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

Fashion Flashback

January 27, 2017 by Nikki 2 Comments

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.

Fashion Flashback | NCsquared Life

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

Fashion Flashback | NCsquared LifeI 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

Fashion Flashback | NCsquared LifeA 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

Fashion Flashback | NCsquared LifeFlats 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

Fashion Flashback | NCsquared LifeThis 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!

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Fashion

Cream Sweater & Patterned Vest

January 25, 2017 by Nikki 7 Comments

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My fall and winter maternity formula has been sweater + jeans + boots. Completer pieces may vary.

Even though I don’t have an office to go to anymore, I feel that I’m more productive if I actually get dressed instead of staying in my pajamas all day. I wore this to run to the UPS store and to grab a quick lunch. It saw very little daylight but it did see me do some laundry, get some freelance work done, and prepare for a job interview, so I’d call it a win. Plus, I liked it enough to want to share it. I’ll be putting it on repeat for the next few weeks, at least until the sweater doesn’t fit over the bump anymore. You can see in some of the photos that I’m not too far from that. Also, I debated whether to wear this necklace because you can barely see it in the photos but in real life I think it looks nice, so no regrets.

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Here’s the evidence (below) that my bump is almost too big for this sweater. See how my tank top is showing underneath because it’s longer/fits over the bump better than the sweater? I won’t be able to wear it much longer. Le sigh.

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The weather has been very spring-like lately so it hasn’t even been that cold. If this keeps up, I might have to change up my formula to cute top + jeans + boots/flats sooner than expected. But, really, who am I to complain about beautiful sunshine and 60-degree weather?

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Sweater: J. Crew Outlet | Vest: Banana Republic | Necklace: Old Navy | Jeans: Liz Lange Maternity via Target | Boots: Steve Madden | Sunglasses: Target

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Fashion

Short Girl Wears a Blanket Scarf

December 6, 2016 by Nikki 11 Comments

Short Girl Wears a Blanket Scarf | NCsquared Life

Blanket scarfs are so cozy, aren’t they? They’re also huge so I almost passed up on this trend because I thought it would weigh me down. Jean from Extra Petite convinced me to give it a try, though, when she posted her video showing a few different ways to style to it. She’s actually about an inch shorter than me (while her style sense is miles above mine) so I figured if she can make it work then so could I. Her video is really helpful so even if you’re not a shorty like me, I would recommend it. I’ve found that the trick is not only in the fold (fold it in half first) but also in rolling it a few times so it isn’t quite as long. All that folding and rolling does leave it feeling a bit bulky so I usually save the blanket scarf for those really cold days when I need the extra warmth.

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Fashion

Another Fox Sweater

November 14, 2016 by Nikki 13 Comments

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Fox sweaters are everywhere, aren’t they? And for good reason: they’re adorable. This is the second fox sweater I’ve purchased but not for lack of wanting all of the others. I would wear all of them if I could. Anyway, we’re finally starting to get a little bit of a chill in the air here in NC, so I was excited to throw on a sweater and my tall boots for the first time this season. I wore this outfit several times in the past week, the first to hang out with some of my colleagues and then again to do some outlet shopping on Saturday. My hang out session with colleagues was actually to commiserate with each other over our recent layoffs from the nonprofit we were working for. It’s a bummer and now I have to get back out in the job market, but I got this little fox to cheer me up.

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Another Fox Sweater | NCsquared Life

Look at that cute little 21-week baby bump!

It was really chilly out on Saturday so I added the navy puffer vest for a little extra warmth. I hate that it covers up the fox, but you do what you gotta do, right? Gotta keep the bump warm. But I love all these colors together, the orange, navy, and cognac. They’re perfect for fall.

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And here’s the fun one: I wanted to show how the fox’s tail wraps around the side of the sweater but I wasn’t sure what to do with my arm so I was joking around with Nick and he took this photo. It’s cute because I’m goofy!

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Sweater: Loft | Denim: Banana Republic | Boots: Steve Madden | Necklace: Francesca’s | Vest: Gap

Linkups: Let it Shine | Hello Monday Linkup | Weekend Wear Linkup | Link Up On The Edge | Mix it Monday | Start the Week Stylish

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Fashion

Winterizing a Summer Dress

February 18, 2015 by Nikki 2 Comments

Winterizing a Summer Dress | NCsquared Life

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.

Winterizing a Summer Dress | NCsquared Life

Winterizing a Summer Dress | NCsquared Life

Winterizing a Summer Dress | NCsquared Life

Winterizing a Summer Dress | NCsquared Life

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

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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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