I really like this dress because it’s comfortable, warm and stylish. I’ve worn this outfit several times, mostly to the office and probably even to the grocery store a time or two; it’s quickly becoming a go-to. It snowed here in NC over the weekend, as you can see, (and I love snow so I was really excited) but I also got to test out this outfit in really cold weather. That’s how I know it’s the perfect winter dress!

Even though this dress is office-appropriate, I added the blazer to make it feel more “office chic.” I got a lot of compliments on it!

And here’s the fun blooper: adjusting my tights!

Dress: Gap | Necklace: via Le Tote | Fleece-lined Tights: gifted | Sunglasses: Target | Ankle Boots: Old Navy | Blazer & Coat: Banana Republic

Linking up with Hello Monday! | Start the Week Stylish | Confident Twosday

The Dress

Several bloggers I follow either already have this dress or want this dress, and I wore this Grecian-inspired dress to my friend’s Indian wedding! I picked it up several weeks ago because it’s beautiful and absolutely perfect to wear to a summer wedding. You see, my friend, Waseem, is Muslim so as soon as I was invited, I knew I wanted to be respectful and cover up. The long skirt is obviously perfect, the flowy material was light and airy so I wasn’t sweating the whole time, and it looks great with a cardigan! But perhaps the best thing about it was that IT WAS AVAILABLE IN PETITE!

Dress & Shoes: Banana Republic | Cardigan: Old Navy | Clutch: Nordstrom | Charm Necklace: Target | Layered Necklace: Claire’s (old) | Bracelets: Old Navy

The Wedding

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. It was my first Indian wedding so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was great. As you might expect, it was almost completely different from a traditional Christian wedding, but there was plenty of prayers, well wishes, and Waseem walked down the aisle with her father. Also, the food was delicious and everyone was so happy for the couple. In true NCsquared fashion, Nick matched his tie to my dress. Oh. My. Goodness. we are the cutest couple ever!

These are my awesome friends, Kristin (left) and Aarti (right). They specifically requested to be on the blog, so here you are ladies, this one is for you! *wink*

This is Kristin, me, Aarti, and our other friend, Leigh. We all met in my master’s program and graduated together. I absolutely love these girls. They’re incredibly smart, talented, funny, and I know I wouldn’t have made it through without them. Kristin just moved to the Triangle, so we’ll get to hang out all the time now. Our new mission is to find jobs for Aarti and Leigh in the Triangle so we can be together again. Unfortunately, Waseem is leaving for the midwest and we’re going to miss her!

Also, fun fact: Aarti and I went to the same high school but not at the same time because I’m 5 years older than her (I did, however, know her older brother because he was in my grade). After we discovered this, we bonded over our stories about our hometown and the people there. Now we’re the best of friends!

The decorations at the wedding were beautiful. This one little picture just doesn’t do it justice.

Ok, maybe I’m a little biased but I think my friend, Waseem, is the most gorgeous bride that has ever existed, even more beautiful than I was as a bride! She’s also really sweet and super cool, so I’m extremely happy for her and her new husband.

Congratulations Waseem & Ahsan!

Linking up with:
Start the Week Stylish | Still Being Molly | Mix It Mondays | Fashionably Employed | Garay Treasures | Trend Spend | C appuccio and Fashion | The Pleated Poppy | Tucker Up | Rachel the Hat | Charming Friday

2008 was a really good year for me: I had graduated from college, got a pretty good job, and met & moved in with a girl that would become one of my best friends. She taught me to a lot of awesome things like how to appreciate a glass of wine, the importance of quality friendships, and being brave enough to follow your dreams. I’ve always planned to go graduate school, but it wasn’t until I watched Maria face all of her fears and complete a graduate program that I was inspired to finally achieve my own goals of earning a higher degree. Now that I’m all finished, our other friend, Karen, is starting her journey through graduate school.

All of that to say that I wore this dress to a party in honor of Karen starting graduate school. It was hot as all get out that day so I wanted to be covered as little as possible, so I wore this cute little dress. I can’t believe I haven’t shared it on the blog before because it’s a nice go-to. It’s casual enough to wear to a party but it’s nice enough to wear to a nice event (which I did several summers ago: I wore it to an anniversary event for the organization I worked for). The only problem I have is it often feels shorter than it looks, so I get a little self-conscious.

The dress is from Ross, which I find to be less expensive than TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. Even so, I don’t shop there very often because I like to take my time to look everything over and I rarely have that kind of time. But I got it a long time ago (at least 6 years ago) and it’s still one of my favorites.

Here’s the fun blooper: Cleaning off my sunnies is hilarious!

Dress: BeBop via Ross | Hat: Banana Republic | Shoes, Necklace, & Sunnies: Target 

By the way, I’d like to wish my mother a very happy birthday today! She’s the best and I love her very much. Happy Birthday, Denise (aka mom)!

Linking up with Mix & Match Fashion | The Tiny Heart | Tucker Up | Walking in Memphis in High Heels | I do deClaire | The Pleated Poppy

…you have no where to be. I’ve officially completed my graduate program and am graduating on Saturday. I haven’t had anywhere to be this week, since I finshed my finals on Monday and I don’t have a job, so I’ve been hanging out at home in my pajamas. The next few weeks are going to be filled with job searching and, hopefully, interviewing. I’ve applied for several jobs with a few rejections, one phone interview, but mainly a bunch of silence. I suppose I could get dressed for job hunting, to boost my confidence or something like that, but my pajamas are so much more comfortable!

Until I begin to feel motivated again, I’ll leave you with a few Instagrams of what my life has been the past few weeks.

This is the compelted, bound copy of my thesis. Isn’t it a beauty? 🙂

After my thesis presentation, we took a much-needed break to attend the Walk the Moon show in Greensboro. I’ve been a huge fan of WTM since discovering them almost two years ago, so I was extremly excited to get to see them perform. But I think the best thing about the whole event was getting VIP/Early Entry tickets so we could get in early, have the bar come to us, and have comfy seats while waiting for the show to begin. I will never not be VIP ever again! This is how you do shows in your 30s.

The evening after submitting my very last final, I met some friends for some celebratory drinks. It was such a nice evening!

That’s it for now. I plan to have actual outfit photos up next week. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

(NC)²

Audrey at Putting Me Together always has great style advice and one that I’ve used on multiple occasions is winterizing a spring or summer dress. As she says, the key is adding layers: tights, boots, and a cardigan. I’ve done a similar look with the tights, boots, and a cardigan before here. It’s really feeling like winter these days in NC so I wore this outfit to class and to work last week. Everyone said I was adorable! I went with my thick, sweater cardigan because this thing is extremely warm, and I would also add that, depending on how cold it is, you might want to add a few extra layers like camisoles or even a slip. I wish I had done that with this dress because it’s very light and airy, which allowed the chilly breeze to make its way through. Brrrr!

Oh, and in case you can’t tell in the photos, my tights are brown.

Sweater Cardigan: Annabelle via Francesca’s | Dress: mystree via Stitch Fix | Belt: Francesca’s | Tights: christmas gift | Boots: Steve Madden | Necklace: Target