Y’all, I literally snapped these pictures right before the sky dropped with rain and hail. There isn’t really anything special about this outfit except that I wore it, and I knew that if I waited until another time to take photos they wouldn’t happen. So, in an effort to remian true to myself and what I want my blog to be, I braved Mother Nature’s fury to show you how I wore a cardigan with a cute dress that’s perfect for working in an office in the summertime. I chose a burgundy cardi over a black one to break up the monotony and I chose a cardi over a denim jacket because I wasn’t sure what the dress code would be in the office I wore this to. Turns out, it’s super relaxed.

I wore this outfit to my first official day as a volunteer with a public health organization in my town. I’ll be hanging out in their office about one day a week, helping with their social media campaigns and toolkits. I’m actually pretty excited about the work because it’s really interesting and I have a lot of ideas. And you never know, it could lead to a full-time position! I do feel bad, though, because I think I scared an intern into thinking there will be NO. JOBS. when she’s done with school. She has a year left in grad school (she’s basically where I was last summer) and is thinking of moving to the area when she’s done because she’s from out-of-state and says she likes it here in NC. When I told her it has been almost two months since I graduated and haven’t found anything yet, she looked a little wide-eyed and made a comment like, “oh, great.” I tried to reassure her that our fields are different and the work we each want to do is different, so she shouldn’t use my experience as a gauge of whether she’ll find something.  I hope she believed me because it’s true. I’m very picky specific about what I want to do, but I’m sure she’ll be just fine!

Dress: Target | Cardigan: Old Navy | Shoes: X-Appeal | Charm Necklace: Target | Long Necklace: Stitch Fix

I’d love to hear your experiences with volunteering. I’ve volunteered with several different organzations and I’ve found it more rewarding than I originally thought I would. Where have you volunteered and what kind of service did you provide?

This is a slight variation on this outfit I wore a few weeks ago: same shorts, same sandals, different shirt but still with stripes. I wanted something comfy to wear home for the weekend while still looking stylish for a family get-together, so this was it. I added the flower clip for a pop of color, and because it’s just super cute.

I love visiting my family, especially when we have so much to celebrate. During this trip, we celebrated a few birthdays, my baby cousin’s graduation from college AND his engagement to his girlfriend (welcome to the family!), and best of all, I got to spend quality time with everyone. I spent the last few years commuting to the eastern part of the state for school so I never had a lot of time to travel to the western part of the state to visit my family. I’m so glad that I can go visit them more often now that I’ve completed school. I try to make it home about once a month or so because my family is very important to me. I also love it when they come visit me and I can take them to all my favorite restaurants, or go a Durham Bulls baseball game, visit one of the many museums, or to the Duke Gardens (my mom is a horticulturist so she LOVES plants), or shopping at the mall or the many boutique stores we have. One thing is for sure: it’s always a good time!

Maybe this a blooper? I dont know, I actually think it looks fine!

Top: Banana Republic | Shorts: Gap | Shoes: X-Appeal | Sunnies, Necklace, Flower Clip, and Handbag: Target

It doesn’t get any easier than putting on a pair of shorts and a comfy tee. It’s even easier when you stick to the same colors! I’m continuing my neutrals obsession with simple black and white, and a pop of cobalt. It’s getting hotter outside so I’m trying to avoid jeans and anything that will make me sweat even more than I already do. I’ve gained a few pesky pounds these past few years during grad school with all of the driving and fast-food eating I did so I’m slightly limited on what bottoms I can wear. I haven’t gained a lot of weight, just enough to make my jeans and skirts feel uncomfortably snug. Anyway, these shorts feel great and I purchased a white and navy pair as well, so you’ll probably see them a lot more often.

I wore this outfit to officially meet the babies I’ll be babysitting for the next few weeks. They’re one-year-old twins and absolutely adorable. I worked with their mom for several years before quitting my job and going to grad school and I’m happy to be helping her out. Plus, I’m earning some extra cash until I can find a full-time gig.

Nick got me a Fitbit Charge HR as a graduation gift. I’ve been wearing it for about two full weeks now and I. AM. LOVING. IT. Seriously, I’ve never been more obsessed with meeting my steps goal, monitoring my heart rate, observing my sleep patterns, and tracking how many calories I’ve burned. It’s the best thing ever. I would totally recommend one.

Also, is it just me or does my hat look funny in these photos? A little misshapen perhaps? I can’t tell!

Tee: Banana Republic | Shorts: Gap | Shoes: X-Appeal | Hat: Banana Republic | Hat, Sunnies, & Necklace: Target

Linking up with Third Thursday Threads @ Work Clothes, I Suppose

Dear readers, life lately has been somewhat of a whirlwind! School has taken up ALL of my time but I’m so close to finishing up my program and earning my Masters’ degree that the light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter every day. I finished my presentation (photo below) and I’m making a few edits to my Professional Paper/thesis so that I can turn it in next week. Then I’ll only have two finals that stand between me and that degree.

This is a photo that my amazingly awesome content advisor took of me during my presentation.

She uploaded it to Facebook with the most touching caption ever, saying that I was “one of the brightest new professionals who is so passionate about sexuality education” and that I “hit it out of the park today.” She went on to say,”Thank you for all your hard work, professionalism and dedication. It is students like you that make this all worthwhile. Congratulations on your awesome research and MPH!!” [Monica, if you’re reading this, I hope you don’t mind me sharing your words; I just really wanted to toot my own horn a little :-)] Also, if anyone is interested in learning more about my research, which is a look at the barriers of implementing the Healthy Youth Act in NC schools, let me know. I’m happy to talk to you about it 🙂

If you’re a new reader and unfamiliar with my situation, allow me to briefly recap: Two years ago, I started a graduate program that is not distance education BUT at a school that is 1.5 hours from my home. So, I’ve spent the last two years commuting to school at least 4 counties away and staying at various places in town so I didn’t have to make that drive every. single. day. I would stay with my mother-in-law, crash at friends’ apartments, and at one point I rented a small studio (that I ended up hating!) and went back to commuting every day. But all of that is over on May 9, when I’m finished for good and walk across that stage!

As a little reward for a job well done, I treated myself with a trip to Target.

I had a hard time deciding which purse to choose but ultimately went with the blue one!

I loved the back of this sweater and have worn it several times already!

Then on Sunday, we celebrated Nick’s birthday with tapas at our favorite restaurant, Mateo’s bar de tapas, and I enjoyed a Cheerwine Sangria.

Cheerwine is a soft drink that was created here in North Carolina and is one of the most delicious beverages that ever existed. I don’t drink sodas very often, but when I do, it’s usually a Cheerwine. So you can imagine how yummy a beverage would be when it’s Cheerwine, wine, and fruit. Yum!

That’s about it for now. I’ll definitely have more time to post outfit photos once my finals are over. I’ve created some really cute outfits these past few weeks that I will no doubt be wearing again so I’ll be sure to get photos to post. Thanks for hanging in there with me, everyone. You’re amazing!

Talk soon,
Nikki

I love coffee. It wasn’t always this way; I used to think it smelled great but tasted gross. Why couldn’t it just taste the way it smelled? In undergrad, I had a few 8 AM classes so I bought a small coffee maker, thinking it would help me wake up and get to class on time. I probably only used it three or four times my entire undergrad career. That all changed when I was about 26 years old and started working as a communications assistant at a non-profit in a few towns over, requiring at least an hour commute, one-way. I had to get up really early to try to beat the rush-hour traffic on the interstate so I pulled out that little coffee maker and my love affair began.

Over the years, I’ve developed my palate and learned that I like really strong coffee with a touch of cream and sugar. Maybe the t-shirt is a little misleading because I rarely drink it black, but if it’s *good* coffee (my personal favorite is Counter Culture here in Durham) I’ll drink it straight up!

As far as the outfit, I wanted to jump on the graphic tee train so I purchased this one because I do love coffee so much and because I have a lot of plans for it as inspired by Pinterest. Now that it’s getting warmer, I can’t wait to recreate some of those Pinterest looks. I wore this outfit to the dealership to get the oil changed in my car, and the guy still thought I was only about 21-22 years old. I don’t look THAT young, do I?

T-shirt and Blazer: Banana Republic | Jeans: Kensie via Stitch Fix | Shoes: Old Navy | Earrings: Old Navy