Pull Yourself Together

Happy Thursday!

Perfect Cap

All winter long I have been eying the hats at J.Crew. Even though I know I am in for a cold, cold winter next year,  I still have a hard time buying winter accessories while I still reside in SoCal. I was disappointed that I never picked up one of the wool caps when I didn't spot any in store after Christmas. Over the holiday weekend my girlfriends and I were shopping at the Grove after brunch and right there in the sale section was this hat! With a $12.99 price tag! And 50% off! I was so pumped and I couldn't resist getting it for next year. I imagine styling it with a lightweight quilted vest in fall and then transitioning it to winter with a brown or black wool pea coat, jeans and knee high flat boots. They had mountains of these hats at the Grove J.Crew (Duh! Who in Southern Cali is buying wool hats during an 80 degree January?) and it is also online in the fuchsia for $19.99 and 40% off with the code BYEWINTER. The code is good on all final sale items. Caps off to a good sale!

Studio Wraps

Between Monday and Saturday I went to 8 barre classes. Well, seven barre and one piloxing class. I felt so great all week. My muscles were sore, some nights I was exhausted from doubling or tripling up on classes and the arches of my feet are a little achy. But I loved it! I danced for 10 years and I think there is something about finding my inner ballerina again that is really making me enjoy this experience. Typically you wear Toe Socks to class, but my friend Christina turned me on to the Nike Studio Wraps- an athletic shoe designed specifically for yoga, pilates and barre classes. They allow you the freedom and comfort of a bare foot, without actually having to have bare feet.

I love wearing the ribbons for the ankle support and also the fun look. It's a little easier to remember to point your toes when your feet actually look like a ballerina's- a cool, modern one at least. The flats are super convenient also. You can slip them over the wraps and ribbons and head in or out of class in a flash. They are very comfortable and I have been wearing them by themselves around my apartment. I ordered my pair from Zappos.com for the convenience of free shipping and returns. I would suggest ordering one half size up because the flats can be a little tight with the wrap on too.

Of course I ordered the gray/anthracite/volt combination because I love yellow and I love bright. They look adorable in class and make me happy. They are also motivating me to keep up with my pedicures. I don't own a lot of shoes that I wouldn't wear to a bar, but these certainly are the best I could have bought for the barre.

Meet Me At The Barre

Taking my first 5 am Xtend Barre class today as part of the 60 Day Challenge. Wish me luck! 

Live the Good Life

I made a joke recently that I will have to stop talking about my boyfriend at work because when I move home my patients may actually know him. I am not an over-sharer by any stretch. I actually consider myself to be somewhat of a private person; but I like to share some things about myself with patients and make a connection. I like to tell them about good restaurants in the area, share about killer sales at the mall and discuss family holiday traditions. They like to know that I have a nice boyfriend at home waiting for me to graduate. I think it is easier to trust someone you know. It is also easier to treat someone you know...most of the time.

Today a patient shared some things about her life with me that I know are difficult for her. It really made me feel privileged for the job I have. Not only can I fix smiles, but sometimes I can also be somewhat of a therapist. I certainly don't claim to know how to fix problems as well as I can prep crowns, but I have learned to listen. And sometimes that is just what people need. The moral of this long-winded story is that my patient today made me reflect on how precious life is and how we need to be grateful and make the most of every moment. 

I was a little depressed over the weekend because I felt like I wasn't making the most of my time here. Tomorrow marks exactly 4 months until graduation and I spent a weekend doing almost nothing. The exception was a Girl Scout Cookie event which I helped to run at school on Saturday morning, but I don't really consider that a "California thing". I could have been anywhere. I feel very motivated to get out and explore and really experience this West Coast life I have just a short time more to live. I feel this way not only because dental school is coming to end, but because life is short too. Sometimes it feels really long, like when everything is going wrong. But let's face it, the good stuff always kind of flies by. I am making a pact to myself to get out there and explore. To see things I haven't seen. To revisit the old things that I love. To get in the car and just drive. Even if I have to go it alone. Roll the windows down and blast music and open the sunroof because next year in January it's going to be snowing and I will be shoveling and taking call at 2 pm on a Saturday because some kid fell off his sled and banged his face up. That will be a good life too, but it certainly will be different than this one. 

What's the big picture?

Live it up. Life IS a party and we should act, and dress, like it. Try something new. As often as you can. A new workout, a new dish, a new lipstick shade. I drink OJ out of wine glasses with brunch, even when it's not a mimosa. I like leopard as a neutral and I don't feel bad about it. I have truffle ice cream pops (Skinny Cow!) in the fridge for dessert tonight. I hate the saying "Live life with no regrets." We all have regrets. That is life. But if we live and have fun and do things that make us happy and nervous and uncomfortable and that make us smile, every day is going to be a little better. Order the glass of wine with dinner. Ask that guy out. Get the grande instead of the tall. Kate Spade says it really well. What's wrong with having champagne with pizza? And why do we save the good china for special occasions? Every day can be a special occasion if we want it to be. 

make do.

Shake It Up

Bar Tool Set, Crate and Barrel, $79.95

Another one of my favorite gifts this year was this gorgeous stainless steel cocktail set from the boy. Every time we go into Crate and Barrel I drool over the bar carts. And drool is all I will ever do since they are all around $1000. I wish my grandma just happened to have a vintage one in the attic, but unfortunately her best item is a gorgeous fur coat (I will eventually find somewhere to wear it!). This awesome set was a perfect compromise. I love hosting and I hope that when we have people over to our new place next year we can make some killer cocktails. 

My Dream Bar Cabinet, Crate and Barre, $1299

Ell and I can be so on the same page sometimes. I also gave him a gift from Crate and Barrel- copper mugs for Moscow Mules. Moscow mules are made with vodka and have become one of my most favorite drinks. It's light and refreshing and I love the flavor of the ginger beer. Christina and I learned to make them at an STK Bartending class and I have loved them ever since.

Moscow Mule Mug, Crate and Barrel, $14.95

http://roamandhome.com/2011/04/22/5-oclock-cocktail-moscow-mule/

Tartine Love

Tartine Satchel, J.Crew, $238 (Currently 40% off)

My most beloved Christmas gift was my Tartine mini-satchel in pebbled leather from J.Crew. I may have dropped some not so subtle hints that I adored it back during an October outing to our favorite store with my beau. Thank goodness for good listening and good sales because it's finally mine! I opted for the grayish leather because it's an interesting neutral. The photo below appears more peachy, but in person it looks more taupe. They are sold out online, but still have the black. J.Crew is wonderful about tracking stuff down across the country though. If you call Customer Service they will search far and wide to get what you want in your hands. I love the structure of it- sort of bowling bag meets old-school doctor bag. It also comes with a long shoulder strap for hands-free wear. I think I am going to make a lot of use out of this bag and it really fits in with the professional wardrobe I am working on creating.

Happy New Year...A Little Late

I was pretty horrendous about writing during my winter break. For one thing, I didn't bring my laptop home and I have no patience for typing on my Kindle. I was also just really busy. Making time for family and friends, going on interviews and keeping up with the hustle and bustle of the holiday can be exhausting. It was a wonderful Christmas though. I loved spending time with all my family, my own and Ell's, and I got some amazing gifts. I must have been pretty good this year. My mom always does an incredible job decking the halls. We have so much Christmas decor and so much of it was handmade by me growing up. I am excited to have my new grown up apartment next year, but I know I will want to spend time at the holidays in front of the fireplace admiring the tree at what will always really be home.

I feel like much of the break revolved around eating and drinking. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day consisted of multi-meal events as we went from house to house. Elliott and I polished off a bottle of our favorite Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc during a snowstorm. We really need to find a new favorite wine. That stuff is expensive! Seriously though, it's delicious. Treat yourself. It's worth the money. I am so happy to have been able to have my all my favorites- Abate pizza, lobster rolls (which I obnoxiously insisted on calling "Lobstah" all day") and stuffed shrimp. Now it's time to get back on track and start eating right. I stocked my fridge as soon as I got back with healthy foods and plan to start a 60 Day Xtend Barre Challenge this week. I got pretty obsessed with barre at the end of last semester. If you haven't given a class a try, you should definitely take one soon. The workout you get is intense, but you know it's toning you up so good. La Verne Xtend Barre gives you your first class free!

My main men and I <3

One of my most fun experiences during break was going to my first Giants game with my best friend and her family. It was a first-time experience like no other, especially sitting 18 rows from the field. It down poured through the entire game, but we didn't care. Our stomachs were full from the jumbo shrimp cocktail, ice cream, pulled pork sliders and Stellas we consumed in the 50 Club before the game. I loved watching warmups from the field. One of the girls from The Voice even sang the National Anthem. The rain may have kept our clothes soggy and our feet cold, but honestly the silly memories we made at the game will last forever. H and I even ended up on the JumboTron during the Dance Cam when they played Timber by Kesha. Day made!

We Love Us Some Eli!

My list of New Year's Resolutions seems to keep growing. Eat better. Try a new workout. Stop leaving my makeup all over the bathroom counter. Be more decisive. Organize my closet and do some serious wardrobe editing. It's no news to anyone that I love clothes and shoes and purses, but with the big move back to CT coming up I really need to clear out the stuff I don't wear or just doesn't make the grade for my new doctor status. My mom and I browsed through Banana Republic when shopping for last minute Christmas gifts and I found so many things I loved. So professional! But out with the old and in with the new (just a few things)! It has to be. Otherwise, I will never get all this stuff home. 

2014 is bound to be a good year. I have aptly named it the Year of the DMD. Finally! Only 10 years in the making. Seriously though, it was 10 whole years ago that I submitted my application for the UConn Dental Program. There have been a lot of ups and downs and changes to my master plan along the way, but I couldn't be happier with the way it has all turned out. Now I just need to make it until January 27th when the MATCH is revealed and my fate for next year is sealed. Wherever I end up, I am grateful for the support of Ell and my family. I may be the one earning the degree, but the fact that I have made it this far is a success for us all. 

Super happy to spending 2014 with this guy!