august in instagram

hello september! september means fall is right around the corner, which is so hard to believe. i have a busy month ahead with the start of school and work, but also some really fun stuff too! i'm heading to the maryland seafood festival next weekend, as well as a wedding at the end of the month for a great couple that anthony went to high school with! i'm excited for all of the pittsburgh adventures that this month will undoubtably bring, because i want to do some exploring before the weather gets too cold. i wish everyone a great month!

these are a few of my favorite snapshots from august.

1. my favorite boy in the whole, wide world :D

2. corona-ritas with anthony on vacation in emerald isle

3. caramel old bay ice cream! (so wierd but so good)

4. one of my last weekends at the baltimore inner harbor with anthony

5. my pretty vintage desk is the perfect place to blog

6. lake moraine is just so pretty

7. great times at the county fair with anthony + his fam

8. the pittsburgh skyline is so beautiful

9. me + my roomies made these fun paper chains for our apartment

you can follow me on instagram at nikkiwilliams11 <3

xxoo,

n

back in the burgh

guys! i'm back in pittsburgh! and it's awesome. this week is my first week of classes, and it's actually gone really good so far! it's such a good feeling being back in the city again. i'm living in an apartment downtown with some awesome girls, i love my job, and there's so much to do! living downtown means having an unlimited supply of restaurants, bars, and coffee shops within walking distance.

as per usual, the weather in pittsburgh has been less than exceptional since my arrival. it's already rained like 5 times and it's been hot and humid. but i'm just trying suck it up and deal with it because before i know it, it will be winter and i'll be wearing so many layers i won't know what to do with myself! ha. but despite everything, i feel super sentimental about this being my last semester in college. i'm trying to do everything i can before december. i even signed up for a flag football league with my roommate! you know i'm feeling crazy when i willingly play sports lol.

if my house was on fire and i could grab one thing out of my closet, i would have to say that i would grab this black denim vest. i just love it and it's one of the most used pieces in my closet. i loved pairing it with these high waisted shorts. and bonus points: they were both thrifted! woot woot. i love thrifting denim items because they already have a worn feel to them.

this ying yang shirt is the bomb dot com. i got it on super sale at urban outfitters a few years ago. i love when urban puts their sale items on 50% off! they usually do it a couple times a year and i never miss it. you can buy tons of cute things and not break the bank. i'm all about having lots of clothes that don't cost as much instead of a smaller amount of more expensive items.

i wanted to make an outfit with more of an urban, city-like feel since i'm back in pittsburgh again and i really liked how it turned out. plus, the shirt totally reminded me of the cool mural i showed above. pittsburgh has the best street art ever. i'm totally crazy about the one i showed in this post, and it's actually right on my school's campus. i'm sure you will be seeing a lot more of cool stuff like that on here so get ready! when i took a photography class last semester i actually did my final project about street art in the city and it was so much fun. i'll take any excuse to venture around downtown with a camera!

what city's your favorite? i'd love to hear. thanks for stopping by, folks!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

shorts: thrifted

tank: urban outfitters

vest: thrifted

sandals: payless

lawrence county fair

last weekend while i was in anthony's hometown with his family, the county fair was in town! anthony, his mom, sister, and me decided to head out and explore it for the night. fairs are so much fun because you pretty much just walk around and eat junkfood the whole time. ha ha! it was a gorgeous night and we had a lot of fun. we looked at the different booths, saw some cute animals, and had lots of yummy food.

i wore this great fringe top from urban outfitters that i got on clearance last season. i love the design on the front and fringe is the best. i decided to keep it simple and pair it with my fave gray skinnies. everyone at the fair was wearing like  plaid, overall, and cowboy boots, so it's safe to say i stuck out like a sore thumb, lol. i don't have one ounce of country attire in my closet. oooops.

                      

caramel apples are my favorite fair treat and when i saw they also had one with tons of sprinkles, i almost bought like 5 of them and asked for a to go box. i wish there were more foods in this world that you could put sprinkles on but unfortunately there's only a few. but eating an apple and sprinkles was most definitely a new and positive experience. i have such a sweet tooth! if i haven't mentioned it before, i could pretty much live off of gummy bears.            

yes, as you see in the photo below: i fed a goat, people! it was so hilarious. we were just looking at them (and i was keeping my distance and trying not to step on poop) and this lady just handed me and bottle of milk and was like go for it! it was really crazy and all the goats were trying to get some food, but it was fun!! i was laughing so much because these little baby goats were crazy and jumping all over each other to get to the bottle. ha! it was definitely an experience. 

i'm still in total denial that summer is over and school starts on monday. aka i will spend this last weekend sleeping and watching all the episodes of the latest season of glee (yes, i am behind and also a little lame, i realize). because in 48 short hours life is gonna get busy! and i know that the fall is going to fly by before i graduate in december. its bittersweet in many ways. i'm excited to move on to the next chapter of my life, but living in pittsburgh and attending point park has been so amazing these past few years, i will be sad to say goodbye.

thanks for reading, folks. happy saturday and hope you enjoy a relaxing weekend.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

jeans: tj maxx

shirt: urban outfitters

sandals: payless

purse: h&m

sunglasses: doubledutch botique

fun at the fountain

what a crazy/hectic/awesome past few days it's been! i can't believe how great this past weekend was. anthony and i left baltimore thursday night and traveled up to ellwood city to visit his parents for a couple days. it was some much needed family time and i really enjoyed it. we ate at all of our favorite spots, drank a lot of yeungling, and ended the weekend with a trip to lake moraine! the weather was beautiful and perfect for spending time out and about. 

ellwood city recently put in this beautiful little park with a gorgeous fountain on main street and i could not get enough of it! it was so pretty. i love all of the brick and the landscaping was so cool. small towns have such a unique charm and it's so refreshing to be around all the little mom and pop shops.

i wore this skirt in a previous post a while ago, and it's just so fun and colorful i was excited to style it again. i decided to try mixing patterns and love the way it turned out. the simple blue stripes on my tank paired perfectly with the crazy, colorful pattern on the skirt. i wore it with this black bandeau and i was good to go. summer is all about simplicity. 

these sunglasses are currently my newest obsession. they are maroon colored and perfect for the upcoming fall season. i got them at the greatest little shop called the doubledutch boutique in hampden, md last weekend. the store is fabulous and has the cutest clothes and accessories. they have great sales and the inside of the store is just precious. their website is too!

i'm surprised that these studded sandals don't have holes in the bottom because i wear them soooo much. i mean i'm wearing them as i type this! ha ha. they are comfy and cute and you can't really ask for much more in a pair of shoes! i'm not ready to say goodbye to sandals yet and will hold out as long as i can until the cold pittsburgh air hits. 

i'll be back soon with more posts about getting settled into pittsburgh. thanks for reading!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

skirt: scout

tank: american eagle

sandals: payless

bandeau: nordstrom rack

white picket fence

today is the day for packing my life away and safe to say packing is my least favorite thing ever. trying to fit my clothes into a reasonable number of boxes and suitcases is just not right. there's no way i can fit my entire wardrobe into my itty, bitty closet at school and i'm forced to choose favorites when i love all my clothes equally!!! i know, i know; talk about first world problems-- but c'mon us fashion lovers gotta have options!

this week is definitely sad, i had to say see ya later to my wonderful fam for a few months. i've been totally spoiled living so close to my mama and sisters this summer and it's made me so so so happy. pittsburgh is about 6 hours away from md and i haven't minded as much the past few years. heck, last summer i didn't even move back home! i lived in pgh the entire summer. but with anthony and my family here, it makes it a lot harder to leave.

so monday night has always been family night at my mom's house and all my siblings get together once a week to eat and play games and watch bad tv. it's perfect. i've been able to be there most mondays this summer which has been awesome. and this week, we celebrated my stepsister madison's birthday! so we had cake and it was extra fun.

my mom and stepdad's house is gorgeous. these shots were taken in their backyard. they do all of their own landscaping and decorating and it's just so beautiful. the white fence, the flowers, the green grass, the wrap around porch; it makes me so excited to have a backyard again one day! ha. one of the downsides of living in the city.

the weather has totally chillaxed this week and has been a beautiful, sunny, breezy 80 degrees. aka perfection compared to the 99 degree rainstorms we've been having this summer. i will definitely not miss the humidity back in pittsburgh, but i'm totally not ready for cold temps yet. fall always flies by and before i know it, it'll be snowing! i'm definitely not ready for that!! but for now i'm just enjoying my last couple days in my apartment. i'm gonna miss this place and all my little nik naks i've accumulated this summer. lol. it's my home :)

thanks for checking in, lovelies. hope all is well.

xxoo,
n

outfit details

dress: thrifted

belt: h&m

sandals: thrifted

watch: antique store

earrings: forever 21

start the day with turquoise

i don't know if i've mentioned this by turquoise is my favorite color of all time. i like turquoise jewelery, shorts, tanks, dresses, bags, etc, etc. i could go on forever because it's the prettiest color ever. so it's safe to say that when i was out and about and stumbled upon this gorgeous/perfect/amazing/pretty turquoise wall i just had to snap some pics.

i can't believe it's already monday and that this is my last week in baltimore before heading back to school for the fall semester. last weekend flew by because as soon as i got home from the beach, anthony's two best friends from high school and their girlfriends came down from pittsburgh to visit! it was so much fun having more guests and getting to show them around baltimore.

we went out for dinner and drinks friday night and then saturday, we visited the inner harbor and had everyone come over to our apartment for dinner! it was a great weekend with a great group of people. now this week, i feel like i have so so so much to do before i head back to pittsburgh thursday night! i have to pack, see my family again, and say goodbye to a few friends before i go. it's going to be a busy few days.

i'm sad that i'm going to be farther away from anthony and my fam for a few months, but i still am super excited to get to move back to pittsburgh for a little while. i love that city more than anything, and it's going to be such a fun experience living through my last semester of college! i can't believe i only have a few more months until i'm officially graduated. it's crazy!

this look has been my go-to summer style. a simple tank/fun skirt combo is the perfect warm weather outfit. i especially love the lacy/sheer look that this crochet tank has. i've always had trouble knowing what to pair it with, but i feel like it goes great with the dark colors in the skirt. i love how this outfit has fall colors, but still a summery feel. i mean august is almost halfway over, and fall will be here before we know it! so i better get ready to put the sandals away. ha ha!

summer ending is always a little bit sad, but with each new season you get a fresh start and i'm excited for all of the things that this fall is going to bring. i get super excited thinking about halloween and thanksgiving and wearing scarves and boots. change is always good so i'm going to do my best to embrace everything that's coming my way.

what are your plans for the fall? any major changes? i'd love to hear! thanks again for stopping by.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

tank: forever 21

skirt: forever 21

sandals: payless

purse: h&m

necklace: thrifted

sister, sister (sister)

well our week is coming to a close and i'm heading back to the real world today. it's been such an amazing trip and i'm so thankful for my family and for this time with them. next week is my last week in maryland, and then i head back to pittsburgh for my last semester of college. it's insane how fast this summer has gone by. but this trip has been the perfect close to the best summer of my life so far.

i have two gorgeous, stylish sisters and hanging out with them this vacation has been such a treat. samantha is 15 (a sophomore in high school) and jessica is 19 (a sophomore in college). we used to fight a lot when we were younger, but now that we are older we appreciate how fun it is being 3 sisters so close in age. we have things in common, but for the most part we are all very different and each have our own individual style.

jessica's style can most definitely be described as classic. most  of the items in her closet have a more dressy feel. her favorite place to shop is forever 21. she wears a lot of blouses and statement necklaces. her fun dress (that came with the adorable belt) is from target. one of her many talents is she's so good at crafting and DIY. her room is decorated gorgeously and has so many handmade touches. you can follow her on pinterest here and get some fun inspiration. 

samantha's style is more similar to mine. she has a more funky feel and loves muscle tees and colorful shorts. my proudest moment was when samantha asked me one day to take her thrifting!! i was so happy she was interested in shopping at thrift stores and has really surprised me from time to time when she picks out something awesome and puts her own unique twist on it. in this outfit, her shirt is from hollister and her skirt is from target.

although our styles can be different, we all have no problem sharing clothes. i'll come home from school to visit and see samantha in one of my shirts or jessica wearing an old sweater of mine and it makes me laugh. growing up me and jessica could always share, but samantha was a bit younger so she couldn't get in on the closet swapping action. now were all virtually the same size so we can share pretty much anything.

my outfit kinda combines all of us. i'm wearing samantha's shorts and jessica's tank/necklace. i'm crazy about these mint shorts, and it doesn't hurt that the white tank shows off my newly formed tan ;) sisters are such a great form of fashion inspiration and i love that both of mine have seriously enviable closets. we should organize a clothing swap when were older so we can rotate our wardrobes even when we all live in different places, ha!

since my sisters were there, i couldn't resist having a mini photoshoot with anthony. he usually has to be behind the camera, and it was nice to take photos of the two of us for once! what a cutie he is :)

i'm so lucky that i can count both of my sisters as great friends, and we had a great week hanging out and being silly together. do you have stylish siblings? i'd love to hear!

xxoo,
n

outfit details

shorts/watch: target

tank/necklace: forever 21

born to be wild

so week 2 at emerald isle has not disappointed. anthony got to spend the long weekend here and didn't have to leave until yesterday afternoon! i was so glad he drove all the way down here to spend time with me and my family. whatta guy! 

a couple days ago we decided to have a date night and explore the island a little bit. i threw on a fun striped fringed tank i scored on the clearance rack at urban outfitters last year and paired it with a fun lace vest i stole from my sister (hehe). these shorts are currently my favorite. i found them at my local thrift store in baltimore and they are super comfy and the length is perfect. i'm totally not a short shorts gal.

we headed over to the emerald isle wildlife reserve and enjoyed some beautiful views and lots of greenery. i swear this island is my favorite place i've ever visited. i love the beach because it's acceptable to not know what day of the week it is and to go to the grocery store with beach hair and never wear make up. and i love not wearing makeup.

after our wildlife excursion, we headed to a local bar to grab a beer and play a game of pool. i lost on the last shot (i called the wrong hole for the 8 ball, ugh! so close), but it was still an accomplishment to not get totally crushed by anthony because he is such the pool shark.

after our game of pool, we headed to a mexican restaurant for dinner and i couldn't resist ordering a coronarita. aka the best invention ever. i mean, who doesn't want a margarita with a beer in it? am i right?! we ate way too much (delicious) food and talked about what a great weekend it was. boogie boarding and reading and swimming. it was perfect!

thanks for checking in. enjoy your week, folks.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

shorts: thrifted

tank: urban outfitters

lace vest: tj maxx

jewelry: various

totally thrifted

our first week at the beach is officially over, but... we have another week left! yay! this place just keeps getting better and better. today was our last day at the brigadune, our cute little beach house on the sound (the side of the island that on the bay). when my mom and chuck were looking for rentals, they couldn't find one house that was available for 2 weeks in a row. so today we moved to another house! ha, it was kinda funny moving all our stuff a few miles down the road but i have no complaints when it comes to having more beach/family time this upcoming week.

our house had this gorgeous little pier that leads out to the bay. it was perfect for fishing, crabbing, and even kayaking! but we found out later it is not for swimming. we caught multiple baby sharks and sting rays! talk about scary! i like viewing scary ocean animals from a distance, not up close lol. but we had so much fun on this pier. i've never had so many crabs to eat in one week! crab is my all time favorite food.

the weather has continued to be spot on the entire trip. we've had little patches of rain here and there, but not enough to really keep up from doing fun stuff. which is good news for my tan! woot woot. i'm such a beach bum. plop me down with a book and a baseball cap and i am one happy gal. i swear i've been barefoot for the past 7 days so excuse the lack of shoes in my posts. but who needs shoes at the beach?! not meee.

i love this little green tank (from this post) so much. the perfect beach tank. i like that it's cropped and simple, but has a little bit of detail under the bust area. the blue on the top made me want to pair it with this awesome, lovely, pretty, etc. chambray skirt that i thrifted (yes, thrifted!!) a few weeks ago. it's so airy and light and the cute little buttons down the front are adorable.

this simple look could easily be recreated at one of my favorite places, old navy for only 30 bucks! totally reasonable. old navy has great prices and fun trends. i remember shopping there when i was younger, and then as i got to be a teen, i didn't like it all that much (not sure why). but now as an adult on a budget, i really find myself loving to shop there!

tank//skirt

house for week #1 was awesome, but week #2 house has a pool and a hot tub (yipeeee) so i'm super excited.  i hope we are just as lucky with weather this week, too. i can't get enough sunshine this trip! this tan has to last me when i move back to pittsburgh in a couple weeks. and we all know that city has pretty much no sun. ha ha!

hope everyone had a great weekend! thanks for stopping by.

xxoo,

n