I found it!

My perfect holiday dress!

...oh that's right, I don't need one.
If you happen to be so lucky and have an extra $340, this Carmen Marc Valvo dress is here.

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...

today, I..

Today I went...

...to the street fair and signed up to help the economy's effects on family pets.

...to the dog park so my little girl could socialize


Today I watched...

...The Messengers (Two thumbs down!)

...The Queen (Two thumbs up!)

...The Biggest Loser boot camp with Bob on Exercise TV (soberingly harder than expected)


Today I coveted...

...a perfect winter coat


...some oh-so-cozy-looking sweaters from J.Crew and Anthropologie






And now I'm fighting off yawns...sweet dreams

shoe of the day

Today is shoe of the day-- budget version! A girl in my class (from AZ) and I were lamenting our lack of cold-weather appropriate footwear for the upcoming winter. We both come from climates where little flats and some heeled sandals will do you good all year long. Last February on my trip to Idaho & Utah, I attempted to wear my flats in a blizzard. I guess I figured if they were closed-toe, I would be fine. Wrong! My shoes got soaked through (not to mention the uncovered tops of my feet) in minutes. So I have been searching for some (VERY) budget-friendly/cold friendly shoes. I found today's pair here from Target.



It's really hard to find boots on a budget, but I think retailers are doing a better and better job of putting some affordable and not TOTALLY chintzy options out there. For only $34.99, these might do the trick.

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.

not a cake...it's a torte

the top looked good...

...the sides unfortunately, not so much

I had the hardest time stacking the layers without them falling apart, and I had to spend a small fortune on all those raspberries! Otherwise, the recipe was pretty easy and completely delicious...find it here.

This adorable jewelry looks a little more perfect than my leaning torte!


$16 from seller FatallyFeminine.


$32 from seller La Patisserie.


$20 from seller Pendientuda


$18 from seller Le Pink Chocolat.


$58 from seller La Patisserie.