To-Do List for Life: Language Edition

I have a running list of things that pop in my head that I want to accomplish at some point in my life. Most recently I have been on a language kick. I speak English, obviously, quite a bit of Spanish because I studied it in high school and majored in it in college, and I understand bits and pieces of Korean because of my husband and having spent 6 months abroad in Seoul. Still, I wish I knew more languages so that I could travel and be confident in my ability to communicate. I hate to be the stereotypical American who goes abroad and expects everyone to speak English. I think it's so elegant when you can converse in a person's native tongue and really understand the nuances of the exchange - it's something to which I aspire.

In my lifetime I would love to become passably fluent in a language from each region of the world. For example, I have the romance languages of Europe covered with Spanish, though I would actually love to learn French. For the Scandinavian languages, I would probably choose Swedish even though I am part Danish, mostly so I could converse with Alexander Skarsgard in his native tongue if we ever met! (Sorry honey). I keep trying to get better at Korean, but it's tricky for me. I would also want to learn Arabic, Swahili and Russian. Obviously that wouldn't get me everywhere, but between all of them I could probably make some conversation in most places I want to go.

Any goals on your minds lately?

Photo Credit: Fanpop.com

Not So Mellow Yellow

Love love love this yellow blouse. Normally I am a neutrals kind of girl, but something about this just grabbed at my heart. Mirco Giovannini, where can I buy your wares?!

Le sigh.

Photo Credit: Garance Dore

Hello Emily

I have been dreaming of a new pair of shoes for a while now, but have held back because I was not sure exactly what I wanted. I need professional shoes because I hope to have a job for summer and therefore have to re-build the workwear portion of my closet. However, I also want shoes that are just fun and can be paired with tights and worn now, but also transition into summer. I think that I have found a pair that will satisfy the 'fun' category from Frye. Meet Emily:



I love the color; I tend to go for basic black or brown, so I need something that 'pops.' It also comes in a lilac, but I prefer the navy. I also adore the thick heel, and at 4.5" it will put me at a lovely 5' 8" tall, which is a plus.

In Need: Workplace Edition

When I moved from west to east coast, I did a major cleaning of my wardrobe. I keep it pretty sparse anyway, I like to only have items that I actually want to wear and throw out things that I haven't been worn in a year, but my closet is far too lean for even my taste. Things I discarded include many basics that simply had seen better days and were not worth hauling cross country as I was leaving my job and becoming a full-time student anyway.

At this point I don't even have a good pair of office appropriate black pants. I also lost several pairs of shoes leading up to our move, but those were due to our pomeranian being a puppy and going through a 'chewing phase' that also claimed a pair of yoga pants, one of my favorite navy/cream striped tees and a purse handle. Now I am looking for a summer legal job and to that end, I need to begin rebuilding. It will be slow going though, because I am supremely picky; even the reality that I have few things to wear isn't enough to spur me into spending money if I am not in love with an item.

On my list of needs:

- Black pumps: The heel must be substantial, both in height and in width, and it cannot be patent leather - I hate the way it scuffs.

- Wool black pants: I actually need 2 pairs, one slim-cut and another more swingy, but not too wide-legged as I am not tall enough to carry it off well.

- White button-up shirt: The material cannot be too flimsy and I like a bit of embellishment, but not too froufrou.

- Silk camisoles: I needs something to put beneath a suit coat, but I feel too constricted with a long-sleeve collared shirt. Needless to say, they cannot be too low-cut or look like they are supposed to be lingerie.

- Dresses: I used to hate dresses, opting instead for pants. However, I have come to love the simplicity of a dress, it's an entire outfit and there is no mixing/matching dilemmas to confront. I have a few cocktail dresses, but I need more everyday dresses that can be paired with a cardigan if necessary or worn alone. I also want to be able to dress them up and down so that they can take me from day to night if the need arises.

If I had one of each of the above, I would be in a much better place than I am now, both for interviews and for everyday work wear.