It’s my favorite shirt again. When I said I was wearing it all the time, I wasn’t joking. And I paired it with my favorite (and only) midi skirt because it’s such a cute combination. The length of the skirt, the style of the boots, and the stripes all scream “fall” to me so I’ve worn it pretty much everywhere since the season began. It’s one of those outfits that I have to talk myself OUT of wearing because I just wore it last week (or, more accurately, yesterday) but then I usually give in because it’s so darn stylish. In fact, I’m wearing it again to work today!

Plus, you gotta love a fun, playful skirt!

Life lately has been pretty busy. We went to my brother-in-law’s wedding in Georgia the first weekend in November and even though all that driving was exhausting, we had a great time. It was my father-in-law’s first time meeting Sebastian so he was ecstatic that we were able to come, and I loved seeing him interact with his grandson. The wedding was beautiful, and it was very nice spending time with family we don’t see very often. Oh, and we got this beautiful family selfie:

the Crews-Castillo family

Now I’m just looking forward to the holidays — seriously, how is NEXT week Thanksgiving? November is flying by — and counting down to my last day of work. In the meantime, I’m making all kinds of plans and goals for my time off, like working on my writing portfolio, taking some Photoshop and Lightroom classes, learning more about photography and blogging, exercising more, etc. I know I’m happiest when I’m creating content for my blog, so having more time to devote to it and learning more stuff to improve it will mean better content and a much happier Nikki. I really can’t wait, y’all!

Anyway, I hope everyone is looking forward to the holidays and living their best life. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Blouse: a new day from Target | Skirt & Belt: Modcloth | Shoes:  | Sunnies & Watch: Target

In Durham, where I live, breweries and bottle shops are very dog and family friendly. Most of the breweries have areas separate from the bar where parents can gather with their friends and kids to have a beer and play a few board games. Some of them even have nice outdoor spaces where kids can run around while parents hang out with their pals. I’m thankful for this because it allows Nick and me to go out for a drink last-minute without having to find a babysitter. And after a ridiculously long week, that’s exactly what we did. We headed to a small bottle shop near our house with Sebastian in tow. And this is the outfit I wore!

Regardless of how family friendly it was, I still felt a little like this:

via GIPHY

We weren’t out for very long, maybe an hour at most. I had one glass of wine, and Sebastian slept most of the time so I don’t feel bad about it. But I did want to feel like I was actually going out instead of having a drink at home in my pajamas so I grabbed this new pair of jeans I got from a recent Stitch Fix. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the frayed hemline of these jeans but I slowly warmed up to them. While these may not be the first pair of jeans I reach for, I definitely wear them a bunch. And I will probably wear them even more now that the weather is starting to cool down ever so slightly.

A few weeks after Nick, Sebastian, and I went to the bottle shop together, we met up at the bottle shop with our neighbors who have a kid who is slightly older than Sebastian. It was a fun time all around. I’m sure the bottle shop won’t be the last crazy place we take our baby.

True story:

via GIPHY

Where’s the craziest place you’ve taken your baby?

Shirt: via Le Tote | Jeans: via Stitch Fix | Shoes: Banana Republic | Necklace: Old Navy | Watch: Target | Clutch: Nordstrom

Monday is feeling a little like this outfit looks: not that great.

First, the outfit: It’s one of those combos that worked better in my head. The problem is the pants: they’re a pair I had before I got pregnant when I had a little more weight on my bones and now they’re just too loose to pair with this flowy top, so the whole thing looks too big. I have another pair of pants in mind that I think will look much better; they’re tighter and longer. Jeans look pretty good with it, though.

HOWEVER, this shirt is awesome. It’s from a new local boutique in Durham called Liberation Threads and their principal business practice is to only sell goods that are ethical and fair trade. This shirt is made from the leftover fabrics of other clothing, and it’s so soft and comfortable. I love the open back because it’s on trend without making me feel like my whole back is on display. Anyway, I only discovered Liberation Threads a few weeks ago and plan to become a regular there.

Next, the Monday: All Mondays are bad enough and, while there isn’t anything in particular about today, I’m just not feeling it. I had a not-so-great Friday and the weekend wasn’t long enough to offset the fatigue of having to be back at work and in the swing of things today. I’m sure these feelings will subside soon, but I’m just over it, y’all. Over. It. As I mentioned on my Facebook on Friday, I’m having a woe-is-me moment. I’m trying really hard to stay positive and keep things in perspective but I’m completely failing at it. I’m sure it won’t take long for me to see that things are fine and life is grand, and then I’ll bounce back to my usual happy self. But right now, I just feel sad and hopeless, and I don’t know what to do to not feel sad and hopeless. Maybe I just need a nap.

Top: via Liberation Threads | Trousers: Karen Kane via Stitch Fix | Shoes: via Ross | Necklaces: Old Navy

I know this is likely just a bump in the road and I’ll be fine. I just have to make it through another day. Another stinkin’ Monday.

Life has been pretty busy lately, hence my sporadic posting. I know that’s to be expected when you’re adjusting to life with an infant, but on top of that, coordinating work and daycare schedules has been more challenging that I thought. We moved Sebastian to a daycare closer to our house because it makes our commute much easier, but I’m still getting used to the new routine. Also, I’m missing our old daycare because they were taking such good care of him. His previous teacher helped him finger paint, made little art projects with his footprints, and she gave him plenty of one-on-one time. The new daycare is fine; they take good care of him, too, but I don’t get the sense that the new teachers are as engaged as the previous teachers. Sure, they have a certain curriculum and they teach him things, but it doesn’t feel as personal as the other location. Maybe I just need some more time to get to know them better.

Blurry Sebastian photo

Anyway, when I got dressed, I thought to myself, “Here’s another ‘mom’ outfit,” but, just like I mentioned in my recent Mom post, I would have worn this type of outfit before becoming a mom. Also, when you’re a mom, every outfit you wear is a mom outfit! But this one is my new favorite because it’s comfortable and stylish. And I love this shirt. It has become my go-to, and I’d wear it every day if I could. It’s from the “A New Day” collection at Target. The boat neck design makes the shirt feel kind of preppy, and I appreciate that they added an extra piece of fabric in the shoulder to hide your bra straps. I hate it when my bra straps are showing!

I’ve worn this outfit to work, doctors appointments, running errands, hanging out around the house, dinner, etc. etc. You name it. It’s the best. It’s really good for transitioning into Fall, too!

Sebastian doesn’t love taking pictures today as much as mommy.

What is your go-to “mom” outfit?

Shirt: A New Day via Target | Jeans: Banana Republic | Necklaces: Old Navy | Watch: Old Navy

NCsquared at the Food Truck Rodeo

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! We celebrated the unofficial end of summer by eating delicious food at Durham’s Food Truck Rodeo and having a night in with our neighbors on Sunday and by watching a lot of Netflix on Monday. It was pretty awesome. Luckily the weather was great all weekend because we had to turn off our air conditioner yesterday due to a possible freon leak — the house started to smell like band-aids every time the air would kick on, so weird — and the techs are coming out this afternoon to check things out. Other than that, we had a pretty uneventful weekend.

But this is my end-of-summer outfit. Warm enough for a sleeveless blouse and close enough to Fall for cute open-toe booties. Wearing boots in the summer can be super stylish, but I’m just now getting comfortable wearing them in warm weather. It actually took me a while to come around to wearing booties at all, which is silly because they *are* so stylish. They’ve become one of my go-to shoe choices.

On Monday morning, while Nick and Sebastian slept, I drank my coffee on our back deck. The air was crisp and the morning dew lightly coated the patio table and chairs. The birds chirped and playfully hopped through the branches in the trees. The sun peered through the clouds, creating a sweet halo of light around the yard, and it was pure bliss. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before but this is my favorite time of year. While I am very ready for Autumn, I’m glad we still have several weeks of warm weather here in NC. I don’t have to put up my tanks and tees just yet, but I can break out the comfy sweater cardis. I really love those things! And I love those beautiful, cool mornings!

Coffee on the deck, enjoying the beautifully cool morning

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed your four-day work week. I know I’ve already started counting down for this weekend when I can relax all over again 🙂

Blouse: Old Navy | Jeans: Gap | Shoes: Madden Girl | Jewelry: Old Navy | Watch: Target

Linking up: Start the Week Stylish | Link up on the Edge | Spread the Kindness