I loved this outfit from a week or so ago, and I’m very sad I haven’t gotten a better photo of it yet. This poncho sweater is a trend I’ve been wanting to try for a while now but oversized sweaters can be tricky for short folks to pull off. The sweater can look way too big or make you look smaller if the proportions aren’t right. This one is a Petite and fits perfectly on my 5′ 1″ frame. And it makes me look like a sophisticated adult instead of a little kid playing dress up. I’m so excited that I found it. In the photo above, I gave it the half tuck; in the photo below, I left it out. Which look do you like better?

Sweater: Loft Outlet | Jeans: Liverpool London via Stitch Fix | Heels: H&M | Necklace: via Stitch Fix

Hi, dear readers! I didn’t mean to disappear for a month, but life has been hectic. Between travel, work, toddler needs, and life, time just got away from me. Let’s catch up, shall we?

Travel

At the end of September, Nick and I traveled to California. It was a dual-purpose trip: My best friend was getting married in Carmel-by-the-Sea and asked me to be in the wedding on September 29th, to which I couldn’t say yes fast enough, and then, because her wedding was two days before our own wedding anniversary on October 1st, Nick and I decided to head up to San Francisco for a few days to celebrate our own wedded bliss.

The wedding was stunningly gorgeous. I’m so jealous of how beautiful everything was but I’m honestly not surprised because it simply matched the beauty that is my best friend, both inside and out. I was so busy helping with and prepping for the wedding that I didn’t get to take many photos, but I can’t wait to see the photos that the photographer took. I have a feeling they’re going to be top notch. In the meantime, here are a few that I managed to snap when in the little bit of downtown we had.

Big Sur, California. This was basically the background of my friend’s wedding!

Happy bridesmaid!

Obligatory Golden Gate Bridge picture

Fashion

In North Carolina, we had about a week of “false” fall in mid-September where the temperature cooled down to a beautiful 68-75 degrees, but then quickly heated up again. In California, it was “true” fall with temps in the 60s-70s every day. I think that was my favorite thing about California aside from the wedding. Anyway, NC’s false fall allowed me to wear a few fall-like outfits, which was exciting. You can find them on my Instagram and I shared them on Nikki by example’s Facebook page, but here’s a recap.

Fall outfits, finally!

Outfit 1: Blouse: Loft Outlet | Cardigan: via Stitch Fix | Jeans: LOFT | Shoes: H&M | Necklace: Old Navy 
Outfit 2: Sweater: ModCloth | Jeans: Wit & Wisdom via Stitch Fix | Shoes: Banana Republic (old) | Necklace: J. Crew Factory
Outfit 3: Sweater & Trousers: Banana Republic (old) | Shoes: H&M | Jewelry: Target | see outfit post here.
Outfit 4: Sweater: ModCloth | Jeans: LOFT | Shoes: Madden Girl | Necklace: J. Crew Factory | Belt: Target

Family

In mid-August, Sebastian started potty training and he’s really been rocking it! We’ve gotten super lucky in that many of his friends at preschool are also potty training so I think he picked up on it really quickly from seeing them go to the potty at school. He’s very good about peeing on the toilet on his own and is slowly overcoming his fear of pooping on the toilet. This is pretty common with kids from what I’ve read and heard. I feel like it has been incredibly easy learning/training process, and that for that I am eternally grateful! This kid is truly the best.

The “baby potty” as Sebastian calls it.

Work

I just accepted an offer to work as a research coordinator in the Department of Population Health at one of the large universities in the area and I start next month. It’s a welcomed change that will come with more responsibilities and more pay, so I’m really excited to start this new career journey. I will miss working in adolescent sexual health but the time has come for me to move on and move up in my career. And don’t worry – the building also has a big mirror in the restroom so you’ll still get regular outfit updates 😉

I will soon be a university employee

I think that’s it for now. Lots of stuff going on and many changes to work through, but overall, life is great! I hope all is going well for you, too.

Top: A New Day via Target | Vest: my BAJEE collection via Conversation Pieces | Jeans: Liverpool via Stitch Fix | Slides: LOFT Outlet | Necklace & Bracelets: Old Navy | Watch: Timex 

Fall is officially one month away and I cannot wait. I’m preparing by pulling out all of my fall scented candles/melt cups (we have a Yankee Candle Scenterpiece Wax Warmer that we use most of the time) and brushing off this army/utility vest. It’s still 90+ degrees outside here in central North Carolina, but a girl can dream! Every time a breeze blows and a leaf falls, I can sense that autumn is just around the corner. And I am so ready for it.

Welcome back to another outfit round up. These are a sampling of the outfits I’ve worn in the last few weeks and am having trouble picking a favorite. I almost titled this post “Black, White and Gray” but I had to sneak in the olive skirt and I figured naming four colors was perhaps a bit too much for a title.

Welcome to my new series, Real Talk, where I talk openly and frankly about my experiences with brands, products, life hacks, etc. The following are my opinions based on my own experiences. Please remember that not everyone will have the same experiences so what may be true for me won’t necessarily be true for you. 

I have a love/hate relationship with ModCloth.

I was really excited when I first discovered them years ago because the clothes were really stylish but had a cute, unique spin to them. They offered classic shapes and styles adorned with animals, food, and/or planets. I loved the vintage feel of a lot of the pieces, and I always thought the outfits looked like they would be worn by cool librarians who wouldn’t shush you for laughing too loudly in the reading nook.