Medicine & Manicures

Weekend Chic


Hi, friends and happy leap day! How cool is it that we get an extra day this month? With my ever growing to-do list, I’ll happily take all the extra time I can get. I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed the sunshine. Thankfully mine was pretty low key and I got to do some major catching up on life… which was much needed.





On Saturday, Ryan & I caught the matinee showing of The Book of Mormon and oh.my.gosh. It was hilarious!! I’ve only been to one other broadway show, Wicked, so I was excited to experience a comedy and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s a religious satire musical written by the creators of South Park so as you can imagine, it’s profane and offensive, but still has a sweet message. I definitely recommend it if you wanna get some good laughs in!













Since our show was during the day I didn’t get too fancy, but opted to wear this green v-neck top and my dark skinnies (which are seriously the stretchiest/most comfy jeans ever- DL is my jam!). I actually got this shirt a few months ago from H&M and it has quickly become a closet staple. Blouse-y tops like this can often look so big on me because I’m petite, but I always find myself reaching for this one because of the awesome fit. I’m wearing a size 4 for reference. This green color is sold out online but they have a similar teal version on sale for $15! 







H&M v-neck top // DL1961 jeans // Tory Burch wedges // Gorjana “Zorah” earrings


GiGi New York tote // Gorjana layered necklace // Kate Spade sunglasses







Did y’all watch the Oscars? I love that the bear from the Revenant was in attendance. And the fact that Leo finally got his “best actor” Oscar that he should have had a long time to go. I tried to stay up for all of it but that plan didn’t work out so well so now it’s time to chug a large cup of coffee. I hope y’all have a great Monday and thanks for stopping by!







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My Bridal Shower at The Duke Mansion

Happy Wedding Wednesday!! This past Saturday I celebrated my bridal shower with some of my closest friends and family and it was such a fun time. It was held at The Duke Mansion in Charlotte, a historic bed & breakfast and event venue. I had been looking forward to this for months and couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out! 

My bridesmaids did an amazing job planning and decorating for the shower- our room was absolutely beautiful and they even had pops of mint and gold throughout the space. It’s all about the details, people! We started off the party by mingling and enjoying some bubbly from the mimosa bar. It truly was awesome to have all of these ladies in the same room and I did my best to make my rounds and chat with everyone- these things can be a little overwhelming!
Me & my bridesmaids

 How gorgeous is this chandelier? Sia would approve 🙂
For lunch, we had tomato soup, chicken caesar wraps & fruit. There were lots of goodies for dessert like cake pops, cupcakes, and salted caramel brownies. Oh so delicious!! After that we played the purse game –you know the one– and then it was time to open presents. Ripping into boxes with all eyes on you can be a little awkward so I tried to make it fun and put my own spin on it. For every gift that I opened, I told everyone how I met that person and shared some fun details about our relationship.
When choosing my outfit, I knew I wanted something unique and “bridal” but not white, since I’m saving that for the rehearsal dinner. When I came across this blush Greylin dress I knew it was the one. If you remember this post, then you know I’m all about some feathers. Clearly… it was meant to be. I honestly haven’t seen any other dresses like it and I cannot wait to wear it again. Now, I’ll let the pictures do the talking! (And please forgive me for the grainy photos. Somehow the ISO on my camera got turned way up and I didn’t realize.)
With Ryan’s mom, my grandma, and my mom
In other wedding news, we have ordered our invitations, scheduled dance lessons, and I had my first dress fitting yesterday! Eeeeek!! Our wedding is literally around the corner and I can’t believe it- I seriously feel like I just got engaged. The bridal shower was a huge success and next up… Vegas!!






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Bold Lips with Bite Beauty

As a girly girl, it’s no secret that I love lipstick. Even though I usually stick to lighter shades or tinted balms during the day, a fun lip always makes you look more put together… don’t you think? I recently received a few tubes of the newest lipstick formulation from Bite Beauty and was SO exited to try them out. I’m a huge fan of this brand and I can always count on them for high-quality pigmented lip color. 

With the Amuse Bouche lipsticks, you can wear a super bold lip without actually feeling like you have lipstick on. No drying or cracking effect- just bold, hydrated lips. Their products are actually made of food-grade ingredients and 12 edible oils so you know you’re getting a natural product. On another note, their lipsticks have always smelled better than most but this new formula is made with fresh pressed fruit and smells ahh-mazing! Aren’t stinky lipsticks the worst?!

I was so impressed with the pigment and application of these lipsticks- you can see what each of them look like on my skin tone here:
Pepper is a dusty rose shade and perfect for everyday wear. I’ll definitely be sporting this on the regular this spring! 
Gazpacho is a true blue-red which means it makes your teeth look whiter, not yellow like some reds tend to do. It’s a classic color with lots of punch. I always love the pop of a red lip!
Beetroot is a bold red/berry shade and might be my favorite. (Side note: I have been obsessed with beets lately so this is fitting. Especially with some arugula and goat cheese… mmmmm). This shade looks kind of similar to Gazpacho in the photos, but definitely has more berry tones.
This new lipstick comes in 34 bold shades and will be released at Sephora on March 4th – however – if you have VIB status, you can get early dibs now! Have y’all ever tried Bite products and do you love them as much as I do??

Thank you to Influenster & Bite Beauty for sponsoring this post. All thoughts & opinions are my own.


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Playing Catch Up

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Hi, friends and happy Monday! I haven’t blogged in a week and let me tell you- I miss this place! Starting a new job and being less than 3 months out from a wedding can make a girl quite busy. The to-do lists just don’t seem to end! I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s/Gal-entine’s weekend and I wanted to take today to catch up on life a little bit… so let’s get to it.

First of all, thank you all for the sweet words and encouragement as I started my first job as a PA. I’m happy to report the first week went well! The main objectives were finding my way around the office and learning people’s names. Everyone is so friendly and helpful and I’ve already seen a lot of interesting conditions and procedures. It has been quite an adjustment though- long gone are the days of sleeping in and my back tends to hurt from standing all day… I feel like an old lady!! But when you’ve been off for 2+ months, it just takes some getting used to. I’ll report with more details in a few weeks!

On another note, I’ve been going strong with my workouts lately. My body is sore more days than not and operation #sweatingforthewedding is in full force. I signed up for Class Pass at the beginning of the month and LOVE it so far. After I take a few more classes, I’ll be doing a full review so stay tuned! And speaking of working out… I totally deserved this donut!

For Valentine’s Day (our 5th one together), Ryan took me out to a nice dinner at one of Charlotte’s oldest steakhouses, Beef ‘n Bottle. So we had beef… and a bottle (of delicious cabernet)! This place may not look like much from the outside, but the food and the service was top notch. I opted for the surf & turf entree- filet with a lobster tail with a side of creamed spinach. Mmmmmmm… SO good. This was our first time dining there but we’ll definitely be back. I highly recommend this place to all my Charlotte readers- it’s truly a hidden gem!

It’s supposed to snow today here in Charlotte but the high for tomorrow is 61 so… don’t think that will last long! I’m really looking forward to this week because it’s filled with lots of fun events- a birthday dinner for one of my besties, my old roommate coming to visit, and my bridal shower (super excited for this one)!!! We’re officially at 82 days until our big day so let the celebrations begin! Thanks for reading and hope your Monday is short and sweet 🙂



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The First Day of My Career


The day has finally come. Time to put on the long white coat.



To a lot of people, a job is just a job. A way to make money. A necessary part of life. 
I’ve held a few jobs in my past, but today I can officially say that I’m starting my career as a PA. A job that I have been working towards since I started college. A job where I will use my knowledge about medical conditions and illnesses and ways to treat them in order to better the lives of patients. A job I’m truly passionate about.

For those of you that have been following along for the past few years, you know that I started this blog to document my time in PA school. You may know that it was stressful, challenging, and gave me some serious anxiety at times, but was all worth it in the end. Medicine was the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do and everything to this point has been a stepping stone to making this dream a reality. 
After applying to jobs for months and hearing that some companies “didn’t want to hire new grads,” it was easy to get frustrated. I’m so glad that I went the extra mile to physically mail my resume and cover letters (yes, the old school way) to multiple offices in the area which resulted in a phone call that ultimately led to a job offer. And not just any job, but a job in dermatology, the field I’d only hoped to get into after a couple years of working. Crazy how things work out sometimes.

This next few weeks will be a big transition for me which means I may or may not be able to post as regularly as I’d like. Even though school is over I still have SO much to learn, especially since I’m working in a specialty. I have stacks full of office handbooks, clinical manuals, and procedure protocols to dive into over the next few weeks. And I mean STACKS. 





Today it has all come full circle. From learning about the profession in high school to taking prerequisites in college. From working to gain hands-on patient experience to receiving my acceptance letter from Campbell. From my first day of clinicals to receiving my diploma. And now from passing the PANCE to starting my first job, I can only be thankful for the opportunities that have come my way and also proud of myself for working hard and making my dreams happen. So… Here goes nothing. Wish me luck!




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Fast Forward to Spring

Even though it’s only February, I can’t help but have spring on my mind. Since I’ve been searching the web up and down for Vegas & honeymoon outfits, I’ve been thinking about incorporating the latest spring trends. Bring on the bright dresses, lace-up heels, and floral prints! Here are a few fun pieces currently on my radar.

spring outfit ideas
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Off-the-shoulder looks are fun & flirty and are big for spring. This little red number happens to be called the ‘dream vacay dress’ and I’m thinking it should hop right into my suitcase for my honeymoon to St. Lucia.







You can’t go through spring without wearing a striped tee. This is a closet staple perfect for layering with scarves and cardigans- my pick is a classic blue & white tee by Madewell. They know how to do stripes and do them right.





Every spring I’m always itching for a new pair of sunglasses– love the transparent frames on this pair. 




I’m a big fan of Loren Hope cuffs (because these tiny wrists can’t do bangles) and I’m loving this light blue, dainty cuff for spring.





Everything in the new Kendra Scott spring line… simply gorgeous! I’ve always been a huge fan of blush and these earrings are the perfect mix of edgy and feminine.





Lightweight scarves are perfect for that transitional spring weather- loving the print on this blue & white one.







Lace-up flats were everywhere last fall and the trend will carry through spring and summer with fun heels and wedges. 







I love pastels and when done right, you can rock them in the winter and spring. I have my eye on this all-in-one bag from GiGi New York. All their new spring colors are so pretty!





I want to push myself to try some more bold and daring pieces- like this floral jumpsuit. Definitely makes a statement!





Do I have y’all craving some warm weather yet?! In other news, I’m happy to report that I received my medical license yesterday (yay!!) so I can officially start my job. The process has taken quite a while and while I’m itching to start working, it has been nice to tackle wedding planning in full force. Everything is starting to really come together and I can’t wait to share more details soon. Hope y’all have a fabulous weekend!











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