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. ;)