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Updated: Oct 31, 2018 114 Comments · by

Weekend Open Thread

Weekend Open Thread

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weekend open thread - dvf dressSomething on your mind? Chat about it here. I rounded up some of my favorite workwear and accessory picks from the Nordstrom sale earlier this week, but I didn't get too far into the weekend and evening stuff. But MAN: I love this dress for a night out. The peekaboo lace, mixed with the pretty floral pattern, and an otherwise warm and sturdy merino wool — love it all. It was $528, but is now marked to $396 at the Nordstrom sale. Diane von Furstenberg ‘Leandra' Lace Appliqué Merino Wrap Dress If you're looking for a LBD with a lower price tag, try this one or this one (in plus sizes). (L-4)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

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Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  2. Aurora

    Hello fellow ‘r e t t e s! So after years of reading blogs online and hearing constant complaints that there aren’t enough professional fashion blogs, I’m thinking about taking the plunge and starting a blog to focus on what I wear day-to-day (I’m a lawyer on the west coast). My office is somewhere between business formal, business casual, and “California casual” depending on the day.

    Because “business casual” varies so widely, however, one of the things I was thinking of including was a regular guest post from women in various fields, geographic areas, etc. to show how they do “business casual” in their professional.

    My question is, is that the sort of thing you would be interested in reading, or contributing to? Or is each situation so specific that it wouldn’t be helpful (I’m thinking of the almost-daily questions I see on here about what to wear to xx event or yy state)? I’d love to have readers just send me a picture of an outfit they think is particularly on-point with a brief description, so it wouldn’t be very time intensive, but that of course assumes I have readers other than my friends and my mom.

    Would love to hear your thoughts! Also, if you have anything else you’d like to see you think is missing from the current fashion blog world, I’d appreciate any other suggestions.

    • Aurora

      Eek, can’t edit for some reason! “In their profession,” not professional.

    • Anonymous

      Definitely would be interested in reading. I like Corporette and Cap Hill Style but have found very few daily outfit blogs that regularly feature work appropriate clothing that is my style (Extra Petite is pretty much the only one – I used to like Classy Cubicle but then she stopped working & became over-the-top with sponsorships).

    • Maddie Ross

      Not to dissuade, but are fashion blogs where you photograph yourself really a “thing” any more? I feel like I followed several in the late 2000’s, but they’ve all been discontinued or have turned into mommy blogs with the exception of about 3 which have become very produced (i.e. “Cupcakes and Cashmere”).

      • Aurora

        I feel like that’s part of the problem at the moment. A lot of the “first generation” fashion blogs that informed my style (ExtraPetite, Cupcakes and Cashmere, Alterations Needed) have moved away from their initial styles and become more high fashion, become mommy blogs, or shut down, so folks looking for new content either have to dig through their archives or just kind of guess. I still love this place and CapHillStyle, but they focus more on individual pieces than whole outfits, so I feel like there’s a gap there of what’s actually doable every day. I’m not sure if everyone has just moved on to Pinterest, but I still feel like a lot of the pins I find are from daily outfit bloggers (Franish, Blue Collar Red Lipstick, Hello Gorgeous, Kendi Everyday), so I guess someone’s still reading them.

    • Anon

      Ummm … I don’t know. I like this site, but I find it a little strange when a lawyer would want to take the time to start a fashion blog. Because it kind of makes me think that if this person is going to spend this much energy on fashion, I probably can’t relate to her, and thus your blog isn’t very useful.

      I also don’t like the idea of just seeing pictures of what people are wearing.

      • Aurora

        Thanks, I appreciate the honest feedback. It sounds like the blog wouldn’t be for you, but in terms of the time commitment, I was surprised how little time it takes once I got the template set up. I haven’t gone live yet, but at least my test posts took a lot less time and energy than I thought they would. The technology these days is awesome.

        • MNF

          Go for it Aurora. If you can respond to comments like this with such grace, I think you’re well suited for your new role as part-time blogger!

          Anon – So you can’t relate to any other female attorneys unless they have the exact same hobby as you do?

          • Anonymous

            hahahah gracefully responding to comments is absolutely NOT a requirement for being a super successful blogger.

    • Senior Attorney

      I don’t follow many fashion blogs any more but I would certainly check yours out! I can certainly relate to spending a lot of energy on fashion, even if I’m not doing it now as much as I used to. ;)

      • Aurora

        Aww, thanks Senior Attorney! You and TCFKAG have been some of my greatest sources of inspiration over the years so your comments mean a lot.

      • TO Lawyer

        I agree with this! I certainly enjoy spending time and energy (and money) on fashion so I would definitely check out your blog.

    • Bonnie

      I would check it out. I check in on a few blogs that feature outfit of the day type posts and agree that many of these sites no longer focus on business clothing.

      • PDX

        +1

        I’d particularly appreciate a west coast version. And I really like the idea of “what does professional attire look like to SoAndSo” type of thing. I’ve seen a couple of do that short term and have appreciated it.

        • ChiLaw

          I’ve practiced law on the east coast, in Chicago, and now in the LA area. I’ve been struggling to find my groove outfit-wise out here, especially since the attorneys I work with are all men. I like “this is what I wore today” blogs when they seem realistic. If it’s not a fashion shoot, but something a real person actually wore to work, I can think about whether I could wear that outfit to my work. In short, I would read your blog!

      • DC Mom

        I would totally check in on a blog like this! I always have trouble putting together a total outfit, so I would love to see professional outfit pictures.

    • KinCA

      I would be interested in something like that. I do follow a lot of fashion blogs but most of them are “full time bloggers” and don’t feature outfits that are a) practical for an office environment or b) even close to affordable.
      It would be refreshing to see how a stylish professional woman dresses and approaches shopping/fashion.

      I used to love Extra Petite’s blog for this kind of content (even though I’m 5’7″), but then she switched to the fashion industry and seemed to become more a of a blogger, rather than a professional woman who appreciates clothes.

      • Anonymous

        +1 My comment keeps getting eaten (I have no idea why!) but this is the gist of what I said.

    • Snickety

      I would check it out too. I often wonder how to style items on this site and would find it useful to see how someone uses one item in a number of different outfits. Maybe there is one already, but I’d love to see a good professional capsule wardrobe blog.

    • Calico

      If it’s an outfit of the day type blog I would be more likely to follow you on Instagram then remember to go to the url everyday. I also think that’s how a lot of those bloggers make their money now.

      • Aurora

        Thanks for the suggestion! I don’t really use Instagram but I could probably publish the same photos I use on the blog on Instagram and Pinterest for people who prefer to follow that way.

        • Anonymous

          FWIW I find that I don’t really follow bloggers on Instagram unless they use it for something other than just reposting photos that have appeared on the blog. Not saying you can never post a blog photo on Instagram and say “Check out this post” but it’s also fun to see glimpses into bloggers daily lives that don’t relate to the subject of their blog, e.g., fashion bloggers posting photos of their meals or travels on instagram, travel bloggers posting photos of their house projects, etc. I like it when they keep the blog on-topic, but use Instagram (and other platforms like Twitter and Snapchat, although I don’t use those) for off-topic stuff.

      • APP123

        +1 would definitely follow you on Instagram – would probably try to keep up with your blog too, although I actually find that harder to do.

      • Scarlett

        +1 I’d follow on instagram (if I liked your style) & also only if you do “like it to know it” so if I do like what you’re wearing and want a piece, I can instantly get an email with a link to the item. Otherwise, I don’t care what anyone has on.

    • lawsuited

      I’d check it out for sure! I think the idea of doing spotlights in various parts of the country (or world!) is a great one.

      I’d also be psyched if you’d feature plus-size clothing from time to time, and maybe do a capsule wardrobe stint. I’ve been doing a capsule wardrobe for 2 seasons now and still have not found inspiration/resources that I love.

      • Anon

        I’m not really into fashion, but if you could do posts about how fashion varies in different places (particularly in different countries) I would be all over that. I am obsessed with Cup of Jo’s posts about parenting in different countries. I love seeing how different people do things.

        • Anonymous

          Cup of Jo has really jumped the shark for me, but I love those Motherhood Around the World posts. It’s the only thing that keeps me still reading.

    • shadow

      I like ‘outfit of the day’ style blogs, but I often find I can’t apply it unless I have all the components of your outfit (maybe I am fashion challenged this way) so as much as I like looking at the outfit, I often won’t go back to browse the most recent posts, etc.

      I think it would be cool if there were articles on how to style something generic that you could buy, that might be in everyone’s (or almost everyone’s) closet – depending on your body shape, depending on where you’re going in the outfit, and depending on your budget.

      For example, I find myself looking up things on pinterest like “black ankle pants” to figure out what to wear with it. Maybe a whole week could be dedicated to one piece (like black ankle pants) with a feature on day 1 for where to get good ones (at various price points), day 2 for tops to go with the piece, day 3 for shoes to go with the piece.. etc. I search on pinterest often, but find the same/similar results frequently so it’s not always helpful if I want to see something new.

      • Aurora

        I love this idea! I do the same thing (like when I got a mustard blazer I pinned everything I could find with a mustard blazer), but I love the idea of making it a series. Thanks so much for the thought.

    • Aurora

      Thank you all SO MUCH for your helpful comments! It will probably be another couple months before I’ve built up enough of a content backlog to go live but I will definitely keep y’all updated. And if any of you would like to submit/do a guest post, please let me know!

      • Amy H.

        Aurora, it’s already Monday but I wanted to chime in — I am also an attorney on the West Coast and I’m very interested in reading a blog like this! My office is business formal – 1 in that we have client meetings nearly every day, but are not required to wear full matching suits every day. I haven’t found any good blogs to follow for professional dress ideas/outfits in this context. I regularly read th*s s*te, You Look Fab, and Wardrobe Oxygen, but neither of the latter two really work with suits or many suiting separates.

  3. Hollis

    Anyone here have any suggestions for comfortable gray shoes to wear with work outfits consisting of navy pants, skirts or dresses? I’m switching from a mainly black wardrobe to incorporating more navy and I’m open to spending up to $200 on good shoes to match.

    • sale

      have you looked at Cole Haan? they have a few lines that stress comfort, low heels or wedges, with extra padding. They currently have a sale going on with a few good deals.

    • Liz

      I bought a grey and navy pair of suede heels from stuart weitzman a couple of seasons back. They go with everything.

  4. Hollis

    Can anyone recommend a good down or otherwise insulated jacket that’s not a puffer coat and could serve as a ski jacket but is also good for just wearing to work? There are way too many options from North Face, Patagonia, Arcteryx, etc. Would love something that would work well when the weather is in the 30 to 50 degree range. I think most of the ones that have down in them create extra bulk and bumpy lines that I don’t need to add to my frame. Would be willing to pay up to $250 for the right jacket. Thanks.

  5. Anon for This

    I got a job offer Wednesday – yay! I posted here then about asking for more money.

    It’s now Friday and I haven’t heard back.

    Essentially, the number look like this:
    Current salary: 70k (they are aware of what I am currently making)
    Their initial offer: 78k (this is at the bottom of the position’s pay band)
    My counter: 85k

    Should I be worried that I haven’t heard anything? Should I follow up? It has been a long and slow interview process (applied in May, started interviewing in August). And if they do come back with, say, $81k, should I offer to “split the difference” and get a little higher, try to negotiate vacation, or just leave it? Asking for more is hard!

    • Anonymous

      I would not be worried. It takes some people a while. If they come back with 81 I would take it. If I recall you said the pay band was 60s to low 100s? Or am I thinking of someone else. Either way, if they offer 81, you will have gotten something for your negotiation and it’s a big step up over your current salary. Pushing back on that number could annoy them. I wouldn’t try to bring up vacation now, I believe you should make your ask with all your requests at the beginning, and since you didn’t raise vacation then, you shouldn’t do it now.

      • Wildkitten

        I don’t believe you should make your ask with all your requests at the beginning. I agree that if they say 81 you take it, but if they counter with anything less than 85 you can then ask for vacation.

    • SSJD

      General rule of thumb for me is that you can ask for a couple things, and ask for it once. It’s hard to ask an employer to come up on every aspect of the offer. It’s also hard to ask for more if they move up to $81K. At that point you are done negotiating salary. They basically did split the difference if they come up to that number. If you keep asking for more again and again they will get tired of the game. It does not go over well.

      The key is to keep projecting positive attitude about the opportunity and excitement. With each communication, you should be making it clear that you are a positive person whom they will be really glad they hired; that you are super excited about the role; that you bring a lot to the company and they’ll be so glad to have you. Stay positive and up beat and tell them how glad you are to be moving forward with them.

      If you just were in touch Wednesday, sit tight. You need to let more than 1 business day pass before you reach out again. Maybe late in the day Monday makes sense.

      Good luck!

      • Anonymous

        Use your credentials/experience to argue that you should be higher in the salary band. You’re probably not going to have luck with vacation, but it doesn’t hurt to ask if that is possible.

      • Anon

        If this is actually for a governmental agency, I think there is very little room to negotiate. Maybe a little movement within the pay band, but not on other benefits. At my government agency we have a set budget from HR on what we can hire at and it is next to impossible to change that (and have lost great candidates because of inability to offer more money.)

  6. CountC

    Did they give you a timeline on when they would respond? I would give them until Monday and then I would reach out. But I’ve only ever negotiated one offer and I heard back in 48 hours.

    If they offer you $81k, I would probably accept it based on your numbers above. You didn’t say what the top of the pay band is. If you shoot right up to the top of your pay band from the very beginning, you have capped yourself until you get a promotion that moves you to the next pay band. Most employers won’t start someone at the top of the pay band for that reason. If $85k is the top of the pay band and you can live with $81k, I would accept it. Ideally, you’d have also negotiated for anything else you wanted (vacay, etc.) when you presented your counter offer for salary. If you didn’t, I probably wouldn’t ask for something additional once they have either accepted, rejected, or countered your counter.

    • Anon for This

      There is still a lot of room to the top of the pay band – $15-20k, so not too worried about that. That was a reason they gave for the starting offer, which was quite close to the minimum end of the band.

    • Ellen

      Yay! Open Thread’s! I love Open Thread’s and DVF! Great wrap dress (tho the V-neck is something for Frank to peer into and I bet he would love to unwrap me if I wore this one–FOOEY on Frank!)

      As for the OP, you should alway’s negoitiate hard, but be fair. If you have a good reputation and are forceful, you will get what you want. Otherwise, you need a negoteatior to do it for you. I was good, but my dad is a pro, being that he was in the CIA and the milatary overseas he know’s how to be forceful but fair. He got me my current partnership and bennies (includeing the clotheing reimbursement, which is scheduled to go up to 60% in 2016 –YAY!!!

      If you are schlubbey, do NOT try to be forceful, or hire a guy to do it for you. You must be worth the money. Men alway’s say why do you need the money, and I say b/c I spend it and give back thru NY care’s, and I do. YAY! I suport the economy thru spendeing my paycheck and give back the clotheing to Goodwill and NY Cares thru civic activities to the less fortunate who did NOT go to law school and have a dad like mine. My dad is still manageing everything for me and he will do so until I find a husband. But dad has nixed a number of my prospects and I dare NOT show him the schlub from the Berkshire’s. FOOEY b/c that guy realy likes me, but he is a schlub and his breathe is NOT the freshest. FOOEY!

      Myrna is takeing me out to LI this Sunday to go see some kite flying spectacle, b/c of Hurricane Juakene. I do NOT want to get blown away on the beach or step into mushy sand. I am therefore wearing my new LLBean boot’s just in case. I recomend the HIVE prepare for bad weather too, and buy extra food in case of heavy rains like I am. Have a great weekend fellow ‘RETTE’s!!! YAY!!!!

      • Ygvena

        You need to take the reins with men, meaning you not them initiate sexual interludes. It is only in this way that they will not treat you as a burro chicuro, which is not how you get men to commit to marriage. Do not listen to Myrna as she is destined to be a spinster.

  7. More funeral Qs

    I think that funeral routines are regional maybe.

    I live in a city in the south where many people are transplants. So, many people have a memorial service here, but the burial is where they are from (and then there may be a simple graveside service, or that may be all there is). It is fairly protestant (maybe leaning towards Presbyterian).

    DH (Catholic, mid-Atlantic) and I (Whiskeypalian, from rural farming area 5 hours away but in NYC for 10+ years in between) are often baffled by each other’s traditions (his: he is not so sure, but thinks that viewings are a Very Big Deal and insists that I have one for him (and plays around with the open casket idea); me: graveside (with closed casket) back in rural area only and absolutely no viewing) and what we do for people we work with (we’ve gone to services, but people who are buried away or creamated often only have a service). If there is a viewing and a service, are they together? Or is the viewing the night before? Is open casket typical (our last two services wouldn’t have had that as an option probably)?

    FWIW, we have small children and I don’t think that I would bring them to a funeral until they are much older.

    [I realize there is no real question here, but maybe that means I’m asking for what is market for our generation.]

    • mascot

      My take, as a Protestant raised and living in the South.
      Open casket- a matter of personal preference and to be blunt, if the deceased is presentable enough for an open casket. It’s not my thing and I generally stay on the other side of the room unless drug over to the casket. For some people (mostly the older generation), it is a big deal to see how good the person looks (hint- they look dead). I’ve also see the funeral home clear the room where only family gets a moment with the deceased and open it then.
      Visitation/Viewing- Timing is again the family’s call, but seems to depend on number of anticipated mourners. For prominent members of the community or a sudden death where there hasn’t been time to see the family, the visitation is generally evening before at the funeral home. Service is the next day at the funeral home or church. For some of our older relatives, we had the visitation immediately before the service and did the service in the funeral home chapel.
      Burial/Internment- A lot of these seem to be family only or extremely close friends of the family.
      Then there are also the food drop offs and receptions after services.

    • Anonymous

      Catholic/Non-religious in PNW. Sadly, I’ve been to a lot of services for young and old.

      Open casket – I’ve seen it exactly once. Definitely not typical. I’m not a fan, I assume because I didn’t grow up with it. The last few services that I’ve attended (in ~3 years) haven’t included any body in any form (closed casket, cremated remains, etc).

      Visitation – I’ve only ever heard “visitation” or “viewing” on TV, etc. Nothing formal. However, typically close family and friends do spend informal time with the family of the deceased to plan the service, go through belongings, or just share food and comfort.

      Burial – Typically optional part of the service, open to everyone who attended the service. I’d say it’s usually about half of services that include it and maybe 40-90% of people attend when it’s included. Those who don’t extend the service to include it do so for privacy or simply logistics.

      Children – I bring mine if they knew the person well. I think it’s appropriate for the service and the child to be part of the mourning process, and they do fine. (I don’t consider them part of the mourning process if they didn’t have a relationship with the deceased. However, I would certainly say that I’m unusual. People often comment that they are glad to see my kids there – but they are usually the only children in attendance.

      Clothing – You didn’t ask, but I’ve noticed changes here. Muted colors and conservative cuts, but definitely not all black. I’ve seen an increasing amount of skin and light colors (think, sleeveless lilac linen dress), to where you wouldn’t know that it wasn’t a regular church service.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      I’m from the South. Most of the people I’ve been to funerals/visitations for have been some flavor of Protestant. Typically there is a visitation, a church service, and a burial. Visitation (usually in the evening a day or two before the service) and service are open to everyone. Burial is more often family only. I don’t really think open caskets at visitation are a thing, but I find them creepy and it’s entirely possible I’ve been to visitations where there was an open casket but in another room and I just didn’t look. But visitation is really more like a receiving line with the family around here.

    • Anon

      I’m from the southwest and my hometown is a small, rural, almost exclusively Catholic community.

      Open casket – Almost every funeral I have been to in my hometown has an open casket unless the cause of death prevents it (one family member died in a horrific car accident and there was no way. . .). I have been to other funerals in my current, larger city where there was either a closed casket or a cremation. Even in my hometown, if the person is to be cremated, there is a viewing for close family members before the cremation.

      Viewing–In my hometown this depends on the family. Some families have a viewing for only close family members before the rosary. Some have a more open, public viewing. Visiting with the family is done at every “event.” There is typically a line at the end of the rosary, sometimes at the end of the mass, and out at the gravesite. Then there is typically a gathering at the church hall for food and time to visit with the family again.

      Burial – Almost every funeral I have been to includes a trip out to the cemetery. In my hometown, there are lots of little cemeteries associated with the little villages and so sometimes this can be a bit of a drive. We also have one veteran’s cemetery and so if the deceased is a veteran from another part of the state, then only some people will make the hours long drive to the veteran’s cemetery. For the most part, outside of close family, it is optional to attend the burial.

      Children – I bring my children if it is a relative for the most part. When they were younger I did not bring them to the rosary.

      • Anon

        +1 I am also Catholic but in the Midwest and my experience has been the same (I don’t have children, though). Open casket is the norm unless physically it is not an option. There is usually a visitation the night before (heavily Catholic, so this is often combined with a rosary).

    • Anonymous

      Go to a funeral home and price out what you want, if you can have that conversation, or go with your parents. My Dad is in hospice care and has extremely limited savings. There are a LOT of expenses with a burial, and my mom happened to have not sold the plot her parents bought for both of them way back when (they are divorced) and a very basic burial is $10,000 in today’s money.

      Catholics are OK with cremation. We have wakes and memorial services for people who go this route. My DH and I are signed up to donate organs, and then cremation for me, and science for him (he’s an atheist)

      We will celebrate our lives and let people grieve. We have 4 children. We don’t have a habit of visiting graves, but we have rituals where we remember people we love who have died. I have brought children to services and viewings when it’s someone they know as it’s a natural progression/part of life. We don’t linger on death, it’s more about adjusting/coping with the change in the relationship. Simple to type out, tough to live through.

  8. Coach Laura

    Hey, does the “notify me” feature work again? (I hope so…I missed it!)

  9. Senior Attorney

    As I have mentioned here from time to time, I have been in therapy for almost eight years, going twice a week for most of that time. On Tuesday as I was leaving, Dr. Shrink told me he wanted to have a Relationship Talk at today’s session. I thought he was probably going to suggest cutting back to once a week, given that things are going rather swimmingly for me at the moment.

    Well. Turns out I am officially Well Adjusted and have no symptoms that need further treatment. Which raised the question, what do I want to do going forward? I told him quitting cold turkey is pretty much unthinkable so we decided to cut back to once a week for now, and maybe think about stepping off the cliff at the end of the year and going to visits only as needed.

    The whole thing is so amazing to me. For YEARS all I wanted to do was get finished and get out, and a lot of it felt like spinning my wheels and being stuck, and… now that it’s here I feel like every single one of those years and hundreds of sessions was totally worth it. I’ve lost 50 pounds, I’ve gotten my son successfully launched (although plainly that was his doing rather than mine), I’ve gotten out of a truly terrible marriage to somebody with pretty awful personality disorders, I’ve got a lovely new house, great new friends, and a fantastic new relationship. Truly, I could not have imagined this life back in 2007. It took a lot of time, money, and effort but it was so worth it I can’t even believe it.

    Maybe I’m just bragging, and if I am I apologize. But let me tell all of you in bad situations that there is help out there and things can get so much better if you’ll just find that help and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

    And also? You fabulous ladies provided more help and advice and counsel and commiseration along the way than you know, and for that I am truly grateful.

    That is all. :)

    • brokentoe

      That is such wonderful news! You are an amazing inspiration – so glad that life is working out so well for you. Thanks for sharing the good news.

    • anon

      Even if this is bragging, why should you apologize for that? This is a huge accomplishment and you should be proud. Enjoy your wonderful new life! You worked hard for it :)

    • Anonymous

      I love hearing that you were in therapy twice a week. I can only afford twice a month right now, and I can’t imagine how great it must be to do twice a week. Congratulations on all your progress!

    • OCAssociate

      This is wonderful to hear. So happy that things are going so well for you. And it must feel fabulous to be professionally diagnosed as “well-adjusted”!

    • Calico

      This is so lovely, thank you for sharing. I have also gotten so much from this community over the years, and specifically from your advice, though I don’t comment frequently. Best wishes for your continued success and happiness!

    • nylongirl

      Way to go Senior Attorney! All your hard work paid off and you deserve all your success! Super happy for you!

    • MU JD

      Way to go SA! I have been rooting for you all along. I’m happy that you’re happy!

    • Anonymous

      That is wonderful news – as I read your posts (and I’ve followed this place for quite some time) it’s with the wish for your best Happily Ever After. Hooray! I am so happy for you!

  10. Top Coat Recommendation

    I almost posted the other day asking for nail top coat recommendations but ended up going to Walgreens and getting the advice from an employee. I have to share it because I like it so much. It’s called Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat by Revlon. I gather it’s supposed to act like a gel manicure. Regardless, it dried incredibly fast, has remained shiny and seems like it will keep my nails from chipping for several more days (I’ve only had it on 3 days).

    Best of all, it’s on sale at Walgreens now, I would assume at all locations, for $6 vs the normal (I think)$8-9.

    • Angela

      Ha, my 18 yr old daughter just recommended it. For two weeks I have put it on Sunday night and on Friday it is still acceptable for work. I did a tiny touch up on a dark red but it looks great.

      In Ontario, I think I paid $9.but considering a gel manicure isat least $30 I may never do back.

    • a naan

      Thanks for sharing–I’ve been looking around for good base coats and top coats, so I will check for this one. In your experience, how easy is it to remove?

      • Top Coat Recommendation

        So, haven’t actually done that yet (I’ve only had it on since 5 days ago). It still looks great and this is on top of a manicure that’s more like 8 days old at this point.

        However, the employee who personally recommended it to me at Walgreen’s said it removes just like regular polish. If I experience anything different I’ll post an update.

  12. Anonymous

    Question for anyone who travels with boss/coworker– if you sit next to each other on the plane, do your arms and/or legs touch? Is such touching normal/work-socially acceptable?

    • work traveller

      never, and it’s not appropriate unless brief and accidental. if it feels a little creepy, it is. sorry!

    • Ellen

      This is a difficult question to answer catagoriceally. If it is NOT intentional, of course it is OK if you touch arm’s and leg’s. The plane’s are cramped (unless the cleint agrees to pay first class), leg’s are probabley less likeley to touch that much, but arm’s all the time!

      Sometimes when I am with the manageing partner, he does wake me up by rubbing my arm to tell me the flieght atendent is comeing down with cookie’s (YUM!) or coffee (FOOEY), but that is harmless. Frank, on the other hand, would be creepy, but fortunateley, he does NOT come out on travel cases, b/c he is just the acountant.

      I think the rule’s would be different of you were working with a guy you were dateing. Then, you could be more romantic and no one would care b/c you were just rubbeing arms and leg’s on a plane. It should NEVER go beyond that on a plane b/c peeople can see what is goeing on even from other row’s. I know there is stuff that goes on in movie’s when women get friskey and go to the back of the plane, but that is NOT realy realistic. Why would anyone want to go into the toilet to have sex? Seriousley, they should just wait until the plane land’s and get a hotel room. YAY!!!

    • Cat

      In passing occasionally/accidentally – it’s hard to avoid in such a confined space, especially if one of the parties is broad of shoulder or waist. But not intentional or prolonged!

    • Wildkitten

      Can you *not* sit by them? That’s always been my easiest solution to this problem.

    • RR

      This is why I don’t sit by them on the plane. Unless it’s a close friend/coworker. And even then….

  13. Lilly

    Best app/website/cloud service for team collaboration? I recall a discussion on this some time ago but cannot find it. The specific need it to have team members in different locations access and modify project updates and documents. Security is an issue. Dropbox? Other suggestions? Thanks!

  14. DisenchantedinDC

    So, I’m just minding my business, walking down the street in Philly with my friend… And there is a Uniqulo store!!?? I had no idea. In here now and it is great.

  16. Nancy

    Does this item exist? Wool or wool /cashmere coat, knee length (not a wrap, want something that stays closed), size 16, something other than black for under $600.00. I look at the Nordstroms website, Lord and Taylor., etc Love the Fleurette and Cinzia Rocca brands but those generally start in the $900.00 plus range. Any suggestions? I have looked on ebay but many of those sellers have a no return policy and its a lot of money to risk. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

  17. AnonCA

    I have an issue that I can’t shake off. My sister and parents are in a bad financial situation. They owe so much debt from a previous business they owned that my parents’ social security is going to pay for all those debts. They live with my sister and she basically is the only one paying for everything. I see it as the debt was something she and my parents acquired because they were in a business together so since my parents’ social security is going to pay for their debt, it’s only fair that my sister pays for the rest of the stuff. I help from time to time but now my sister is making me feel like I should help (which I’m okay to help). My issue is that they are not in a position that I want to help. They choose to stay in an expensive rental versus something less expensive. Everytime I ask if they want to move to a less expensive place, they just say no. They also have a lot of expenses and refuse to tell me everything. I don’t want to help people who won’t even tell me the truth and are not serious about helping themselves. Sometimes I’m so tired of being around them. My mom gives me this guilt trip about me not visiting her often enough. I live 50 miles away and visit every other week! I am just tired because every time I go there’s always something negative. I love my family but I am really tired of their problems. Sometimes I want to distance myself but I feel bad. They are full of financial problems. I just want a break from them. Sorry no questions to ask. Just a rant.

    • meme

      Social Security and other retirement savings are exempt in bankruptcy proceedings and it sounds like they have no other substantial assets. Why don’t your parents declare bankruptcy?

      • Ellen

        I talked to Ed about this. Ed says that even if it is true about the exemtion in bankrupcy for Social Security, do the parent’s even have other retirement saving’s? He think’s not. And if the Parent’s went bankrup, wouldnt that even make it worse on the sister, if she also owe’s this debt? FOOEY! Ed said he also has some relative’s that he has been asked to bale out and he just refuses b/c he has his OWN family’s lifestyle to maintain. He says that Rosa and the kid’s can be financieally demanding at times, and his own relative’s know it, so they don’t ask to many times. I think that if the sister can find a guy to marry her, then he can work, make money and help solve her debt probelem for her. Otherwise it’s a mess. The other alternative is for BOTH to go bankrup, and then they can just walk away from everything and she does NOT have to get married. Good luck. You sound like you are the smart one in the family. Stay that way, Ed say’s. I hope other’s in the HIVE have some idea’s b/c I don’t have any other idea’s. YAY!!!

  18. anon

    Hoping it’s not too late to get some responses, but I will re-post tomorrow morning.

    My bf, who is 27, has been working at the same investment/insurance firm since college (~5 years). His income is mostly commission based (no salary, but some random stipends here and there), and while it has ups and downs, he makes a comfortable living.

    He just got an offer to go work at a start-up in sales. The company has been around for a little while and has gotten multiple rounds of funding and is considered to be a safe bet. So he isn’t worried about it going under or anything like that. But they are offering him a salary of $55k with the rest of his compensation to be commissions-based + benefits. I have never negotiated a salary (clerked, then Big Law, so never really had the opportunity). He wants to ask for a minimum of $65k salary, so that the salary will at least cover his basic monthly expenses. Is this reasonable, or are start-ups a different animal? What is the best way to ask for this- should he be up front about wanting to cover his basic expenses with the salary (which is now basically guaranteed through his renewal commissions + stipend at this current job)? I want him to negotiate because $55k sounds very low for someone with 5 years of experience. They are projecting he would more than double his salary with commissions, but I think he should at least be guaranteed the security of what he has now . Thoughts?

    • Wildkitten

      You don’t ask for a salary to cover your expenses, you ask for a salary because that is your market value and you bring value to the company. Look up negotiation posts on Ask A Manager.

  19. Annie

    I”m newly single (after a LONG time), and need to start dating again. But, I have no idea what to wear as a late-twenties, professional (biglaw) person on a date in NYC. Do any of you have any suggestions? Last time I was single I was in college, and spandex halter tops were all the rage.

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