Legally Charming Style

Happy Sunday!

No one think about the fact that Monday is tomorrow, okay? You've still got a few more hours to enjoy the weekend!

I was so excited this weekend because I got to have brunch with one of my favorite Baltimore people, my friend Makayla. She's an absolute doll, and since for the next month or so we'll live in the same apartment complex, hanging out is super convenient.

I wanted to be comfortable and relaxed, but still cute. Since I'm working this summer, all my shorts and skirts are reserved for evenings and weekends, and I wanted to take advantage of the chance to wear something fun.






I love this skirt. It's short, but mixed with a loose, sheer shirt, it looks casual and fun. The yellow is a fab pop of color for the weekend (and also doubles as a great professional skirt). And since I really don't like to go all out short and sleeveless unless I'm doing one of my rare turns at the club/I've time warped to age 22, this army jacket is the perfect counterbalance and pulls the whole thing together.

I'm trying new poses. "What, this old wall?"

Brunch was great--good food, great conversation, and then pedis together with our friend Ally. The easy, fun kind of Saturday I prefer to have. :)

My sister gifted this clutch to me a few years ago--LOVE--and borrowed shades.

The whole outfit together.

Today I'm wearing yoga pants and a tee, so no outfit pics. But for today, we'll talk about my second love--baking! I've been dying to try this banana bread recipe I found on Pinterest for a little bit, but I didn't have enough bananas until I went to the grocery store Friday.

Ingredients--plus a cup of flour!

Creamed butter and sugar, plus two beaten eggs.

3 mashed bananas. Add them into the egg, butter, and sugar mixture.

Add flour, salt, and baking soda.

Pour into pan and bake for 40-50 minutes... ...and voila! Banana bread!

And all while rocking a pretty fabulous pedicure.






Hope you all had a great weekend!

It's Friiiiiiidaaaayyyyyy!!! YAY!

So Friday day was not all that exciting fashion wise. Striped blouse, black pantsuit. A little yawn, ya know. It was a great day at work with the judge--working on the commission draft, researching probationers' rights in revocation hearings--but by the time I got home, I was so ready to change. I only had a run to the grocery store planned, but I wanted to feel cutesy and fun while I did it.


This is the same striped shirt I wore to work, since I have a hard time completely changing after work because it feels like a waste of clothes. This shirt always makes me feel nautical, so I wanted to kind of keep with the theme. And I love these gray pleated shorts. The black leather-trimmed pockets are such a nice detail, and the fact they're working pockets is even better. Throw them together, add long pearls and voila! Fun, casual, and comfortable!

DIVA.

I gave my feet a break and threw on some sandals after five days a week of high heels. I used to do high heels every day for work, so it wasn't a big deal, but I took almost a year off being back in school. Now my toes are paying the price.






Paired with the first (and only) Coach piece I have purchase I have ever made for myself, it was a great outfit to wear when my nonprofit boss invited me to go see Obvious Child. GREAT MOVIE. If you're any kind of feminist, I highly recommend it. Jenny Slate is incredible.





Hope you have a great weekend!

Welcome back!

So Tuesday was primary day here in Maryland. I'm relatively new to the state, but I wanted to do my civic duty and vote because there's not enough people that take the time, amiright?

My initial thought was to try to make a play on patriotic colors with a not-so-literal interpretation on the flag. I was really, really excited about this idea. I mean, really excited. How cute would that be?! So with that in mind, I put together this combination.


Adorable, right?

The top has tiny little navy polka dots, and the reddish-pink hue of the necklace. America. In an outfit. I walked out of my bedroom, feeling all patriotic. And then my roommate saw me, and said, "Ooooh, a dot theme!! Cute!"

For a second, I was like, kinda crushed. I had planned patriotism! AMERICA. Come on. I explained it and she got it, but then I reconsidered. You know...there were polka dots on the shirt. The beads on the necklace are round. Hey let's GO FOR THE DOT THEME!!!

Lots of dots...

...with a little J.Crew sleeve roll (thank Pinterest for that tutorial!)... ...All coming together to be patriotic AND polka-dotty!

After a morning photo shoot, I ran out to go do my voting thing and got complimented on these super adorable shoes on my way into the polling place, which were a Payless find uhhhh...three years ago? Four years ago? I got the privilege of voting for a very dear friend of mind from law school who is running for office in my district, which was AWESOME. And then I got the best accessory of all--a voting sticker! (Yes, I'm a nerd.)






After a full day of work calling clients, cleaning out files, and filling out petition paperwork, I had a training up at school on legal writing samples and cover letter formatting. Since I spilled tomato sauce on my white shirt sweated to death in my supervisor's office wanted to continue the dot theme, I changed into a polka-dot peplum I got as a hand-me-down from my roommate. (Yes, I take a lot of hand me downs from my roommates. College life for ya.) I threw on a thrifted J.Crew cardigan and called it a day!







Side note-I freakin' love this lip color. NYX is my favorite brand of makeup, since it's cruelty free, cheap, and great quality. This particular color is called Chaos, and while it looks really dark in the tube, when applied directly it comes out to this pinky-berry hue that I adore. (I honestly wish I owned every shade of NYX lipstick/matte cream ever made, but that's just one of those big dreams that's not to be.)

New post on Friday, and remember, ALWAYS vote when you have the chance! (And hey, maybe throw on some polka dots while you're at it.)

Happy Monday!!

I promised this entry for Saturday, but real life in the form of a long-overdue visit to my sister's house in Virginia. Much fun was had by all, and I'm so glad that I did go and spend precious time with my niece and nephew, who are growing up much more quickly than I'd like to think about.

Now that the fun has been had, let's talk about leopard! :)

Jenna Lyons of J. Crew is famous for saying she views leopard as a neutral. And for a while, I'll admit I thought she was crazy. But lately I'm finding that I agree. There's just something about leopard that makes it feel more like second-skin and less like a overt statement. Though I like wearing it casual, I think my favorite way to do it is in a professional setting, where you can feel bold without actually being out of the box crazy. And that's exactly what a girl needs to break up a busy work week!

On Thursday, I wore one of my favorite business dresses to my non-profit organization internship. I love this dress not only because of the print, but the flattering gather at the waist that always makes me feel super skinny-pants every time I wear it (even when I'm not) and I'm comfortable all day long. Sadly, it rained right before I took this picture, but since it's a dark pattern, so it didn't look quite as blatant that I'd been standing in the rain waiting on a bus since I was kicked out of a dry area of a building for loitering. (Yes, a girl in a business dress and blazer got asked to stop loitering.)  But despite the crazy hair, I'm still really happy with these pics!

Yes, I did in fact wear shoes to work that day...they just got soaked. :(

Since I'd already worn leopard Thursday, and I really like writing these theme posts, I decided to pop on my favorite leopard shirt underneath a navy suit with a bold necklace. It was a polished look with some edge-just the kind of look for sitting in on voir dire and escorting the a new misdemeanor trial jury to see their deliberation room.

Also the best way to do a Friday. :)








And just when you thought I was done...

One more look!!!

So Friday night I had every intent to stay in, since I was headed to my sister's early Saturday morning and needed to pack. Then I saw that a good friend of mine was stuck on a terrible date and needed a date bail-out. So I definitely performed my first fake emergency call on Friday, got her free, and she offered to take me out as a thank you. In celebration of moving on, we decided to go for drinks and fried pickles (yum!) and I decided to take that leopard top that had served my suit so well and pair it with a skirt I've been dying to wear for a few months now.



It was a fabulous night and a great end to my work week!

Moral of the story? Leopard is awesome and should be worn as much as possible.

Hope your weekend was as great as mine and I look forward to the next post!

<3

Hellooooo again!

In the last post, I mentioned that the legal profession doesn't allow for a lot of bright color. Generally, our court color palette is limited to black, grey, brown, navy, tan, and white. Very rarely, you can pop in some color in a necklace or a mostly hidden shirt under a suit.

Sometimes, however, you're dying to wear some color. And in order to do that, you have to be a color ninja.

Today was one of those days. See this skirt?


It looks black, doesn't it? Just basic, boring old black.

But wait. Look again.


That's no black skirt. It's OXBLOOD.

I know. The things I get excited about, right? When I got this skirt as a hand-me-down from my roommate, I wasn't sure how I'd get to wear it, or when. Then I got the idea to sneak it in to suit separates for the office, and with this stunning, muted floral top, it felt like I was doing something rebellious without actually being crazy. It was the perfect outfit to make connections, kick butt and take names as I help my boss with her judicial commission report.

This skirt's going to get put into rotation pretty regularly (just as soon as I dry clean out the wrinkles!!).

So I'll admit it. Before starting an adult career, I hated professional clothes. I mean, never wanted to touch them, wore jeans and logo t-shirts pretty much every freakin' day.



But then I got a big girl job. No more jeans five days a week, no more logo t-shirts. It was a quick learning curve, and at first I was a little resistant. Gradually, however, I started to like it; eventually, I started to love it. Then it happened. The girl who dropped a broadcast journalism major because she didn't want to be "groomed" decided to become a lawyer.

I don't think I understood then that I was going to have to be "groomed" every day for the rest of my life.



Even though I still like jeans and t-shirts, I can't help but enjoy dressing up. I miss color a little in my professional wardrobe, but I can't help but feel like a "grown up" (the term is used very loosely) when I'm dressed up and ready for my internship.

Classy, sassy, and a bit smart-well, you know...

This outfit is a bundle of classics: a black sheath dress, a cashmere cardigan, and pearls. This outfit was also a pack of golden thrift store finds. A $15 dress + a $15 hem=a $30 investment piece for life! The cardigan? 100% cashmere, $5 on a half-price sale at Salvation Army. The shoes are DKNY and cost $19 at a consignment store. And since the necklace and earrings were made by me, they're already a bargain all their own.

Please see my ridiculous faces. Some things never change.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

So this spring I did my usual wardrobe refreshment. It may have been on a smaller scale, since law school has made me poor, but I got my shopping on for the new season.

This year I was naturally drawn to kelly green.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love green. And red hair + green clothes is a damn near can't-miss combination. But I haven't bought a lot in years, especially not bright kelly green. First came a green maxi skirt, then a green dress, then a green gingham top...it's a disease, folks. It's going to have to go on the same list as stripes: I can't buy any more for the rest of the year.

In the meantime, enjoy my very green weekend!

Trying out the cool-girl blogger pose

Mandatory Wawa when in Philly!

Laundry day comfort