maybe coming back?

I dunno. Things are ridic. Nuts. Cray cray. Psycho. Can't deal.

I just graduated law school...finally! Moving back to Florida....finally! Taking the Bar Exam in 2 1/2 weeks...AHHHHHH! Been studying all summer. No fun til July 28. Still unemployed....AHHHH! Loans become due next month :( So I'm moving back next week to find a job, take the Bar, etc etc.

I got super discouraged from blogging b/c I don't have a nice camera, or sponsors, or enjoy self-promotion, and it seems that's all that "fashion" blogging has become.

Well I will decide for sure once the Bar is over, but for now I have a tumblr, which I'm finding to be really fun.

christinenoel.tumblr.com

as if you needed another reason...

I have been sitting in a courtroom a lot lately as part of my internship. I see a lot of prisoners come in for their hearings. Some of the local jails issue Crocs for their inmates...enough said.

business casual

Summer school is rough. It's like regular, hard school plus throw in an internship to eat more of your time. My wardrobe needs to be more versatile too. I have to sit in class and be comfortable, walk to the bus and the train, walk around downtown, and look appropriate in court. I am really having to mix things up since I can't buy anything new for my summer closet rolling rack. One of my "hits" so far:
vintage silk shirt, DI. tulip skirt, Kenzie. gold flats, Target.

I found these brontosaurus earrings in a box of my old stuff when I was visiting home.

And, do I even have to tell you what my mood is like considering it's JUNE and today it was 50 degrees and rainy? Didn't think so.

case of the mondays?

Today = me sulking. Grades came out for last semester and I did awful, there are tons of problems with my summer financial aid so I have no $$ for bills, and summer school is really hard.

To cheer myself, here is Leighton Meester looking hot at last night's MTV awards. She is really setting herself up to be a fashion idol of mine!


That is one sexy dress.
Dress- Emilio De La Morena, Shoes- Brian Atwood
photos:here.

I also came across this gem while reading Perez, which helps me feel a little better about myself. It makes me think, hey, at least I am self-aware.

Spencer's 1st Rap Video.

I love how his entourage consists of Heidi, and a snake.

My birthday was pretty fun, just because it was the same day as Barrister's Ball, fondly referred to as "Law School Prom". I would rate it WAY more fun than my senior prom where I basically was dumped by my date as soon as we walked in, but less fun than my Junior Prom, where I had the sweetest dress in school and went with people I loved.
Anyway, "prom" was fun because I was, well, very much loosened up...enough to just dance the whole time! And there was hummus there, so that was cool.

My dress worked out well, and I found some cute 4.5" beige/coppery Steve Madden heels @ Ross for 9.99. They were comfortable until I realized that dancing my heart out in brand new shoes had left gashes (not blisters) on the side of both feet. They are just now healing!

My mom gave me a Visa gift card for my birthday, and I am just trying to decide if I should get new running shoes or highlights/hair cut. I need both desperately, but one is going to have to wait until my summer loans come through! I have been proud of my running lately, it's been so hard with the weather not able to decide if it's winter or spring. I hate it. Jillian has been keeping me sane on ExerciseTV on demand, at least. To try and keep my motivation up, I have been reading some running blogs..Skinny Runner and The Chic Runner are inspirational and have some other great links. I was planning on doing the SLC 1/2 marathon next week, but just can't swing the $65 entry fee.

Anyway, I can't believe I am less than a month away from completing my whole first year of law school. It is so exciting. The year has truly been a blur and I struggle with feeling stupid every day, but I have a good feeling that I'm in the right place, doing what I should be doing.

Hope everyone has a happy Easter/Passover. I was super lucky to get hooked up with the Easter brunch at my favorite hotel in the city. I was thinking of wearing a white dress but with the weather still in the 40s/50s, it just doesn't feel right. We'll see!

almost un-buried...

haha...don't you just love stupid stock photos?

I have 2 full days left until finals are over. I have almost survived my first semester of law school. Survived...but thrived? We'll see. I feel like I'm just flopping and flailing around. If I can get through Friday, there is a no-holds-barred weekend waiting for me in VEGAS.


image from flickr

ALIVE...sort of

You know how people say that law school is tough, especially the first year?

wow.

Does anyone know of a remedial law program? Anyone?

Luckily it has been a little more comfortable thanks to Danielle at solestruck. These shoes are great on my 1-mile, uphill walk to class (and of course my 1-mile, downhill walk home too!)

Found here.

It also snowed like crazy today. I'm talking blizzard. (I'm told it was not even close to a true blizzard, but coming from Florida...yeah...blizzard). I walked to class and the snow was falling so fast...I couldn't help but think of this:

...the snow barrel blast level from Donkey Kong Country. I love that game.

I am trying to keep up with the weather, but it is hard. Last week it was 75, this week 25. How will I ever survive the long snowy winter?

Alice Temperley for Target sweater...AA skirt, same Target boots

Target sweater, Rogan for Target tunic, Levis, Report booties, Great-Grandma's brooch

Anthropologie top, Target sweater, old brown cords, F21 velvet flats.

power of positive thought?

The frigid temperatures inside the reading room forced me outside for lunch, where I'm eating on the steps of the Met Pioneer Theatre next to Constance Billard the law school. Besides trying to NOT pretend I'm in GG fantasy world, my biggest challenge so far has been keeping my mind right.

4 weeks in, and I've already had a few bad days. More than time management or simply the hefty load of work I've been given, I have struggled most with keeping the right attitude about the task in front of me.

Today is a good day. Today I look at the assignments and know that I'm actually working directly towards my professional goals. I look at the job postings and clinical listings on the cork boards and get excited about the prospect of soon being able to apply to both. I know that I'm going to be at school for 6 more hours today (after already having been here for 4) and I'm ok with that. Days like today, I can tell myself to work hard because the end will be worth it.

On bad days, I can't even remember why I wanted to come here. The work stretched out in front of me is endless, with little relief for the next 9 months. I can't imagine grinding away at these casebooks every single day. I can't handle carrying around my 100 lbs worth of text books all the way to the bus stop, then to the school, and back again. I am trying to keep those days to a minimum, and truth be told, time is actually going by pretty fast. I'm sure I'll beg it to slow down as we get closer and closer to finals and final assignments, but I will be fine as long as I work day-to-day and keep my perspective right. I have found that I can't think about the end result when I'm tired or cranky...I have been getting better at stopping when my mind is in the wrong place, taking a break, and coming back later. My mind is pretty useless when I'm exhausted and irritated.


Sigh. Now I just need to work on getting more sleep...

changing of the colors.

I have gone to my first home football game, seen my breath and felt a chill in the morning air, and felt a few crunchy leaves under my feet.

And, my toenails will no longer be hot pink. When the weather's chilly, only burgundies, reds, and other dark hues will do.




That's right, Fall has officially started to creep in.

I think Fall is definitely more fun when you live somewhere where the leaves turn colors. As much as I love Florida, it just doesn't feel as festive for all the fun Autumn holidays when the air is hot and the palm trees all stay green. I like a little chill in the air...but I will be eating my words come January when I'm trudging through snow to school everyday!

I just wish I wasn't stuck in the reading room during the last of these sunny, mild days!

it has begun

I'm a law student! 2 weeks done, endless to go, but it has been a blur thus far. I have more to read and less money to spend than ever before in my whole life. It's a little overwhelming but exciting too.
I have a 3-day weekend and I am all caught up for Monday so I'm taking my time watching some tennis, reading blogs, and snuggling with my dog. She has been so annoyed with the decrease in attention.

I'm also having fun playing with my brand spanking new MacBook Pro. Almost worth the increase in crushing debt!

More soon.

realizations:

I am a bad blogger.
I am moving across the country in 2 weeks and have no place to live yet.
My thighs may just never be a size 2, not matter how much I run.
Even though it is a bangin' deal, I still cannot afford to buy this perfect Marc by Marc dress:

But you can buy it here. sniff.

But, if I work hard enough for the next 3 years, buying Marc by Marc dresses to my heart's delight should be no problem at all...and that is a small comfort.

christmas shopping

with a free day on my hands, I made a trek to the mall for the little odds & ends that would signal the END of my Christmas shopping. What trek it was-- my usual 15 minute drive time took almost an hour, and even singing along loudly with The Clash, Led Zepplin, & Timbaland would not ease my creeping road rage.

On the bright side, I was in and out in about 2 hours and my Christmas shopping is completely done. For some reason, the whole mall smelled like gingerbread so it made things a little more bearable. I had to stop by Forever 21 to see if they had the moose sweater (they didn't), Urban Outfitters for my sister's stocking stuffers, and Neiman Marcus for stuff to pamper my main squeeze. My outfit today was definitely inspired by the Blair look on Gossip Girl, but I of course kept my own style so that I wasn't running around looking like a complete Blair-wannabe with my curled hair, headband, collared shirt, skinny jeans, and leopard print peep-toes:



I tried on a topper that would go with a prep school ensemble, and loved it:


But again, I could not justify a purchase only a mere 3 days before Christmas, especially one that is slightly too heavy to be useful in Florida.


And although I did not find the moose sweater of my Christmas dreams, I found another ugly sweater that is still on my mind-

old man stripes, orange mixed with gray and brown, two different patterns; it is great. If my Christmas bounty doesn't include a sweater, I'll probably be back.

I have to admit that I spent a little bit of money on myself today, just not on any clothes, to congratulate myself. I got a surprise last night in the form of my LSAT scores, more than a week and a half before scheduled arrival. They weren't tip-top Harvard-worthy, but they were certainly okay (possibly worthy of the majority of schools numbered 15 and higher), and I feel immense relief. I think I can now say with (cautious) certainty that I will get into a law school. I found a few little treasures that are in no danger of encroaching on my Christmas list gifts, and I'll be sure to post them tomorrow.

Good luck to anyone who dares venture out into the surely crazy crowds tomorrow!

back to fashion, for now

Well, the test is over, thank you to everyone who gave me good wishes! I definitely needed every last one, but alas I don't know if the good feelings were enough to save my sorry, mushy brain. More than 5 hours of mind-numbing testing, and it was such a blur that I don't really know how well I did. I think I totally bombed one section, but maybe made up for it in the other 5? We'll see...I need to know if I should be aiming for the likes of George Washington/Wash.U or more along the lines of SUNY Buffalo/U. of Utah! haha...no offense to any school, I will be happy if I get in anywhere.

SO, being the vain little person I am, felt deserving of a reward just for completing the test. I went to Neiman's Last Call in hopes of finding some new skinny jeans. It was very slim pickings, but I did find some beautiful Vince velvet skinny pants for $60.

They fit like a glove, and will be pretty festive if I dress them up, but I think they can work for everyday wear too.



I tried them on with this top, and it looked awesome, but the top was still $78 and I just couldn't justify that. But let me know if it goes on sale at shopbop, mmmmk?

Ok, it's been awhile so I need to jump back in and catch up with all the wonderful blogs out there, and get a move on my holiday shopping....and with all the crazy traffic around the malls here, I think I will be staying exclusively online!

oh, eva!

I am breaking out of my horrible work-and-LSAT-induced silence for a much needed break, and to share my love of the painfully gorgeous Eva Green.



She just oozes glamour at the London premiere for The Golden Compass. I have never seen someone pull off a floor-length, all-black, pale-skinned, red-lipped ensemble without looking goth, and definitely not looking so beautiful that I don't even feel like a woman compared to her (I'm looking at you, Dita Von T. Sorry, I just cannot get behind her--her whole schtick is not my style in the least).




Only she could distract me from Daniel Craig's beauty as Vesper Lynd, of course, in Casino Royale. When they share the screen, I can't decide who to focus on.

Back to reality--I have exactly 31.5 hours until the LSAT. This is the only time I'm thankful that my crappy job is cutting my hours- I will take all the time off in the world until this is over.

really, now. really.

I had the whole weekend off for a romantic anniversary rendezvous that included lounging, eating great food and even an unexpected, very cool gift (this + a beautiful chunky chain). Unfortunately, it did not allow for much LSAT study time. **T-minus 11 days**--I am flipping out. I really, really need to spend every free waking hour studying. Really. I need to stop reading blogs, stop shopping, put running on the back burner, & stop doing everything else until this is over & done!

My last shopping experience for these 2 weeks happened today when I walked over to SuperTarget for my lunch break. I had almost completely forgotten about Erin Fetherston's debut this past Sunday. I guess I'm pretty disillusioned by the GO! International lines after numerous disappointments. Her dresses are cute, but I'm not in the market for cutesy ruffled/babydoll/chiffon dresses. I tried on some pants that fit poorly and the only thing left that interests me is this:

On Target's website, a reviewer called this top "too costumey". Perfect! I hate wearing things that everyone else is wearing. At only $19.99, I'll order it online and take my chances.

Sorry, but I'm hoping this is my last post until at least December 2nd. I will leave you with a hilarious video (an homage to my inexplicable & intense love for Andy Samberg):


Happy Thanksgiving!!

panic!

Last night & a little bit of today have been spent panicking. Today is November 5th, meaning in a mere twenty-five days my whole future is decided. Too dramatic? Ok, but December 1st is the day I take the LSAT, and I'm suddenly feeling entirely unprepared. I need to study much more than I have been, so my posting may slow down until December 2nd. Or maybe not- I am a furious procrastinator, and browsing blogs/shopping online are my weapons of choice.


these are THE shoes + THE floor. see how my poor shoes are just collapsing? but they could have been cute once, right?? And these are my supercute dark dark purple jeans (that didn't show up too well) that I'm wearing with just about everything lately.

see y'all soon!