Suit of the Week: Boss Hugo Boss

148 Comments

1. I don’t like collarless jackets, but I can’t put my finger on the reason why. It might be related to my love of statement necklaces, which I think look amazing with button up tops with collars. The collar seems to frame the necklace nicely.

   Between this and my aversion to navy jackets with gray bottoms, I think I sound a little crazy for the things I don’t like!

   1. I think it’s more about the right collar with the right blouse/necklace underneath. I like collarless jackets but I find they sometimes look odd with certain blouses.

      And now I totally get the navy/grey aversion because the security guards in my building wear navy jackets over grey pants.

      1. I hear you! I think uniforms everywhere consist of that combination. I ordered that JCrew navy blazer yesterday and I’m going to be careful not to wear it with grey pants. I think it’s going to be more of a weekend look for me to spruce up jeans.

         1. I like my navy blazer with camel and also with forest green.

            1. Thanks! I’m going to try it with my camel colored skirt tonight. If I can’t figure it out, I’m just going to wear mine with jeans when the weather cools down.

   2. I have a short neck, and round neckline sans collar underscores it. And yes, it does not go well with necklaces.

   3. I like navy but I don’t like navy trousers. I think I could handle the navy/grey combination as long as the pants aren’t navy. I’m not entirely sure what has brought on this extreme dislike of navy trousers since I wear dark blue jeans. I’m wearing white dresss pants, striped navy sweater and green cami today and love that combination.

      1. Did you have to wear a uniform to school that consisted, in part, of navy pants?

   4. I think this suit is really cute, but I don’t think it’s crazy to arbitrarily dislike certain things. I hate cobalt blue and “abstract patterns” on clothing make me cringe.

   5. Collarless jackets make me feel older, but not in a good way- a bit outdated or dowdy for some inexplicable reason. Maybe if I was slim and elegant and vaguely French I’d feel more chic. And I hear ya on the conflict with statement necklaces!

2. TJ- I’m finishing up a clerkship and I’ve interviewed at several places with no offers. In a few of these interviews, the most recent being a job I really want, I’ve gotten the impression that the interviewers don’t believe I *really* want the job. One firm told me outright “you could work at a better firm than this” whereas another told me (for a government job I would LOVE to get) that I could “shake the money tree,” so why would I want this job?

   I’m getting really frustrated! I’m not overqualified for these jobs. My clerkship is a state one– it’s not like I clerked for the Supreme Court or something! I don’t understand what’s going on here!

   Am I just coming across as not interested enough? Are these interviewers just projecting their outdated views about the legal market onto me– i.e. someone with my resume could and would have done XYZ ten years ago, not what I’m applying to do– ?

   Any advice? Thank you!!

   1. That’s definitely frustrating. The only real advice I have is to have a really good, planned explanation for why you want to work there (as opposed to BigLaw or whatever).

      If you’re just going in with “I would love this job,” it may not seem genuine to them, where “I’m really excited about the opportunity to work hands-on with This Group” or “this position would give me an opportunity to work with Whatever that I won’t find anywhere else” would indeed be solid reasons for choosing these jobs over XYZ.

      It’s totally possible that you’ve been doing this with no luck, but that was the first thing I thought of – play to an aspect that these “lower level” jobs have that XYZ doesn’t.

      Good luck!

   2. Not sure about the firm, but the question from the government is really common (public interest orgs usually ask something similar). They’re trying to gauge whether you’re actually committed to public service. What was your answer?

      1. I really wasn’t ready for the question at all and now I’m kicking myself. It was for a prosecutor position and I explained how I’ve always loved criminal law and feel passionate about it, chose to write about criminal procedure issues for law review writing requirements, etc. I wish that I had spoken more to why a prosecutor in particular and not just a job in criminal law. Ugh.

         1. I clerked for the state before going into private practice and in my interview they asked why I wanted a government job. I went with the public servant angle (which was genuine) and that I felt better coming home at the end of a long day knowing that my efforts were connected to some greater goal. The interviewer liked it. I’m sure others on this site can give you better advice, but those are my two cents.

         2. Why do you want to be a prosecutor? Because you care about victims? Because you want to rid the streets of drugs. Because you want power?

      2. I’d echo this. Also, I hate to say this, but how fancy were your clothes? Not that it should matter but perhaps in a gvt job it may help to look very professional but not super polished.

         1. Right. Make sure you’re coming in appropriately. You don’t want to be carrying a Birkin bag to a prosecutor interview. Prosecutors can make a living, but they won’t think you’re committed to the work if they think you need a $200k job to be happy.

            1. Believe me, I wasn’t. Off the rack Banana Republic black suit. J Crew factory top.

   3. I hated getting questions like these when I was interviewing! My best guess was that these questions were aimed at weeding out those applicants who need a job but are only planning on taking the job until a better one comes along. (Honestly, many of the firms who asked me this question were firms that I had applied to only because the market was bad and I figured it would be better than being unemployed.)

      In any event, I think these awkward questions are a golden opportunity to explain why you really want to work there. So, be prepared to explain how much you want the job!

      1. +1. I got this question a lot while I was clerking (also a state clerkship) and agree that it’s totally frustrating. Like others here, I usually had some kind of explanation prepared, like that I was more interested in the kind of practice done in the firm asking me that question than in the “better” (read: bigger) firm across the street, or I wanted the opportunity to get more hands-on experience than I would in a bigger firm. I think there’s a weird fit issue in recruiting that those of us on this side of the table are not privy to – shortly after I got rejected by a firm that had asked me repeatedly why I would want to work there instead of at the “better” firm across the street, I got an offer from the better firm, which is my current employer. Hang in there. You never know what’s around the corner.

   4. Agree that it’s frustrating but I think one of the most important things in an interview is to communicate genuine interest in the specific position. Some people do that better than others.
      I always think back to a T.A. position I had in law school. A friend of mine interviewed for the same spot first and was nice enough to tell me, “I don’t think I got it because I wasn’t enthusiastic enough. I think Professor X wants someone who’s life long dream is just to be a T.A. Make sure you make that come across.” And, when I interviewed and was asked something about why I wanted the job, I think I said something like, “All my life, I have wanted to just sit there and correct papers with a red pen and help students get better at blah blah blah…” But I meant it and was very enthusiastic about the position and I was hired. More recently, I interviewed for a great opportunity that I didn’t really want at the time because it would have meant changes I didn’t want to make and I knew as soon as I walked out that the spot would go to someone else even though I was more than qualified for the job. I think enthusiasm, and more importantly the ability to communicate it, counts for a lot. Maybe you could sit down with a trusted friend and do some mock interviews to see how you come across. Also, be sure to use your thank you notes to reiterate how much you want to work in that particular position.

   5. They are probably testing you to see your reaction. This is not uncommon in interviews.

3. This is a very cute suit, and the model even look’s a littel like ROSA! I have to send her the hypolink to this page! Ed will be also very happy to see that peeople who look like Rosa get great modelling jobs, but I do NOT know his email address. YAY!!!

   Sam texted me to see if I want to go eat tonite. Of course I can eat, but he told me he also does NOT like to eat Gluten. I asked what that was, b/c I NEVER see Gluten on any menu I have ever eaten, and he went into some big expeleanation about grains and stuff, and now I do NOT think he can even eat Italian food, unless it is just salad’s and fruit’s. FOOEY!

   Myrna says give him a chance b/c he told Myrna he has NEVER met a girl like me before. I think that is b/c he JUST came here from the UK 1 year ago, even tho he has been workeing in their LONDON office for 8 year’s. He is so excited about the Royal Baby. I told Him I want a baby and told him about Grandma Leyeh. I nearly hit the FLOOR when he said “well, we will see what we can do about that, Luv..” OMG, I wonder if he will be my baby’s daddy!!!???

   The manageing partner keep’s pestering me to see if I can get busness from him. I told him PLEASE, give me time! He is VERY imatent and think’s Sam will get away, like some kind of fish that needs to be realed in Quickley. FOOEY on that. I would like to real him in as my HUSBAND, even if he does NOT throw the manageing partner $500K of busness! FOOEY!

4. For those of you who are fans of dresses with sleeves, Ann Taylor has a 60% off sale prices promotion going on today. I just ordered the “Twist Wrap Jersey Dress” for $32.

   1. Link: http://www.anntaylor.com/twist-wrap-jersey-dress/291161

      1. Also check out the Mini Dot Print Twist Wrap Jersey Dress (whoa, long name) at Ann Taylor. I got this in a tall a few months ago and it’s my favorite dress. It looks great and is the same cut as the general twist wrap.

         These dresses look great with belts too.

   2. Lots of good sales right now! I’m sure everyone knows about Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and Shopbop has an extra 25% off sale.

      1. argh wish you hadn’t told me about the shopbop sale… :-)

5. I never tried The Skirt before, but I ordered 2 from NAS. I LOVE THEM. I purchased the green and the black/charcoal combo and I didn’t want to take them off after trying them on. They are lovely. My fall wardrobe is happy now.

   1. When I tried them a few years ago, I felt like they required more hips and less belly than I have…is that still the case? I felt like they showed every little flaw but you all love them so much, it makes me want to try them again.

      1. I’m a pear shape and I thought it looked great on me. Some of my other pencil skirts are from J. Crew which I feel are cut straighter than these.

      2. Yeah, I thought the same thing. The second iteration was marginally better. I’m hopefully as this iteration has a waistband, but I found the material from the first two iterations to be clingy to my stick-out tush.

   2. I’m wearing one for the first time today too! Bought it months ago in a gray blue color. I love it, super comfortable. Not as amazingly flattering as these Escada Essentials ones I got last year, but definitely easier to deal with. Also, I am pear shaped and have a bit of a sticky-out tummy.

   3. I received my first one today too, and I love it! I’m a bit of an hourglass and it fits perfectly. I regret not ordering the camel too before my size ran out.

6. Seen on a defendant today in court: a T-Shirt saying, “I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It.”

   1. When I was in law school, I had to go to Housing Court as part of a clinic and there was a landlord there who was basically renting out a slum with a bright pink t-shirt that said “Pretty Princess” on it.

   2. That is awesome. Dying to know what he was there for. My husband is a bailiff and I live for anecdotes like this since I quit litigating.

   3. I saw a guy wearing a tshirt that said, “9 years, 7 judges, 7 attorneys, 2 counties, 2 boroughs & thousands spent…Judge [last name], please divorce me from that woman.” I took a picture for posterity.

      1. Hahahahah.

   4. A colleague was doing a teacher disciplinary hearing and one of the student witnesses came in wearing a t-shirt that said “I Make Sh*t Up.”

   5. I once had a defendant show up to his domestic violence hearing dressed head to toe in camouflage–and no, he was not in the service. Didn’t really give him that softer, gentler look he probably should have gone for.

   6. Saw a defendant show up to the criminal calendar call with his toothbrush in his back pocket. Yep, he knew he was headed back to jail.

   7. Guy in drug court with a t-shirt with a giant marijuana leaf on it.

   8. I saw a juror with a “stop snitching” shirt.

   9. Guy in criminal court whose shirt said “I’m Still Drunk from the Night Before”

7. Another TJ from a non-lawyer: I’m looking for tips on discussing estate planning with my dad, who gets angry every time my mom tries to bring it up. Talking about death and related issues to death is a cultural taboo for him (my mom is fine with it). I haven’t tried talking about it with him alone yet, but hope to approach it gently with him (and hopefully he won’t blow up on me).

   My parents live in a community-property state and my mom is interested in setting up something for my children as part of her will. My dad *loves* his grandkids, so I’m thinking that would be a way to approach him?

   Thanks!

   1. We had a very very difficult time with this with my parents too. Unfortunately, it meant waiting until a disaster happened… both parents became critically ill…. for anything to be discussed. And still, my mother passed without a will. It was a mess. We now have very basic estate planning set up for my father, but it is still not ideal.

      Our situation was a little like yours. My mother was a bit more open to estate planning, and even at one point had started the process, but my father was not. His reasons were not so much cultural, but a mix of denial and a tendency to procrastinate.

      The way to approach this is through your mother. If she is open to it, then she can be the one to set up the lawyer appointment and to talk with your father. I would nudge her. “If that’s your wish Mom, you should discuss it with Dad. Let me know if I can do anything to help.” You never know what tomorrow will bring. She could be hit by a car tomorrow, he could be diagnosed with cancer tomorrow….

      It is also very difficult to discuss these issues, because they can almost always be seen as selfish on the part of the children. Even if they are not….. For example, why should something be set up for your kids? If inheritance would go to you anyway, what is the need? Or if you have siblings, why should your family deserve “more” by special things being set up for your kids? Should the single sister who will be alone when she is aging (eg. no kids) be penalized by inheriting less? What if your father wants to donate to a favorite cause, and he will feel “pressured” by family questions about his plans?

      I am not saying my questions are right AT ALL, but you never know what is going through people’s minds. And there may be a grain of truth in it.

      For us, it is still sad…. My mother has passed without her wishes being truly known. My father will likely marry quickly without the best judgement, to someone likely much younger. He is quite ill and will predecease his wife, and all will go to her…. including my mother’s savings/inheritance/family items. I know it will happen, but it is now too late with my father to discuss it. It was hard enough for him to “deal” before, and now it is too late for him to think clearly.

      Good luck to you.

8. Pregnancy/law TJ — I’m the summer associate who posted at the beginning of the summer about getting pregnant right at the start of my summer associateship. Well I’m 11 wks pg and feel like I am huge!! I can pull my stomach in but when I relax, it’s 5-months-pg size. My work clothes are outrageously uncomfortable so I’ve purchased a few new dresses that help accommodate my new size. Question is: is this huge bump normal so early?? Also, any tips on continuing to hide it without being so uncomfortable all day? I don’t know how I’m going to get through 4 more weeks of my SA!!

   1. I think everyone is different but I would just blame it on all the free lunches until you’re ready to share your good news.

      1. yeah, you basically have a built-in excuse. Plus, these people don’t know you pre-pregnancy and have no context for what your “normal” size is.

      2. as for tips to hide…unbuttoned blazers (esp over black tops/dresses) work really, really well at hiding pregnancies.

   2. First of all, I know exactly how you feel. But now I look back at pictures of myself at that stage, and I seriously cannot even tell on MYSELF; there’s no way anyone else can tell! And, like AIMS said, you’re really at the perfect place in your career to hide it. All summer associates look 11 weeks pregnant by the end of the summer! In the meantime, I would loop a rubber band through your pants button and put a belly band over it. That was my best solution for keeping everything in place. Also, buy a wrap dress or wear ones you already have. They do a great job of camouflaging the extra pounds. And I would wear a blazer pretty regularly.

   3. You can do 4 more weeks. Jackets and open cardigans are your friends, as are peplum tops if you have any stretchy ones. Most of what you are experiencing right now is likely bloat – not that that makes it easier to deal with – and you might even find it goes down before you get a “proper” bump. That is what happened with me, anyway.

   4. I’m 11 weeks and not showing at all and fit into all my clothes. They only thing that’s tight are my bras. I’m hoping it stays like this for a while because I’m not ready to share this news at work.

      If you are not ready to share and don’t want to be uncomfortable, I would do as other suggested and try some camouflaging clothing. Black dresses, loose blouses with blazers.

      1. *eye roll*

         1. *eye roll*

         2. WTF is the eyeroll? She asked if its normal to have a huge bump so early. And the answer is no, its not. The fetus is about two inches at 11 weeks, so no, you don’t have a baby bump. You have a bloated tummy. Wear loose pants and tops.

            Everyone is so sensitive around here. Everything does not have to be taken personally.

            1. yeah, see, you didn’t include any of that information, which is actually helpful, in your original post (assuming you’re the same Anonymous). Telling someone who says she has a huge bump at 11 weeks that you have no bump and fit into all your clothes is not helpful in the slightest, and comes off as bragging.

            2. You have a bloated tummy because you are gestating, right? Might as well call it a baby bump.

               And citing your andecdata as proof that someone else is not “normal” isn’t really cool, either.

            3. How is talking about the size of your baby bump bragging? It’s something that a pregnant woman has NO control over. I too don’t really show for a long time, and it actually drives me crazy. Some women show really quickly–due to bloating or it being a second child or other factors. It’s not like Anonymous did something to warrant bragging or that Anony did something wrong to be showing so early. But, Anony did ask for data points, so hopefully she at least isn’t offended.

            4. @ RR – disagree that you can’t control your baby bump (obviously you can diet/work out through your pregnancy to gain less wait) and disagree that people can’t brag about things over which they have no control. People brag about their big eyes, high cheekbones, perfect skin, large breasts, etc. etc., even though all of that is largely controlled by genetics.

               If you really can’t see how talking about how little you’re showing or how little weight you’ve gained while pregnant (especially when telling this to another pregnant woman who is having the opposite experience) isn’t bragging, then you and I are just coming at this from two totally different places.

            5. Well, I’m coming from the almost 9 months pregnant beaches whale place, and I just can’t see getting worked up about comparisons between 11 week baby bumps. You aren’t talking someone who gained 80 pounds vs someone who only gained 10 pounds and fit into her pre-pregnancy jeans leaving the hospital.

               We can respectfully disagree. I see that you are coming from a good place, but I just think a little benefit of the doubt is a good thing. Both the OP and the responder that you responded to (in not the most constructive manner possible) are newly pregnant and probably exhausted and hormonal and nervous. I don’t think an eye roll is a necessary response. But that’s just me. Carry on.

            6. *beached whale*

               I sound like some bad Bette Midler movie.

            7. Oh good grief, is it so hard to read every comment with a certain benefit of the doubt rather than in the worst possible way? The first comment by anonymous did not mention her weight at all or whether she was tiny or not to begin with. All she said was she wasn’t showing and she fit into her old clothes. Why assume that this is bragging about her tiny size? Maybe she was larger to begin with and her body hasn’t changed much? This is, frankly, the more likely scenario anyway. All she said is that she is the same size as before, whatever that was.

         3. I’m not taking sides on this one, but I read the eyeroll as applying to the person who said she was 11 weeks along and not showing and only her bras were too small.

      2. 11 weeks and also looking more pregnant, totally because of bloating. It starts off not so bad in the morning and grows as the day goes on. I’m trying to pay attention to foods that affect it, but otherwise it’s just annoying because the people who do now I’m pregnant are seeing it as an extension of that. Fortunately (I guess) I usually have a little belly anyway, so my clothes aren’t so fitted that they’re causing me problems. I’m ready for the “real” bump to show up, though!

   5. One of my coworkers had the same thing. It turned out the placenta had attached to the front of her uterus instead of the back (or something like that). It wasn’t a physical problem at all, just an odd place to attach. So I would say it is probably “normal” just not common.

      Congrats and good luck with your pregnancy!

   6. Thanks everyone! I hope it’s just bloating and it goes down soon, but either way, it’s helpful to hear from others.

9. Sorry in advance for the gross TJ…This weekend I clumsily sliced off the tip of a finger while preparing dinner. Obviously I will be more careful in the future, but the pain was extraordinary and recovery will likely take a month or two…something I would like to avoid in the future at all costs! Mr. Ouch has ordered cut resistant gloves in an effort to prevent this from happening again (he had a similar accident about four months ago). Has anyone had any experience using these?

   1. Are your knives dull? Oddly enough, more people cut themselves on dull knives because they’re forcing through something. Try getting new knives or sharpening the ones you have.

      1. Believe it or not, they are high quality brand new knives we received off our C&B wedding registry only a few months ago. D’oh!

      2. +1

   2. No experience with cut resistant gloves, but I’ve heard that places like Sur la Table offer knife skills classes. Maybe learning better how to use them would keep you and Mr. Ouch from cutting yourselves? Just a thought!

      1. Definitely knife skills – how to hold the knife, how to hold the thing you are cutting (the fingers holding the thing are higher than the knife).

         And it probably wouldn’t hurt to have the brand new knives sharpened anyway – or have a knife sharpener test them at least.

   3. Yes, I use them with my super-sharp graters. They won’t withstand someone trying to stab you through them, but they’ll withstand the accidental blade brushes/slips you’re worried about. Got mine at C&B, they’re kevlar or imitation kevlar.

      1. I should get them to use with my vegetable peeler. I feel like every time I use my peeler I end up nicking little pieces of skin off.

   4. Make sure to secure the food you’re cutting in a way that your knuckles are protecting your fingertips. It’s hard to explain so look at the 3rd picture in this tutorial: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/knifeskills/ss/knifegrips.htm

   5. I have one and use it only with my mandoline and sometimes my box grater. For everything else, I just keep my knives very sharp and hone them with a steel before and after each use. Along with knife skills, the position of what you’re cutting matters. Squaring off rounded edges of vegetables is crucial, as is breaking down what you’re working with into smaller, more manageable pieces. For vegetables like carrots and potatoes, my first cut is always one to create some kind of straight edge. for larger veg, especially things like butternut squashes, I will lop them in half across the equator (or narrowest point), and then plane the curved edges of each individual part. Takes a bit longer, but it’s worth it. I find a way to incorporate most of the scraps or they’re tossed in a freezer bag to make broth later on.

      Also, it’ll get better! I sliced off the tip of my middle finger working at a bagel shop a long time ago. The only downside is that the (teensy) scar permanantly altered my fingerprint, so my dreams of a life of crime have been quashed. Oh well.

   6. We just got back from a fishing trip. My husband used the gray cutting glove to fillet the fish. He really liked it. He tried it out beforehand with the fillet knife, and it kept the knife blade away from the skin.

      I’m not sure our glove is kevlar. You could probably stab someone through it, so be safe (don’t multitask while cutting!), but it’s easy to use and a good guard.

10. I started my maternity leave on Monday, but the little guy has not made his appearance yet. I’m not good at sitting around! I’ve painted my nails, done a mask on my face, deep conditioned my hair, used microdermabrasion on my face. And I’m just running out of stuff to do. I don’t really feel like leaving the house much. Any ideas????

    1. Sleep.

    2. Read a book, watch a movie, go out for dinner, meet up or have long phone chats with friends – all the things you won’t be able to do much for the next year or so.

    3. binge-watch TV shows on netflix?

       1. +1 to this

          i recommend watching all of The West Wing (it will occupy literally all of your time if you get into it like I did), House of Cards, Damages (if you haven’t already seen it). And Buffy, but maybe that’s just me.

          1. I second Buffy. :) It’s not just you.

    4. Reorganize family photos? Cook meals to freeze for the weeks ahead? Clean up your personal e-mail in-box? Write more blog articles? :-)

       I hope you don’t have much longer to wait! I’m sure it’s not easy being in waiting mode. I know I would be terrible at it.

    5. Watch all your guilty pleasure shows! Or read sappy romance novels, or anything like that. How many times in your life do you get to just watch hours and hours of horrible TV?

    6. Sleeping was impossible for me by that point but do get whatever you can. Make freezer meals, grocery shop for snacks you can eat one-handed, record shows on DVR, load up the e-reader, go to the movies, dates with just the two of you, buy batteries for swing/crib soother, collect menus and numbers for take-out/delivery meals.
       Life is going to be wild and a blur when he gets here so automate now everything that you can.

    7. Cook something delicious (wear rubber gloves to preserve the manicure).
       Second reading and TV-watching advice.

    8. Talk a walk. Have s3x. Cook a lot (even though it’s hot out) and freeze leftovers. Practice folding/unfolding your stroller? Pack a baby outfit for the hospital.

    9. Could you knit or crochet baby clothes? Teaching yourself to knit and crochet might be intensive enough to keep you occupied, and you can make a baby hat really fast.

       I am amzing at sitting around, so I can’t imagine this being a problem after only two days. Read a book? Watch a tv show you’ve been wanting to check out on Netflix? Goof off on the internet (keep hitting random article on wikipedia, discover the time wasting capacity of reddit)? Download a computer game you loved as a kid from good old games and waste an afternoon pretending you’re 12 again?

       If you really want to be up and active can you make sure that everything in the house is perfectly clean and organized before the baby comes?

    10. Good for you to have an at-home spa day!! Have you written all of your thank you notes? Bought cards (and stamps) for people who have birthdays in the next few months? (I’m thinking you’ll have little time for that!)

    11. Nap, go to a movie in the theater, get your pantry/freezer stocked and organized, have coffee or lunch with a girlfriend, get the oil changed in your car. Get organized. Load up your Kindle or iPad with books (or movies). Good luck!

    12. I know you’re in Texas, preg anon. May I suggest spending time wandering around a store like Central Market? It will be a long time before you can leisurely stroll through a mall, grocery store, etc again.

        If you’re planning birth announcements, pre-address and stamp the envelopes. I heard that tip a few months ago and thought it was genius.

        Even if you’ve done your nails, get a pedicure. Not only is it indulgent, but there’s an old wives’ tale that ankle massaging is a pressure point to induce labor (can’t hurt, right?).

    13. Watch TV and movies, read books, flip through magazines, take naps, do nothing–all the things you will not get to do for the next several months at least. (Although, I did find I watched a lot of TV in the early days to keep myself awake for all the feeding/pumping/asking my babies why they were screaming for no reason all night.)

        Line up food for the first several weeks (freezer meals, people bringing you food, recipes for your husband to cook, etc.), clean the house, gather all the fun supplies you will want near when you bring the baby home, etc.

        Congrats! You are almost there!!! I just scheduled my c-section for August 26, and I’m doing a happy dance. Can’t wait to be days away.

        1. Yay, my c-section is scheduled for August 23rd. It’s so close and yet so far away.

           1. I know! Congrats to you too.

        2. Thanks, everybody! These are all great suggestions. Question: What kind of foods did you make for your freezer meals? I’m generally not good at knowing what freezes well, for how long, etc.

           1. Lasagna/manicotti/stuffed shells, enchiladas, soups.

              1. Oops, that was me. And I didn’t make them before having a baby, but cooking those is generally how I spent a couple of days before the start of every semester in law school. :)

           2. Soups, stews and foods in sauce (Indian, pasta sauce, etc) tend to freeze well. It best not to freeze pasta or undercook it slightly and freeze separate from the sauce. Almost anything made in a slow cooker (pulled pork, Mexican chicken) tends to freeze well because it tends to be liquid-y/sauce-y. I freeze stuff in 2-4 person servings, so that it’s all used up in 1 or 2 meals.

              Casseroles are also good in the freezer. Undercook the noodles/rice slightly for best results. A trick that my mom taught me was to make up lasagna without pre-cooking the noodles, then stick it in the freezer uncooked. Cook directly from frozen, increasing the usual cooking time. The cold/liquid of freezing softens the noodles enough that you don’t have to pre-cook them.

           3. I’m working from home this last week and hoping baby girl doesn’t show up yet so I am the opposite of you. But I have been on a serious cooking frenzy the last few weeks and I don’t normally cook at all. I started reading money saving moms website and she has great freezer recipes. I also got on a baking kick and have made lots of muffins and breads forthr freezer – if I can just stop eating them now. I am making lots of lists of things for my husband to do and I just scheduled the house cleaners for next week and I am looking forward to a clean house that I only have to pay for. You can also google freezer meals for tons of great recipes.

    14. Gardening?

        1. Did you mean “gardening”?

           1. I love this

    15. I’m planning to take a week off before my due date and I already am thinking of what I’m going to do…here’s what I have on my list:
        Dentist
        Haircut
        Manicure
        pedicure
        possibly one more prenatal massage
        go swimming or yoga or walk every day (to stretch and to get out of the house)
        sit on my deck in the sun and read magazines
        clean my house
        make some food and muffins and things to freeze
        thank you notes
        hang pictures in the baby’s room
        load my kindle with new/library books
        check out books from library/return old ones
        watch movies/tv shows/load netflix queue for later

11. I am really terrible about keeping in touch with my grandparents, and I want to be better. My maternal grandma likes email, and hates the phone. My paternal grandma has rather advanced dementia, so phone conversations are getting more and more difficult. Neither live close enough to me for regular visits (both are a 2-3 hr plane ride away). I’ve just set up monthly calendar reminders to send them a note and also print and mail them some pictures of my daughter….any other good ideas?

    1. Technology! Do they have other family around who could help them (paternal grandma) or teach them how to use (maternal grandma) skype or facetime? My cousin recently taught my grandma how to skype and it’s been highly entertaining. How about teaching maternal grandma to text or use a program like WhatsApp? My paternal grandfather was also a member of facebook, so that could be another tool to stay connected.

    2. My grandma is really active on Facebook, which helps with sort of passively keeping in touch. I’m horrible about keeping in touch with people in general, so I’m interested to see what ideas other people have.

12. Believe it or not, they are high quality brand new knives we received off our C&B wedding registry only a few months ago. D’oh!

13. Just want to share the awkwardness of my day.

    First, it’s extra ridiculously cold in my office and, combined with my poor choice of bra and light sweater, I am basically walking around with my “brights” on. I am coping my carrying something with me whenever a leave my office, but I definitely look odd walking through the hallway while holding a stack of papers at chest level.

    Then, I made a list of lunch suggestions for a planned lunch with a colleague. This particular colleague has the same initials as my boss, so of course, I emailed it to my boss instead of my colleague. And of course, I didn’t notice until my boss responded with which restaurant she thought looked best.

    Sigh. I suppose it could be worse.

    1. I feel your pain on the A/C issues. I ended up getting thicker bras because this was such a regular problem. It sucks.

    2. Get some bandaids and put them over your nipples! Or tissue! or Socks!

14. Alternative law career TJ: Has anyone considered or pursued a career in law librarianship after practicing, especially after practicing only briefly (say 2-3 years)? I’m a first year associate in big/midlaw, thinking about my next move, and I’m thinking seriously about leaving private practice and getting a MLIS in the next few years. I’m reading everything I can get my hands on about the daily life of law librarians, the job market, etc. but if anyone here has experience or advice, I’d love to hear about it;TIA!

    1. When the economy tanked a few years ago, my biglaw firm downsized the law library staff significantly and laid off about half of the librarians. With the changing nature of legal research, I would want to understand how the librarian role has changed. There may be more stability in education. Or, you if research is really your passion, look at reference attorney positions with the research companies (west, lexis, bloomberg, etc)

    2. I would speak to the law librarians at local law schools and courthouse libraries. As mascot correctly points out, these positions at law firms are largely being phased out or replaced with “knowledge management” positions so if you do go for a MLIS, you are likely looking at the law school/courthouse market.

       1. Thanks for your responses! My goal is a law school library position, which based on my research thus far does indeed seem much more stable. I’ve been reading up on entry-level job placement right out of various library schools and am fortunate enough to live in a city with a school that sends the vast majority of their law librarian-concentration grads to law school libraries, so I’m hopeful.

          1. Not a law librarian but I know a fair amount about the law librarians where I work and their status. If you have a JD, you can work in reference, which gives you a bit better status. Our law librarians have faculty status but have a weird status in that they are faculty in the eyes of the university but not voting members of the College of Law faculty and cannot serve on committees as law school reps. Puts them in a weird position for rank and tenure. But otherwise, their financial situation (the library’s budget) is better than for other libraries in the system because ABA mandates that a certain percentage of the law school’s budget must be allocated for the library. The reference librarians here generally don’t teach. Only the director teaches in the law school. But all in all, I think it’s a good gig.

             Oh, and one more thing – it’s tempting to just go to the local library school, but not all library schools are equal, especially in terms of placement. We NEVER hire from our local library school because it’s awful and their grads do not present themselves in a professional manor. Also, keep in mind that proximity to a library school means many grads looking for jobs. You may have to move for that first great job.

             Good luck!

             1. Thank you so much, this is all really helpful! I didn’t want to give away a ton of personal info, but my local library school is UW; I know rankings aren’t everything, but I think it’s top 3 according to USNWR, and the employment stats for their law librarian concentration students are really encouraging (please correct me if I’ve fallen victim to hype/rankings blindness, after applying to law school that mentality is a bit hard to shake!) Not to say I’d definitely be accepted of course, but I feel like my chances are good.

                And I very much want to move after graduation! So I won’t be competing with classmates who want to stay on the west coast– my goal is to return east, ideally to New England, but really anywhere east. Turns out I am not a Pacific Northwest girl.

             2. GASP! “Not a Pacific Northwest girl”? Say it ain’t so!

                Just kidding. Not everyone can handle a constant gray drizzle 7 months (or more) out of the year. It kind of sucks at times.

             3. I think UW is pretty good, but in my location, we don’t get applicants from there, so I can’t really speak to it. I’m sure you’ll be accepted. I had a couple of really good courses in library school but saw it more as punching my ticket – but I already had another grad degree in a scholarly field and it was much harder than library school. Oh, and be prepared – there will be people like you who are in a second grad program and others who are floundering and thinking about school librarianship. It’s like a whole different world. Some of them were eccentric to say the least.

             4. Yes to the drizzle! In honesty though, the summers and mountains are gorgeous and the food is great– I think what I really meant was “I’m not a live across the country from my parents girl”

             5. Anon: Thanks again, I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate your insight! That library school is easy compared to other grad programs, and that the MLIS is a bit of a “price of admission” venture has been the takeaway from a lot of sources I’ve read and people I’ve spoken with. It’s good to hear confirmation on that point, as well as about the eccentricities of potential future classmates. Do you mind if I ask which library schools you’d recommend?

             6. There are definitely some really valuable theoretical things you’ll learn that will be very helpful. My academic library management class was the best.

                Our best hires/candidates have been from Michigan, UNC, Texas, and Indiana. But I went to none of those schools and I turned out fine ;)

             7. Our law school library staff is shrinking and so is that of several other law schools I know of. Legal education is down sizing rapidly and reference librarians at most schools do not have tenure or long term contracts to protect them. I would be surprised if the academic market for newly graduate is strong over the next several years since those who have lost jobs at law firms and law schools will be competing for those jobs.

15. For the professional lady on a budget- I highly recommend checking out Banana Republic (brick and mortar) to cruise the sales racks. The prices are substantially lower than their online sales.

    This summer I’ve gotten 3 work pieces for amazing prices. My most recent is a pretty green structured peplum pop for ~$20. When I went last weekend they had tons of stuff on sale and it was all 40% off the lowest ticketed sales price.

    1. That should read “top” !

    2. Banana Republic outlets (if you can find one near you) are also amazing–I got a pantsuit for about $120, a number of dresses for less than $50 each, and a lot of tops under $30!

       1. I got one really nice suit there. But everything else I have gotten has fallen apart almost after the first wear, inc. another suit and several tops. Sometimes the prices are just not worth it. I think it’s very hit or miss.

       2. I bought a skirt suit from their outlet not realizing that the skirt was a full two inches shorter than the skirts at the regular store. It wasn’t too bad at the beginning of the school year, but then I gained 15 pounds and it really became too short to be considered appropriate. So watch out for that.

    3. I have bought an amazing amount of clothing on sale at BR. I go through their sales rack whenever I’m in a mall.

       1. Me too. Sometimes you can find dress pants on the pants sale rack that match a jacket on the jacket sales rack, and voila, a suit.

16. I just got a keratin treatment to deal with the summer frizzies. I am on day 2 of not washing and I may not make it another day. If I can make it to Friday, I got some sulfate-free shampoo to use (it was hard to find — this may be an issue as I travel a lot). Am I going to ruin my hair if I don’t follow all of the rules with this? Or will I just need a touch-up sooner? I am already a daily shampoo-er (b/c of my incredibly oily skin making the hair around my face nasty and slick by morning).

    1. I don’t have any advice as I’ve never had the treatment, but I’ve often considered it! Do you like it? I’d love a review of how you like it and if you think it was worth it!

    2. I’ve never not followed the rules, but my understanding is that it could mess up the results. The only data point I have is that they do that quicker keratin that doesn’t last as long and you only have to go a day or so? So maybe that’s all that would go wrong? It’s so expensive I’d hate to risk it. What about dry shampoo?

       I always try to schedule on a Thursday night, so the really bad days are Saturday and Sunday. I haven’t done it in awhile though.

    3. I was told that it takes 3 days for the hair follicles to close completely and, yes, all that time and money will go down the drain if you wash before you should. Day 3 is always torture, but it is worth it! I generally get mine done on a Friday and hide inside the house all week-end!

    4. FWIW, the Whole Foods store brand shampoo (365?) is sulfate free.

    5. Dry shampoo! I like Oscar Blandi’s powdered one (not the aerosol spray kind). But for drug store brands, try Got 2B Rockin It or Batiste. Depending on your hair, the dry shampoo might not make it good enough to wear down. But it will definitely let you rock a presentable, non-greasy pony or bun.

    6. Keratin treatments vary wildly depending on how good your salon is and your hair texture. Best advice is find someone you know who’s had a great experience with how long the treatment lasts and the condition of the hair after the treatment, and go see their stylist. It’s taken me years and lots of $$$, but I finally found someone who gives me shiney, straight hair for a good 6 weeks. And I rarely wait more than 1 day to wash mine.

17. Regular commenter, but anon for this.

    Next week my firm has a huge closing scheduled, and so there is a strong possibility that I will need to attend an event for another one of our clients that morning to represent the attorney I work for. We are a SUPER small firm but represent some big clients; this is one of our biggest. This company has been in the news for their innovation in real estate and design. This even is being held in honor of a mayoral candidate that has backed them and is a very big deal.

    I’ve only been working here for about 4 months, and I’m the principal attorney’s senior legal assistant. I’ve worked extensively on this deal, but haven’t met the people involved. This is not only the first event I’ll be attending for the firm, but I’ll be alone, which means even MORE pressure.

    This thing is at 8:30 in the morning. What do I wear?! (Also, bear in mind that I can’t wear a skirt suit without tights because I have a tattoo on my leg that I don’t show at work.) I don’t want to be too stuffy or conservative, but I also want to ensure that I look serious and that I am a strong representative for my firm.

    Help?

    1. A pant suit. If you don’t have one, then dress pants, blouse, and a blazer.

    2. I agree with Gus that a pant suit would be perfect.

       Depending on how big the tattoo is, I also suggest learning to cover it with makeup. I have a fairly large tattoo in a similar location, and I regularly use makeup to cover it if my chosen outfit does not. (If your tattoo is really large, the process is probably too much of a pain to be worth it.) The trick is to be really good at it. (If not done well, it just looks weird and seems to draw more attention to it.)

       A salesperson at Sephora showed me how to do this:

       Step 1: Use a very light colored eye pencil to completely cover the tattoo. (I use Benefit’s Eye Bright)
       Step 2: Using a concealer brush, cover with a thick layer of very opaque concealer. (Try Make Up For Ever’s Full Cover)
       Step 3: Allow a couple minutes to dry. (I usually do my face makeup during this period.) Then apply loose powder. (I think any loose powder works for this, you just need to provide another layer for the next layer to stick to.)
       Step 4: Spray with airbrush foundation. Dior’s Diorskin Airflash is my favorite, but a slightly less pricey option that I’ve used is Napoleon Perdis Boudoir Mist Spray foundation.

       1. Thanks for the recommendations, Anonymous and Gus! I was thinking pantsuit, as I have a pretty nice black one. My only concern is that I’ll look really serious for 8:30 in the morning, but maybe that’s a non-issue and it’s just my nerves getting to me.

          I probably won’t cover up the tattoo because it’s pretty large (takes up a solid 6 inches of my calf with lots of dark grey and black), but I’m making note of this for next time! I think if this were a cocktail party I would probably cover it to wear a nice dress, so this is great for the future. Thanks!

          1. If you wear a nice blouse under the suit you can always take the jacket off if you feel under dressed. Good luck!

          2. We lawyers wear suits all day. The fact that it’s at 8:30 makes no difference as to whether a suit is appropriate.

             1. Fair enough. I’m going to go with the suit and wear a nice, light colored blouse in case I want to take the jacket off, as S suggested. Thanks everyone, for your advice. My concern about being overdressed comes from the fact that our client does a lot of art/design work and so I don’t know if I’d be totally out of place.

                But I think that my second-guessing is coming from my nerves because, like I said, this is my first times at an event for the firm, and it’s a big deal for me.

    3. – Very small firm
       – Big client
       – Client is an innovator in real estate and has been recently in the news
       – Event in honor of mayoral candidate who supported the client
       – You: senior legal assistant, hired 4 months ago

       That is a lot (!) of really specific information in your post. Aren’t you concerned about someone finding out who you are? Just a (non b i t c h y) FYI that it probably wouldn’t be that difficult to trace you or the closing because of what you’ve posted. It would likely be recognizable to someone who might be in your same legal community. Especially since the client’s field or exactly how long you’ve worked there are not really germane to your question.

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