Welcome 2016!

photo source

I have a good feeling about this year. The last few have been somewhat of a transition, as I was in graduate school and everything was basically suspended until I finished school and found a real career. Nick and I both started new jobs recently and we’re settling in quite nicely so I think now is a good time to focus on really making a life we want to live. I’m notorious for making New Year’s Resolutions that only last for a few months tops but this year I’ve had a serious talk with myself and determined that I need to get it together and really be an adult. So, Nick and I are setting four big goals for ourselves to reach in 2016 that are both realistic and much-needed.

1. Get it together. This one simply means it’s time for me to be a real adult: get out of bed in the morning with enough time to work out, shower, put on makeup, AND make a healthy lunch; actually fold the laundry instead of telling myself they need another round in the dryer (this will also solve the issue of shrunken clothes!); tidy up clutter before it has a chance to take over the dining room table…. you know, adult things like that.
2. Follow through. How many times have you ran into a friend at the grocery store and, after a lovely chat, made plans to get together for dinner, meet for coffee, etc. and then weeks later you forgot you even saw them that one time at Target? This year, we’re going to start following through with those plans. Whether it’s pulling out my phone and scheduling dinner right then and there, or sending them a reminder email to look at their schedules when they get home, or whatever we have to do, we’re going to make sure we get that dinner/coffee/whatever on the calendar. Think of how much our friendships will strengthen from being placed at the top of the list!
3. Say yes to new things. I’m taking a cue from Amy Poehler and Shonda Rhimes this year by saying yes to all of the new opportunities that get presented to me. I’ve caught myself on several occasions missing out on great things in life because I’ve been too afraid to say yes for whatever reason. So this will be my year of yes, and I look forward to making it my best year yet.
4. Finances. For the past few years we’ve tracked our expenses pretty well, but haven’t been able to stick to a budget that will help us hit our goals of knocking out debt while saving up for fun things.  We’re not getting any younger and we’d like to travel more and really build our savings for whatever lies ahead.  We have the means to do so and now’s the time to be responsible and get it done.  

There you have it, the lifestyle changes we’re going to make to live our best lives. I also think I’ll include some blog-specific goals later. I read a really great article recently that highlights how feeling like you’re unable to “pull something off” in style & fashion might actually have a larger impact on the way you view your actual talents and abilities, so I’m going to give it some thought and set some style goals for myself. So I look forward to all that 2016 has to offer!

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

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Photo by 2 & 3 Photography

As we do every year, we had beautiful family photos taken for our holiday cards. And, as they do every year, they turned out wonderfully thanks to the talented artists, Thad and Sarah, that make up the awesome duo behind 2 & 3 Photography.

Photo by 2 & 3 Photography

This year we wanted to add a little extra fun to our cards, so we changed into some tacky Christmas sweaters and dressed up as reindeer. We also made sure to get a few poses that were reminiscent of those awesome 80s photos where people stare off into the distance with awkward smiles. Check out the resulting card here, if you haven’t seen it already. Aren’t we adorable?

Photo by 2 & 3 Photography

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Dear friends,
2015 has seen many ups and downs for NCsquared, but all’s well that ends well! I graduated from my Master’s program and, after 6 long months and several part-time jobs, found full-time work in the nonprofit sector as a grant writer. Nick landed an exciting new role at a leading e-commerce firm, and Chico & Mia continue to be the pampered little pooches that they’ve always been. We wish you all a very happy holiday season for whatever you celebrate and an exciting new year.

With Best Wishes,
Nick, Nikki, Chico & Mia

Our Awesome Wedding Party. We couldn’t ask for better friends!

Thursday, October 1st, was our 4th wedding anniversary. You can read all about it and see more photos on our wedding page here.

My smile was this big the whole day. It really was the best.

It was definitely one of the happiest days of our lives. Things have been a little crazy in our lives lately, however, so we didn’t really get a chance to celebrate. After working most of the day, we went out for celebratory tacos and a small glass of cava from our favorite local taco joint, Nanataco.

Calamari taco, fried oyster taco, rice, beans, and chips. And a litle cava on the side!

Then we came home and cuddled on the couch, watching episodes of Dexter. It was actually kind of perfect, when you think about it. We got to spend some quality time together, and really, isn’t that what really matters?

Happy October, everyone!

A whole month has gone by and I haven’t posted a single thing. For that, dear readers, I apologize. I’ve mentioned a time or two how I’m not the greatest blogger and that’s only made more difficult when life starts to get the better of you.

We received some unfortunate news a few weeks back; Nick was informed he’d be getting laid off from his job, along with about 200+ other employees of this company. Needless to say, I had to focus on more pressing matters than taking pictures of my clothes. I don’t make any money from this blog so it was put on the backburner while we kicked up our job search, reached out to our networks, applied to every job we could find, and considered the very real possibility that we may have to give up our life that we’ve worked so hard to build in a community we love so much.

There is a bit of good news, though! I have amazing friends that have helped out in big ways. Thanks to my friend, Sarah, I started a part-time job as the office manager of a women’s rights organization that I really admire. I’ve also started a job in retail and Nick has picked up a part-time job in a bottle shop so I know we’re going to be alright. I feel really confident that more full-time opportunities in my field will pop up soon and Nick has a ton of poosibilities (not to mention a great mentor) so I just know something will come along for him soon, as well; life can’t get me down just yet!

The other good news is that I regularly get dressed for both of my jobs so that means more outfit posts! In the meantime, here are two outfit that I was planning to share before taking a break:

Blue Stripes Vol. 2:

You’re not experiencing déjà vu, I have worn an outfit almost identical to this one here. When you find a good formula, you should stick to it. I don’t have a lot to say about this one so I’ll just leave it here.

Top & Scarf: Gap | Jeans: Banana Republic | Shoes: Gap Outlet | Necklace: Loft Outlet

Palazzo Pants:

How fun are palazzo pants? They feel kind of like pajamas when I wear them. I feel like they’d look better if I were about 5-10 inches taller but these wedges make them work. I’ve only worn these once because they’re a tad snug these days but maybe this summer I’ll throw them on more often.

Top: Banana Republic | Pants & Wedges: Target | Jewelry: Old Navy

Since I’m regularly getting dressed for work, I’ll have more posts this week so stay tuned!