Coffee Break: Immortality Studs

116 Comments

1. Hello Ladies –

   Any thoughts or experiences with online only savings banks? I have about 50K just sitting in a local savings bank with no plans of using it any time soon and the .1% interest rate just makes me sigh. I was specifically eyeing the GE and AMEX online options but am open to just about any of them.

   Thanks!

   1. I’ve been using Ally for both checking and savings for about six months, upon the recommendation of other women here, and I really like it. It’s very convenient, the customer service is good, and the website is better than that of my old bank. Not to mention the much better interest rates.

      1. I’ve also heard great things about Ally.

      2. I use Ally for my checking account and an emergency money market account that we keep. I actually like it better than the local bank we use for our joint checking. I won’t change that account because we need to keep one open at that bank but wish I could move everything to Ally.

      3. +1 for Ally. I’ve been using them for six months for everything and have been very pleased.

   2. I’ve had ING (now Capital One) forever and I like it. Easy to set up several different savings accounts for different savings targets. Haven’t noticed any change since it became Capital One, but then again, I do everything online and haven’t needed to use customer service so far.

      1. Easy to use, but the 0.75% interest isn’t much to write home about. I think it paid around 4% when I opened my account. :/

         1. +1 to both comments. Not sure how long funds take to post to the account (I do that automatically) but it takes two days to transfer funds from Cap1 to my regular bank account.

            1. This is why I switched from ING/Cap One to Ally — with Ally I can make deposits directly via my iPhone without having to go through my brick-and-mortar checking account.

               Unfortunately interest rates are super low everywhere these days.

   3. I have a Sallie Mae Money Market that has served me well for the past year. Before that it was a generic savings account with ING. No real problems. Even with transferring funds between accounts at different institutions.

   4. Oh, I should add that I tried to set up an account with AMEX first (based on their advertised interest rate) and their website was insanely buggy. Kept going down, saying I have to call to talk to a rep, etc. So I went with Sallie Mae.

   5. This is a little outside your question, but I have some cash in I-bonds as an alternative to a savings account. That might work for your depending on what your goals are with the money. I bonds are more liquid than CDs, but less liquid than a savings account. But the rates pretty good and it works for my savings goals and risk tolerance. It might be worth looking into.

   6. 50K is a lot to keep in a savings account, especially when you have no plans to use it. If you’re risk averse, CDs may be a good option for you.

      1. +1, but I have Ally as my only bank actually for savings and checking and it’s fantastic because I never have to pay ATM fees anywhere in the country. I think Charles Schwab actually has no ATM fees anywhere in the world, which I would have signed up for if I could do it all over again, except I already had Ally and didn’t feel like switching. You do have to open a brokerage account there in order to get the free checking though.

         This site provides a good run-down:
         http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/pf/1101/gallery.least_evil_banks/index.html

         1. Forgot to mention that you can also deposit checks by taking a picture and submitting through your phone!

            1. USAA lets you do the same thing (I think you have to also have insurance with them/be eligible for insurance with them, which I do) and it is seriously the best thing when you have to deal with checks.

   7. You can check this site out to compare the various institutions:
      http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/savings/savings-results.aspx?local=false&prods=33
      I’ve been with Emigrant Direct forever, transferred my money out from a BoA savings account the moment I graduated college. My parents have recently moved their money from BoA’s CDs to Capitol One 360 (was ING Direct). The funny thing is, these savings accounts offer even better interest rates than CDs, and they don’t lock your money up the way CDs do. It takes several business days for my money to move back and forth.

   8. I just switched my bank accounts from BoA to Fidelity. Interest rate went way up (honestly, I was so bad that I had no idea the BoA rate was so low..I’ve been missing out on so much money!). Set up with very easy. My husband has the Schwab one and he loves it. Both have no ATM fees anywhere (including abroad) and we travel a lot. Only reason I did not get Schwab (slightly higher rate) was that we didn’t both want to have our money in one place in case one of their ATM networks or whatever goes down randomly – not a huge possibility, but worth the slight decrease in interest rate.

   9. The flip side of a low interest rate on savings is a low interest rate on loans. Would you rather go back in time to the early ’80s when home mortgage rates were 13% (and savings interest rates were just as high)???

      1. In September 1981, the going rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 18.45%!!!

         http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.htm

      2. Good thing my loan is locked in at today’s low rates!

   10. A coworker switched to GE recently and can’t stop singing its praises. She’s a savvy lady, so it’s likely a good bet.

2. I’m looking for some recommendations on things to do, places to eat and shops to spend my life savings at, in Montreal. My SO has a conference in October, and I’m thinking of joining him. Would anyone have any suggestions?

   1. There have been many threads as to where to go and what to do in Montreal – try googling this site+ Montreal. But October is a fantastic time to go!

      1. Yes agreed – Montreal is always a good time. There have been lots of threads in the past but two quick recommendations:

         Suite 701 (the watermelon martini was fantastic) and L’Assommoir (had the longest cocktail list I’ve ever seen – I was crippled by indecision but my drinks were SO good) – both in Old Montreal for cocktails.

   2. I love Montreal. Lucky you!

   3. I must have missed the prior threads on Montreal. If you are there on a weekday, there is a tiny lunch spot in the old part of the city called Titanic and I had the best sandwich of my life there. Went back on another trip and it was as good as remembered. Would be a nice spot if traveling solo during the day.

   4. Amazing, cheap mexican food: Taqueria Mex.

      Amazing, cheap breakfast: Engaufrez-vous.

      And of course, smoked meat and bagels.

      Oh, how I wish I could get those things couriered to Winnipeg.

      1. Great, thank you all! I’m not on this site that often, so don’t always know what has and has not been discussed. Seems like a lot of topics have been discussed already, soon we’ll all run out of topics to discuss :) Thanks again!

3. I want to buy them just for the name.

   1. I wear clip-on earrings. I had my ears pierced several times as a child and once as an adult and every time they got terribly swollen and infected and I decided to accept defeat; my immune system simply does not want my ears to have holes in them.

      I find I have the best luck finding nice clip on earrings in vintage and antique stores. I inherited a bunch from my aunt (who had gotten them from her mom or aunt I believe) and they are fabulous and 70s/60s chic, but they really still work today (well, most of them.) I also have found some fun colored glass ones that I love at antique stores that look like they are from the 20s. As far as modern day ones, Kate Spade always has cute clip-ons, though I haven’t pulled the trigger on any yet. And I know jewelry makers can convert any earring to clip-on, so I’ve had a couple of people at fairs and Etsy sellers convert earrings for me.

      1. Not sure why this ended up as a reply – this was supposed to be a stand-alone post.

         Though the name of the earrings is pretty fabulous. :-)

         1. If at any time you decide you’re not done with pierced ears, have you tried wearing nickel-free earrings? My ears got horribly infected when I first had them pierced when I was nine. (My mother also had always had an allergic reaction to jewelry.) But then I heard about nickel sensitivity and had my ears pierced again when I was 19. I wear earrings labeled nickel-free (not just hypoallergenic), sterling silver, or at least 18k gold and haven’t had any issues. Being totally done with pierced ears is also a totally fine choice, but thought I’d throw that out there.

         2. The last time I had them pierced, I had it done at a piercing studio that does body piercing and I had surgical stainless steel used (though my trip down google lane just now suggests that may still have some nickel in it) – but I’m pretty happy with my no piercing decision. Its way too much work for too little reward in the end. Plus I kind of like the clip-ons now, they tend to be a bit funkier than what I would choose if I was choosing from all the pierced options in the world – they push me out of my fashion comfort zone, which is almost always a good thing.

            [Thanks for the tips though ladies – you’re all the best. :-)]

            P.S. DancingLonghorn – if you’re reading this afternoon – head on over to my blog through the linky link – a special something waits for you there.

            1. Don’t the clipons hurt your earlobes? Every time I’ve worn them, they hurt like crazy after just a few minutes. I can’t imagine wearing them all day!

            2. Horray! Thank you so much!

               I love the coral/orange with the burgundy. Why didn’t I think of that??!! Awesome work!

      2. Have you tried different metals for earrings? For years I experienced inflammation/pain when wearing earrings (and would rarely wear them), but through trial and error realized that I am sensitive to silver. When I wear white gold/platinum posts I don’t experience the same issues. Just food for thought if you haven’t already tried this and are still interested in post earrings.

      3. Is it possible you have a nickel allergy? I know that some people (my aunt specifically) have had issues with pierced earrings that are not either stainless or 24k gold posts. Normal skin contact from alloys with nickel isn’t a problem but the body seems especially offended when it’s in the ear holes. I got my ears pierced with stainless posts as a precaution.

         1. I personally can’t do stainless, and anything I wear has to be at least 14k gold. The higher the karat the happier my ears. So I’ll add myself to the list of people with sensitive ears that found a solution.

            1. My daughter also needs to wear 14K or more gold. She also finds that if she wears earrings just in the daytime and religiously takes them out every night, they’re not in long enough to get the earholes swollen or irritated.

      4. I had the same problem, I didn’t realize there were other people! my body just completely rejected earrings after a while and then the holes closed and I just stopped worrying about it. Every once in a while I have thought about re-piercing and trying other metals, which others have suggested. But then I decide it’s better for my wallet to just not do it. I already have a basket full of necklaces and bracelets I never wear anymore! It would just be one more thing I would want to spend money on, it’s better for me to have a concrete reason to never buy earrings. ;o)

      5. I am another clip-on person (rarely). My holes tended to bleed and crack whenever I wore earrings, and I never noticed any difference with different metals.

      6. I also don’t have pierced earrings, after unsuccessful attempts. Thanks for the tips on where to find clipped earrings. I’ve also found some clips at Claire’s – the girls’ store!

4. I don’t wear earrings – never got my ears pierced and am glad I don’t have to worry about another accessory. Anyone else?

   1. Was something I thought I didn’t need, although I wanted them more than anything when I was in grade school. Part of it is that I struggle with accessories and tend to break stuff and generally can’t have nice things.

      I pulled the trigger in my 30s, when I was single and wore no jewelry other than a strand of pearls. I have only 3 pairs of earrings, plus the studs Claire’s used to pierce them (I was the only one that day who was old enough to sign her waiver and consent form).

      I don’t always wear them, but having a few simple options (plain silver studs, a drop pair, and diamond studs) has made it work for me.

   2. None of the women in my family had pierced ears until my mom’s younger sister went to college in the late 60s. I didn’t get mine pierced until college. I still regret going to the cheap place in the mall because one of the holes isn’t straight. Drives me crazy every morning.

      I hate posts. They fall out and they poke me in the head when I’m talking on the phone.

      1. Thanks for the memory jog: my teenaged self (taken by mom to pediatrician years ago) relocated one of the potential holes designated by medical staff so that they were symmetrical w/r/t my earlobes…and ended up being different “heights” from the floor (or my shoulders). Oh well. It’s not that noticeable; also, there are more serious problems.

      2. This!

         I try to stick to hoops and those with lever backs or french backs as a result. Hard, hard to find. Most things seem to be plain “open” ear wires which seem to fall out unnoticed for me.

         1. obviously this won’t work for posts, but you can easily change fishhook or other dangly earrings for french backs or levers. I worked at a jewelry/beading store in high school and did it all the time – takes forty seconds with a pair of jewelry pliers, and depending on how nice the metal is on the new hooks, costs between $2-8. You can buy those backs by the dozen at bead stores for super cheap.

            1. Do you know of any online bead shops? Ours have all moved away :(

               Great idea!

   3. I never got mine pierced & have no plans to. My mom doesn’t have them either so I never really thought about it much. Interestingly, my husband’s mom & sister also don’t have pierced ears – I think we are the only 4 women I know (in real life) who don’t.

   4. I almost feel naked without my earrings! I lost an earring today and am walking around with nothing in my ears, feeling odd.

   5. I don’t have pierced ears, either.

   6. I got mine pierced when I was 10 (it was just something we did in the midwest in the early 90’s, I guess) but then I stopped wearing earrings at all in college and they closed up. I’m sad that they closed but I’m really really bad with needles and the idea of doing it again makes me a little queasy. And it’s easier to not have to think about it. I don’t wear much jewelry generally, just a plain necklace (have 3 silver and gold necklaces that I cycle around) and a watch, but I’m trying to wear more.

   7. My ears aren’t pierced either and I don’t have any plans at the moment to do so. I find earrings to be pretty, generally, but I’m just so scared off by the experience of my mother. She got her ears pierced years ago and it caught her so much pain that she couldn’t sleep properly for weeks. And generally I am much like her when it comes to pain sensitivity so I’m pretty much afraid of it.

   8. Don’t have pierced ears but I do wear a lot of screwback clip one.

      1. Where do you find your screw back clip ons? My ears closed up after developing a weird metal allergy (my grandmother had the same thing) and I’m looking for just a couple pairs of basic earrings. A pair of pearl or diamond studs and maybe some hoop earrings.

         Also, anyone know where I can sell my old earrings? I have some great diamonds, sapphires, platinum, etc.

         1. Post them here with prices?

5. For you Biglaw ladies, has anyone had experience/have opinions as to doing work for other departments within your firm? For context, I am a junior associate in a small department, which is traditionally slower than many departments and incredibly slow at the moment. There’s no way I am going to meet my billables without stretching my time out (which I’d rather not do!), or begging for work elsewhere. I have not discussed this with the partners in my department (for fear of jumping in too soon), but have discussed the idea with another firm mentor. Also, I really love the work in my department and have received great reviews, and I don’t want to leave it altogether. There’s just not enough to do.

   1. If your partners are okay with it, I see no issues. Even if you love your current department, either it will have more work next year, or it won’t. If it does, great, you do that work. If it doesn’t, and if it continues to be slow, having an in in another department can save your job (or they might wind up transferring you anyway if they keep being slow, whether you do work for other departments now or not). If your partners do balk (which they might because they’re afraid they’ll bring in work and have no one to do it) make sure they understand where you are on hours and ask how they want you to handle that. It’s not fair for them to jeopardize your standing at the firm or your bonus if they’ve failed to bring in enough work.

      1. I should add there’s the risk that you’ll get staffed on a matter in another department that will subsequently blow up and you’ll be working on that most of your time, even into the new year. But I think that’s a risk you have to take if your department doesn’t have enough hours for you. If your current department really likes you, they may go to bat for you to keep you in their department and to ensure you have time in your schedule to handle their work. But if they’re not pulling in a ton of business, they make not be very powerful in the firm and may not be able to stand up to partners in other departments who are pulling huge matters. If a year or two goes by and you’re getting sucked into a department you don’t want to be part of, you may ultimately need to find another firm to start over in the practice you want. But also be aware that if a practice is slow in your firm, it’s likely slow all over. You might ultimately need to shift into a practice that’s making money right now, even if it’s not what you originally wanted to do. Of course all this might not happen and you might just be able to grab a few 100 hours in another department to make your 2000 and then pop back to your original department. But just thought I’d throw all that out there.

   2. If you have their blessing, I’d go out and hussle. Things don’t land neatly in silos and broadening your experience will only help you in the long run (and short run, hopefully). Keep everyone on the loop with you feel like you are running tight on time — the only thing worse than having low hours is aggravating twice the # of people counting on you to do work.

      Good luck!

   3. To me, it depends on what your concern is about not meeting your billable hours requirement. If it’s just that you want to be bonus-eligible, then I think you could seek out work in another department to get your hours up. On the other hand, if it’s not really about the bonus issue for you, but rather a concern that you’ll be viewed negatively within the firm for having low hours, then I’d approach it somewhat differently. The partners in your group most likely care more about you developing the expertise necessary for your practice area than they do about you making your hours and thus being bonus eligible. Accordingly, they might rather see you doing non-billable investment time (attending CLEs relevant to your practice, reading relevant treatises or trade publications, working on a knowledge management project, etc) than doing junior work for some other department. I’d go to a partner in your group (preferably the head of the group, if you know him or her) and say something like “I really love working in this practice group. [insert some description of why you love it] As you may know, though, my hours have been low because there hasn’t been a lot of work available at my level. I really want to continue to develop my knowledge of [practice area], and I’m wondering if you could give me some advice on how best to spend some of the extra time I have until work picks up. I’d really like to advantage of this time to learn more…. Are there publications you recommend I read, non-billable projects I could work on, articles I could research and help write?” Then, if you want, you can through in that alternatively you’d also be happy to fill your time by doing work in other busier departments, if he/she thinks that’s appropriate, but that you wanted to discuss it first as your main priority is making sure that you’re continuing to develop and learn, etc, etc.

   4. Sounds like something to discuss with your assignment manager.

6. Looking for advice on replacing a cellphone. I use Verizon and I’m post the 2-year commitment so I’m currently month-to-month. My 1-year old Android phone is broken (can’t seem to be revived). I’m not eligible for an upgrade until March. Buying a new phone outright from Verizon is about $500, but there seem to be cheaper options available online from other sellers. Has anyone had any luck doing this (buying a phone from somewhere else and getting it activated on your carrier)?

   1. yeah, it’s insanely easy. You can do it with any phone that is Verizon-capable. I have a friend who still buys cheap flip phones off craigslist and has them activated to his verizon account all the time.

   2. I’m also interested but only in models suitable for dinosaurs–not planning to switch to a smart phone until flip phones are no longer manufactured or supported. Am also currently out of contract, thus paying flat fee monthly. Am open to starting new contract w/ DH when his current one expires.

      Question: Will the carrier-who-didn’t-sell-you-your-phone not only activate service but also facilitate transfer of contacts information?

      1. Sorry, didn’t see Zora’s response before posting.

      2. if it’s the right kind of phone and the salesperson is being nice, it is easy for them to use their little doohickey to transfer your contacts. but I don’t think they are obligated to.

   3. If you’re willing to switch providers, you could sign a new agreement with a new provider, port your number over and get a new, fancy phone. Or, you could try going to a Verizon Wireless store (a real store, not a franchise) and see if there are any options for someone in your situation.

      1. Of course all this assumes that you don’t need Verizon (all friends and family are on Verizon/it’s the only cell provider in your area/etc.) and you’re not grandfathered into that crazy unlimited data package they used to have.

         1. I am grandfathered into this unlimited data package. It’s awesome.

            1. Verizon will kick you off of it when you get a new phone. I held out on upgrading for a really long time because of that…

            2. Yeah, I wouldn’t give that up either!

            3. Me too – but question, do you know whether upgrading to the new iphone impacts the grandfathered plans?

            4. Me too and Carrie, it does unless you pay full price for the phone. This is partly why I still have a 4.

         2. Upgrading to a new phone will eliminate the grandfathered unlimited data :(

            1. It’s not supposed to, as a matter of fact, they specifically said that way back when. I’ve upgraded twice. Every time I have to go in to the store (don’t try to do it online, they’ll mess it up) and make it really clear that I know what they said. So far, I still have unlimited data.

   4. You could also buy a used Verizon phone on ebay very cheaply. That’s what I did when my dad’s phone broke and he was not due for an update.

   5. I’ve done this on Verizon with refurbished/used phones on eBay. It was very simple and I had no issues.

   6. I bought my phone on Amazon for about half of what it would have cost at Verizon and had no issues getting it activated.

   7. Totally did this when my smartphone was stolen. Paid <200 bucks for a used one that lasted me the 2 years until the upgrade. Some of the sellers on Amazon are good. Just go for ones with high reviews. I got mine within a few days and took it to a store to get set up (you can do it yourself over the phone too, but I also needed a new SIM card). Way better selection on the resellers than Verizon will ever give you at the same price point.

   8. I just had this problem 2 weeks ago. I bought a used Verizon Motorola Razr Maxx HD on eBay for $100. It’s awesome.

      I thought about switching carriers, but Verizon told me I’d have a $190 deactivation fee so this was the best option.

      I love my new phone. It has a crack in the screen, but it doesn’t impact the functionality.

   9. It should be really easy. Just make sure you’re getting a CDMA phone (which is the type of network Verizon and Sprint are) not a GSM one (which is what pretty much everyone else uses.) If it says it’s for use on Verizon, you should be alright.

7. Pregnancy/internship TJ. My doc put me on (hopefully temporary) bed rest, starting asap and going at least until I speak with her tomorrow afternoon (she requested I call her then). Depending on how the phone call tomorrow afternoon goes, the doc will either take me off bed rest or will send me to the hospital. I normally intern on Wednesdays. Should I call my internship now and tell them I might not make it on Wednesday? Or just call in sick Wednesday AM if my doc keeps me on bed rest? I don’t feel I’ll have time to call Tuesday afternoon because I might be stuck at the hospital. Thanks ladies.

   1. Call today.

   2. I think advance notice is good & I think this is a situation where people would be very understanding of the fact that your situation is up in the air and you won’t know for sure until tomorrow. I’d tell them now that you may be out.

   3. Oh no, I’m really sorry to hear about the bed rest. I agree with the others that it is better to give advance notice and I really hope that your doctor tells you that the bed rest doesn’t have to continue. Best wishes!

      1. Thanks Nonny! I’m just 20 weeks, so I really hope that bed rest doesn’t have to continue too! And thanks all; I’ll call today.

8. Any suggestions for jewelers in NYC that do fine watch repair? I inherited a gorgeous watch from my grandmother, but it needs a lot of repairs, and for the price the company’s service place quoted me, I could buy a new watch. I’m wondering if anyone else can do it for cheaper, because I really do love the watch but can’t really justify spending a month’s rent to get it fixed (I hate modern women’s watches. They just look like shrunk down versions of men’s watches). I’ll also take suggestions on where to go to get it appraised as how much it’s worth will factor into the decision of whether to fix it or not.

   1. Have you considered getting it fixed outside of NYC, say, in your hometown? I live in Chicago, but am originally from a small city in another state. If I were really efficient I’d get my trousers, etc. hemmed during visits there for about a 30% discount off the Chicago price.

      1. I checked in my hometown first, but sadly the jewelers there said they couldn’t fix it and would have to send it to the manufacturer. But I don’t think they were very good…

   2. You need to think twice before getting an OLD watch repaired. When my Grandma Simka was alive, she gave my mom what we thought was a very expensive GREAT watch. It was gold and had a Leather strap. She said it was an airloom b/c she had it from the OLD country. So after Grandma Simka died, mom decided to bring it to a jewler to see if they could get it goieng, b/c mom wanted to be reminded of Grandma Simka thru the watch. The jewler looked at the watch and said it was JUNK, and not to even bother trying to get it goieng, b/c the watch would onley be worth about $10 fixed, and it would cost at least $100 to fix it. Mom asked Dad, and Dad said NOT to spend the $100 to fix a watch which was junk. Mom was sedimental about it and spent the $100 w/o telling dad, and the watch worked for about 6 month’s before breaking again. Dad told Grandma Leyeh, and even Grandma Leyeh said “that’s what you get when you buy JUNK”. Mom was mad at Dad and Grandma Leyeh for years whenever the subject of Grandma Simka’s watch came up. So the morale of the story is to think twice before repairing JUNK, even if it has sedimental value. FOOEY!

   3. I had the same situation, down to the grandmother. The only place that could fix my watch was Central Watch in Grand Central Station. It was not cheap — about $450 — but they guarantee their work for a year and I am very happy that I did it. And your repair may be less costly, mine was a very unusual antique watch. I took it to another very good watch repair (Swiss Watch Repair Center, also on 42nd St.) and the gentleman there told me it couldn’t even be done. The Swiss Watch Repair Center, by the way, did do a very good job fixing my other watch after I was cheap and took it to a shoe repair guy to replace the battery and he damaged it so that it started to get foggy all the time. I can’t recall what he charged but it wasn’t unreasonable — somewhere in the range of $60-70.

      With both place, keep in mind, they may need to keep your watch a bit to give you an estimate. Don’t expect to just walk in and get a quote. They also have odd hours so check before you head in.

      1. Want to put in a second (strong) vote for Central Watch–my husband has had several vintage watches, two of which appeared unrepairable, rescued and returned to top shape by them (after the manufacturer told him they couldn’t be repaired; they were from the early 1960s). I’ve bought 2-3 vintage watches at Central Watch (back when they were cheaper) and gotten quotes on a family watch that we decided wasn’t worth the cost to repair. They are definitely pricey but worth it if you want your watch to work. Talk with them, explain the situation. You can get a quote and then mull it over–no need to commit. It’s run by a family that’s been in the business for a looong time and they are lovely, even if you take a pass on the repair.

   4. Have you tried Tourneau?

      1. This is what I was going to suggest, too. No shame is spending as much as a new watch costs. You will end up with a more valuable watch, and it sounds as though you love it! You might noodle around on ebay to see how much it is worth. Not very scientific, but it can give you a ballpark.

      2. AIMS-Thanks, I’ll check them out!

         Kanye-Yes, they couldn’t do it :-( Though I can’t recall why (It was a while ago). I may try them again and see if the answer’s changed.

9. Accidentally reported Looking for Montreal Recommendations! So sorry!

   1. no problem :)

10. Has anyone done this? Any thoughts on it? It’s a 1-year job as an AUSA, just unpaid. Theoretically it would provide great experience, and eventually lead to an AUSA/govt position (although there are conflicts issues — the jurisdiction you’re in can’t hire you because they don’t want to favor candidates who can afford to take a year unpaid).

    1. I have done it, but on detail from another agency, so it was paid. It was fantastic experience, and I think if you can swing it financially and you don’t have any better options, it’s probably a good move.

       soapbox/ But I also have to say, I think it’s outrageous that this how we are staffing the USAOs. The government should pay its attorneys. I have never seen anyone working harder for less money than I did at the USAO, and I think it’s shameful to ask people to do it for nothing. /soapbox

       1. I worked at an USAO in law school, and if I had had the financial resources to work for them for a year without pay, I would totally do it. That said, student loans came-a-calling, so that wasn’t an option. However, it’s a really great place to get quality experience.

          That said, totally agree with Anon re: those positions should totally be paid.

    2. If I remember correctly, these positions have a really terrifying disclaimer on them that they are not meant to lead to a paid position later. That might have changed, and of course that could simply be a CYA by the USAO while in practice the offices might hire regularly from these positions, but I would look to be sure.

11. I’m the one who posted for styling help for my wedding with the Anthro skirt this morning. Crazy day so just now reading all the comments, but thank you all so much for all the help and congrats from this morning thread. You have all really made me feel more confident and excited about everything! But it is so hard to find blush or similar light color fitted tops! What do y’all think of this Ann Taylor top? Would it work if I tucked it in? My other thought from this morning was to get a thin pale pink or light blue sweater, so that may be easier.

    http://www.anntaylor.com/sheer-scattered-sequin-tank/309699?colorExplode=false&skuId=13925574&catid=cat810099&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=9166

    1. I was also considering this blouse but not sure how it will look IRL.
       http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=6331180420001&cid=64474

    2. It’s a beautiful top but I think it would compete with the gorgeous skirt. I was thinking of something more like this: http://www.anntaylor.com/silk-cami/306245?colorExplode=false&skuId=14885211&catid=cata000010&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=5836
       It would look great with the jacket I posted earlier or some other type of wrap.

    3. The Piperlime link doesn’t work, so I can’t comment on that one. But I don’t love the Ann Taylor top. There’s so much going on with the skirt that I’d just wear a really simple top — you want the skirt to be the hero of the outfit. I like the idea of a thin cashmere top. JCrew and Ann Taylor both have plain cashmere short-sleeved sweaters — JCrew in a pretty pale blue, and Ann Taylor in a very pale pink. I think either would work, I’d just pick whichever goes better with your coloring. Oh, and Lands End has one too, in ivory.

       http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/sweaters/jcrewcashmere/PRDOVR~28762/28762.jsp
       http://www.anntaylor.com/collectible-cashmere-short-sleeve-sweater/319537?colorExplode=true&skuId=14775611&catid=cat610114&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=5191
       http://www.landsend.com/products/womens-short-sleeve-classic-cashmere-jewelneck-sweater/id_258781_59?sku_0=::IVO

    4. Trying this again without the links, so it doesn’t get stuck in moderation.
       The Piperlime link doesn’t work, so I can’t comment on that one. But I don’t love the Ann Taylor top. There’s so much going on with the skirt that I’d just wear a really simple top — you want the skirt to be the hero of the outfit. I like the idea of a thin cashmere top. JCrew and Ann Taylor both have plain cashmere short-sleeved sweaters — JCrew in a pretty pale blue, and Ann Taylor in a very pale pink. I think either would work, I’d just pick whichever goes better with your coloring. Oh, and Lands End has one too, in ivory.

    5. Love the skirt — will be beautiful. Do you have time to hit up a department store? Call ahead of time and have a personal shopper pull all the light colored tops. Will be the good use of an hour. Even if you don’t find something, you can compare different colors and styles with the actual skirt.

    6. I think all those tops look great with that skirt. You will be such a chic bride! :)

    7. Love both tops!

12. Unlike the ladies above who have no piercings, I have double piercings on both ears. I used to have 3, but let the third one grow back in. I’m 30 now, and wear a small pearl stud in the second piercing most days, and then switch around the earrings in the first hole. My question: I work in a fairly conservative office (ranges between suits and business casual). Do I need to phase out the double piercing as I get older and more established?

    1. Naw. I think the time to be most conservative with my appearance was when I was in my 20s. After crossing 30, I’ve started dressing less conservatively. I can’t imagine dressing more conservatively* after 35 or 40.

       I wouldn’t phase out the double piercing. If anything, I might mix it up by wearing something other than a pearl stud but still classic (like a diamond stud or colored gemstone or very small hoop).

       *less conservative =/= sloppy. Less conservative means brighter colors, non-traditional shapes, having fun with trends (in an age-appropriate way). I think “older” people have to be extra careful about wearing clothing that fits properly and is well taken care of.

13. Hi- now that the craze is over- what if any beauty boxes or beauty subscription services does everyone get?

    I have noticed that glossybox is gone in canada and that glymm went bankrupt. Just wondering what people are ordering now.

    1. I had a gift subscription to birchbox, which I did not renew when it expired. The anticipation of getting the box was fun and I liked a few products (but not enough to want to buy because they are too expensive) but there wasn’t enough useful items there for me to warrant paying for it.

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