Dress Like the Boss, Spend Like the Intern

Hello Readers! Life has been a little hectic and it has been a while since I posted in regards to inexpensive professional work-wear but here it is...some of my favorite looks.

It is important to go to work every day feeling confident and like you can take on any challenges that come your way. It is equally as important to avoid being faced with the challenge of an empty wallet. Below are some looks that help you dress like the boss but spend like the intern.

Above: A great look for an interview. Suit: Dark Navy Calvin Klein purchased at Burlington Coat Factory for $55 and paired with a lighter blue pin striped button down, $9.99 at Old Navy and navy blue heels from JustFab.com previously featured on this blog several times

Above: A great look for an office that follows a more "business casual" theme. Black long sleeve blouse- Burlington Coat Factory $12.99, Black Skinny Slacks from TJ Maxx $16.99 and Blush and Black Heels also from Burlington Coat Factory $14.99 paired with a Beige bag previously featured from JustFab.com

Above: A look that allows you to show you are professional and fashionable. Who says you can't be both? Black skinny slacks and pointed toe black heels previously featured, paired with a white button down- JC Penny $6.99 and a Black and White Patterned Blazer from K-Mart $7.99.....yeah that $7.99 is not a typo!

Above: I wore this outfit to the office and was complimented by several of my coworkers. The top is a black tank from K-Mart $1.99 and a Black Blazer also from K-Mart $19.99. The slacks are from Burlington Coat Factory and they broke the bank at a whopping $8.99!! I paired the look with the same bag and pointed black pumps featured above. 

Above: Add a pop of color to a traditional grey pencil skirt (previously featured) with a bright purple top like the one pictured from K-Mart priced at $10.99. Pair it with a pointed toe heel ($7.99 Burlington Coat Factory) for a little help making your legs look longer and leaner. 

Above: Not comfortable with a big pop of color? Pair the same bright top with a traditional light grey suit (previously featured).

Above: Give your black suit a break and wear a colorful blazer like the one pictured from K-Mart $7.99!! I paired the blazer with the tank, previously featured, Black Express Slacks purchased at TJ Maxx for $24.99 and a Forever21 necklace previously featured. 

Above: Same idea as the previous image. Don't be scared to showcase your personality with a fun blazer as long as the rest of your outfit isn't too out of the box.

Above: Same outfit as before but this jacket was purchased at Platos Closet for $6.99.

Above: Black fitted dress from Nordstrom Rack and cost $18.94, it was on sale and I saved $100.30!! I paired it with the blush and black heels featured above. If your office requires a jacket, this look is perfect with this blush colored Theory blazer purchased at Burlington Coat Factory for $29.99

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked my looks and stay posted for my next post about winter work-wear! Happy Shopping!

Never Confuse a Single Failure for a Final Defeat

The internet (Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)  is usually a place where we post our best moments, a place where we publish our prettiest pictures and our positive news. I debated posting this because it's hard to share but since I am constantly sharing the good, it is only fair to also share the not so good. Also, any of you who have been reading my posts know that writing is cathartic for me. It is a free form of therapy.

After so much hard work and waiting, today I found out, I will have to retake one of the sections of the bar exam. For those of you who do not know, the Florida Bar exam consists of two days (Part A and Part B). I spent all weekend filled with anxiety, finding it difficult to control my emotions. Not knowing what the results would be was causing stress unlike anything I have ever felt. Today when I saw my results one column said "Failed" and the other "Passed". I must have rechecked it 50 times before I let it sink in. I felt my heart sink and the tears start flowing. How could this be? How could I study so hard and not have passed? I was positive. I worked hard. I envisioned the result I wanted, what went wrong? I have never failed at anything especially something I put so much effort into.

I started to make the dreaded phone calls to family members and friends who had been anxiously waiting for my results all morning. I felt like I failed everyone. I felt embarrassed, confused. I cried and cried (and am still crying in bits and pieces) but those who know me know that I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. I have NO IDEA what the reason is at this point and I am frustrated to begin this cycle of studying all over again but I am also at peace with knowing that God has a plan for me. There are people dealing with terrible things right now, life changing things that cannot be controlled. This on the other hand, has a solution and now I am more determined than I ever was.

Today I am sad, but I am ok. I am frustrated, but I am grateful. One day I will look back and this moment will be insignificant. I have a family that loves me, a fiance that supports me with all that I do, and friends who believe in me and I am employed. Things could be better, but they could also be worse. I am where I am supposed to be. This is a lesson that I cannot control everything. Life isn't always going to take the path I want or planned and that is okay because what is waiting may be even better.

To my friends that passed, congratulations!! To those who didn't, we are more than one test. Soon we will also be celebrating and victory will be that much sweeter. Remember "never confuse a single failure with a final defeat".

While I Wait...

Hey hey readers! It has been a while since my last post and a crazy couple of months. The bar exam is officially over but I felt like I needed a minute to let my brain function again for something other than multiple choice questions and essay answers.

Never in my life have I studied so hard, been so frustrated, so tired and never has my idea of reality been so skewed. My life literally became ALL about this test, nothing else was important, I felt like it was life or death, like if I didn't pass the world would judge me and there would be no fixing it, no way of making me whole again. At this point, I have had some time to think about it, to reflect on things generally and the importance of this exam on my life. Here are some things I have felt as I wait (and I am sure many of the thousands of other graduates who took the test probably feel the same):

1. I killed it! I definitely passed!

There are times when over and over again I tell myself "Of course I passed, sure it was hard, but so was law school and I did just fine". There were over 3,000 people taking the exam in Florida. It is intimidating when you see one room with thousands of anxious faces but I just keep telling myself, a large group of those thousands passed and I am one of them. Sure, my Florida multiple choice was a mess but I did great on the essays...I'll cling to that.

2. I didn't do enough...bombed it for sure

I try to avoid this thought as much as possible but sometimes the little devil on my shoulder just places pure doubt into my mind. I stress about the fact that so much of what I studied didn't even come up on the test, the fact that the one thing I barely studied showed up over 30 times, the fact that it's not uncommon to fail, and the stress overcomes me. Even as I write this, there is a little bit of panic that is setting in because I cannot even fathom studying so hard again or going back into that gigantic, scary, ice box that was the testing room.

3. Why did I go to law school?

I am drowning in debt and jobless why didn't I just stop after college?? I had so much scholarship money for college that I actually finished with money in the bank and I often ask myself why I didn't quit while I was ahead. What does this degree mean if it is essentially meaningless without my results? I then try to calm my thoughts by reminding myself that there is a bigger picture. Today doesn't define tomorrow. I went to law school because I wanted a better future for myself, because I wanted to learn, I wanted to help others, and I wanted to challenge myself. Sure, I may be paying off my loans till I'm 100 but who cares. No risk, no reward.

4. Pass or fail, I will be judged

If I pass my family and friends will be proud, if I don't then they will not. Now, I know that is not true. I know my family and friends will be proud regardless of the results but the mind is a tricky thing. It plays games with you causing self doubt and fear. We just have to be strong enough to fight the negative thoughts with faith; faith that things will be as they are meant to be and that all we can do is our best.


The bar exam made me forget who I was. As I was studying I would joke and say "I don't even know who I am anymore." I just felt like a robot: wake up early, study for 7, 8, 10 and at the end 12 hours a day and I still felt that I was not doing enough. Funny thing is, I wasn't joking. The week after the exam, I literally didn't know what to do with myself. Who was I besides a girl preparing for a test?

I am slowly coming to realize that a test does not define me. Yes, it is the most important exam I have taken in my life, but is the outcome life or death? Does my self worth hinge on whether the words pass or fail appear on the screen? NO. I am so much more than pass or fail. I am a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a fiance, a cousin. I am a friend, a writer, a student, a sarcastic, blunt, jokester who walks the line between making my family laugh and making them want to kill me. I am a hard worker, a determined, competitive individual, and I am often times too hard on myself always thinking that I could have done more. I am controlling and doing my best to be more of the "go with the flow" kind of girl. I am a believer in good vibes and good energy and the power of positive thinking. I am so many wonderful, beautiful, flawed, frustrating things....not one of which is a test result.

5 Truths About Studying for the Bar Exam

1. Comparing your study plan to the study plan of others is the worst thing you can do. "What?? You studied 32 hours yesterday?? I'm slacking!"

There aren't 32 hours in a day and even attorneys who are not math wizards can figure that out, but come bar prep, somehow, we start believing what everyone is saying. As I study (granted a ton of hours a day but definitely less than 32), I quickly came to realize that it is about quality, not quantity when it comes to the hours spent. Sometimes I read and read and take quiz after quiz and at the end of the day, I couldn't repeat a word of what I had been "studying" all day. Figure out what is best for you and do it. If you need breaks, take them. If you are a morning person like I am, wake up at the crack of dawn and finish early. If you come alive when the moon decides to shine, whip out those books and study underneath the moonlight. At the end of the day we all take the same test with the same information. How you learn it doesn't matter.

2. There are times you will contemplate murdering your loved ones.

As a disclaimer let me say I would never ACTUALLY murder anyone (if you are studying for the bar, I would bet your brain just went through the different types of homicide and the elements of murder), especially those I love, but there is something about sitting at a desk all day and cramming your brain with information that makes you hate people. It is not their fault, but it is hard to remember that. I have come to the point where if I hear anyone talking as I am studying I just think they are so selfish....but they aren't, I am the lunatic who will burst into tears if I find it hard to focus because my neighbor decided to work on some construction project in the middle of the day (as normal people do at a normal hour). While studying for the bar, we must remember, the world doesn't revolve around us. People's lives continue even though ours are put on hold. Oh and by the way, those around you probably hate you at this point as much as you hate them. They are tired of hearing us complain about how hard it is or how tired we are.

3. Finding an outlet is necessary in order to avoid losing your cool.

At the moment, I have tons of things to do, but I stopped to write this because I was about to cry. Literally, I was going to just lose it. I am studying at home but since school is over, my little cousins are  here. They were soon followed by my mom, my brother in law, and my sister. All Cuban, all loud. I stormed out of the room  to pack my lunch and head out for my lecture earlier than I had planned because I was overcome with frustration since I couldn't focus on finishing the practice test assigned for today. Before heading to class and staying angry, I sat here to write. Writing is cathartic for me. It provides me peace and calm and a way to speak my mind. I have also been using exercise. After sitting on your butt all day, it is good to sweat it all out and end your day releasing the stress toxins from your body.

4. You aren't going to look cute for 98% of the 2 months you are studying.

Fact: Most days, you will look hideous. It is a sad truth we must live with. Studying takes priority and lets get real, my computer and my grandparents who see me every day don't care, and love me sweatpants and all. It is important though to try and look like a decent human being who can contribute to society at least 2% of the two months. Your significant other, your friends, your family, and most importantly, you will appreciate looking nice sometimes. The bonus comes with the fact that if you have seen me looking like a sad lunatic for 10 days, if I slap on a dress and some make- up on day 11....boom bombshell!

 5. It is worth it.

Okay, so we have to spend a summer ignoring invitations to go to the beach and to take vacations....but do you want to also do that in the winter? If we pass this hideous, annoying, grueling, two day hell hole of a test, WE WILL NEVER HAVE TO SEE IT AGAIN! Now, that's not to say that you won't have to turn down invitations with your friends in the future because you are being overworked as  the newbie at a firm, but at least you will be getting paid!

Well, back to the books. If you are taking the bar good luck!! If you aren't sorry for being a lunatic. Please support my random outbursts and snippity comments. I'll invite you to dinner once I am employed.

Thanks for reading!!

How Social Media is Crushing Goals

Hello ladies (and gentlemen, if you are reading this, thanks for the visit), today my post won't be about clothing (although I have a great one coming, just wait for it :)).

I wanted to take a second to talk about goals. In a world where social media rules, I don't think enough people are reaching high enough in some important aspects of life. Not enough people are realizing their potential, because reality is skewed by followers, likes, shares, and double taps on Instagram. Now don't get me wrong, social media is great I just think we have to be careful. As I scroll through my Instagram feed and Facebook wall I realize my "friends" (whatever that means on the internet) are divided. There are those who inspire me, the men and women who are studying, traveling, spending time with family and friends, living full happy lives, and then there are  those who choose to post half naked pictures or talk about how high they are getting. Sure, that sexy booty shot got you 110 likes but so what? Unless you are a legitimate model (which in that case, more power to you),  is that picture going to get you employed, are those who double tap that image going to pay your bills, reach out to you when you are in need, or give you a double tap on the back when you do something good for yourself?

Your self worth and confidence should not be tied to social media. There is a certain happiness that can only be achieved when you realize you have done something you never thought you could, when you struggled to get a project done and you finally finish, when your blood, sweat and tears actually mean something. Ladies, GOALS ARE SEXY! Having a plan and making things happen for yourself, being the master of your own life is a beautiful thing that those important people around you will appreciate and admire.

When you are out looking for a job and the employer asks what type of person you are, why they should hire you, what will you say? "I take selfies like a champ!". Will you give your boss a list of your Twitter followers as references? (maybe they know you better than anyone else).

I guess my point in writing this post is that I believe in our generation, I believe that it is filled with hard working, smart people and we shouldn't let that go to waste by not realizing our potential. I'm not saying someone can't post 10 selfies a day and still be a thriving, successful person, I just think it is important for us to know that success and happiness should not be tied to the response we get. I read a story about a boy who attempted suicide because he couldn't take the perfect selfie and I don't know if it was a hoax or not but either way, it got me thinking about the value we place on what our "followers" think of us. Who we are is not measured by our social media presence. You are defined by the work you do, by the kind act you did when no one was watching, by the love you share with those around you, the smile you gave the stranger on the bus, by the advice you gave a friend in need.

There is no edit button or filter feature on real life. We make mistakes, we don't always look good or feel great and that's okay. Just don't settle. Be proud of what you did today and know that you can do even better tomorrow :)

Thanks for reading! Until next time :)

Skinny Dress Pants: Fashion Do or Don't?

Hello my beautiful professional readers! 

Recently, I had to attend an Entertainment and Sports Law Symposium that I helped organize. As I was searching my closet and trying out outfits, I realized that my black dress pants were too big and needed to be replaced. I thought, it's just black dress pants, I will be in and out of the store in no time! EH! Wrong! Apparently boot cut or slightly flared, good old professional slacks are a rarity. First I went to TJ Maxx and realized all the pants were skinny so I moved on to another one of my favorite stores, Marshalls, and it became clear that skinny pants are "in". Running low on time and funds (as usual), I decided to give them a try and ended up buying the ones pictured below. I am torn however, as to how appropriate and professional these pants really are. I am all for new, young, hip looks (that's what this blog is all about), but I also think it is important to keep things professional because I rather my employer recognize my work ethic and smarts than my fashion sense (or lack thereof if they are not a fan of the skinny pant).

In the end, I was comfortable with the outfit and I didn't feel out of place at all surrounded by well dressed attorneys. Overall, I would say go ahead and rock the skinny dress pants as long as you tone down your outfit. Make sure you are wearing close-toed shoes and a jacket (especially if you are working in a corporate office). I would also suggest shoes with a pointed toe, it creates an illusion (especially for shorties like me) that the leg is longer.

Outfit above: Shoes and Jacket (previously featured), Top: Marshalls $14.99, Pants: Marshalls $16.99

Above is an example of how you can take the outfit from the office to happy hour or a dinner date by just having an extra pair of heels in your car.

So, what do you think of the skinny pant for work? Professional or better left at home during the work week?

Thanks for reading and remember, you can look like a million bucks without blowing your budget!

Shopping for a Bargain (as usual)

Hello Readers! I know it has been a while since I last posted, but it has been a busy couple of months. I am in the final semester of law school and and things are exciting and scary all at once. Despite all that, this blog is still very important to me and when my mom told me she needed to shop for professional clothing I knew it was the perfect opportunity for a new post. We went to Sears, a hidden gem for low priced professional clothing. Below is what we found:

Top: $12.99 (obviously, this is in a dressing room but I would stress that it is never okay to go to work with such a wrinkled shirt)

Pencil Skirt: $25.99

Dress: $39.99

This dress is very versatile and can be worn with a different colored jackets and belts. Black and white is great to accessorize. 

Dress: $39.99

This dress can and should be worn with a jacket for those working in a more conservative environment

The suits below were great quality and there were on SALE (arguably one of my favorite 4-letter words). Each suit had 3 matching pieces: jacket, pant, and pencil skirt and was priced at $16.99 and $29.99. I was so surprised and happy when I saw this because I have come to realize that full matching suits for women are increasingly more difficult to find (unless you are willing to spend more than my budget allows).

 The suit pictured above was light grey and is paired with a blue button-down priced at $17.99

The suit pictured above was a beautiful navy/grey color and was paired with a hot pink button-down shirt also priced at $17.99

The dress above is just an example of all the great ones they had for sale. I love that it is colorful and patterned. This is great for the young professional who wants to look nice but who also wants to step out of the box. The dresses ranged in price from $24.99 to $44.99

The happy, colorful blazers above were all on sale for $18.99. I am a big fan of dressing in a neutral color and adding a pop of color with either my blazer or my shoes.

Last but certainly not least.....my new babies. I bought these beige pumps with a black ankle strap at Burlington Coat Factory for $9.99 so I just had to sneak them into this post!

Again thanks for reading! Happy shopping, happy saving, and happy job hunting! Until next time!