Happy Monday! I’m back to school/work today after an entire month off, but this is my final semester as a graduate student (and as a graduate assistant for my professor) so I say bring it on. If all goes to plan, I’ll graduate in May and I must say that I. CANNOT. WAIT. As crazy as it may sound, I’m ready to get back to the 9-5 grind and, more importantly, to start making a difference in the health of the population.

So, my pants were part of the Mad Men collection that Banana Republic put out a few years ago. They don’t photograph very well, but I thought they were so cool when I saw them in the store. I’ve since seen some similar cropped trousers in stores that are houndstooth or some other similar pattern but I think these remain my favorite. You can see a sort-of close up below. Even though you could pair just about any color with these pants, I decided to pair them with this jeweled cardigan I recently purchased on sale at Target. I love this shade of blue but I don’t wear a lot of it. I’m liking how well it looks against my porcelain skin 😉

Blouse: Old Navy | Cardigan: Target | Trouser: Banana Republic | Shoes: Anne Klein via DSW | Necklace: gift from a friend

Linking up with More Pieces of Me | InDUFFinitely Me | Mix + Match Fashion

I don’t consider myself to be very artistic or creative. In fact, I was a very late to use Instagram because I didn’t feel creative enough to use it, but sometimes I surprise myself and take photos that turn out kind of nice. These are the best/my favorite Instagram photos that I took last year. Not only are these somewhat artistic, but most of them just give you a little glimpse into my life. Some of them I may have already posted so I apologize if you’re seeing them again but I do hope you enjoy!

Snow falling outside of my kitchen window.

Snow in the back yard.

The perfect Valentine’s date night includes ice cream.

Wild onions in the spring time.

Coffee!

Enjoying a sunny day in the hammock.

A beautiful night out.

Flowers on the beach.

My furbabies.

I really enjoy exploring old, beautiful, and peaceful cemeteries.

My gifts reflect my lifestyle: cooking, clothes, reading, and coffee!

Nick made me a sign for my birthday!

Well, fellow fashionistas, do I look 30? That’s how old I turned on my birthday on New Year’s Eve, and while I don’t necessarily feel old, there are a few tell-tale signs that remind me I’m not as young as I used to be. For instance,my knees have started to hurt every now and then, which I used to make fun of Nick for a while back so I’m sure it’s karma, and I’ve started experiencing side effects from medications, like headaches and drowsiness, that I never experienced before. Other than that, I feel pretty darn good!

I wore this outfit during the day of my birthday for breakfast at one of my favorite diners and then for mani/pedis with Nick – you can probably tell that my pants are wrinkly at the bottom from being pushed up to to my knees during my calf massage. I wore another outfit that night for a fancy dinner and ringing in the new year at a friend’s house. That outfit will be part 2 so stay tuned! Also, check out my special sparkly birthday shoes! Nick picked them out for me and I’m loving them 🙂

I needed a black clutch and found an old one that I’d been using. It was working out fine but then Nick bought me this one for Christmas. The textured front sparkles in the light, which, of course, is the best part.

Sweater: Banana Republic | Pixie Pants: Old Navy | Necklace: Hawthorne Collection online | Shoes: Fioni via Payless | Coat: Banana Republic | Earrings: gift from my MIL | Clutch: gift from Nick (via Nordstrom)

Linking up with More Pieces of Me| The Pleated Poppy | Because Shanna Said So | Tucker Up

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Happy 30th Birthday to me! I can’t believe I’ve finally hit the big 3-0, but here it is. I don’t really feel that much older, and I just asked Nick the other night what he thought it meant to “feel like an adult.” We still haven’t figured it out yet 😉 On the agenda today is fun birthday activities like manicures/pedicures, some shopping, and a fancy dinner tonight. I can’t wait!

I’ve been blogging long enough now that I can participate in a year in review so I decided to do it on my birthday, which just happens to be the last day of the year. So, most people would choose their favorite outfit from each month, but I decided to choose my favorites based on either how much I liked it or how often I wore it (which are often positively correlated). Looking back, I see that I wore rolled denim and scarves a lot, which tells me that I’ve learned how to do casual pretty well. In May, I will graduate from grad school, rejoin the workforce (*fingers crossed* that it won’t take too long), and can show my very-neglected pencil skirts some love! Until then, here are my 15 favorite outfits from this year.

Original Post 1: It was one of the coldest days we experienced in NC.

Original post 2: The secret to wearing maxis in the winter is ankle boots!

Original post 3: Figuring out how to dress casually as a graduate student.

Original post 4: What I wore on the first day of my summer internship.

Original post 5: The perfect backyard barbeque outfit.

Original post 6: Wearing sweaters in the summer because of office air conditioning.

Original post 7: I’m hoping utility vests never go out of style.

Original post 8: Sunday Brunch after my best friend’s wedding.

Original post 9: A short girl wears a midi skirt and it actually looks good!

Original post 10: Loving the plum/turquoise combo in my new favorite outfit.

Original post 11: I love wearing Halloween colors together, and I got a TON of compliments on this blazer.

Original post 12 : This outfit has all of my autumn favorites: the colors, the stripes, and leopard print.

Original post 13: Date night outfit that got the most wear while watching a movie on my couch!

Original Post 14: The outfit that made me look like I stepped straight off of a Pinterest board.

Original post 15: Holiday sequins that are perfect for any holiday or New Year’s Eve party.

I’m looking forward to 2015. I hope everyone has a happy New Year full of love and fun and whatever else you desire!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy

Nick’s coworkers had a holiday party earlier this month, and this is what I wore. With the sequins and the coated denim (that kind of look like leather pants) this outfit would be perfect for New Year’s Eve, or as I like to call it, MY BIRTHDAY! 🙂 For the past few years, I’ve hosted a birthday party for NYE/my birthday. I haven’t decided what I’m going to wear for this year’s party but this outfit is definitely on the list.

Here’s the almost-blooper: I don’t know that I really consider it a blooper because I smile like this all the time! It’s just my face 😉

Blazer: Banana Republic | Sequin Tank: Old Navy | Coated Denim Jeans: Banana Republic | Shoes: Christian Siriano for Payless | Earrings: Old Navy | Clutch: really old, I have no idea where I got it!

Linking up with Walking in Memphis in High Heels | InDUFFinitely Me