dream in neon turns one!

to me, dream in neon means thinking outside of the box, having fun, being crazy, testing your limits, and going after what you want. when i started this blog one year ago i had been reading style blogs for years, and always imagined having one of my own. it seemed like so much fun! create awesome outfits, take cool photos, and go on adventures. it would be like visually diary of my life. and on top of that, i loved graphic design! i could make my logo and create cute graphics. i had it all planned out. but i was nervous. of what? i'm not exactly sure. it just seemed like something that was easy to think about but would never actually happen.

then one day i just did it. i had just moved in with my boyfriend anthony, was working an internship part-time and was honestly kinda bored. it was summer and i wanted a hobby. anthony had been encouraging me and said he would take my photos. i thought, what the hell? let's just do it!  i put on a new dress and we met up for a date after work one day and he took a bunch of pictures of me and they turned out kinda dark and blurry, but i didn't care. i had outfit photos! i edited them and wrote a post about our night out in dc. i clicked publish. it was scary but i did it. i didn't tell anyone about it at first. i just kept planning outfits and taking photos. i had so much more fun than i ever expected.

now that i was planning posts, it gave anthony and i an excuse to get out and do cool stuff. we went on picnics, hung out at the maryland seafood festival, had our best friend visit, went to an awesome wedding, hit up the county fair in anthony's hometown, visited emerald isle with my family on vacation, went to NYC for the day, and so much more. it's so fun to be able to look back on all my posts in the past year and have a photo recap of all the fun things we did and all the cool places we went to.

i never knew how much i would fall in love with blogging. i got to meet a bunch of lovely ladies from the DMV area when we had a blogger bunch, i've worked with some awesome brands such as chloe + isabel and adore me, and i've created my two favorite kinds of posts-- totally thrifted and nine to five, that showcase my favorite thrifted finds and what i wear to work.

while there is so much about this space that i love, there is also so much that i want to improve upon. my goals aren't to post more or get more followers, my goal is to make this blog a representation of me. all of me. not just a few snaps of an outfit. i want to talk about things that are real and important, i want to focus more on writing out my thoughts and feelings, sharing more photos of family and friends; to put it simply-- i want to write from the heart. i am a writer by nature and want to dig deeper than just the color of a dress or what the weather was like today.

starting this blog has been one of the coolest and most interesting adventures in my life thus far and i'm so excited for the next year! thank you to every single one of you who reads this. whether you're my friend, acquaintance, or a blogger yourself, thank you. thank you. thank you. sharing bits and pieces of your life on the internet might seem strange, but if you're out there with an idea for a blog of your own my only advice is-- just do it!

thanks for reading and cheers to year two!

xxoo,
n

outfit details
skirt + headband: forever 21 (old)
shirt: random store in the mall (similar here)
shoes: buffalo exchange

maximum fun

hello everyone! i hope your week is off to a great start. i've definitely had better tuesdays considering i had a dentist appointment at 7 am this morning. it's just not right to have someone looking at your teeth before the sun comes up. i'm on my third cup of coffee today so that should tell you how much i am not a morning person. but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. yay for being a grown up (insert sarcasm here).

this weekend was one of my favorites. my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on saturday. 50 years. it's crazy! all of my family and their friends threw them a big surprise party and it was so much fun. there was food, wine, and lots of dancing. i should've gotten a video of the two of them on the dance floor because i don't think i've ever seen anything cuter in my entire life. it's such a special thing, especially in this day and age, to stay married for so long. i feel privileged to have witnessed their love for my entire life. 

i wore my new maxi dress from h&m to the party. i'm not kidding when i say i've been on the hunt for the perfect black maxi for over a year. i'm not sure why but i just had the worst luck finding one that i loved. then bam! i saw this one hanging in one of my fave stores the other day (for 18 bucks, no less) and i snatched it right up. paired with my fave chunky sandals and turquoise accents (typical me) i was good to go for a fun night with my family. 

thanks for checking in. enjoy the rest of your day, folks.
xxoo,
n

outfit details
dress: h&m
vest: thrifted
sandals: buffalo exchange
necklace: c/o chicnova
wristlet: target

walking on sunshine

this weekend was positively perfect. the weather was in the 70s everyday which automatically makes me a happy camper. plus, anthony couldn't have made my birthday any more special if he tried. when i walked into our apartment friday after work, he had all my favorite things sitting out on the table. i'm talking mint chocolate chip ice cream, a bottle of merlot, some gorgeous flowers, AND he vacuumed the apartment. i think i just about died and went to heaven. he is the best. we spent the rest of the night eating some delicious seafood in downtown baltimore and coming back and popping some champagne! ha. there's never a celebration too small for champagne ;)

saturday morning i met up with my lovely friend katie for brunch in dc. i wanted to check out an apartment complex in the area, and it was a good excuse to eat waffles and catch up. it was the cutest little neighborhood right downtown and i fell in love. the apartment was great and we're all crossing our fingers over here everything falls into place. living in the heart of dc would be amazing! a summer in the city sounds like just what i need. being in the middle of downtown pittsburgh for four years in college were some of the best times in my life. nothing beats walking to your favorite restaurants and bars, being close to work, and having easy access to fun things to do all the time.

i couldn't help but bust out my new favorite shoes for some brunching. i got this sandals at buffalo exchange in georgetown last weekend and i think i'm in love. i would first like to point out the fact that they were only $24 (!!!) because OMG what an amazing deal. i'm also wondering who in their right mind would ever give these shoes away. i'm trying not to dwell on that too much because i don't like the thought of wearing the shoes of a crazy person, but that's the point of thrifting. someone's trash is someone else's treasure. ps. just look at them again because they're so pretty.

well now the weekend's gone, but thankfully the sunshine is still here. wishing you all a happy monday!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

tee: target

jeans: american eagle

scarf + shoes: buffalo exchange

purse: studio c

sunnies: doubledutch boutique

denim diaries

over the weekend, anthony and i had our little sisters in town. and by "little" i mean 15 years old and (maybe) taller than me. both of them are awesome and hilarious and it was great hosting them in baltimore for a few days. we tried to jam pack as many fun things as possible in their less than 48 hour trip and i'm pretty sure that we succeeded. i've found that when having people visit for the weekend, equal parts rest and adventure is key. because as much as everyone loves a good brunch, sometimes you just need an extra hour or two of sleep on a saturday morning!

they both got here friday night, and we started off by ordering indian food and watching a movie. neither of them had ever tried indian food before (!!!!!) and there was no way we were letting that nonsense go on for another minute. indian is honestly probably my favorite kind of food ever. so we ordered a lotttt. ya know. for the sake of them trying as much as possible. not so i could eat more than half my weight in naan and curry.

saturday we woke up late and headed out to hampden-- an adorable neighborhood outside of baltimore. we browsed some antique stores, did some shopping, and ate at cafe hon for lunch. this little town is so cute and colorful i almost couldn't take it. i mean there were pastel houses on every corner; it doesn't get much better than that. it was the perfect scenery for a gorgeous spring day.

it was by pure coincidence that we all got dressed in varying forms of denim on saturday morning. whether it's chambry, skinny jeans, or a jacket-- we basically have all your denim bases covered here. and when we walked by this purple wall, i decided that it would pretty much be a sin if we didn't stop and take some outfit photos here. the blogger in me just couldn't resist this colorful backdrop and our coordinating looks. :)

the rest of the weekend was filled with duck pin bowling, yummy mexican food, and, of course, more shopping. i'm finding when it comes to hosting friends in town, its extremely difficult to find plans that don't include going to my favorite restaurants and clothing stores. i definitely need to be better about brainstorming things to do that are more creative (and better for the ol wallet). what's your favorite thing to do when a friend comes to town? i need some ideas!

i hope everyone had a great weekend. enjoy the rest of your monday!

xxoo,
n

outfit details
shirt: tj maxx
pants: buffalo exchange
jacket: avalon exchange
loafers: c/o duo
purse: h&m
jewelry: forever 21

mix and match

it was a beautiful and sunny weekend for the first time in what feels like forever! i spent the weekend at home with my family and it was so nice to be able to actually spend some time outdoors without being all bundled up. weekends at home are always my saving grace. it's nice to escape the daily routine of waking up, going to work, coming home, working out, and going to sleep. every once in a while you've gotta indulge in some extra sleep, yummy food, and lots of blue moon. and trust me, that's just what i did! :)

this floral dress from forever 21 is a current favorite piece in my closet. i love the pattern and the fit. it's loose and comfy, but i can still dress it up with a blazer for work. as i mentioned in my last 9-5 post, a key point for me when it comes to shopping lately has been whether or not i can wear something for fun and for work. it's so much easier than i thought to find pieces that can be styled for both! especially since i love dresses so much. dresses > pants. any day/every day.

i kinda love how much is going on in this look. the patterned dress, the colored tights, a studded bag, it's all a little over the top, and i looove it. and the icing on the cake? this cardigan has elbow pads!!! there's nothing in this world that a love more than a good elbow pad (well i'm sure there is, but you catch my drift. i love these things).

this outfit really makes me think of my best friend brittany. she gave me these tights for christmas (along with a green pair, very holiday spirited haha) and we both have a love for elbow pads (we're weird). when i visited her in seattle last year she wore my favorite sweater (featured here and here) the whole time i was there. she loved it so much i knew that i had to get an elbow padded sweater of her own for christmas. i found a similar one to mine and she was so happy! yay for christmas successes. it's always nice to have little reminders of each other even though we live on separate coasts.

i'm praying for the sunshine to stick around for as long as possible. but, we'll see how this week goes! sending you all warm vibes <3

xxoo,

n

outfit details
dress: forever 21
sweater: buffalo exchange
tights: h&m
shoes: urban outfitters
bag: studio c
sunnies: doubledutch boutique 

in living color

hellllooo! to say this week has been a hectic one would be the understatement of the year. my car is currently in the shop (again) and it's really throwing me off my groove! i need that thing to, ya know, get to my job and to the store and basically everywhere important in life. it all started on valentine's day. anthony and i were heading out for our date night, and after a few minutes in the car it made a very loud, unfortunate sound. the sound got worse and worse, but we were able to at least make it to the parking lot of the restaurant (thankfully). the only problem was we didn't know how we were going to leave the restaurant. as soon as we sat down for dinner, we started stressing about how we were going to get the car to the shop. after scarfing down a few crab cakes, we were out of there. 

so the closest mechanic was only a few minutes away, and we risked it and made the drive. if you ignored the BOOM BOOM BOOM everytime the tired rotated, the car seemed just fine. so despite a few startled looks from other drivers on the road, we made it to the shop relatively unscathed. we had to wait for some friends to come pick us up and take us home. safe to say, this holiday will noy go down in history as the most romantic evening because any night that ends up with you holding your heels while standing in gas station is probably one you want to forget. 

but on to brighter notes, i visited my family over the weekend and my mom was kind enough to let me borrow her car until mine is fixed (thanks, mama!) and i couldn't be more thankful. plus, it was awesome getting to see (most of) my siblings and have some good ol fashioned family time. and if you have ever met my family that means lots of card games and lots of margaritas, hehe :)

it's sad to say, but i'm already counting down days til the weekend. i need to catch up on some sleep (and blogging!!) and can't wait to just take a nap. i always feel guilty just wishing the rest of the week to disappear, but sometimes you just need friday afternoon so damn bad! 

i hope everyone's weeks are going slightly better than mine. happy two days til friday!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

tee: urban outfitters

pants: tj maxx

sweater: h&m

scarf: american apparel via buffalo exchange

beanie: forever 21

boots: target

valentines day: date night

happy valentine's day! i've been snowed in the past two days and have been getting into the holiday spirit with lots of baked goods, sprinkles, and chocolate. oh, and wine. lots of wine. there's nothing more romantic than laying in bed all day in comfy sweats and eating junkfood with your boyfriend. okay, well actually, i can think of many more things that are more romantic but for us this was pretty darn good!

tonight, we are doing the real valentine's day stuff. going out to dinner, grabbing a drink, etc. it's always fun to get dressed all fancy and go to a fancy restaurant and eat fancy food and so on. it's a given that wearing some combination of red or pink is necessary. but i thought a black/white/red combo would be perfect for a valentine's day night out. i usually gravitate towards a dress for a date night, but i wanted to do something different this time. so when i remembered these amazing trousers i bought at buffalo exchange in nyc a few weeks ago, i knew i had to wear them. the color is gorgeous and i love the way they fit.

i've been dying to wear this gorgeous necklace ever since i won it in a giveaway through the lovely chandra of modern day charm. it's just a bonus that it matches my pants and goes with the whole holiday of looove outfit theme i've got going on. this black + white peplum top from forever 21 is so fun and i'm a little bit crazy about the pattern. throw in some nude pumps and you are ready for a date night out on the town!

hope everyone has fun plans today! whether it's a day out and about with the girls or a night in with your special someone, remember to tell the important people in your life that you love them. <3

xxoo,

n

outfit details

pants: buffalo exchange

top: forever 21

shoes: famous footwear

necklace: giveaway via modern day charm

nine to five

another week of this glorious summer is over, and this time, i'm a little sad. i've been at my internship with givecorps for the past 8 weeks and it has been an amazing experience. it's such a fun company and a great work atmosphere. my coworkers and awesome and the other interns were so cool! i truly feel lucky to have met such nice people and to have gotten the chance to grow as a graphic designer.

internships are tricky because by the time you get comfortable with the people and the company, they're over! it really sucks because it can be hard to get into the groove and make friends. since this internship was over the summer (and not during the school year) i felt like i got to spend more time in the office and can honestly say i felt as though i made friends and got to learn more than i ever could have expected. and the great news is, they hired me part time for the fall semester (when i'm back at school in pittsburgh) and i couldn't be more thrilled! *insert one million smiley faces here*

you can never go wrong wearing a pencil skirt and a blouse to work. in the summer it was my go-to outfit of choice. it's simple and professional, and easy to add pizazz with a statement necklace. this color combination is my favorite. salmon is the perfect color, i swear. 

anthony and i celebrated last night by picking up some crabs and shrimp from the grocery store and having a delicious seafood feast. he sure knows how to make a girl happy. (well me at least; i loooooove food lol) it was great! life is so good right now i have absolutely no complaints.

since it was my last week at givecorps, my wonderful coworkers planned a drinks/appetizers outing to this amazing restaurant in hampden called the food market. i got a delicious girly cocktail and we tried pretty much all of the appetizers on the menu. i was so glad everyone took the time to go and hang out outside of the office before i left! it was so great getting to know everyone and i am excited to continue working with them in the fall.

now that i'm done working for the summer, and i have a few weeks before i go back to school, i am so so so excited to be going on vacation with my family to emerald isle, nc!!! two weeks on the beach with my mom and stepdad, all of my siblings, and my newest little niece. i truly couldn't be more excited! we leave on sunday and i'm already all packed for probably the best vacay of all time.

does anyone else have any fun vacation plans this summer? i'd love to hear! and stay tuned for more posts coming up while i'm at the beach. thanks for stopping by.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

skirt: buffalo exchange

blouse: thrifted

sandals: old navy

necklace: forever 21

on the right track

so chambray is the most important thing ever in the summer. am i right or am i right? light, airy, and matches anything. i love it because it looks like denim without the weight or heaviness. i wear this shirt so often it's a little crazy, but i just can't help myself! i need my denim fix and this is a great substitute for a denim jacket. cause we all know maryland summers are way too hot for that, y'all. 

the grunge inspired look was based on some online shopping and pinterest-ing that i was doing a couple days ago. i came across this look as well as this one and decided to combine them and recreate my own for both for a hip and a laid back outfit. i absolutely adore this black skirt from forever 21. it's so comfy and i love pairing it with a t-shirt or a sweater to dress it down.  pairing a more dressy piece and a "chill" piece is a big thing of mine. i don't like going all girly or all tomboy.

i painted my nails white the other day and i am obsessed.  it's so fun and summery. i usually gravitate to black or other dark color nail polishes so it was cool mixing it up. plus, in the case of this outfit, i love how it matches my top (i wish i could say i planned it but i most certainly didn't).

this "headband" is actually a long piece of string/cloth that came with a dress i just bought at the thrift store a couple days ago. i didn't like it as a belt, so i decided to wrap it around my head a few times and it works as a headband! i was pretty proud of myself. haha! i never throw away things like this because you never know what you could use it for. DIY FTW!

have you ever used something random for a DIY project? share in the comments!

thanks for checking in.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

chambray button up: tj maxx

top: tj maxx

skirt: forever 21

necklace: buffalo exchange

bracelet: forever 21

sandals: payless

bag: forever 21

having a field day

i love fields. big open spaces. being able to look out as far as the eye can see. flowers. grass. and in this case, some weird mysterious wheat looking plant. oh well, i'm not complaining. considering i've lived in the city for the past 3 years, i relish any opportunity to get away from honking horns and tall buildings. i mean, don't get me wrong, i'm totally a city girl, but i'm sure even serena van dor woodsen needs a break from the big apple from time to time. it's just so pretttty.

so it's quite possible that these turquoise pants might potentially be the best pants of all time. okay, so they definitely are. i was perusing tj maxx one day when i came across these bad boys. right next to a pair of pink ones. which were right next to a pair of teal ones. so i did what any sane person would do in this situation and i bought all of them.

when it comes to colored pants, it's all about mix and match. i love the contrast between these two pieces. this sleeveless blouse is from avalon exchange. one of my ultimate favorite places to shop in pittsburgh (they have other locations too, so check out their website). it's a vintage boutique that has great deals, plus a lot of designer brands. everything there is so cool and it's safe to say i never walk out empty handed. you can never go wrong with stores like this, or scout, or buffalo exchange (which is where i found this gorgeous necklace i'm wearing). great prices, sweet clothes, and cool people.

                                      

and in case you haven't noticed, i have a very hard time leaving the house without some form on studs on my clothing. today, i chose my new studded sandals i got from payless. plus, the day i went was BOGO. so you know what that means. i was basically forced to buy two pairs of shoes. i mean, c'mon, i barely even had a say in that one. who says no to BOGO?!

                                         

anthony is such a good sport when it comes to this new hobby of mine. he is so supportive and has gotten pretty good with the camera (he takes all of the photos for this blog). and if you can see, his socks match his shirt! maybe taking all of these outfit shots for me are rubbing off on him a bit! ;)

            

i love getting to dress colorful and playful, but this summer i've had to focus on buying some clothes i can wear to my internship too. it's not all fun and games, folks! i will be posting soon about some tips when it comes to dressing for the office. i mean lets face it, were not all pants suits and blazers kinda girls. stay tuned for some ways to stay trendy while being professional!

                   









are you a fan of the colored pants trend? what color would you love to showcase on your jeans?

thanks for reading!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

pants: tj maxx

blouse: avalon exchange

sandals: payless

bracelets: forever 21

earrings: gifted

necklace: buffalo exchange