Thursday's Professional Wear

My school schedules practice physical examination with standardized patients on Thursdays, so I've decided to show you my professional outfits from past weeks. This way I can chronicle my attire and see how it changes over time, and this is the perfect opportunity to get some feedback. Suggestions and ideas are definitely welcomed!

Grey pointed heels: Primark | Navy Pants: The Limited | Scalloped Top: Loft Outlet | Purple Cardigan: Gap Outlet

I am in love with these heels! I never liked pointed toes but these are the right angle, or at least that's what I have told myself... They are probably not the best quality, or at least I can feel it in my bone based on how much I paid for them (£10 = about 15 USD), but I don't think anyone can tell the different between these and a high-end pair of heels. The cardigan may not be the right cover or layer for this outfit, but I exchanged it for my white coat during physical examinations. What would have made a better layered top? I'd love to hear what you guys have in mind. 

Time for me to go act like a doctor!

When the city is still asleep and there is no one on the streets...

This is my favorite time to walk around the city. There is this stillness in the air, and you feel like you are the only one in the world. Nature is awake of course, an hour early actually. And she's begging for the people to wake up, but no one seems to hear.

The leaves have started to change. They are reminding you to change as well, for nothing stays the same. So get out of bed, and start out your day already! Walk down the street and listen to those leaves dance in the wind, so excited to feel the rays of sunshine which so seldom come these days. Cherish every footstep, every breath.

Enjoy the day for it never comes again...

School days

Med school is kicking my butt right now, but thankfully I have a long weekend to catch up on studying and blogging! I missed you guys so much! So let's get down to what I've been wearing recently. 

Above is a sheer-like tunic I bought back in the states. I really like the colors and the placement of the stripes. I'm wearing it with a tank-top underneath, black skinny jeans I managed to grab at Old Navy for 49 cents (I tripled checked with the cashier on the price because I couldn't believe it!) and white Converse sneakers. This is great for those days where I want to look put together but don't want to put too much effort into it. Tunic + pants + flat shoes = my new uniform for school. I didn't add a scarf here because it was still pretty warm out, but I also have been rotating through my scarves on the daily now that it's chilled down in Newcastle.

Another easy look! Semi-fitted skirt with leather trims ($10 trunk sale in Lewes, Delaware) on the sides paired with a simple nude tank top and magenta cardigan from Gap Outlet (old - $15) (similar here). I added one of my favorite scarves on top (gift from mom). The sandals are from Kenneth Cole Reaction (3 seasons ago - $20 Outlet store) and the bag is from TJ Maxx (originally $150, down to $50) Mom found the purse and it was my go to bag in the first two months of classes.

In case you are wondering, there is no dress code for our medical school, but I try my best to look as put together as possible when attending lectures. Looking professional, or at the most, not like I rolled out of bed and into the classroom in the morning, really changes my outlook on the day ahead. The professors always complement the best dressed in class and take note of who puts effort into their looks, so it doesn't hurt ;)

That's it for now, will try to post my next set of outfits soon, but in the meantime. Check out my professional look on the next post!

First few days of Term 1

I finally have more of a regular schedule so I'm gonna get back to posting more often!

Here is the outfit I wore on the 16 hour trip. I have a Pinterest board dedicated to outfits that look comfy and put together, and here I did neither... I'm wearing jeans which are at least stretchy so they were pretty comfortable. And you can obviously see my orange sports bra undearneath my shirt. So I kinda missed the mark here. But my shear excitement over the fact that I was going 1) away to another country, and 2) away from anyone I had come to know over the last 15+ years overcomes the lack of fashion edginess here. To be honest, I was pretty comfortable in this outfit, but will definitely try to improve on the fashion aspect for the next overseas trip...

 Gateshead Millennium Bridge

This bridge is found in my new home, Newcastle upon Tyne. I think it's the only one in the world that tilts in order to let boats get by below it. It's pretty damn sweet!!! Loving the city, everything seems new and shiny, even the dirty old streets :D

White coat ceremony!

 Even though I longed for the day when I would receive my white coat, I somehow was still not prepared for what I would wear underneath it. I always pictured wearing a nice statement dress, but in the end I wore one of my favorite dress shirts and a pencil skirt. One of my go-to outfits and it still had some pizzaz in my opinion. You can sort of see the details in the picture above. The hair on the other hand was not as great as I'd wanted it. You win some, you lose some right?

We're about to have our midterms in a week or so, and man I'm pretty much living, breathing, and sleeping my notes, textbooks, and lectures at this point. Hopefully I'll have time to put out my post about what I wore during the first few weeks of classes! What have you guys been up to?

Food Delights || August

After setting up my new home in Newcastle England, I've made it a priority to try some of the local food. A lot of things I could find in America, but there's nothing like getting the authentic culinary skills of The Brits.

During orientation, we were offered an authentic Afternoon Tea  at a highly regarded hotel called The Vermont  in Newcastle upon Tyne. And it didn't disappoint. The scones were delicious, as well as the custard! Oh my, it was devine! And I don't think I need to say anything about the tea, I mean... we are in the land of Earl Grey tea after all.

Trying out some mouth watering fish and chips! I think the first week I was here I had 3 of these. The fish is so fresh, the breading so crispy and the fries... I don't think you can find fries made like that in America. Or at least, I've looked...

My father came to visit for a couple of days and we ended up sharing this specific meal. He was able to enjoy the fish and chips and I had the steak and fries at Pitcher and Piano.

Pizza.... Ah, what can I say about pizza. I'm in love - I was born in the South of France, about an hour away from Italy, so I'm really picky when it comes to a good slice of pizza. This pizza here comes pretty close to the style that I love, so any chance I get to pop over to Grainger Market in Northumbria City Center, I will get my hands on one! The dough is light and thin without being crispy, and the marriage of tomato sauce, cheese, and herbs are in perfect harmony. My friend decided to try the ham and mushroom, but honestly... you can't go wrong with any of them and the serving sizes are pretty great for the price!

The pub grub is pretty damn spectacular as well! Here is the Sunday Lunch at Tanners Arms. The best way to describe the way this taste is to imagine that your mother spent all weekend trying to cook this meal, and after a week of hard work and sleep exhaustion, it's exactly what the doctor ordered (or at least I did!) I've been there a few times now, so here is some of the things I ordered. At the top, it's beef and gravy with pork skins and puffin. In the middle, there's chicken and chips with puffin - and once again gravy... it's like a Thanksgiving dinner every time. You can see all the sides that could come with the dish. Honey grazed carrots, peas, mashed potatoes, cabbage and bacon (my personal favorite!), and whole cooked potatoes. And finally at the bottom, the latest dish I ordered was sausage, onions, and mashed potatoes surrounded by a moat of amazing juices - I honestly don't know what was in that but I couldn't get enough of it!

Tanners Arms, like many of the pubs here, has a very relaxed atmosphere. Very quiet, hole in the wall kind of feel. But man, it's exactly what you need after a rough week. And they even have a pool table, live entertainment at night, and even board games sitting on the mantle waiting to be played. My kind of place!

Eating out is fun but it sure burns a whole in my wallet. So here we have a few meals that me and my friend made. Living close to the sea, Newcastle receives some of the freshest fish I've ever seen, and I have a specific fishmonger I like to frequent because of the quality of the salmon. Here I have pan fried salmon and a side salad. Simple in preparation and one of the best dishes I think I've ever made. By cleaning off the scales, the skin becomes a crispy little treat and the favorite part of this whole dish. My friend makes the salad to the right almost everyday. It is one of the most colorful salads I've ever seen prepared and brought to class. Her culinary skills make me quite envious, but I'd probably get fat from all the amazing dishes she creates! Find her on her blog here.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for the food finds I had in September!

So, here's what it's like to be in Med School Year 1...

Catching up on sleep anywhere we can...

Anyone having a similar experience??

Outfit review

This was a post I wanted to publish two months ago but things got in the way, like... you know... packing and flying across the ocean to my new home in England. Since I have a nice little break between classes, I think I'll show it to you guys now!

Last month I went to LOFT and tried on several blouses that I had been eyeing for a while. I always have to try things on at LOFT before ordering them online because the sizes always vary from item to item, as I will point out below. Sometimes I'm an XS Petite, sometimes I'm a Small regular, and sometimes the Medium sizes fit best. Does anyone else have that problem with LOFT? I've learned that if I try to order them I never get around to returning the pieces I don't want, and that's just silly...

The first two pictures are in the same size (Small). At first, I saw the design and didn't think I'd like it but when I tried it I changed my mind. The stripes are slimming and it's a very loose, light fabric. I can picture wearing this tucked into one of my pencil skirts with low heels for clinicals.

The first two pictures are size small and the lower one is a medium. 

This shirt on the other hand, did nothing for me. I thought the shape would be flattering and the color is a beautiful eggplant shade, but this just goes to show that you have to try on a lot of clothes to figure out what fits your specific body. I get the feeling that Fran would pull this off a lot better than I would; we have different shoulder shapes (is it odd that I'm describing our shapes this way?) but it means that she can wear boxy tops while I have to find things with more defined shoulders.

The only thing I liked about this shirt was the little orange roosters. I'm not even gonna discuss the rest of it.... Moving on...

 

This blouse was an attempt at bring patterns and color to my wardrobe. I really like both and thought this could be added to my pieces to wear during medical school. Although the collar is not my favorite style, the fabric allows it to be flat and wouldn't be too itchy around my neck. Tucked in into pencil skirts, this blouse could definitely work.  

The top two pictures show the blouse in size medium (you can see I'm trying to pull the extra fabric around my waist), and the lower two pictures show the blouse in size small.

The colors in this top is so flattering for olive skins (like myself). I also really love this type of collar and have been trying to find more shirts with this style. I find that it doesn't get my hair all messed up when I leave it down. This would be perfect for professional days where we examine patients. The short sleeves also allow for airiness underneath the white coats. Win win in my book.

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Update: It's been 3 months since I tried these on and never got around to buying the blouses I wanted. Looking back on this post I would still buy the last two if I had the chance, and may have a look at delivery options if I can still grab them. What do you guys think? What have you tried on lately?