly use my blog as soapbox, I'm not understanding the Twilight craze. I read the first three books and freely admit that they were entertaining. However, I didn't find them romantic, and the general message makes the tiny feminist inside me hurt.

This has been said by much more eloquent writers than me, but Bella is kind of a passive disgrace to strong, motivated women. She falls in love, and, when her boyfriend leaves her, spends a year alienating everyone around her, tries to kill herself several times, and only starts to perk up when she discovers a new love interest. That's not romantic. If you saw one of your friends acting like that, (hopefully) you would tell them how pathetic they were and buy them a subscription to Match.com and some self-help books. That it's okay to be completely defined by a man--whose primary interest in you is physical--is not an okay message to be sending out to the next generation. It's not romantic to distance your friends and family, or to spend months in a depressed haze because you're suddenly single at sixteen. And it's definitely not romantic to try to kill yourself by jumping off cliffs or running your motorcycle into a tree.

The fantasy of a man who passionately lusts for only you, who can make your toes curl with his glittery skin and smouldering eyes, who can discern and provide your every want--that's great for a little while.

But what's better is someone who dries the dishes after you wash them, who walks the dog in the rain, who brings you Coke in a glass bottle--not Coke in a can--because that's the way you think it's best.

It's realizing that Mr. Bingley would be a much better partner than Mr. Darcy, that Edgar would love you like Heathcliff never could, that Duckie would remain hopelessly devoted for far longer than the blond rich kid with the nice hair.

Think about that, Bella, 100 years from now, when you're barefoot in the kitchen being tugged at by a couple of pasty little vampirettes, and Edward's out having a mid-century crisis in his Ferrari with some hot-blooded little thing from Spokane.

Fringed Boots

I should start this post by saying that my boyfriend is not a fan of these fringed boots. Despite that, however, he shoved his foot into them to stretch out the heel so I could get them on more easily (previously, it took a lot of tugging!). And that, my friends, is devotion. I wish I had gotten a picture of it, but no such luck. :)

Anyway, we went to the mall to get me a new cream coat, because my dark jeans (which have been washed several times) stained my old one and the blue streaks wouldn't come out. As we rounded the corner to head to Anthropologie, my oft-frequented Mecca, I ran into an old friend I hadn't talked to in months, and awkwardness ensued.

I hadn't talked to her because when I decided to become a lawyer instead of a teacher (her career), she decided I was selling out to make more money (totally true, and justified). Then, however, she slowly stopped calling me back. Her face hardened when I won a full scholarship to law school; she changed the subject when I talked about how excited Zach and I were to see the cathedrals in Spain. And then things just tapered off, as friendships sometimes do. When someone can only share your bad days, and not feel joy at your great ones, then there's not much there worth having.

So at the end of our uneasy, overly bright conversation, I said, "Oh, see you soon!" and then, because I have word vomit, tacked "maybe" on the end of it, which I currently feel kind of awful about. Hopefully, tact is something you develop as you age.

Outfit: Sweater: White House Black Market; Jeans: Sevens; Boots: Steve Madden; Bracelet: Forever 21

R.I.P. Peeptoes

The peeptoe shoes I wore last weekend ripped down the middle of the leather upper, and I was understandably very sad. Luckily, the people at Dillards are nice and replaced them for me! Hopefully the new pair will not suffer the same fate...I'll have to wear them and make sure they hold up before the receipt expires.

And then I ended up getting some fringed boots...I wasn't on that trend, but then Monique posted a few cute pics on her blog, so I tried them out. Look for their debut soon...as well as some polka dot tights I picked up at Target on a grocery run!

Should have put on tights...but I had a long warm jacket, so it wasn't too bad! I remember in undergrad walking so far across campus in the freezing cold, and being miserable every winter...but now I have a parking spot about 30 feet from my apartment door, all my classes are in the same building, and the law quad parking garage is about a three minute walk from the campus...so life is better. Ha, that was totally a "when I was your age, I walked six miles to school in the snow uphill both ways" story.

Outfit: Dress: Macy's; Vest: Dillards; Shoes: Sofft

Temperamental Texas

Warm, cold, warm, cold...all in the same day! What's a girl to wear?

My smile is less than joyful in this pic, as this week was exhausting! I got my big paper turned in, and now it's time to study for finals.

In other news, thanks to the truly crappy economy, the mall is having amazing sales! I scooped up some great deals this week that I'll be wearing soon. I also started the eighth week of my exercise class, and I can finally see a difference in my tone! Tonight our regular class was cancelled and they replaced it with something called "bodysculpt," which involved doing bouncy sideways situps on a half-ball--needless to say, with my complete lack of grace, that was not my finest moment.

Outfit: Dress: Movida, Boots: Gianni Bini; Cami: Express; no accesories or anything else, too lazy!

P.S., Thanks for all the nice and supportive comments on my last two posts! The advice was much appreciated, and also very amusing. :)

Quasi-Compliments, Plus a Sweater Skirt

Today one of my law acquaintances told me she kind of hated me for taking the time to get ready and look so "precious" each day. While I choose to accept that as a compliment, I think people could perhaps couch things more tactfully...what do you say to things like that? Thank you? I'm sorry?

I would always rather get half an hour less sleep and look great, because that starts the day out right. Like Wheaties. But I love going to my closet each morning, and picking out whatever fits my mood and/or the weather...and it's just as easy to throw on a dress as it is to put on sweats.

I'm not original here...the cardi and the skirt are from the same place. I was checking out the sweater skirts from Anthropologie, really wanting one but not wanting to pay quite that much, when Old Navy, of all places, had one. So I ordered the cardi while I was at it. The shoes are Crown Vintage via DSW...they're navy, if you can't tell in the pic! The inside is a delightful bright mustardy color which, even though I can't see it, makes me oddly happy.

Out on the Town

This weekend we went to see The Light in the Piazza, and I really enjoyed it. I thought I would compare it (perhaps unfavorably) to the version I saw on Broadway, but this theater was small and intimate, and so it was a totally different experience. And spending a night with my beautiful best friend wasn't too shabby, either...we ate at an "organic, global" restaurant called The Dream Cafe, and the food was excellent! Tomato basil pasta with pine nuts, polenta fries and fried zucchini, creme brulee...mmm.

If you like musicals, I recommend the cast recording--the leads are amazing, the music is romantic, and the story is bittersweet in the best way.

Other than that, I've been working on my final paper--it's 100% of my grade, which is a little worrisome. But I've worked hard and got it written, so now it's just getting tweaked till Thursday when I turn it in. Hearing other people stress about it is making me more stressed than the paper itself, though!

I love this dress--the light mint silk, the way the skirt swirls, the embroidery. It made me feel very 40s goddess. However, it did not photograph well! Maybe next time around their will be better light. It's also hard to see the shoes, but they're a warm bronze-gold patent peeptoe that I got on sale last-minute. The store was closing, but the saleslady was very helpful and let me stay and get them!

Outfit: Dress: Anthropologie; Coat: Nordstrom BP; Shoes: Gianni Bini, Dillards; Bracelet: Kohls

Flowers

I skipped class yesterday and was amazingly productive...I finished the semester's reading for three classes and got about halfway through my big final paper. Oddly enough, it now feels like class is getting in the way of my studying. It's frustrating to sit through an hour and a half of my classmates' opinions on supplemental jurisdiction when I could be at home, learning about the elements and degrees of homicide. Such is law school, I suppose.

Tomorrow night I'm getting dressed up with my boyfriend and best friend and going to see a local production of The Light in the Piazza, which I love. I saw it on Broadway right after one of the stars won the Tony for her performance, and she was amazing. As were the costumes, and the score, and the story. I was almost in tears for a lot of it. Good tears, of course! Hopefully the local production will be as good...I've been to some clunkers before.

Outfit: Dress: Macy's; Shirt: Kohl's; Shoes: Sofft (I saw Anne Hathaway wearing these in a movie still, in blue suede, and I loved them...but I thought the brown leather was a little more practical. That being said, they are super comfy and have a lot of arch support! I'm a fan of the brand now.)

Dreaming of Audrey

I'm reading Enchantment, a biography of Audrey Hepburn right now, and her simple elegant style always inspires me...as does her work in Africa. Tomorrow I'm starting meetings for a charity auction for the public interest law department, which is a step in the Audrey direction...I think these shoes are, too.

Also, today I got my first paper back and did much better on it than expected, so hopefully that boost of confidence will take me right through finals! Having only one grade for each class at the end of the semester is rather daunting, because you can't gauge your own abilities in relation to everyone else's until too late.

But to the outfit:

Shirt: The Limited; Jeans: Seven skinnies; Shoes: Poetic License via Nordstrom Rack...my fave for great deals!; pearl hoop earrings: Forever 21

Those two other pairs of shoes in the pic are indicative of my apartment's general state...it's clean, but there are shoes everywhere!

Poll-fessional

I didn't go out this weekend, but I re-created the outfit I wore to work at the polls...do I look like a lawyer? ;)

I got a lot of studying done this weekend, and watched Little Women for the 173rd time (exaggerated approximation)...I always cry when Jo breaks Laurie's heart, and then I cry again when she meets Professor Bhaer in the rain at the end.

Outfit: Tie-front shirt: Banana Republic; Suit Skirt: AT Loft; Bracelet and Earrings: NY&Co; Shoes: Bandolino ($15!). Those shoes look black, but they're really dark brown!

Summer in November

Why is it still so warm here?! Sigh.

This weekend I have grand plans to study...but I had plans to do that tonight and ended up at the mall, so we'll see how that goes. However, I did order some great shoes from Nordstrom's Half Yearly Sale. I cannot WAIT For them to come in. I love them. And they're Camper, a Spanish brand, which has special meaning to me from my recent vacation...I loved the fashion in Spain.

It was bright and vibrant, yet so laid back...so many women were beautiful and confident (much like my blog friends!) and fearless in their style choices. What I noticed most was the proliferation of amazing flats...every other woman had on a pair I wanted. I'm sure Zach got tired of me pointing them out. Ha!

Outfit: Shirt: Old Navy ($1.99!); Cardigan: AT Loft; Shoes: Liz Claiborne; Jeans: Paige; Head returned by popular demand

A patio on a perfect day in Spain...

Oh My

I am so truly excited for America. Whatever your political views, I think our country is finally moving for the better when its citizens can mobilize and unite in such a way. Apathy is more worrisome than a particular party.

I'm exhausted...I got up at 5 to go to the polls, and then I went to class and exercise class and I haven't even started my work yet! Looks like a late night, especially since I'm glued to CNN.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic of my pollwatcher outfit...maybe I will recreate it later this week. The polls were...interesting. It takes all kinds, I know, but I saw and heard a lot.

Another bad head day...this is not due to low self-esteem, but rather the fact that I need a haircut. I wanted to wear yellow shoes with this, but didn't have time to find them in between poll duty and class!

Outfit: Open cardi: Nordstrom BP; Plaid strapless top: White House Black Market ($18!!); Jeans: Paige; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via outlet.

Halloween Hijinks

We had almost no one trick-or-treating at my boyfriend's house, so the kids who did come got lots of candy! I think it's because the nearby shopping center was having a Halloween event where the kids could go get candy and show off their costumes.

My costume was boring, because I didn't want to buy anything.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the polls as a pollwatcher with the ObamaDallas campaign, but if I had known what it entailed beforehand I probably would not have signed up for it. I have a copy of the law, and am supposed to keep an eye on the judge presiding at the precinct to make sure he/she doesn't violate the law (for instance, by requiring people to have a driver's license when a student ID or library card will do). I'm not sure I would feel entirely comfortable calling a judge on something, but we'll see how it goes! I'm sure problems are few and far between, anyway.

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween!

As a bonus, here's my bridesmaid dress! What a vision I am in purple and green. And when my purple shawl comes in, the look will be completed. ;)

Headless

I just wasn't feeling how my head looked today...odd but true.

I'm not sick yet, though still stiff and a little stuffy. Hopefully I'm fighting it off!

And despite everyone's suggestions, I still haven't succeeded in opening my juice. I almost pulled the lawn service guy into my apartment this morning, but thought better of it...my boyfriend will be here this weekend, and he can do it. Or we'll just buy another bottle of juice.

(Hopefully after a few more weeks of exercise class I'll be able to open my own bottles.)

Outfit: Shirt: NY&Co; Jeans: Express; Boots: Gianni Bini

Here's a better picture, stolen from the Web site, of the boots...

Monday Blues

Monday just keeps on coming...I guess that's better than the alternative, but I still can't wait for Thanksgiving break.

I'm currently struggling with one of the pitfalls of living alone--I can't open my V8. Grr. I tried a towel, and a jar opener, and smacking it on the counter. (Although that probably didn't do anything but relieve frustration.)

My boyfriend and the person I sit by in my classes are both sick and getting sicker, so I feel a frantic need for vitamins and hence the V8...I can't imagine missing too much class. I feel behind even though I go every day.

Outfit: Sweater: Moth; Yellow lace tank: ???; Denim pencil skirt: Old Navy; Satin Ballet Flats: Nine West Outlet

Fashion for the Four-Legged Set

Hunk of Burnin' Love

Nutcracker Suite
Hula Pug

Pirate Witch...Arrr

This weekend I went to the Chiesta, a fundraiser held by Chihuahua Rescue and Transport. I've gone for the last four years, and it's always a lot of fun. I also find dogs in costumes hilarious, so that might be part of my enjoyment.

So many people get chihuahuas because they're so small and cute, and they don't realize the work that goes into them. Then the dogs end up abused or abandoned, and that's where CRT comes in. They put the dogs in foster homes and get them the correct medical care, as well as working on socialization and training.

Chihuahuas are very obstinate little dogs, but their quirks are worth it, as they're also very devoted and loving. Nothing makes them happier at the end of the day than curling up in the bend of your knees...and not a lot makes me happier, either.

My family possibly loves Lester, my black and tan chihuahua, more than they love me...my relatives are always trying to get me to "loan" him to them for a while, and my mom sends him presents all the time. (Not me, now. Just him.) And my father claims not to like Lester, but when I'm at home Lester sleeps in his bed at night. Lester is very friendly and laidback, so much so that he'll snuggle up to complete strangers.

Mirabelle, technically my boyfriend's dog, is two pounds of feist and totally the boss...but she's more "typical" chihuahua and not a fan of strangers. She tried to attack the washer delivery man once, and of course he was completely terrified. I'm pretty ashamed of the fact that she also hates babies and went nutzo toward one at the festival. (Disclaimer: my BF would probably want you to know that he wanted a schnauzer, not a chihuahua, but, as general wrangler, those are really too big for me to handle comfortably.)

Best friends and occasional enemies...

Finally Fall

I went to my exercise class again tonight, and it was just as intense...I had to stop and rest this time in the middle, though, because my quads were still sore from last week! But I also feel happy that I'm finally taking charge and trying to be healthy. I threw out most of my junk food and filled the fridge with chicken and veggies and soy milk, etc., in hopes that I'll have more energy for school and, more importantly, look smokin' amazing in Greece next summer.

Also, I've tagged for the Honest Weblog award by the lovely Penny-Pinching Princess. So there are the rules, and then 10 honest things about me.

Rules:When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog’. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. And then, pass it on.

I decided to go to law school because I didn’t know what else to do.

Every time I see a version of Wuthering Heights that I don’t have, I want to buy it—whether it’s an edition of the book or one of the movie adaptations. I even have two musical versions.

I love that my boyfriend’s Jewish and we don’t have to fight over who spends what holiday where for how long.

Sometimes, I have the strongest urge to start buying little dresses and outfits for my future (far future, maybe non-existent!) baby.

I haven’t had a haircut since April…and it’s not looking like it’s not going to happen anytime soon.

I have one Dr Pepper a day, and it’s my favorite thing. Sometimes I wake up thinking about it. Sad…but true.

I usually have all my Christmas shopping done by October.

I bleach my tub several times a week. It needs to be CLEAN for my daily bubble bath.

I like to say I'm bad at math, but I'm actually not. I just hate it, and claiming incompetence has so far proved an excellent avoidance technique.

I’m an only child, and I’ve never wanted to be anything else. Once you get a little spoiled it’s hard to go back!

Lots of people I love have already been tagged...so if you haven't done this and want to, consider yourself tagged by me. :)

This is yesterday's outfit...it was warm when I left my apartment, but by the time I left school it was brrr cold!

(P.S.--pile of Dr Peppers in the corner=how I get through any given day without drowsing. My health kick doesn't involve giving up my favorite drink!)

Outfit: Skirt: Ann Taylor Factory; Shirt: H&M; Shoes: Dolce Vita via Piperlime.com; Necklace: Forever 21. I'm trying out purple nail polish...I think I just bought it because I liked the name: "Louvre Me or Leave Me." OPI is so clever.

Paper-ed Out

Oh my, but I am tired of law school. For my writing class, we have an assignment due every period—but none of them are for grades. The final paper is the only thing that counts. So, I spend an inordinate amount of time on busywork. Almost as much time as I spend on perezhilton.com, reading about how Angelina Jolie got so skinny just by breastfeeding and chasing her kids. (Ha! Hahahaha.)

In addition, my professor gives us little feedback sheets on which she checks “Yes” or “No” to questions like “Has the student understood the issue?” On my last feedback sheet, she circled both “Yes” and “No” on a few questions and neither on another one. So that was pretty helpful, and I appreciated her diligent devotion to my learning.

Outfit: Dress: a store in Spain; Suede Heels: AT Loft; Shirt: AT Loft; Earrings: NY&Co.

And the Kettleball Killed Me

My "Butt and Gut" class definitely almost killed me...I pictured some crunches and lunges, but instead I spent an intense half an hour swinging around a 15-pound yellow ball with a handle, lurching left and right and up and down. So much harder than I thought, and by the time I was done I was shaking. But I'll keep going, because something that painful must be working, right?

Now that it's finally getting cooler I'm scrambling to wear my summery clothes as much as possible and make them work for as long as I can...I love fall and winter outfits most of all, but since the season here is relatively short my summer wardrobe is much larger than my winter one, and I always get bored with my sweaters before it warms up again.

However, I never get bored with Halloween. It's my favorite. I've been buying up candy and favors to drop in kids' buckets, and I also picked up this zombie baby at the Halloween store down the road. Because I read too much Stephen King, I usually have to cover it before I go to bed at night.

His name is Eustace...but I'm the only one who seems to think he's great.

Outfit: Skirt: Urban Outfitters; Button-Down: Anthropologie; Cardigan: NY & Company; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via Outlet. I need to wear some different shoes!