Happy Thanksgiving!

Part of me thinks its a cruel trick of retailers to put one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, a day after a holiday where you've just spent hours feasting.  Who wants to think about wearing, much less buying skinny jeans. Truth be told, I've never been much of a black friday shopper.  Hordes of people scare me on a good day.  And, hordes of people stampeding towards disheveled racks of clothing? I might as well be facing an army of zombies.

No, surfing the web while debating whether or not I've waited a socially acceptable amount of time before diving into the leftovers is more my speed.  On the off chance you're equally attached to your couch right now, here's some fun reads from around the web:

 * * *

• The Wall Street Journal reports that Black Friday sales may not be as "real" you think.  Isn't anything just on sale anymore?

• This is a couple of weeks old, but the Huffington Post's article on eight brands with religious affiliations has a few surprises in it. Forever 21? Really? I have no problem with printing bible verses on your shopping bags, but maybe treating your workers fairly or trying to improve labor conditions in Bangladesh would be a better way to express your faith. 

• Mashable put together some tips to avoiding scams on Cyber Monday.  Most of it seems like stuff you should be doing anyway, but it doesn't hurt to be extra careful this week.

• And, finally, now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it's time for holiday movies!  Thanks to Buzzfeed, I now know even more (well 18 things more) about my favorite holiday movie, Elf. 

Holiday Travel

Are you going home for Thanksgiving?  Thanks to a grad school schedule, I actually get a whole week off and Mr. C and I are flying out to Tucson to spend a few days with family.  This is actually the first thanksgiving that Mr. C and I will not be in DC in nearly 6 years.  I'm slightly sad to not be continuing our holiday traditions with our DC "family", but I'm pretty excited about hanging out with my mom and little brother in Tucson.  (I hear it might actually be warm there . . . but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much). 

As much as I love the holidays and being with family, I'm not the worlds biggest fan of flying.  It's a combination of a fear of heights, some rather unfortunate flying experiences, and that I get really, really bored sitting still for that long.  (I'm that person holding on to the person next to me whenever it gets even slightly turbulent.  It's better for everyone involved when that's Mr. C) To cope, I try to figure out ways to make flying as pleasant as possible. First up? Vodka.  Being comfortable.  For me, that means wearing something as close to pajamas as possible. 

The key to wearing leggings without looking either like you've given up on life or you're on your way to yoga is choosing a top that provides the appropriate amount of coverage.  I like long cozy sweaters like this one from Madewell, but you if you tend to get hot on planes, you could just as easily throw on a simple white T and a long chambray shirt.  Just make sure to bring a pashmina in case it gets chilly and to add a pop of color.  

I like to wear cute sneakers when I travel.  First because they're easy to slip on and off when you're going through security.  Unlike with flats, you can wear socks with them so you're not standing barefoot in the TSA line (I've done that and I try not to think about everyone else's feet). Plus, it's easy to dash through the airport if you're making a tight connection.  

And of course you need a great travel bag (I like this one from Kate Spade Saturday).  After the airlines lost my luggage on three trips in a row, I try to make sure I have a few of the essentials in my carry-on, so I need a bag that's roomy enough for all that and can fit everything I need to remain entertained for a whole flight. 

What are those essentials?  

1. a memory foam neck pillow (don't hate until you've tried it, you'll never go back)

2. Ipad mini (need I say more?).  For this trip, my ipad is full of episodes of Arrow

3. One of my classmates introduced me to Maybelline's Baby Lips and it's perfect for combatting that airplane dehydration. 

4. Hand sanitizer: I always travel with hand sanitizer.  The last thing you want is to pick up something nasty that will ruin your thanksgiving plans.  

* * *

So that's how I cope with traveling.  What are your tips?

J.Crew Sale Alert!

J.Crew sales seem to be a dime a dozen these days.  Chances are that if you're patient and willing to wait 6 weeks, that the item you like will end up being 30 or 40 percent off.   The problem is that most of these items end up as final sale.  And, let's be honest with J.Crew's sizing these days, buying something on final sale carries a certain amount of risk. But, a J.Crew sale where the items are not final sale and offering free shipping? This is like finding a well-dressed unicorn with a pot of gold.  Yet somehow, this weekend, whether it was from a computer glitch, the J.Crew gods feeling like bestowing a little retail therapy on all of us, or some strategic retail decision . . . the stars all aligned to make this happen.

So what did I get? I actually didn't go too crazy.  What with my student budget and the fact I haven't finished analyzing my fall/winter wardrobe, I didn't want to go crazy.  First up, a statement necklace.  I don't buy a ton of jewelry for myself.  Mr. C usually picks me up some fun pieces whenever he travels and I like having something that's a little more unique.  But, J.Crew has been winning in the jewelry department lately.  Plus, jewelry is an easy way to breath some life into your wardrobe.  Side note: There is a slight possibility that because I've been limiting my clothing purchases that I might be turning to alternatives like jewelry, shoes, happy hour, and bags.  But let's not think too hard about that right now.

Jeweled Pyramid Necklace

The other item I picked up was this tweed-sleeved t-shirt.  I really, really love the colors and feel it will be a great piece for spring and summer.  Bonus, based on the color analysis I did of my summer clothes, it will fit in perfectly.  It also comes in a cream and black combo, which might have made it into my shopping basket.  I am envisioning wearing that one now with a blazer and jeans or tucked into a pencil skirt.

Tweed-Sleeve Top

There you have it.  I'm actually pretty proud of myself for my self-restraint.  And, might reward myself by picking up another blouse (this leather sleeve one keeps calling to me or some of their PJs.  That's ok, right?

Did you pick up any items from the sale?  If you're in need of a winter coat, this is a good chance to get one of the J.Crew lady day coats.  The Blythe silk blouses that I love are also available in limited sizes.

The sale goes through midnight tonight, so there's still some time for some impulse purchases!

Yes, another bag review

I've never been much of a bag person.  It always seemed like waaay too much work to have multiple bags.  Inevitably, if I tried to switch purses, I'd forget something important like my lip gloss or wallet or work ID or umbrella . . . you get the picture.  Basically, shattering any impression that I'm a put together person.

To be honest, shoes (and jeans) were always my own personal cup of cryptonite.  But, somewhere in my quest for the perfect school bag, all of that changed.  That and discovering the wonder of bags within bags.  Are you aware of these amazing things?

Container Store: Mesh Pouches

Some kind hearted soul thought to give me a bunch of these before I left for grad school and now, instead of having to transfer a hundred zillion 15 items from one purse to the next, I can just move three little bags (3 is much, much better than 15).  Plus, it keeps everything super organized so that I'm not constantly digging through the bottom of my purse trying to find that illusive tube of chapstick.

Now that this whole new world of owning multiple purses/bags has opened up my wallet, I have been on the hunt for a 2nd school bag.  As much as I adore my current bag, I needed something for more casual days.  It came to a head on the day I had to resort to carrying a free backpack I got during orientation that has the NYU logo plastered all over it.  Basically, it was fashion suicide and I knew things had to change, fast.  So, when I spotted the gray felt inside-out bag in the Kate Space Saturday store in the West Village, I knew it was perfect (it also comes in purple felt and a full leather version).

One of the best things about this bag (aside from the fact that I can show off my le pen markers on the outside, to the eternal joy of my inner organizational geek), is that it fits so well with my personal style. A little preppy? Check.  Whimsical and fun? Check. Do I feel like a slight bad*ss? Check.  (though that doesn't take much.  I'm pretty sure I feel like a bad*ss whenever I jay walk).

It's important to note, that the dimensions of the bag are a bit smaller than my other school bag.  It generally fits my water bottle, laptop, wallet, moleskin notebook, and some organizational pouches with  my chargers and daily essentials (chocolate is a daily essential, right?).  If I'm being super creative I can usually fit in a 3-ring binder.  Because it's slightly smaller, I tend to use this bag on days, when I know I won't need to carry my entire life around with me.  It's probably also slightly better for my back--I was not built for manual labor.

So there you go, another new bag, and still no new boots or sweaters.  I may freeze to death this winter but at least I'll have a cute bag to tote around.

On a side note, one thing that has facilitated being able to carry a smaller bag is figuring out how to open my school locker.  Turns out working a locker is not a skill you get from being homeschooled.

(P.S. have you checked out Kate Spade Saturday? If not, you should.  Their stuff somehow manages to be adorable, modern, and functional all at the same time. Plus, the price point is pretty affordable)

A Day in the Life (aka an MBA1's stream of consciousness)

If anyone had told me that grad school would be the busiest time of my life, I probably would have laughed.  Where are all the fun parties all my law school friends talked about? Yet, here I am, 3 months in, working harder than I ever have and occasionally questioning my life decisions.  Remember when I had a job? Time to hang out with friends? Time to blog and shop for clothes? So, for all the family and relatives and random strangers who might wonder if I've dropped off the face of the earth.  Here's a glimpse at a typical day in my life.

* * * 

7:30 AM--Why is my alarm is going off? Also, are the women doing Tai Chi across the street listening to the same song, again? How do they not get tired of it?  Can you tell I'm cranky in the morning?

7:40 AM--It's time for the daily experiment with New York water pressure. On good days it comes out scalding hot and others it decides to come out in spurts along with a disconcerting rattling sound. Kind of like a janky jacuzzi spout. I'm waiting for the day that it disappears to a trickle and I have to go to school with shampoo in my hair.

7:50 AM--First cup of many, many, many cups of coffee for the day.  Try to catch up on emails for my clubs and consulting projects.  Usually at this point I realize that I have a meeting I forgot about and I need to dress up. This completely throws off the outfit I'd planned for the day. I proceed to tear through my closet frantically.

8:30 AM--Decide that I just have to wear what I have on. People can deal. Throw everything in my bag and then dash out of the door with a granola bar.  Get to the bottom of my fifth floor walkup and realize I forgot something (a charger, a snack, "did I turn off my straightener?").  Commence internal debate of whether or not it's worth it to go back up stairs. Nine times out of ten I decide it's something I can live without (seriously those stairs are giving me buns of steel but they're going to kill me). Waive at the Tai Chi ladies and make a mental note to donate some music to them.

8:55 AM--Get into my first class of the day and curse the scheduling person who gave Block One, 9 AM classes every day of the week.  Some small part of me hopes that they have a small infant who cries through the night. Karma's a b*tch.

* * * 

This is usually the point in the day where all sense of normalcy 

goes off the rails and the day becomes a blur.  

* * * 

There's class.  Meetings. More class.  Snarky texts with my classmates. Possibly some complaining about homework. Many cups of cafeteria coffee. Running up and down the stairs to my 4th floor locker (seriously. buns. of. steel.) More meetings.  Where can I find coffee? Do I have time to work on my resume or cover letter.  More stairs and meetings. Occasionally time to eat . . . Is it 6 already? Holy sh*t it's 8. Where did the day go? Why am I still at school? Is accounting really that important? Maybe I should go home before everyone else realizes how nutty I am.

9 PM--Good thing I thought ahead and made dinner for the week on Sunday else it would be too tempting to order in from the Congee house down the street.  Also, White Cheddar Cheetos go with red wine, right?

10 PM--Decide accounting actually is important. Buckle down for a few hours of homework and researching companies I'd like to reach out to.

12 PM--Maybe it's not that important. It's time for bed or an episode of Scandal . . . life's all about tradeoff's, right?