Class to Work: Forest Green Blazer + DIY Inkblot Top

Class:

Thrifted forest green blazer with bold lapels // DIY inkblot top (Whit & Mal's tutorial) // 
H&M nude cami tank (underneath) //

Forever 21 skinny jeans // H&M black bow flats //
Chicwish gold spike chain necklace //

Work: 

Thrifted forest green blazer with bold lapels // DIY inkblot top //

Forever 21 grey and black roses pencil skirt // Payless black pumps //
Chicwish gold spike chain necklace //

Photography: Cassandra

Throwback time (8/13/12): I remember this was one of the first professional dress outfits I wore for medical school last year. The day was hot, the lecture room was cold, and I needed to switch from morning casuals for lecture to something dressier for afternoon clinical class. By swapping my skinnies for a pencil skirt and tucking in my top, this was a simple class-to-work transition. There's something about the sharp lapels on this blazer thrifted in San Fran that remind me of Romulan starships. Unfortunately, pencil skirts inevitably get shorter on my legs after walking anywhere so truly knee-length pieces are on my thrift list.

Looking back, I am grateful my hair is no longer that fried and this makes me miss summer badly - yesterday morning I trekked through a light layer of snow to get to my 8 AM clinical exam. Frigid winter is already upon us - hide yo wife, hide yo kids, hide yo fingers inside gloves!

Wear to Work: Speckles + Double Burgundy

H&M speckled dotted cropped cardigan // H&M yellow lace cami //

H&M eggplant purple origami pleat skirt // Forever 21 burgundy tights //

Urban Outfitters patent leather oxblood oxfords (on sale) // Jewelmint Calypso necklace (c/o) //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Last weekend, autumn came out to play much to my bare legs' dismay. Thus before heading out into the brisk cooler morning, I threw on my pair of trusty thicker burgundy tights from last season and matched them with my new oxfords in the same shade. This lengthens the legs modestly since they're flats, but are a twist to the classic black-on-black trick. The eggplant shade on this skirt is an elegant jewel tone for the colder months, and the origami pleat in the front adds a subtle detail that makes it less "ho-hum pencil skirt." Pairing it with the ever-popular burgundy/oxblood makes for a fall-appropriate palette while further extending the illusion of longer legs. By the way, scored the skirt and dotted cardigan for $5 each during an H&M sale a few months ago - thrifty work wardrobe win!

I wore this look under my white coat for clinical class on Monday (10/20) and to meet my Med 1 mentee, who is really sweet and fashionable too. Meanwhile, my nightly read (Dan Brown's Inferno) turned into an engrossing page-turner and I had a roarin' time kicking off Halloween festivities at "Dr. Gatsby's" mansion. This amazing scene was complete with an octagonal open foyer, mini spiral staircase, rope bridge to a fully furnished treehouse, turning bookshelves, fireman's pole, rooftop access, and med students/residents/doctors decked out in 1920's suits and flapper dresses. The eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg presided over the dance floor, and we were all beautiful little fools for a night.

P.S. I love, love, love Ohio's fall foliage. Can't ever get over it.

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Trench Coat for Autumn Rain

Target khaki trench coat // H&M pastel floral peplum top // Forever 21 tan lace pencil skirt //

Predictions for Payless black pumps // H&M croc print faux leather skinny belt //

Lancome red lipstick in Rouge Baroque // Target clear bubble umbrella //

Photography: Cassandra Morecroft King

For this month's Bloggers Do It Better challenge, our task is to showcase our winter coats. While I recently invested in a long North Face puffy-yet-sleek parka for practicality and preservation of fingers and toes, the fleeting fall days are a great transitional time for light jackets like a trench coat. These are surprisingly water repellant to block out the freezing rain.

This outfit was from an entire year ago (10/19/2012), when the foliage in my neighborhood was absolutely striking. The explosion of fiery colours in the canopy above, reflected on wet pavement - one of my favourite images of fall, with natural confetti decorating the ground. Clear bubble umbrellas always seemed like fun raingear to me and make walking around easier when you can see right through them. They even show your outfit better than traditional opaque "rain-pellants." I tied the belt behind the coat to show off my layers underneath and liked the juxtaposition of the soft pastel flowers and peplum that are usually associated with spring against the vibrant shades of red and gold in the glistening leaves on the ground. Pop on a bright red lipstick and voila, fall workday to date night look.

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Fall Neutrals + Matching Leopard Details | Wear to Work

Old Navy beige v-neck cable knit sweater // Forever 21 burgundy wine lace pencil skirt //

Target faux calfhair leopard print flats // H&M leopard print super skinny belt //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Because I'm impatient and need to catch up on kidney knowledge before delving into editing NYFW eyecandy ... today's outfit, a go-to work ensemble that gets me through hot summer days and chilly air conditioned indoors without losing pints of sweat. Featuring neutrals and matchy-matchy leopard print belt and flats. I never thought leopard to be too wild for work, as long as it's toned down with solid colours or used for accenting. In other news I was at the airport at 3 AM and arrived in Columbus at 11, drove directly to homemade brunch & mimosas with my friends, caught up on sleep all afternoon, back to my med school life on Monday. Our a cappella group sang a surprise version of Little Talks for the first years and I even squeaked out a solo into the mic. I may feel slightly like Clark Kent today ;)

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Wear to Work: Neon Florals + Lace Shoulders

Pink champagne long sleeve top with lace shoulders // H&M neon floral knee length pencil skirt //

H&M nude extra skinny belt // Kristin Perry gold rose cat eye sunglasses //

Aldo nude almond toe pumps //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Today was my first day of the second year of med school - walking back into the same never-heard-of-a-thermostat lecture hall felt like the entire summer took place in a few nanoseconds. I always enjoyed dressing up for back to school and today was no different, pulling out all the stops with this neon pencil skirt in its classic knee-length cut. Though the print is so bright and busy, the silhouette makes it appropriate for work settings. Because it's long enough to hide my thighs, the skirt gives the illusion that my calves are super thin and lean with the one-two finishing punch of nude almond toe pumps.

Our school also rolled out ipad mini's as part of our educational tools so we spent a good deal of this morning setting them up and of course, goofing around on Photobooth (it's junior high graphing calculator games all over). After a summer running around clinic, I felt more at ease interviewing our patient for an audience of peers, even about touchy gastrointestinal topics (a flashy outfit may or may not add +10 confidence haha).

To another crazy year - as American Authors sing, this is gonna be the best day of my life ... my life-i-i-i-i-ife! (rinse, lather, repeat!)

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Summer Work Uniform: Lace Colorblock

H&M cobalt blue lace detail top // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

Pitaya yellow faux patent leather skinny belt // Merona faux calf hair leopard print flats //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Happy Tuesday! Though I was a public school kid growing up, I quite admired the look of uniforms. Since college, I've developed my own personal formula for a no-brainer uniform. By now you know my year-round go-to is a top+skirt combo, always tucked in and usually belted, often mistaken for a dress. It'd be nice to have this many dresses, eh? This morning I grabbed two lace pieces and added a yellow belt to make it into a primary color palette for clinic. Props to the women who can strut in clinic for 10 hours in 5 inch heels and not complain a peep, but a few inches of vertical help aren't worth the toe-squishing for me (and my patients are kiddos so I'm usually taller ... usually).

New concept: take < 10 pictures and magically blogging the way out of my outfit backlog become less of a dreaded, harrowing task. Apparently everyone has figured this out years ago but obstinately, I keep snapping away for different poses to fulfill my OCDish-ness. From now on I hope to streamline this process so that even during my busiest weeks I can still update. Last week: swooned by crooning Bruno Mars in concert, painting a night skyline while munching on cupcakes, chasing giant butterflies through the conservatory greenhouse, attempting to birdwatch, spontaneous dinosaur origami making, getting lost in a 32-room bookstore, David Sedaris, Pacific Rim, buffalo chicken grilled cheese. Have a great rest of the week and stay cool in this heat!

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Strawberry Banana | Spring Transition Work Outfit

H&M light pink scallop edge blouse // Thrifted Escada bright yellow pencil skirt (steal) //
Pitaya patent yellow skinny belt (steal) // H&M opaque black tights // 
Target Merona faux calfhair scallop edge leopard print ballet flats (steal) // 

Photography: self, tripod and remote

'Ello there! Welcome to my new and improved blog design, clean and minimalistic. Thanks to JJ for helping me work out all the kinks in this old tangle of code and sharing his artistic eye. Last week/Spring Break was a fantastic blur of food, reading, snoozing. Key highlights include reinventing Lunchables with gouda cheese, crackers, and deli slice turkey, watching The Croods and Hercules, dusting off my interior design/DIY renovation skills, observing strange animal behavior at the zoo, exploring the botanical gardens, discovering a vegetarian reuben that features savory wheat-meat (cray, I know) all with JJ. What I would give for another week to spend with my best friends in Arizona and Kentucky and my St. Louis babies.

This was my work outfit for today (4/1), featuring a silky light pink blouse with a scallop edge that I picked up on sale this weekend. Something needs to be done about the way it poofs unruly when tucked in, but besides that the girly touch makes this top very special. My much beloved bright yellow pencil skirt is also too big, so soon I will be searching for a tailor to fix up these two pieces. A quick fix to make the skirt more playful was to tie a yellow skinny belt to cinch it like a paperbag waist style.

Spring is just around the corner (I hope), and here's to rekindling old passions. A fresh blog face has made me more excited to post and share tidbits from my daily life again, especially because of the busy-ness. As Ferris Bueller says, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

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Florals and Foliage | Fall Work Outfit

H&M pink ruffle blazer // H&M pastel floral peplum top //

Forever 21 taupe lace pencil skirt // Predictions for Payless low heel black pumps //
Lancome lipstick in Rouge Baroque //

Photography: Cassandra Morecroft King

My bff Cassandra is back in town visiting with creative spark and crazy ideas, like photoshooting in the cold and rain to capture the ephemeral beautiful forest of fall colours down my street. We ran around my neighborhood with 2 cameras, 1 tripod, 2 umbrellas, getting progressively more drenched and frozen while having a blast. This was outfit #2 and what I originally planned on wearing to work on Friday (10/19), but under my white coat the pink blazer and peplum all accumulated to being way too much. The next post will show how I modified this to be more work-appropriate and polished. You can  still be stylin' even when it's pouring (which is all the time in Ohio).

This weekend was a whirlwind of studying for my med block final, celebrating my childhood best friend's birthday at a swank downtown restaurant, dealing with things coming up randomly. Still trying to keep my cool with hazelnut Panera's coffee, spontaneous food outings, catching up with friends old and new. Enjoy your fall foliage! Best part of this season ... besides pumpkin patches, apple cider, cozying up in layers :)

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Double Oxblood | Work to Night Out Burgundy Outfit

Day:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

DIY Christian Louboutin dupe/Payless red-sole black pumps //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) //

Night:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

Thrifted @ Goodwill/Ann Taylor black strappy wedges // H&M faux leather biker jacket //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) // Michael Todd vampy lip stain in Disco (thanks Nikki) //

Photography: self; remote and tripod

OXBLOOD AND BLOOD ORANGES. What is with the violence in colour terminology these days? Why is it oxblood and not simply blood? And even though blood oranges are so yummy, there's something so inherently Bram Stoker and grotesque about it. This all-burgundy/wine red/oxblood outfit was inspired by this pin on a Refinery 29 slideshow on wearing midi skirts. What's more fall appropriate than lace pencil skirts with a matching cable knit sweater in the same exact perfect autumn shade? For the PrettyShinySparkly oxblood challenge: one of my big-time doc blogger inspirations!

I noticed halfway through the day why my neck was itching so badly. Looking side my shirt, I saw a tag *facepalm* ... so I had my sweater on backwards. However, I rolled with it because it gave a more straight cut neckline which looked sophisticated. This black belt with the cool silver square buckle is actually a really old belt my brother wore for piano recitals when he was a little kid. Ironically it fits well around my waist still! How to transition to night time? Throw on a leather jacket to toughen things up and go along with the black and burgundy theme, exchange work-friendly pumps with strappy wedges from summer. Nothing makes me happier than sticking it to the man - in this case, Mr. CL and his uber expensive shoes. $20 pumps, $3 of nail polish and voila! Two things I will never invest in: designer heels or designer bags because I am so rough with my crap everything gets tattered faster than you can say cobbler. I'll post the DIY Christian Louboutin red sole heel tutorial soon if anyone's interested in having some faux glam fun :)

Friday night meant wearing wine colours to wine tasting but I got very lost and missed the bus, so instead mosied on over to a dumpling night event and stuffed myself with the tasty treats doused with Sriracha hot sauce (thank goodness for the sweet tea they had handy). Afterwards was an evening well spent with some new friends, practical physical exam skills. Don't judge - call us nerds now and be thankful when we can wield our diagnostic tools with finesse when you have an ear ache or pink eye. This weekend JJ visited and we had a grand old time eating along High Street and exploring North Market. And today I sang my first performance ever with our med school a cappella group - do epic shift, guys. Every single day.

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Olivia | Fall Transition Work Outfit

H&M olive green button down shirt // Forever 21 taupe lace pencil skirt //

H&M camel leather belt // Mossimo light grey suede ankle boots //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

The crisp morning air signals that fall is finally poking its darling little head around the corner! Everything is fresh with each inhale and I immediately wake up no matter how little sleep pre-midterm-week gets me, at least for the ten-minute walk. Songza pop hits pumping, headphones in, another brand new untainted day, wet clay.

I wore this outfit to class and work at the Free Clinic two weeks ago (8/31), swapping out the shoes for black flats because these ankle boots were a little casual to be professional dress. They are a great neutral piece, matching with the olive and taupe shades in this palette. It was really nice experiencing my first "real" patient from the community and having the privilege of hearing her story. As the days get shorter and the nights longer, it's vital to remember why I am here. You don't have to be a full-blown doctor to influence people, to make them feel special and taken care of. So I am to treat everyone I meet with the enthusiasm as if they were my first patient, the way I would have wanted anyone and everyone to take care of my Mom.

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Floral Inkblots | Summer Work Outfit

H&M bright floral inkblot sheath tank // Thrifted @Scholarshop/Escada bright yellow pencil skirt //

Predictions by Payless white low heel pumps // Med student white coat //
Revlon Colorburst lip butter in Lollipop //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

WHAT TO WEAR UNDER WHITE COAT #1. This was what I wore on Monday (8/27) for my first patient interview: bright peppy colours as a final salute to the (hopefully soon) last days of blistering summer. These sessions are videotaped so we can watch and reflect on what we did and how to improve, so I'm determined to wear extra fresh outfits to distract myself from the anxiety I get from watching myself on tape (I HATE hearing my own voice in these things ... hence not having branched out to Youtube). Keeping it simple and having a base colour of white for my top allows it to blend into my white coat better while introducing pops of fuchsia and green and yellow. I like the straight-cut sheath shape of this tank and decided without much deliberation at H&M, as it's one of my favourite showcased pieces of theirs this summer. The back has a tiny slit that's buttoned, so it's classy with a bit of interesting detail. It was a nice grey semi-rainy day so I was able to photograph outside with the colours un-distorted and vibrant.

The days are flying by in med school. In the past three days, I interacted with my first patient (who praised me for my empathic personality yay!), got a taste of anatomy lab with hands-on exploration, and learned how to draw blood, put in an EKG, test for blood glucose, give shots, etc. Lectures are never-ending inside class and out, and the work multiplies like a drug-resistant strain of bacteria. But I am always finding new fun things to do, like ZUMBA classes with friends, grabbing high class bubble tea, watching horror flicks when the biochem pathways become too serious. Tomorrow I am camping out early for the grand opening of the H&M in Polaris, hoping to get that $300 gift card. This Labor Day weekend, JJ is coming to visit and we're going to hit up Cedar Point for the best roller coasters in the country! If I can describe my life right now in a word, it's "intense." Dressing up every day helps me squeeze the word "fantabulous" in there too.

Scroll down to see a final surprise image ...

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Pandaphilia, Doc-in-Training

Ohio State College of Medicine white coat // Thrifted Scholarshop mint blouse //

Anne Klein black pencil skirt (part of my interview suit) // Predictions for Payless/DIY Christian Louboutin red-sole black pumps //

H&M gold segmented necklace // Thrifted Melie Bianco camel faux leather satchel bag //

Island Girl Hawaii neon yellow nail polish (forgot to remove oops) //

Photography: Cassandra (with her new Canon T3i woot!), Dad

MD-To-Be. Welcome to the brand new chapter of my life! As of last Friday I moved to Columbus, Ohio to start my journey through med school. So far Orientation has been extremely tiring and exhilarating - meeting special people and new friends and faculty who come from many backgrounds with remarkable stories and personalities. It is exhausting to say your name and where you're from over and over again - it's like we already have to start memorizing material haha.

The White Coat Ceremony was Monday and this is it! This is the moment we've all worked towards for so long! I went through the whole thing not even processing what this entailed. Yes my coat needs to be shortened and taken in just about everywhere (the Dean even said "yeah ... we'll shorten those for you" as he shook my hand) but it's my passport to the hospital! We get to work with actual patients in just 2 months, making our new curriculum at Ohio State space age and relevant.

I am blessed by every kind of spiritual being that ever existed, because my Dad helped me move in and did everything basically (color me spoiled), and my dear friends from childhood and high school came to visit. I'm adjusting surprisingly well to the environment and running errands all the time. Next Monday the lectures start - wonder how that's going to turn out! Columbus is a unique city with lots of opportunity and fun places to explore. So far I've had the best Mediterranean food on this continent (imo) and late night pizza with an inappropriately named sauce (four letter word that begins with an sl and ends with t if you're curious ... it's Sriracha and ranch). There are thrift stores and little boutiques and a mall but I doubt I'll be spending much time and money there for the next four years! However, I'm doing a fair job of getting dressed well every morning and snapping a few outfit pictures in my apartment. Those posts will regularly be posted in my now regularized life schedule once I get internet next week. For now it's sitting in the library and using their wifi after hours xD

YES, I am going to keep blogging. YES, I still love pretty clothing. YES, just like Professor Oak says on Pokemon - there's a time and place for everything! Of course I won't wear mini skirts with my white coat and Daisy Dukes in clinic, but doesn't mean I can't rock floral pumps like the petite lady doc who coated me (she and I are already developing a connection over this). More than ever I need this passion to keep me going and to destress. More than ever I like to hear from you wonderful readers! And I will never lose this goofy fun-loving make-other-people-laugh nature of mine because the healthiest people in the world have a sense of humour. Laughter is the best medicine.

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Mad Men-Inspired: Lilac and Sunny Yellow

Chicwish lilac sheer chiffon button down with pearl buttons and floral sleeves (c/o Chictopia Rewards) //

Escada Margaretha Ley yellow pencil skirt (thrifted from Scholarshop) // 

Forever 21 pearl and crystal bracelets // Claires black pearl necklace //

Predictions by Payless white low pumps // Wet n Wild Wine Room berry lipstick

Photography: DAD

LILACKING IN SUNSHINE. It's been really cloudy and cold (relatively) in San Diego recently, and today was especially windy. I haven't earnestly begun the daunting task of unpacking yet, so my camera remote was nowhere to be found and my wonderful Dad stepped up to the plate to play photographer. Didn't he do amazing?

This unique top is from Chicwish, which I redeemed from Chictopia Rewards. It's a chiffon lilac lightweight material, with long sleeves - perfect for SoCal summers - and features pearl buttons and a fun floral print on the sleeves only. This is a great way to wear the floral trend without being too overwhelming. To contrast the party on bottom, I kept it business on the bottom with a bright yellow pencil skirt I thrifted from Scholarshop for $17, which isn't bad for supposedly designer. It says size 8 but fits like a US 2. This would be a really fun summer work outfit, but this is a case of all-dressed-up-and-nowhere-to-go. I promised myself that I would wear pretty clothes every day for the rest of this summer even if just for sitting around home, no more of my lazy bum sweats that drag down my mood. Recently I have been inspired by Mad Men secretary fashion and threw up my hair into a messy high side ponytail for a modern twist.

The winner of the CLAWS Jewelry handmade designer necklace has been announced here!

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