ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 313 Comments

Weekend Open Thread

Kate Spade Get SandalsSomething on your mind? Chat about it here. Piperlime has one of the best collections of “blush”-colored shoes that I've seen in a while (although it is a bit heavy on the shooties — really, who wears blush shooties?). In any event — I am drooling over this pair of Kate Spade sandals. They will probably be a bit too much of a sandal to qualify as “work appropriate” at most conservative offices, but they look absolutely perfect for the weekend. Love the platform, love the straps, love the color. They're $325 at Piperlime. Kate Spade Get Sandals (L-2)

Sales of note for 12.5

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

313 Comments

  1. Welcome to the Weekend Open Thread. Feel free to check your snarkiness, b*tchiness, drama, and trolling at the previous page.

    And remember – “Don’t feed the trolls, ladies!”

    Happy weekend all!

    2. I had to go look to see what on earth you were talking about and I am at a loss for words.

  2. Those are lovely, but I’m afraid I’d break my ankle (5 inches..even with a 1 inch platform, yikes! Much too tall for me). But I’ve got a couple of weddings in the spring and need some new shoes to wear–would something like this (but shorter) be appropriate, or should I go for something slightly dressier? The weddings are both in the South (in March and April, which is truly spring in the south), one in a church (not sure where the reception is yet), one outdoors.

    In other news, happy weekend! I’m glad it’s here. All this snow and grey and general yuckiness has been terribly unmotivating, and it’s definitely time for the weekend.

      1. Agreed! I love these shoes and am debating whether or not I should buy them for the multiple weddings I’ll be attending this spring, actually! The only thing that’s stopping me is the height. I always wear pretty high heels, but like to go a little shorter for weddings, since I’m big on dancing at receptions. So, something similar, but with a lower heel, would be ideal IMO.

    2. I think something like this would absolutely be appropriate for a wedding in the South. And as someone in the South, let me warn you – March and April CAN be springlike but they can also be winterlike, too. I got married in late April and the weather was in the 50s – which was not what I was hoping for when I chose the date. Whatever you plan to wear, make sure you have some colder weather and warmer weather alternatives!

      1. oh I know:-) I’m from Georgia originally. I’m preparing for all contingencies, especially with the weird winter we’ve been having on the entire eastern seaboard. It actually snowed at home this winter and stuck for more than a day, which is pretty much unheard of. But I’m so hoping for warm weather just because it will definitely still be cold in NY and I will desperately need a warm brief vacation by the time mid-March gets here.

    3. For the wedding that’s outdoors – is it on grass? If so, I’d personally go for either a chunkier heel or a wedge; that stilleto will sink right down into the grass, especially if the ground is wet (as it often is in the spring). Been there, done that (husband got the invite and didn’t inform me of all the relevant details – the shoes were trashed by the end of the night).

        1. Heel stoppers might be an option if you’re really set on these shoes. They are basically a plastic piece that fits on to the heel and increases the surface area so your heels don’t sink into the grass. I’ve yet to see them in real life, so I can’t speak to how noticeable (read: potentially ugly) they are, but I think there are a few different options out there (SoleMates was the first brand I heard about, but you should find others if you Google “heel stoppers”).

        1. low heel cork sandals scream florida grandmother to me, for some reason. Do they have those styles in other finishes? Maybe a metallic?

  3. I just finished reading Anna Karenina, as part of my campaign to read the “oldies but goodies” that my (admittedly not-so-stellar) high school education failed to assign to me. It was great! A big long-winded in the peasant-farmer digressions, but Tolstoy has a great writing style with so many touching details in his writing! I was pleasantly surprised.

    Since my Kindle give me free downloads of books that are no longer under copyright, thought I would ask for suggestions on what to read next (and have an excuse to discuss wonderful literature with other corporettes).

    2. If you liked Tolstoy, you might like “Crime and Punishment.” I also highly recommend anything by Jane Austen!

      1. Been there, done that … about 10 times each. :) I thought about caveating that “Pride and Prejudice” in particular doesn’t count as a suggestion, since we all already know it’s The Best Ever. But I didn’t want to foreclose discussion of Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth.

        Seriously, Emily I is totally right. Jane Austen knows how to tell a story, and is quite witty.

        1. In terms of high school classics, I really liked Oh Pioneers by Willa Cather.
          I recently re-read The Great Gatsby & enjoyed it much more than I remembered. If you haven’t read much Hemingway, try The Sun Also Rises. Makes you want to quit your job and move to Europe.
          If you want to stick to the Russians, I would recommend: The Idiot by Dostoyevsky; Dr. Zhivago by Pasternak (although that might still be under copyright); or you could continue with Tolstoy and read War and Peace (it makes Anna Karenina seem rather concise in comparison). I am not a fan of Crime and Punishment.
          Other classics: for something fun, action packed, and full of intrigue: anything by Dumas (I would suggest the Count of Monte Christo, or the Three Musketeers [both much better than all the movie adaptations would lead you to believe]); for something witty, anything by Mark Train; if you like Jane Austin, read Wuthering Heights; Jane Eyre; and a book called I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith . . .

          1. I second anything by Dumas or Twain, as well as I Capture the Castle. I really need to pick up Twain’s autobiography that was just released.

          2. Thanks for all the great suggestions – many will make my list. I have to say I really did not *get* The Great Gatsby in high school. (Why is everyone always saying it’s so great? etc.) Heartening to hear that maybe I was just too immature to appreciate it then and will enjoy it now. BTW, have you heard that Baz Luhrmann is doing a film version, with Carey Mulligan as Daisy? People in the know seem to be pretty excited about it.

        3. @ MM – so glad to find a kindred soul. Speaking of which, my sister told me that she recently re-read the Anne of Green Gables books and enjoyed them again. That might be a nice light selection after the other Ann(a).

          1. Wow, I really need to hang out with you and your sister! My husband makes fun of me because I own the entire Anne of Green Gables series. I just re-read 1-4 last year, and have been meaning to make my way back to 5-6, but thought I should sneak in something I haven’t read first. BTW, I was very disappointed to find out that the free Kindle versions of AoGG are not of good quality — though they can apparently be gotten quite cheap (~$3 apiece).

          3. If you like AGG, I recommend Montgomery’s lesser known heroine, Emily of New Moon. I actually liked that series better.

            Second to Dumas, or perhaps the Sherlock Holmes stories. I loved Gone with the Wind as well. And Lord of the Rings. That one never gets old. Lord of the Flies. I’m the rare fan of James Joyce (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is my favorite). Thomas Hardy, particularly Tess of the D’Ubervilles. Jane Eyre. Wuthering Heights. Oh man, don’t get me started…

          4. Actually the Laura from above (but not the Laura from below–I took the name w/out realizing there was another Laura, so apologies for any confusion :). The Blue Castle is another good Montgomery book–it’s more of a romance than the earlier AoGG books but still good. Having said that, I’ve yet to find a Montgomery book I dislike, so I am a bit biased.

    3. Reading more classic novels is one of my ongoing New Years resolutions! I like to read by author, and next on my list is Dickens. I love Jane Austen as well. My favorite is Persuasion.

      I remember really liking Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck) in high school, and I read Of Human Bondage (Maugham) a few years ago and liked it.

    4. I’m doing the same thing. Right now I am reading The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Its taking me time to really get into it, but I have hope.

    5. I haven’t read Anna Karenina (yet!) but one book I really loved in high school is Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Such a beautifully written book. My e-reader came with 100 free ebooks and the first one I read was Dracula. SO WELL WRITTEN. And much scarier than most of the vampire stuff being churned out today.

      1. Oh, Tess of the D’Urbervilles is my FAVORITE. I’m doing the same thing with my Kindle, and I cannot recommend Barchester Towers, by Anthony Trollope, highly enough. The Stanhope family is easily one of my favorite literary families of all times. That whole book made me giggle out loud — lots of fun looks on Metro, let me tell you.

        1. Second the Trolloppe recommendation! And he was extremely prolific author, so if you like them, he can keep you occupied for ages.

          1. Very true! I ration out Hardy to myself, letting myself only read a new book of his every two years or so, but Trollope is unlikely to ever be exhausted.

            And no wonder, given that by his own account he wrote 250 words in a quarter-hour, rising early in the morning to get thousands of words written before going to his day job. Responsible for the network of postboxes in the UK! How can one not love him?

      2. If you like Tess of the d’Urbervilles, check out Jude the Obscure – also by Thomas Hardy. Just as salacious, but IMO, a much better critique of Victorian morals.

        1. But so depressing! I love Hardy to bits, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to reread Jude the Obscure.

          (btw, salacious? Tess? Unless you mean the unapologetic milkmaids, with ‘there is a time for embracing, and a time for not embracing, and this is the time for embracing’ about the hope of a kiss. The end of the first section is tragic, I would have thought, rather than salacious.)

          Tess is wonderful! wonderful! but for a book by Hardy which has as many parts hopeful as sorrowful, I recommend Far From the Madding Crowd. Yes, the first chapter is rather heavy on the sheep, but if you got through the Levin half of Anna Karenina, that should pose no problem to you!

      3. Ooh, Dracula! Really?! I am particularly excited for suggestions that I’ll be surprised to like, and this definitely fits that mold.

        I really enjoyed Tess also. So I take it from these comments that Jude the Obscure should make the list before Far from the Madding Crowd?

    6. A few years ago, I read (and loved) Middlemarch. Actually, anything George Eliot.

      1. I was just going to recommend Middlemarch. I loved it. Didn’t like Felix Holt nearly as much, though- Eliot’s thoughts on the proper place of women came through much more strongly in it. (Yes, I know Eliot was a woman, but she had a lot of views on the place of women in society that were progressive for her time- but not so much today)

      2. YES YES MIDDLEMARCH.

        People criticise Eliot for being too cold and analytical, but for me that was exactly what made Middlemarch as good as it was! People, real people, with all their passions and mistakes and SO IMPORTANTLY, their misunderstandings of each other, described, with deft use of simile and metaphor, by a narrator who saw past all the inconsistencies of humankind and communicated, clearly, them all.

        Oh, that part with Lydgate and Rosamond and the narrator’s observation that there are at least forty ways to say the four words “What can I do?”

        And the part where Celia remarks to herself that she views the world in clear straightforward sunlight, rather than the strange coloured lights by which her sister sees.

        So precise always, and so beautiful.

        1. Oh, and the deliberate avoidance of any mention of weddings. Gap in time after the proposal, during which we concentrate on other characters, and then we rejoin the couples as they settle fitfully into a married routine.

          It is so rare for any book of that era to go beyond the wedding. And a daring move to eliminate its fantasy romance altogether.

      3. What wonderful descriptive recommendations! Middlemarch honestly wasn’t even on my radar before, and now I really want to read it.

        1. Hurrah!
          I convinced myself so much above that I’ve actually spent the day rereading it. :) I envy you your first-time read.

    7. Henry James – I liked The Portrait of a Lady especially.
      Charles Dickens – Bleak House. (I’m not a huge fan of all of his books, but really liked this one).

      My personal “to read sometime this year” are the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer.

      1. Oh, I loved the Iliad and the Odyssey – I didn’t expect to, but I read them in college and the professor knew so much about the intricacies of the language and the culture. I still think those are two of my favorite books from college. See if you can find an essay by Professor Cameron from the University of Michigan to give you some context as you read them. Otherwise, I think they might be a little boring.

        1. I love Odyssey. The George Clooney movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” is loosely based on Odyssey and is a fun comparison.

      2. I read the Odyssey in college, also. It really is fantastic. It took much less time to read than I had expected. After reading it, my class watched the movie and that enhanced the whole experience. Also, the George Clooney movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” is loosely based on Odysssey. Comparing that movie to the book is fun.

        1. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is one of my favorite movies of all time. A semi-musical set in the Dust Bowl era with strong allusions to the Odyssey, starring George Clooney and directed by the Cohen Brothers- it’s like someone read my mind ;)

          I recommend:
          Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
          Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
          Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
          The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

          I didn’t read much classical Western literature in my studies, but I know plenty of Asian classics. I’m not sure if the translations are protected under copyright, but here are two I loved in college:

          The Kagero Diary by Michitsuna no Haha.
          Get the Sonja Arntzen translation- it’s much better than the Seidensticker one. This is an actual diary of the wife of a noblewoman from around 970 AD, detailing the gradual drifting apart of her marriage. She talks about court life and does some extensive poetry and letter writing. Kagero means mayfly, so there’s a great deal about how fleeting and fragile life is.

          Kokoro by Natsume Soseki
          Edwin McClellan translation
          Written in 1914, this is about a young man’s relationship with an older man. The young man gradually finds out the older man’s tragic past.

    8. I’m a Dickens fan, and also loved An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. (Sister Carrie, same author, was also very good.)

      1. Sister Carrie is definitely one of my favorite books! If you like Dreiser, check out Emile Zola – Dreiser’s “naturalism” is an off-shoot of the naturalist literature movement that Zola pioneered in France. Some of Zola’s books are quite dark (Therese Raquin, for example, which is my favorite novel), but I always identify so strongly with his characters.

        My favorite author in college was Graham Greene – Heart of the Matter is an incredible novel. He also has some more lighthearted ones that are quick reads. Twentieth century, but definitely classic.

        I recently re-read To Kill a Mockingbird and Jane Eyre, both of which I had kind of liked in high school, but wasn’t crazy about. Definitely worth another read now that we’re older – two incredibly well written novels!

        And of course – anything by Oscar Wilde. I’m especially fond of his plays!

    10. I went through a let’s read the classics when I was a senior in HS/freshman in college – some favs:

      Great Gatsby
      A Conn. Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
      Robinson Crusoe
      Shakespeare – as a hs theater nerd I read about 15 or so of the plays
      Dante’s Divine Comedy
      Leaves of Grass

      1. Divine Comedy? Ooh, where do you stand on the eternal prose vs. verse translation debate?

          1. So seconded, cbackson!! I always specifically recommend that translation of DIvine Comedy!

          2. I had a particularly dry-humored high school teacher who posted “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” above his classroom’s doorway. I didn’t recognize the allusion (he had a different class that was reading Dante) and asked him about it one day before class. He explained that the phrase came from the Inferno, and those were the words written above the gates of Hell. When I responded “but this class isn’t Hell” he replied “we all live under certain illusions, Ms. [Last Name].”

            Every time I hear mention of Dante, that is the very first thing that comes to mind.

          3. To Laura #2 — my high school AP physics teacher wrote the same thing about his door…definitely didn’t teach the inferno, but the class may have been hellish.

    11. My two favorite books from high school (we read a TON of classics) are East of Eden by Steinbeck and A Farewell to Arms by Hemmingway. Though I don’t think the copyrights are up on these yet–A Farewell to Arms may be close though.

      1. I second the East of Eden recommendation. Actually, Grapes of Wrath was just a wonderful book — I really liked it. Then I got East of Eden, and that’s the one I’ve returned to read again.

      2. I have never been able to finish Farewell to Arms. The main character reminds me very strongly of a close friend of mine, and I find it too difficult to get through the book because of that. Which is a shame, because it’s the only Hemingway novel I’ve (partly) read that I truly loved.

        My favorite author of the early twentieth century is probably Fitzgerald. But it takes me forever to get through his books – I find myself reading the same passages again and again because the prose is so exquisite – but I’m so distracted by how much I like the prose that I have a hard time following what’s going on in the storyline! So it takes me about five times as long to read anything by him than pretty much any other author…

      3. Speaking of Hemingway, I found For Whom the Bell Tolls incredibly gripping, moving and memorable. The characters are so real and stayed with me long after I read the book.

    12. You should check now to see if you can get back issues of Marie Claire on-line? There were some exellent articles that I read when I was in LAW school that I did NOT clip out at the time that I wish I had clipped out.

      If you find them please let all of us Corporettes know about it and to get us the HYPERLYNK. I learned alot about men through these articles, and b/c of that I am NOT being taken advantage by anyone who wants for me to do things I do NOT want to do.

      B/C I do have to pay the rent for now, I am very nice to my boss at work, but you can be sure that after I get married, I will be alot more diserning about these things.

      1. But Ellen, will you ever get MARRIED? you have been dating ALAN for so LONG now. You are getting OLD and loosing your LOOKS. You should make him propose so you can quite LAW

        2. I am almost hoping Ellen will start linking to her own BLOG, because I would READE it DAILY and look forward to COMMENTS like this as well.

          1. I’m starting to enjoy “her” interjections around here. Well done, Ellen. You’ve found a niche. Just don’t go spoiling it by getting out of hand.

      4. You can subscribe to Marie Claire CHEAP and can still pay the RENT. Maybe it will help you deal with your BOSS.

    13. Less well known, but high regarded…check out anything by Elizabeth Bowen. The Death of the Heart is marvelous. Also recommend the House in Paris.

    14. Jane Eyre
      Gone with the Wind
      Rebecca

      Perhaps the last two aren’t technically “classics” but they are great to read.

      2. Rebecca is probably my all-time favorite. Every time I re-read it I gasp at the twists and turns as if I didn’t know they were coming!

      3. I think both Gone with the Wind and Rebecca are classics. Perhaps less high brow literary than some that have made the list – but certainly great novels, and they deserve a cultural mention!

    15. I don’t know if any of these are “classics” still under copyright, but here’s a few so far unmentioned suggestions:

      “The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Baroness Orczy
      The Horation Hornblower series by C.S. Forester
      Emily Dickinson poetry

    16. A few others you may like:

      Vanity Fair by Thackeray

      I echo the suggestions for Middlemarch (or pretty much anything by George Eliot), Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Dracula, and Far from the Maddening Crowd.

      House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

      If you loved Jane Austen, you may also like Fanny Burney’s works. Evelina is probably the easiest to start with.

      Washington Square is my favorite Henry James.

      1. Second the Woman in White. I read it in law school and could not put it down–to the detriment of my studies.

    18. If you like Jane Austen, check out Elizabeth Gaskell – she wrote a little later in the 1800s and her novels deal more with social issues of the day (for example working conditions in the new-at-the-time textile factories) but still have great characters and plots. Some of her novels are Cranford, Wives and Daughters, and North and South – these three have also been made into great movie adaptations in the last several years. I just saw the one of North and South – and the hero, Mr. Thornton, could give Mr. Darcy a run for his money IMO ;-)

      2. Ah! Wives and Daughters was highly recommended to me before, and I had been trying to remember it. I kept searching for “Sisters and Daughters” and not turning it up. Glad to be reminded of the actual name!

    19. I was an English lit major in college, and we did our senior seminar on Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed VW. “Mrs. Dalloway” is a good introduction to her books, but the one that really struck a cord with me was “Orlando.”

      If you want something truly challenging, try “Ulysses” by JJ – Just be sure to get the annotations to go along with it. The volume I used was thicker than the actual book. I’ve promised myself to someday re-read it. Maybe the time is now!

    20. There is a list out there…I’ll see if I can find it, of the top 100 books every English major should have read etc… obviously lots of classics, and what’s nice is a lot of them are free for Kindle…

    21. Great suggestions here. I definitely need to add some to my “to-read” list.

      My college English classes helped a little where my high school education failed. A class on Victorian crime offered some wonderful yet juicy options. I really enjoyed The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – a story we all know, but it’s good to read the original. Same with Sherlock Holmes – very fun (especially if you’re a fan of House) even when you know the stories. It also offered chances to read some lesser known but equally enjoyable books – most memorably, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (according to Wikipedia and sort of backed up by a hazy memory from college, the first “detective novel”). A different class introduced me to The Monk, what I would consider the epitome of a trashy novel – except that it was written in 1796 and it’s main character was a monk, which made it that much more enticing.

      Just in case you’re bored of the actual wonderful classics out there…

    23. Things Fall Apart and Cry, the Beloved Country are some beautiful ventures into Africa. And look at Amy Tan for some lovely Chinese-American writing.

      1. I read Things Fall Apart in high school and to this day, I vividly remember how struck I was by the last sentence of the book.

        If you’re interested in reading more African authors, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a fabulous contemporary Nigerian writer. Purple Hibiscus and The Thing Around Your Neck are both wonderful.

        1. Love Purple Hibiscus! Also Mariama Ba’s “Une si longue lettre (So Long a Letter). ”

          Philip Pullman books (starting with The Golden Compass) are also amazing.

    24. Wow, this is a wonderful, wonderful list of suggestions. Thanks for all the ideas everyone!

      1. Thanks for asking the question, MM. I’m excited to start reading these as well!

    25. I love this question and the insightful responses it inspired–such a nice counterpoint to some of yesterday’s commentary. I’ve already downloaded several new classics for my Kindle, and plan to revisit some old favorites based on the suggestions provided.

      My two very most favorite classics are Anna Karenina and the Age of Innocence. I recently re-read the Age of Innocence and was struck by how modern of a story it seemed in many respects. For example, the observation that “Americans are more anxious to get away from amusement than they are to get to it” (I’m paraphrasing) certainly captures some of my ambivalence toward the busy, highly scheduled life I sometimes think I lead, where things like movies, theater, travel etc., even dinners or drinks with friends, seem like something that needs to be accomplished, or checked off of a to-do list, rather than enjoyed . . .

      For modern classics, I love The English Patient and the Time Traveler’s Wife.

    26. Jane Austin fans may also really like The Makioka Sisters, by Junichiro Tanizaki. His writing style is very similar to Jane Austin, and The Makioka Sisters could almost be called a Japanese Version of Pride and Prejudice.

      1. Late to this party–but I can’t say enough about the French writers Balzac and Zola. Pere Goriot is the best for Balzac–Eugene de Rastignac’s subplot, which has a sartorial twist, will ring true with any Corporette reader–and for Zola, if you can stomach intense social realism, poverty and misery during a coal mine strike, I highly recommend Germinal.

      2. Not that you need any more inspiration but after all the great suggestions above….in the UK, the BBC did a poll of the top 200 favourite books here http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml for the first 100, and the link for 101 -200 here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top200.shtml

        There is also this list that has been doing the rounds on Facebook with a preamble that ‘most people will have only read about 6 of the novels on this list – how many have you read?’:

        1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
        2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
        3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
        4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
        5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
        6 The Bible
        7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
        8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
        9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
        10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
        11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
        12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
        13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
        14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
        15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
        16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
        17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk
        18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
        19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
        20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
        21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
        22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
        23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
        24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
        25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
        26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
        27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
        28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
        29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
        30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
        31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
        32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
        33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
        34 Emma – Jane Austen
        35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
        36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
        37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
        38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
        39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
        40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
        41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
        42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown (sorry)
        43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
        44 A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
        45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
        46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
        47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
        48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
        49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
        50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
        51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
        52 Dune – Frank Herbert
        53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
        54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
        55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
        56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zifon
        57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
        58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
        59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
        60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
        61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
        62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
        63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
        64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
        65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
        66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
        67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
        68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
        69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
        70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
        71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
        72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
        73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
        74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
        75 Ulysses – James Joyce
        76 The Inferno – Dante
        77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
        78 Germinal – Emile Zola
        79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
        80 Possession – AS Byatt
        81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
        82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
        83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
        84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
        85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
        86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
        87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
        88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
        89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
        90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
        91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
        92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
        93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
        94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
        95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
        96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
        97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
        98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
        99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factoy – Roald Dahl
        100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

        1. GAH. ‘Not that you need any more inspiration but after all the great suggestions above’ should be ‘Not that you need more inspiration after all the great suggestions above’

    27. Ok, I just copied this entire line of posts. Love it! And now I just want to curl up on the couch reading Tess of the D’urbivilles. My professor in high school had us pretend to be prosecution/defense of Tess (I think? Not her rapist, because she kill him, right? Wow, that was 12 years ago) in class. Loved it loved it loved it.

  4. Just wanted to thank everyone for the Lands End Canvas advice they gave me a few weeks ago. I procrastinated until the sale got even better (yay!) and ordered several pairs of skinny jeans and cords, one size down from my usual BR size. They fit great – they are my new favorite skinny pants – the rise is just right, not too high and not too low, and they are very slim without being skintight. I highly recommend them, especially at their current sale prices.

    1. I envy you – the inseams (32″, if I remember) are 2 inches to short for me to consider. I’m hoping they’ll move to longer, or customizable, lengths as the line gets more established.

      1. I just looked at the site, per nonA’a rec, and noticed the same thing. I need a 35 inch inseam at minimum. Back to JCrew I suppose…

        1. Yay! My short little 30 inch inseam legs are so excited about these pants they just made me buy a pair :)

          1. So glad other people like these–love the LE Canvas skinny jeans and skinny cords. They get quite cheap on sale, too.

  5. Alas, I can’t wear heels of this height anymore. I do love the color, though.

  6. DC Tailor? Does anyone have a tailor in DC they would recommend? Ideally, I’d like someone in downtown or capital hill, but anything other than georgetown would be fine. Thank you.

    2. If you’re willing to trek to Arlington (hey, at least it’s the orange line), then I’d recommend the Ballston Tailor (in Ballston Mall). Very good a reasonably priced. They’re also open until 9pm on weekdays and also open Sundays which is a huge bonus!

    3. Dupont Court Cleaners at 18th and S – Mrs. Joon is AMAZING. Check out the Yelp reviews. She’s a great tailor and the prices for dry cleaning are great too.

  8. These are spectacular – will be on the lookout for this style of shoe with a lower heel and price tag ;)

  9. Need some advice/moral support –
    About me: I’m 27, have been in a health care research/NPO/gov position for the last two years (and was in a research NPO position for 3 years prior); I also teach a graduate research class at a local uni here in Los Angeles.

    The situation: I’m very unhappy in my current job. My boss does some very grey area ethical stuff around data (think wasting tax payer/foundation funding) that I’m not comfortable with and really treats female employees like crap. As in, he either treats them/yells at them as though their idiots or for the “pretty ones” goes over board in being inappropriately cutesy/nice. I fall into the first camp.

    I’ve made a compliant to HR for some of the crap he’s pulled with me – things like asking me in front of a group of 15 people how much exercise I get, how much fast food I eat, what risky behaviors I engage in (this was calling me out to “explain how to interview patients”) he’s also told me – when I asked for a spare space heater to deal with the broken thermostat in my office where it was about 50 degrees to “exercise more to increase my metabolism” so I wont be cold. And when a physician was sexually harassing myself and another employee and we complained about it to him – he told the physician to apologize to both of us, I was off site the day the doc made the apology to the other employee, and when I said I never got an apology or anything I was told to drop it. My boss has also blocked my work productivity in a number of ways (i.e., expecting me to complete tasks that require IT expertise – like computer coding – I don’t have) and likes to play guessing games when it comes to fulfilling tasks – as in – “I know how I want this done for the meeting I’m just telling you about that’s tomorrow but why don’t you come up with an idea and I tell you how it’s wrong – this will help you learn to figure out my style!”

    Anyway – HR and the lawyer they work with – went through the issues and def want to do something about the hostile work environment, which in theory is great – but in practice really sucks because my boss is going to shit a break and will probably come up with a reason to fire me – or at least make my work life hell.

    The issues: I was told that after Feb 1st we’re going to have a meeting where the HR rep, lawyer, myself and boss sit down. Since I’m the only employee working with my dept from the area the HR rep represents – it’s not reasonable to try get anonymity and I’m really just scared. Losing my job or having the work life suck. It’s really the culture to have the attitude of “that’s just the way he is.” And by making a complaint I’m not just stirring up my boss’ wrath – but also really bucking the office culture.

    The other issue – is that I have been applying for a new job like crazy for the last six months or so… I’ve had four positions where I was the 2nd choice – and sometime today I’m supposed to find out from another organization where it’s down to me and 1 other person who gets job (and I’ve been going through the interview hoops with this org since Nov.). I’m really just hitting the wall with rejection and feel like life’s looking really bleak. One of those situations where I know I’m good – but I feel like I’m never good enough – and the depressing current job isn’t helping. So I guess any suggestions on job hunting tactics for researchers/grant writers/evaluators in the LA area would be very welcome.

    1. Keep looking for a job no matter how this comes out since it seems like you really would just like to get out at this point. Keep HR and the lawyer in the loop–if they agree that he’s creating a hostile work environment that’s huge (but bear in mind that ultimately, they exist for the benefit of the organization). He can’t fire you in retribution for reporting harassment or for cooperating with their investigation into his behavior. Good luck.

    2. You may want to talk to your own lawyer. The HR rep and the company lawyer represent the company, not you. AND DOCUMENT!

      1. I agree — document document document. It never hurts to consult with employment law attorney either.

    3. I could have written this a month ago. I am exactly where you are, and it’s miserable. In my case, HR talked to my boss without me. Boss then laid into me for going to HR…

      Really, all you can do is stop caring. I just started telling myself, “They can have my workday, but they don’t get my soul.” I created a plan for what I would do if I got fired- pack my few personal effects, go to the bar, who I would call to come “celebrate” with me, etc. I researched unemployment benefits and saved all of the information on my phone, to bring straight to HR and make my demands. It made firing seem so fun, I was sad when it didn’t happen. I still work hard (even though my work gets mangled by the you-should-read-my-mind craziness of the boss) and I try to remember the end benificiaries of my hard work.

      This helped me keep my cool, so when I got reamed for seeking outside help, I was able to stick up for myself and keep chugging along. I’m still trying to get out, which is frustrating in this job market, but that’s what you have to do.

      I also emailed myself notes of the crazy conversations, got copies of all documented craziness, and talked to a couple of employment attorneys.

      Good luck. I feel for you.

    4. One thing to keep in mind is that Title VII also protects against retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment and discrimination. Having to resort to legal action wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice, of course, but if things do go to hell after HR gets involved, a retaliation action might be a possibility. You may well have a straight-up Title VII claim already, but they can be very hard to win. The formulation of retaliation claims varies a bit from circuit to circuit, but generally speaking, actions that might not be severe enough to amount to discrimination or create a hostile environment can still amount to “adverse employment actions” that will support a retaliation claim. Again, no one wants to have to sue. But if the worst case scenario comes to pass, keep this in mind. And as frequently been said on this board, document everything — a change in the nature of work assigned to you, withdrawal of perqs, refusal to provide training, etc. If things go bad, you want to be prepared. Good luck, and I hope this advice turns out to be completely unnecessary.

    5. Sounds like you’re working for one of my former bosses!

      Sorry to say, but it seems like the best thing for you (and your mental health) is to leave asap – and being laid off could be beneficial if you get unemployment. Could you find some consultancies/ contract work via Craigslist that would allow you to leave sooner and get add’l experience? Is there extra adjunct teaching you can do at the uni?

      In a miserable situation like this, I started cultivating outside clients, and once I had a solid project that would pay the bills for a couple months, I jumped ship (that was in the late 90s, when things were much better/ richer in the NGO world). I got COBRA to keep my health insurance, and ended up in grad school within six months.

      Stay strong!

    2. Pretty! I think I would go with the Luna flat. The idea of a nude shoe with a bridal gown feels a little weird to me. I like the silver color in the Luna, though. I laos like the pretty rhinestones, which make it seem dressier than the plainer pleated one.

    3. I like both, especially the latter, and I’m on board with wearing flats to your wedding – you need to be comfortable!

    4. The only concern I have with the second one is that it might compete with your dress if it is really dazzle-y. If it’s a plainer dress, then it’s good to add a little sparkle :)

    5. People are going to be drunk and stepping on your feet – I’d go with the closed-toe shoes for that reason alone

    6. Will your shoes be visible?

      If they’ll be visible, I’d go with the peep toes and a pretty pedicure. They just look a bit more wedding-y to me. I’d actually get them in silver, not blush, though. But if no one will see them, closed-toed shoes will be more practical for a number of reasons – if you get chilly, if people step on your feet, if the dance floor gets sticky, etc.

    7. Both are pretty and bride appropriate, but it’s impossible to say without knowing the style/fabric/shade-of-white of the dress.

  11. Document EVERYTHING, and report it to HR or other higher-ups as appropriate. You may want to consult an employment lawyer who represents you, not your organization, and make sure you are doing the most you can to protect yourself.

    And *hugs* and best of luck for the new job – it sounds like you are in a truly awful situation.

  12. Hello everyone!

    I love this site, and I really enjoy reading all the posts and comments. I hope it is OK to post for suggestions with a piece I am writing for a graduate level Social Computing Class. I am a second year law student, pursuing a joint JD/MLISc.

    I have to write about a “burning question” I have about social computing, and elicit the help of an online community in the process. I hope y’all can be my online community.
    Burning Question:
    Do we has citizens of this community have a set of social rules, a code of civility, or just plain manners that we live by in our online communities? Examples?

    Thanks for all your help.

    Mericia

    1. I try not to say anything here that I wouldn’t at the very least be willing to say to a friend in an email in response to a similar comment.

    2. I am usually very careful not to hurt people. I have noticed that several things that are normal or inoffensive in my country can be subject to great debate or even offend some readers, so I simply skip them or try to find more politically-correct ways of saying things.

    3. While I enjoy the cloak of anonymity, I try to not say anything that I wouldn’t have my full name attached to. Sometimes it is tempting to post something that reflects what I’m thinking, but if it’s ruder or more judgmental than I think it should be, I try to, erm, contain myself.

    4. This community seems to have a rule that you can disagree or criticize things that are under your control, like clothing or makeup, but not aspects that are more hard-wired, like body shape. So we can say, “Oh, I don’t like that blouse,” or “I don’t think peep-toe shoes are appropriate in court.” But we frown on statements like “That model is freakishly thin,” or “Tall women must wear their hair a certain length.”

      One of the places this gets a bit sticky is when one commenter says the featured shoe/sweater/handbag is ugly/expensive/tacky and another defends Kat for posting said item. The item can be purchased or not, depending on individual preference. But Kat’s personal tastes shouldn’t be criticized, and she is often hotly defended. These arguments can make me uncomfortable, because I always hope that Kat can separate her taste from the criticism, yet she rarely enters the discussion herself.

      Unwritten but generally followed rules:
      Don’t impersonate another commenter. I would be uncomfortable if another commenter chose the name “Louise” to follow up with this comment. “Anonymous” is generally up for grabs, though, as a moniker.

      Other rules: Don’t push your own blog too much. Don’t ask for advice then argue with the answers you get. Don’t type too many WORDS all in capital letters or talk about how BALD your managing partner it, especially if his BREATH is bad, too.

      1. I agree with this.

        In general, I think: if someone figured out who “Kaye” is in real life, would I be OK with these comments being associated with my real identity? I mostly try to post in a way that the answer to that is “yes”.

    5. From the comments above, it seems that this site uses a loose set of social rules- some come from manners we’ve been taught throughout our lives, and some are created or modified in the online-only context. Moderated discussion boards, on the other hand, often have stricter or at least more “fixed” codes of civility, such as specific offenses that can get you banned.

      1. I think we have customs that many of us aspire to, but they’re not hard and fast rules. There are no real consequences (other than social rejection) for not following the rules. Check out the thread on the Gap Asymetrical gathered T for some pretty rude behavior, and lots of posters blaming each other.

        What’s weird about an online community is that each contributor can choose to leave without any consequences, or say something very rude, or choose to post under someone else’s name, without much of a consequence. It certainly makes the concept of social rules much more fluid.

    6. Thank you everyone for all your help and insightful comments. This is a very civil online community, and I am proud to be a part of it. Have a great weekend!

  13. I need a watch, I love J.Crew, and I love weekend-y and casual clothes. That last bit has occasionally made buying office-wear difficult. So I thought I’d crowdsource!

    Do you think a watch like this one (http://www.jcrew.com/womens_feature/NewArrivals/accessories/PRDOVR~37301/37301.jsp) would be appropriate for work?

    I’d probably wear it with a black band while in the office (or maybe change it out for a serious looking, dark ribbon of some sort). I’m fairly young and unused to wearing watches, so I’ve felt rather uncomfortable in the more serious watches (leather straps, metal) that I’ve tried on. This one is a little more contemporary and is right within my budget!

    1. I think two weeks ago there was a big discussion on watches, and one commenter even gave a detailed starter’s guide to watches.

    3. I really like this watch! The band is a little rugged for office wear, but you could definitely pull it off if you made the modifications you were talking about.

  14. I just booked a hotel through Hotwire and I feel they misled me. I know I’m taking a chance with the hotel they’ll pick but I specifically opted for 3.5 star hotel and I got a 3.0 star hotel (based on their sampling of what 3.5 star and 3.0 star hotels are). Or is this part of the risk I have to take as well? Has anyone been able to successfully cancel or upgrade to a better hotel because you ended up getting lower level star hotel? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    1. I had an issue once where we were trying to avoid a certain hotel (due to its location), and tried to do that by specifying a certain star level that we thought would exclude the hotel based on their examples of three, three and a half, and four star hotels. But we got the hotel we were trying to avoid anyway. If I recall correctly, I called them and tried to argue that the hotel we got was not a 4 star hotel based on their examples, but they said that each hotel is individually rated (e.g., some Sheratons might be considered 3.5 star, and others might be considered 4 star). So we did not get out of it. We have not used hotwire since.

      1. Thanks for your story. Sounds like mine is similar to yours and there’s not much I can do. Grrrr. I won’t use Hotwire again.

  15. Hi ladies!

    I recently signed up for my first distance run this year, after having completed my first 5k last year. Specifically, I will be running the Broad Street in Philadelphia on May 1st, which is a ten mile road race. Although I feel relatively comfortable with my gear and with my training (I started the first week of January), does anybody have any advice, stories, or words of encouragement to share with a newbie runner?

    Thanks!

    1. That’s wonderful! Congratulations on your 5 k.

      I did my first half-marathon during 1L year as a great way to gain perspective. If you haven’t ran for a while, ease into the training and do cross-training/ stretches to make sure you aren’t to hard on your joints.
      One advice while running the race – drink water at every water station, and 2 cups can be better than one. At the half-marathon, they ran out of water at the 9 mile stop – making the next few miles a little difficult!

      1. Ran out of water?? Is that a common thing in distance races? I am signed up for my first half in a few months, and that makes me nervous.

        1. Congratulations on your 5k!

          Running out of water – I have never heard of this happening, but maybe it is because I usually run large(r) races where the race directors seem pretty prepared. I suggest, however, that if this happens to you, to not panic, and remember that you have probably completed many runs of distances longer than the distance between the water station and the end during your training. :) At least this is what I tell myself when things come up unexpectedly.

          Also, I am sorry if this is obvious but sometimes it makes me feel better when I have a bad run/couple bad runs – sometimes you wont feel/see the effects of training until a couple days or a week (or two weeks) have passed. So if you did a long run on Sunday, for example, you might still feel sluggish and slow on Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Or maybe after putting in 3 or 4 weeks of training, you’ll feel like you cannot go any faster than a shuffle. Listen to your body. Sometimes you just needs to run slowly, or need to take a day or two off. And on the day of your race, if you trained and tapered well, everything will fall into place. Good luck!

          1. Thank you so much for this! Although I feel good, I think the real reason I was inspired to post was because I had hit a tough spot–it is so discouraging to run an awesome 5 miles at a PR pace, and then the next day or so to struggle with 3 miles. So good to hear I am not alone!

    2. I have a couple of pieces of advice. First, are you planning to run 10 miles for the first time at the race, or are you planning to hit that distance during your training? I would advise the latter so that you know what you’re going to feel like. However, for some people the emotional aspect of striving for a new goal at a race is important. It’s a judgment call.

      Second, I’d advise picking out your race gear and figuring out your routine well in advance of race day. That way you won’t worry the night before about how early to get up, what to eat, etc.

      1. Thanks for the advice! I plan to get up to nine miles before race day, but I’m currently only at 3, 4, or 5 mile treadmill runs four to five days a week. I’ve been getting up to run in the mornings (6:45) which should be pretty close to what I do on race day. A new distance is so nerve-wracking!

        1. Two great things about the Broad Street: it’s all down hill and it will be packed with a thousand people you know. That’s what makes it such a fun race!

        2. When I first started running, new distances felt so daunting to me – I think it took me about six months to get past 3m. Seriously. I trained from mid-fall to mid-spring for a 5k. Since then, I have found that 5-6m is a perfect run for me, and my long runs are usually in the 10m range, or longer if I have a race coming up.

          I’d suggest choosing a nice longish route outdoors, to get yourself accustomed to running in race-like conditions, and just taking it on. Congrats on the goal and the training! I never thought I’d love running as much as I do but I’m a regular half-marathon runner now.

    3. Yay! I love to hear about new runners :)

      Have fun and try to take in every detail. Hitting double digits for the first time was really emotional for me. I have no other advice. Sounds like you’re doing a great job with your training, and you seem very excited about the event.

      Good luck!

    4. Yay! I love to hear about new runners :)

      Have fun and try to take in every detail. Hitting double digits for the first time was really emotional for me. I have no other advice. Sounds like you’re doing a great job with your training, and you seem very excited about the event.

      Good luck!

    5. The Broad Street Run is a great time. If you want to bring spectators, it’s a big party for everyone watching. I’ve never ran, just cheered friends on.

      Good luck!

          1. There’s a guy at Rescue Rittenhouse whose name is escaping me, but who gets huge raves. Or, if on a budget and don’t mind a “community” setting in a funky artists’ warehouse , check out Philly Community Wellness. My thai yoga practitioner used to have hours there.

    6. Congrats! Running is my favorite exercise . . . though I haven’t entered any races in quite a while. I should get my butt back out there, as they’re such a fun and different experience from just heading out for an “exercise” run solo.

      A blog about running (and other sports, and fueling aka eating) that I really enjoy is Healthy Tipping Point (Googleable). The author has lots of great tips on researching the course, what to eat the night before, what to eat the morning of, running gear and “tapering” in one’s training just before a longer race.

      1. Plan and prepare. Plan what you are going to wear, eat the day before, and try it out the day before/day of your 9 mile run. Do not wear new clothes of any sort on the day of the race, same goes for shoes of course.

        Weather permitting, I wear the same outfit every long run. Race Ready shorts are fabulous–pockets that don’t jiggle for gu or gel, car key, $, kleenex. Put kleenex in ziploc baggie in the larger rear pocket–never know when the portajohns will be out of T.P.! Baggie keeps it dry from your sweat. A shirt with cap sleeves, almost just a sleeveless tee, helps prevent sunburn.

        I carry my own water or gatorade, too, in the waterbottles with handles that Fleet Feet sells. Much easier to sip that than try to drink and not choke on water from a cup as you run.

        Take and use sunscreen and chapstick. I got a gosh awful sunburn on my first Boston.
        Enjoy!

  16. Just wanted to share a happy shopping story…

    A few months ago, I got a GORGEOUS Kenneth Cole coat at Macy’s, one of those black knee-length wool types. I’ve been wearing it pretty consistently, so I figured I would get it cleaned. It came back from the cleaners today, and I was getting ready to put it on … and the thing was half the original size!! I couldn’t even get my shoulders in it.

    Anyway, I called up the local Macy’s, and even though I didn’t have a receipt or tag on the coat, they took it back. Thank goodness!!

    1. That’s great that they took it back, but sorry you lost a favorite coat! I can’t believe it would shrink that much in dry-cleaning – I have had things shrink in the wash, but never being dry-cleaned. I imagine there was some kind of flaw in the fabric content?

  17. Are there any nerdy Corporettes out there?

    Would you buy (with your own money) an Archos 5 Android Internet Tablet (5″ Touch Screen, 16GB memory, Black) over an iPod Touch with WiFi?

    I’m thinking of buying something to listen to on airplanes, and then quickly check email when I land.

    Kind thanks in advance.

    2. I have an ipod touch, but I’m not sure you would be able to use it to check email when you land — unless you knew that you could find a wireless network wherever you landed. I can only use the internet at home or at school, unless I paid for some sort of internet service, and then you may as well get an iphone or something. It is quite a nice device otherwise.

      I’ve never used the Archos, but if it actually gives you internet everywhere, it might suit your needs better.

    3. I don’t know anything about the Archos, but I am not a fan of the Ipod Touch. My daughter went through 4 in less than a year due to software issues. Apple was easy about trading her a new one every time while it was under warranty, and it was not issues stemming from my computer because her’s was the only one with problems. She also has broken 2 screens, this is not covered by Apple. I know a few people who have dropped their Ipod Touch and cracked the screen. New screen costs $200. So if you do go for the Touch definitely buy the thickest rubber case you can find for shock absorbtion if you drop it (has worked so far for my daughter) and buy it from a store that offers an accident damage warranty. We got our last one at Best Buy and it was $99 for a 3 year for any damage. Good Luck!

    4. My fiance is a geek when it comes to electronics and has used Archos products for years. He recommends getting the Archos 70 or the Archos 43 over the Archos 5, because Archos 70 and 43 are newer and run Android 2.2 and both have capacitive rather than resistive touch screens. If you want a smaller more compact product, get the Archos 43. If you want a larger screen, get the Archos 70.

      But, he says, if you are more comfortable with Apple products, stick with those, because they are more user-friendly. He gave me an I-Phone for my birthday because I do best with user-friendly electronics. :)

  18. Hi ladies, I need advice on boots…

    First, would you say these are work appropriate (in black)? http://bit.ly/gDkip5

    Second, I’m looking for a classic pair of flat brown leather boots that will last me a LONG time. It’s hard to tell based on reviews whether a pair of boots will stand the test of time, because most reviewers write within days of making their purchases. And salespeople don’t give accurate information because they have an interest in making a sale. So I turn to you: which brands have you found to be good quality? (extra points if they are in the $200 range!)

    1. I haven’t ever had a pair of their boots, but Cole Haan shoes seem to hold up really well, and they have gorgeous boots (which my calves are slightly too big for, unfortunately). The boots are usually a lot more than $200, but you might be able to find some good sales since stores are probably selling off winter stock still. Sometimes Nordstrom Rack has Cole Haan stuff.

    2. Are you looking for any kind of brown boots? May I suggest Frye? They hold up really well and look great dressed up or down. I do not think they are work appropriate though if you work in a very conservative office.

      1. I tried on a pair of Frye boots but they looked too casual/western for my office (I usually wear biz casual or suits, w/ jackets). They were very nicely made though.

    3. I have a pair of brown leather Born boots that I love and have had for a few years, and also have a pair from Clarks Indigo that is still holding up well after about the same amount of time. Unfortunately not all the styles are work appropriate in either brand, but both I have are fine for work. Born is typically in the $200-250 range while Indigo is a bit cheaper.

    4. Depends on where you work, but I’d say probably not. I am a boot person, but for work, I tend to go with Stuart Weitzman or classic boots that I bought at Duo boots from London (I have athletic calves). you generally want less “extra” for work, and if you have “extra” have only one. So if you are going to have some slouch, no buckles etc….

    5. I highly recommend La Canadienne boots. I have bought four pairs over the years (once bought black and brown of the same boot because they were so perfect) and they’ve never disappointed.

    6. A key too boots lasting is taking them to cobbler when you first get them. Spend $25 to weathertreat, put heel protectors on, etc. & you will significantly extend the life of any shoes you buy.

      As for brands, I’ve had good experience with DvF, Frye, La Canadienne.

      1. Or you can weathertreat them yourself! It is not that hard: just buy the weatherproofing stuff that your cobbler recommends, and do it at home (quite a bit cheaper than $25). I have a pair of Bandolino boots that I got for $120 four years ago — they are still holding up.

        Caveat: I might take extremely good care of my things. I also have a pair of jeans from Forever 21 from four years ago.

        1. Weather treating is just one aspect of it. You also want the cobbler to put on heel protectors, toe taps, etc. It’s not stuff you can just do at home. Most shoes have inferior soles and they wear badly. You are better off investing about $25 at the beginning and another $20 bucks every season or two for upkeep. Your shoes will last forever.

    7. I have a pair of Tsubo Bacos that I absolutely adore. However, they did scuff easily. I tend to be hard on my shoes and you might take better care of them than I do, but this might not meet your criteria for lasting a long time. However, the boots themselves – the soles, zippers, lining, etc – have definitely lasted, and they’re very comfortable to boot (I crack myself up).

  19. Any recommendations for a tailor in Chicago? Preferably downtown or near North/South side, but if he/she is really good, I’ll travel….

    1. Gus’ Tailor Shop, 913 N. Ashland. In a cursory search I found mixed reviews online but the man is a GENIUS. I’ve since moved to Wisconsin but I took my sister to him 3-1/2 years ago to get her (J.Crew) bridesmaid’s dress for my wedding altered. I’ve sent quite a few things to tailors in the course of my lifetime and have never seen someone so good.

    3. I’ve had good experience with 17’s Cleaners (1117 N Dearborn St.), although I think the only thing I’ve had them do is take out sleeves on my jackets.

    4. Golden Needle. On State Street just north of Chicago Ave. Not cheap but worth it for quality and service. Call ahead if you’re bringing several pieces so you can get Maria’s undivided attention.

  20. Any law students out there doing the NYU career fair? They say that schedules will be posted by 3pm on Tuesday, but does anyone remember when they posted them last year – whether they posted on time, early or late? All I remember from last year was the insanity that was free sign up.

    1. I went last year. I don’t remember exactly when the schedules were posted, but, honestly, I wouldn’t get too worked up about it. I had a decent amount of interviews, wasted two entire days with traveling time, and I got nothing out of it. I should probably try to be more positive about it, but I found it to be a complete waste of time. Of course if you are sure you want to do public interest, and I’m assuming you are talking about the NYU Public Interest fair, then it may be worth your time. I had three jobs offers last year and none were a result of that fair. Maybe the bottom line is don’t go all day, both days. I was probably overly eager to get a job.

  21. I went to college in the 80s, when implementation of Title IX on women’s athletic programs was a huge debate. I don’t much know what’s happened since then, but I notice a lot of the posters on this board are interested in fitness. One of the theories behind equalizing women’s sports, I believe, was to give women that edge in confidence and other benefits that come from sports, and that it would then carry through to professional life, perhaps resulting in more women in powerful professional positions. So, just curious about the rest of you, did you do sports in high school/college? Do you think it helped you with professional issues later on?

    1. Yes, and yes. I competed in high jump and a few other track & field events, and it has helped me tremendously in all kinds of ways, from physical confidence to holding my interest in school to teaching me the importance of exercise in maintaining sanity.

    2. I did not do sports in college or high school, but I started running a few years ago, right at the start of law school. I think even this short time I’ve been involved has helped me tremendously in my professional life. It helps beat stress, gives me time to just think and gather myself, and I’ve learned a lot about being able to perservere when I am feeling down. I figure if I can run 26.2 miles, I can do document review for another hour or two.

    3. Yes, I was the captain of my high school cross-country team, and got into longer-distance running in college. I learned a lot about teamwork (even though it was an individual sport) and leadership from being on the team, and a lot about perseverance and self-discipline from the sport itself.

    4. I am terrible, terrible at team sports. I played on the C squad volleyball team, tried my hand at tennis and my foot at soccer, and just generally sucked. However, as a senior in college recovering from a back and neck injury, I discovered that I’m very very good at yoga. That was 9 years ago and I’m still practicing daily.

      I still have an asthma attack if I run more than a couple blocks, though.

    5. I played college basketball and absolutely feel it has helped me in other aspects of my life. I was pushed physically and mentally farther than I ever thought possible by many of the workouts we endured and that gave me the confidence to be able to push myself in other situations. In addition, I feel it gave me confidence in myself and helped me be able to make decisions (as you have to think quickly on the court) and tought me other qualities such as teamwork, leadership, etc. Plus I made friends for life. College sports are so much different than high school sports and you and your teammates go through so many things together from the highs to the lows that other people just don’t understand. Even though I graduated from college eight years ago and my teammates and I live in different parts of the country now, we still keep in touch and have a special bond. I also remember reading that out of all the female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, an extremely high percentage were athletes.

    8. Agree with the others–yes and yes. My parents had me in sports at a young age, and I varsity lettered in 3 in high school, transitioning into intramurals and recreational distance running in college. Played both team and individual sports (softball, tennis and cross country). The team sports help with understanding and performing as a member of a professional team today as well as interrelating to others and their specializations. The individual sports help with dealing in a competitive work environment, persistence through really tough times, stress relief, and winning (and losing) gracefully.

      The added bonus of having played and staying involved in sports today is finding I can understand and have something to talk about with my 99% male colleagues. Not only do they frequently (okay–shamelessly) pepper their language with sports analogies, but social talk on Mondays is often about the weekend tv game or about who shot a 70. My most current pick-up sport is golf, and that appears to offer a lifetime of learning and humbling experiences not to mention great chances to spend an sunny afternoon out of the office with clients.

    9. No, I never played team sports, I was never interested. My brother was a four-season athlete so the pressure was definitely there for me to do something, but I just didn’t want to do it. I was awkward as a kid and I also just disliked all of the “rah-rah, live for the team” ethic that I saw in a lot of my brothers’ teams. I did, however, run on my own, as well as bike (trail-riding) and I do feel that was important to helping me learn how to manage stress.

      Although I didn’t do team *sports*, I did get involved in competitive speech and debate in high school and college and actually went to college on debate scholarships, it paid for almost my entire education. As anyone who’s been on those teams knows, at the top-ranked collegiate level it’s as competitive (or more) than a sports team. There’s a strong emphasis on individual performance and on team performance both. If any of you have daughters who are not interested in team sports, I would think about encouraging them to debate. Women are underrepresented at the top echelons of the activity, and there are a lot of scholarships out there. And debate isn’t just training for law school – I am not a lawyer, but use the logical reasoning and presentation skills I learned in debate all the time in my job. Of the two top competitors on my college team, one went on to be a lawyer but the other one has a top job at a think tank; he has a Ph.D. but never went to law school. It’s a great competitive activity for people who may not be oriented towards sports.

  22. Question for those of you who’ve bought clothes from the Lands End canvas line — how do you find their sizing? I’m about to take the plunge on some swimwear and skinny jeans and could use some advice. I’m a 10 at Banana Republic, if that helps. Thanks!

    1. I’ve been really happy with their skinny jeans. I wear a 29 in James Jeans and Citizens and usually wear about an 8 in BR pants and am a 29 in the LE Canvas skinnies. They come up a little higher than the other skinny pants I’ve purchased which I like. I also bought a pair of the regular cords in 29 and love them (they are all sold out in my size now or else I’d buy more). No input on their bathing suits, but I did buy a couple of shirts / sweaters. The tops are all sized larger than J.crew, but maybe about the same as some BR. I generally am a S/M at J.crew and am definitely a S (and could prob wear an XS) from Canvas.

    2. I bought 2 cardigans, same style but different colors. One fits well and the other is a tiny bit tight. According to the chart I am an extra small.
      Customer service was great. I even got a hand written thank you note after my order came. (I’m old fashioned, notes like that carry weight with me.)

  23. Hi ladies,

    Long time reader here- always enjoy your wise opinions and insights and would love your input on this situation…

    I am a supposed to get my annual salary increase in January. For some very boring administrative reasons, my employer can never get their act together to actually decide what that raise should be until June (they do always pay me the backpay, but for the first six months of the year I’m never certain of what my actual salary is). This has been an annoyance in the past, but has never bothered me too much. This year the situation is different as I’m planning to give notice to quit at the end of Feb– we have a 3 month notice period (crazy, I know, but I work at a firm in London and this is standard!), so I will actually still be working until the end of May. I’m afraid that as soon as I give notice that will jeopardize any annual salary increase that I would have been given. Any bright ideas as to how I can work this? Should I be honest with HR/the partners about the situation? If salary issue not resolved before I give notice (and likely it won’t be), should I reference that in my resignation letter?

    Thank you for your thoughts!

    1. PS. Should also mention that for some historical reasons, this situation about timing of the annual salary increase is specific only to me and not other associates at the firm.

    2. I wouldn’t tell HR or the partners that you are planning on giving your notice. Can you approach them and say that you have different expenses this year and need to know now what your salary is and get paid it now instead of waiting until June and getting back pay?

      1. Seconded. I would try to just get on the same raise schedule as the other associates. When you give your notice, there’s no need to tell them that you already knew in January that you were going to give notice in February, so they won’t feel manipulated.

        1. Push them on it. It’s completely unreasonable to not know your pay half the year. You might want to rent a new apt., and need to show your salary, or perhaps you are trying to qualify for a mortgage. And even if that isn’t true, there is no reason why you can’t insinuate that you are looking to enter the property ladder and need some certainty!

  24. My husband just got an interview at a company in the tri-city area in TN. He’s very excited about the opportunity, and I’m excited for him. But I confess I’m terribly unexcited about the prospect of looking for a new job. We live in a big, big city now, where I work in a small law firm that I love. A cursory search of the tri-cities area suggests that it is (1) a stunningly beautiful part of the country, and (2) not exactly a thriving legal community. Anyone familiar with it? Tips for looking for a job only 2 years (minus one maternity leave) into my first legal job?

    1. Wow. The Tri-Cities are definitely small if you are used to a big city, but it is a beautiful area. Are you licensed in TN or VA? There are options to work in both states in that area so your licensing may drive where you look (also consider reciprocity, as TN is much easier to waive into than VA although you won’t be able to waive into TN if you’ve only been licensed for 2 years). I don’t live there, but I’ve practiced up there a fair bit. Most of the firms are really small (6 attorneys is considered large) so it is helpful that you are used to a small firm already. My recommendation when moving to a small place like that is to work out your licensing first and then start networking once you’re settled there. Join the local bar associations. If you’re doing criminal work, get on the court appointed lists. You may want to start running down friends and professional contacts to see if you know anyone in the area tthat you could be introduced to or take out to lunch for an informational interview. Not to be a downer, but this is probably not a situation where you’re going to find traditional job postings and just drop resumes. You will probably have to put in a little legwork.

      1. Thanks for the insight. I’m licensed only in IL, so I know another bar exam is probably in my future (gah! The horror of the first one hasn’t yet faded.). I’ll have to look into doing VA instead of or in addition to TN. What about NC? Is that close enough to be a helpful credential?

        From what you’re telling me, it sounds like I’m unlikely to have a job all lined up when I go; I need to be prepared for the possibility that I’ll need to get settled in there and have my ducks in a row first. In some ways, I guess that’s good. Like house-buying, it’s probably nice to get to know the area before laying out an investment.

        1. FWIW, you can’t transfer scores into VA. So if TN will let you, I would do VA first.

          1. Also make sure to have your husband lean on his employer a bit. They must use a law firm for something, and they should be able to get you an informational interview with whoever they use. More senior people in business are more likely to know senior lawyers, so have your husband at least mention to them that you are looking and send your resume to keep you in mind.

        2. Depending on where you live in the tri-cities, you may be within reasonable driving distance to NC, but the issue is that there aren’t really any large NC towns close by. I would go for TN or VA. TN is significantly easier than VA (and they do not make you wear a suit to take the bar). Right now you’re still able to take both at one time (VA – T, W and TN specific Th) but that’s going to change sometime in the next year or so.

  25. Does anyone have suggestions for finding cheap international flights? Like are there any particularly good days/time periods to look for tickets, days of the week to fly, or particular airlines I may not know about? I’m pretty good at finding domestic deals, but I don’t know enough about international airlines. My best friend is getting married in Scotland in July (very exciting), so I need a flight from NYC to Edinburgh (or maybe to London and then a short domestic flight?) and all the tickets on expedia seem to be more than I thought they would be. I saw an article recently that a lot of airlines are limiting what can be listed on sites that aggregate fares like expedia, so I’m wondering if I’m missing some awesome deal.

    1. Bing travel has a feature where it will tell you whether the fares are likely to go up or down. I would check that, and if it tells you to wait to buy tickets, I would just keep checking the fares every day (or maybe someone knows of an alert system). Also keep in mind that not all airlines are on Orbitz/Expedia/etc. anymore, so you may have to check individual airline websites to find the best fare.

      1. Tuesday is the best day. Make sure you google for some coupon codes, too.
        Look at PromotionalCodes.com
        Kayak.com compiles a lot of different fare site prices.
        Check farecast.com from Bing to see if the price is expected to rise/fall/stay constant.

        1. There was just an article in the WSJ this week about Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday being consistently cheaper days to buy than the weekend, Monday or Friday. It’s not even about where you’re going. It’s just the day you purchase!

    2. FWIW, I haven’t seen an international flight to Europe for less than $500 for a long time. I’m usually flying from Chicago, so I’m sure that makes a difference, but it’s not like the old days where flights to London were $150 a pop. :-(

      1. It also doesn’t help that you’re going during high season. Sorry. Do you have miles that you can use to help offset the cost?

    3. This doesn’t help with your days or times to look, but try Kayak.com. I think they have more international options posted there than on expedia.

    4. Are you on the specials email lists for airlines that travel that route and would be convenient from your home airport? I get the weekly kayak.com emails, and there are usually some international flights listed, so you might want to try that as well.

      FWIW, I saw that American Airlines is no longer posting fares on expedia or hotwire (I think on hotwire), but they are on kayak and some other sites that aggregate fares.

    5. Often airline tickets are cheaper when bought directly from the airline instead of on a travel site – the travel site adds some fees, and the airline may not have the lowest fair available offered on the travel site. Flying on Tuesdays or Wednesdays tends to be cheaper than flying on weekends. And July is far away – I wouldn’t buy until like 4-6 weeks in advance. Ticket prices usually go down closer to the date (and then go back up when you’re really close), and also, if you have to change your plans at all you risk incurring fees and thereby raising your ticket price.

      Flying to a major airport like Heathrow or Gatwick will be cheaper than flying to Edinburgh. You could also take a train or rent a car and drive from London to Edinburgh, if you want to have a little side trip or something renting a car might be a fun adventure.

      1. It’s really not that easy to get to Edinburgh directly, as NY – Ed is not a cheap route. Have a look for flights to Dublin, too (Air Lingus) – there’s a very cheap Ryanair connection that makes that route quite affordable if you’re not too attached to having lots of luggage!

        Otherwise I agree that flying into Heathrow or Gatwick is a good way to go about it. Gatwick probably has more cheaper connections to Edinburgh with budget airlines like Easyjet etc (although to go really cheaply from London to Edinburgh I’ve always needed to go from Luton – not recommended in this case.) If you want Heathrow-Edinburgh it tends to be BA, and while they *can* be cheap, they’re often not!

        Finally, both KLM (and Air France) and Lufthansa fly to Edinburgh – if you’re lucky you might get an affordable flight via Amsterdam/Paris/Frankfurt.

        If you want the scenic option, you can also book the train to Edinburgh from London – the stretch Newcastle northward is spectacular, and it’s also cheap if you book online in advance. From Heathrow to Kings Cross is pretty easy too.

      2. sorry, I have to disagree with the advice about waiting until 4-5 weeks out to purchase.

        July is peak season for travel from the US–>Europe. You’ll be looking at a world of hurt if you wait until then. 12 weeks out maybe, but all the tour operators will be buying the low fare classes out in bulk 6-8 months in advance to move in folks from the US for cruises/bus tours/barge tours/language programs etc. That coupled with regular business travel and the decreased capacity we’ve seen over the last 3 years pushes fares sky high.

        1. Seconded.

          And just for comparison’s sake, I just booked from west coast to London (for spring travel, not summer) while there was a fare sale on and was able to get $880 round-trip — a great rate for non-stop direct SFO-Heathrow lately.

        2. I don’t think I’ve ever planned a trip so far in advance! Even 4-5 weeks seems long to me. I think you’re unusual to plan so far ahead.

          1. That’s funny; I think the exact opposite. I plan at least three months ahead when I go abroad.

          2. I usually start planning a trip a year in advance, especially if going abroad. Leftover habit from my parents…

          3. Typically book hotels & cars on the flight going out, and travel every week. Always scoffed at folks who book in advance (how can they possibly plan so far out?), but recently learned a painful lesson.

            Went to Kona over holidays 2010-2011. We found that every.single.rental.car from every company on the island was booked by November 15th. Even my gold/plat status couldn’t free up a car. Finally found a subcompact at Hertz day of arrival and jumped at the chance to pay $350/day for 5 days (yes that’s right). Goes without saying that my car is already booked for NYE 2011 to 2012. And my rate is $219/week.

    6. Also, try flying into Manchester and taking the train. I always do this when visiting a friend who lives in Northern England and it is typically several hundred dollars less than flying into London.

      1. This is not a terrible idea, but I know first-hand that the flights into Manchester from the East Coast of the US have been cut dramatically over the last two years (BA in particular rarely flies there now). Costs appear to have risen accordingly.

        My family lives about 1.5 hours from Manchester, 4 hours from London and I find it much cheaper these days to fly into London and take the train up. I’d be surprised if the reverse was cheaper.

        1. Interesting. I fly direct to Manchester from a large Southern US city and Manchester is always less expensive (direct) than London. Never flown BA though.

          Just goes to show that you always need to do your research for your own particular circumstances!

          1. Another suggestion is to fly direct to Amsterdam and then take a regional flight to Edinburgh.

    7. I’ve had luck booking international travel through Fare Buzz and they helped us out when our flights were cancelled by the airline and had to be rebooked.

    8. Yes: 1) start with Farecompare dot com to get an idea of the cents per mile to the surrounding airports. This will tell you which airports have the cheapest flights. e.g. if you are out of NYC–look at JFK, EWR and IAD as jumping off points 2) ABSOLUTELY go to yapta dot com, create an account and set alerts up on a number of sample routings. you can also use yapta to see yearly trends to determine whether that $800 flight which seems super-expensive actually represents the lowest you will see in high-period summer 3) go to flyertalk dot com and read through some of the boards of your preferred airline carriers to figure out which carriers discount for which days 4) decide whether it’s more worthwhile to you to spend the money or do something like fly to london and then transfer to low cost carrier Ryan Air. The problem with flying two unrelated airlines is that if for some reason the first airline loses your luggage or has a delayed flight, the second airline is under no obligation to transfer your luggage or rebook you to a final destination. this could be very problematic for a date sensitive affair like a wedding.

      1. I don’t disagree with the other things you’ve said, but IAD makes NO sense out of New York City — it is Washington, D.C. area (Dulles Airport). Maybe you meant LGA? But there are no international flights out of there, except maybe to Canada.

        1. Nope. didn’t mean LGA. If you fly star alliance flights other than continental, (united/lufthansa/bmi), it may be a cheaper option to fly out of IAD which is where those airlines have a US hub.

          Flying EWR–>Europe or JFK–>Europe direct on the alliances that are hubbed in NYC and offer those international flights (OneWorld etc.) can be more expensive because those airlines have high demand for finance travel NYC-LHR which can push rates.

          A super quick fare compare on NYC all airports to edinburgh for July dates shows pre-tax fares ranging from $773 (M,T,W) to $1324 (F, SAT) and from IAD airports it’s $600 (MTW) to $650 (T, F, SAT). Taxes add around $400 for a total of $1000-$1200.

          That being said, Continental has a direct nightly flight from EWR-EDI. It’s more expensive, but there’s a price to convenince. If it were me, and I’m one who flies 2x or more per week and will pay for convenience-I’d set a several yapta alerts on that continental flight for differing days and returns and bite once I saw it drop.

    10. I would fly into London Heathrow or Gatwick for sure it will definitely be cheaper from the NY area. Edinburgh’s airport does not have a lot of the budget airlines flying in there but there are several that fly Heathrow to Glasgow if I remember correctly and Glasgows an easy train ride (maybe an hour?) from Edinburgh. I lived in Edinburgh for one semester during undergrad and often flew out of Glasgow because it was cheaper when I was traveling around Europe!

      Have fun Edinburgh is an amazing city and one of my favorite places in the world!

      1. To be strictly accurate, you need to get a bus to Glasgow Queen Street Station from the airport and then the train to Edinburgh, which is about 45 minutes. Fairly easy, and I’ve certainly done it. But DON’T book a flight to the budget Glasgow airport if you can possibly avoid it – it’s in Paisley and an absolute pain to get to, particularly early or late.

        Edinburgh now has a fair few budget airlines flying from there – both Easyjet and Ryanair have established themselves, so I wouldn’t go to Glasgow unless you absolutely have to. (Though it’s a nice city to visit.)

        EPQ, I can only agree with you. Am still rather sorry I had to leave…except for the weather!)

    11. When shopping for a trip to Japan recently I found that on Expedia it was actually cheaper to get a roundtrip flight and a hotel for two weeks than it was to get just the flight. If you have some leeway in what hotel you stay at you might want to try that.

    12. Try Momondo.com. It searches both airplane companies and those travel sites, and you can see if changing days to fly out/back will make it cheaper. (You have to go to the travel sites to book though. )

      It might work to fly to, and take the train up from either London, Glasgow, Manchester or Newcastle upon Tyne, but also take the cost of the train (plus extra food for the train trip, or whatever) into account when you’re calculating the total cost. Personally, I love taking the train in the UK, but it does add to the total travel time and I do notice that cost tend to add up for random stuff on the journey.

      1. Also consider how you’ll feel getting on a train after a long flight. I was a complete wreck when I flew into Manchester and then had to sit on a slow train to Edinburgh for over three hours – I had no choice, given where I was coming from (rural France), but I wouldn’t recommend it!

  26. Any other vegans out there? I’m having the hardest time finding good non-leather shoes to wear for work. I scour my internet sources, order a pair, get it, find out that they don’t fit or are intensely uncomfortable, return them, repeat, repeat, repeat. Every once in a while I find a pair that is tolerable, then I wear them to death. I just want classic, good-looking black pumps with a medium heel – 2 to 3 inches – that don’t kill my feet. Yesterday’s frustrating moment: I went to court with a bunch of other attorneys and the men were striding along in their comfortable shoes, the only other woman is very pregnant so was wearing flats, and I was tottering along behind them, barely able to keep up in my uncomfortable pumps. So ridiculous, and so not what I want! Sometimes I think I should give in and buy one pair of really good leather shoes, but so far I haven’t gotten there. Any advice/ideas would be appreciated – thanks!

    1. Have you tried Beyond Skin? They are fairly cute & comfy, I think.
      Available on Endless.

    2. Some vegans I know will buy secondhand leather shoes, and scour eBay and vintage stores for them.

      Barring that, if you want comfort, you should look for fabric pumps rather than synthetic faux leather ones. The synthetic leathers are really stiff and will never stretch out and mold to your feet like leather will. Don’t go for a satiny fabric lest you look like a bridesmaid, but a tweedy or other textured fabric will look better. A quick google search for fabric pumps turned up a few options – the Bandolino Berry, for instance, which is a pretty ubiquitous/classic style comes in fabric.

    3. Aldo has a TON of all man made materials shoes. And many currently are on sale

  27. I need to raise my grades a bit this semester, and I have a lot of other things on my plate too. To accomplish everything, I need to be working pretty much constantly. It’s important to me to get enough sleep, so that leaves about an hour a day for me for personal life, total – including weekends. I’m used to being able to take off most of a day or an entire day off each week for maintaining my sanity, but I won’t be able to accomplish my goals this semester if I do that.

    Do you guys have any tips on staying sane and not burning out during extra stressful times like these?

    1. Meditation CD’s. Stop and pop one in during the afternoon. Better than a nap because you will be recharged.

    2. Plan your free time a bit. When I was in law school I had kind of a similar schedule. At the end of the night, I would treat myself to a big glass of red wine, some popcorn and an episode of my favorite-hour long tv show. During that time, I didn’t think about anything other than what I was watching–it was good to take my mind off of school. Obviously other days I did other things but I wouldn’t let phone calls or emails dictate what I was going to do in my free time.

    3. Make sure to get plenty of sleep. And if you have a free morning, definitely sleep in. If you have a free hour or so, go to the gym – it helps to keep you calm and level things out. For me, it lessens the stress such that not-so-big-deals stay not-so-big-deals, instead of getting blown out of proportion. Also, do your best to stay on top of everything up front. Always remember that it’s a lot easier to deal with something right away than it is to wait until the last minute.

    4. Spend at least 30 minutes of that hour working out, doing yoga or pilates, or at least taking a walk. Yes, it’s really hard to motivate yourself when you’re already tired, but at least 30 minutes a day of exercise will do wonders for your overall energy levels and happiness.

      The second-best thing to do with that extra hour would be to use it to prepare healthy food – sliced veggies and a sandwich on wholegrain bread for tomorrow’s lunch, pasta with veggies for dinner, lots of fruit, etc. A healthy, plant-heavy diet will also give you a lot more energy.

    5. One stress-burning trick I did when studying for the bar was to take walk breaks during studying. When I felt my mind starting to wander or get sleepy or distracted, I would get up from my desk and walk around the block. It’s a short break, but it gets you outside and gets some fresh air to the brain.

      Even if you can’t take a whole day of rest off, can you schedule in a weekend morning off to read the paper over coffee, do a yoga video, meditate, catch up on calling friends, whatever relaxes you. School can be stressful, but a little perspective can go a long way: This too shall pass.:)

    6. Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I think I’m definitely going to start doing yoga again, that just might be the thing I need….

      1. I can recommend Shiva Rae’s Surf Yoga Soul for a moderately strong intensive set of Yoga workouts – there are several sequences lasting from 7 – 20 mins that you can mix and match. It isn’t all Yoga, some of it has flowing movements included which are very soothing to do.
        Yoga for stress relief by Barbara Benagh is also very good – different, poses, held for several breaths rather than a flow.
        What works for me during times like this is to set a specific ‘me time’ time. after a couple of days it becomes easier to click into the ‘me time’ time e.g. stop at 6pm for Yoga then tea and start working / doing again at 7.30pm.
        Hope this helps.

    7. (1) Buy this pen: http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/
      (2) Type notes as you read before class (spending no more than 2 hours reading/typing, this is hard to do because you absolutely must be focused!)
      (3) Go to class. Leave laptop at home. Have pre-class notes printed, make notes of what to change on them. Make notes in livescribe notebook on things not in your pre-class notes.
      (4) Update pre-class notes immediately after class. Spend no more than 1 hour doing this. (Again, this takes serious focus but is doable.)
      (5) Before finals, work as many sample finals as possible, but you won’t need to spend a lot of time outlining. Just make a mini outline of your notes (5-10 pages tops.)
      (6) Make all A’s spending just 3 hours out of class for every class meeting.

      1. Is that a recording pen? Just be careful with a recording pen, I remember the professor found out a classmate was recording 1L year and went apeshit, the kid had never asked and got in a lot of trouble.

  28. Thoughts please….(sorry, got a little long)
    I am 1 1/2 years into a 2 year bankruptcy clerkship in Salt Lake City. I went to the ABI in Denver this week (thanks to those who gave me advice on packing, it was definitely business casual so I looked fine). One of the purposes in going was to get my face out there to firms as I am starting the search. I had a warm reception from all and plenty of – talk with us when you are interested in the job search.

    The Chapter 13 Trustee was one who seemed very very interested in me. As a side note — I have multiple years of experience in chapter 13 work, in undergrad I was a posting clerk for a 13 Trustee (for the Trustee prior to this one — I was there when the office split and stayed with the former Trustee) and before law school I worked at a different 13 Trustee office as a case administrator. So needless to say I am uniquely qualified for a staff attorney at a Trustee’s office.

    So the pros are:
    1) I know 13 work – it is my comfort zone
    2) no billables, normal working hours — we are interested in having more kids (I have a 2 year old currently) so I would be able to see him
    3) I am the only person he is thinking of hiring — he has 2 other staff attorneys and his comment was — I am picky about attorneys. If I don’t take it, he would not move forward with hiring another. He has said he does not expect one of his staff attorneys to continue working after her upcoming marriage.
    4) supervisory experience — something I am lacking and need if I want to go down route of court administration (*which I am considering as well).

    Cons:
    1) lower salary — probably close to what I am making now so it is livable, but $25-40k less then I would make at a firm with no bonuses. I am the primary bread winner of the family. My husband is a part-time contract worker and he takes care of our son. I asked for some information on insurance premiums as I would be the carrier.
    2) appearance of settling — I worked hard in law school and I have worked hard at my clerkship, will I look like a slacker for taking this job. Would I be desirable to firms in 5 years or so at this job when my kids are older and mommy guilt won’t be too bad. It seems like all former Trustee and former staff attorneys end up doing consumer work, which is something I would like to avoid. I would be running 341 meetings, so maybe that would help if the firm has a ch 7 Trustee.
    3) I know 13s and will I get bored of doing them? There are still plenty issues that come up, but will the same old same old that I have known for years get boring?

    Any thoughts — I have ran this by some of my friends, 1 in a firm with billables and another at a legal services — both say go for the Trustee’s position. I am going to go to lunch with a former law clerk who was just appointed a ch 7 Trustee here to get her opinion as well. But I am just looking for thoughts, opinions, things I missed in looking at it.

    Thanks — sorry for the book!

    1. I think you should do what you think would make you happiest in the short term because I think that generally speaking that leads to opportunities that will make you happier in the long run–one good job leads to another, etc. Clearly there are exceptions to this rule but if you think this would make you happy, I’d go for it. Who cares if people think you settled? Honestly, I work in Big Law and I feel sorry for the people around me because I think they are the ones who settled (I’m on my way out the door, God willing).

      Part of determining whether it’d make you happy, though, is whether the financial burden would be too much to bear. If not, then I think you should go for it.

      Good luck!

    2. I don’t know anything about bankruptcy law, but it sounds like you have the classic dilemma between high-powered, competitive career v. lower-powered, 9-5 career with time for your family. Since your husband cares for your son, it’s probably not going to harm him (or you) at all to have you working all the time – it’s not like you’re going to be racing out of the office to pick him up a half-hour late from daycare, desperately calling babysitters when he wakes up with a fever, etc. You’re lucky in that respect. But it will probably affect you emotionally to be unable to spend a lot of time with your son and husband, and the stress of having a new baby and maternity leave will be greater in a higher-powered job than in a lower-powered one. So you need to consider whether the mental stress of having limited time with your family would bother you more than the mental stress of having less money and a less challenging job.

      I don’t think anyone who doesn’t know you personally can really tell you what to do here. Personally, I’m very ambitious career-wise and would prefer to have a challenging, competitive job and less time with family. But most people would make the opposite choice. You’re probably not going to regret spending more time with your family if you take the lower-paid job, but – and this is a big but – you need to make sure the lower-paid job will still leave you financially comfortable, because you don’t want the kids to have mommy at home every night but have to send them to a bad school or drive an unsafe car. If the salary at the lower-paid job just won’t work for you, then I think this is a no-brainer – as the primary breadwinner, you have to do what’s best financially for your family.

      Hope this helps.

    3. Do you want to stay in SLC? Firm jobs are *very* competitive; I’m a partner here & I’ve met many top May 2010 grads from the local schools who still don’t have jobs. The Utah market is unique. If SLC is where you want to be, take the UST job; it can be a springboard to other bankruptcy-related things for you. But if you ultimately want to be in another market, try to get there sooner rather than later.

      1. We do want to stay in SLC – I went to law school in another state and got maybe 2 interviews trying to break into SLC market – so I know how unique it is and that is one of the reasons for my concern about looking like I am settling if I want a firm job later on — I know that women in firms here are not as plentiful as in other states.

        I was fortunate to get the clerkship here and it really opened up the doors. Before I went to this conference I was concerned about finding a job afterward, but bankruptcies are not slowing down here.

        One thing, this is with the chapter 13 trustee’s office, not the UST office. So mainly 341 meetings and dealing with consumer attorneys. But it would keep me free for research and speaking opportunities.

    4. I’m in Atlanta, will be clerking for a bk judge and know the chapter 13 trustees relatively well. In all honesty, they are awesome. I love their staff attorneys and would love working with them. This is one of the top 5 courts for chapter 13, so they’re super busy. They’re intelligent people capable of managing massive workloads. Frankly, I love their energy. I understand your cons, (really I do, they’re stopping me from aggressively pursing a post-clerkship position with them; well, that and I really like the complex restucturing groups at the big firms here) but I think the staff attorneys are happy and happiness is the most important consideration. So if your trustees and their staff attorneys have the same work atmosphere, I say go for it. Especially given your mommy-guilt consideration. This is an ideal job for getting to know every attorney/law firm in town; perfect for 5 years down the road when you’re ready to move into private practice.

    5. I think you should take the job you want. Who cares if you look like a slacker? In 5 years, everoyne who went Big Law will want this job!

  29. So, anyone here ever been to Patagonia? My husband and I are considering going for two weeks in the fall (so we can see penguins and orcas!), and I’d like to know how people did it. We’re considering one of those services that arranges all the accommodations and domestic travel for us, but not having any type of guide – has anyone tried that?

    Anyway, I’d be happy to hear any recommendations!

    1. Haha – I was going to say, sure I’ve shopped there before, I love my jacket! Sounds like an amazing trip – have fun!!

    2. That’s going to be my next trip. Have you looked at GAP Adventures? I’m planning on going when the baby penguins come out, and when the big park is still open. Hopefully some hiking and wine tours in Chile too!

      Great choice!

      1. Just got back from a trip to El Calafate and Bariloche (as well as a couple of other destinations in Argentina). It was *amazing* and I think the patagonia swing was my favorite part to the trip.

        Some general thoughts:
        – I thought Bariloche was over-rated. Seemed kinda like Aspen to me, not that interesting.
        -Spend your time in farther southern patagonia — e.g., el calafate, Ushihia, etc. Take a boat ride around the Moreno Glacier, and hike on it if you are in good shape.
        – I don’t know anything about Chilean patagonia or the eastern coast of patagonia, but I here there is some good nature watching.
        -final tip, the flights are looooooong. Buenos Aires to NYC is almost 11 hours, and El Calafate from Buenos Aires is another 3.5. Its totally worth it, but bring a good book and a sleeping pill.

    3. I love Patagonia! We did all of our own arrangements, though I used to do a lot of work in Chile so I was comfortable travelling there. That said, it’s not hard even if you don’t know the country very well. Assuming you want to do the classic things, visit the penguin sanctuary and Torres del Paine, you basically just need to get to Punta Arenas and arrange a couple of buses (one to Puerto Natales and another from PN to the park). We called from the States to make reservations, but I suspect now most places will be on line as well. There are lovely hostels in PN, and in Punta Arenas you can even leave it up to finding accomodation at the bus station when you arrive. I recommend getting the Lonely Planet guide book as they have good solid information. Are you planning to camp at the park or stay in a hotel and visit by car?

    4. I’ve been to Chilean Patagonia and the lake district. It’s incredibly beautiful, and there’s amazing wildlife (in the interior as well as the coast). I traveled independently and didn’t find it difficult, but I’m fluent in Spanish. That said, there’s a lot of tourism in that area and while many folks don’t speak English, they’re accustomed to non-Spanish speakers wandering about.

      I took the ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales – it’s a 3-day trip through the Patagonian channels, and is incredibly beautiful. If you’re shorter on time, there’s jet service from Santiago to Punta Arenas. I don’t know much about arrangements on the Argentine side, because I didn’t get over there.

      I loved the Torres del Paine, but I would resist any bus tours and try to do at least a day hike – it’s so beautiful that you’ll just ache to be out in it, exploring.

      1. I should clarify that I am suggesting buses just to get from PN to the park entrance. We hiked the “W” circuit in the park, which I think captures all the highlights and can be done in 3 nights (the full circuit takes a week).

  30. Interviewing in winter tips anyone? I had an interview for a non-profit for an entry-ish level position in the Northeast. I don’t want to be too overdressed, but I am leaning towards a skirt suit. Or would jacket plus non-matching skirt be better? What about shoes? I was going to wear my black winter boots which are simple but still clearly winter boots and then change into appropriate shoes. Should I do that at the office (come in early, ask to use the restroom, switch and then wait) or change a block or two away and risk trying to get through a puddle or two? Gah – so many decisions!

    1. I recently interviewed in the Midwest (also at a non-profit) in a black skirt suit with black tights. I wore two pairs of tights for warmth and definitely needed a slip to control static. Thank you, winter :) I took the train downtown and wore my heels the whole time, which was fine for me. If it’s snowing, you might want to wear boots, but otherwise I don’t think they are necessary. Just my $.02.

    2. It depends on the city re footwear. For example, NY is not good at plowing but Boston is pretty good…depending on when the snow has arrived, you would definitely want to wear boots into the building. If they are not on the ground floor, then you can just change in the lobby. :)

    3. NYC has been terrible lately for slush and ice. Can you ask a local friend the day before you go up? Boston is generally like this between December-March, only with better salting of sidewalks.

      I’ve been interviewing for residency and realized I’d break my ankles on the bad sidewalks. For the last two weeks, I’ve worn rainboots then changed into my rather boring black interview pumps.

      Fleece-backed tights sounds a little easier than two pairs of hose (I hate tights). Any reason why a pant suit is not appropriate? It is *cold* right now and I’m pretty sure they’d understand.

    4. Thanks for the suggestions. I know there are unavoidable puddles between my apartment and public transportation, which is why I was leaning towards boots. And I think the organization is in a stand-alone structure, so no luck about changing in the lobby…

      I was leaning towards skirt (with fleece-lined tights maybe) because I figured I would either manage to get my pant hems wet and dirty or horribly wrinkled on my way to the interview.

      1. Would taking a cab be an option? I’m a public transit over cab person in general, but I’ve occasionally taken cabs to interviews for ease/ peace of mind (this is probably the first time I’ve ever equated cab use with piece of mind :). The last thing you want to be thinking about pre-interview is whether your pants are noticeably wrinkled.

        The reason I wore a skirt suit is because currently, that’s the only suit I own. I also wore a nice turtleneck and a tasteful-but-fun necklace, so I felt put together but a step down from a collared shirt and pearls. I definitely did not feel overdressed, although I know that dress codes range considerably across non-profits.

        Bottom line, do what will put you most at ease. I don’t think anyone would be bothered by you wearing winter boots as long as the conditions outside merit it (i.e. if it hadn’t snowed, sidewalks were completely clear and dry, etc., boots might not seem as necessary). Same for pant suit vs. skirt suit–do whatever will make you feel most comfortable. I think either one sounds appropriate.

        Good luck!

  31. Wow, I missed so much last week! I am loving the classics suggestions. I am all set to download. :)

    Can I say Wow! The Muse is drool worthy.

  32. Don’t have any idea if this site has been mentioned here, but I found a good travel-product website– 3floz.com

  33. Shopping heads up: I am not sure if they are doing this at all Coach outlet stores or not, but I was at one in Michigan today and they are having a huge, huge sale today and tomorrow. There are a ton of purses/wallets/etc on major markdown, and then they gave another 30% off of everything in the entire store. I ended up getting two purses and a wallet, including a $358 purse for $122.

  34. Help, friends – I”ve got a terminological questions: My stomach is not flat and I am over the moon to see lots of dresses lately with some gathering/draping/rouching/pleating the means that the dress is not sort of accentuating my belly area. I very much want to find more like this….

    so my question is: how do I search for this sort of thing online (obviously I can spot it when i am shopping in person!)??

    Very grateful for your help!

    1. Your terms – gathered, draped, rouched, pleated, dress – ought to work. If you are on a store’s site, you could search for dresses and hit “view all” to scan them quickly for styles you like. I doubt that “dress to hide stomach” would be a good search phrase because most clothing descriptions don’t allude to such practical concerns. Good luck!

  35. Looking for a bit of comfort ladies – I went to my hair person yesterday, same woman I’ve been going to for years and have been very satisfied with. She’s in a nice salon in a major city. And then I did something stupid: decided on an impulse that I was tired of my very boring hair and wanted something with more style and professionalism. We talked it over for a while and eventually settled on a shoulder length cut (about 4″ off) with “lots of layers.”

    I swear to god I ended up with a shorter version of the Rachel (a cut she recently admitted she absolutely hated). And some of these layers, especially the layers in the front of my face (where bangs would be) are effectively very long bangs that are 2-3″ inches short of chin length. I tried to do a bit of work today and they keep falling in my face and it is driving me CRAZY. Plus they look extra stupid with my glasses, which I typically wear to work. And it’s too bloody short to put back into a ponytail anymore.

    I think I look terrible, even younger than I did before. Plus I feel stupid for doing something on impulse instead of with a well thought out plan that effectively communicated what was important to me, which is how I usually am. Shoulder length to me means SHOULDER LENGTH EVERYTHING, not that only the longest pieces are shoulder length. I just want to sit in the corner and cry all day. And the internet tells me that hair grows *up to* a half inch a month, so I am stuck with these stupid effing bangs for 4 months. And I just got in a fight with my SO because I feel so ugly I don’t want to leave the house, which is obviously not a solution for the next four months.

    I am so sad right now.

    1. Give it a couple days. You may like the cut more, especially when you’ve had a chance to style it yourself. I cut my hair really short and initially did not like it. I felt like a boy. But it grew on me and now I love the new look. If the bangs continue to drive you crazy, you can pin them back with.a sills bobby pin.

    2. I’m sorry. It can be hard to go through such a change and then not be happy with the results. Just remember, we’ve all been there too. I remember breaking down in tears once while brushing my hair because so much of it was gone and the brush strokes felt so awkward and short. Sometimes it gets better after a few days just because you’re more used to it.

      Try playing with it for a while and trying out different things. Don’t let yourself get frustrated with not liking the results, just have fun with all the new looks you could do (and feel free to laugh at some of them – Ellen might suggest a SCRUNCHIE). Go to a drug store and see if there are any new products to try out, like a barrette or clip (alternatively you could look on Amazon if you still don’t want to go out). Think of it as an opportunity to try out all the stuff you haven’t before.

      Good luck.

    3. Chin up there love, we have all had a haircut we hated. keep in mind no one gives 1/10000th of the thought time that you do. And a half inch in a month will change the look of it significantly. This summer I chopped off 6 inches because it was so hot out, I alternated between loving and hating daily. You can always put it half up, and it will be ready to put all the way back soon with some bobby pins. Deep breath and remember there are worse things! It will grow back and you will get used to it, and shorter means easier to wash, etc.

    4. It really will grow! And it may look better in just a week or two once it has the chance to sort of settle.

      The other option is to just get it re-cut into a different style. It might seem counter-productive, but if you’re unhappy with the look of the hairstyle, maybe you might consider a sleek bob or something (sounds like something a hairstylist could do with your hair this way) or even just fixing the front to be less choppy. That way even if you don’t love the look, at least the annoying front pieces will be less in your way.

    5. This sucks, lady. I’m actually there, too. I recently switched from a longtime hairstylist to someone else in her salon. This week (maybe my 3rd appointment with the new stylist), I was inspired by a friend who recently cut her hair short and looks Fabulous, so I told the guy that I trusted him, and to give me something short.

      Bad idea.

      I think I look awful. Folks at work have been very nice, mostly telling me that I look cute, or younger. Which I think they mean as compliments.

      My brother emailed me looking for a good picture to put on his new baby’s wall, in a pictoral family-tree-type thing. I don’t have any that are suitable, and I sure as hell am not going to take one right now.

      All you can do is wait it out (or get it cut shorter, but it doesn’t seem like you’re into that).

      My grandfather used to say that the difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is two weeks. For women, I think it’s a little longer… but it’s not the end of your life.

      Wear hats, put the sides up, and just do whatever you can to muddle through this in-between time. I’m just going to try to do what my stylist suggested. Maybe you and I do actually look better? Who knows. But I can guarantee that a frown on our faces makes it look a whole lot worse.

      1. Wow do you sound vain and annoying. It’s jsut hair, take a picture for your neice or nephew to learn about their history. Who are you trying to impress there?

        And saying you look cute is defini9tely a compliment. To take it otherwise is just a negative attitude which most likely portrays a negative personality people do not want to be around.

    6. Oh man. Been there. In my case, I walked into the stylist’s with medium-brown hair just below my shoulder and walked out with a blond short bob that came to just under my ears. I had wanted “a change” and boy, I got it. I loved it for about two hours and then ended up collapsing in tears on the bathroom floor for most of that evening when I realized exactly how short I had cut it, and how long it was going to take to grow out.

      Anyway – we have all been there, but unfortunately once it’s cut, it’s cut. Don’t be too hard on your stylist. If you spent some time talking about it, and she asked questions and you felt like she understood what you wanted, she probably was trying to give you what you wanted, and just didn’t get to the idea that you had in your head. If you absolutely can’t stand the layers, you can go get it cut again, but to get it close to one length they will have to cut it to the shortest layer, which may be pretty short. With shorter top layers, one effective thing while it’s growing out is to learn to use barrettes to put the top layers back – barrettes don’t have to be girly or cutesy and they do work.

      In the short term, one thing you need to accept is that although you think this is a huge, ugly change, most likely people who know you will not even notice – or think you look “fine.” I think we all have a concept of ourselves in our head that sometimes doesn’t match up well with the reality of how we look to others. Most likely, you do not look anything close to the Bride of Frankenstein; you just look markedly different from your self-concept and it’s a shock. Don’t refuse to leave the house with your SO; if he/she thinks you look fine, I am sure you do in fact look fine.

      As for growing out bangs and layers, my experience is that frequent cuts – every 6 weeks – will help keep the shape of the hair nice and manageable as it grows out. Someone the other day mentioned taking prenatal vitamins to grow their hair out, in a thread about growing out nails, and I was kind of fascinated by that – I would totally try it if it might work. Also, there are shampoos/conditioners out there that promise to accelerate growth – I’ve used Nioxin in the past to good effect. Although right now you are thinking “this is going to take forever to grow out” in fact, the time will pass quickly and you may find you like the cut as you learn how to style it.

      Finally, I think Kat had a link the other day about “writing a letter to yourself” about how much you hate a certain haircut or procedure so you remember, when you consider it again, how much you hated it last time. I actually am planning to do this in regards to going on extreme crash diets because I have tried them in the past, been miserable, had no luck, and ended up wasting time and money doing something where I only lost a tiny bit of weight and was a raging b*tch the whole time because I was so hungry. I am better off going to the gym more and cutting sugar gradually if I want to lose weight. You might want to write yourself a letter about this haircut to save for later. And you also might want to tell your stylist – gently – that the next time you ask for a radical change, she encourages you to hold off on it until a later visit, rather than jumping right into it that day.

      Cheer up and don’t worry – this too shall pass :)

      1. I’m so sorry – I’ve been there too. Give yourself a chance to get used to it and get better at styling it. Your old methods of blowdrying, etc. aren’t going to work any more, but it takes a little while to figure out new methods. Same thing with styling products – maybe go to your local beauty supply store and ask the salespeople to recommend some kind of goop or spray that will help make it do what you want. And I couldn’t agree more with the “two weeks” saying – I think you will like it much better in two weeks. If you hate the bangs, try tucking it behind your ears and spritzing it with some hairspray to keep it there. And try switching your part around. If you’re still feeling awful, splurge on some new makeup – I recently upgraded from MAC to Chanel and I couldn’t be happier – go to the Chanel counter and tell them you want to look polished and elegant and let them work their magic (they did a full-face makeover for me), then buy a few things to use at home. Their stuff is great and will make you feel like a million bucks – then just walk around knowing that your blush or lipstick or whatever is absolutely stunning. Good luck to you – it’ll be okay!

    7. Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I did this too. 6 months pregnant, unhappy with everything about my looks, decided to go for an impulse “bob.” Came out with a shag. It was AWFUL. Even my husband was like, um, mullet?

      Invest in some small butterfly clips and/or bobby pins and learn how to style your hair up for a while. It’ll grow faster than you think.

    8. Give it a few days and you’ll get used to it. Have someone take pictures of you so you can see how it really looks and you’ll probably like it much better. It’s just hard to get used to a new hairstyle. I’m sure it looks great. If you’ve been going to your stylist for years, I’m certain she knows how to cut and style your hair; the problem is with your perception, not the cut itself.

  36. I have a style/trend question. I know the trend right now if for men to keep the collars of their shirts inside of the blazer (when worn without a tie). Is this true for women? I hope not, because I look a lot better (nicer lines) when my shirt lapels are outside of my blazer. Insights would be appreciated.

    1. I always wear my collar inside my jacket, but I think it’s a personal preference/regional thing. Imho, collar outside seems more like a politician or look for women who are a generation or two older than I am. Having said that, I’ve seen it work both ways on a variety of women. If you think it looks better on you, go for it!

    4. I think the problem with the collar out is that it has the tendency to look really dated. The new Florida AG is fairly young and tends to wear her collars out, but with the jewel tones she normally picks, the collars just look huge and are reminiscent of Saturday Night Fever. My guess is that the look is much better with a white/pastel shirt that has a smaller collar.

    5. I wear my collars out, but they are not huge and don’t look 70s. If I try to tuck them inside (esp with spread collar) they just look weird.

Comments are closed.