Last Friday, I celebrated my first full week at my new job. (If you've been reading for a while, you might remember hearing about my postdoc search success, but if not, you can read about it here.) I've been excited and anxious to start this new chapter, particularly because there is a new level of independence and distinction that comes with my new initials. And so far, the job is not disappointing. A great university, some great coworkers, and most importantly, some really incredible students. I can't wait to see what the next year holds, as well as the special way my life will be touched by the work that I do.
But enough of the sentimental...on to my outfits :) Normally, when I start a new job, I have a bit of a "warming up" period in terms of my wardrobe. I start fairly classic and simple, then slowly start sneaking pits of leopard, bling, and fuchsia into the picture, until I'm in full blown Allison mode. But this year, I decided to be different. I decided to be me, right from the get go. Bright colored blazers, girly skirts, pops of leopard, and layered arm candy. Instead of being seen as smart then sassy, I decided to show people that you can be smart and sassy.
Blazer: thrifted
Black and white shell: Banana Republic
Ankle pants: LOFT
Necklace: Ann Taylor
Earrings: birthday gift from my parents
Ring: David Yurman
(from left to right): thrifted bracelet, bracelet from JOE Naperville, Nordstrom watch (in gold; available here)
A quick bit about this watch...I have been thinking about investing in a watch for a while now, but because I'm pretty glued to my phone, I rarely need a watch. However, I decided to detach from my phone a bit and go old school with my time telling, (though I was only interested in a watch if it was oversized, gold, and easy to layer with other jewelry). So when I stumbled upon this beauty in the Nordstrom junior's department, I was sold. Big, gold, and easy to stack with other bracelets. And the cherry on top? It was only $18!
Blouse: thrifted
Pleated chiffon skirt: Nordstrom
Necklace: Ann Taylor
Patterned skirt: thrifted
Sweater: Banana Republic
Belt: Ann Taylor
Necklace: thrifted
Watch: Nordstrom
Ring: David Yurman
Leopard button-up: Ann Taylor
Pants: Gap (on sale here)
Earrings: gifted from my mom (last seen here)
Bracelet stack: same as day 1
You may notice that I'm one day short on these outfits, and that is because I could not find my keys on day 3, which resulted in me running crazy late and sprinting to catch my bus. I literally wore the exact same thing as the last outift in this post. Which yes, that means I was literally sprinting a quarter of a mile in a green pencil skirt, a blazer, and a noisy-while-running vintage brooch. Oh how I wish you all could have seen me. No doubt, it would have given you a good laugh :)
So those are my first week outfits! I tried hard to be authentic with my personality and my style, and overall, I'm pretty pleased. What do you think? Do yall ever struggle to balance your style in a new environment?
After an early morning wake up call and nine hours in the car, we finally arrived in Memphis! Downtown Memphis was fairly deserted (eerily so, actually), so we spent some time wandering around, snapping a few photos and getting acquainted with the city.
Love this little guy. At this point, I'm pretty sure he was talking to my dad, updating him of our status, plans, and safety. Thankfully, no matter how old we get, our parents still check up on us :)
Shorts: Gap (on sale in yellow 
We made it to The Peabody in time to see the famous Peabody Ducks. A little overrated but fun to experience a Memphis icon. And you know what they say, "When in Rome..."
Drinks at 
Silky O'Sullivan's on Beale Street. I'm not one for crazy bars and crowds, so it was perfect to experience Beale street on a Monday. Laid back and cool, minus the crazy. I should also note that it was outside on Silky's patio where I realized Memphis is home to the most insane mosquitoes. I left Memphis with some battle bites to prove it!
The best part of our Memphis trip was without a doubt getting to spend time with my friend, 
Monday night Beale Steet.
Fancy gown, check. Much coveted hood, check. Piece of paper proving I really did it, check!
It's pretty impossible to locate me in this picture, but I'm in the second row, near the top. I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep it together on graduation day; I was certain I'd be a big bawling mess. So when we walked out into the arena, with Pomp and Circumstance playing, I let myself get swept up in the moment, waving wildly to my family and friends, and of course, shedding a few tears. It was that magical moment I've been dreaming of for so long!
Matt snapped this picture from crazy far away, so its a bit hard to see, but this is me being hooded by my chair, Dr. Castillo. I have been so blessed to have such an amazing advisor. She embraces "girlpower" in every sense of the word, empowering her students to go out there and kick some major ass!
Blurry but oh so thrilled. In my best Elle Woods voice, "I did it!"
I finally earned those three little initials I've been working so hard for!
Hooray...I'm DONE!
The only thing better than achieving a life long dream is having your family there to celebrate the moment with you. I'm so grateful for my incredible support system; I never could have done this alone.
My amazing aunt and uncle flew in from Atlanta for the weekend. They're crazy fun and always up for a celebration!
My little brother, a constant source of encouragement and inspiration.
Four of my favorite Ph.Ds! I would not have survived graduate school without these people. (PS: You can see pictures from Matt and Miguel's graduation last year 
Despite crazy busy calendars, my brother and sister drove down from Dallas to watch me cross the stage. They had to head right back after the ceremony, but it meant so much to share this special day with them.
My best friend Steven and his boyfriend, Jesse, also drove in for the big day. Steven and I have been friends since high school, and he never fails to recognize the little things in life. He has definitely been one of my biggest cheerleaders throughout this crazy journey!
Matt's parents also flew in from Arizona to celebrate, reminding me how lucky I am to have such thoughtful in-laws.
My dear friend, Norma, one of the best sounding boards and voices of reason I know. But not too reasonable that she can't grab a glass of wine and complain about ridiculous graduate school woes :)
My lifetime cheerleaders. Without these three people, I would never have survived or even dreamed this journey. They are unfailingly supportive, and I am beyond blessed to have such an amazing family.
My man, my rock. It is crazy to think that when we started graduate school six years ago, we didn't know each other, and now, as I finish graduate school, I can't imagine my life without him. He is without a doubt, my greatest graduate school discovery :)
I dont' think words can ever express how much these people mean to me. I think I said it best in my dissertation dedication, which you can read 
And for a little Instagram action, a quick snap right before the ceremony!
Last intern coffee date! And as my friend Christa pointed out, its fitting that the we've got both coffee and Advil on the table, as both were necessary survival tools for internship :)
Tuesday, the four of us played hooky and went for pedicures and cocktails. Luckily, we found a spot that allowed us to do both at the same time!
Cheers to surviving a crazy year!
I spent the night before my last day camped out at Starbucks, given that I had no food and no furniture left in my house. I also took advantage of the time to write thank you notes to a few special staff members who made my year on internship particularly memorable. PS: I snagged this "dream big" stationary at Michaels, and I really love it! I'm trying to reduce my stationary stash, but I might just have to have seconds of these :)
On our last day, the staff had a mini graduation ceremony for the four of us. Though each of us will have our own official graduations at our degree granting institutions, it was a fun way to commemorate the year we spent together. Our training director said sweet things about each of us, assigning each of us a color to match our personalities. (Any guesses what my color was?) We also had a huge surprise of being serenaded by the university's acapella group, and they rocked some funky acapella Adele and Florence and the Machine. Oh my goodness, they were amazing! It was particuarly sweet to share that experience with students, because as much as I love my coworkers, I truly love what I do because of the students. 
Hooray, we did it!
Matt was able to come down for the celebration, and it was awesome to have him there. As my grad school journey draws to a close, I can't help but think how blessed we were to have met each other during this crazy experience.
So long Student Services Building; it's been real. Though I won't miss my insanely long days and eating all three of my daily meals at my desk :)
Later that night, the entire staff celebrated at our training director's house, and we snapped our last picture as interns. I can't believe we survived, hooray!