It has rained every day this week in Durham and I’m over it. But I figured the rain + casual Friday at the office is a good chance to wear my favorite ankle boots and an army vest that hasn’t gotten much love lately. When I put this outfit on, I realized that it is extremely similar to one I wore four+ years ago, so I decided that this was a recreation/update of that outfit.
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
I’ve been blogging for several years now — even thought it certainly doesn’t feel like it’s been that long — and I was curious as to just how much my style has changed over those years, especially now that I’m pregnant. It was really interesting to go back through the blog to see my outfits and the way I’ve evolved from year to year.
Reflections: I see consistent uses of a completer piece and denim. As much as I want to have a well-rounded wardrobe of jeans, dresses, and skirts, and non-denim bottoms, I always find myself reaching for the denim because it’s quick and easy to style. Also, I went through a phase, mostly when I was consistently working in an office, of wearing blazers ALL. THE. TIME. I still love blazers but it seems as though today’s style trends have started to move toward a more casual look, and blazers don’t feel that casual to me. I’m more interested in vests and sweater cardigans these days. Perhaps if I find another office job, I’ll be more likely to bust out my blazers. The biggest change I see is that my style and outfit formulas have gotten slightly more simple, which I think is a trend we’re seeing everywhere. I don’t have a ton of time to plan what I’m going to wear so keeping it simple will also keep me sane! Do you think about your style evolution? Is it different or similar to what you were wearing 4 years ago?
2017 Original Post: Tee + Jeans + Boots
I wore this outfit to my doctor’s appointment and learned that I should be eating more peanut butter, avocados, loaded baked potatoes, ICE CREAM AND COOK OUT MILKSHAKES.
2016 Original Post: Girls’ Day Out
A couple of my grad school friends came to visit me and we had a wonderful girls’ day out. We started with brunch & margaritas, then went to a wine tasting, then shopping, had “hipster” coffee, and ended the night at the best sushi place in town. And this is what I wore.
2015 Original Post: Distressed Denim and New Loafers
Flats in the winter because it felt like spring. NC just can’t make up it’s mind on whether or not we have seasons!
2014 Original Post: Winter Pink
This was a January day when NC decided it actually was winter and gave us 20-degree weather. Some of you might laugh at me because you regularly deal with negative temps in the winter but this was really cold for us!
I haven’t been able to get many good photos the past few weeks with my camera because of being busy and not feeling well, but I have shared some good stuff on Instagram. Here’s a round up of what’s been going on this week in the life of NCsquared as seen through Instagram filters.
Last week started out cold and snowy. This picture is exactly what I was talking about in this Thankful Thursday post. As I mentioned there, I often enjoy venturing out in the crisp air or snow on a sunny winter day and getting to bundle up in cute hats and scarves and coats. These are the days when the bright, winter sun glitters in the snow and everything is quiet and calm. Can’t you just feel the calm in this photo?
It started to warm up a bit and all I needed was a sweater, button-up, and puffer vest to stay warm. I wore this to one of our Centering Pregnancy classes where we talked to a labor and delivery nurse from the hospital where I’ll be delivering Baby S. I left feeling very lucky that our hospital is so accommodating to women in childbirth. The nurse kept saying that everything is a conversation, from what kind of pain management you want to how you make your room more comfortable to where you actually give birth (lying in the bed, squatting in the floor, etc.) which I think is SUPER important to creating a positive birthing experience!
Sweater & Button-up: Banana Republic | Puffer Vest: Gap | Jeans: Liz Lange Maternity via Target | Boots: BP Trolley via Nordstrom
As it started to warm up even more and the snow slowly melted, the hazy fog rolled in. Look at this beautiful morning. It was so stunning that it almost took my breath away. It gave me renewed energy for the week and made me feel like everything was going to be all right.
By Friday, it was in the 70s! Only in North Carolina does the week begin with Winter and end with Spring. I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the weather, so I threw on a floral top and canvas shoes to run errands. I won’t really be pregnant in the spring, as Baby S’s due date is a few days after the official first day of spring this year so it was nice to not have to bundle up the bump when I ventured outside.
This photo was taken just a few nights ago. It may not look like it, but the bump continues to grow and that means making myself comfortable is getting increasingly difficult. I have a pair of maternity pajamas and I wear them almost every night but on laundry nights or nights that it’s a bit colder in the house, I’ll wear Nick’s clothes. And I’ve discovered that there’s no piece of maternity clothing that is as comfortable as his t-shirts!
That’s it, lovelies. I hope you all had a great week. I will try my best to be back next week with better photos, I promise! Until then, stay warm or cool and be happy.
This past week has been one of green sweaters. I think these darker forest & olive green colors look really good on me and I’ve fallen in love with this adorable fox sweater that I got in my last Le Tote box. Yes, I finally tried Le Tote and I *love* it. I’m writing a whole post about why I prefer it over some other services and I’m hoping to post it sooner rather than later. I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep the sweater but I’m definitely leaning toward yes. Anyway, I wore this super cute outfit to brunch with my ladies for Galentines Day. What’s Galentine’s Day? Only the best day of the year! I’ll let Leslie explain it below:
Valentine’s was very low-keyfor us; we got Chinese take-out and watched tv. Ah, the life of a married couple. <3 #marriedlifeisawesome
Also this week, I wore this olive cable knit sweater from Banana Republic. This was a work outfit, and a coworker commented that even when I’m dressed down I look fabulous. I sure work with some sweet and fabulous people! I didn’t get a chance to get good photos because we’ve been crazy busy at work, so I hope these are okay. I should be back to normal once this winter weather moves out.
Photo 1. Sweater: via Le Tote | Jeans: kensie via Stitch Fix | Boots: Banana Rrepublic | Necklace: Target
Photo 2. Sweater: Banana Republic | Jeans: Gap | Boots: Mix No. 6 via DSW | Necklaces: Target & Old Navy
Linking up with Hello Monday! | Start the Week Stylish | Confident Twosday | Garay Treasures
About Me
Hi, I’m Nikki. This is where I blog about my life and personal style. I’m a wife and mom, public health professional, sushi lover, wine enthusiast, and coffee snob. Welcome to my little corner of the world where I try to lead by example!
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