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

flower power

at this point i'm sure you all have entered the Adore Me contest because duh-- free lingerie for pinning. life doesn't get much easier than that, people! and i'm finally back with an outfit post. i'm sure i'm like the millionth person to proclaim that i'm "so over this snow," but dangit, i am so over this snow!! we got another few inches on sunday night, getting me out of work on monday, and half a day tuesday (which is always appreciated), but at this point i'd rather work a 500 hour week and never, ever see fluffy white stuff fall from the sky ever again. or at least until next winter. 

i ordered this gorgeous coat from romwe a few weeks back and was so excited when it came in the mail. i was getting tired of wearing the same jacket to work everyday (#firstworldproblems) and i wanted something fun and colorful. plus, it's light enough that it will easily transition to spring. i am more than ready for some pastel action in my life. who's with me?!

speaking of spring, this floral sweater is great for shining light into the darkness of winter. it keeps me warm and cozy, but on the outside it's fun and bright and i'm pretty sure these flowers are daisies (which happen to be my favorite) and if they aren't, well i'm just pretending they are anyway cause daisies rule.

i got this gorgeous layered necklace from anthony's aunt and uncle for christmas and i just love it. i'm not sure where they got it from, but they said it looked "so nikki" and they were right. it's great! i thought it would pair perfectly with my silver studded duo loafers. throw on some quirky glasses, and you have a casual, laid back look that helps you cope with these forever-lingering winter months. 

thanks for stopping by! i'm heading to my parents this weekend and couldn't be more excited to see my fam :) happy almost friday, y'all.

xxoo,
n

outfit details
sweater: forever 21
pants: tj maxx
coat: romwe
loafers: c/o duo
necklace: christmas gift
glasses: amazon

fur for days

so i haven't had time to really sit down and think about my new year's resolutions but i wanted to take a second and write them down for you guys. so... ya know, i have someone to keep me accountable! every year i feel like it's the same old, same old. but this year, i feel like it's different. i'm graduated college, living with anthony, working a full-time job, etc. it seems like a lot of "grown up" stuff-- and grown ups stick to their goals.

here are some things i want to work on in 2014:

1. focus on getting healthy. for real. not just losing weight but changing my lifestyle and being more active. i'm talking running, cooking instead of going out, and less candy!
2. creating a budget and sticking to it. i am really bad with money and spend too much on clothes and other somewhat unnecessary items. i want to put more into my savings and less into my closet.
3. read more. i spend a lot of time on social media and i want to cut back a little and read books and write in a journal more often. reading and writing are so important to me and i don't want to lose that.

did you make resolutions? i'd love to hear! the new year is a great time to re-focus and set goals. wish me luck!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

blouse/jeans: tj maxx

vest: urban exchange 

loafers: c/o duo

necklace: juicy dealz via delightfully tacky giveaway

indian summer

last week i had the awesome opportunity to team up with my amazing friend and photographer katya for a fun little photoshoot. we met up and hopped on the bus to lawrenceville, one of the coolest little neighborhoods outside of downtown pittsburgh. kat had a great location in mind and we were off to start our adventure! our first priority was a cool drink so we went to this awesome little place called 720. i'm not kidding when i say that they sell records, clothing, and coffee in this one little shop! i browsed around and drank my iced chai while kat set up her equipment. it was my first time there and definitely won't be my last!

then it was photo time! we stopped by some cool railroad tracks to snap some pics on the way to this super amazing beautiful incredible colorful mural. it's painted under an overpass and it is just so stunning. in it's entirety it depicts lawrenceville and it's just so damn cute. i think i've mentioned it before but i love street art! and this is one of the coolest pieces i've ever seen.

pittsburgh is experiencing a full-blown indian summer right now! last week/weekend, the temperature stayed in the 80s every. single. day. i've already said my goodbyes to summer and was getting in the fall spirit, so this weather was a little unexpected. i'm hoping fall will be in full swing this week. my weather app says 60s and sunny, so lets see if they got it right!

i looove me some layers and this combo was so fun. i got this blouse from forever 21 last year and it's just the perfect neutral staple in my wardrobe. you can't go wrong with simple and solid black. but there are these cute little sequins on the collar to spice it up a bit! for some reason, fall encourages me to style more mens-wear inspired pieces. i love buttoning my shirt all the way up and pairing it with cardigans or sweaters. a great pair of denim shorts are also essential for autumn. this high-waisted pair will stay front and center in my closet all season. pairing them with tights helps you beat the chilly weather and gives you a break from wearing pants everyday! i'm so excited for fall fashion and all of the fun outfits that are in store.

another staple that comes with mens-wear inspired looks is loafers. i'm so thankful for the person who decided loafers were not just for guys in suits! they are so fun and classy. these beauties were sent to me by duo.  they are a company based in the uk, but recently launched their website in the us. they have amazing boots, flats, heels, and even handbags. the pieces are incredible! i'm wearing the jagger loafers in black (with studs of course!) they are comfy and cute, and easy to dress up or down. be sure to check out their site!

i had so much fun working with kat and am so happy with how this photos turned out. girl's got skills! you can check out her kick ass website here. collaborating and supporting local artists is so much fun. it also didn't hurt that when we were done shooting, we headed over to happy hour at round corner cantina for yummy drinks and chips + salsa! what a great way to end a hard days work. ;)

thank you to everyone for reading and supporting this little blog of mine. i couldn't ask for anything more. <3

xxoo,
n

outfit details
shorts: thrifted
shirt: forever 21
cardigan: forever 21
necklace: forever 21
loafers: c/o duo boots