Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! We hope your holidays are happy and bright.

<3, NCsquared

(Nick + Nikki + Chico + Mia)

No matter what our spiritual beliefs, or what part of the world we live, we all share the turning of the sun on the solstices.

The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year and marks the beginning of winter and the return of the sun. It is the shortest day of the year and, as the days get longer, we have the opportunity for a new beginning.

This is a natural time for letting go and saying farewell. Release your resentments and regrets into the darkness, knowing they will be transformed with the return of the light. Renew your visions for the new year and remember that it’s important not to judge yourself by “success” or “failure” in this past year but by the true quality of how you lived your life and whether you were a good influence on your world.

In the coming year, try to create enriching experiences for yourself and continue to look forward. You can shape your life more positively, with awareness and intention. Dedicate all of your happy, joyful experiences to every living being that is able to share that good energy, and dedicate all of your painful, difficult experiences to uplifting  yourself and others.

Death and rebirth, the passing of the old and the slow emergence of the new. Helping one another through the dark. Sharing with the less fortunate. Being thankful for our past blessings and for prosperity in the future. The natural cycles of our world. All of this is the spirit of the season I celebrate.

Celebration Ideas

This year for the solistice I plan on lighting some candles and reflecting on all of the things I’m grateful for from the past year and letting go of all the resentments I might hold. One way to do that is to write down any resentments on a small post-it note and then burn the post-it in the flame of the candle.

Here are a few ideas that for celebrating the solstice:

• Greet the sun at dawn on solstice morning by ringing bells.
• Create rituals, having feasts (pot-luck), and a gift exchange
• Create your own family tradition by gathering in a circle around candles. Each person can light a candle and talk about something they’re grateful for or something they wish for another person in the coming year.
• Gather around a bond fire and have each person state what they would like to give up about the past and what the envision for the future.
• Light candles: a different candle for each of the twelve months on the 12 days before the solstice. Light the center candle on solstice day (represents the return of the light)
• Contribute to wellness on the planet: donate food or clothing, meditate for world peace, make a pledge to do some form of good in the coming year.

Creating a meaningful celebration of winter solstice can help us cultivate a deeper connection to nature and family and all the things that matter most to us. Happy Winter Solstice, everyone!

Photo by Rebecca Triplett-Johnson

I was pinspired by the outfit in this pin and I have the same shirt and new ankle boots, so I knew it would look great. I felt strange, though, when I got dressed because it’s a nice Fall outfit and I really shouldn’t be wearing it in Winter; I should be focusing on Winter outfits. Then I remembered that it’s technically still Fall! Awkwardness averted.

Also, I know you’re thinking to yourself, “Damn, Nikki’s hair is looking good, like a Victoria’s Secret angel’s hair!” Why, thank you 😉 It’s true, I was fresh out of the salon when I took these so my hair was pretty fabulous. My hair dresser, who I’ve been seeing for about 5 years now, usually just straightens my hair after a cut but, today, she was eager to try out a new blow-drying technique that adds tons of volume like a Victoria’s Secret Model. I think it looks amazing but would probably take too much time for everyday wear. But I’ll rock it while it lasts!

This maroon/burgundy/oxblood/whatever-you-want-to-call-it color is kind of timeless because it’s definitely in this season, but I feel like it was “in” last fall/winter, too.  It’s probably not a bad idea to invest in maroon/burgundy/etc.  because it’s likely to stick around for a while.

Top, Jeans, & Necklace: Old Navy | Ankle Boots: Target | Scarf: Amazon

Isn’t yellow such a happy color? I mean, it’s the color of sunshine, daffodils, and lemonade, all of which are some of the happiest things on the planet!

It was bright and crisp out today so I decided to wear yellow to keep the happy spirits up while finishing up some holiday shopping. It was a valiant effort, but, alas, I still have some shopping left.

Button front and vest: Old Navy | Sweater: Target | Denim: Loft | Shoes: Crown Vintage via DSW | Necklace: Caroline G. | Sunglasses: Target

I might as well just stop trying to fashion blog right now because I’ve found my new favorite outfit. I’ll probably wear it every day for the rest of the season. I was going to say ‘the rest of my life’ but the weather will eventually warm up and I’ll end up sweating it off. But seriously, I love this outfit. I first wore it on Thanksgiving, even though I had planned to wear something slightly different, and decided then and there that I would wear it again every chance I got. And I almost have!

I absolutely adore this sweater because of the beautiful lace-like detail on the front. I don’t wear sweatshirts, but with this one I can get the feel of a sweatshirt with a look that is still casually elegant and put together. Also, the pattern on this vest is great! I know I mentioned in a previous post that you couldn’t really see it but in this photo you can. It’s not quite houndstooth but it works!

 I didn’t intend for my porch umbrella to end up in these photos, nor did I intend to match it! Actually, the umbrella is a burnt orange and my sweater is red so I don’t really match. *whew*

Sweater and Vest: Banana Republic | Jeans: Old Navy | Boots: Steve Madden