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Coffee Break: Faux-Leather Envelope Card Wallet

We've often featured little envelope card wallets for carrying cards or collecting cards at networking events, but I don't think I've seen any as low as $5, like this one at Old Navy. The gold is fun and would be easy to find in your bag (it also comes in silver and blush), and at this price, it's something to try if you're not sure you need a card wallet. Of course, you can find similarly affordable options at Etsy and Amazon. Faux-Leather Envelope Card Wallet This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

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147 Comments

  1. Following up from this morning – y’all have convinced me to buy a dress to wear to several of these weddings. It makes sense as I just decommissioned a black c-tail dress that got me through grad school until now.

    I checked out the dresses that were recommended this morning and they were lovely, but one was sold out and the other was a bit more summery than fall-ish. I think what I need is like a step down from a c-tail dress, but still ‘special’.

    So far I’ve found these:

    https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447167152&site_refer=CSE_GGLPLA:Womens_Shirts+%26+Tops:Lilly+Pulitzer&gclid=CjwKCAjw2MTbBRASEiwAdYIpseVkbQIu3Dy3ASPoWBn8RKRAcSl4kJWoGEi1cuw41zUIY_5uFOxwrxoCPhQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

    Looks much better on, would be worn with an updo and fancy earrings, might this be good for the more casual weddings? Also, found it for $140 at a local shop.

    https://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/lakeside-libations-sheath-dress-in-navy/100000007068.html

    I feel like this would be flattering…

    Thanks for the shopping help! I think I’m looking for another dress option that’s the fall version of a floral print sundress…

    1. Ted Baker London is my favorite for formal florals. You can sometimes find good sales at Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack.

      You could also consider a jumpsuit or sleek pants – I like to do unexpected things depending on the wedding.

      I think that ModCloth dress is really pretty!

      1. I’ve worn the same lavender-y gray, wide-leg jumpsuit (with POCKETS) to three weddings this year and gotten compliments at each one.

    2. I think the second looks a bit casual, mostly due to the fact that the lace ends at the seam on the side rather than wrapping around – I suspect you could find something similar but nicer in the same price range at a department store. I do like the first option.

      What I find very versatile for weddings in my closet is a lace overlay dress (something like the BB Dakota Jayce or Rhiannon, which you can see at Nordstroms). I also think that Eliza J dresses are usually tasteful and flattering and great for weddings – try sorting for that brand and see if there are any you like!

    3. The saks link isn’t working. May be why no responses. $140 is a good deal tho for a nice dress for socializing

  2. For those of you with large closets (like you live in the SEUS or Texas), do you have a sense of how big yours are? I am getting to remodel mine (from microscopic from the 20s) and don’t want to skimp.

    I have to have lots of work clothes, from a week’s worth of suits to business casual to casual, as well as my own me-time clothes and an absurd amount of workout gear (bought with the best of intentions).

    I live in a part of my city where houses are all from the 20s or have been knocked down b/c they are too dated. I’ve never measured my friends’ closets if they have remodeled and am wishing that I had.

    I’d love to have 6 feet of hanging space for myself. But I’d take 8 :)

    1. I don’t have exact measurements, but it’s probably about 6 feet by 8 feet? We have vaulted ceilings in the master bedroom and the closet has high ceilings too, so there’s lot of hanging space. Right now the center of the closet is just empty, but someday I want to put an island dresser in there, like this: http://laurencewong.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/bedroom-closet-island-walk-in-closet-island-kit-for-bedroom-ideas-of-modern-house-beautiful-east-end-country-kitchens-glass-pendant-hardwood-floors-recessed-master-bedroom-closet-island.jpg

    2. This is something you need to figure out for yourself based on your wardrobe and how you want to store it. IMHO the configuration is most important — having too much space wasted on a single-rod (dresses) as opposed to double-rod (separates) configuration. Consider whether some drawers or shelves would make the most sense for your needs.

      Anecdata: Our master closet (shared w/ husband) is about 6×6; we have a double-rod on one wall, a single rod on the opposing wall (with shoe storage underneath), and then shelves on the third wall (opposite the door) with space underneath them for hampers.

    3. I have a remodeled house from 1940. The reno added a closet that is 10′ wide and maybe 3.5′ deep. I added a sturdy top shelf that rings the depth and width, which allows for storage for suitcases and some storage cubes. If I had the space, I’d love it to be deeper (6′?) so I could truly walk in, and I’d like to have 4-5′ with a double rack rather than single. As it is, I can slide wheeled shoe racks in that sit in front of the clothes. This works fairly well. I have a lot of clothes due to size fluctuations and overspending, plus 4 seasons and a business casual Southern office but law so formal clothes, too, and I use all of the space. If I didn’t have multiple sizes, I could deal with 6′, but I’d still want half of that to have a double rack.

    4. Echoing the others that you will like your space better if you first figure out what you need and want. You have a start with your 8 feet of hanging space; next figure out what height those 8 feet need to cover (i.e., 4 feet of shirt-length hanging rod plus 2 feet for knee-length dresses plus 2 feet for full-length gowns, etc.). How much shelf space do you need? How much shoe space? Do you want drawers? Do you want things to be adjustable or fixed in place? Are you trying to accommodate any furniture or specific storage containers (if so, what size is it or do you still need to shop for it)? Is there any other pre-existing item that needs to be accounted for (structural things like windows/chimney/plumbing/ductwork)?

      1. +1

        Also let me give a shoutout for wide, shallow drawers, which are great for things like socks and underwear.

    5. I took over a bedroom and made it into a closet. I have a double row along one wall and another wall is a single rod where I mostly hang coats and an obscene amount of blanket scarves. I have a large shoe rack for my heels and sandals. Boot racks for my boots and bins for tennis shoes and flip flops. I also want to get an island for the center. I have lots of hooks for purses, other scarves, belts and hats. I think you need to think more than just wall space. I live in an old house (1890s) and even the master wouldn’t have worked for just me.

    6. My husband and I share a 6×10 closet. Double hanging rods on both long walls and the end wall. We also have a medium-sized dresser in the bedroom for socks, underwear, etc. This is more than we need, but neither of us has a huge wardrobe.

  3. Kat, I love wallet’s, but ONLY leather wallets. I find that the “faux” leather cracks, or otherwise sweats and becomes slippery in the hot weather. At least with leather, you have the feeling that you are holding a cow, or a horse, or an alligator, or whatever that was ONCE alive, not a piece of plastic. FOOEY!

  4. Considering buying a place that would need cosmetic updates to the bathroom and would love to hear any insight regarding bathroom remodels. I did a quick look at contractors DC and from reviews, it seems like most require a medium size job. We want to re-tile and cosmetically update two bathrooms, and for the master add double sinks where there is currently one. The only other thing that we may want would be lighting since one bathroom only has one small overhead light in a corner, but I’m not sure if replacing the fixture would solve the issue. Any insight on if these are big or small projects? Do you hire a contractor to do this stuff or a handyman? TIA!

    1. A Class A handyman could do pretty much everything on your list, but depending on how much tile and how much skill your particular tile requires, you might want to look for someone with tile expertise.

  5. My programmable thermostat stopped working and I need to replace it. Is that a DYI project? Or do I need to hire someone, and if so, what type of person?

    On a related topic, does anyone have a Nest and what do you think of it? Does that change whether I need to hire someone?

    1. I have a Nest and LOVE it, mainly because I can turn the heat/AC on/up/down remotely via the app. So if I’m laying in bed and it’s too hot I can turn the fan on or adjust the temperature without moving; I turn the heat on before I get up in the winter so the room warms up…I love it.

      I also love the learning function since it learns my schedule and adjusts the temperature accordingly. My electric bill and gas bill are very low which makes me happy. My condo came with it already installed so I can’t speak to installation but it sounds easy enough in the manual.

      1. I deeply, profoundly love my Nest thermostat. There’s something amazing about out late and being able to turn on your heat so that it’s warm when you come home. Alternately, I find that we use far less energy than with our old programmable thermostat because when our schedule changes, we can easily adjust the thermostat.

        My husband is handy but installed it with no problem.

      2. OMG I hate my Nest. It thinks it knows what I should want better than I do. It “learned” all this crazy wonky stuff before I figured out how to disable it.

        Now that I have most of the fancy stuff disabled, I will admit I love being able to turn it on from the car on the way home or from the bed in the morning. But… I feel like it’s a very dysfunctional relationship.

        Hubby installed it and it was easy, but he’s pretty handy.

    2. I have a Nest and really like it for the same reason as ATL does. I can adjust it from anywhere and it learns when I am home and when I am not. I installed it myself – it’s CRAZY easy. I am handy, but you definitely do not have to be. The wires are different colors and it tells you which one to plug in where. Seriously, VERY easy.

      1. I have the Honeywell version of the Nest. It’s way cheaper and so far I love it.

    3. If you hire someone, I think you want an HVAC repair person. If you are relatively handy, you might be able to do it yourself. Look up some videos of installing Nest. My recollection is that it’s like 2-3 wires you have to connect. But the bigger issue is if something else is actually broken in your HVAC that needs more than a thermostat replacement.

      1. I think HVAC repair to hook up your thermostat is overkill, if all you are doing is switching out one unit for another. A relatively handy person can do this on their own (either you, with the aid of instructions, or a handyperson you hire).

    4. I hated the Nest and got rid of mine, but think most people love it so think you’d likely be happy with one.

      Sharing in case it’s useful to others – what I didn’t like boiled down to the “learning” features of the Nest. It always seemed to try to read my mind but read it wrong. I love my programmable thermostats and always program them to the full extent. The Nest would sense something and start re-writing those rules so I constantly had to reprogram over its changes. This was particularly bad during the winter when intermittent snow days triggered new patterns that then were cemented by the Nest. I am a techie and was very excited about it and had read the Nest manual thoroughly so I often understood why it was changing things, but ultimately found it not a great fit!

      Again I recognize I’m an outlier on this, but sometimes helpful to hear what others dislike!

    5. We had problems with our thermostat and HVAC since we bought our house in April. Won’t go into the details but we bought and successfully installed the Emerson Sensi Touch WiFi Thermostat. We picked it because (1) it had great reviews (2) reviews said it was easy-ish to install (3) it was available on Amazon Prime Now in our area. It can be controlled remotely by app and we plan to eventually replace our other thermostat with the same system.

    6. I loved my Nest. Sadly, my new house has a different, totally inferior product. But I have a funny story about the Nest learning. My youngest was born in December, so the Nest learned that I liked to turn the heat on around 2am when I was nursing because it would get cold in her room. Fast forward a year and it took us a while to figure out why the heat kept kicking on in the middle of the night and roasting us! But it’s pretty easy to reset the programming once you figure it out.

  6. Can I, a non-dancer, look remotely normal wearing my hair in a bun made with a hairnet? I’m growing out some layers that stick awkwardly out of plain old twist-and-pin buns, but the octopus clip I’ve been using can no longer quite contain all my hair. How can I keep wearing my hair up until the layers are long enough to pin in?

    1. Hm no, no fishnet buns. I think I would look at some half up half down styles where piecey ends look ok.

    3. This is my life and I would love to hear some good solutions for this. I always wonder how people get their hair into a nice looking bun.

    4. Snood. J/k. I agree with Anon above about half-up, half-down styles.

    5. At the base of your neck or on the top of your head? If it’s the base of your neck, I think you could channel something kind of military-y?

      2. I usually wear a high bun, but I don’t have to. Military buns I’ve seen all seem to be sock buns and I can’t seem to deal with the ends in a civilized manner; do you have any tips?

    6. Try a gibson roll. http://www.saralynnpaige.com/style/simple-gibson-tuck/

      I have slippery hair, and I recently also discovered Big Sexy Hair’s Powder Play. I bought it thinking it would be like a dry shampoo/volumizer for my hair when worn down, which I’ve found it’s terrible for (at least for my hair), but if I scrunch a little into the lengths of my hair, it creates crazy good grip for buns and updos.

    7. I part my hair down the middle, then twist each side along the hairline. This all goes back into a bun.

      1. +1 this is how i dealt with mine when it wasn’t long enough to put into a proper bun–low braid twisted up and then pinned in place.

      2. I still get bits sticking out of the braid, unfortunately, and my hair is extremely straight so it looks like a shambles instead of a cute messy bun.

    9. I wouldn’t use a hairnet, what you need are hair pins – the little u-shaped pins that you stick in to tuck in those layered pieces. That said, I personally prefer a bun with little pieces sticking out – a little messy to the structure, if you will, as I think it looks like a more modern way to wear a bun.

  7. Do you consume sugary drinks whether soda, iced tea or those dessert like Starbucks coffees, if so, how often? An older relative consumes soda in abundance, as others go on at length about how awful it is for you, how no one does that anymore etc. To people really exist on just water and black coffee? I myself am an iced tea drinker – one a day – which looks to have about 1/2 the sugar of coke. And after 6 yrs of not touching a coke, I’ve rediscovered a taste for it though am limiting myself to one 20 oz bottle once a week (and no iced tea that day). I thought I was doing fairly ok – as I remember growing up in the 90s where you grabbed a soda if you were thirsty. But is everyone all about sparkling water now?? Surely someone is buying from the aisles of coke and all the Starbucks drinks?

    1. The point is to have those things in moderation. Have a coke when you’re out to dinner. Have a frappuccino as a weekend treat. Not every day. Not as your main source of hydration. Unfortunately there are many people, a lot of whom are low-income, who consume sugary sodas or juice as a main source of hydration.

      1. This. I’ll have a diet coke once or twice a month but mostly drink water either plain or with a splash of juice. Also drink black coffee. I don’t know anyone that drinks soda regularly. Most people have some in their house to use as mixes with cocktails (gin and tonic etc).

    2. my spouse. he is rail thin, yet consumes about 3-5 diet cokes a day like a mormon mommy blogger.

      I still lump in diet bevs with the sugary ones because I’m not convinced that artificial sweeteners + carbonation are great for the body either. the only things I drink are coffee, tea, water, wine, and beer. you won’t catch me throwing stones though.

      I’m pretty sure children also keep the soda industry in business

    3. MIL consumes 3 to 4 2-liters of Mountain Dew per week. That’s down from one 2L per day. They’re out there…

      I’m good for, on average, a daily can of diet coke and maybe a flavored zero calorie, but syrupy 1% fruit juice type of thing. Other than that, water, sparkling water (in abundance), and black coffee here. I’m no beacon of physical health, but I try to consume liquid calories only in the form of fermented grapes.

    4. That’s a no for me. My non-alcoholic beverage intake consists of sparkling/seltzer water of some variety and coffee. Although I do add sugar and creamer to my coffee.

      If I get a drink at Starbucks, it’s a blonde misto with no syrup and soy milk.

    5. What’s the question? I’m sure people are buying them since companies keep making them. On the other hand, I rarely drink them and I don’t consider myself a health nut. I just don’t like sugary drinks. I “subsist” on coffee (milk, no sugar), water, tea (hot and cold, never sweetened) and the occasional seltzer or LaCroix. My one sugary drink would be lemonade, which I drink maybe once a week in the summer, sometimes alone and sometimes with unsweetened ice tea. I went through a big soda phase in high school, but think I drank enough to last me a lifetime and never really crave it now.

      1. I’m similar, with the addition of alcohol on the weekends (never the sugary ones though) and the admission that I’ve been averaging a LaCroix a day since June.

        I never developed a taste for soda, fortunately. It makes my teeth feel all fuzzy and gross. Nobody in my immediate family drinks soda either, even my future in-laws who generally eat more processed/packaged foods than I would.

    6. My parents drink a ton of coke. 3-4 cans each per day, I think. They know it’s bad for them but it’s a vice they don’t want to give up, I guess. I’ve never liked carbonated beverages, and I don’t drink juice as an adult. I drink water, black tea, coffee w/cream but no sugar, and hot chocolate (lots of sugar but this helps me get much needed calcium so I don’t feel too guilty about it). I occasionally get a sugary Starbucks drink but it’s pretty rare.

    7. I drink sugary drinks maybe once every 2-3 months. I will get myself a root beer or other soda as a special treat. I pretty much just drink water every day, coffee some days, and coconut water once a month or so.

    8. The lines at all SBs I’ve ever seen are insane. People are definitely drinking that and if anything is being mixed up, I’m thinking it’s likely high-sugar and not fat-free.

      FWIW, we always had iced tea and cokes with ice in them. It was like watering it down. My grandmother’s iced tea could curl your hair.

    10. I have a soda once per day at lunch time (12 oz can). My health seems fine!

    11. I mostly drink water and tea with no sugar. Sometimes I pick up a case of La Croix if I feel like it. I was never really a big soda drinker, though. My mom on the other hand has been drinking a 2L of orange soda a week since the 90’s.

    12. I save my sugar for booze, personally.

      I kind of love the people who get on their soapbox about sugary non-alcoholic drinks but regularly drink alcohol….

      1. Funny that you say that. I don’t drink (religion) and don’t drink coffee (palpitations even with decaf sometimes), so I’d like to think we all have our vices. For me it’s 3-4 sugar beverages per week — usually 3-4 bottles of Snapple or sometimes 3 snapples and 1 20 oz of Coke. It’s inconsistent and I don’t NEED it so some weeks it could be 0-2 servings, but it is what it is and I don’t care if I’m perceived as uneducated or low class.0

      2. But they’re not exactly asking how one can ‘subsist’ without booze either. Neither is terribly unhealthy in moderation but too much alcohol or too much soda is not good for anyone’s health.

      3. Generally, soapboxing is silly, isn’t it? I don’t drink sugary drinks, but love beer, so like, better for my teeth but worse for my liver! Far be it from me to tell anyone my choice is better for them. We’re all going to die one day, and I hope to strike a good balance between enjoying life and extending it.

    13. I drink coffee with milk, water (sparkling and non), and booze. In winter, add tea. I haven’t had a soda in years and have juice probably a few times a year, but I just don’t really like them that much. I do, however, love me a nice c*cktail and they’re usually full of sugar, in addition to the alcohol calories.

      That said, what do you mean by “doing fairly ok”? There’s no moral problem with drinking stuff with sugar in it if you want. Are you worried about diabetes? Do you have any risk factors for it? Are you trying to lose weight? If no to all of those, just drink a soda if you want and don’t worry about it.

      1. Doing ok meaning consuming an iced tea about 4 days a week and a coke maybe once a week (just this summer) – didn’t think it was as excessive as the people having many of those beverages daily. But obviously it isn’t as great as just water. No I’m not worried about risk factors now and am underweight but obviously don’t want to make dumb health decisions.

    14. I have tea with one sugar every morning, and I have a Coke on weekends or at the movies. I love Coke and would drink it every day if I could. Otherwise I just drink plain water – seltzer tastes gross to me.

    15. I was a 1x Snapple drinker for the 10 years I lived in NYC. When I moved it became much for of a hassle to get as not every lunch place or corner store in DC sells it. Now I’ll get it 1-3 times/wk max and even then I don’t really want it and sometimes it tastes odd. I’m glad that habit is kind of going away. I always told myself it’s better than coke because it is tea and it is 1/2 the sugar, but frankly it’s better to even get off that habit. Lots more water drinking here with the Southern heat even though it’s bland and I don’t understand the jazz about LaCroix or sparkling water.

    16. The only things I drink are water, water with flavoring added (there’s a new all-natural Mio-like thing called Stur that we practically buy by the case), sparkling water, and herbal tea. And wine or beer. I haven’t had a soda, coffee, hot cocoa or regular tea in…6-7 years? I have juice maybe once a year, if that.

      In my limited universe (which is not at all reflective of society at large – 5 graduate degrees between my husband and myself, $250k HHI), drinking sugary drinks is seen as practically as bad as smoking. Sugary drinks, and the larger obesity epidemic, can be seen as a dividing line in society along class and education levels.

      1. Also the waste that comes with soda and juices and fizzy water drives me crazy. All those cans? All those glass bottles? All those plastic bottles? We really need to reduce our consumption of these one use products!

        1. So no one should drink anything other than tap water bc we’re so worried about what the planet will be for the kids born in 2080? Lol no. Not my problem.

          1. One of the markers of decent adulthood is caring about problems that are not yours.

          3. No, what the planet is going to be like for YOUR kids. You’re delusional if you think this isn’t a problem.

        2. Agreed! I really love the flavor of San Pelligrino, but there is no universe in which I need to be buying WATER in GLASS bottles that is imported from Italy.

        3. Yes, this – I agree completely. I drink tap water and coffee (that I make at home and use a carrier for). I can’t stand the waste associated with packaged beverages – if you peer into any garbage can in the street it’s just full of them. Bottled drinks are a recent invention and people lived without them completely fine until very recently.

    17. I drink water and coffee and booze, and that’s about it. I’ll treat myself to a latte or a really fancy caramel macchiato occasionally. Generally my coffee is black or with almond milk. Soda like, if I’m at the movies? So once a year? I just don’t crave it so I don’t drink it.

    18. I don’t let sugary things into the house. I don’t buy soda, lemonade, juice etc. I do make homemade green ice tea a lot in the summer but don’t add any sugar. The only thing in our fridge to drink is almond milk for smoothies and a filtered water pitcher.

      If I am out at brunch I might get like fresh squeezed OJ. I never stop at starbucks. I don’t drink coffee or soda. I like fancy cocktails but thats maybe a once a month treat. I get chai lattes on the weekend as a treat.

    19. Personally, I am just not sweets person (but watch out if you try to take my bread and cheese…) So, “Sweets” for me includes sweet drinks. I drink coffee, but would never think to put sugar or a syrup in it. I occasionally have a coke or a gingerale, but have just determined that I don’t actually like the way diet sodas taste, so why am I drinking them? The only exception to this is that I will drink half iced tea/half lemonade when I go to chic fil a (which is maybe once every other month).

      However, I’m in the unique position that my office has fridges stocked with every soda ever, water, juice and la croix. I drink multiple la croixs a day (probably 4) (just the unflavored, which I prefer). I found that I crave the carbonation more than anything, so as long as I have my seltzer in some form, I don’t crave soda.

    20. I mean, anyone who cares even minimally about their health doesn’t regularly drink sugary beverages.

      1. Eh would you say the same thing about wine? That has a fair amount of sugar + alcohol, which has carcinogenic effects. But somehow it’s more socially acceptable among privileged women.

        1. Yes, actually I would. I hate the “oh isn’t it so cute all the mommies are drinking wine” culture. It really isn’t good for you and there are more lushes than you think who use book club as an excuse.

    21. Sugary drinks are rare treats for me. I don’t like coffee, but do love a hot, caffeinated beverage to start the day. I drink black tea with milk or half and half, but I never add sugar. Soda is a special treat for me, as are juices or anything else like that. I do drink a sh!t ton of carbonated water, though.

    22. Soda is basically liquid candy so I exist just fine without it on a regular basis but definitely have a treat sometimes.

    23. You can pry my Diet Pepsi or Diet Mountain Dew (over crushed ice, plz) from my cold, dead hands.

      1. +1. Caffeine-restricted while we sorted out some health issues for a while (thankfully back on it) and I switched to caffeine-free coke zero. I probably drink 3-4 cans a day (always diet – regular is too sweet for me) and figure something’s going to kill me eventually, but I’m still going to live my life happy. I also hate the taste of water (flat or bubbly, flavored or not), so my beverages are the occasional coffee (with milk, no sugar), milk, crystal light lemonade or diet soda.

    24. I don’t ordinarily drink sugary drinks – Black iced tea is my jam – but I do like a mexican coke with real sugar in the glass bottle, and often can’t resist this if we are at a burrito joint. Occasionally on vacation somewhere hot I will also drink a full sugar soda.

      I used to have a Diet Coke habit but I think that stuff is worse for you than the sweet stuff.

    25. I think it is a class thing now, and I’m apparently low class because all of my friends and coworkers swear that they prefer water and sparkling water and unsweetened hot tea and haven’t had a Coke in 16 years because it’s poison. Uh – good for you? I still prefer Coke and iced tea. I remember taking Arizona iced tea for lunch in middle school. I’m nearly 40 and exercise moderation. For me that’s walking 2 miles per day and not keeping coke or iced tea in the home so I am going nights and weekends without them. If I want one at lunch at work – and I usually do 4 times/week, I’m having one, low brow as it is in my office.

    26. I have a Diet Coke maybe once a month. I hadn’t had one in about ten years and rediscovered it last year. I drink my coffee and tea just with milk. The last time I had juice was a couple of years ago when I was making a pork dish that called for apple juice, and I had a few sips left over.
      It’s not necessarily a health thing–I get plenty of sugar via the gummy worm stash in my desk–but I didn’t grow up drinking sugary drinks and just never developed a taste or habit.

    27. I drink a can of Coke most weekends, a vanilla latte most days, and will usually order a fountain coke if I’m out at a restaurant (especially if I’m ordering tacos). I don’t currently have any health conditions requiring me to skinny back my sugar consumption, so I guess I don’t pay much attention to it?

      But yeah, if you’re wondering who’s carrying out the 35 pack of Coke from Costco, that would be me.

    28. I willhave some ginger ale if my stomach is upset, but other than that, I try to limit my beverage consumption to water, La Croix, coffee, and wine. I do put vanilla creamer in my coffee, which I recognize isn’t healthy, but I figure if that’s the worst thing I’m drinking, it’s ok. Maybe once a month, I’ll have a cocktail with tonic water or something in it.

      My uncle drinks Coke with breakfast, lunch and dinner, and smokes a pack of cigarettes a day. He just had a heart attack and then triple bypass surgery.

    29. I haven’t had a soda in years and don’t miss it in the slightest. I drink coffee (no sugar), tea (sometimes with a tsp of honey, sometimes without), and water. I’ll sometimes split a Gatorade (which is essentially soda) with my husband if we’ve been working out hard, but I don’t really care for the taste and wouldn’t consider it a treat. To me, it’s definitely not worth it to drink sugary drinks because I’d rather eat something sugary like a delicious cookie or bowl of ice cream whenever the craving strikes.

    30. I drink a lot of diet soda, maybe 3-4 per day. I know it’s not good for me.

    31. I want to drink less soda, but find it hard. I probably drink about 2 liters of water a day, and just can’t see increasing that with just more plain water. Does anyone have recommendations for what to drink when I want a sweeter/more interesting drink? Anything that is health to add to water?

      1. Tea–I like green and peppermint. Or LaCroix (I like the grapefruit and coconut)? I also like making a pitcher of water with fruit and mint and drinking from that all day. But I also will drink a diet soda not infrequently haha!

    33. I drink 1-2 cans of diet dr. pepper every day because 1) I need caffeine and hate coffee, and 2) I just love the taste of Diet Dr. Pepper. Regularly soda tastes too sugary for me. Yes, I recognize even diet soda isn’t great for you, but I don’t smoke, I rarely drink, my diet and health are otherwise good, and if I live long enough I’m likely to get some sort of cancer anyway (thanks, genetics), so I’m just going to enjoy my diet dr. pepper vice.

    34. An ice-cold Coke is my go-to for a mild migraine. The caffeine and sugar just zaps away that combination of throbbing and nausea.

      When feasible, I prefer drinking a soda to taking a pricey prescription pill with wacky side effects. “Can’t feel my face” is a catchy song, not a delightful symptom.

  8. Break that habit before it becomes a habit. Soda should be a once in a long while habit. The extra sugar is bad for your teeth, insulin resistance and your weight, the acidity is bad for your teeth and your bones and remember- soda has a formula not a recipe. It’s not actually food.

  9. I’m wearing a new Z Supply knit shirt and the Eileen Fisher crepe pants to work today (along with my new glasses!). I feel like a casual French market shopper in the most glamorous way and I cannot imagine wearing anything more comfortable to work. How often can I wear this outfit without looking like a weirdo?

    1. Hmm wear it tomorrow and see if anyone notices. They probably won’t. I love those pants so much.

    2. Can you explain the fabric in the crepe pants to me? I think I know what crepe material is – had a dress in it once? – and it seems unforgiving. Do I have it wrong?

      1. It’s a stretch crepe so it has that creepy texture but it stretches. The pants are washable and basically look like new right out of a suitcase after a 7 hour flight.

  10. I am not an engineer. I went to a liberal-arts college where I took a lot of science questions and I currently work in a field (finance law) where my math ability has made me the unicorn who can talk to finance bros and spreadsheet things and has what I think is called numerical fluency.

    At any rate, if you want to get a BS in engineering, it seems that you need to know that in high school and apply to schools for their engineering programs (at my college you applied generally and declared a major late sophomore year). You could dabble. And if you wanted to switch to being a chemistry major as a junior, you could do that, scramble to catch up, and finish on time. For engineering, it seems that you take things in such a fixed sequence that if you don’t start with your first semester, it will never work out and you basically can’t be an engineer.

    Is this accurate (maybe at some schools)?

    It seems very rigid. And I don’t know all that many high school kids that would know that they want to be an engineer as an applying-to-colleges fall-semester senior (or spring-semester junior).

    I do some high school advising to first-gen students and am realizing that I have a lot to learn about some fields. My typical student is good in science, math, and humanities, likely “able to do anything” but not the sort who is likely to say “I want to be an engineer” as an applicant. Instead, they are applying to the UNCs /NC States / Va Techs / UGA / Ga Techs of the world and hoping to get enough grants / scholarships to be able to attend (sort of “go to the best school you get the most $ at and you can figure out the rest”).

    A lot of them enter nursing b/c they are good at science and want something they can graduate with $0 debt and start working right away. Some go on to MSN or nurse practitioner programs.

    1. Yes, engineering requires a hefty number of hard core math and (sometimes calculus-based) science classes that a non-STEM-major college student wouldn’t be able to suddenly make up for if they opted to switch from an unrelated degree in their junior year. I cannot imagine a legitimate nursing program that would have much overlap in coursework with a legitimate engineering program.

    2. I don’t entirely follow your question, but I am thinking that it boils down to “Do you have to go to get an undergrad degree in engineering to work in that field?”

      I’d say mostly yes. To become a professional engineer (PE) you have to have a related degree, so many work hours, and pass an exam – similar to becoming a registered architect.

      You can go to school and get a masters in engineering if you have all of the pre-reqs and a related degree. There are also accelerated second degree engineering programs.

      Finally, I am probably more of an exception but I manage a large team of engineers in a technical field but do not hold an engineering degree. So, there are absolutely other ways into this field, but you really have to work for them.

    3. Everyone I meet who was an engineering major entered college knowing that they wanted to study engineering. They may not have known what major when they started, but it was going to be something in the engineering school – which works out, cause the intro classes are basically the same for all majors. And even then, it took most of them 5 years to graduate. FWIW, this was at a large state school.

    4. Caveat that I’m in Canada so it might be different.
      I knew early in high school that I was good at, and enjoyed math and science so I took all the maths and sciences (except biology – I did not care for the subject). When we got to the point where we had to apply to post-secondary, I think I applied to engineering because the other kids in my math and science classes were doing engineering and it seemed like a good idea. Not a brilliant strategy, but it’s about as good as can be expected from a 16-17 year-old.
      In university, my engineering program was filled with mandatory classes. We had about 40 hours of class per week between lectures, tutorials, and labs. In the four-year program there were only two elective courses, although that depended somewhat on the type of engineering that you studied. Because certain courses were prerequisites for other courses (ie can’t enroll in calculus 2 or 3 before calculus 1), it is somewhat accurate that you had to follow a fixed sequence. It isn’t a big deal though. The program starts every fall. So if a student missed the enrollment date, he or she could start the next year. We had a number of students from our engineering program drop into the faculty of Arts & Science into science programs; that could be done mid-year.
      Hope that is helpful!

    5. You should contact thoose schools advising and career offices and see what advice they recommend you give to the high schoolers in your life.
      Also, if these youngsters are from a particular underrepresented group, i.e. African-American or first generation college students, they might have unique considerations and would love to be connected to mentors from a similar background

    7. I went to a state school that was about 2/3 engineering and 1/3 science majors. We had an engineering core, that first year engineering students across disciplines would take before declaring a specific engineering major sophomore year. You could often transfer in if you had majored in science and make a up a few classes. You might take a semester more than typical, but it certainly wasn’t impossible. Lots of students came in from small rural high schools and didn’t have the math/physics background required so were a semester behind. Additionally, engineering schools often have co-ops available, so more people tracked off-semester. Co-op students would take classes 2 semesters, then work a summer + semester, then school, then work. Typically they would graduate a 4-year degree in 5 years, but with ~1.5 years work experience and little or no debt.

      Do any of your local state schools have engineering summer camps for high school students? That is how I knew I wanted to study engineering before I started college.

    8. At almost all engineering schools, you either have to start as an engineer or plan your freshman year to transfer in (ie take two semesters of physics and one of chemistry for most engineering fields, or 2 chem 1 physics for chem-e; 2 semesters of calculus or differential equations, depending on AP status, etc.).

      I advise young people with the aptitude to major in engineering. Your worst-case scenario (if you are a good student) is you transfer to liberal arts and have extra science courses. Most of the time, a student stays in engineering, gets a job that pays relatively well, and enjoys life. Even if the student doesn’t end up being an engineer, the degree is useful in other fields (finance, patent agent, teaching, med school, business school, etc.).

      I especially recommend it to first-gen students. The fact that they can get a job that enables them to pay down their loans is huge. Even the relatively well-paying summer internships are a boon to poorer kids. As a field, it is relatively unsnobby, and it’s about doing a good job in the lab more than gladhanding at the country club. While it’s important that we try to get all fields to be that way, and to teach first-gen students to be comfortable in any environment, there is something to be said for being in a field that pays you six figures by your mid-thirties but doesn’t care if your parents work at the supermarket.

    9. Not an engineer, but from my experiences at the type of large state universities you mention, you may have to apply separately to a College of Engineering if you want to be an engineering major and transferring later can be quite difficult. At other schools, it might be possible to switch to an engineering major after your first year, as long as you’ve been taking math and science classes. Without AP Calculus and a strong high school science background, that might be a lot harder, though, and it’s unlikely they could start any later than that. If you have students that might be interested in engineering, you should definitely encourage them to consider it early on!

    10. I feel like college is increasingly like this. You have to declare a major even to be admitted because they look at whether they have room by major. I’m so glad I was able to be an undeclared freshman and have my sudden love of calculus lead the way toward declaring a math major.

      1. +1… Math ability finally struck me up ‘side the head at 40 years old. I wish I had the time (that was back then spent working nights) and space to figure that out when I was 20. -Signed the weird old person at big state U.

    11. Thanks, y’all!

      I think that for first gen kids, esp. girls, they are told that the sky is the limit and to take time and explore their options. Which is great! But I really didn’t initially appreciate that while this may let them pursue things like med school or law school or accounting that this would mean that they may be missing the engineer train since they aren’t jumping on that early (like if you pick that, you are then choosing not to be an accountant / dentist / nurse (jobs they know about)). They likely don’t have engineer parents to tell them this (and don’t likely encounter engineers in high school).

      Nursing is a great field. My doctor friends all say that if they could do it all over, they’d be a mid-level provider. Accounting is also seen by many families as a stable career field where you could work anywhere in the U.S.

      Complicating things (I think) for girls is that a girl who is good in math is probably also good in many things (english, languages, social studies, science), so the message she hears may be “Go to Chapel Hill if you get in and then go to med school b/c you want to help people not have diabetes.” It is a rare girl I’ve seen who is only good in math.

      And I think that while girls tend to excel generally, the boys tend to be good mainly in STEM classes and are more directed to things like engineering/NC State/GA Tech b/c they aren’t as well-rounded.

      1. Tell all of the girls to study engineering. The field is stifling because of limited perspectives. We need people with excellent communication, interpersonal, and multi-tasking skills.

    12. Engineering is a tough major, but being that, it is financially rewarding one, and due to the limited number of people with degrees who go on to be licensed, there is some job security.

      For your students who may consider the field, there is an IMAX film available on YouTube called Dream Big that focuses on engineering. First Lego League is a group that builds skills with problem-solving, group dynamics and is a soft, fun intro to engineering and testing hypotheses.

  11. Over the weekend my fiance and I decided on our honeymoon destination: Scotland! What are our must-dos? Any suggested itineraries? We like hiking, history, cozy pubs, and Scotch. We’ll have a full week next June (with a few extra days in London, which we have a solid handle on).

    1. Oh that’s wonderful! I am in Edinburgh and sadly haven’t been super far north but I think Skye is definitely worth a trip. I love St Andrews as well.

      1. Thanks! Skye definitely looks worth a trip! And the only planning my fiancé has done so far is to announce that he’s lining up at 5am or whenever for one of the non-member golf slots at St Andrews, so that’s 2/2 on the recs :)

    2. Hiking: bag a Munro – Ben Lomond is an easy hike, and is on the Loch of the same name
      Islands: Skye is glorious but Islay is better and is full of distilleries for the aforementioned whisky. Other options include Mull (you can take a trip to Iona and tour the Tobermory distillery in the same day)
      While your fiancé golfs St Andrews has one of the best ice cream parlours in the world, and some lovely places to wander.

  12. I flipped through a magazine (current!) and saw an ad for high-rise pleated acid washed jeans. With studs.

    Y’all: even for 80s-flashback wear, this was Too Much

  13. I’ve been searching for a dining table for a while and the only one that really strikes my fancy is the Room & Board Adams extension table. To borrow from SNL’s Stefan, it’s got everything! The price is on the way high end of what I am willing to pay though and while I would be okay with that in theory I have small kids and the reviews are all about how it scratches easily. Does anyone have this table and can speak to its quality? TIA.

    1. I always get a table pad for all my tables that way I don’t worry about it getting scratched, spills or putting something hot down on it accidentally.

      You send in the dimensions and they make it custom for you depending on what colors or pattern you want. I then just put a table cloth on top of it all the time and wash that when I need to.

      Keeps the table in perfect shape!

    2. I have a different Room and Board dining table (in walnut). It is very well-made but it does scratch easily.

      I don’t cover it. It’s so, so beautiful and I love looking at it every day! But I don’t have kids and we typically eat at the kitchen island, so maybe I would change my tune if it got more wear and tear. For now I tell myself that the scratches add character.

    3. I have a different Room and Board table in maple. It does scratch easily, i.e. my cats nails have scratched it by just jumping up on it. The scratches aren’t deep though so I think they could be sanded out. If you care get a table pad. We only have one eating surface in our house so I was sure the table would get scratched. I was sad for the first scratch but after that its been ok. Its a functional item. Its going to show wear. I use my things and I’m ok with that.

  14. An associate I really like is leaving my firm, and I want to do something nice for her or get her something. Everyone is taking her out to lunch, so not that. Any suggestions? She’s a few years junior to me, and she’s leaving for a prestigious clerkship.

    1. Seriously every day somebody is asking some version of this same question: Thoughtful handwritten note for people junior or senior to you, cash or gift card enclosed for people junior to you.

    2. My mentor gave me a book about women and power when I left. It made sense in light of our relationship and I have it on my bookshelf at my new job as a reminder to kick ass like she taught me. Not saying you should do that exactly, but something small but meaningful that will remind her that she has built important professional relationships (plus an invitation to stay in touch!) is always a win. She also took me for coffee one on one on my last day, in addition to the firm throwing a goodbye lunch.

  15. Any advice on this?

    I am a single 35yo woman who just bought a home in need of renovation. I also have a cutesy/girly name that means an automatic assumption that I am a child.

    No contractor will respond to my phone calls or emails…despite my referring to having ‘plans in hand’ etc. My budget is around $200k. Do I need to mention this in a first reachout email just so they know I am serious? Do I need to use my more grown-up middle name? And how can I avoid being taken for a total ride?

    I am considering selling at a loss at this point because apparently no one in the trades wants to deal with a single female.

    1. Why not get a different email handle, reach out via email and use your initials, so A.B. Smith? It could also just be the time of year–many contractors book out months in advance and may be full up, so no use in returning your call. Have a guy friend call and see!

    2. How are you finding these contractors? I would start by talking to your neighbors to find out who they recommend in the area, or reaching out on Nextdoor or a community FB group and asking for referrals. I wouldn’t bring up your max budget with the contractor at the first contact – but let them know you’re aware of the extent of the work. Perhaps say “I have a home in need of major renovation in the 150-175k range and am looking for a bid”. You want to get a legitimate bid for the work that needs to be done. Who created the plans for you? If you had an architect or designer assess the home, they may be able to connect you with someone. Also check with your realtor.

    3. What’s the market for residential construction in your area? Qualified people in my area are super booked up and, anecdotally, I’ve heard that many won’t touch projects under about 5x your budget. I gave up on a project after I couldn’t get sufficient attention from the team I’d hired (similar demographics to me, but I didn’t have a huge project).

    4. I doubt it is being female and probably more how you reach out. Are you very specific? Do you tell them your budget and needs? If you reach out simply saying “hey I have a fixer upper and I need a contractor”, they will likely go to the more guaranteed work that they don’t need to consult with very much as far as designs. When you say “plans in hand” they may think you mean “I know what I want”. Be very specific. Reach out with, bought a house in need of extensive repairs, I have architect plans already approved by the city, a set budget, time frame, etc.
      But also, it can be daunting to have one contractor basically rebuild your old house. Can you go project by project with specialist? It will help keep your budget in hand and attract smaller contractors. Many contractors either do huge jobs (think apartment building renovation) or small ones (redo a small kitchen) so it is harder to find guys in between.

    5. I hired a female contractor for my whole-house remodel and it was so great for both of us to skip the mansplaining portion of all the festivities. If you’re in So Cal it’s Plumb Crazy Contracting in Monrovia.

  16. Had my eye on a beautiful wallet last week and finally decided to pull the trigger today….. only to find it’s totally sold out. Womp. Can’t even find a reasonable dupe elsewhere online. I figure a fashion blog would be an appropriate place to share my disappointment. Oh well, I spend too much money on accessories anyway!

  17. Anyone have a Lenovo X1 Yoga laptop (that can be a tablet, and is touch screen)? Trying to decide between this and another known-t0-me option for a new work computer.

    TIA!

    1. I have one and I really like it. It’s a bit more flimsy than my old Lenovo (not touch screen) but it’s still a well-built computer. I don’t use the “yoga” flexible hinges often, but it’s nice to put the computer in tablet mode sometimes. Keep in mind that it’s a beefy tablet when used this way.

    2. I have an X1 (and have had since 2013) for my personal computer. I also have an X1 for my work laptop. Both are awesome. I would not personally want a touchscreen computer due to smudgy fingerprints. If I had a choice, I would choose a non-Yoga if possible. I do love how light all X1s are, and if you are carrying or commuting or traveling, factor that in to your Yoga v. not-Yoga choice.

    3. This is my work computer and I love it, but I rarely use it in tablet mode (1x in 2 years). When I am working, I usually need the keyboard. I also almost never use the touch screen (again, likely because I use it in laptop mode) and find it annoying when I point to something on the screen and accidentally hit it things happen.

    4. My team has yogas, I still have an x250 and mine will be replaced with a yoga soon. Be aware that you’ll have to carry dongles if you need to present- there is neither an HDMI nor a VGA port, so you’ll need the minidisplay dongle. My team has also complained about the shorter battery life, compared to the old x250’s.

  18. I always get a table pad for all my tables that way I don’t worry about it getting scratched, spills or putting something hot down on it accidentally.

    You send in the dimensions and they make it custom for you depending on what colors or pattern you want. I then just put a table cloth on top of it all the time and wash that when I need to.

    Keeps the table in perfect shape!

    1. to me, this would negate having such a beautiful table, no? you can’t see it!

      1. For nice dinners I show it off! For homework, art projects and busy quick dinners its protected!

        1. +1 my parents have a nice teak table that had a table pad and tablecloth on it for most of my childhood (removed for nice dinners), and it stood up to lots of homework and kid craziness. I just got a nice grownup table of my own and plan to do the same to protect it from my own crazy kids.

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