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Nikki by example - Just a girl trying to lead by example
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  • Motherhood
  • Travel
  • Extras
    • DIY
    • Food
    • Music
  • About Nikki
    • Our DIY Wedding
Life

Birthdays are a Reason to Celebrate

December 10, 2018 by Nikki No Comments

I love birthdays.

Mine and everyone else’s. For me, celebrating a birthday is honoring the day that a person came to be, a whole human being that came into existence from seemingly nowhere, and you just can’t beat that.

But when I turned 30, I briefly considered no longer commemorating my birthday because turning 30 meant I was getting older and getting much closer to having to face my own mortality. I hated the thought of dying, as evidenced by the huge dose of health anxiety, previously known as hypochondria, I felt on a regular basis since my late 20s, so anything that reminded me I was getting closer to death had to go. Little did I know that death was closer to knocking at my door than I ever realized.

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Fashion•Food•Life

Birthday Seafood

May 4, 2018 by Nikki No Comments

A few weeks ago, we got a babysitter and went to dinner for Nick’s birthday. We ate at St. James Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar in Durham, one of Matt Kelly’s (of Vin Rouge and Mateo’s bar de tapas fame) newest food sensations. Seriously, I love all of his restaurants and would let him cook for me for the rest of my life. Anyway, we went there for my birthday in December and Nick liked it so much that we went back for his. We had just started the Whole30 diet at the time and we were going to try really hard to stick to it, but as soon as we saw the fried oysters, we threw the diet out the window and didn’t feel the least bit bad about it! It was totally worth it.

Nikki by example

Birthday Boy!

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Fashion

Lace LBD for NYE

January 9, 2017 by Nikki 5 Comments

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Apologies for the title; that’s a lot of acronyms! Lace Little Black Dress for New Year’s Eve. I wore this cute little lace dress for my New Year’s Eve/Birthday party this year. I actually bought it last year to wear to a party we were attending while visiting friends in Washington, D.C. but I was so tired by the time we got there and had dinner that I didn’t feel like changing. Plus, it was really cold and I just wanted to be comfortable. The original plan this year was to wear it with thick black tights and a cute pair of ankle boots, but since I was warm in my house, I just threw on some flats. They’re must easier for this mama-to-be to walk around in anyway!

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This isn’t a maternity dress as you probably gathered from the fact that I bought it last year, but with me not working and therefore not having a clothing budget anymore, I have to make do with what I have. I think it worked okay. I was a little concerned about the length, as I don’t normally like wearing dresses this short (unless it’s summer, then I might make an exception) but Nick repeatedly assured me it was okay. I probably should have worn some tights anyway.

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On my birthday, I was 28 weeks+1 day pregnant, and I just couldn’t resist showing off the bump!

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Happy birthday to me!

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Dress: Target | Necklace: Francesca’s | Shoes: Old Navy | Tiara: Party City

I hope you’re all staying warm in these winter storms we’ve been having. Until next time…

Hello Monday Linkup | Start the Week Stylish | Confident Twosday

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Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap

January 3, 2017 by Nikki 13 Comments

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | Ncsquared Life

My birthday is New Year’s Eve and this year I turned 32. As a kid, it was awesome because I got to have a party or celebrate however I wanted and then stay up until the ball dropped, drinking sparkling grape juice. As an adult, it isn’t quite as glamorous simply because I now have to compete with the holiday. Kids always come to your birthday party because there are no bars or clubs or better things to do. Your party IS the thing to do. As an adult, you have to make your party pretty enticing to convince your adult friends to stop by before heading to the other festivities. I’ve been throwing a birthday/NYE party for myself for several years now and these are the reasons why I always try to have an amazing spread, fun decorations, a fun activity, and plenty of booze at my parties. With the baby expected to arrive in the spring, this was my last party for a while. But we made it pretty awesome!

The Food

Our menu consisted of black bean sliders with chipotle aioli, charcuterie tray, sausage balls, mini corn cakes with smoked salmon and dill, a veggie tray, a fruit tray, a dessert tray from our local Fresh Market, and some bomb-diggity short rib queso dip that I didn’t get a picture of because it was in a slow cooker on the counter.

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

We accompanied our charcuterie tray with cornichons, honey-roasted mixed nuts, and green olives.

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

In addition to all of this food, our friends also brought side dishes and drinks so we were definitely set on delicious noms all night!

The Decorations

I’ve been using the same decorations for years. I got them pretty cheap at Party City and box them up after the party and keep them safe until the next time. I think they work pretty well but Nick hates them because they do look so cheap. Oh, well. They’ll have to do until I can afford some fancy schmancy decorations, which will probably be never so plastic decorations it is!

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

The Fun Activity

This is another activity I do every year: setting up a resolution station. This year I simply taped some black craft paper on the wall and outlined it in strips of leftover glittery wrapping paper. I set out gold sharpies for my guests to write down their New Year’s Resolutions if they felt up to it. I have several resolutions this year that I’ll be sharing with you all tomorrow.

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

I’m really grateful to all of my friends that were able to make it this year. Like I mentioned above, it’s the last soirée we’ll be having since our little man is coming, so it was nice to feel like I went out with a bang!

Birthday/NYE 2016 Party Recap | NCsquared Life

Last couple selfie of 2016. It’ll be ‘just the two of us’ for only a few more months!

 

 

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Fashion

All-Time Favorites for 2016

December 31, 2016 by Nikki 4 Comments

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared Life1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Happy birthday to me! I’m 32 years old today and I think I’m looking & feeling pretty good. Also, I hope everyone has a very happy new year!

For the past few years I’ve written a review post featuring my favorite outfits from that year. Since I took a six-month break this year and haven’t posted many outfits in 2016, I decided to instead share my favorite outfits since I started documenting my outfits. I technically started blogging in 2010 but it was just an ‘every now and then, when I felt like it’ sort of thing. I started blogging my outfits in 2013 when I started graduate school. So the outfits outlined above and detailed below are from the past three years. The majority of my favorites are from 2014, when I was finally hitting my stride in blogging. And the outfits I chose are the ones I’ve worn the most in real life and would totally (read: will most likely) wear again in the coming year.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 1: Plum is one of my favorite colors. Even in 2013 when this was taken.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 2:  I was figuring out how to dress like a graduate student and succeeding.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 3: Weekend layers are perfect for any backyard bbq.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 4: Wearing sweaters in the summer because of office air conditioning.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 5: When a short girl is able to successfully pull off a midi skirt — it’s not too long!

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 6: I have a lot of little green dresses but this is one of my favorites. Perfect for holiday parties.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 7: Sequins are perfect for any party, but especially a holiday party.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 8: A fuzzy sweater, boots, and a knit hat to keep me warm and cozy in the winter.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 9: Warm breezes in the middle of February make you dream of warm sunshine.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 10: I’m drawn to neutral colors, especially white, with maybe a splash of color in the form of an accessory or blazer/jacket.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 11: My favorite little black dress that can be worn for day and night.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 12: I finally found a job after grad school and got to wear cute outfits like this again.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 13: That one piece of clothing that I love more than anything but I’m afraid to wear, even though it has shown up twice in this list.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 14: Adding some color to my collection of jeans/bottoms with these purple pants. And rocking a cute baby bump.

All-Time Favorites for 2016: Outfits | NCsquared LifeOriginal post 15: When a short girl is able to successfully pull off a blanket scarf and it doesn’t swallow her whole.

I’m hoping that 2017 is a much better year than 2017. Also, one last time:

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photo source

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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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