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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
Life

WFHW: Culottes

July 2, 2020 by Nikki No Comments

Here’s the next outfit in my Work From Home Wardrobe Series where I display the cute outfits I’m wearing while working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

I remember wearing cheap cotton culottes/gauchos in undergrad. They were comfortable, like pajamas, and easy to style so wearing them to class was a no-brainer. I like no-brainers! While culottes are nice, much like midi skirts, they’re very hard for a short girl like me to pull off. But I decided to give these a try because they came sized in petite, which means they should have a shorter inseam. I asked Nick if I should get them hemmed and he said, no. I thought they looked just a tad too long in the photos (and my mirror, apparently), but when I saw my reflection in another mirror, they looked pretty good.

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

Blouse: Loft (old) | Culottes: Loft (new) | Heels: H&M | Espadrilles: Old Navy

I think they look best with heels because the heels help to elongate my legs a bit, as you can see from the first two photos. But they also look pretty cute with my cute espadrilles or gold slides.

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

When I first pulled these pants out of the shipping bag and tried them on, I thought the legs were a bit too wide. But after reading about the design aesthetic of culottes and learning that they are supposed to have a full cut to resemble a skirt, I realize that do look really good. I’m definitely starting to get a little more bold in my style choices. There was a time not long ago that I would have put these on and thought I looked dumpy and sent them back. But I like them so I’m letting go of any self-conscious worries I might have and embracing what I like. And man does it feel good!

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

What do you think of culottes? Would you ever wear them?

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Fashion

Feeling Out of My Element But My Dress is Cute!

April 19, 2019 by Nikki No Comments

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

Dress: Market & Spruce via Stitch Fix | Wedges: J. Crew Factory | Sunnies: Target

On Wednesday, Nick and I took the day off of work to celebrate his upcoming birthday. We decided we would go to a fancy spa nearby and pamper ourselves with couple’s massages, relaxation, and a fancy lunch. This cute little Market & Spruce dress I got from my latest Stitch Fix is what I wore. The spa day sounded great in theory but, what I didn’t expect when I got there was just how out of my element I would feel in that setting. You see, I’m from a working class family where I was taught that your work ethic should be strong and the little luxuries were buying the name-brand cereal. Taking a whole day (or even half a day) to sit around in fancy robes and sip citrus water elixirs while harps played in the background was unheard of.

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Life•Motherhood

Pumpkin Patch Fun

October 8, 2018 by Nikki No Comments

When most people think of October, they picture cool days, fall leaves, hayrides and apple cider, scarves and boots, and, of course, pumpkins! In the South, however, it stays 90 degrees and humid throughout most of the month. But that doesn’t stop us from sweating in our scarves as we roam the pumpkin patch, looking for the perfect gourd.

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That’s exactly what we did this weekend! It was hot and humid, and we spent a good amount of time fighting the mosquitoes, but I was determined for Sebastian to paint a pumpkin at one of our local produce stands, Perkins Orchard. [Side note: we bought our Christmas tree here last year and it stayed green and fresh for so much longer than our friends’ trees that ended up getting dry and brittle really early] Despite the heat, we had a good time and got some cute pictures. And I purchased a bag full of produce (apples, avocados, strawberries, peppers, beets, and plums) and a small mum for $20! That’s a sweet deal.

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Fashion

Bright and Happy Floral

July 21, 2017 by Nikki 6 Comments

Bright and Happy Floral | Nikki by example

Happy Friday, everyone! How’s this for a cute, summer-y office outfit? I’m declaring this summer the summer for dresses because they’re the first thing I reach for in the morning.  I previously wrote about how I have a closet full of dresses that I never wear (which is a lyric from a Shakira song, btw!) and even devoted a whole week on my blog to dresses in an attempt to motivate me to wear them more often. Nowadays, I can’t get enough dresses. Funny how the pendulum swings.

Bright and Happy Floral | Nikki by example

I love the colors in this dress. They’re so bright and happy! I think that’s why I wore this outfit to the office specifically on a day when we took our new intern out to lunch.  Do y’all do that, too? Plan to wear a specific outfit on a certain day because you’re going to be engaging in a particular activity? I do it all the time! I think “Oh, I have this new dress. I’ll save it to wear on X day because we’re doing Y thing.”

Bright and Happy Floral | Nikki by example

Bright and Happy Floral | Nikki by example

I love the flats with this dress but next time I’m going to dress it up with heels. I can’t wait!

Bright and Happy Floral | Nikki by example

Dress: Target | Necklace & Shoes: Old Navy | Blazer: Gap Outlet | Sunnies: Target

And when I’m not dressing it up with a blazer and flats for the office, I’m dressing it down with sandals for family time!

Bright and Happy Floral | Nikki by example

My little family

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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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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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