Color Chromatologist

H&M bright orange pleated midi skirt (S) // Forever 21 royal blue tshirt (M) //
H&M red chunky jewels statement necklace // Merona bright orange strappy sandals (5.5) //
Forever21 zebra double ring //

Photography: JJ

I'M A SCIENTIST. Work outfit for my second to last day of summer research (8/3). I presented on my human balance study with my fellow fellows and man is neuroscience cool and truly inter-disciplinary. Last day of break room coffee, last day of MATLAB'ing for a while, last day of dress code teehee. It was a fun summer of learning to dress profreshionally and being the brightest (color-wise) thing to ever walk into the hospital. I'd do it alll again (a la Katy Perry!?), despite the sweaty metro commutes and lack of studying. Aside: I had to google my title to make sure it was a real word lol.

Catching the last dying rays of sunlight, a weird Asian man approached us while I snapped pictures skyward at the golden leaves. He said something in some language we couldn't understand and then looked disappointed and walked away hesitantly. Well that was weird.

New H&M chunky jewels statement necklace - perfect addition to my "accessories that make an outfit" collection for $13. I'm throwing it on with everything now to give it an extra kick and jingle when I prance around running errands. Look at me jump for joy that the MCAT is over! Well ... pre-emptively. Tang yuan for midnight snacks to the perfect consistency (high-five to the boyfriend on cooking success) and last photo shot in the almost-dark. Oh Canon, you finagle light out of anything. A-mazing.

An update from Melbourne, Florida: This is truly paradise. My high school BFF has a loft/log-cabin-attic second bedroom that I'm blogging from in between going to the beach (and swimming in a massive storm), enjoying the bipolar rain-sun weather here, eating my face off (Irish meatloaf, I-can't-believe-I-drank-a-fishbowl ... don't Google that, Mustard's Last Stand hot dogs, late night KFC runs, savior Sprite at the hot hot Orlando mall, etc), shopping my wallet to pieces (H&M, Kohl's, Charming Charlie, ULTA: Naked Palette!), and driving around seeing the town. Late night Scrubs marathons on limited (oops wrong network) internet and girly nights in. I wake up every day to a glass wall view of nature - please, please let me stay here forever.

I got 6500 problems and MCAT ain't one

I originally wanted to show a gif of me dumping all my MCAT materials into a trashcan, but I'd need a much larger trashcan. So I estimated the number of problems in my MCAT prep books and ... that is a lot of freaking problems. But it ain't mine anymore : )

For anyone who needs a refresher on anything from limiting reagents and acid-base titrations (like me) or even simple algebra, KhanAcademy.org is absolutely amazing. I read an article about the founder, Sal Khan, in Wired magazine and became inspired at his simply homemade method to understanding the basics so you can master all the details. Trust me, a day before exam day, I wanted to do anything but read another passage and work another 6-hour practice test so I visited Khan Academy and started watching. 

The guy's really cool. Apparently Sal graduated from MIT and all that, but he's human too. He doesn't edit and you can't see his face, it's a no-pressure one-on-one learning experience that you can pause, speed up, or rewind. If you're like me, you don't like to have someone breathing down your neck as you practice a concept or don't admit that the teacher moved too quickly (and just smile and nod understandingly anyway). I'm a combination of visual and auditory learner, so this is perfect. There's everything from math, to inorganic and organic chemistry, biology, and physics and humanities too. There's even personal finance! Bonus: they give you achievements and imaginary badges (we all know this is what really sold me). 

Check it out. Sal is really making waves in a humble and fun educational manner. Now if only I had started osmotizing all of this information earlier in the summer ... Captain Hindsight to ruin the day!

Either way, peace guys. I'm am here in FLORIDA for the first time ever! This summer was absolutely nuts what with research, secondaries, the MCAT, on and on and on. I had probably too many fun moments and food for my good but it was all worth it. Now for a few days on the East Coast (beaches, Disney World, food, old friend yes please) and then back across the country to the West Coast (home, beaches, food, family yes please). Of course there's still secondaries and the semester to prepare for, but hey, one thing at a time. 

THANK YOU GUYS for sticking with me this entire time and for all your good lucks and "you can do it"s. It means so much to have you guys as my cheerleaders through this crazy time! Of course, more threads and therapy coming right up. I have soooo many outfits sitting there waiting to be edited and posted : ) A little secret: after these horrid weeks, I've a mental folder miles thick full of fashion inspiration for this fall - get excited!

Three Giveaway Winners

From forever ago until 8/12 8 PM CST, I am going to be living and breathing MCAT problems until it replaces oxygen as my body's main source of air. Breaked for a studying/un-studying tour at Target/Borders/Nordstrom Rack/REI/Bubble Tea/Panera/Starbucks/Pitaya (tax free weekend August 5 to 7 in Missouri). Now breaking only for more C8H10N4O2. Yeah ... time to remove the internet and obsessions about fall colours and fabrics from my mind. Don't worry - I'll be back with a vengeance (we all know I can't quit blogging no matter how hard I try) with more outfits. Forecast: high of 105 and reviews + blog shop grand opening. HOT.

The new winner of the JStyleshopper giveaway is Fashion Addict (90/172 entries). The second winner of the Alonai shoes giveaway is NEW WINNER (80/204). Finally, the winner of the Apothica giveaway is peniam (50/67). Congrats ladies! Please email me your mailing address within 72 hours or I will select new winners.

Stay tuned for more giveaways from amazing sponsors! : ) Thanks for staying with me and being patient, loves. It means a whole lot in lbs of moral support!

Don't Rock the Boat

Faded Glory red scoopneck tee (XS) // Forever 21 red and navy striped high-waisted mini skirt (S) //
Fioni? white low heel slingbacks (5.5?) // H&M white bow fedora hat //
Forever 21 gold chain turquoise pendant necklace // Gifted turquoise ring //
H&M bird print blue sheer scarf // Urban Outfitters double face watch //

Photography: JJ

O.M.G. It's August ( !! ... : | ... D: D: ! My thoughts emoticons exactly). I've been on such a nautical streak lately, digging for the navy, white, and red striped pieces in my closet. If only I had a straw or white boater hat. Something about the slightly vintage pinup look makes me go ga-ga. This is what I wore to a pho linner (lunch-dinner, like brunch is breakfast-lunch) on Saturday (7/30) at Mai Lee, aimless yet fun tech browsing at Best Buy, and a dab of shopping at Tarjay (there's this nude pair of low wedges in 5.5 that keeps nagging at me to take them home ... must ... resist going back). Lots of birthdays this past weekend. Fast forward through go-karting, too much pizza and wings, 10-minute peanut butter sauce noodles, and not enough studying and here we are at the start of a new week.

Yesterday was a relatively productive Monday. I chugged through half the data analysis and outline for my summer research presentation on Thursday, ready for the end of the beginning. Went to the med school library after work and chugged through more pages of MCAT review/problems than my brain can process without sufficient caffeine intake. Today, on the other hand, called for a lengthy lunch at Pappy's Smokehouse "Best BBQ in St. Louis" and home of the Adam Bomb - in honor of the crazy guy from Man vs. Food. That is how much I ate in one sitting - (beef brisket and pulled pork sandwich, full rack of ribs, fresh cole slaw, Frito Pie with hot sausage, big slab of chicken) x0.25. My stomach wanted only to "rest and digest" and so that's what I've done all day ...  

This fall is going to be nuts too. I'm going to need a bigger coffeemaker.

Don't forget to enter my Apothica giveaway! Ending in 2 days !!!