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Nikki by example - Just a girl trying to lead by example
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Fashion

2015 Favorites

December 30, 2015 by Nikki 1 Comment

2015 favorites1

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Happy Birthday to me tomorrow! I can’t believe another year has gone by and that it’s time for me to share with you a few of my favorite outfits from this past year. Nick and I are spending my birthday at our nation’s capitol, visiting an old friend. Not a bad way to welcome 31.

Looking back, I see that I wore more skirts, dresses, and non-blue denim, which tells me that I’m doing a good job not automatically reaching for my jeans. In May, I graduated from my master’s program and after 6 long months I rejoined the workforce. This coming year, I plan to show my many neglected pencil skirts some much-needed love. And according to my favorite outfits, I seem to be well on my way to creating more office-worthy looks.  I feel like I’m trying to get a good grasp on what my style really is while still trying out new looks and trends. Since things are going to calm down a lot in 2016 – meaning I’ll be finding and maintaining a better routine – I believe this will be the year I really find myself.  So, without further ado, here are my 15 favorite outfits from this year.

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Original Post 1: One of the best Pinterest-inspired outfits I’ve created

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Original Post 2: A warm breeze in February had me dreaming of warm sunshine.

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Original Post 3: For Valentine’s, Nick surprised me with dinner and a show… and I had to decide which look to go with.

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Original Post 4: Sunshine and 80 degrees give you shorts weather.

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Original Post 5: A gorgeous beaded tank that also *slightly* feels like a suit of armor!

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Original Post 6: On Saturday, May 9, 2015, I graduated with my Master of Public Health degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University!

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Original Post 7: I loved everything about this fun, spring-y outfit.

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Original Post 8: In an attempt to reassess my closet, I found that I’m drawn more and more to neutral colors.

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Original Post 9: I found a floral tank that mataches almost every cardigan and balzer in my closet.

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Original Post 10: Here, I found a way to use inspiration photos to make the outfit my own.

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Original Post 11: This is what I wear for a double date that includes lots of wine and cocktails.

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Original Post 12: LBD look for day (and for night!)

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Original Post 13: The Grecian-inspired dress that I wore to my friend’s Muslim wedding.

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Original Post 14:  A new part-time job allowed me to dress in my office attire.

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Original Post 15: I love this shirt, as evidenced by it showing up twice in my list!

I believe that 2016 is going to be the best yearyet for me, and I hope everyone has a happy New Year full of love and fun and whatever else you desire!

<3,
NCsquared

Linking up with Start the Week Stylish | Hello Monday | Trend Spin | Confident Twosday | Garay Treasures Blog

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DIY•Hobby•Life

Throwback Thursday – My 30th Birthday Party

July 16, 2015 by Nikki 1 Comment

My 30th birthday was on December 31st and to celebrate, Nick and I went for a nice breakfast followed by manicures & pedicures and then out to a fancy dinner. The following weekend, we had a party and invited a few friends. I love entertaining and try to have at least one fun activity for them to do. I wanted to do something fun this year so I gathered a bunch of pictures from my youth and created a collage around black craft paper. I wrote “Cheers to 30 Years” because I was turning 30, and the wrote a nice little quote that I thought really reflected my life: “Old enough to look back, young enough to look forward.” I set out gold sharpies and chalk and invited my friends to write memories and well wishes on the black craft paper. My guests really seemed to like it and I enjoyed reading all of their memories and notes!

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

I apologize for taking picture of pictures because some of them did turn out a little blurry. But I had a lot of photos and didn’t have the time nor desire to scan them all.

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

The photo above shows me at my first prom sophore year, my senior photo, Nick and I after we first met almost 12 years ago (we look like babies!), my very first college dorm roommate and me, a school photo from junior year in high school, my first best friend after college, and another senior photo in my dickie.

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

These are younger photos of me! 4th grade, me at Disney World at age 14 or 15, me in 7th grade, and my brother and me back in the day.

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

Me in 8th grade, me in 6th grade, and me being sassy having just blown and popped a bubble sometime when I was a kid.

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

We set up our table with lots of new years decorations and cooked a bunch of yummy food. I wish I had gotten some good photos after we set all of the good out, but our guests arrived and we were having too much fun! And if you’re new to the blog, this is what I wore:

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

Throwback Thursday - My 30th Birthday Party | NCsquared Life

Original outfit post here.

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Fashion

Birthday Outfit Part 1

January 7, 2015 by Nikki 3 Comments

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Well, fellow fashionistas, do I look 30? That’s how old I turned on my birthday on New Year’s Eve, and while I don’t necessarily feel old, there are a few tell-tale signs that remind me I’m not as young as I used to be. For instance,my knees have started to hurt every now and then, which I used to make fun of Nick for a while back so I’m sure it’s karma, and I’ve started experiencing side effects from medications, like headaches and drowsiness, that I never experienced before. Other than that, I feel pretty darn good!

I wore this outfit during the day of my birthday for breakfast at one of my favorite diners and then for mani/pedis with Nick – you can probably tell that my pants are wrinkly at the bottom from being pushed up to to my knees during my calf massage. I wore another outfit that night for a fancy dinner and ringing in the new year at a friend’s house. That outfit will be part 2 so stay tuned! Also, check out my special sparkly birthday shoes! Nick picked them out for me and I’m loving them 🙂

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

I needed a black clutch and found an old one that I’d been using. It was working out fine but then Nick bought me this one for Christmas. The textured front sparkles in the light, which, of course, is the best part.

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Birthday Outfit Part 1 | NCsquared Life

Sweater: Banana Republic | Pixie Pants: Old Navy | Necklace: Hawthorne Collection online | Shoes: Fioni via Payless | Coat: Banana Republic | Earrings: gift from my MIL | Clutch: gift from Nick (via Nordstrom)

Linking up with More Pieces of Me| The Pleated Poppy | Because Shanna Said So | Tucker Up

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Fashion•Life

2014 Favorites

December 31, 2014 by Nikki 1 Comment

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5  / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11/ 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Happy 30th Birthday to me! I can’t believe I’ve finally hit the big 3-0, but here it is. I don’t really feel that much older, and I just asked Nick the other night what he thought it meant to “feel like an adult.” We still haven’t figured it out yet 😉 On the agenda today is fun birthday activities like manicures/pedicures, some shopping, and a fancy dinner tonight. I can’t wait!

I’ve been blogging long enough now that I can participate in a year in review so I decided to do it on my birthday, which just happens to be the last day of the year. So, most people would choose their favorite outfit from each month, but I decided to choose my favorites based on either how much I liked it or how often I wore it (which are often positively correlated). Looking back, I see that I wore rolled denim and scarves a lot, which tells me that I’ve learned how to do casual pretty well. In May, I will graduate from grad school, rejoin the workforce (*fingers crossed* that it won’t take too long), and can show my very-neglected pencil skirts some love! Until then, here are my 15 favorite outfits from this year.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared LifeOriginal Post 1: It was one of the coldest days we experienced in NC.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 2: The secret to wearing maxis in the winter is ankle boots!

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 3: Figuring out how to dress casually as a graduate student.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 4: What I wore on the first day of my summer internship.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 5: The perfect backyard barbeque outfit.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 6: Wearing sweaters in the summer because of office air conditioning.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 7: I’m hoping utility vests never go out of style.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 8: Sunday Brunch after my best friend’s wedding.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 9: A short girl wears a midi skirt and it actually looks good!

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 10: Loving the plum/turquoise combo in my new favorite outfit.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 11: I love wearing Halloween colors together, and I got a TON of compliments on this blazer.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 12 : This outfit has all of my autumn favorites: the colors, the stripes, and leopard print.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 13: Date night outfit that got the most wear while watching a movie on my couch!

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original Post 14: The outfit that made me look like I stepped straight off of a Pinterest board.

2014 Favorites | NCsquared Life

Original post 15: Holiday sequins that are perfect for any holiday or New Year’s Eve party.

I’m looking forward to 2015. I hope everyone has a happy New Year full of love and fun and whatever else you desire!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy

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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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