Quick Wardrobe Switch

Hey guys! I’m currently recovering from running a great but intense two-week summer course. More on that soon, but for now I’ll talk about an issue that plagues many geologists and/or people who do a lot of field work: needing a quick wardrobe change! I can’t say how many times that I’ve had a long day out in the field but I need to pop into school or the office for a quick meeting without going home. Here are a few tips:

Opted for my comfy lululemon jacket while I studied.

1.)   Add a formal jacket/blazer and change your shoes!

2.)   Wear jeans if you can.

3.)   Bring extra deodorant.

Wearing my crocs flats!

These before and after pictures were on a day where I needed to study for most of the day but wanted to go out with S later that evening for pho. I just opted for comfy jeans and a shirt for my library time. Then I switched out the shoes and added a blazer to finish a new look, and voila! Date outfit all set! For a more extreme change like going directly from active field work to a meeting, I’d recommend possibly changing the base shirt, too. And, on hot days, that’s when the deodorant comes in handy too!

If you feel like maybe your wardrobe is a bit sparse, here are some shopping ideas for you:

Link to the jacket here.

These flats are so pretty and look comfortable!

I like to have at least one of every clothing item in black because it’s so easy to work with. These jacket and flats seem both affordable and pretty decent quality. So let me know if you end up getting either of these! I’m tempted to try out the flats, and I’ll let you know if I do!

Christmas Shopping List 2016

Hope you all are having a great week so far! If you’re like me, you’ve been too busy for holiday shopping! I’ve been looking around for presents for all the amazing women in my life. I figured you all might appreciate the stuff I’ve found for shopping inspiration:

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Lately, I’ve been really obsessed with wrap sweaters (5), and I basically got a wrap sweater for every lovely lady in my life this year. This one looks really nice and comfy for winter weather chilling, plus it is flexible material for mothers-to-be!

Everyone always needs good skin cream for the rough winter months, but I’ve also been trying out a bunch of hand and face creams. The Josie Maran hand cream (2) is really helping me with my dry hands, which get really pesky as soon as the weather gets cool. For protecting my face, I really enjoy this Clark’sBotanicals face cream (1). I don’t think my skin has even been softer, and I also really like that it has a very mellow scent which I prefer for something so close to my nose. J

But, for when I do like a good perfume, there are these two roll-on perfumes that are my absolute favorite. I’ve started to prefer roll-on perfume to spray-on perfume because I feel like it’s more subtle and easier to control where the perfume goes. I just received this Midnight Fleur perfume (4) as a gift a few weeks ago and I absolutely love it! Unfortunately, it’s not guaranteed to arrive by Christmas, so I added Burberry Brit (3), which is on Amazon Prime and has been a classic favorite of mine for a while.

I think everyone could always use a little relaxation, especially with the busy holiday season, and a bubble bath is a great outlet for chilling. I recently tried out the Philosophy Amazing Grace shower shampoo, bath, and gel (6) and I really enjoyed using it for a bubble bath.

So, good luck with holiday shopping and let me know how it goes!

Winter Wardrobe

Hope you guys are enjoying the Christmas season! I’ve been having a great time with dressing up to go out, so I figured I’d share some ideas from outfits I’ve been posting on Instagram.

S and I at my cousin's wedding!

 S and I went to my cousin’s wedding a few weeks ago. It was unseasonably warm, so we were able to enjoy hanging outside during the reception. I wore this long sleeve black dress and received nonstop compliments on it. Little black dresses are always a classy staple, and the long-sleeve version is a perfect dress for winter. My friend gave it to me as a present, so I wasn’t able to find a link to the actual dress, but I found some similar ones that you might enjoy checking out:

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This weekend, we had a night with several holiday parties to visit. I was struggling to find a shirt that was both comfy and casual but also nice enough for going out in the evening. My sis-in-law remembered that she had borrowed this shirt from me and suggested I wear it.

And I remembered how much I love it! Plus I think that pastels, even though they’re known for spring, look especially nice in winter as a gentle pop of color against all the black and brown that people wear, especially in the New England winter. I think I got this shirt at a thrift store, so I don’t have a direct link. But I found some well-reviewed pastel pink blouses that don’t break the bank:

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So, even though this season is all about giving, maybe you can splurge on yourself a bit and find something nice to wear for all of those holiday parties! Good luck with shopping!

October Fun

Happy Autumn, everyone! I’ve been pretty busy with TAing two classes, taking two full classes and two seminars, on top of my research stuff and traveling to see S and family (who are all two hours away… sigh). But I’ve also managed to enjoy autumn a bit. Here’s a little bit of what I did:

My bunt cake!

I’m not a big cool weather person, but there are a few things about the fall season that I love, including PUMPKINS! My mother knows how much I love pumpkins and baking, but as a grad student she knows I don’t have much time to bake these days, so she sent me an amazing care package…

Thanks Mom!

 

… That included spice cake mix and cans of pumpkin puree! I’m so into this recipe: add a can of pumpkin puree to cake mix and, ta-da, you have pumpkin spice cake. I made a bunt cake out of one batch, and I can’t wait to make some cupcakes soon.

I’ve also been doing a bit of shopping. I noticed that vests have been really popular up here in New England since forever, and so I finally caved and got one:

Along the CT coastline!

There was a great sale at Gap last weekend ($20 for vests that usually cost $50), so I splurged and I’m so happy did. I’m love how my vest keep my core warm! It makes romping around in the leaves, or hanging out by the wind-chilled coastline, so much more pleasant.

Climbing up Long Mountain!

 I’m also very lucky to TA a geologic mapping class. It’s so much fun to have my job be adventuring around the Pioneer Valley’s mountains, especially with the foliage being so colorful these past few weeks.

Me with my pumpkin spice latte!

And, of course, I had my first pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks this weekend while I graded homework. And I was so snug and content in my sparkly scarf from Damascus. I can’t believe it’s been over six years since my trip to Syria. I wish I could go back so much.

Well, it’s been a whirlwind adventure learning how to be a grad student. More news on that to follow, I promise. Meanwhile, enjoy autumn where ever you are! Even if the air isn’t cool and crisp, maybe you can sip a pumpkin spice latte!