This is a new top that Nick picked out and it’s already gotten a lot of wear. He has great taste, doesn’t he? I wore this outfit to one of my last clinic days where a 14-year-oldish patient came up to me to tell me how much she loved my shoes. I could tell that she was a budding fasionista herself because she was wearing a cute little top half-tucked into skinny jeans, and lace oxfords. When I told her that I found these shoes on sale for $13 at Old Navy, her eyes lit up. I’m pretty sure I know where she went right after her appointment! I wish I could have taken a photo with her, but that probably wasn’t allowed. She definitely made my day, and I hope she found a pair of green heeled sandals of her own.

I wore this outfit again last week for my internship final evaluation presentation, where I was complimented again by the field placement director on being well-dressed and appropriate for the work place. So, I would definitely say this outfit is a win; it makes me feel great each time I wear it.

I was afraid that the statement necklace wouldn’t make much of a statement, and I can tell from these photos that I was right. It did get lost in the chevron pattern but I tried several different necklaces with the same effect. Next time I might go with a simple pearl necklace or a solid scarf instead.

 Linking up with Living in Color Style | More Pieces of Me | Mix & Match Fashion | The Pleated Poppy

Top: Francesca’s
Crop Pants: Banana Republic
Shoes: Old Navy
Necklace: Francesca’s
Earrings & Bracelet: Old Navy

We have a treat for you! Our favorite photographers, Thad and Sarah of  2 & 3 Photography, held an event where we had some portraits taken! We haven’t had any professional photos of just the two of us since our wedding photos; we usually take family photos with the furbabies in the fall for holiday cards but when this event rolled around, we decided we wanted to get some photos of just us for fun. We had so much fun running around the farm and catching up with our friends!

We were even able to recreate one of our engagement photos (which you can see on our About Us page) that so nicely depicts our personality differences:

P.S. I’ve been at the beach all weekend and haven’t decided yet if I want to post about it so today you’re getting our photos from a few weeks ago. I do hope you’ve enjoyed 🙂

All photos taken by 2 & 3 Photography. 

Linking up with More Pieces of Me | Monday Funday

Nikki:
Dress: Old Navy
Belt: Francesca’s
Shoes & Bracelet: Old Navy
Necklace: Target

Nick:
Top & Shorts: Banana Republic 
Belt: York Street via Trunk Club
Shoes: Tretorn via Trunk Club

On Sunday, we went for brunch at one of our favorite spots, Parker and Otis, a little restaurant and giftshop in the historic downtown area of Durham. We love that they use fresh, local ingredients. That’s very common in Durham, though; it’s very much a wonderful foodie town. Parker and Otis have so much wonderful stuff that it’s almost overwhelming. But you can go in and order a yummy breakfast or lunch (or in our case, brunch) and then browse through all of the candies, knick-knacks, cards, wine, and cooking paraphernalia while you wait.

They have lovely seating inside and out. Sunday was a bit gloomy as far as the clouds go, but it wasn’t too hot or humid so we were able to comfortably sit outside and enjoy our meal.

I got a grilled pimento cheese with bacon on sourdough bread. Their homemade cole slaw is the default side, and it’s delicious. If you’re not familiar with pimento cheese then you are missing out. It’s an indulgent spread made of various cheeses, mayonnaise, and pimentos. Everyone has their own recipe and most are very delicious. Parker and Otis’ pimento cheese is also very good!

Nick got a grilled banana, peanut butter, and bacon panini with a side of fresh fruit.

We had a visitor while we ate: this cute little guy!

Lots of scrumptious candies and food stuffs. And a coffee bar

I told Nick that I want to make a chandelier just like this. I mean, really, how amazing is this? I think it’s just beautiful!

Cook books galore! And plenty of pots and pans and other cooking utensils.

The area around Parker & Otis is very industrial because the majority of the buildings in the area were warehouses used for tobacco processing.

This is what I wore for our little outing. Can you think of anything more comfortable than these drapey pants? They looked great when I wore them out and were super comfortable when I got home and kicked off the wedges to sit at my computer and get some school work done.

That’s it for our little outing. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the cool things Durham has to offer!

Shirt: Gap (old)
Cardigan: Old Navy
Pants:Old Navy
Wedges: American Eagle by Payless
Necklace: Hawthorne Collection (online)
Handbag: Franco Sarto via Ross

One thing I like about Banana Republic is that their blazers fit me pretty well without alterations.  There’s a tiny bit of collar roll that I can live with, and the sleeves need to be hemmed about 3/4 in.  Nothing is bad enough to keep me from wearing it as soon as I buy it, which is what I did with this heather gray cotton/linen number.  I would call it more of a spring/fall blazer rather than a true summer blazer because its fully lined.  Kind of odd to do with a linen blazer, but my guess is BR did it to add some durability.

Having a Ricky Bobby moment: “The car handled real good, I felt like I was on a spaceship.  I’m not sure what to do with my hands”

Pants, Shirt, Shoes, Belt, Blazer: Banana Republic

Why, yes, I do have another little green dress (LGD) and I’m wearing it with sparkly sandals! Green is my second favorite color so I’m not surprised I have more than one green dress. Plus, it brings out the green in my eyes.

I wore this dress on Tuesday to a planning retreat with my department. My program seems to really value the input of students when it comes toquality and planning, so I attended with about 5 of my classmates. We participated in small group discussions, presented those ideas to the bigger group, and received a warm applause at the end for working so hard to become successsful professionals in our frield. I had a lot more fun than I thought I would. Hooray for public health!

Here’s the fun one: It’s a peek-a-boo wrap dress!

Dress: Old Navy (old)
Cami & Sandals: Target
Pearl necklace and bracelet: gift from my mom-in-law
Pink bracelet: Old Navy
Clutch: Coach (also gift from my mom-in-law)