Friday Quick Takes: Madison shopping, good news, and Chicago!

*Guest posting at Stephanie's beautiful blog, Captive the Heart, today with some of our wedding reception decor/DIY projects! You can check it out here*

Joining Jen for the obligatory Friday Quick Takes. 

1. First off, a couple highlights from my Madison trip last weekend. You may remember me mentioning the J. Crew Factory weekend 50% off sale last Friday and how it was a good thing that I was far from the nearest outlet. Well, turns out it was 30 minutes out of my way to stop at the outlet on the way to Madison (I think we all know what happened). I tried to resist going too crazy though, and purchased three things (minus a $65 gift card that I had) that I think will get a lot of wear in my wardrobe: this chambray blazer, a black/white striped tunic (I think it'll look great with my white jeans), and a bright blue/white linen striped skirt. My friends and I also did some shopping in downtown Madison and the skirt in the middle was an amazing clearance rack find at the regular J. Crew store. It's bright orange and lavendar with an A-line fit and very unique...I'm sure I'll be wearing it soon!

2. My other find was this blazer from Gap on sale for $35. I wore it in my Wednesday post and can't wait to wear it again. One of my friends bought this one which was also adorable.

3.. We got this incredible sushi in downtown Madison. There is no sushi place where I am doing my rural medicine program right now and even if there was, Stephen isn't a huge fan so last weekend was the perfect opportunity.

4. And I found this at Urban Outfitters. I guess it's a lunchbox? Also, I'm not sure if Urban Outfitters got weirder or if I just got older; I used to really like it in college but there was absolutely nothing that I saw there this trip that I would wear (other than a couple scarves). And maybe this organ transplant carry-thing.

5. I took advantage of my week off to paint my nails not once, but twice. It was the first time I had painted them since our honeymoon in Costa Rica (I may still have remnants of polish on my toes from that trip...I spared you a picture). Shout-out to my sister Ilsa for finding this lovely color, 'ladylike': it's a combo of mauve/lavendar.

6. I got news this week that my application got accepted for an obstetrics rotation at Mercy hospital in St. Louis. I'll be going there at the end of the summer and I can't wait: last I heard, they had 6 NFP residents.

7. Stephen and I are going to Chicago today for a mini-vacation before I start my rural medicine rotation on Monday! We're visiting some good friends (the couple that introduced us) who live there and staying one night at Embassy Suites downtown (they had Stephen at the huge free breakfast).

Via

Happy Friday!

Med school spring break and a new blazer

 

This week is my medical school spring break, and it's finally starting to feel like spring! After continuing snow last week, it was almost 70 degrees yesterday (!) and we can finally see patches of green on the ground (in between the still-melting piles of muddy snow). After the hours, call, and stress of my surgery rotation, I'm reveling in going to bed early and not waking up with an alarm (although after two months of early hours on surgery I haven't been able to sleep past 7 a.m.), watching the Today show in the morning, and catching up on reading my favorite blogs.

I went to Madison last weekend for a much needed girls' weekend with two of my best friends and we managed to get in some shopping (surprise). I'm trying to be a lot more careful with my clothing purchases so I only purchased a couple things on sale and I'm really happy with my finds, one of which is this blazer. I saw this coral Gap blazer online and wasn't completely sold, but after seeing it on the clearance rack and trying it on, I loved it. The color is gorgeous and it's the perfect piece for spring. The best part was that it was marked down to $35 (originally $88).

After I got home, I realized that this blazer is the same one that Kendi is wearing in this post and I was even more excited! She is definitely one of my style icons and credit for this outfit (blazer/striped top/dark skinny jeans) goes to her.

Blazer: Gap

Striped top: Shade (old), 

Toothpick jeans: J. Crew Factory

Ballet flats: J. Crew Factory (old), similar

And a work outfit. Yes I am technically off this week, but I'm spending a day and a half with one of the dermatologists. I've been trying to explore some of the specialties that I'm interested in as it gets closer to residency application time. I'm actually enjoying derm: lots of procedures (biopsies, skin lesion removals, etc) and the patients are all ages and so appreciative of what the dermatologist can do for their skin problems like psoriasis, skin cancer and acne. 

I really liked this outfit when I wore it to the derm clinic yesterday but it looks a little boring in these pictures. I might dress it up with a necklace next time, but I'm also a firm believer in simplicity. This mauve pink skirt has proved to be one of my best work wardrobe purchases, it works as a neutral but is still a little unique. And I own this Gap sweater in black and cream, it's the perfect basic.

Black crewneck: Gap

White button-up: J. Crew Factory (old), similar version on sale

Mauve skirt: J. Crew (old), similar in 'frosted lilac'

Ballet flats: J. Crew Factory (old), this year's version

Happy Wednesday! Linkin' it up with The Pleated Poppy, Alison, Shanna, Adrienne, Kiwi Style, and Rolled Up Pretty.

What I Wore Sunday: Madison edition

I got back from Madison this morning. I spent the weekend with two of my best friends eating sushi, drinking wine, shopping, and catching up on each others' lives...it was very cathartic after the horror that last week felt like (I'm still trying to block my surgery oral exam out of my head). And sometimes it just feels good to get away, you know? (Although I did miss Stephen kind of a lot).

So I may or may not have had Stephen snap pictures of my weekend outfits after I got home from Madison (ha). Regardless, this is what I wore to mass on Sunday: the white skinny jeans that I finally felt right wearing (it was 60s over the weekend!), my favorite shirt (chambray and polka dots), and an old pink sweater that was a clearance rack find a couple years ago. It's starting to pill a little and I'll be very, very sad when I have to let it go...

Pink sweater: old, from the J. Crew Factory clearance rack

 Button up: J. Crew polka dot chambray (last year), Factory version

Necklace: J. Crew Factory

White skinnies: J. Crew Factory

Shoes: the usuals

This was my Saturday night outfit; I love the simplicity of throwing a fun jacket over a white tee and jeans. 

I lucked out on this jacket: there were only two sizes left after it went on sale online at the Gap, and one of sizes happened to be mine...there's a very similar one at Zara, but unfortunately it's three times the price. Also, boyfriend jeans were probably the best idea ever.

Stripe Jacket: Gap

Boyfriend jeans: Gap

Nude wedges: J. Crew Factory, another very similar option

 Happy Monday! Linking up with Fine Linen and Purple and Style Elixir.

On neurosurgery...

Via

Last Friday, I spent the final day of my surgical specialty week in neurosurgery. I promise that I was scared.to.death the night before. Partly because it was neurosurgery, but honestly more because the neurosurgeon that I worked with, Dr. C, is brilliant and very, very intense. I knew that no matter how much I studied neuroanatomy, nerve pathways, and the various nerve deficits, I would most likely still feel like an idiot.

The first case of the day was a minimally invasive spine surgery and it was rough. Dr, C basically rapid fire questioned me on nerve deficit after nerve deficit...I was definitely sweating underneath my mask and layers of sterile garb. I also had the misfortune of realizing that my OR shoes (a.k.a. the same shoes that I wore to hike Macchu Picchu last summer) had definitely reached and passed their peak, and my legs and feet felt like they were slowly dying. Long story short, I'm so relieved that surgery is over and done.

Before our next surgery, I got to go in and watch part of an awake craniotomy. Yes, awake! It was completely amazing and almost surreal. The neurosurgeon doing the case was dissecting a brain tumor at the corpus collusum, which is deep inside the brain and runs between the two hemispheres. Since the fibers running in the corpus collusum are crucial for all of the body's motor function, the surgery was done awake (!) so that the patient could be continually assessed to see if the surgeon was close to damaging any of the motor fibers near the tumor as he removed it (it was very Grey's Anatomy).

The last case of the day was another spine surgery, but it was done open and I was allowed to first assist on the surgery. I have to admit that when I first started my surgery rotation, I wondered why any student not planning on becoming a surgeon had to spend 12 weeks total rotating in surgery. Now though, I completely understand. Seeing the spine and the intricacies of the nerves surrounding it in real life is so different than looking at it in a textbook (or even on a cadaver in gross anatomy lab).

Despite the stress, hours, and horrors of my oral exam, I think I am going to miss surgery.

The end of surgery and a navy blazer...

Joining Jen for Friday Quick Takes.

1. My surgery rotation is over and done and I can finally breath a sigh of relief. We had our surgery oral exam last night, which was every bit as bad as it sounds. In fact, it was one of my worst moments in medical school so far. I passed, but I felt like I completely choked and I would never, ever want to repeat that hour of my life. Maybe I will write about it sometime, but it is way too fresh in my memory right now to share the painful details...

2. On to better and happier things. I have a week off! Stephen is working most of it, so I'll be visiting these ladies for a couple days and I'm beyond excited.

3. I've been on the hunt for a navy blazer for awhile but couldn't seem to find one for a reasonable price...until I found this one! It's from Lands End, and I never shop there, but it was on sale for $29.99 + an extra 30% off so I decided to give it a try. The sizes were slim picking so I had to order a 6Tall, which is a size smaller than my normal 8 and I also never order anything in tall, but the reviews said it ran big and short. I was shocked when it fit! I kind of love it, it's this comfy knit material that is still sort of dressy. I also think it says J. Crew all over it (for a fraction of the price).

4. I really can't believe that I'm sharing this, but Stephen took this picture without me realizing it this week. Apparently I look very intense and kind of angry when I study (at least when I study surgery).

5. Stephen made me breakfast multiple times over the last week while I was stressing over surgery and I love, love this pancake that he made me in the shape of a heart (no pun intended). He has been so supportive and I'm grateful every day for him (it's not easy being the spouse of a medical student, especially when they are freaking out over their surgery exams).

6. My sister-in-law and little nephew came to visit last week. Isn't he the cutest thing ever? Also, in case you can't read it, his onesie says that he loves his auntie.

7. J. Crew Factory is having a 50% off everything sale in store this weekend. If I had a J. Crew Factory store near me I'd be there in a heartbeat (so it's probably a good thing that the closest one is at least six hours away). If I did have one nearby, I'd probably look for this:

Printed ikat tank

or this:

Stripe cardigan

or maybe this:

Floral pencil skirt

Happy, happy weekend!

Sweatshirt dress + spots

So I've been a little neglectful of le blog lately; I missed Friday Quick Takes two weeks in a row (hopefully planning on rectifying that this week after my surgery exam! prayers please!), What I Wore Wednesday last week, and last Sunday I even missed WIWS for the first time in months! I also haven't responded to a lot of sweet blogger comments, and for that I'm sincerely sorry (but I have read and enjoyed every single one).

I blame all of this on surgery. I just finished my surgical specialty week, which was equally awe-inspiring and exhausting. I spent two days in cardiothoracic surgery and got to be in my first open heart, one day in plastic surgery where I assisted in some reconstructions for breast cancer patients, and the last part of the week in neurosurgery where I saw an awake craniotomy (but more on that in a later post).

I have also been studying nonstop (lots of gastrointestinal loveliness a.k.a. butts and guts) and I'm starting to go a little crazy (I don't know how I did this every weekend during my first and second year of medical school). I have to guiltily admit that I am way too excited to go to Mass tonight because of the break from studying (and of course I should be excited to go to Mass because it's Mass).

And on to the outfit. It all started with this pin and then I watched this sweatshirt dress forevah until it went on sale. The size left on sale was slightly too big for me, but I justified it because a) it is super comfy b) and I can still wear it to the hospital c) its looseness is disguised with a cardi and d) most importantly, I think it will be a great maternity dress when the time comes. You can never be too prepared right? Also, I am pretty sure that this cardigan is 40% off right now and it doesn't get much better than a pattern that is a blend of polka dots and animal print. I almost added my green belt to the mix, but sometimes simpler is better.

Scarf: old, from fashionABLE (created by women in Africa!)

Cardi: Loft (40% off!)

Dress: Madewell (when it was way on sale)

Tights: Target (for $2!)

Shoes: the ones I wear every day

Happy Sunday! Linking up of course with Fine Linen and Purple. Also joining Jenny, Doranda, Style Elixir, and The Pleated Poppy.

What I Wore Wednesday: gondola stripes and sweet coral

Last week was sadly devoid of outfit posts for me. My days in surgery were long and spent in scrubs (obv), and I just could not muster up the energy to put on an outfit and look semi-presentable when I got home (and is that sort of cheating anyways since I didn't actually wear the outfit that day?) 

Speaking of long surgery days, I was looking over my surgery syllabus yesterday and stumbled on this: "In all cases, student schedules will be planned so that they have no more than 28 hours of continuous responsibilities, and students must be excused after 28 hours. In rare cases, the student may choose to continue working beyond 28 hours on an active case with overriding educational value; this is allowable." To set the record straight, I have not worked 28 hours in a row (yet). But really, first of all a 28 hour consecutive hour shift seems a little extreme to me. And second of all, I don't think that I could get any educational value after working more than 16 hours, let alone 28.

And on to more interesting things, this is my new favorite top. It's the J. Crew Factory version of last year's retail Gondola stripe top. I admit that I thought it was a weird shirt/color combo when it first came out (it remotely reminded me of the circus), but when I saw it on the Factory site it kept growing on me. I also have absolutely nothing navy/orange or silk in my closet so I think it was justified (along with the fact that I found it 30% off sale price). I've been wearing it to work with grey trousers and the navy cardi, but it's definitely more fun with white skinnies.

Silk stripe top: J. Crew Factory

Cardi: Target

White skinnies: J. Crew Factory

Flats: Madewell

Necklace: J. Crew Factory

And another one. I actually wore this out (rare occasion) for one of my fellow medical student's birthdays. These are my tried and true vegan leather (pleather) boots and a fun (and wonderfully huge) scarf that I found at Target recently. Also, if you are searching for the perfect cardigan, this is it. I only wish that I could find the other colors on sale like I found this coral one (it went on sale, then sold out, and is now back full price). 

Cardi (in Sweet Coral): Madewell

Scarf: Target (recent)

Jeans: Loft outlet

Boots: old, this year's version

Linking up with Style Elixir, The Pleated Poppy, Wardrobe Wednesday, Allison, Shanna, Sarah, and Rolled up Pretty. Happy Wednesday!