a New Desk

I stayed out in East Texas this weekend to work and get a lot of outstanding errands done; including, finding a desk for my East Texas "week-home." Cue the party because I found the Perfect desk. I'm not talking 80% of what I was looking for, I'm talking about EXACTLY what I was looking for.  A while back, I almost settled for this desk at west elm:

I liked the clean lines and the metal, but it looked too new for me, too much like I just went to an urban furniture store and picked something "cool" out; which, is exactly what it would have been.  So, I didn't spend the $400 and held out, hoping that something truly exciting, old, classy, and industrial would appear.  Lo, and behold, Ethel's Treasure Quest in Tyler, TX had EXACTLY what I wanted:

These pictures really aren't doing it justice. Actually, it may just be the room it's in- not my choice of paint color or hardwood color, BUT ignore these things, readers and focus on the desk. The AMAZING black iron base with clean lines and a bit of fancy shape and the PERFECTION of the slate top. It doesn't get more industrially perfect than this!

Isn't that slate amazing? 

AND, one of the best parts of the new desk is that I found it in Tyler, which means, city folk that it was ABSURDLY cheap. Seriously, I would have paid at least $500 for this piece in some Dallas and Houston stores, but out here in East Texas, I got this amazing piece (the WHOLE thing) for only $125.  And seriously, Ethel's is awesome. Check her out if you are ever out here!

Canton, TX

For many of us who grew up in the Dallas area, Canton, TX was a place where our mothers often escaped on the weekends for the "world-famous" First Monday Trade Days.  For me, Canton, TX was a place where the whole family went.  I remember trips that were unbearably hot.  I remember begging for a sausage-on-a-stick (one of the many culinary delights available at the trade days).  And I remember the feeling that days at Canton would never end (It is undeniably the Smithsonian of trade days/flea markets).  "Canton" is a gigantic conglomeration of people selling antiques, crafts, and junk.  This past weekend, the roommates and I headed east on a beautiful Texas morning to find treasures.  It turned out to be a bit warmer than we thought and extremely more crowded.  Canton is truly an overwhelming undertaking, but afforded some good times and great finds.  Here's some pics from the day:

(we ended up getting the office chair on the far right- truly amazing)

baubles and beads and bags

awesome light hangings

"junk"

I should have bought that sign...

Ode to the Denim Jacket

With all the rain in Dallas lately, it has felt a bit less like summer.  This is good for two reasons, 1. I don't want to kill over whenever I walk out-of-doors; and, 2. We get to layer!  I picked up a cropped denim jacket at the BR a few months ago and adore the times I get to wear it.  I wore it to my bday dinner with my good friend, Nikki tonight.  It's the perfect all-American piece and in honor of the 4th, I show you others I'd love to add to my collection:

J.Crew Cropped

Banana Republic Distressed

Current/Elliot The Snap denim Jacket at Net-a-Porter

Nicole in Hudson's Kasidy Stretch Denim Jacket

Alright, Alright, not all the way denim, but almost, and cute nonetheless- 

Joseph Ines Tweed Jacket at Net-A-Porter

Hudson Distressed Denim Jacket

Happy 4th!

New Look

I think I know what those kids who wore all black in high school felt like.  They just didn't want to look like everyone else.  I moved back to North Texas 5 weeks ago.  I was sailing on the elation of my graduation.  My hair was bouncy, blonde, and everything a Texas girl strives for.  I delighted in wearing cutesy dresses, pearls and flats.
Fast Forward 5 weeks.  I just dyed my hair dark brown two days ago to stand out from the hoards of Dallas blondes in barbri.  If my Ohio friends would have seen my outfit today, they would have been shocked.  I don't know if it's the bar exam review or the North Texas culture shock that has me running so frantically from prep to hipster.  Maybe (hopefully) it will all level out again.  On that slightly soul baring note concerning the evolution of my personal style, I am drawn to look for new pieces and accessories for my look.  Some basics I'm already sporting are:

J. Crew's vintage slim jeans (but in a darker wash, obvs)

Dior's Creme de Gloss (in red, to off-set the dark hair)

...an oversized T from this place

and my dad's vintage wayfarers.

Some pieces I'd like to add to the collection:

Steven Alan's Checked cotton boyfriend Shirt

Alexander McQueen (may he rest in peace) Silk Skull Scarf

Mike & Chris Maguire studded leather jacket

making it a job to get a job...

The Times published an article yesterday called, 'In Law Schools, Grades Go Up, Just Like That".  It chronicles to a tee the games schools play so that more of their students will get jobs post-law school.  I found particularly entertaining (and sickening) SMU's practice of paying Dallas firms to hire their students.  Perhaps this is why certain law firms are not hiring any 3Ls who are not from SMU.  
Law Schools are now engaged in a frightful race-to-the-top make their students look more attractive.  Will Loyola Law School's students look more attractive to employers after this?  I doubt it.  The article does point out that some firms follow Above the Law's reports on schools changing grading system and take that into affect when hiring... but some do not.  
The hope for those still in law school (especially with the traditional grading curve) seems to remain in Journal activity and Moot Court teams.  Firms say that they can usually tell a student's rank based on these factors without even looking at a G.P.A. Some other highlights from the article appear below:

"In the last two years, at least 10 law schools have deliberately changed their grading systems to make them more lenient. These include law schools like New York University and Georgetown, as well as Golden Gate University and Tulane University, which just announced the change this month." 

A Dallas family law firm will receive $3,500 to “test drive” him this August.

"It is unclear whether grade inflation is particularly effective at helping students get jobs, especially because many large firms adjust their expectations accordingly."

"These moves can create a vicious cycle like that seen in chief executive pay: if every school in the bottom half of the distribution raises its marks to enter the top half of the distribution, or even just to become average, the average creeps up. This puts pressure on schools to keep raising their grades further."

Where My Bar Review Class Is Being Held

It's called Eddie Deen's.
It's right next to the Dallas Convention Center.
It is a "banquet hall."
It has a Texas theme.
There is a bar inside.
Here are some pics from the website:

The legit outside.

Picture the people removed and a bunch of tables lined up in lecture form.

The armadillos are, sadly, not there during our class.

I miss Ohio.