Why I love Chicwish and my Favorite 2021 Chicwish Pieces

My relationship with Chicwish:

Chicwish reached out to me in the spring of 2020 about working together. I had never heard of the brand but I did my research and became intrigued because all of the clothes on the website were SO stinkin cute. I thought it was too good to be true. 

I placed an order with my brand contact and was so pleasantly surprised when my package came. 

Chicwish has quickly beome one of my favorite brands to work with and also to shop.

My closet is about 50% Chicwish and 50% J.Crew. That’s how you know this brand is a keeper!

 

*This blog post is all of my own opinions. Chicwish asked me to write a post about my favorite pieces from this year and I am being compensated in gifted clothing pieces.*

 

Why do I love Chicwish?

3 reasons:

1.     Quality. The quality is amazing! I know women get nervous about shopping from brands that are strictly online, like Chicwish, and unfortunately all bloggers/influencers can’t be trusted when they speak to the quality of clothes, but I can be trusted.

Trust me when I say that the quality of Chicwish’s pieces is on par with brands like J.Crew and Banana Republic. The white faux fur jacket I just got in the mail from Chicwish is quilted and lined on the inside. It is so warm and toasty, all because of how well it is made!

I think of my clothes as investments, and I would rather spend more money on clothes that will last me longer than throwing clothes out after one wear and wash because they rip or don’t hold their shape.
I have never had to throw out or donate any clothes from Chicwish.

The pieces are made well and are made to last, which is also better for the environment.

Pro tip: read the sizing chart at the right of the screen when you are selecting what size to order. The sizes aren’t consistent for all of the products.

 

2.     Prices. You pay for the quality. The prices are similar to J.Crew or Banana Republic when they are on sale. The prices aren’t cheap like H&M or Forever 21, but the quality at those stores is not great either. You are really paying for the quality. Chicwish is always having a sale though. Right now when I am writing this (12/27/21) there is a 5% off sale with the code: SE5 and a 10% off sale with the code: SE10. Chicwish also offers free shipping for purchases over $50 and free returns. 

 

3.     Style. Everything I have ever selected and been sent is SO on trend and up to date. With that being said, Chicwish can be seen as a fast fashion brand like Zara and H&M, however, if you select pieces that are classics, like I always do: pleated midi skirts, tweed blazers, cozy sweaters in neutral colors, cable knits, you will have these pieces in your closet for all of eternity, especially because the quality is so good. Everything that Chicwish produces is SO cute and my whole closet is quickly becoming stuffed with all things Chicwish. It is the first place I go to look for sweaters, party dresses and work clothes. 

 

Enough about my deep love for Chicwish, here are my favorite 15 pieces from 2021. All links are affiliate links. Shopping from my links gives me a small commission at no cost to you.

 

1.          Cable knit turtleneck dress

2.          White lace midi dress

3.          Black cocktail bow dress

4.          Lemon tiered maxi dress with ties

5.          Pink cropped cardigan 

6.          White bow cardigan

7.          Chunky knit floral cardigan

8.          Tweed cape

9.          White faux fur coat (coming to a blog post soon!)

10.       Burgundy Christmas dress

11.       Gray sparkle button collared shirt

12.       Black crisscross top

13.       Pink open back silky top

14.       Pink midi wrap dress

15.       Blue sweater dress

Christmas in Red Velvet

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and let the celebrations continue this week.

I know for most this Christmas was tough and looked a lot different, yet again, to previous years, as it did for my family.

I hope you made the most of your holiday and celebrated the small things in life.

Please, get vaccinated, if you haven’t and please get boosted, so we can all go back to normal holidays next year.

 

I vlogged Christmas Eve and Christmas day on Instagram Reels. It was fun to make and it is something nice to look back on!

I celebrated Christmas Eve at my house with our Italian tradition of seven fishes and pasta. My aunt and one of my older brothers came over. It was a very intimate dinner, and it was surprisingly nice considering the disappointing circumstances that all my siblings and I were supposed to be together this holiday weekend.

 

Christmas morning, we woke up and opened presents under the tree after a breakfast of cinnamon buns, biscuits and fruit.

 

For dinner, my grandparents came over and we had a turdunken. Yes, you read that correctly: a duck stuffed inside a chicken stuffed inside a turkey. It was absolutely delicious. It was so juicy and tender. I highly recommend cooking one for your next holiday.

 

I hope next year we can all have Christmas together and put this horrible virus behind us.

 

Also, order this beautiful velvet dress for your holiday next year! It is absolutely stunning (look at the sleeve detail and the sparkle buttons) and super comfortable with lots of room for cookies with the elastic waist. 

 

Shop my Christmas outfit here (contains affiliate links):

 

Best Holiday Activities in NYC

I know this post is a little late, as NYC visitors have come and gone already, but it still the holiday season so here are the best things to do and see in NYC during the winter and Christmas season. (Most of these things are free too!)

1.          Visit Rockefeller Tree! It’s best to go early in the morning or during the week to avoid crowds.

2.          Ice skate in Central Park at Wollman Rink.

3.          Visit the Bryant Park holiday market. There are little booths set up with small businesses selling hot chocolate, candles, jewelry, Christmas ornaments and other handmade goods.

4.          Say hi to the New York Public Library lions adorned in their wreaths.

5.          Grab a coffee at Ralph’s either on Madison Ave or at the pop-up at Rockefeller.

6.          Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5^th Ave, right across from Rockefeller.

7.          Watch the Saks 5^th Ave light show. It plays about ever 10-15 minutes, so get a good spot across from the store with your back to the Rockefeller tree and get your camera ready!

8.          Stroll past the Bergdorf windows on 5^th Ave. 

9.          Go shopping at the Columbus Circle holiday markets. Very similar as the Bryant Park and Union Square ones. Love the European vibes!

10.       Admire the Macy’s windows in midtown.

Shop my outfit here (may contain affiliate links):

Best Purchases of 2021

My wardrobe is a collection of years and years of shopping. Every year I add and get rid of clothes and accessories and only keep things I truly love.

Here are my best purchases from 2021 and things that will stay in my closet for years to come:

(This post may contain affiliate links)

1.         Tweed blazer

2.         Navy double breasted blazer

3.         Cable knit turtleneck dress

4.         Light wash “mom” jeans

5.         Sarah Flint cheetah loafers (use my promo code: SARAHFLINTBA-ELIZABETHG for $50 off)

6.         Fleece lined tights

7.         Black flare pants

8.         White lace midi dress

9.         Hill House pieces

10.       White Goodnight Macaroon dress

11.       Lemon and floral maxi dresses

12.       Soludos espadrilles

13.       Loeffler Randall feather bag (similar)

14.       Cropped cardigan

15.       Black bow dress

16.       Sarah Flint perfect sandals (promo code above)

17.       Bodysuit

18.       Black feather heels

19.       Navy sailor pants

20.       Barrington tote

Happy shopping!

 

Understanding Law School Stress and Pressure and How I Cope

Law school finals are quickly approaching, and the stress is quickly rising. For those of you that don’t know, law school is graded on a bell curve, with the final test being the only indicator of your grade. My school does mostly closed book exams. So, for every test, you have to cram 14 weeks’ worth of legal material and cases into your brain and be able to synthesize and analyze that material onto a sheet of paper or computer screen during a 4-hour time frame.

Clearly there are a lot of valid reasons to be stressed.

 

It is hard for an anyone who has never gone to law school to understand the stress and pressure us law students are under. In my opinion, an unhealthy amount of stress and pressure. Law school exams are really a test of how well students can work under a period of earth crushing pressure.

 

Sadly, during this time I am not the happiest of persons. Normally, I am a very happy and positive person, but law school brings me down. Don’t get me wrong: they’re great parts to law school; fun learning material, seeing my friends, interning, cool lectures, etc. But not the stress and pressure that comes with it.

Everyone handles stress differently. Personally, I get really quiet, and I get very tense in my neck and shoulders. And sometimes I forget to eat. Unfortunately, during that time I have a tendency to snap at friends and family as there is nothing else, I can focus on or think about but the stressor.

 

How I deal with stress: I like to take walks, workout, play on my phone, plan things out and get organized. I also prioritize and get focused on what the real task at hand is: succeeding on my finals.

 

Law school exams are unkind so please keep us law students in mind these next couple of weeks and if we snap at you, or aren’t the nicest, we’re sorry. Please bear with us. It will be over soon.

10 Best NYC Date Ideas

Here are some of my favorite NYC dates. These dates are perfect for a traditional date with your significant other or your friends in New York City! But they can also be reworked into a date in your hometown.

1.          Broadway show and dinner- pick a 7:30/8pm show and book dinner at Becco (my all-time favorite all you can eat fresh pasta place) or Tito Murphy’s (for Mexican) or Le Rivage ($60 3-course pre-fixe menu) at 5/5:30 for a leisurely dinner before your show.

2.          Comedy show- We love Comedy Cellar in the village! The later shows are the better ones. Make sure you reserve your tickets a couple of weeks in advance. You never know which famous SNL celeb or comedian might show up!

3.          Walk all of Manhattan- I haven’t done this one yet, but it’s on my list! Start on the Upper West Side and walk down all of Manhattan until you hit Battery Park. Stop along the way at all the best restaurants in the neighborhoods you pass. Or just take a regular walk! One of my favorite things to do with Alex! We love to walk or bike along the East River in the park. We also love to walk the Brooklyn Bridge during all seasons. New York is a walking city. Sometimes we just walk loops around Manhattan unintentionally, but it’s a great way to explore and find new spots. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes on!

4.          Central Park picnic- a great way to spend time with friends: bring a big blanket, snacks, drinks and a football and hang out on Sheep Meadow. Or find a secluded spot under a tree for you and your boo for a romantic date where you feel like you have escaped NYC.

5.          Governors Island- if you want to feel like your miles away from Manhattan head to Governors Island. It’s officially my favorite place in all of New York City. It’s a $3 ferry ride (book in advance online) from Battery Park and you can spend all day walking around and exploring this amazing NYC park. We usually bring food and have a picnic, but there are food trucks and food carts to grab a bite. There are lots of playground for kids too. You can rent CitiBikes or walk around. There are also two national monuments (with park rangers) on the island. Governors Island also has the best views of Manhattan and the Statute of Liberty and I’m obsessed. It’s also now open all year long! It really has it all and what’s more fun than exploring something new?!

6.          Chelsea Market- pick four different restaurants/shops for each course: appetizer, main course, side and dessert. And add a drink if you want! Recently we did this and had dumplings to start, then tacos, a sushi bowl and donuts for dessert!

7.          Farmers Market- 14th Street Union Square has a great one. Honestly, every neighborhood has one. So pick a neighborhood you want to visit and Google “farmers market.”

8.          Wine Bar- The Immigrant is one of my favorites. It is a very intimate place, great for a romantic date. 

9.          Visit a museum- any museum! There are so many to choose from: The Met, MOMA, The Whitney, The Frick, The Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim, USS Intrepid, The 911 Museum, New York Transit Museum, Madame Tussauds, Museum of Ice Cream (which I would not recommend), South Street Seaport Museum, Ellis Island, etc. 

10.        Cook dinner together- This one is probably the most unNew York related date-idea, but, I am always going out to dinner in the city, and it gets old after a while. For someone that hates to cook, cooking as a team always is so much fun! Or if you don’t want to actually cook, make a charcuterie board and grab a bottle of wine.

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The Power of Storytelling in Law School (and Barrington Gifts Promo Code)

In college I was an English and French double major. One of the English electives I took was a class called “Investigating Innocence,” where the Journalism department and Wake Forest School of Law worked to craft a story to help a criminal client who was wrongfully accused.

I talk about this class a lot because it really was the coolest class I have ever taken. It combined my love for writing and researching with my passion for the law. (I even wrote my personal statement for my law school applications about this class). This class helped me pinpoint exactly why I wanted to go to law school: to help tell stories. I have known from a young age that I wanted to go to law school, but I really couldn’t articulate it, until I took this class.

In my first year of law school, I didn’t tell many stories. I mostly read them in case briefs and I did write a couple in the form of memos for my legal writing class.

But I am currently in a class where I am circling back to the theme of storytelling and the importance of it in the field of law in my Foundational Lawyering class.

My friends aren’t big fans of the class. Personally, I like parts of it and think parts of it are important, others not so much. But pretty much this class makes you think and act like a lawyer.

It is reminding us how to tell stories and how to question clients and witnesses. 

After a year of not being able to write anything but memos that are cut and dry in class (I’m thankful that I have T&P to continue to creatively write) we are now reminded the importance of storytelling to help clients get their points heard by the jury and the judge. We have been reminded of the importance of describing the setting, the characters, the who, what, where, when, why and the chronology.

It feels nice that I am being retaught and retold that stories are important in the legal field.

 

Besides that class, I am also writing a Note for my journal. The editors are stressing to the 2L staff that we have to tell a story to grab our reader’s attention in our introduction. It feels so nice to write something academic that is flowery and descriptive but at the same time argumentative and strong.

 

I am so happy that two of my favorite academic things: storytelling and the law are combined once again and are proved to be important. It is a good reminder, as the semester gets more stressful (and discouraging), why I wanted to go to law school in the first place. 

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