Friday's Letters

Sorry, I'm a little tardy late to the party, but here we go!

Dear Heat- Lay off... seriously, my poor skin, a/c bill, puppy, yard are dying out here! dear hubs - yes, you're gone again and its ok, but you totally owe me several Friday date nights! Dear Anna- You have prepared for this next week and I am so proud of you! And ummm. Taco Bell date next weekend? Good Luck my Miss McKinney! Dear skin - yeah let's get with the program... I look like I'm 50 lately or 12, let's stick with almost 30, ok? Dear People who feel the need to huff and sigh at work - it does not score you points, it annoys me, and its loud! it's your job, just do it, I don't sigh when I get handed stuff to do! Dear August 1 - get here so I can be in Puerto Rico Dear Chloe - you are getting a cut this weekend, say goodbye hair hello skin! Now you will hopefully quit panting up a storm. Dear LC Collection @ Kohl's - I love you. Like almost all of you... your tanks so cute, your jacket's and the mint half midi/maxi skirt I just got! Dear metabolism - yeah where'd ya go? Dear Blogger friends- I apologize for the lack of insightfulness this week, I've been in a rut.

It's Ok Thursday

Absent blogger here, ready to tell what is ok with her today! Link up with Neely and Amber and join the fun! It' ok...

• to get extremeley annoyed by the amount of people who know think they are constitutional scholars via facebook, come on, you had no clue what the commerce clause was/is until today...
• to think that a 50+ page SCOTUS opinion is just way too long, come on justices, no need to wax poetic for more than what you allow in a brief
• to bill for "research" when reading the numerous SCOTUS opinions, I mean at some point I will need to know this information, right?
• to buy spa treatments on Living Social and Groupon
• it apply deodorant at work (in privacy of own office) when its 100+ degrees outside
• to tell your husband that we're boring
• to email your mom in order to vent b/c you do not have enough time to call during the day, but you can email while researching
• to put on your local Miss America crown and twirl around and pretend you are still competing
• to do turns and leaps in the living room just to prove to your husband you used to be a good dancer and could compete on SYTYCD if you wanted too (and then proceed to hurt the next morning)

Summer Office Attire

It may be sweltering outside, but ladies its still professional inside. Just because the summer heat has set in does not give you license to forget decorum in the work place. You can, however, incorporate your favorite summer staples into your work place attire. Just remember when you mix & match summer with office that you balance the two. When you have flowy summer dress, add a structured jacket; cute summer top, pair with a pencil skirt! You get the idea, but here are some of my top favs!

Summer at the Office by lynn-alexander featuring creme dresses

Illegal at the Pool

I spent a little time poolside this weekend with some good friends and their super fabulous boys! These faces are so cute you just want to squeeze their cheeks and love them. So, whilst enjoying some fun in the sun, I noticed some do and don'ts of the pool:

Don'ts

• Men, please wear swim trunks as long as or longer than your everyday shorts. No need for short shorts at the pool. And if you do done those daisy duke swim trunks, get some sun on those legs!
• That bandu that won't stay up. I get the trend, I mean there are some super cute bandu tops out there, but ladies they are meant for women with a small to mid-size chest. They are not meant for your double-d's... If your top cannot support the girls, I suggest a different top!
• Now ladies again, you are at the pool. I know you have busy lives and kids and a job, but make sure you are groomed. 'nuff said!
• Bottoms... wow, I mean I could devote an entire post to this, but I will not. No matter what age you are, your bottoms should cover your well bottom! Just because you are 16 or in really good shape, no one wants/needs to see your cheeks! And why we are talking bottoms, make sure they also cover your well, uh groceries... Yes I'm talking to you under the age 18 who think its ok to wear floss to the pool.
• Men, seersucker is not a swim appropriate fabric
• no one should drink so much that they: a) forget the have children or b) forget where they are
• waterproof mascara - I totally broke this rule and looked like spiderman/Black Swan

Do's

• Awesome sunnies and a large hat! Tre chic and protects the face
• sunscreen!
• super cute bikini on the baby girl!
• flip flops, adorned, bejeweled, wedge, it doesn't matter
• cover ups
• retro-cut swim suits!
• chapstick with SPF
• a good book/nook/kindle/ipad!

It's officially summer ya'll! So pack the cooler, lather up with SPF and enjoy the wind, water, & waves!

Confessional Friday

Because the truth will set you free or make you feel incredibly whiny...

1. I confess that I got on the scale this morning and was astonished that I had gained 2 pounds, and then I remembered the ice cream I had at work....
2. I confess that now that I have an IT guy, I call him anytime I don't want to think about figuring our where I moved an entire email folder ( I used to be so self-sufficient)
3. I confess I cannot for the life of me work our copy machine at work. Seriously, I cannot  beat this machine. I walk into the copy room and our sweet runner automatically tells me he'll do it...so sad
4. I confess I need a vacation and finally booked one! Puerto Rico here we come!!!
5. I confess I have started biting my nails again. I hate it, but I get at work and start to pick which turns into peeling which ends in biting. (hello solar nails again)
6. I confess I have my first solo hearing this morning and I am freaking out, on the bright side, no one will be there to see how bad well it goes.
7. I confress I miss my best friend.
8. I confes sometimes a partner comes in my office and I nod for 2 minutes while I am secrelty trying to figure out which case he is talking about. (its not the bend and snap, i call it the nod and smile)
9. I confess I forgot to put on deodorant yesterday, until I walked outside at lunch.... glad I keep a stick at work!
10. I confess (I had to come up with one more confession so I would have perfect list of 10) sometimes I am a bad puppy mom because I love my Chloe but just do not want to throw that darn ball one more time, I just want to watch Suits!

Splurge v. Bargain

Ok, ladies we all know its true, we love a a bargain, a sale, a good deal, but there are just some things that I refuse to  do "on the cheap."

SPLURGE

• shoes - you wear them everyday, and I mean heels & tennis shoes. You have your feet for life so treat them. Good shoes are also good for the whole body. Invest in a good pair of black and nude heels and running/workout shoes. Your back will thank you later.
• suit - I know that it used to be ok to run to Express and get a suit. Well, in the tough job market, what you wear says a lot about your worth ethic. If you won't invest in your appearance, chances are you don't care. So get a good basic color suit, i.e. navy, black, grey.
• skincare - Yes I know the drug store has some ok items, but again you have your face your whole life, so take care of it! Don't use products riddled with things you cannot pronounce, or fillers. Use products that are good for you and for your skin. I'm not saying you have to spend $100s, but don't grab the cheapest thing and call it a day. Invest in yourself.
• pots & pans - If you cook, at all, then invest in a good set of cookware. It will last longer, cook more even, and you will not risk buying something new every 2 years. This goes the same for knives and other cutlery.
• watch - if you buy a nice watch it will last forever. It also is a statement piece, and you wear it everyday! Why buy some cheap-o piece of jewelry that you literally wear everyday and then spend copious amounts of time getting new batteries for.
• toilet paper - we've all seen the Charmin commercial and experienced crappy TP, so buy the good stuff, your bum will thank you.

BARGAIN

• flip flops - and I mean the ones you wear to the pool and back or the beach, Old Navy baby!
• dishwahing soap - I mean come on who needs to spend $$ on something that is meant to wash your dishes
• home decor accessories - unless you are investing in fine art, no one is going to walk up to your wall hanging and investigate it. Some of the coolest and most interesting pieces of "art" I picked up on the cheap at places like Kohl's, Kirklands, and Hobby Lobby. If someone wants to look down on me for something in my own home, then so be it, but its all about personal style, and mine chances often!
• iphone covers - my phone is attached to me, so I change my cover often to coordinate with my mood, my needs, and my event (work, sans the neon, hello basic). You can get so many cute cases online for little dinero, so buy a few a change it up!
• candles - a candle is a candle is a candle.... they smell good or bad, but who need to spend a lot on something meant to burn?
• makeup - this goes both ways for me, if its "in" eye color, then I say go drugstore, but my foundation, concealer, and powder I invest more in because I use it more often and again, its my face people! but lip gloss, I change this like I change my mind about lunch.

These are just a few items off the top of my head. What do you splurge on versus bargain?

Interview Perfection

During OCI my second year of law school I was often asked, how do you interview so well? Well, I had been interviewing since I was like 4! Between twirling pageants and Miss Texas, I was a pro! if I got in the door, I got the job. With the job market rather sucking in the law department at the moment (have you seen the NALP stats?) I thought I would share my keys to success!

First things first, is your resume is updated? (thank the Lord for adjustable margins — it fits on one page!), directions to the interview are printed?, and you’ve Google-imaged the perfect hairstyle and practiced it three times? and have actually driven to the place to ensure you get there in time? Ok, here we go!

Don'ts:

• Never talk badly about your previous employer, boss or co-workers, no matter how bad the situation was. It’s tacky, classless, and better left to be discussed behind closed doors with your girlfriends over wine!
• Never talk about partying, no matter how laid back the interviewer or corporate culture seems to be. An interview is not the time or place to discuss what you did last night, your weekend partying, or your hangover. Swear words aren’t cool either!
• When asked the “what’s your weakness?” question, don’t say that you work too hard or that you’re a “people person.”  (seriously people.... no one likes everyone they meet!) Be honest, but professional. My go-to: I tend to over analyze things and make issues where they aren't any, but better safe than sorry.
• wear anything too short or too low or too "in" unless you know the culture. Skirt or dress when interviewing with a man in a male-dominated field. It's ok to be a woman!
• Cross you legs at the ankle, not the knee!

Dos:

• Have questions to ask the interviewer, office culture, room for growth...
• Have a copy of updated resume and writing sample on hand
• Control the conversation... key here conversation. This is not a test or a press conference, talk to the person.
• Know what you are good at and how you can make it sound fabulous, or make your experience relate to the job you are interviewing for... be creative.
• Follow up ASAP! If you got their card, send a quick email thank you, but ALWAYS follow up via snail mail as well. A hand written note goes a long way!
• Have some idea of what this place does, or what kind of law they practice. Know big clients, or cases, or something about them you can throw in. Research you interviewer.... same school? church? social orgs? bring it up! People love to play the connection game.

These are just a few simple tips and tricks. But I also recommend practicing. Mock interviews are the key!