Fickle Brown Sparrow

Ladies in London

2009-07-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

It’s so hard to post in the summer! Hopefully I’ll be better about it as the semester starts up again. (Especially since I might be guilty of posting in class! But when else do you get those things done?)

Anyway, thanks for your advice and support on my last post! Things turned out fine; I misjudged two of the girls and the next day we were friendly. The third one I’m fine with avoiding. Things are still going great with the new BF, too.

Time is going so fast and I have no idea how I will get everything done next semester! I got onto Law Review, which is going to be a ridiculous pain in the ass, and am an officer in Family Law and also will be working for federal immigration court. Oh, and going to class. But I don’t really worry about that. Ha!

Anyway, on to vacation pics, as promised! I'll put up Paris and Rome later this week.

Erica in London

London basically felt like New York City, but without street hot dog vendors. Instead, there were castles and monuments. We were there for three days. We got there after a nine-hour red-eye and proceeded to stay up until almost 2 the next morning, so by the time that day was over we were pretty loopy.

My friend's straightner blew the converter and started smoking...oops!

Albert Memorial in Hyde Park....

Big Ben was actually not that big...

I paid $6 a piece for these pastries at Harrod's. As you can see, they were amazing.

Gardens at Windsor Castle. The royal family has little apartments there that they let impoverished retired military officers live in for free.

The London Eye...we didn't ride this because heights make me frantic. Once on a school trip I climbed up maybe five feet on a zip line and almost passed out. I had to lay on the ground afterward.

A guard! In a furry hat! Notice the little worn path in the stone, too.

The Tower of London. Which is actually several buildings that make up a castle. Who knew? (Probably people who paid attention in European history...oh, and that cylindrical glass building in the background is nicknamed the "erotic gherkin." In case you like trivia.)

Westminster Abbey! It was beautiful but we didn't get to see the inside because it was closed to visitors unless they sat through a service.

Boat to Nowhere

2009-07-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

I really will post about my trip soon, but right now I'm annoyed. I adore Boyfriend. I like to be with him, and I like his friends. Well, his Dallas friends. When I see Dallas friends, they hug me and look happy to see me and tell me how much Boyfriend likes me and ask how I'm doing.

And then pre-Dallas friends come, and Boyfriend is excited for me to meet them, and I'm excited as well. Until they're unfriendly bitches. I really like his guy friends--they're great, and they like me too (probably because I can prevailed upon to make a 2 a.m. grilled cheese).

I'm friendly. I'm nice, and smart, and pretty. And you should at least be open to liking me. Don't answer my questions about your kid or where you work or how long you've known Boyfriend with one sentence answers and then turn around and ignore me. And then, after a few hours of that, don't go to Boyfriend and tell him I'm unfriendly and ask why he's dating me. Because that pisses me off. I don't ask you why you're shaped like a meatball, or if you need to borrow my shampoo sometime, because I have tact. I understand that social retardism is sometimes a hard hurdle to overcome, but grab a pole and vault. You can do it.

Now, Boyfriend is going to be confused and hurt because I'm not going on the Fourth of July party boat tomorrow. But I really don't want to spend five more hours feeling like an awkward uncomfortable freak show. Should I just suck it up and go? Am I being a baby? I could go out with my friends instead, and have a good time that doesn't involve drinking, sunburn, and pretending to have a good time when really I'm bored and angry and hurt.

(I found forty bucks on the ground at the bar, though. And that was the high point.)

There's No Place Like Home

2009-07-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

I’m back and exhausted! I’ll post a few pics soon but a lot of them are on my friend’s camera. Most importantly…I made top ten percent! Barely, but I did it and I don’t even know how to tell you how relieved and happy I am. Thinking about how awful last year was, and how I managed to get through and change my life and come out on the other side exactly where I wanted, makes me want to cry. In the best way.
********
Horror story: On the way back from Rome, our flight got delayed for four hours. We had gotten up at four and were exhausted, and I started crying on the airplane because I was so frustrated and tired. Then this lovely Italian lady named Rosie mothered me and fed me a granola bar and we talked all the way back to New York, and I met her sons at the airport and she told me she wished she had a daughter like me. (She met her husband in Italy and knew right away, and they got married almost immediately and are still happy thirty-eight years later, which is beautiful.)
Anyway, back to the horror. So then, even after running flat out through JFK with our suitcases, we still missed our Dallas flight, and I started crying again and so American Airlines put us on standby on a flight out of Laguardia. So we took a taxi and he drove crazy to get us there, speeding down exit lanes and then cutting people off to get back on the freeway, and the desk lady told us we might not get on (there were 84 standby passengers). So Yara begged, and I was still crying, and then we took her a pretzel and begged some more. And then magically our name popped up to the top of the list and we got on the plane and finally, finally got home, and my boyfriend scooped me up and twirled me and kissed me and I squealed and laughed, and everyone in the baggage claim stared at us.
*****
But, and there’s more to come later, I’ve never had such a great vacation. I love my best friend in a way I love few other people, and I’m lucky to have her. We celebrate the best qualities in each other at the same time we accept all the warts, and so travel together was amazing. We laughed the whole time, spent all day every day together and still talked each night till two in the morning.
******
Paris was my favorite city, London was very American, and Rome…ugh. I’ll be honest and say I did not like Rome and never want to go back. It was filthy and smelly and the men were very aggressive, and once you run out of ruins there’s not a lot to do. But later I’ll tell you about running around Paris, and an amazing little Sardinian restaurant off the Spanish Steps in Rome, and the bustle of London. Now I’m taking my jet lag back to bed.

Globetrottin' Girl

2009-06-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so filled with joy lately--I can barely remember the bleak, lethargic feeling law school gave me. I got four of my grades and have thus far made two As and two Bs...the As were in my hardest classes, so they take away the sting of the Bs. I just should have worked harder in those classes (or actually gone--ha!). But constitutional law was miserably hard--hundreds of pages of material, closed book, needed to memorize case names and years and Supreme Court justices--and I did it. And I didn't just do it--I dominated it. This is the first grade I've ever actually been proud of.

In other news, my weeks have been crazy busy--trying to see everyone before I jet off to London, Paris, and Rome on Wednesday, trying to pack, trying to take care of law school business. Booking a five-day vacation in Puerto Vallarta with the handsome new boyfriend. We're in that lovey phase that's probably nauseating to other people, but I can't help it--how often do you just click with someone on every level? Intellectually, emotionally, physically--I can't believe it's already been a month, or that it's only been a month. I also can't believe how I'm softening--I like to cook him dinner, do his laundry. Erica's getting domesticated, friends. But I guess I can wear a power suit and make great penne pasta, too.

Anyway, I really should go pack--I'm having trouble believing that I did so well my first year of law school, and that soon I'm going to be strolling around Versailles and the Colosseum with my best friend, and that when I get back to America there's an amazing man waiting at the airport to whisk me home.

****

Also, Sarah has a deal for you if you want some Uggs...enter "FICKLEBROW" into the box in the shopping cart and you can get $30 off a pair of shoes. http://www.whoogaboots.co.uk/

*****

Dress: Anthro, Shoes: Naturalizer via Burke's Outlet, Bracelet and Earrings: NY and Co. (My friend's apt!)

Wedded Bliss

2009-06-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve always leaned more toward eloping somewhere fabulous, but this wedding swayed me a little. My friend was so beautiful and radiant—and the ceremony so sincere and the guests so full of joy for my friends’ new life together—that I might have cried a little in the car. In a good way.

The reception was amazing, too—we all downed too much champagne and danced and sang crappy Journey songs late into the night. My feet were swollen for days, but it was worth it. (I also vaguely remember doing the Electric Slide. Apparently champagne makes me a stellar dancer. Sorry about your toes, Thara!)

And now I’m back from a week in sleepy Southern Illinois, and then in two weeks, Europe, with my best friend.

In case you’re wondering about the love front—going well. We talked for hours a day while I was in Illinois, and he picked me at the airport yesterday. And when I saw him my heart jumped. I was smiling before I got off the plane.

He appreciates my intelligence, and sees the best me—and I think when he sees the me who’s not so pretty, who throws her law book at the wall when she’s frustrated, or cries over a dumb commercial on TV, who fights with her mom and isn’t always as nice as she could be—he won’t mind.

I recently got an e-mail from a reader telling me to “chill” with the dating, which really made me think—maybe I shouldn’t jump into things, shouldn’t be going forward with such pell-mell abandon. On one hand, that’s good advice. And I appreciate advice.

On the other hand, I’m tired of being cautious—I’ve always had the good grades, good schools, nice manners, nice friends, suitable boyfriends who left me chilled. I never take chances; everything is calculated. And if I meet someone exciting, who makes me more spontaneous, who makes me joyful—then I’m going to go for it. I don’t want to live a muted brown life—I want to be fuchsia.

After months of feeling crushed and trapped by law school, it’s nice to emerge into the summer light, holding hands in the sun with a handsome boy who thinks you’re beautiful (and who fills the fridge with your favorite foods before you get home).

Most of my wedding pics have my friends in them, and since they don't know I have a blog and I would feel obligated to ask for permission to post their pics, you just get me. ;)

Date Two

2009-05-20T01:18:00.001-07:00

So many posts! I only wish I had my camera and could put outfits up with them. BUT...

Another amazing night. Sushi first--I've never had it, but I'll try new things. One of the rolls was okay, but the rest...not so much. I have trouble choking down the squid and salmon eggs. So I had a pile of edamame and some miso soup, and I'm about to eat some hummus at this grand hour of three in the morning. Maybe the sushi is an acquired taste--I'd go back, but nothing holds my heart like enchiladas.

So then we were going to go to a movie, but nixed that because really, who has time for movies? We ended up in UpTown at a wine bar, talking for hours, and downed two bottles of Spanish wine before he dropped me off.

I like how he makes fun of me, and isn't offended that I mocked his pink shirt, and what's better than being young and full of hope in the city and mellowly tipsy and walking through the quiet streets of UpTown hand in hand with a guy you've had hours of amazing conversation with?

He's just so interesting, and fun, and did I mention he's handsome and smells good and and my stomach is kind of sore from laughing? I'm watching the game with him tomorrow, and then he's off to Ohio, and I'm kicking up my heels (pink suede platforms with a delicious gray silk 1940s style dress!) at my best friend's wedding before it's off to my Papa's house in Illinois to cool those same heels....

Thanks so much for the excitement and encouragement!

*Squee*

UPDATE: 1 bottle of wine + 1 110 pound girl=never, never again.

Late-Night Update

2009-05-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Okay friends!

Wow. As Ally said, I didn't have super high expectations for my first date, but I felt like it was a good ice breaker into my new life as a vivacious single woman with an arsenal of confidence and kick-ass shoes.

So, started out with Peruvian food (delicious!) and had an amazing time. I feel so relieved--within five minutes my nerves were completely gone. I was articulate, he made me laugh (hard), we talked for hours and now eight hours later the date has ended, followed up by a sweet text. (Despite the late hour, the date ended with all my clothes on, don't worry.)

I'm going out with him again tomorrow. That seems kind of soon and crazy, I suppose, but I did enjoy his company and I'm about to head out of town till July, so there's no harm of me jumping into things.

However, I did fall over a table and cut my knee, and also misinterpreted him leaning in as an invitation for a good night kiss--which it wasn't. Which was kind of awkward. But you know what? The kiss was exciting, it's been a long time, and I can own my awkwardness.

Getting Them All

2009-05-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

Hi blog world,

Today I turn in my last paper of the year! It's not for a grade but to get on law review, which is prestigious and looks awesome on a resume.

More importantly, I have a date tomorrow. (Different guy--told you I would get them all!) I haven't had a date in five years, which pretty much means I've never dated as an adult--as someone who's confident, and has experiences and opinions and isn't half-formed. Zach and I grew into adulthood together--I don't really remember getting to know him at all. It was like I always knew him, and there was never really that uncomfortable, getting-to-know-you, sizing-you-up phase.

So I'm a little skittish about this whole process. What if I'm too nervous to be myself? What if he's not as literate and witty as he seems? Dress or jeans? Drink with dinner? How do people end up married, anyway? This is more stressful than the torts exam, to which there was also no answer.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited, though. I'll let you know how this goes.

My Post-Its Bring the Boys to the Yard

2009-05-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

Back from a 1L celebration with one of my best beautiful friends (who was told by two very drunken people in the bar that she looked like Kim Kardashian! Because she does!) and filled with mojitos and fun.

Anyway, in regards to the last post, flirtatious text messaging ensued and talks of a date arose, even though we're both heading out of town for the summer very soon. And date or not, that was totally empowering and I definitely won't be sitting around waiting for guys to come find me. I can find them! They're everywhere and I will get them all. Well, maybe that's the mojito speaking. I'll just pick up one here and there every now and then.

Law school ending for this year is such an amazing weight off my shoulders...so ready to just be with my friends and relax and find my happy, cheerful self again!

"Do you always slip your number to bookstore employees?"

"No, just you. Bold, right?"

Post-It Princess

2009-05-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today was my last law final, and this is the only test that I've ever felt I truly blew. I'm not used to that feeling, but that's what happens when you don't study.

But then I decided to stop worrying about my life choices and looking too far down the road and be Brave! And Sexy! So I went to sell my last book (thanks for that $14, Barnes and Noble! I paid $150!) and gave the Bookstore Boy my number. I walked by and dropped it on his keyboard and didn't even bother looking back, because sexy girls don't look back. But I should have looked back and down, because apparently one of my big yellow "claim preclusion" Post-its was on my ass.

I think that might be a fail, but it's a funny one.

The Grass is Greener, and More Fragrant, and I Want to Lie in It and Contemplate the Sky

2009-05-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last 1L law school final, and then this year will be...over. Oddly, I'm not overjoyed or even that excited (possibly because there is a writing competition almost immediately afterwards, so I can't exult in my freedom just yet).

But really I think my lack of pride and excitement in coming through a stressful, busy year is that I just don't care. I don't care that I finished a year--and I don't want to finish two more. This year saw amazing change in me--I've learned more in one year than I thought possible, I dealt with a financially and emotionally trying robbery experience without falling apart, and I had the strength to get out of a relationship that had been draining me emotionally for some time.

But I don't care about the law. I don't have passion or patience for it, and I don't have interest in it. I worked hard this semester, because that's who I am, but it was just getting through. Getting out of bed became more and more of a struggle, because there didn't seem to be anything to look forward to. I can't remember a time in my life when I've be so doggedly, draggedly unhappy.

And that's ridiculous--I know so many people would love to be in my position. However, it's like your mom telling you to eat your peas because there are starving children in Asia. There's no way they can get my peas, obviously, so the rationale does not hold up. (I will hide them in my pockets and feed them to the dog--haha mom! Tricked you all those years!)

I've spent hours in class this semester looking at English PhD programs, an option I didn't originally pursue because I wanted to make money and it takes so long to get the degree and then to find a job and obtain tenure. But I do have passion for the inconsistencies in Jude the Obscure, and patience for Chaucer and his damn Chanticleer, and interest in the world of academia. I remember when I was excited to go to class, when I loved what I was learning and doing and writing and reading. When I was eager and interested in what the professor had to say. When my peers discussed things with me, not to flaunt their own intellectual superiority, but because they were genuinely enthused about the topic. I miss that passion in myself--the exuberance of education. I took it for granted, that I would always be walking across our beautiful tree-lined campus with a stack of literature in my arms.

Anyway, maybe practice will be different and I'll like being a lawyer. I have to try, because my debt kind of has me in a corner, especially in this economy, and my grades put me in a better position than most. It's just hard to try out for law review, and seek a legal job, and check off all the requisite boxes to create a resume worthy of eventual employment when I'm just going through the motions.

But on a lighter, happier note, my bookstore boy winked at me the last time I was in there. *Fans self.* Actually, he looks a little young for me...maybe I am a law cougar. Ha!

How to Be a Slacker and Make Dean's List

2009-05-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

This (second post of the day) has nothing to do with my life, but rather is for people who search for random law-related things and stumble on my blog. Since exams are about to start or have started, here are my slacker tips for studying less than other people during these hellish two weeks and still making decent grades.

(Unfortunately, this might only work if you went to class and actually listened during the semester. You may think you don't know a concept, but if you were there you probably do.)

1. If the final is open book, make "canned answers." For example, you know that your property exam is going to ask about easements. You can't be bothered to learn what all the easements are, and furthermore you don't even really understand the difference between in gross and appurtenant. Nor do you care. So, get your supplement and your class notes, along with an old practice exam, and make a canned answer.

See what format the professor wants, and make your answer follow that pattern. Then, use your supplement to make definitions for the concepts,including any policy arguments. Profs love those.

On the test day, copy your canned answer onto the test and work the facts around them. This is a tricky but legit way to "apply" the facts to the law without actually understanding the concept. I got my best grades in classes where I did this. (Ie, crim law--I have NO IDEA how to tell a conspirator from an accessory. But I kicked that exam into the dust.)

Plus, canned answers save a lot of time flipping through an outline, and you can use this time to polish and spell check.

2. If it's a closed book exam, study old practice tests. Lots of crusty old law profs have tenure, which means they have been teaching since the Jurassic and the library probably has a pretty hefty compilation of their old exams. Realistically, there are only so many ways you can ask about justiciability. Read the prompts, and then read the student answers that got As. See if they raised a lot of policy, or were more focused on the law itself. Remember their formats and phrasing, and try to apply them to the exam prompt. There are only so many ways to analyze a concept. If you memorize an analyzation road map, that will help a lot.

3. Don't listen to other people before or after the test. They are only pretending to be smart. Actually, they are dumber than you and afraid to let on. They subscribe to the power of positive thinking in a sick combination with psychological warfare, and they are wrong. Don't let them ask you questions about calculating damages; they will just confuse you. And for God's sake don't listen to them when the exam is turned in--and that point it's too late, and you're kicking yourself for not catching that conspiracy issue, and there probably was no conspiracy issue. Don't listen.

4. Don't just say what the law could be. Say what it is not, and why. This might just be particular to my profs, but they love that. It shows that you really do know what's going on and maybe you listened to them in class, even if you sounded pretty damn dumb every time they called on you (case in point: me).

5. Most professors say they don't care about case names or restatement provisions, and this is a LIE. They do want you to throw some case names in there, and a relevant UCC provision. If your exam is totally amazing, you might not need them. But throwing them in can't hurt, just as backup for your arguments. Analogizing to cases from class is never a bad idea.

*Take all of this with a grain of salt--right now I feel really positive about my grades, but obviously earlier today and this week I was about to jump off the patio.

Monday NoFunday

2009-05-04T17:29:00.002-07:00

Ugh, getting dejected...I worked so much harder this semester. I did all the reading, had my outlines and review materials done weeks in advance, and actually understood the concepts. And yet the finals this semester seem so much more random...they aren't really testing what we know at all. The torts final today...I had no idea where to start. I ended up writing a ten page opus trying to demonstrate all kinds of tenuous connections, so that the professor could see that I DO understand torts and the complexities of the concepts.

As soon as the final was over everyone started buzzing about the content, and I flew out of there on wings of caffeine and desperation. Someone was talking about how they interwove the rights of fetuses (Doesn't that make more sense as feti? I should have stayed an English major) into the exam, which is insane, because it was about strict liability for a motorcycle accident. Or at least I thought that's what it was about!

And then for Wednesday the two-hour final got expanded into three, and it's closed book and so much memorization that it's going to be horrible between now and then. Horrible as in, I'm dejected and go to the mall instead of trying to memorize what justice wrote what opinion on Constitutional Law.

And I went to the bookstore all confident and ready to be bold and ask out Bookstore Boy, but he wasn't there. That boat probably sailed, which is fine. I'm not in a hurry. Well, except in getting to Friday and freedom. And then my 1L year will be over, finally and ignominiously.

(Also, my problems are not even remotely real. If you're religious, please pray for my beautiful friend Kayleigh over at Fashionably Later. If you're not religious, just think good thoughts for her! She is an amazing wife and mother and woman and I can't imagine what she's going through.)

Where Does Time Go?

2009-05-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

I really am horrible about posting when I don't have outfit pics! But my parents are very generously buying me a new camera for my European whirl in June, so after that I should be back in business.

I took two law finals this week, and while I feel like I did well on the first one, so did everyone else. So that might not bode well. The one today...ugh. Questions from last semester, questions about things we didn't even discuss this semester, questions from footnotes in our casebook! Craziness, and who knows what I will get in there!

But then three more finals, and 1L year is over, and I will have a load of advice for all the 0Ls looking for comfort (or confirmation of their fears, ha!).

In other news, as of yesterday I was single for exactly one month. That's the longest I've been single since I was 18, but it's not really been an adjustment. I'd already been moving toward independence for a while. I've learned a lot about myself, though--that I can carry all my bags of groceries by myself at once, in a bout of superstrength. That I'm actually a more positive, self-sufficient person when I don't have a shoulder who is obligated to listen to my every little whine. (I still can't open the V8, however, so I shouldn't get ahead of what an independent girl I am!)

However, law school made me realize that having a family is something I want, and since I'm almost 25 (not that that is old, of course, but really your ovaries only last so long) I'll probably start casually dating again soon. I had a nice flirtation with a guy working in the campus bookstore today, and Monday I'm going to go sell some more of my text books and ask him out. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

PS, Law School

2009-04-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Actually, in particular, my legal writing professor. I need to get a paid job at a big firm this summer? Really? Wow! Okay, just let me go get on that! Thanks for letting me know that if I don't I'm watching my legal career swirl down the drain!

Also, thanks for the great advice on how to be morally bankrupt! So if, this summer, one of my fellow interns asks for help on a situation or document, I should politely tell them I'll get back to them soon and then never respond? That seems like a great way to foster interoffice relationships...what did I do before you entered my life? I revere your wisdom.

Glad I came to class today!

Cordially,
Erica

(Above advice is unembellished and from a real law class.)

Dear Law School

2009-04-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Law School,

I am not a cock-eyed optimist by any means. In fact, my glass is usually half-empty and I like it that way. But little by little you are wearing me down. Like when you give away scholarships for those working in public interest positions, and they inexplicably go to people who don’t have jobs lined up; who drive Mercedes; who have never volunteered anything but their opinion; who didn’t even meet all the criteria listed on the form.

And then there are my friends, people who used to be social workers, who have volunteered at inner city summer camps and clinics and who knows what else, who actually want to make a difference. Who know that being poor isn’t something to be ashamed of, and there are a lot of honest people who need help. Who could actually use the money to pay their expenses, because they don’t live in a fancy condo in the good side of town, financed by their parents.

You make me sad. Part of the reason I hate you, law school, is because it’s not about how smart you are, or how you work. It’s about who you know on what committee, or who your dad has lunch with.

So I sit, and listen to you talk about the limo you are renting for law prom, and make fun of people who live in trailers and that guy with the moobs, and decide not to go to class tomorrow.

Love,
Erica

Seventh Day, Seven Things

2009-04-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Seven Things About Me

1. I am a horrible dancer. Self-conscious, no rhythm, stomps on toes. However, once I had a “Mongolian mother” and who knows what was in there, because suddenly I became the Best Dancer Ever. No rhythm, stomps on toes, totally confident. Pour me another!

2. Some inexplicable things make me cry. That Diet Dr Pepper commercial, where the little six pack sneaks out from the soda aisle and marches to the candy aisle and then the candy sticks get ecstatic and start dancing and the cupcakes snuggle their new high-fructose corn syrup friends while the theme from “Cheers” plays? Makes me snuffle. That candy is just so happy to see those Dr Peppers.

3. I always go to see independent films and arthouse darlings, but my favorite movie in the world is Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. I LOVE that movie. Nothing has ever made me laugh that hard.

4. I shop to make myself feel better, but I almost always return all of it. Stores hate me.

5. I really like street performers. I could watch them forever, especially if they’re playing odd instruments. I mainly draw this from my experience in Spain, where I was forever stopping to watch frog puppets and street bands.

6. I only have three very close friends, but I love them passionately and have for years (one since I was 11!). There doesn’t seem to be room for many other people (especially with the hectic pace of lawschool…)

7. I’m currently two different people—at school I’m quiet and standoffish and survival-of-the-fittest, but anywhere else I generally feel outgoing and friendly and ready to mingle.

Anyone else consider yourself tagged!! Thanks, Rachael, for tagging me.

(Also, I responded to all your comments on the last post but thanks again for your support! I had actually broken up with my boyfriend the same day I posted that blog, and your kind words really helped!)

Since I currently can’t post pics of myself, here are my current fashion faves:

These Gap undies are amazing…you can wash them a million times and they still look great, and the stretch lace makes them super-comfy…no mini-muffin bulge under dresses or skirts!

Fashion starts from the skin out…this scent is AMAZING and perks you up in the morning.

Wearing this shirt out...looks great with dark-wash wide legs and red peep toes!

Back from the Beyond

2009-04-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

First of all, sorry it took me so long to get back and give you an update! I spent the week after I got robbed moving, and then I was so behind in my law work that I have been swamped ever since. The robberies in the complex are still going on, which is crazy to me—I guess the management there just doesn’t care about its tenants. They actually told me they knew it was someone in the complex, but obviously they aren’t going to do anything about it. I hope the manager enjoyed her cut from my new TV.

However, my new apartment is amazing--it's 200 square feet bigger, with a massive garden tub, gas fireplace, hardwoods, and an alarm. Even better, the closet is so big I can finally hang up every item of clothing I own--at one time. There are security guards in the parking lot every night, and cameras in the halls. I feel so much safer. And the best thing is that it was only $50 more a month. Thank you, horrible economy! I've had to cut out some fun activities like eating out, but it's worth it to feel secure in my lovely new place. They even painted a wall yellow for me, so it's sunny and cheery.

A lot has happened since I moved, as well. “Happened” as in I took a hammer and made a shambles of everything. I went to law school because I was so lost with what I wanted in my life. I didn’t know what path to take, if I wanted to get married and have a family, if I wanted to focus on a career instead, if I wanted to join the Peace Corp and move to the Ukraine.

In retrospect, the law has been a mistake for me. I don’t enjoy the competition or the work, despite the fact that I did so well. I don’t really indentify with or enjoy many of my peers, and I think I might have been better suited to a Ph.D. program with one of my true passions, English or History. I’m still looking into it. I’m not a quitter, and I will finish law school. But if I don’t like practice, I’m not going to tie myself to it.

I also broke up with my boyfriend of five years. Maybe that will be a mistake, but it feels right for so many reasons, even while I’m crushed and crying. We both just want drastically different things out of life, and even I’ve broken both our hearts I feel like my decision was the necessary one. I’m just not ready for a wedding—I’ve really never wanted that like some people do. I didn’t plan it as a little girl, don’t browse “The Knot” in my spare time, and just get no joy out of the thought of picking out the dress and the garter and tasting frostings to make my perfect day. I’m not ready for the marriage that comes after, either. I like to live alone and run my own life, not answering to anyone.

However, this does not mean I’m horribly sad! I have a buoyant hope that soon things will work out—I’ll find my niche in the law or something else, meet a love that takes my breath (and selfishness) away, and have a lovely charmed life. It just means that this blog might turn into an “Erica figures out her life” blog, and you are not obligated to read it at all. I can’t afford a new camera, so while I still strive for fashion I just can’t share it.

Thank you for all your kind comments after I was robbed! They really meant a lot to me, and I hope all has been going well in your lives. It feels good to be back.

Sad Times

2009-02-13T21:15:00.001-08:00

Someone kicked in my apartment door and stole a ton of my stuff--including my camera--so I will not be posting for a while. I'll be back when I get a new one, but right now I am working on breaking my lease and moving somewhere else, because I just can't stay there.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Birthdays, Best Days

2009-02-11T21:34:00.001-08:00

My parents have been here for the week for my birthday, so it's been lots of fun. I got a new vacuum as a present, and was pretty excited about it...when did I become practical? I also got my carpets shampooed, some pajamas, and a new TV! I'm in love with it and want to watch every movie I own now...unfortunately, law school stands in the way of this slacker-ish desire. But I really love film, and watching them on something bigger than a 19-inch that occasionally greens out is going to amazing.

In other news, I'm getting a little sad about the summer job hunt...firms just aren't giving interviews, so I guess I will have to work public interest part-time and nanny the rest to pay the bills. Oh well! I think it's easier to get a job second summer, and if I stay near or in the top ten percent I should be fine.

Hope everyone is having a lovely week! The weather here is amazing and I love to be with my family, so all in all this has been a fabulous few days.

Outfit: Sweater: Knitted and Knotted; Cami: The Limited; Jeans: Express; Boots: Nine West

Adventures in Babysitting

2009-02-08T23:48:00.000-08:00

(In undergrad, I babysat three to four nights a week. I've started up again to save money for my trip...Dallas moms pay very well and generally have a beautiful house with a big TV for you to enjoy after you scoot the kids to bed. The mother I babysit for most kindly lets me bring both my boyfriend and my dog....)

Keira, 4, referring to the Witch in her Barbie movie: "And then she tried to kill them and get them all stoned!"

Hhaaaa. Actually, the Witch was throwing rocks at them, or something.

Outfit: Skirt and Shirt: Anthro; Belt: NY & Co; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via Outlet; Necklace: 16th birthday gift from parents.

Zap! Lights Out

2009-02-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

Oh my. My kitchen light and living room light burned out today, and my air is broken, and every time I use the heater and any other appliance my breakers flip. I move every year, being quite the nomad and never satisfied with any apartment, and it looks like this year will not be any different! I also saw a man breaking into cars right outside my window a few weekends ago, so I probably will be packing up and heading out when my lease is up. I'd rather live somewhere safer and do less shopping, I suppose.

Anyway, this week was a beast, because we had make-up classes from the ice day and several papers to prepare for. But even though it was horrible, time-wise, it was actually one of the better weeks I've had in law school. I read somewhere that if you don't like the law environment, remove yourself--and I did.

I left immediately every day after class and did all my work at home, focused on before-law friends and my boyfriend and family, and felt exponentially less annoyed and miserable. I'm sure my peers were perplexed, as I turned down lunch and dinner invitations. I do like my law friends--they are interesting and funny and I don't mind the occasional outing. But for the most part, I need to keep my "law" life and "real" life separate...otherwise it's just too stressful. There are only so many hours I day I can worry about our next paper or the frustrating ambiguities of my torts professor's lectures, and I need to be around people who can put that in perspective.

Outfit: Dress: Moulinette Soeurs; Shirt: AT Loft; Patterned Tights: Target; Shoes: Anne Klein.

I love this dress! The lining is a bright pink, and you can see it peeking around the edge of the ruffle...and it also has the exposed zipper and the metal studs, which make it a little less sweet.

Thank You, Stephen King (ThreeStories in One!)

2009-02-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

"Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. … The real difference is that [Harry Potter author] Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and [Twilight author] Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good."
- Stephen King tells USA Today

Thank you, Stephen King. Because I am a bad student, I spent Constitutonal Law reading people's response to this statement and chuckling inside. I personally am quite in love with King, and while he's had some novels I didn't enjoy (Dolores Claiborne, Gerald's Game) and others that were just clumsy, especially in the last decade, he's still created some enduring horror literature. And while many tweens are up in arms and probably won't pick up a King novel anytime soon, they're missing out on, among other things, the psychological horror of The Shining, the claustrophobic intensity of Misery, and and the grand sweep of The Stand.

I started reading Stephen King books when I was twelve, tucked away in the library, because my mother forbid me to read them at all. Even though he's no Steinbeck and probably wouldn't sit at the same table with any modern literature luminaries, he holds his own. I don't remember the main character's name in White Teeth, or what happened to the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath, or any plot points in Song of Solomon...but I'm still afraid that Frank Dodds is hiding in my closet, and I don't like to be alone in a hotel hallway.

However, while Stephen King makes me scared to sleep with the lights off, Stephenie Meyer makes me fear for the intelligence of tween youth. So while she missed the mark on romance, she's spot on for horror.

(Last obnoxious opinion: If you can't tell, I'm not a believer that "any reading is good reading." It's probably better to watch Masterpiece Theater's The Mill on the Floss or something equivalent than read a Harlequin.)

***********

Also, because I am a bad student, I left the sound on on my computer and it started bawking like a chicken, rather loudly, when I logged on to play Fowl Words...luckily that professor is most apathetic about our learning experience and didn't call me out on it.

**********

I have also been tagged by D'Rae to show my blogspot, so here it is! The prints on the wall are reproductions of vintage fairy tale illustrations, and the birds aren't paint...they're wall graphics, which were much easier!

The view from the couch....

Ialways leave the couch covered with blankets in order to protect it from doggy mishaps.

Sometimes, I sleep on the couch...hence the bed here.

********

Outfits tomorrow...I will not be too lazy to take a picture! Hopefully a small goal like that will be attainable.

Self-Control Needed

2009-02-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

Hmm. I really want this bag at Francesca's:

It is a knock off of this Miu Miu bag I really want but cannot afford and would not buy it if I could, as it's the cost of a plane ticket to Europe:

Disclaimer: I do not watch Gossip Girl. Much like with Twilight, I'm incredibly bothered by the message the books and the show send out to their target audience of overly susceptible teens. I watch a lot of smut reality TV, and enjoy shows like Sex and the City despite their ridiculousness, but those were grown women and it was primarily good-natured. Gossip Girl, the premise and the characters, are just...nasty. And I don't like things that make me feel ick inside. (Obviously, my future children are going to be annoyed at all the excellent TV I won't let them watch....)

Anyway, should I break my ban and buy the bag? I do love it...and I don't really have many purses.

Slothful Sundays

2009-02-01T20:08:00.001-08:00

Outfit: Dress: Macys; Tights: Target; Sweater: AT Loft; Shoes: Impo

Oh, I love Sundays. Blissful alone time to run errands, clean my apartment, and oh...do the week's work so that I can spend each night reading interesting books and watching TV.

Everyone on Facebook is posting this meme, and since I don't have anything else to say today, here it is.

25 Random Things About Me.

1. When I was three, a little boy tried to hug me and I jerked away, and he accidently broke my arm. I didn’t cry or say anything, and it actually took my parents a long time to notice I wasn’t using it. (I am not that tough now.)

2. I’m super-afraid of heights. If I have to climb things, I get about three feet off the ground and start to panic. When I was six, I somehow got on the top of the jungle gym and was too afraid to jump off. My entire class went in without me and the teacher had to come back out and find me, huddled at the top. When I was 12, I climbed two rungs of the pole at the challenge course and almost passed out. I had to lie on the ground for a little while. It’s bad.

3. Also as a child, my little heart was quite loyal…I was madly in love with the same little boy from kindergarten to about seventh grade.

4. I can remember whole cast recordings from musicals and passages from books, but I have to leave my PIN number written in my wallet.

5.I leave the same CD in my truck for months at a time, on purpose, because when I fall deeply in love with something I can’t bear to listen to anything else. Chris Isaak’s Forever Blue album holds the longest spot, but things by Sondheim usually play forever, as well.

6.I find law school insufferably boring and it’s a chore to make myself pay attention. Anyway, if I was independently wealthy I would be studying Victorian Literature at the Royal Holloway University.

7. See above; I am being a lawyer so I can afford to travel the world. I want to safari in Kenya and wander through a rainforest in Peru and walk across the moors at Haworth. I want to see everywhere.

8. I hate to wear the exact same thing twice, and I rarely do. I have a lot of clothes, having stopped growing somewhere around age 15.

9. I really love movies and books and shows about mobsters. The Sopranos, The Godfather, Goodfellas, etc.

10. I am an honorary Mexican, by right of my long association with the Valdez family. (14 years!)

11. Most of my best friends haven't even met each other. But I really couldn't do without them.

12. I am an only child. I used to tell my mom that if she had another baby I would throw it out the car window.

13. I have also had a ton of different jobs. I have worked at a Sunday School, Ann Taylor, a magazine, the library, a publishing house, a camp for underprivileged kids, a kids’ consignment store, an advocacy center, the campus newspaper…and probably more I can’t remember.

14. I procrastinate in an odd way. If there’s an assignment I don’t want to do, I do every other possible assignment that’s not due right away. And then I finally start the dreaded paper, or whatever it may be. So I’m always both very ahead and woefully behind.

15. I have intense road rage.

16. I'm a picky eater. I HATE barbeque, any sort of meat on the bone, most meat in general, corn, even the smell of Chinese food makes my stomach turn, seafood, beans of all kinds, cold pasta salad-type things...the list goes on. However, I do have a passion for squash and most fruit and cheese enchiladas.

17. I own hundreds of books. My bedroom here and at home is packed with them, and I also have a pretty big corner of my mom’s storage shed dedicated to my collection. I love them and can’t part with them. When I have a house, I want the walls lined with all the novels and memoirs and fairy tales that have moved me, changed me, amused me, or intrigued me. I want that good book smell wafting through every room.

18. I fell deeply in love with Wuthering Heights when I was 13. I read the book at least once a year. I still am in love with Heathcliff, even though I realized with the wisdom of years that he is a sadistic, abusive sociopath with few redeeming qualities. But hey, he's brooding. And that's hot.

19. I fell deeply in love with Christian Bale around the same age. Jo, what was WRONG with you? Turn down Peter Lawford, and by all means Douglass Montgomery, but...Christian Bale? PAH.

20. I have a bad habit of just chopping people out of my life if they're consistently not supportive of my dreams and excited about my successes. Or maybe this is a good habit, as I have a core of friends who love me just as much as I love them.

21. I'm a joyously solitary little person, and I'll usually choose the couch and a book over a bar on any given (actually, every) day.

22. I like standardized tests. I think they're fun.

23. I'm secretly competitive. I let people think I'm lackadaisical about my studies and then I crush them. Buwhahaaa. This did not go over well with some of my peers this semester.

24. This is the age I will be in 10 days!

25. I will be greatly pleased if some of my other bloggy friends do this, because the posts where others give me little insights into their lives and personalities are always my favorites!

Lapse in Fashion

2009-01-29T22:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posting this week--it's been very cold and icy, and I didn't even leave the apartment on Wednesday (which, frankly, was glorious).

In addition, our legal writing professors are assigning, once again, papers that aren't for a grade but that still take an annoying amount of effort, and I've been trying to knock them out early so I can watch 12 hours of America's Next Top Model on Sunday.

But I did...suspense please...book a two-week tour of Paris, Rome, and London, with my best friend, leaving in June! That's really not long enough in each city I suppose, but my finances allow me only a taste and I can go back and explore them further another time.

I'm kind of delirious since booking it, thinking of all the things I'll see...Notre Dame, Versailles, the Sistine Chapel, Pompeii, Westminster Abbey...and I'm also (perhaps overly) excited that I will finally see a John Williams Waterhouse painting. He's my favorite painter, and so I can't wait to get to the Tate and finally see one of his works!

Of course I could stay forever in England, as they have "Victorian Literature" tours where you can travel the country and see Jane Austen's houses and haunts, and the Haworth parsonage, etc., but I think that might be something I do on my own one day.

The Soul of the Rose, 1908

Dean's List

2009-01-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

Yay, I made Dean's List! Here is a re-enactment of my reaction.

That being said, here are the lessons I have learned thus far from law school.

1. Law school is like high school. People told me this, and I didn't want to believe them. But it's true. Gossip is rampant. There's actually a group of girls who talk about who does and doesn't wash their hands after they pee. The law is obviously pretty boring if people can't find anything more interesting than that to discuss. Also, if you drive to class with someone of the opposite sex, you are sleeping with them. OMG.

2. Writing your exams in the style and format the professor wants can be just as important as having a true grasp of the material. For finals, I primarily studied old tests and how students who got As worded their arguments and made their points. I didn't fall much below my friend who studied 24/7 and has a truly daunting understanding of everything we covered.

3. Don't sit by the same person in every class. For one thing, you can meet more people by varying your seat. For another, the person you sit by might start to annoy you mid-semester...and you are stuck. All. Year.

4. Take the word "mandatory" in front of "meeting" with a grain of salt. The career counselors say all the meetings are required. They don't take attendance. They won't know if you're there or not, and for the most part you don't need to be.

5. Most importantly, if you're lost and don't know what to do with your life, don't go. Several of my friends (and myself) came to law school because our undergrad degrees were useless and we didn't know what else to do. However, unless you have true dedication and drive to be a lawyer, the willpower needed to make yourself study and deal with all the pessimism they feed you is immense (the profs talk about malpractice and how we are not going to find jobs almost every day. Very uplifting). Your peers are arrogant, your professors are disparaging, and the reward for getting through it are endless 80-hour work weeks. I enjoy learning for its own sake, and I've made some good friends, but if I had it to do over again I probably would choose a different path.

(The above list does not imply I'm miserable. And of course I might like being a lawyer. Mistakes can always work out if you try to move them in a positive direction, and luckily I have great parents and friends, as well as my ridiculously cute chihuahua, to make it through. But if you have Googled "should I go to law school" and stumbled upon this--the answer is NO.)

Outfit: Does this dress look familiar? Ha, I bought it in two colors. Express. Tights: Francesca's. Shoes: Liz Claiborne. Necklace: Francesca's. Cami: Express.

Helping Hands

2009-01-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Me: "Oh, come on. When we lived together you never helped me clean."

Zach: "Well, I always rinsed my plate before I put it in the sink."

Luckily for him, I was in a mood where this exchange made me laugh.

Outfit: Dress: United Colors of Benetton; Tights: Target; Boots: Rocket Dog; Belt: Nordstrom BP; Bracelet: Forever 21 (and there's my star dress on the floor...that would make my mother so sad. Hang up your clothes! she says)

That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart

2009-01-23T00:09:00.000-08:00

(The title is from an Aimee Mann song. I love her.)

Tonight, as part of our Oscar Extravaganza, we went and saw The Wrestler. When it started, I wasn't sure I could care about the main character, Randy--wrestling is hokey, and Mickey Rourke frankly looks a mess, and how many times do I need to see a stripper/hooker with a heart of gold?

But when it was over, I sat in the car and cried--the woman behind me didn't wait. She was sobbing quietly as the screen went black. Randy was so human--and so broken and fragile and stubbornly strong, just as absurd in his sequined spandex leggings as he was hulking behind the meat counter at the grocery store, serving up potato salad.

I wanted so badly for Pam to love him, and for his daughter to love him, and for him to love himself, and I think something broke inside me, a little, when it was over. I haven't been affected (effected? some English major I am) by a movie like that in a long time. When I saw Revolutionary Road last week, I felt like Leonardo DeCaprio was acting his suspenders off, and that the center of the movie was hollow and hopeless, and yes, Kate Winslet, I know; you are quite good at screaming and crying. Slumdog Millionaire I liked much better, but still--a little slick, not characters I felt for. I was moved by the depiction of crushing poverty and casual cruelty, but the leads and their fate--meh.

But Randy just seemed so real, so aching yet hopeful, so degraded while holding onto his dignity, and the point of this is that it's definitely worth seeing, and I hope Mickey Rourke wins his Oscar.

(Although be forewarned and prepared to flinch--there's some heavy casual wrestling violence in this, involving staple guns and barbed wire.)

Outfit: Dress: Ebay; Tights: Target; Shoes: Naturalizer; Vest: Macy's.

Dear Legal Writing Professor

2009-01-21T22:59:00.000-08:00

You are crushing my soul. Why do we have an assignment due every single class, none of which are for a grade--yet if we don't turn one in, we fail the class? This is not logical.

Perhaps you noticed that on the last assignment I made up answers and cited random statutes and cases instead of doing new research. In the real world I believe this is called "malpractice," so thanks for getting me off to such an ethical start.

However, as I have five other classes that are more interesting, useful, and relevant to my GPA and thus my career prospects, I am sure you understand.

Also, I heard eyebrows are really coming back in this year. Please take note.

Best regards,
Erica

Outfit: Dress: NY & Co; Shirt: NY & Co; Patterned tights: Target; Boots: Bandolino

Winter Waiting

2009-01-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

I guess the wait-game is never-ending...now I'm waiting to hear what class percentile I'm in! I'll be pleased, however, to go class tomorrow and see who's happy and who's grim about their grades. Is it wrong to hope that the smug, boastful people have frowns on their faces? That the quiet and friendly have prevailed? That doesn't really seem in accord with my New Year's "work in progress" resolution, but one can't expect miracles, I suppose.

In other news, it's warm here again, which is good, as using the heater and the dryer at the same time flips my breaker and leaves me in the dark. I needed to wash some towels, so the front came in at just the right time.

Oh, and I saw Slumdog Millionaire and Revolutionary Road this weekend...both good, but neither were movies I would see again with any enthusiasm. Revolutionary Road especially was deeply depressing and soulless. Watching two hours of desperately unhappy people realizing how trapped they are in suburban mediocrity, and how they turn on each other, made me rethink and envision a Ms. Havisham-type future without shuddering.

Outfit: Dress: Spain; Cami: JCPenney; Tights: Target; Boots: Rocket Dog; Earrings: Express. Please, someone scold me into accessorizing!

Hahahaa Victory

2009-01-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'll post my outfit later...right now I am frantically refreshing the grades page while I wait for CrimLaw...BUT...

I made an A, an A-, two B+s, and a B!! While the Bs are a little disheartening and previously foreign to my overachieving little self, it's still good enough to be in at least the top 1/4 of the class, if the numbers from past years are anything to go by. So...wooooo!

Hopefully this last grade will be good and bump me on up...fingers crossed.

(But to point out that law grades are completely arbitrary: I made the A in the class I skipped all the time, and a B in a class I never missed in and thought my paper was very good. Go figure.)

UPDATE: I made an A- in criminal law! The last year's top ten percent at the end of the year at at least a 3.48...so if it is the same I could be in it! Which would mean so much...there's the possibility of not only a job this summer, but perhaps one that pays. Out to a fabulous dinner!

Cruel, Cruel

2009-01-15T22:04:00.000-08:00

Oh, oh, our professors told us we would have our grades by the end of the day and...they are vile liars.

You might wonder, "Why is that so important? Who cares if you have to wait?" Well, law exams are a whole different game than undergrad exams. You only have one grade--the final--which determines your rank in class, which determines which jobs you can interview for, which determines whether you will get out and pay your loans off in a few years while still enjoying a fairly high quality of life or whether you will get out and have to eat Ramen and sell your eggs to even pay the rent.

The level of competition is high, and people are generally unwilling to admit they might have done poorly. Of COURSE they aced it, they declare smugly, twirling their mustaches and patting their contracts book with smug confidence.

Obviously, however, we cannot all make As--but I suppose aspiring lawyers never had to be good at statistics.

(Although I have been looking at positions with the FBI lately, and honestly that excites me a lot more than the hallowed halls of the law. Better watch out, cannibals! I'm coming for you.)

Hmm...those yellow tights are quite bright indeed. They look more mustardy in person.

Outfit: Shirt and dress: Anthro; Tights: Macys; Boots: Nine West

A Very Merry Unshop Day To Me

2009-01-13T23:09:00.000-08:00

As a sign of my dedication to frugality, as well as my wish to avoid getting a job, I'm returning everything I can find with a tag on it. While this might seem excessive, I figure if I've had it since before Christmas and haven't worn it, I must not love it enough to keep it. I'm ashamed to say that so far I've returned over $400 worth of stuff and have a few more stores to hit.

In other news, I still don't have my grades for the first semester and it is very hard to work up the motivation to do anything without them. We're supposed to get them sometime before the first of February...at this point I feel like I did horribly and should probably join the Peace Corps and move to Ukraine.

However, be prepared for a post in the near future that's either grim and cloudy or filled with birdsong and joy, depending on how I did.

Outfit: Turtleneck: Banana Republic Outlet; Dress: MNG; Tights: Target; Boots: Nine West; Necklace: Anthro

Bad Choices

2009-01-08T23:53:00.001-08:00

Starting this semester off right, I chose to have margaritas and enchiladas rather than packing for this weekend's wedding, doing my property reading, or studying for my test on Tuesday. Since I haven't had a drink in--oh--forever, they were a bit more potent than I expected and induced a stellar rendition of "Secret Agent Girl" in the car. (I was not driving, don't worry!)

Get excited for some rockin' bridesmaid pics....

Also, it is very hard to do Pilates with a chihuahua in your lap...I should have bought the "Mommy and Me Yoga" video. "You're on the floor? Why are you on the floor? I will bite you yeaarrghh!"

Outfit: Cardi: NY&Co; Dress: Anthro; Tights: Macys; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via Outlet

Fringe Benefits

2009-01-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

Too bad Glamour said fringe was out, because I'm still loving it!

In other news, I'm back after having a good holiday! School starts Thursday, and while I still feel burned out, I'm sure things will be fine. I won't see my grades till February (after tuition is nonrefundable--law school is a cut-throat, money-grubbing business, not a bastion of academic thought and growth as they would have you believe), but by then I might not even care.

I didn't really make resolutions for New Year's--rather, these are, in the words of one of my friends, "works in progress" that I always struggle to do.

But, this year I want to...

1. Be healthier. Last semester I did well, but I want to exercise at least one more day a work and eat out only twice a week.

2. Love more people unconditionally. I tend to pick people apart in my head. There are very few people I just accept, as a whole, for who they are, without wishing they would change in some way. And that's sad. I should be nicer.

3. Spend less. After today, hitting both the Go International Thakoon line at Target and the 1/2 off Lucky sale, I am not buying anything until March 1 unless I have a gift card. I have enough debt already from law school, and I'm booking a trip to Europe at the end of the month. So, blog friends, please hold me accountable and scold when necessary.

4. Enjoying "now" more. This means being glad that school means I can keep a crazy schedule and have hours and hours of free time. Not feeling pressured to get married, or have a baby, or buy a house, or the things my friends who already graduated and got jobs are doing. And, most importantly, keeping away from my law school peers' toxic opinions about absolutely everything they know nothing about. "What, you use Dove to wash your dishes? God, you're going to fail. You need to use Palmolive to get an A."

We'll see how many of those I keep.

I hope everyone had a great holiday, and I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone's blogs over the next few days! You keep me awake in Civil Procedure. Ha!

Outfit: Boots: Gianni Bini; Jeans: 7 for all Mankind; Cami: Ann Taylor Factor; Sweater: Nordstrom BP

Heading North

2008-12-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-18T23:29:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-17T23:26:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

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....

2008-12-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-04T20:50:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-03T23:10:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T23:08:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T22:47:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-13T21:01:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-09T18:50:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-07T23:56:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-29T20:50:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-27T18:44:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

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!

Blog Award Thanks

2008-10-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm very flattered and excited that Lady D, a stylish fellow student who rocks everything she puts on, gave me a blog award!

I'm reposting her rules and passing it on to a few people, as well!

1.The nominated is allowed to put the picture on their blogs.
2.Link to the person who awarded you.
3.Nominate seven other people and link to them.
4.Leave a message on those people's blog to make them aware that they're nominated.

So, first up is D'rae, from Slices of Life, another fellow student who always looks chic and so put-together even though she's working and going to school at the same time. Also, she has to best collection of flats, and flats always make my heart flutter.

Next up is Allie from My Wardrobe Today...I hope I also manage to maintain great style as a mom-to-be! She shows how well it can be done.

I also greatly admire Boutique Girl at Things a Boutique Owner Sees, both for following her dream of owning a store and for her ability to always manage a different look that's somehow still true to her quirky-chic style. She has also inspired me to buy some colored tights!

And finally, the ladies at Cute on the Cheap...shopping on a budget is hard, but they always look great and are so gracious in their answers and return posts!

I also heartily endore Lady D's choices, because I love all those ladies, as well. Fashion blogs got me through civil procedure today. Well, that and "Fowl Words." I love that game.

In other news, I'm starting my "Butt and Gut" exercise class tomorrow...I've been living on fast food and watching too much TV lately, and since I want to look great in Greece, to the gym I go! I bought some cute exercise outfits and actually started working out yesterday, which led to some pretty sore muscles and a big bruise from where I fell (almost to my death) off the Stairmaster. Why are the new machines so tall? And why did I set the speed so high? The people around me were not amused when I plummeted backward to the floor, but since I'm pretty used to incidents like that I remained unfazed.

Outfit: Striped navy pants: AT Factory; Open-weave cardigan: AT Factory; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via outlet; Beaded cami: JC Penney; Heart locket: 16th birthday present from the parents; Nail polish: OPI's Chocolate Shakespeare, my new favorite color. It's hard for pasty people to do bronzy brown, but this looks great.

I don't usually like to wear the pieces from the same store together like this, but I make an exception when I think I can't find anything that would go better with them...I might try a thin-knit mustard-colored cardi with the pants, next time.

Bridesmaid Revisited

2008-10-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is what I wore this weekend to order my bridesmaid dress for an upcoming January wedding . . . the dress is purple and bright green. (I won't comment, but you feel free.)

I was a little depressed about the price going in, but then I got a discount and used the extra money to buy a lavender and gray color block dress at Target...I also searched for this amazing bagged salad that has little nuts and cranberries and apple cider dressing with it, but no luck. I bought it last week and can't find it again! But I recommend it if you're also in Target shopping for cute sweaterdresses and more costume jewelry that you absolutely don't need but inevitably keep buying.

And today I just wore my PJs, because I have a large project due next week and decided just to tackle the bulk of it today. I feel like I'm learning so much, but I'm also bored...the law is so dry and plodding, and more often than not I deeply miss my Brontes class, or my Native American Studies class, or my VicLit class...I think after I've worked for a few years I'd like to start night classes for a master's in English, just for my own enjoyment...we'll see.

Right now I'm re-reading Emma, which was always my favorite Austen book, for the first time in several years, and I'm finding it very different. Of course I'm bringing different life experiences with me now, but I'm not finding the heroine all that charming and likeable...her manipulations and self-centered musings strike me as cruel, not folly, and Mr. Knightley seems more overbearing and obnoxiously self-important than commanding and wise. Whereas earlier this summer I re-read Persuasion and found it much more beautiful and poignant than when I tackled it a few years back...which is why literature is superior to law. It's always transforming, changing as you do, and the joy of a great novel is that you can always find something new in it and yourself. And the law...is the law. :/

But I always appreciate book suggestions if anyone else has them! I genuinely love all kinds of books, but right now I'm particularly interested in women's memoirs.

Also, when it's colder, should I pair this with tights and a funky shoe? Or footless leggings and a ballet flat?

This was a budget outfit:

Dress: JC Penney's $15

Stretch croc belt: Nordstrom BP $10

Shoes: Liz Claiborne Outlet $15

Necklace: JC Penney $4

Ring: White House Black Market...this ring was free because the company lost my order and then reimbursed my card...and then the package came two months later after bouncing all over the place!

Trauma

2008-10-08T13:52:00.001-07:00

My professor called on me for almost forty minutes today, and I almost had a heart attack. I hate this "Socratic Method" of instruction. Several of the questions he asked I didn't know the answer to, and I slunk out of class feeling very dunce-y.

I feel like I'll do well on my exams, because I've always been a hard worker and a calm tester, but there's something about getting sporadically called on in front of 90 other people that makes me shake in my little patent flats. And I know most of my classmates are probably sympathetic to me, because I'm always rooting for whoever gets called on...but still. Not pleasant.

Outfit: Dress: Fossil, Cardigan: AT Loft; Shoes: Steve Madden

I had seen these shoes on What Not To Wear and was waiting for them to go on sale, and then lo and behold, on a random trip to Dillards they had one pair left...and it was my size...and it was over half off.

Goin' to the Chapel...Again and Again

2008-10-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend brought another wedding, but this time we just went to the reception. The bride was beautiful, and her dress was amazing--it was cream and had a lovely vintage feel, rather than the strapless princess pouf look favored by so many right now.

Honestly, though, I still haven't caught the nuptial bug, and every wedding or engagement brings up the sometimes-sore subject of me not wanting to get married in the foreseeable future. I've been with my boyfriend for four years, we lived together before I had to go back to school, and the assumption is that, yes, we will eventually tie the knot.

But I hate being asked about it, or told, "Oh, it will happen for you!" Generally, I don't feel like I'm being left behind or left out--I'm just moving in a different direction. I like living alone, and that the only socks in the drawer are mine. I like not worrying about buying a house or having babies or cooking dinner after I've spent 12 hours on schoolwork. I like knowing how to pay my own bills and put together my own shoerack. And I really like not justifying why I had to have that pair of $200 boots.

In short, while I do want to get married eventually, right now I'm not ready to give up my own freewheeling autonomy. I want to pursue my career, and travel, and cook or clean or not as I please. But with so many of my friends getting married and trying for babies, it's hard to keep it in perspective, and in the face of it all my fears of becoming a Ms. Havisham-type spinster occasionally get the better of me. Although I'd rather be her than crazy Bertha in the attic, I suppose.

Okay, rant over.

Outfit: Dress: One.September; Mary-jane kitten heels: Nine West Outlet; Clutch: Bandolino; Jewelry: NY&Co.

Before Summer Ends...

2008-10-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

...I like to wear my maxi-dress as much as possible. I'm aware that I'm possibly too short for this, and the pattern overwhelms me, but I love it anyway.

Also, I'm in the midst of cleaning out my closet...before/after pictures to come, as suggested! Hopefully pulling out all my tights and sweaterdresses will work some mojo and full the temps down from the 90s.

Outfit: Dress: Target; Bracelets: outlet mall; Earrings: Spain

Skinny Jeans

2008-10-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

When it gets a little cooler (and today it was not as sweltering!), it's time to bust out the skinny jeans...for some reason, I just can't stand them when it's too hot.

I like the fairy on this shirt (which I mentioned in an earlier post on Prada's fairy bags), and the way the orange goes with the muted purple of the shoes. Usually I don't wear T-shirts, but sometimes I make exceptions; skinny jeans and flats generally manage to make even ho-hum tops look more stylish, though I realize I need to start stepping it up with accessories.

Outfit: Jeans: 7 for All Mankind; Shirt: Old Navy; Flats: Nine West via DSW

Texas, O Texas

2008-09-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

That's right, friends, in Texas we double-fry our bacon. This is me, chomping down on a piece of chicken-fried bacon dipped in ranch. Mmm.

October is always my favorite month, because in addition to Halloween and the annual chihuahua rescue festival in nearby Keller, the state fair opens its gates. There's Big Tex, the giant talking cowboy overlooking the Midway; there are acrobats and other performers and concerts; cooking demonstrations and booths full of essential junk; and, of course, the smorgasboard of fried food. Today I also consumed deep-fried jelly beans, a corndog, tornado taters, gallons of Dr Pepper, fried s'mores, and fried banana pudding. And THEN I rode some rides, and now I'm home and exhausted but blissful.

(There are also things there that manage to both amuse and embarrass me--like the "Dancing with the Dogs" show, showcasing the art of canine freestyle. Would you like to watch a dog and its owner jiving to "Nine to Five"? Well, the fair is where you can achieve that dream.)

But before I took this much-needed day off, a girl I sit by in class told me she had only ever missed one day of school, and that was because she had a flat tire. And that made me sad for her, because while work ethic is important, some of the best times I've had are when I slept in instead of getting up, spent instead of saved, or did something I wanted to do rather than something I needed to do.

And the world didn't end, and I've turned out alright so far. (I'm currently trying to justify missing a class on Friday to head to Nordstrom Rack for the designer shoe shipment....)

That being said, back to class tomorrow. And please don't judge me for my Dr. Seuss t-shirt. At the fair, you must wear things you don't mind being coated in powdered sugar and mustard and dust.

Closet of Chaos

2008-09-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Luckily, when I took this picture I found that you can see right through this dress, and therefore a slip was in order.

Technically speaking, this may not even be a dress...I found it buried in the dress section of Anthropologie, but I have a suspicion it might be a nightgown. But that's okay, because it would be a shame to just sleep in it, I think.

And the girl who asked me with such confusion why I never wore pants must have thought I was offended, because she wore a lovely dress the next day and found me to show me, telling me I inspired her to dress up. So that was a nice sentiment and an appreciated gesture in my usually hectic and stressful day!

Outfit: Dress/Nightgown: Anthropologie; Sheer Button-Down: AT Loft; Jeweled flats: Gianni Bini

I've let my closet become such a pit...project for the weekend, I guess.

Nothing Like an Awkward Question to Start the Day

2008-09-22T20:00:00.001-07:00

One of my fellow law students came up today and asked me why I never wear pants, which I find to be a perplexing conversation starter....

Anyway, this outfit might be a little spring-y for September, but considering that it's over 90 degrees here I feel justified in wearing it.

Outfit: Dress and Long Sweater: NY&Company; Necklaces: Francesca's; Shoes: TJ Maxx (Arturo Chiang); Lace Cami: Express

A Vested Interest

2008-09-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hopefull this week I will do better about posting! We're getting our memos soon, and I've been spending every second getting ahead of the syllabus in my classes, so that I won't have the project on top of pages and pages of reading (at least for a little while! It's hard to get ahead in law school).

But this outfit was a great deal...I found the dress at Penguin (usually way overpriced) marked down from $165 to $30, and I get a student discount there with my ID. The vest I found at the junior's department in Dillards, also marked very cheaply ($12). And the Banana Republic shoes I got ages ago, but they were also marked down to about $20.

And, taking a break this weekend to head to Old Navy, I found they once again had some pretty cute things. So, for a fun Splurge v. Steal moment, you can get this dress at Ann Taylor Loft for $80:

Or this one from Old Navy for $30:

So, of course, I got the color block version AND the black version.

It's Fall...for About Three Days

2008-09-16T16:20:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting…I try to post every other day but time got away from me! My parents went through the hurricane in Houston and so I spent a lot of the weekend watching CNN in my pajamas. Luckily, they and our house are alright, though they’re still waiting in line for two or three hours every day to get gas for the generator.

In other news, the weather here is amazing…sunny and cool enough to start wearing fall clothes. At least until it pops back up to 100 degrees, which you can’t rule out in September in Texas.

This outfit is simple and not that creative, but really I just wanted something to showcase the necklace, which I found on Etsy. I don’t know if you can see it in all its glory, but inside the glass there are little watch wheels and a bronze.

I’m also very enamored of this ring, but we’ll see how the budget goes. One great thing about law school, though, is that there’s a catered meeting or speech almost every day during the lunch break. So far they’ve been pretty interesting, and I save about six bucks a day, which definitely adds up.

Shirt & Skirt: H&M (Spain!); Brown leather flats: Banana Republic; Necklace: Etsy, Jewels by Design

Suitacular

2008-09-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Outfit: Brown Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft; Sheer Button-Down: AT Loft; Necklace: Outlet store; Snakeskin print sneakers: Liz Claiborne; Jean Pencil Skirt: Old Navy

Tomorrow I’m going to my first law school event, and I’m excited, even more so because I just got two suits, a pencil skirt, and a button-down at Ann Taylor Loft for $120! (They were having an amazing sale and I had a 20% off coupon.) I’m trying to slowly add to my suit collection over the course of the year so that I’m prepared if I do get an internship over the summer. Buying several nice suits at once really seems like it would break the bank.

Anyway, it’s the annual “Women in Law” event, where there will be panels on balancing your life with family and work, etc. and a cocktail hour to mingle with Dallas attorneys. Unfortunately, several girls I’ve talked to have had pretty much the same reaction to this that they did to the fashion show—that it’s a waste of time and somehow a step backwards to be joining a women’s group.

To me, though, there’s no point in pulling back your hair and pretending there’s nothing filling out the front of your sweater. I’m truly inspired by strong women who are proud of their femininity, who can get things done and look great doing it.

And I would think that networking with powerful women in the area would be much more advantageous to your career than trying to schmooze some paunchy old man. I worked in a law building for two years during undergrad, and one of the lawyers actually told me he didn’t like women on his juries because they were too talkative and frivolous. I’m assuming that he doesn’t have many female associates in his firm, and that there are probably a lot of pompous older gentlemen much like himself in the field. Something to look forward to, right there.

But hopefully tomorrow I’ll make some connections and get my frivolous little heel in the door, or at least well-positioned in front of it.

Lack of Social Graces

2008-09-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Outfit: Dress: Ann Taylor Loft; Knit cardigan: Guenevere; Flats: Liz Claiborne ($8!); Swallow Necklace: Nordstrom BP

I’m not the most graceful or socially adept person, though I like to believe that charm and friendliness make up for these defects. That being said, I still embarrass myself more than I’d like to.

Incident 1: Yesterday, I ran home after lunch to walk the dog and slipped on some flip-flops to head back to my last class. When I got there, I realized that I was wearing one black sparkle flip-flop and one brown leather one.

Incident 2: Today, it of course started to rain as I headed toward my truck, so I started to jog in the interests of protecting my laptop. Between my hobble-jog and my backpack, my skirt ended up heading north, and I’m pretty sure that the people immediately behind me got a cheeky surprise.

Oddly enough, I was way more embarrassed about wearing mismatched shoes than I was about sharing what kind of skivvies I was wearing with my peers.

Tomorrow I plan on wearing pants and matching shoes. We’ll see how it goes.

Frugal Fashion

2008-09-07T18:11:00.001-07:00

Outfit: Floral Dress: Delias; Purple satin flats: Nine West Outlet; Sheer Button-up: Ann Taylor Loft*; Yellow Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft; Floral necklace: Anthropologie

As an explanation for my overwhelming collection of clothes from Ann Taylor Loft, I used to work at the factory outlet and got 40 percent off each item...a discount which I used liberally.

Inspired by saving for a trip to Greece, one of my best friends and I decided to go discount shopping this weekend instead of heading to the mall, and we ended up with some amazing deals. (And yes, I see the irony of shopping to save money. But it makes sense, to me.)

First we hit Nordstrom Rack, and three hours of digging later I had:

a pair of Eleanor cherry pattern Keds for $7
a pair of forest green suede wedges with reptile trim from Shoes for Lovely People, $20
a Kenneth Cole Reaction dress for $15
a pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans for less than half the retail price
and a fuchsia silk halterneck Tracy Reese dress, which is now of course the pride of my collection

It was super-reduced, as well, because Nordstrom Rack was having their "Designer Event," which meant racks of Valentino and Missoni and Philip Lim and everyone I covet but can't afford. Unfortunately, other women approximately my size must have gotten to all the goods before me. I often have this problem, which is why I almost never wait for things I dearly love to go on sale.

But after that we hit Marshall's and Ross, where I also got a few other things on the cheap for when it gets cooler.

(Right now I'm watching this show on TLC about young beauty pageant queens, and it's totally skeeving me out. It's truly disgusting...and the stage mothers are all so dumpy and sad-looking. Living vicariously through your child much?)

Going to the Parliament

2008-09-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

It amuses me that a group of owls is called "a parliament."

What is a group of law students called?

Pretty freaking annoying (though individually, very nice).

Skirt: Anthropologie; Sheer button-down: Anne Taylor Loft; Black Cardigan: NY&Company; Patent mary janes: Nine West*

*These are my most beloved shoes, for whatever reason.

Correspondence, Part Three

2008-09-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Now-Less-Esteemed Law Professor,

I think we might have spoken of this before. Please let me out when class ends, not after realquickinaminutejustonemorething.

I had yet another mandatory and completely uninformative meeting today, and you keeping me meant nine minutes less that I got to spend bitching with my friends about said meeting.

(The high point of the meeting, it should be noted, was when someone raised his hand and said, “Can’t we get all this information off the Web site?” and then got up and left. And at least the box lunches they provided us with this time had candy bars instead of carrots. Points for that.)

But back to your class, I’d like to let you know in advance how much I enjoyed our next assignment: a detailed description of how to use an index, complete with diagram.

You are truly pointing me down the path of enlightenment. And that index-guru knowledge will definitely come in handy when I start reading this book I picked up in Border’s, “How to Not Shoot Yourself in Law School.”

Best,

Erica

****
No fashion today. I wore distressed jeans and a coral short-sleeved hoodie with blue and yellow polka dots (which I got for $3.48 at Belk. Good deal.). I was too tired from staying up last night to get ahead in the reading. But it was worth it, because I did get about two weeks ahead.

Control Your Wildlife, Please

2008-09-01T23:35:00.000-07:00

So, now that the first week of law school is over and the second is about to begin, was it so bad?

Why yes, yes it was.

I slept for about five hours a night, read for hours and hours a day, and didn’t see anyone outside of my classmates for a whole week.

I’ve been looking at the California Fashion Institute and taking little quizzes to see what fashion career I’d best fit into, and the great part about that would be that it only takes a year. And the downside, of course, is that the resulting unemployment lasts the rest of your life.

Anyway, after the shock of this initial week I feel it’ll get better. I’m already reading more efficiently, and I wasn’t a stuttering ass when I got called on class (maybe this was because I was actually paying attention and not playing solitaire, Girl Sitting in Front of Me).

And the only reason I slept so little is because I still took the time to talk to my boyfriend and my best friends. . .I read a novel and watched TV. . . I cooked dinner and played with the dogs. Dark circles are a small price to pay for not being a law automaton.

That’s not to say I’m not supremely frustrated with many things, however. Like some of my classmates. Let’s say we’re talking about possession as it regards to wild animals. Here’s a conversation that’s almost as absurd as some things people bring up.

Professor: “So, class, if a wild animal runs away and does not have an intent to return, then the person it got away from does not have any interest in it, and therefore cannot claim possession. Any questions?”

Stupid, Vile, Repugnant Over-Participator: “But what if—what if—there. Were a Beaver. And the Beaver was living in your apartment. And it built a dam. In your bathtub. Maybe with hangers from your closet. And then you opened the door and it ran away. So would it have intent to return? If it built a dam? And if someone captured and kept your Beaver, would you have legal recourse to get it back?”

Can you hear the screaming in my head?

Outfit: Dress, Macy’s; Yellow satin peeptoes, BP; Clutch: Bandolino ($6!).

I wore this to a wedding…it seems like all my peers are getting married. Aren’t we a little young for this? In accord with the skyrocketing divorce rate, I want to give them cards with an IOU for my legal services in the future, but my boyfriend won’t let me. He says that would be tacky. I say that in five years, a discount divorce is going to turn out to be a much better gift than that dart board they registered for.

Fairies, Luxe and Less

2008-08-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

I'm on the fence about the Prada fairy collection...of course, I'm on a fence about six farms over, because there's no way I can afford a bag or a tunic or a gown.

And if I could afford a Prada bag...then these are not what I'd pick. I guess the point of an "It" bag isn't longevity, but I can't see splashing out that kind of money on something that will so quickly grow dated. Would Audrey have carried one of these? Probably not.

Actually, she wouldn't have worn these T-shirts I found at Old Navy, today, either, but I love them. They feel like a pared down, more sinister version of the Prada fairy, and I ended up buying two of the colors. The third one was a little too porn-star fairy...I'm not sure fairies wear lacy blue nighties. (Although what do I know.)

I'll probably end up wearing them with my skinny jeans and flats, or maybe belted with a flippy brown sweater skirt that I have my eye on at Anthropologie.

Further Correspondence

2008-08-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Outfit: Jeans: Seven for All Mankind; Shirt: Anthropologie; Red peeptoes: Jessica Simpson*

*I feel kind of embarrassed to buy Jessica Simpson shoes, actually. But these were so cute…I also like her new perfume, Fancy…but I am too embarrassed to buy that. There’s something oddly unclassy about buying celebrity scents from people like Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears. But maybe I’m alone in that feeling.

Dear George Clooney,

Thank you for making a guest appearance in my dream last night. It was kind of you to drop by.
In fact, you put me in a pretty good mood all through Property, right until the end of the class, at which time my fellow classmates always see fit to raise their hands and ask some inane, unrelated, or just plain dumb question that keeps me in my seat for five to ten minutes extra, foot tapping and eyes rolling.

So, keeping in mind how stressed out and generally annoyed I feel as a result of being in law school, maybe you could bring a friend next time. Like Christian Bale.

Just something to think about. Thanks.

Love,

Erica

Dear Esteemed Law Professor

2008-08-28T16:18:00.001-07:00

Outfit: Sleeveless sweater: Nordstrom BP; Lacy Tank: Ann Taylor Loft; Skinny Belt*: Nordstrom BP ($3!); Denim Pencil Skirt: Old Navy; Peeptoe heels: Lifestride; Ring: a shop in Spain

*Thanks to Kasmira, for teaching me what to do with a too-long skinny belt. Genius.

Dear Esteemed Law Professor,

Please do not keep me for twenty minutes after class has ended.

If you feel the need to do this, please pretend you merely haven't noticed the time, rather than telling me you're just going to keep talking until you finish your points. Frankly, that makes us all a little peeved.

If I were twenty minutes late to class because I wanted to finish watching A Baby Story, I bet you'd be pretty pissed.

And, as an extra courtesy, please don't schedule more meetings for your class over my lunch break. That just means I'm going to duck out the closest door I can find when you're not looking.

In conclusion, and while I appreciate your charity in sharing your deep and precious knowledge with us, please keep in mind that I'm paying you (and paying you quite a lot) for a service that doesn't involve enduring excruciating hunger pains.

Thanks so much,

Erica

Fashion and Quantum Theory

2008-08-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

Hands down, my favorite warm-weather outfit. I love the whimsical field pattern on the skirt!

Skirt: Anthropologie; Belt: NY&Company; Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft; Shoes: Banana Republic; Fleur-de-lys necklace: Francesca’s

I actually wore this skirt to my internship last semester, and had a good cry in the bathroom after it caught on a metal bin and ripped down the back...and one of my fellow interns informed me it was "very silly" to buy a new one. I, however, did not find it silly, and since it didn't hurt to try, I explained what had happened to the store...and they sent me a new one. Free. But that encounter still rankles occasionally...I didn't judge her (out loud) for wearing the same shirt every other day. (This story will make more sense after you read the rest of my post, in case you're wondering what brought that up.)

So, today I went to the law school “Dress for Success” show and learned a valuable lesson about the inequality of the sexes, as the guys’ “Image Management” seminar had enchiladas and rice, lovingly presented in silver serving trays, and we had…cold wraps and tortilla chips out of plastic bins. I went for the Ann Taylor Loft coupons and the free make-up, but the comments of some of my fellow students got me thinking on beauty and fashion as it applies to the professional world, and more generally.

A few women were openly condescending about the need to have a “fashion show” to instruct us how to dress, and seemed to feel it was counterproductive…but to what? I'm lucky in that I go to a school where being concerned with appearance and fashion is the norm, but there are still those sullen style naysayers.

Why does a love for clothing and a respect for your own appearance have to be divorced from intelligence? If I had greasy hair and wore sweats to class, would that make me seem smarter? Would I be more serious about my career if, instead of spending those twenty minutes getting ready, I was analyzing law theory?

Maybe that super-chic girl in DSW is thinking about Schrodinger’s cat while she’s trying on those wedges…who’s to say?

Back to School

2008-08-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

Outfit: Dress: Fossil; Flats: Old Navy; Earrings: NY&Company

Obviously, I’m not conscientious enough about updates to be a blogger worth her salt. I’ll blame this on the mind-numbingly boring law orientation I attended, as well as jaunting home to see my best friend from forever this weekend.

Law school started out as a whim for me; I had won a scholarship from a public university to get my master’s in ESL and be a teacher. Luckily, spending a summer as a camp counselor for underprivileged kids showed me there is not a job I’m less suited to, except for maybe lumberjack or deep sea crab fisherman, and so I freaked out and took the LSAT at the recommendation of one of my best friends (and we ended up taking the test together and going to the same school, which is a story for another day). I took it twice, made it my bitch (ha!) the second time around, and started applying to schools all over the country.

But the point of this entry is that perhaps this will morph into a law/fashion blog, mainly because I get peeved with the random (often unsolicited) advice and stories I receive from all over the board. I’ve had people tell me they’re oh-so-sorry I’m going to law school; that it will be the most horrible three years of my life; that most of my relationships will emerge in tatters, if at all. I’ve had other students tell me there are days when I won’t have time to shower; that I won’t be able to enjoy novels again, because my mind will be too analytical for fiction; that I’ll spend every waking moment in the library, subsisting on vending machine food and Mountain Dew.

And maybe I will. Maybe all those things are (God forbid) true. But I feel like a lot of them are exaggerations, and I’d like to tell it how it is here, so that poor future 1Ls have one positive, realistic view to compare against the countless law blogs lamenting the horrors of law school. I feel dedicated to maintaining a balance—working hard but still making time for the people I love; keeping up with my favorite authors and still knocking out Wuthering Heights once a year; and occasionally showering.

(However, if you should see me frantically scurrying toward the library, clothed in sweats and clutching Gardettos and my contracts book, you don’t need to say "I told you so.")

Oh, and the Fashion Part

2008-08-16T00:52:00.000-07:00

I can't figure out how to arrange my photos in my blog, so I'll just post again. And the format's still all jacked up, but I'm pretty lazy.

Outfit: Embroidered Dress, Old Navy*; Flats: Anne Klein by way of DSW; Earrings: NY&Company; Belt: a department store in Spain

*For a few brief, glorious weeks this summer Old Navy actually stocked some cute, chic clothes--little embroidered sundresses, floral skirts, cropped jackets, printed flats. I guess some fashion chief there had only a brief moment of good taste, because now it's back to tanks and tees and plastic flip-flops again. Too bad.

At Least He's Got His Looks Going For Him

2008-08-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

I’ll start this out by saying my dog is not the smartest. He’s crafty, and often sneaky, and always sweet, but not smart. Case in point: above picture.

Once or twice a day, Lester shimmies under the couch and proceeds to have a grand time under there with the dust bunnies. He thunks, he growls, he army crawls from one end to the other. When it’s time for him to come out, however, there’s just one problem: he’s stuck. He can get his head out, but never his shoulders. He then proceeds to lie there, periodically crying and thrashing around, until I use my twinkie arms to heave up the edge of the couch and let him out. His current record for being trapped beneath the couch is just under two hours. Good thing he's so cute.

Getting to Know You

2008-08-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hi. I’m Erica.

I’ve been a reader of blogs for a while—blogs about everything, from babies to the single life to how to bake a great cherry pie. Every night, sometime after dinner and before I fall into bed, where my chihuahua is generally already waiting, I catch up on how Amalah’s pregnancy is going, and who’s brokenhearted after a bad date, and who’s just venting after a particularly trying day at work.

More recently, I discovered fashion blogs—a whole legion of well-dressed women who are sharing their unique vision of style with the world. And now every morning, when I have time, I make the rounds to see what my favorite fashion femmes are wearing today, how they’ve mixed patterns and fabrics and eras and colors.

I originally conceived of this as a fashion blog, but I also want to join and add to that community of writers out there who share their own lives to make others’ a little more interesting—to make them think or respond or just smile. So here goes—first post, first outfit, and some things about me.

--I’m about to start law school, and kind of terrified about it. More on that later.

--It’s best not to mention Victorian literature, Woody Allen films, or certain television shows if you don’t want me to get overly excited and give you a lecture about their merits.

--I can also go on and on about classic film and musicals. I can appreciate everything from Gidget to Citizen Kane, but I’m snobbier with the stage musicals. I don’t want to talk with you about Mamma Mia.

--I have a chihuahua, which I realize is a scorned and deeply loathed breed for much of America. But mine is sweet. Really.

--My closet is organized by color, not by season. In Texas, anything goes, so I just leave everything out all the time.

--I have an embarrassing taste for trashy celebrity gossip. (I furtively slip magazines featuring said gossip into my cart at the store, and then read about how Jen's having John's baby in the tub late at night.)

--My big splurges are almost always shoes and jeans. Jeans not so often because a really good pair can last several years, but I have trouble passing up a beautiful shoe.

About the outfit: I'm on board with all the mustard-y yellows that were everywhere this summer. Dress: Belk; Shoes: Bandolino; Necklace: NY&Company; Ring: a shop in Spain