TGIF, Spring Break!

I'm pretty sure this has been the longest week ever! Happy Friday, Y'all! 

1. Spring Break!

I. am. so. excited! Spring Break is finally here! We are heading down to Hilton Head for the week and I cannot wait. It has finally warmed up a little bit here, but I am so looking forward to knowing that it is going to be in the 60s and 70s consistently. Hopefully I'll come back with a little color. Check out yesterday's post with some of my favorite mix & match swimsuits for this season! 

2. Sunday Funday 

You know how some most people head to the grocery when a snow storm is coming? Well. I went to Hobby Lobby, and I don't regret it one bit. Unfortunately, I ended up having to go to actual work that week and didn't get to craft as much as I'd planned. Luckily we had a relatively free weekend so I spent all day on Sunday painting. When I was at Furman it seemed like we were painting posters and gifts all the time with Kappa, but law school doesn't quite provide the same opportunity. Here's a little something I painted, what do y'all think? (In case y'all weren't already aware - am in love with Kentucky and Furman!) 

3. I have the best fiancé 

Do y'all remember when I posted this dress a few weeks ago and mentioned how much I loved it?? Well, luckily for me, my fiancé reads this blog and took it upon himself to order it for me as an early spring break gift. Let me tell you, it is even more perfect in person! This is one of my absolute favorite necklines (not sure if there's an actually name for it), and it fits perfectly! 

4. Moot Court Board Training

Ugh. We had training on Thursday night to "re-vamp" how the scoring is supposed to be done for the 1L oral argument competition and it was a giant disaster. The "new" score sheet was not significantly more objective than the prior one, and yet we still had to spend an hour talking about how it was so much better and would produce so much better results. I think it is a great idea to work on making this judging more cohesive because it really is all across the board, but this was a failed attempt. And it took an hour. I know, I know, an hour isn't that long in the grand scheme, but we're leaving tomorrow and I have stuff to do, ya know? Anyways, sorry for the vent!

5. MARCH MADNESS

Y'all. The best time of year is finally here! MARCH MADNESS! I am SO SO SO excited. Kentucky is doing so well and it has been such a great season! They're 31-0! The first game of the SEC Tournament for Kentucky is today at 1:00pm since they had a double-bye. I have no idea how I'm going to keep paying attention at work, but I'm sure I'll find a way. Do y'all have a favorite team? Is anyone as excited as I am?

PS - I found this workout for March Madness, think something like the Bachelor workouts. 5 push-ups for each foul, 1 minute plank if someone fouls out, etc. I am so looking forward to trying it, and as much basketball as I'm about to watch in the upcoming weeks I should be in great shape by the end!

Have a great weekend y'all, and GO CATS!

xoxo

linking up with:

Oh Hey Friday | Friday Favorites | Five on Friday | Casual Friday | xoxo Rebecca

Mix it Up Friday

Spring Break: Sunshine, Swimsuits, & Sandals

Spring break is almost here and I could not be more excited! All week I've been trying to figure out what I needed to pack and what "warm weather" clothes I needed to pull out of hiding. Then the more I thought about it, the more I realized I'll be spending every day at the beach or pool, and only going out to dinner one or two nights. So, all I really needed to worry about are my swimsuits and sandals. 

Last year I bought six separates from Victoria's Secret, and I have been so happy with them. I tried to buy pieces that I could mix and match so that over 4 or 5 days, I would have at least that many "matching" combinations. Their website has a bikini mixer feature that lets you look at all of the different styles and colors at once, so you can decide what pieces look good together and which ones you can easily pair with multiple tops or bottoms. If you're willing to have a little fun, the possibilities are endless! 

Here are a few favorite matches I like from this season's colors and designs! 

What are your favorite bikini styles? Do you like to splurge on a new suit each season? 

In addition to swimsuits, obviously you need to put something on your feet to wear down to the beach, along with a cover up. Sometimes I'll throw on a cotton dress because it's so easy, but I tend to stick with Nike Shorts and a Tank Top when I'm heading to the beach. In terms of shoes, I always tend to underestimate how hot sand can be! Ouch! These are some of my favorite sandal options, some I own and some I think I need to get in my closet ASAP. 

(1) | (2) | (3) | (4) 

What are your true essentials when heading to the beach? 

Happy almost spring break, y'all!

xoxo 

linking up with

                                          Style Me Wednesday | Trend Spin | Doused in Pink

Wedding Wednesday, 346 Days to Go {How I Asked My Bridesmaids}

Let me be clear, I do not think it is necessary at all to do anything but call a girl up and ask her to share in this day with you. However, in law school I don't get nearly as many chances to craft as much as I would like to, so I decided to take full advantage of this opportunity! 

After scouring Pinterest for a clever, but not overdone way to ask my bridesmaids, I finally concluded that I would just have to come up with something on my own. I ended up incorporating a few different things that I'd seen, and eventually just let my creativity get the best of me and this is what I ended up with! 

I knew I wanted to do something clever without being too cliche, but everything I kept finding on Pinterest just seemed over the top. After some brainstorming and flashbacks to Big/Little reveals with Kappa, I settled on including a few different items, each with a cute note attached. Below are the notes I attached to each item, and then I put all of them inside a large mason jar. I also included the girls' names on the top of the mason jar. I tried to choose the shades of nail polish and type of candy for each one specifically, so they were still personalized. 

Inside of the mason jar I also included a card that said "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" and one said "Will you be my Maid of Honor?" I included a small personal note on the backs of these cards. 

To make all of the cards I typed up what I wanted to be on the card in a word document. Then I cut down scrapbook paper so that it would fit in the printer (8.5 x 11). I don't hate my handwriting, but I knew I was going to need to make seven (!) of these jars, so I thought it was more efficient for my perfectionist self to let the computer do the work. If any of y'all are interested in this let me know and I can send it your way!

After I'd printed the cards, I cut them out and glued them to some glittery scrap book paper and cut them out again. For each of the "item" cards, I attached them directly to the item itself. Then I put the "Maid of Honor" and "Bridesmaid" cards on another piece of glittery paper to really frame it and make it stand out. 

To present it to each of the girls I put the jar in a cute chevron gift bag from Target with a piece or two of tissue paper. I also placed a piece of tissue paper directly inside the mason jar before placing everything in just to make it look a little nicer and also so that it wouldn't be banging around inside. 

What do y'all think about these? What are some of your favorite ways you've seen brides ask their bridesmaids? 

Have a great day, y'all!

xoxo

linking up with: 

Wedding Wednesday | Celebrate Southern | Humpday Happenings | Merry Monday | Wow Us Wednesdays

Interview Tips: Questions to Ask at the End of Your Interview

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one of the ways you can prepare for your interview is to prepare a list of questions to ask at the end of the interview. More often than not you will be asked if you have any questions, and you want to make sure that you are prepared for that. Occasionally the interviewer will talk your ear off and you might not actually have anything left to ask, and that's okay. However, generally there will always be something that that wasn't covered that you can ask about. The questions below are divided into questions for the interviewer, questions about the firm, and questions generally about the position. Depending on how you think you're getting along with the interviewer can help you determine which questions are most appropriate. 

Questions for the Interviewer

These questions are more specific to the person who is actually interviewing you. This is a good way to get to know them, and make them feel like you really are interested in what they do and genuinely appreciate their time and their opinions. That being said, make sure that you have still asked a couple of questions about the firm itself since you are going to be working for the firm, rather than that one individual.

Questions about the Firm

The most important thing about these questions is to make sure non of them could have been answered by looking at the firm's website. However, a lot of things like the culture and and comparison to other firms is not something readily available in that formal. Obviously, they can and should be adapted to the specific firm and interview that you are participating in.

Questions on the Position Generally

This is a great way for you to find out what is going to be expected of you if you are offered the job. Similarly to questions about the firm, make sure that you are not asking questions that were covered in the job posting itself. It is not worth looking interested, if it makes you look ignorant or lazy because you should have already seen the information about the position. In the same fashion, it is also important to make sure when you are asking questions about the position it comes across as genuine interest, rather than it sounding like you are unwilling to work hard.

These questions can all be adapted to serve the position you are interviewing for. It is also very common once you are in the interview and they are telling you a lot of things about the firm, questions will come to you that you may not have prepared ahead of time. Those can be some of the best questions because it shows you are really listening to what they are telling you. However, it is also helpful to have a few questions in your back pocket so you don't have a blank stare at the end of the interview when asked if you have any questions for them.

Do y'all have any go-to questions that you always ask at the end of an interview?

Have a great day, y'all! And if you have an interview coming up, good luck!

xoxo 

Interview Tips: How to Prepare for an Interview

There are so many different aspects to an interview from what you should wear, how you should act, what you can and can't talk about, etc. I think often the preparation before the interview can get overlooked, but can make such a difference when you are in the interview. It will make you more confident, and it will give the interviewer the impression that you want to be there and want to have that job. Here are a few things you can do to prepare, that are so so easy it's crazy not to do them! 

1. Research the Firm/Company

This is one of the most important things you can do because it will show that you actually do have interest in the company. Depending on how long you anticipate the interview lasting, it is likely that you'll be asked why you want to work there and why you applied for the job. You need to be able to tell your interviewer the answer to these questions, and if they can see that you have researched their company it will be a major bonus. i.e. "I noticed that you all just litigated a case on adoption law, and that is something I've always been interested in." or for something outside of the legal field, "I notice that your company has a lot of career opportunity and that is something that is important to me." 

All of that being said, you don't want it to look like you've memorized their website and are just spitting it back out. But, if you are asked what area of a law you are hoping to practice, the last thing you want to do is either (a) ask them what their firm does (because you should know!) or (b) reply with an area of law that the firm doesn't actually practice. 

This is something that you can spend as little as fifteen minutes on know way more than you would have going in, and it is something that is essential to feeling confident and honestly (and appropriate) answering the questions.

2. Research your Interviewer 

If you're lucky you will be told who is conducting your interview. Usually a company has a staff/employee/attorney directory that you can use to research your interviewer. And, fortunately for us, there is this thing called google. However, make sure if their linked in page comes up in your search that you either don't click on it, or are aware that they will know that you've viewed it. In researching your interviewer I think the important things to look for are (1) his or her position with the company, (2) how long he or she has been with the company, (3) undergraduate and graduate schools, (4) general appearance. This information can give you some preliminary information about questions they are likely to ask you and what they might expect from you. It can also be beneficial to know where he or she attended college or graduate school because if you have that in common it is something they will likely bring up and you can be prepared to discuss that. Finally, I do prefer to know what my interviewer is going to look like. I know it might sound ridiculous, and its obviously not the most important thing, but it's just one more thing that you will know before you get there and one less thing to distract you once the interview starts. 

3. Print Extra Copies of Your Resume and Transcript

It is rare that you would not have already submitted your resume, but you should still bring extra copies with you. Once I had two interviewers and one of them preferred not to look at the resume until the actual interview so that he wasn't pre-judging the applicants too much. Another time, I had an interview at a big law firm and the associate I was interviewing with had left his copy of my resume in his office, rather than the conference room we were in. He didn't ask for one, but when he mentioned he'd left it, I was able to provide another copy to him. Again, this is an easy thing to do, but can definitely make an impression. 

4. Decide what to Wear the Night Before

As I mentioned in this post, what you wear to an interview can be, and usually is very important. It is also important to make sure that everything you plan to wear is clean and that you can find it. I would recommend trying it on to make sure if fits how you think it should, although not ideal to have to go buy a new suit, it is important to make sure you look professional and maybe it is time to purchase a new suit. Whatever the case, make sure everything you have planned to wear is clean and ironed and get it ready the nice before to ensure a less stressful morning.  

5. Prepare a List of Questions

More often than not you will be given the chance to ask questions to your interviewer(s) at the end. As I addressed above, you definitely do not want to ask any questions that you could have found the answer to on their website. However, you can use that information to form other, deeper questions. There are a lot of factors that can play into what questions you should ask, and tomorrow I will provide a lengthly list of questions that will give you options whatever the situation. 

How do you like to prepare for an interview? 

Have a Great Day, y'all!

xoxo

linking up with: 

Meg

TGIF, snow... again.

Welp. Apparently Louisville has been on the national news because of so. much. snow. Oh, by the way, it's March! I am pretty sure that the entire country is yearning for spring because this record low temperature and record high snow is getting old. Anyways - I hope most of you didn't have to deal with the same mess that Kentucky got slammed with this week because it is no fun!
How has your week been?

1. Snow Day Pros

Normally when there is a snow day I still have to go to work, which is kind of disappointing. I have the opposite school schedule as all of my friends, so the days they want the school snow days, I usually don't because I know it means I'll still have to make my way through the snow to work. Luckily (?) this snow was so bad that my boss emailed me Wednesday night and told me not to worry about coming in. And it's a good thing he did because the snow was even worse that they predicted and certainly outstayed its welcome.

2. Snow Day Cons

I was supposed to go to a concert on Thursday night and it got cancelled because the band couldn't get here. I 100% understand that, but I was still so disappointed. The band is called Sundy Best. They are a band from Kentucky and I am obsessed, but I've never had the chance to see them in concert. Luckily they have already rescheduled and I'm still available! I'm not really sure how to describe their music, I guess it's kind of country - but more of the twang and less of the more recent "pop." A lot of their songs are about Kentucky, so that is a huge reason why I like their music so much. Don't y'all always find it comforting when you're listening to music and you just get what they're saying? That's how it feels when I listen to Sundy Best, so needless to say, I am going to be very excited when April 2 comes around!

3. Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred

The worst part about this snow is that I haven't been able to go to the gym for the last two days. I know it doesn't seem like that long, but since I'm doing the DietBet that I told  y'all about last week, I've tried to be really dedicated to a set schedule of working out. One of my friends likes to do the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, so I thought I'd give it a try since its available on YouTube. It was so much more difficult than I anticipated for a 25 minute video, but I am so glad I did it. If y'all are looking for a quick workout I would highly recommend trying it out, I'll definitely be doing it again - if I can make myself. 

4. Cricut Explore Air 

My future mother-in-law called me a few weeks ago to ask if I would like a Cricut for my birthday (which is still a month away) because there was a new one out and she knows how much I love to craft. Of course I said yes! It arrived in Knoxville this week and she's going to give it to me when we pass through there on the way to Hilton Head and I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I have been looking at so many different projects to try and I have no idea how I'm ever going to get anything else done. Ever. I know it is supposed to be so easy to use, but I also know it does about a million different things, so I really hope I can use it to its full potential. Do any of y'all have a Cricuit? I would love to hear some tips, I'll take any and all! 

5. Spring Scarves, is that a thing?

I used to think "summer scarves" were ridiculous. But then I realized how easy it is to throw on a well co-ordinated scarf and instantly look put together, or throw a bright scarf on over a grey tee and you've brightened up your whole outfit. Enter, my new appreciation for summer scarves. MondayDress just posted this picture of new scarves they have and I think I want them all. They are so bright and colorful and remind me a lot of a Lilly scarf, but with a much lower price tag. What do y'all think? 

Have a great weekend, y'all! What are your plans?
xoxo 

linking up with: 

  Oh Hey Friday | Friday Favorites | Five on Friday | Casual Friday | xoxo Rebecca

Mix it Up Friday

appropriately comfortable

As y'all are probably aware (because it's all I seem to talk about), I am in my third year of law school. This means my classmates and I have endured almost three years of interviews, exams, class, moot court, all nighters, you get the picture. It also means that we have endured three years of administration telling us what is is appropriate to wear to class and to interviews and what is not. For the most part I think we're all generally aware of what to wear to an interview, but the amount of people who still look so... sloppy, for lack of a better word, in the day to day is shocking to me. 

I get it, we want to be comfortable. After all, we're in class some days from 8:30am until 8pm, but that is not a excuse to look like you just got out of bed for the WHOLE DAY. Some schools have dress codes required, ensuring that the students are always in business casual attire and I honestly wouldn't mind that. However, even if that is not the case, I think it is still important to look put together. Especially in the case of law school, these classmates are soon to become colleagues. You are going to refer clients to them and hope that they refer clients to you, this is your time to make a good impression because once you are out of school that is what they are going to remember. Maybe it sounds petty that what you wear is that important, but it is. And it is such an easy  fix - why not spend a few more minutes in the morning getting dressed, fixing your hair etc. It will make a difference and I bet it will make you feel better for the rest of the day too, I know it definitely does for me! 

Here are a few of my favorite go to outfits that let me still feel comfortable but look much more put together than a pair of norts and an oversized t-shirt. 

This is one of my favorite go to outfits! First, I am absolutely still in love with Furman, and welcome any and all questions about it. Secondly, the purpose of these outfits is to show you you can still wear something like a crew neck sweatshirt and look put together. I think adding an oxford underneath a sweatshirt make it look so much nicer, and like you're actually trying. Bonus - only the collar and cuffs usually show, so it doesn't even have to be ironed! A cute pair of flats also can really make an outfit look put together. I have these flats from Marley Lilly (in pink w/ navy text) and they are very comfortable, and I always get tons of compliments on them! 

 I featured this dress a few months ago here, and I still think it is just as great. I mean y'all it is made out of sweatshirt material, but looks like a dress. It is so dang comfortable I wish I could wear it everyday. Plus, how cute is that scarf?? I am obsessed with polka dots right now, to the point that I have to actually stop my self from buying more things with polka dots because it's starting to get ridiculous. But, I mean Kate Spade, a girl can only say no so many times. 

This is another super comfortable, yet still appropriate look. What could be easier than black denim and a white v-neck? Then just add a colorful scarf and you're good. to. go. This look also gives you a lot of room to play around with accessories since the basic layers are black and white. You can add a scarf, or a statement necklace, maybe a colorful cardigan. Seriously, the possibilities are endless(ly easy). 

Hair & Make-Up

For the record - I am not saying you need make-up to look put together or that you need to curl your hair every day to be respected. But, what I am saying is that a little goes a long way. Throw on some lip gloss and run a brush through your hair. Sounds obvious, I know, but you'd be surprised how many people literally look like they just rolled out of bed and never walked past a mirror. Stick a brush in your car and run it through your hair at stoplights if you're that worried about time, but just find a way, it's worth it. 

Jewelry
Jewelry is another easy peasy way to look put together with out trying very hard. A pair of pearl studs or monogrammed disc earrings instantly make any look very classic. The same goes for a nice watch or a couple of bangles. I am working hard on my "stackable bracelet game" as I like to call it for this very reason. Having a few go to pieces that you put on every morning can make this such an easy process!

What do y'all think about these outfits? Are they still too casual, or exactly what you need to look put together, yet still remain comfortable for an eight or twelve hour day of class? I'd love to hear what y'all like to wear to class or think is totally inappropriate!

Have a great day, y'all!

xoxo

linking up with:

Style Me Wednesday | Trend Spin | Humpday Happenings | Celebrate Southern
| Pumps and Pushups | What I Wore | Fashion Files | Living in Color

oh hey, March!

Spring is almost here! 

I cannot wait for warmer weather and longer days! What are you most looking forward to about spring? 

Happy Monday, y'all! Positive thoughts make for a positive life, enjoy your week!

xoxo