Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: Python Print Blouse

158 Comments

1. I have a shirt of this shape and fabric that I love for both wearing under suits and casual looks on the weekend. I don’t like the print on this one, though.

   Also, I have to plug for Dillards, especially in store. I looked at their Antonio Melani stuff last week and found so many dresses with sleeves (like, tons) and a ton of them on sale (bigger sale than they have on line). I’m wearing one today with sleeves that I got for maybe $40.

   1. Antonio Melani is my go-to for structured work dresses with sleeves. I’ve never been that lucky with sales, but I find that the quality is pretty good so that even at close to full price it’s a good buy.

2. Don’t like the print or shape of this one.

   1. I’m not a fan either. I think this veers a little too much into Carmela Soprano territory (and this is from someone who has at least a dozen various leopard print items at home).

      1. +1000. this shirt is totally carmella soprano! cant imagine wearing it to work. or, anywhere.

   2. I’d be okay with it if it didn’t seem to have that weird pocket which is either less sheer or much darker than the rest

   3. Not a fan of this one at all.

   4. Yeah, I think this is kind of awful. I’m usually a huge Equipment fan, but I think this one is on super sale for a reason.

   5. Agreed. This looks like a potato sack!

      BTW, where is our beloved Ellen? Has she found a guy?

      1. One person’s “beloved” is another person’s “annoying and not funny.”

   6. I like the cut and color of this but not the print. Also, while I do like the look of sheer blouses, I get really annoyed when I’m getting dressed and practically everything I own requires layers to be work appropriate (i.e., not see-through), so I’m avoiding purchasing any more sheer items for a while.

3. Are maxi dresses casual? I’m talking about ones made in knit jersey, maybe with some fun, bright print.

   I keep going back and forth on this and seeing different views. I have 2 maxis that that super comfortable and I love wearing around with flip flops when it gets into the 80s, but am I actually over-dressing? I’m also 5’8″ with broad shoulders, so the dresses totally don’t overwhelm my figure either.

   1. I consider maxis super casual-perfect for running errands, chilling at the pool, or shopping at the farmer’s market.

      There’s a girl here right out of school who wears maxis with a cardigan to work (conservative office) and THAT does not work, however.

      1. I was at our local public high school this morning and saw lots of girls wearing maxis. So, definitely casual.

   2. Super casual. You’re doing it right!

   3. I wear maxi dresses to work (I’m actually wearing one now) with cardigans, but our dress code is casual and tends to veer into the super-casual territory sometimes. My last job was business casual and I would never have worn a maxi dress there.

      1. +1 to all of this. With that said, I think it can be easier to dress casual maxi dresses up than their shorter cousins.

   4. I’m wearing a maxi with flip flops right now! Love it! And it was an extra 60% off the clearance price at Loft!

   5. I think some maxis can be more dressy, but never truly formal. Jersey like you’re wearing is perfectly casual. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t buy any more clothes this summer, but I’m seriously crushing on a grey jersey maxi (possibly striped) and a navy, silky one.

   6. I think the only thing they’re dressy enough for is dressy dinner while on vacation. Otherwise, definitely casual clothes to me.

   7. Maxi dresses are the summer version of yoga pants.

4. Do Banana Republic suits ever go on sale?

   1. All the time. or wait for one of those 40% off everything sales.

   2. Yes, but for the classics there are sometimes exclusions. That said, I think those coupons they give you where it’s 40% off any one item on Wednesdays usually work. I have two BR suits and I bought both for 40% off that way or during some other “everything is on sale” promo.

      1. Cardholders sometimes get a %-off, no exclusions coupons. But the typical sales usually have exclusions (like BR picks, leather, cashmere, etc.)

   3. They do, but also wanted to flag that the Banana Republic Factory store is now online too with some really nice suiting options at less than half the price.

      1. Fraction of the cost; fraction of the quality!

         1. Of course it doesnt have the same quality, but I’d put the Factory quality above some major chains

      2. Thanks for the tip! My SOs suits come from the factory because he doesn’t need suits all that often and the regular one are too $$$ for his taste. On that note, why are the men’s suits at Banana so much more expensive than the women’s suits?

   4. Beware! Often the 40% off everything excludes suits. Signed, someone who realized this when she got to the cash register and is still bitter 2+years later.

      1. Wanna start a club? I did exactly this when I was first trying to get a suit wardrobe together for work, and had waited for the sale AND fought through the insane mall crowds. I am also still bitter. ;o)

   5. Yes and if you have a banana card and get a reward, you can use that on the suits. The clearance section sometimes has suits but you have to dig and be patient lol. Usually it’s when it’s down to only a few sizes left then they’ll be on the clearance rack. Any price that ends in .97 is final sale and is often times the best deal you’ll get on it (although I’ve seen and bought ones that have had two final sale tags on it).

5. The American Lawyer has a special section on Women in Big Law:

   http://www.americanlawyer.com/id=1202727354967/Special-Report-Big-Law-Is-Failing-Women?back=law&kw=Special%20Report%3A%20Big%20Law%20Is%20Failing%20Women&et=editorial&bu=Law.com&cn=20150529&src=EMC-Email&pt=Newswire&slreturn=20150429100152

   In other news, water is wet.

6. I have flirted with the idea of law school off and on for years, but given the market and the debt load, have never been convinced to pull the trigger. Wondering if anyone has suggestions of fields that might scratch that itch. TIA.

   1. What specifically about the practice of law do you think you will enjoy? Is it the actual law? Is it the solving a case? Arguing cases in public? etc. etc. That will help give you an answer to your question.

      1. I guess I was purposely vague to cast a wide net, but I studied political science in college and took a great campaign finance law class as an undergrad (and follow politics closely in general); also worked in journalism and publishing, so also interested in IP and first amendment-type stuff. But I like the puzzle-solving aspect, debating, etc.

         1. Honestly that winds up just not being what lawyers do. It’s what so many people go to school for and a handful get jobs in. It’s sexy and glamorous and interesting and a terrible reason to take on law school. Work a campaign. Become a consultant.

            Being a lawyer isn’t about puzzle solving and debating day to day. It’s about sitting alone in your office researching and writing. If you want to change the world through energetic political debate run for office. Srsly. We need more women doing it. Get out there and get yourself started on a zoning board.

            1. I agree with some of what you say. It depends on what type of law you are doing. I do sit alone in my office and do research and writing a lot. But I do sit and analyze and think of strategy quite a bit too. I deal with novel issues and how we will address them, I write briefs arguing my case…if you’re a corporate lawyer, then no, this is not what you do. But a litigator? yes. I anticipate what opposing counsel is going to argue, I try to make our case as watertight as possible- the thing is, it’s not always FUN doing those things. Searching through endless documents, dealing with clients who don’t give you the info you need, etc., can get tedious.

               Also, there isn’t much work in copyright and first-amendment stuff from my experience.

            2. All I do is problem-solve/solve puzzles. Clients come in with a problem they need help with. We fix it. That is, essentially, what a lawyer is. I don’t really understand Anonymous @ 11:49’s comment. Research and writing is problem solving.

            3. Yes, law can be lot of researching and writing (depending on your field), but it is also problem solving and advocacy and interacting with people and learning their stories. Again, depending on your field of practice. Where it can get tiresome is that after a while, if you’re working in a static area of law and you’ve gained a fair amount of experience, you end up seeing the same or very similar problems over and over again. Hearing the same or similar stories over and over again. Once you’ve solved the same problem for 10 different clients, the novelty of “solving” it for the 11th wears off. While there are changes in law and occasional novel cases that do need solved (plus, you can always shift the focus of your practice area a bit if you’re seeking new puzzles to solve), at some point you need to enjoy the job for other aspects of it.

            4. If you look at my original post, I wasn’t asking to be convinced to go to law school; I’m interested in other options that might be related to the field of law without taking on that kind of debt or workload.

               I don’t want to be a politician for various reasons, which is another reason I found law attractive; I’m more interested in what goes on behind the scenes. I’ve been considering grad and professional school options other than law and hope to use discussion here to bring to light occupations I hadn’t considered.

               Thanks again to all who have replied!

            5. I know you’re trying to get outside of the box ideas, but I just want to point out that most of the people who actually make/change policy “behind the scenes” are not politicians at all. If you really want to do that, you can definitely go into policy work without a graduate degree (in most fields, some fields it would be helpful) either at the local, state or federal level. The rub is that you probablyhave to be willing to start at entry-level/low-pay. But most people who really want to do policy move up pretty quickly.

         2. I share many of your interests and work in a govt agency in charge of regulating a policy area I am particularly interested in.

            We do employ many lawyers here but most of the coolest/most interesting (IMO) jobs are held by non-lawyers.

         3. Yeah, this is how people fall into a ton of debt and become very unhappy lawyers – because this is not what the vast, vast majority of lawyers do. Go get involved in politics, but don’t go to law school.

   2. Regulatory or compliance work? Usually dealing with an agency, and in many cases those positions do not require JD, though may require other industry expertise. I thinking things like regulatory affairs in food/drug/device (dealing with the FDA), HR/benefits (dealing with IRS and DOL regulations). Banking has a big compliance piece as well. Outside of agencies, any company that has a quality system (ISO 900x certified, or similar) it has to be in compliance with is going to have a similar compliance/quality need.

   3. Do you want to go to law school or be an attorney? If it’s the former, then go at night or (if you can find a school that lets you do it) just take classes.

   4. What about Public Relations or Communications for a government agency, public official or trade association-type organization. You get to work with the media, advocating for your cause on behalf of your organization. I considered law school years ago, but found a career path in PR was actually the best fit for my interests and skills.

   5. I work in fundraising for an educational institution and would argue that you can get the behind-the-scenes, problem-solving itch scratched in something similar. Institutional leadership is ALL about puzzles and those puzzles are forever-changing!

   6. I am so late to this party, but in case you are still reading, I want to say you are so smart to be asking this question. I tried out other things before eventually going to law school, and I’m so glad I did because I could commit fully to law without having to constantly wonder if I really should have done something else instead. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide to do!

7. I just received the Topshop Molly blazer from Nordstrom and it is a terrific under-$100 jacket. I got it in nude and plan on wearing it with a white tee, black ankle pants and nude pumps. Highly recommend!

   1. SO CUTE!

8. Has anybody actually had any luck increasing your milk supply (or rather, pumping output) by taking fenugreek or drinking more water or something else?

   1. Drinking more water and eating a lot — good foods, not candy bars — helped.

      1. Yes and yes. Also mother’s milk tea. At times I found it hard to eat as much as I needed after going back to work because of time constraints, making sure I had enough food around, and the allure of wanting my pre-baby body back. But it definitely paid off to eat a lot and to eat well. Think wholesome, full-fat foods.

   2. Fenugreek worked for me — I took a lot of it and also took Gaia Lactation Support pills. I did smell like maple syrup, but it was worth it. I also ate a lot of galactogoues like oatmeal and almond, and stayed away from supply killers like sage. Power pumping also worked for me – 10 mins on, 10 mins off for 60-80 minutes depending on how much time I had. If none of these things are working, you can ask your OB re a prescription for a medicine that can help increase milk production. I’ve known women who went on that with success. Good luck

   3. Mothers Milk tea, if they still make it.

   4. Hydration was key for me – I definitely saw changes when I drank more water.

      The other thing that was key for me (not exactly what you were asking but might help??) was a regular schedule. With one baby I was able to keep up a very, very regular pumping schedule – every 2.5 hours, every day, and kept nursing for a year. I only stopped because I wanted to wean him and he was very enthusiastic about food. The second time around, I couldn’t prioritize pumping and couldn’t keep up a regular schedule (at least not without putting my foot down at work at a very touchy time) and my output diminished, and my body basically gave up after about 8 or 9 months.

   5. Fenugreek worked for me. Lots of it. Till your sweat smells like maple syrup. Lots of nursing on the weekends also helps. My pumping supply was always better on Mondays than Fridays. If you can get another session in in the mornings, that can help.

   6. Fenugreek helped me. So did drinking TONS of water and pumping regularly and nursing often while not at work. I also ate lots of oatmeal, which is supposed to help. I just like oatmeal for breakfast anyway, so not sure if it made a difference. Also, keep the pump going for a couple minutes after you no longer see milk pumping out. My doc said it helps signal the body to make more.

   7. Hydration, regular/frequent nursing and pumping sessions, and… I know it’s hard, but a few solid blocks of sleep. If the baby has you up every 2 hours, then find someone (partner, grandparent, babysitter, etc) to agree to sit with the baby and do whatever it takes to give you at least a 4-6 hour block of time to sleep uninterrupted. This, even if you only manage it every few days, plus water, can make a huge difference.

   8. I took fenugreek and mother’s milk tea, separately and together, and I wasn’t able to achieve a full supply for any of my kids. I just supplemented with formula and nursed as often as I could. I stopped thinking of breastmilk as an all-or-nothing and enjoyed it as a time of bonding with my kids. After doing just about everything possible (long feedings on demand followed by at least 15 minutes of pumping, up to 8 times a day), I realized that my obsession with producing more milk was interfering with the joy I could experience by being fully in the moment and being grateful for having healthy babies. It’s hard because the books make you feel like everyone is capable of increasing their supply, but that was not my experience at all (and not the experience of many of my friends, either).

   9. Lactation cookies – search the web for recipes. Oatmeal, brewer’s yeast, etc. All things supposed to increase supply. Totally works – and I’d much rather eat cookies than drink that nasty tea.

   10. Also… I would say as a former nursing mother & pumping working mother… don’t kill yourself trying to produce every ounce you can. Unless your baby is a newborn in ICU and the milk is that important. If your baby is a few months old and nurses at all you’re doing awesome and just let the pumping fall where it may. You’re not a bad mom if you don’t provide every ounce of food for your baby for the first 6 months. You’re a good mom for caring but your baby will be happy & healthy & still love you and be just fine even if they are not exclusively breast fed. Having a baby is tough enough, if pumping is not working out or not as much as you thought, well, that’s fine, give yourself credit for trying and give the baby what milk you have and let formula make up the rest.

9. I recently moved to a larger space at work (wahoo). I need some additional pictures up on the wall. We’re a pretty low key place, so diplomas etc aren’t really appropriate. Any suggestions on where to get some cheaper prints or art? I like etsy, but get overwhelmed.

   1. I like Hubble telescope image prints (have a couple at home). You can download high-res images for free (public domain) and use something like Shutterfly or other printing services to do a paper print, foamboard or canvas.

   2. Art.com. Create an account, add some stuff you like to your cart and wait. They’ll for sure send coupons. Wait for 40% off

   3. Ikea. They have nice frames and some nice prints. Or go to a museum shop and get some art posters you like and get the frames at Ikea or Target. MOMA has some nice options – I like the Matisse prints and the vintage travel posters.

   4. Minted. Lots of pretty prints.

   5. Someone here recommended Society6 dot com for I-phone cases and I’ve bought several there but they have a crazy-huge collection of art for super- reasonable prices, framed or unframed. It can be a real time-suck to go there, but you can search by keyword or look at work by a specific artist that you like.

   6. I like allposters.com. You can search six ways from Sunday including subject matter, color, artist, you name it.

   7. 20×200 and buddy editions

   8. It helps to be able to narrow down what you are looking for. The prints that I have and like are related to my home state. I have a great print by a local artist of the shape of my home state made up of a ton of that state’s trees. I’ve also been thinking of starting to collect those vintage national park posters for the parks I’ve been to. I like art that has some specific meaning to me.

      1. In my state you can download images from the state historical society’s archives for around $5. I downloaded a couple of vintage photos of a local landmark and had them blown up on posterboard using snapfish. Very affodable, and I got tons of compliments from everyone who visited my office.

   9. DENY Designs has some interesting prints. They are submitted by artists and designers, so are a bit more unique than Art.com.

   10. dailypaintworks dot com has works by emerging and some established artists. They are more traditional (still lifes, landscapes, portraits , not so much contemporary or experimental). Look for landscapes by Laurel Daniel, Mary Gilkerson, Paula Ensign, Kevin Inman. Phil Couture does amazing portraits and will probably be my next big purchase.

       I am a huge advocate for buying originals over prints. You can find some good artists. Look on etsy for skyinsession . He’s my favorite artist on there.

       When you look at art, don’t worry about if you “SHOULD” like it or not. Do you ACTUALLY like it? Is it pleasing to your eye? Does it make you feel good? Then it’s good. If it makes you feel kind of weird and you’re thinking, huh why on earth are they trying to pass that off as good? Then just let it go by.

       You can also contact galleries local to you and ask them to show you some paintings. They will work with you to find you a piece you like. You can get great stuff for just a couple hundred. Plus framing of course.

       Art is awesome! Get originals you like and they will bring you pleasure for years and years.

   11. You could also put together a puzzle, glue it, mount it and frame it.

10. Woohoo! I’m working on a project at my new job with my boss’s boss, and I was getting kind of nervous about it – like woke up at 3 am this morning and broke out the spreadsheets because I couldn’t sleep thinking about it nervous. Grand-boss just went into bosses office today and had a closed door meeting, making me even more nervous but afterword my boss stuck his head in my office and told me Grand-boss said I am kicking @ss on this project and he’s happy I’m on it with him.

    Yay! Now maybe I can get some sleep at night without stressing quite so hard.

    1. That’s awesome! Congrats!

    2. Congratulations!

    3. Way to go!

       As an aside, this is the second time this week I have read “grand-boss” to mean boss’s boss. I have never heard this before…it conjures up thoughts of old, curmudgeonly boss, which I know isn’t the case in my organization! :)

       1. I picked it up from here or AAM – I just think it’s funny, and easier to type than boss’s boss. I also sometimes use “Big Boss”

          In my case, it’s a really small organization so the Grand-Boss is THE BOSS – head of the org, and someone with a ton of experience who I’m really happy to learn from.

       2. Haha, it makes me think of my sorority, calling your big sister’s big sister grandbig.

          Congrats!

    4. Woohoo! That’s awesome!

    5. Yay, congrats!!!

11. What did everyone get their undergraduate degrees in? I’m not a lawyer, but a friend of mine is. He’s a sociologist (like me), and was telling me most of his colleagues have psychology degrees which I found interesting.

    1. History. I work in a completely unrelated field–niche specialization in higher ed administration.

       1. Ha! I was a history major as well and now work as an administrator in an educational institution. Nice to see you here :)

    2. Psychology, I got my BS in case I wanted to go to grad school for psych. Decided on law school instead. I’m doing transactional work now and would have benefited from taking a few more business classes.

       1. BS in Psychology, with a minor in Business Administration, which I think was a nice balance for a future lawyer.

    3. Math. I got my graduate degrees in engineering and am now an IT consultant developing software that uses a particular branch of math.

    4. political science (bs)

       1. Ditto

       2. Also Political Science, with a minor in Economics. I am a government attorney.

          I’m assuming the “bs” in parentheses meant you got a Bachelors degree in Poli Sci, but, when I first read it, i thought “bs degree,” ha.

          1. bachelors of science as opposed to bachelors of arts, my school offered poli sci as a bachelors degree in either

    5. Marketing with a concentration in sports. (I am a lawyer now after working in sports for several years.)

    6. Double majored in Biology (pre-Med) and Political Science. Now I work for the government doing healthcare finance, so it actually worked out well.

       (Realized halfway through that the politics of medicine made me not want to be a doctor and that I was more interested in the political side.)

    7. Now a lawyer, majored in journalism.

       1. samesies!

       2. Me, too!

       3. +1

    8. political science and chinese. I’m a litigator now and not using the chinese professionally, but glad I have it (I still remember some) and I got to have wonderful experiences in China.

    9. Hee. Soviet Studies and then I got an MBA with a concentration in International Management. I work in IT now.

    10. Lawyer, business undergrad. Its super helpful to have that background in my practice area, so I actually use it.

    11. Chemistry. Two good lawyer friends are Anthropology and French.

        1. Me too! & Biochem! I also minored in math. Now a lawyer.

           1. Also a former Chemist. And now, former lawyer!

    12. Management with a theatre minor.

    13. BA in Economics, but I have a ridiculous amount of coursework in Computer Science, Political Science, and Theology as well. I’m a lawyer now.

    14. Criminology, which at my school was a more specific subset in the sociology department. My minor is Spanish. I am a criminal defense lawyer.

        Though while I was in school I thought I wanted to be a social worker. My college did not have a specific social work program and for most of the social work jobs in my state that I was interested in a Master’s degree is necessary. So I planned on getting my BA, and then getting a Master’s in social work from a different school. I decided to apply to only one law school and thought if I get in, I will go. If not, I will get a Master’s degree like I planned. Even in law school I thought I wanted to practice family law, until I had some family law cases in clinic and realized quickly I did not like it, but loved my criminal defense cases.

    15. Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing

    16. Lawyer now, I double majored in Economics and Linguistics. I’m not sure if it’s surprising, but my coursework in linguistics has actually been more helpful than my econ studies.

    17. Chemical engineering (and a second major in liberal arts, just for fun).

    18. Music. Now a mid-level academic administrator.

    19. Philosophy and unofficially religious studies. Lawyer.

    20. Psychology here too, although business or economics probably would have been more helpful as I practice transactional law now.

    21. Physics and math, now a physicist.

    22. B.S. in Sport Management and a B.A. in Legal Studies – lawyer now

    23. B.E. in civil engineering, minor in math. The math minor was super easy, just two more 300-level math courses. I work as an engineer.

    24. Undergrad horticulture/genetics, grad genetics. currently running a clinical genomics lab at a MRU.

    25. B.A. in Political Science, minor in History, certificate in West European Studies. Lawyer now.

        I had more than enough credits for a double major in History, but I didn’t have the right distribution of introductory survey courses, and I didn’t want to take 3 of those my final year of college just to get the double major.

        At my school, a certificate is much like a minor but interdisciplinary. You need to take courses in at least 3 different departments plus meet a language requirement. My West European courses were in the Political Science, History, Literature, French and Spanish departments.

    26. Electrical Engineering. I work as a software engineer and am considering going back to get either a masters or Ph.D in CS.

    27. Undergrad degree in Economics, now an attorney.

    28. I’m not a lawyer but my brother is. His undergrad is Engineering, which is helpful since he is a patent/IP lawyer. He said it was hard switching gears in his head, though, from engineering to law – 2 totally different learning and studying styles.

12. Has anyone been following the Michelle Carter case – the one where the teen encouraged her friend to commit suicide? I know there’s more to come from the trial, but I’m curious about people’s thoughts.

13. Anon for this. I have an on-site interview offer for week after next. I requested a specific day because of a competing deadline for a major project in my current position. Fortunately, I did get the one interview date that week that I can make. However! I just received my itinerary and they scheduled me for events the night before, in addition to a full slate on the day I said I was available. I think they assume that since I’m flying in, I would be free. I’ve said that I can’t do the events the night before because I can’t miss another day of work (there’s no way I could skate in an hour before the events or something–I’d have to take the full extra day off to accommodate an earlier flight). Am I being unreasonable? They never gave me any indication that this would be a two-day thing. I’m just kind of freaking out at the moment because I don’t want them to yank the offer, but the only way I could take the extra day off is if I got hit by a bus or something similarly catastrophic.

    1. Have you booked your flights yet? Are the evening events social ones? Like dinner? Reception? If so I would call your contact with the potential employer and explain your situation. Most decent employers respect that employee’s can’t compromise their current employment.

       1. I agree that you should call your contact and explain about the project and your inability to just drop the ball on it. As a hiring manager, I think that potential employees who are unwilling to negatively impact their current employer are much more valuable that potential employees who don’t care that their current employer is being negatively impacted because I want them to do their absolute best if I employ them.

          1. Thanks yall, I’m glad to hear I’m not being unreasonable here. The evening events are more social–a tour of the town and dinner. I’ve emailed my contact but haven’t heard back; I’ll call if I don’t hear anything by 4.

             1. First just assume this was an oversight, or that the person who made the schedule didn’t get the message that you can only do one day. Say it casually, “Oh, I think there was a misunderstanding. I mentioned before, but I really can’t come in the night before. I will only be available to be onsite from X:00 to X:00 for interview activities.”

                I think they will make it work if they want you, it’s probably just complicated setting these things up and someone forgot somewhere along the line.

                Good luck!!

14. Has anyone used those services to capture people’s photos from a wedding or other event? My parents are having an anniversary party and I’d like guests to send me photos, but most of the guests are in their 70s so I need something super easy and preferably where they don’t need to make an account. Should I just set up a separate email account for this or something and hand out the email address at the party? Other ideas?

    1. What about something low tech like giving everyone a disposable camera to take pictures and then collecting the cameras at the end of the night to develop yourself? You can upload all the (best) pictures for the guests later and make the whole thing available online and it should be easy enough to have everyone do during the party.

       1. I did this, but my tiny cousins got ahold of the cameras and I got 10 cameras’ worth of dark (no flash) pictures of people’s knees.

          1. Also, it was surprisingly expensive, all the cameras and the developing. We were on an incredibly small budget (<5K) and I was so bitter about spending a couple of hundred dollars on this project!

    2. If you have a computer at the venue or a way to connect a camera to a tablet or something, you could always ask to load the pictures before people leave. I did this for a friend’s wedding and was able to get a ton of pictures from people who just passed over their memory stick for a couple minutes.

       AIMS’s idea about disposable cameras is probably easier to do though.

    3. With older folks, I think e-mail is your best bet. You could also combine with Sydney Bristow’s immediate upload solution, asking people to either hand over the memory stick or take a moment to email (which I think will be a necessary option–I know lots of older folks who use smartphones rather than cameras and may not have removable memory or at least not know how to use it) on the way out the door.

       FWIW, we did photo collection at our wedding via a hashtag and it worked well. We picked an easy hashtag (#MyfirstandHisfirst), printed a few signs, and got broad buy-in with very litle work. I’ve attended weddings that asked guests to use services but have never actually participated and neither have any of my friends, I don’t think. It just feels like a new thing I don’t want to figure out when I’m excited to be focusing on the event itself. In any case, YMMV on a hashtag, particularly with older guests, but I do know some who are into Instagram and it could be a pretty simple add-on for you.

    4. Create a specific hashtag and then you can load from social media accounts

    5. How about hiring a professional photographer to capture the event? There are reasonably priced ones out there, especially if you only need one person, and that person can also get everyone together in a group for a group photo. I went to a couple of similar parties this year where I was surprised to see a professional photo, but the photos were beautiful and shared with all of the guests.

       1. They don’t want to . . . not sure why. They don’t want video, either. They are getting a photo booth, which should be fun but somewhat limiting. I could also deputize the few bored teenagers and put them in charge of this.

15. TJ for the lawyers– did anyone study for the bar exam while travelling or in a vacation destination? I’m taking my second bar this July and have four weeks of bar leave, and I’m toying with the idea of spending between two and three weeks of that leave somewhere beautiful and quiet, ideally with access to a beach and scenic walks or hikes for study breaks. Has anyone done something similar and, if so, how do you think it worked out in terms of your focus on studying and mindset going into the exam? Any suggestions for locations? My husband’s a teacher, so will be off work, and would come with me and handle a lot of the daily life tasks (finding grocery stores, cooking, etc.) Thanks all!

    1. Not in a vacation location exactly, but I spent most of my time studying for my second bar exam (VA) sitting by the pool, so I think it can absolutely be done!

       1. I too did most of my bar studying for my first bar exam at the pool. And noticed several other people at the pool doing the same thing. It was much lower stress than when I studied for my second bar exam (when I was working full time), which I think was helpful. I’d do it, especially if it’s your second bar exam.

    2. I did this, and it worked really well.

       1. This sounds great! Wish I had access to a pool so I could try that and, if I start slacking off, move to a library.

    3. I did. I took the BarBri course at the law school where I had done my undergrad (not my law school) but then spent the last two (maybe three?) weeks before the exam on Cape Cod visiting a relative. It actually worked out great. I’d study for three to four hours in the morning on the computer by doing practice tests, spend the afternoon reading at the beach, and then would do some more practice tests at night.

       1. Thanks for this! This set-up is what I had in mind, but I think I need to do some critical self evaluation to figure out if I can keep myself motivated. Glad to hear it’s worked well for some, though!

          1. I honestly thought it was great. I was with my mom and some other relatives so all I had to do was study for the bar with some awesome relaxation breaks. It was much easier to power through my outlines knowing that my reward after finishing a chapter was boogie-boarding.

    4. For a counter point, I have a friend who did this and failed. She did a 4 week leave in a beach location with her husband to study for her second bar, and didn’t put in enough hours/effort. She was burnt out from work, and told herself she would study enough, but once she was in a nice location, with her lovely husband available to hang out all the time, she couldn’t motivate herself enough. It was also a harder bar than her first exam, so that contributed to the mismatched effort.

       This is a know your personality thing. I, like other commenters, did something similar when I took my first bar and loved it. But I would struggle with it now, as a break from working, because it would feel too much like a vacation.

       1. Thanks, this is helpful perspective. Of course I want to believe I’d be sufficiently disciplined, but that exact scenario is my fear. Will continue to think on it, still have a month till leave starts.

          1. Not only would it be difficult to motivate yourself to study, I’d think it’d be even more painful to pass up a gorgeous beach to do Barbri rather than simply another marathon of TV. If it was me, I’d actively resent having to stay in and study when I had another option. I’d do one week of total indulgence on a trip, and 3 weeks of half indulgence/half study at home (or whatever ratio works for you).

    5. Totally agree that this is a know-yourself situation. I did something similar and I failed. The next time, I did the absolute opposite and hit a college library for 8 hours a day, basically treating it like a job. I even wore the same thing (jeans and t-shirt) everyday. My problem is that sitting by a pool and studying is not the best way I learn – I need a desk, highlighters, consistent lighting, and no distractions. I also enjoy scenic walks and hikes more when I don’t have a big exam hovering over me, but again – you do you.

16. Can someone recommend a workhorse black cardigan? I need something for days when I just don’t want to wear the suit jacket, so I need something a bit dressier/more tailored than the waterfall cardigan that seems popular now. I also like a longer cardigan – the shorter ribbed waist in a traditional button front cardigan often falls too short on my long waisted 5′ 10″ frame (and lands awkwardly on my postpartum pooch). I love the look of the Tory Burch Simone Merino Cardigan but was hoping to find something for much less than $225 (especially since I’d prefer to avoid the logo buttons anyways). Any recommendations?

    1. I have no ideas but I am searching for this exact same thing. Would also be interested in gray too.

    2. Uniqlo’s extra fine merino cardigan. It’s “boyfriend” length on 5’3 me, so should be perfect for you, and the material is very nice.

    3. I purchased my workhorse black cardigan at a Theory outlet and found it on the sale rack. I think I paid less than $100, in 2013. I’m 6′ and this cardigan goes to my hips.

    4. I like a longer cardigan without ribbing at the bottom. I have two of these in black: http://www.jjill.com/jjillonline/product/itempage.aspx?BID=579868112&rPFID=74&item=EW029X&h=M&sk=M

    5. Nordstrom. The Frenchi V-neck in the junior’s department has been my workhorse. It is marked down to $17.50 right now. It is longer than it looks online.

       Also, the Caslon three quarter sleeve cardigan might be slightly nicer. It is also marked down.

    6. I got a super versatile cashmere blazer from Neiman Marcus (the NM brand) on sale for about $100, $125 a few months ago. Also got a grey one that’s not as flattering (more boxy cut), but same price. I wear it all the time. It’s like a formal cardigan because of the blazer styling, but comfy because it’s sweater material.

    7. Brooks Brothers merino cardigan. I keep a black one at home, one in the car, and one at the office that replaces a suit jacket the minute I’m at my desk. Wear year round inside and outside in fall and winter – they get heavy wear. The only clothing item I have ever bought in triplicate. Doesn’t pill. No pulls. Buttons secure years later. The three range in age from eight at the oldest to three at the newest. If it gets wadded up, wrinkles fall out.

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