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

winterize

dress & cardigan from Target
boots from Chinese Laundry
Going: to class and then work later.

I have worn this dress a lot since I bought it last year. It looks good with sandals and tights/boots too, although I would much rather it be warm enough to lose the cardigan! For work, I have to do a lot of housework, errands, and also a lot of driving in the car, so I like to wear really comfortable clothes.

finally february

So excited to see my iCal switch over to February 1. January is so hard for me to get through. February is just short enough that it seems manageable, so welcome!

today's manicure: Essie Mint Candy Apple. I searched since summertime for a minty green polish. When I saw this polish appear online a couple months ago, I ordered it immediately! This light green is my favorite color ever. The polish itself is a little goopy/thick but I have done about 7 manis with it already. Worth it.
that's me in the black with pink goggles!
Snowboarding! I am getting a little more confident every time. This weekend was a little icy for my taste/skill level, but it is still fun to get out to the beautiful mountain.

pesto tofu scramble, yum I also have made this, my new favorite recipe twice in the past 4 days. I found it on a great new (to me) blog, The Hungry Desi. Recipe here. I made mine with tons of mushrooms, extra cherry tomatoes and tons of garlic. I really hate cooking in my tiny kitchen but this dish is easy and lasts for 2 full meals!

So this week will be pretty lame. I have to write a brief for moot court, among my other usual heavy workload. I am desperately trying to find an affordable ticket to go home for a dear friend's baby shower this weekend, but it is not looking good. $500+ just for a 2-night trip home? Ouch.

Happy February!!!

another new year

So January is almost over already (hallelujah) but I'm still in the "new & improved" frame of mind. 2009 was a roller-coaster, mostly just because I finished my first year of law school and started my second year, and that is enough of a challenge all by itself. But I also managed to fit in some fun stuff: completed my first half-marathon (1:53), visited home twice, visited Yellowstone, went to a fun retro costume party, improved my snowboarding skills, and I even got a haircut that I like.

This year will be even better. Although school is busier than ever, and I am not loving my nannying job, I have a lot to look forward to. Among other things, I am going to be back in Florida all summer...which alone would give me enough joy to last all year!

Last week was definitely a high note to start 2010 when I had the chance to attend the Kenneth Cole Vintage Black Party at Sundance Film Festival. I guess I was having a little too much fun to take any pictures of the beautiful people there :) Who knew Utah could party so hard?!
P.S. the Vintage Black cologne itself is delicious, I have even been spritzing it on myself, shhhh.

party nails...with party chips Mad as a Hatter by OPI.

The drive home was not quite as amazing. It was a full-on blizzard through a mountain pass, super scary. So worth it though.

Besides having more fun this year (really), I am going to focus on building my confidence, building my fitness, cooking more often & with less dairy/eggs (moving towards vegan perhaps??!), and saving up for a long-deserved honeymoon!!

One more goal for 2010 is really get a daily (or, semi-daily) outfit picture going. I have been really pleased with my outfits lately and even if no one else is looking, I like having a record of things I've mixed & matched. I tried all day today to find a sunny spot in my apt, and the next step is finally getting a tripod!


HAPPY 2010!

well, I like it

I have been looking forward to Anna Sui/Target since I heard about it. When the rumor went around that the line was canceled due to Target not wanting to endorse Gossip Girl, I panicked. Luckily the line came out on September 13 as promised. I loved almost everything when I went to Target and spent about an hour in the dressing room...

This "metallic feathers" dress is so cool. My only dilemma- where on earth would I wear it? The body is a tweed, the cut is revealing, and the neck-embellishments are fancy.

I love the back.

I was hoping I could throw on a blazer to make it work-appropriate, but, uh, no.


The only other disappointment came in the cream-lace "Blair" dress that I loved so much in the pictures. It looks really cute from the front, and the details are great.

Unfortch, it was a potato sack from the side. A belt would ruin the look. I wish it would have been just a bit more tailored, and I would have been really tempted to drop $70 on it...


I was really impressed with the details in most of this collection. Maybe the detailing had something to do with the wayyyy higher-than-average-Target-price points. I ended up leaving with 2 dresses; one "Blair" and one "Jenny". I could have bought a lot more. I will style them later this week!

new favorite couple?

maybe? they are just both so beautiful.

leighton shines again

Leighton in Christopher Kane, proving that she is the most fashionably-interesting girl to be photographed these days. Of course the dress would not look good on everyone (or even MOST people), but it looks great on her and is sure to turn heads. The shoes may be a little heavy for the dress but she is so confident that I barely notice.

...and this shoe/pant combo look is now at the top of my fall wishlist.

Also, check out Leighton's new song Body Control- I couldn't turn it off for my whole run today.

new betsey

Slowly, the looks from Betsey Johnson's fall line are becoming available. I am still holding out for the sequin & jersey tuxedo jacket (from this post), but maybe someone will buy me the little bichon frise t-shirt to get me started :)


Only $98 haha. I don't even want to know how much the jacket of my dreams will cost!

Only GaGa

Finally someone wore Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's Kermit stole in public....



yessss.

retail SHAME

Here is a story about one time when I was one of those customers that the associates groan about for an hour after you leave. I felt so bad! So, I have a long history with Express. I worked there for 2 years, have the Express card, always liked the store.

One day I saw a sale going on, and it had been a really long time since I bought any clothes. I was in desperate need of new jeans, and their BOGO 50% off was a perfect excuse. Even though I was pretty broke, I went armed with a coupon and my Express card, knowing I could pay off my purchases within 2 months. So I spent a good hour finding the right jeans, and decided to add a couple clearance shirts too. The associates were along with me the whole time, spending lots of time helping me with sizes and colors.

It was finally time to check out, my total was a healthy $100...and whoops- my Express card isn't swiping. I was not surprised, since I had not used the card in 2 years and it was super old. No problem, the cashier said, I will just call it in. Ohh man...at this point I was already holding up the line and I know that a cashier's tolerance decreases by about 90% as soon as they have to "call something in".

Well a 10-minute phone call later, and it turns out my account is NOT active, they have to reactivate it, but that means you cannot use your card today...it will take 7-10 days. AHHHH. I had no other way to pay for it...so I had to abandon! The dreaded "cancel transaction"!! The sales girl who helped me was giving me dagger-eyes!! I apologized 100 times and said how embarrassed I was, promised I'd be back as soon as my account activated and that I'd remember her name so she'd get credit for the sale.

Oh wait...this story actually happened today. And there's no way I'll be back- my embarrassment will definitely keep me away from shopping for a LONG time. This is probably the universe's way of telling me to not even THINK about buying clothes.

shoes of the day

It is no secret around here that I am broke as a joke. The little money I do have is not my own, and will have to be repaid with interest. So I don't go online-window-shopping like I used to- it is too depressing. But I am just dying to get my hands on some summery sandals. I am craving huge platforms that go with everything. When I wear heels to school, I feel a little overdressed for some reason, but sky high platforms are easier to walk in and a little more casual. Shopbop has a wonderful selection right now.


Marc by Marc, $111

Ash, $87


Twelfth St Cynthia Vincent, $106. Ahhh I want these so bad.

Unfortch these are all still out of my reach, even though on sale. But seriously if you have some cash burning a hole in your pocket, send it directly to me go over to Shopbop, they are having grrreat sales right now.

a hint of summer

Last weekend was a mini-vacation stuck between my 2 summer sessions. Cabin on the Snake River, Yellowstone, and fireworks for the 4th. The West is so weird, our Yellowstone day was 55 and f-f-freezing, and the next day way sunny and 90, perfect for floating on the river. I am hoping this doesn't turn out to be my only trip away from Utah this summer but it was so good to get away.

things that I shouldn't like that I like

Cheryl Cole celebrating her birthday in Alexander McQueen.


Amber Rose with F.I.E.R.C.E. hair. Also loving the pink lipstick.

michael jackson

Some of my favorite MJ songs...Beat It and Billie Jean. I thought the Billie Jean video was the coolest thing ever made- the light up squares! His music is timeless, I'll be listening to it forever.

almost summer

The end is in sight...I turn in a paper tomorrow, and I have only a few days left until my summer school finals are over. Just in time, the weather finally turned warm. It was ridiculously cold here (50's and rainy) up until a couple days ago...madness! My mood has been crappy, and just to add to it I haven't worked out in a week and that just always makes me feel gross.

Ready for biking...baseball games...lots of sun...fireworks...can't wait for summer to start

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.

the pros and cons of dogs

cons:

sometimes you have to walk in the rain & cold

it is harder to plan vacations

pros:

everything else.

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.

MET gala

I am at day 14/16 of studying for final exams. So, I am burned out to say the least (even though I'm incredibly excited to be DONE DONE DONE with 1L!!!). I have been resting my brain by browsing pictures of the Met Costume Institute Gala. I really hate the concept of best/worst lists, they are so arbitrary and stupid. I always find myself loving looks that end up on the "worst" lists. Like today.

I love this lace jumpsuit, designed by her. Where could I ever wear something like this? Bummer.

So vibrant, love the sleeves & detail on the leggings. Just don't look at the heels of those shoes...these gothic-heeled Louis Vuitton popped up on a few girls...like Madonna' atrocious thigh-highs. I can't look at a flared-heel shoe without thinking goth girl.

Then there were my 2 on the "best" lists: my favorite Kates, both wearing Stella.







So beautiful.
Back to the brain-melting studying ughghhhh. *Just telling myself if I do well, I might be able to afford a sweet lace jumpsuit someday*