Monday, January 30, 2012

Blue Valentine

**This post contains very mild spoilers for the 2010 movie Blue Valentine**

I'm not a big movie person at all.  I can't remember the last time I actually went out to a movie (it might have been True Grit in 2010...) and I normally just watch movies at home, usually on my laptop while laying in bed.  A few months back I had heard a lot about the movie Blue Valentine, and I put it in my Netflix queue and didn't think much of it sense.  I finally got around to watching it the other night and I was really impressed.


The movie was beautiful and emotional.  The actors and director did an incredible job of depicting two sides of the same relationship - the ecstasy of new love and the pain of a struggling relationship.  Even as someone who has never been married I still was able to relate to the feelings and relationship I was seeing on screen.  In short, it was very real and authentic.  

One of the things that piqued my interest in the movie was the controversy over the rating.  The MPAA initially rated the movie as NC-17 because of a certain scene where the two main characters make love.  The production company protested the rating and Ryan Gosling was pretty vocal about his outrage over the rating.  Eventually the MPAA reviewed the decision and Blue Valentine was released with an R rating.  After all the controversy, I was underwhelmed by the scene.  It lasted all of 20 seconds, there was no nudity, and was a beautiful scene showing a moment of intense emotion between two people who are in love.  It strikes me as weird that movies can show brutal scenes of rape (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and horrifying/disgusting violence (Hostel, Saw) and get an R rating, while a nongraphic depiction of lovemaking between two people is given an NC-17 rating.  Very weird.  

Anyway, it was an incredible movie that I would urge people to see.  Very moving.

Have any of you seen this movie?  What were your thoughts?  Were you aware of the ratings controversy when you saw it?  

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Law School Update

If you haven't noticed...I've been a little skimpy on the posts lately.  This is due in large part to the craziness that school has been unleashing on my lately, so I figured I'd do a more personal post about what's been going on in my life.

1) My classes this semester are WAY more work.  The readings have been much longer and denser and have been keeping me...more than busy.

2) Job applications are such a pain.  I'm trying to get a summer job/internship with a judge here in D.C., but there's no centralized system for doing this.  The only way to apply is to send (via snail mail) hundreds (literally!) of cover letters and resumes to different judges.  It's a ton of work.

3) ADR competition.  My school has various competitions throughout the year where students can test various legal skills that we've developed.  I'm doing the client counseling competition today.  Basically the idea is that you're meeting a client for the first time who's been locked up for committing some sort of criminal offense.  Pretty cool, but also a little nerve wracking.

4) GRADES.  Grades were released Friday.  Waiting was...um...stressful.

So, in short, you can see that things have been a little crazy so far this year.  I'm hoping things will settle down in the next couple weeks.

I hope everything is going well for everyone at their job/school!
xoxoKate

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Recent Purchase: Bailey 44 Column Dress

A good friend of my family is getting married in April, which I'm super excited about!  His fiancĂ© is having her bridal shower next month, so I've been on the lookout for something to wear.  It's going to be a daytime event at a country club, so I want something that looks classy without being too dressy, which is why I was super excited when I found this dress:


I'm thinking it would be really cute with navy tights and brown leather boots.  The reviews say it's crazy flattering so I'm excited to get it!

xoxoKate

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

If you're anything like me, you have a million lip balms and glosses everywhere.  I'm constantly finding ones that I completely forgot I owned in purses, under the bed, in the car...pretty much everywhere.  That's why I'm generally kind of skeptical about trying anything new.  HOWEVER...with the super dry winter weather, I've become completely addicted to the Fresh Sugar lip balms.

I started out using the original:


It's super rich and creamy without being sticky or gloopy at all.  It just feels really nice on.  Plus it has a really light lemon/sugar scent that's really subtle and nice without being at all overpowering.  

After I fell in love with that, I decided to try the tinted version.


It's very much like the original, except it has a nice subtle red tint.  Perfect for winter. 

I've been using the stuff obsessively...I'm normally the girl walking around with terrible chapped lips, but not this year.  This stuff is amaaaazingggg.

There are other colors/options available here as well.

Have you tried Fresh's lip balms?
xoxoKate

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Essie Sexy Divide

After getting a much-needed touch-up of my highlights, I went ahead and decided to make a day of it and treated myself to a pedicure.  I've been getting a little sick of the near-black reds and purples lately, but I wanted something bright enough to pop on my pasty winter skin.  (Who am I kidding?  I'm always this light...)

I decided to go with Essie's Sexy Divide:


Purple is my favorite color and I liked that it was a bit brighter than most winter polishes without being obviously summery (like coral or fluorescent pink).  

What nail colors are you currently rocking?
xoxoKate

Monday, January 2, 2012

Post Holiday Shopping

Since finals really cramped my style in terms of shopping, I made up for it with a glut of post-holiday splurging.

Since winter has been so mild so far, I'm already looking forward to spring.  This C&C California dress is beefy enough to wear with tights now, but will really shine in the spring with cute sandals.  I also got it for 40% off with a coupon code, which is always nice!  And as Claire knows...if there's anything I love, it's a striped, long-sleeve mini dress.  

I finally jumped on the bandwagon with three pairs of Nike running shorts.  I think most people have the "Tempo" style, but these are the "Pacer."  The slightly longer inseam works for my bubble butt...

I've been looking for longer-length short sleeve tee shirts for ages.  These Frenchi tees are really great...thin and drape-y without being too low-cut or sheer.  I got two others in pink and burgundy, and I'm seriously thinking about grabbing a few more.  

I'm constantly on the lookout for longer-length tops to wear with skinny jeans and these are perfect.  They're thin without being sheer, so they'd definitely work layered over a tank top or under a sweater.  And I LOVE purple.  

I got this Max&Cleo dress at Nordstrom Rack.  I'm thinking it'll be a nice piece to have to wear to internships over the summer.  

I LOVE this Madewell dress!  It's super easy to wear and yet it feels so fashionable.  Definitely something I'll get quite a bit of use out of.  

xoxoKate





Sunday, January 1, 2012

New Year's Resolutions 2012

I'm a big fan of New Year's Resolutions.  To me, it's a time to start fresh and get a clean start on a worthwhile goal.  Last year I resolved to get more exercise and I'm proud to have kept up with that.  This year I've come up with a goal/resolution for different areas of my life.

Academics: I'd like to finish 1L year strong (>3.5 GPA) and find a sweet summer job in D.C.  I have my eyes set on fall interviews for real jobs next fall.

Social: I'm going to work on being less sarcastic with my friends.  I've always been someone who likes to laugh and have a good time, but I've definitely put my foot in my mouth a few times lately and I'd like to work on that.

Physical: Last year I resolved to get more exercise.  This year I'm resolving to eat more vegetables.  I want to incorporate two servings of veggies into my dinner every night.  I also want to eat fewer sweets and save dessert for special occasions and dinners out.

Did you stick to your 2011 resolutions?  What are your resolutions for 2012?
xoxoKate