fourth of july roadtrip

this fourth of july was definitely my favorite one yet. my best best best friend brittany got into town on july first and we hung out around dc for a couple days. she grew up here, but it's been a while since she has visited this city. we spent a lot of time in chinatown, hit up some happy hours, and did a little too much shopping. but it wasn't long before we hit the road to visit anthony's family in pittsburgh! we had our own little roadtrip. the weather was perfect-- blue skies, a great breeze, we couldn't have asked for a better day.

we grabbed some outfit shots before we head out. my summer go-to outfit is a tank and a maxi skirt. you honestly can't get more comfortable than this. this floral skirt is one of my best thrifted finds to date. great length, great print-- you just can't beat it. brittany went for some cute denim cut-offs and a lacy tank. safe to say we were comfy and cool for our 6 hour drive! 

 once we arrived in ellwood city, we immediately went into holiday mode. we picked up plenty of beer, ordered some pizzas, and sat out on the front porch talking all night long. oh and there was a hot tub involved. lots and lots of hot tubbing! it had been way too long since i'd seen anthony's family so we had tons much fun just hanging out and catching up. they are truly my second family and i'm so lucky to have them. 

on fourth of july we all donned our red, white, and blue and went to the ellwood city festival. i wore new skirt i picked up at h&m recently with a giftcard i won through the lovely dylana of color me nana. i am obsessed with high wasited skirts right now! paired with this little crop top and red lips, i felt in the fourth of july spirit! anthony's town takes this holiday very seriously. there's tons of good food, booths with arts and crafts for sale, and live music. we wandered around for a bit and filled up on festival food (aka the greasiest and least healthy food ever and it's awesome). 

fourth of july is such a fun holiday, and this one was even more special because i got to spend it with all of my favorite people. i love having both anthony and brittany by my side. we're the three best friends that anyone could have (hehe). check out last year's fourth of july here. i just love this holiday! i hope you all enjoyed celebrating. 

xxoo,

n

check out this little video i made of our adventure: 

denim days

it's friiidaayy! i'm so excited for this weekend for two reasons. one: i run my first 5k tomorrow! i've been stepping up my running game for the past month or so in preparation. completing this 3.1 miles without walking is one of my personal goals for this year and i know that i am totally ready for this. i'm heading to visit my sister at school tonight and me, her, and her roomies are running the race tomorrow morning! after the race, i'm heading back to baltimore for the number two reason i'm excited-- anthony and i are going to the sweetlife festival! and lana del rey is performing. so. I'M SEEING LANA DEL REY TOMORROW! i could not be more excited because she is my absolute favorite. be prepared for lots of instagram photos and videos documenting the concert because it's going to be amazing. cause i mean duh. it's lana.

i took these photos while in pittsburgh last weekend and holy cow, it felt so wonderful to be back in that city. spending three and a half years living downtown while going to college was one of the best experiences of my entire life. it was so good to see some friends and catch up before heading back to maryland. i miss those people!! it's sad having friends you're used to seeing everyday and then everyone grows up, gets jobs, and moves their separate ways. but that's life. and it's awesome to see everyone graduating and going on to do awesome things. :)

i wore my new all time number one favorite pair of jeans ever on saturday. and i'm wearing them again today. i am officially obsessed. i got them at old navy last week. it was pretty much a miracle because they were on the clearance rack-- someone bought them online and returned them. they were exactly my size and 50% off! i mean it just doesn't get better than that. total, they cost me like 20 bucks. i snatched them up so fast and almost wore them out of the store. haa! they are just the perfect spring jeans. light wash and comfy fit. is it possible to be in love with denim? 

well, i hope everyone has fun plans this weekend! TGIF <3

xxoo,

n

outfit details
jeans + sandals: old navy
top: urban outfitters
purse: vintage

christmas eve 2013

merry christmas, everyone! i’m writing this post from my dad’s house where anthony and i stopped to visit for a couple hours. we left his hometown of ellwood city this morning bright and early and spent our afternoon in the car driving from pennsylvania to maryland. it’s been a busy week so far and the rest of the week is going to be hectic as well. we got to anthony’s family’s house on saturday and stayed all week just hanging out and relaxing.

we did a lot of christmas shopping, present wrapping, and cookie baking and it couldn’t have been a better few days leading up to christmas. i always enjoy hanging out with anthony’s family and this visit was no different. there is nothing better than escaping the real world and just hanging out with family.

this was my first christmas eve away from my family and anthony’s family made me feel so at home. his parents and siblings were all there, and his aunt, uncle, and grandma stopped by to visit and exchange presents. anthony and i got an air mattress and a crock pot! its always awesome to get new things for the apartment. his aunt and uncle gave me a beautiful necklace and a cool collection of spices for cooking. they were all way too good to me and i am very thankful to have such a great second family.

we spent the remainder of the night playing card games and drinking wine and we all had so much fun. the holidays truly are such a great time of the year. this morning we woke up and ate breakfast and watched a bit of the christmas story on tv before we said our goodbyes. i was sad to leave, but can’t wait to spend the rest of the week at my mom’s house! i can already tell that this christmas is going to be one of the best yet.

 i will be back soon with a post about christmas day with my crazy family. i have another holiday outfit to share with you guys! i absolutely love dressing for the holidays. pretty dresses and lots of red. i even got a special christmas manicure with anthony’s sister to amp up the festiveness.

thanks for checking in and hope you all have a very merry christmas!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

skirt/shoes: urban outfitters

top: tj maxx

necklace: forever 21

cheetah girl

i officially had my last college final yesterday night. it's so hard to believe that i'm done. after three and half long, hard, and challenging years i am completely done with my undergraduate career. i truly can't believe it. tomorrow is my last day at work, then anthony is driving up to move me out. we're planning on going out with some friends on thursday to celebrate before i leave the city. i don't know what it's going to feel like not to live in pittsburgh anymore because i've grown and accomplished so much since moving to this city as a silly little 18 year old high school graduate. 

when i was in high school all i wanted was to go to college in new york city. i wanted to move away from my small little hometown and go to a college some place fun and exciting and study writing. but in case you weren't aware, new york city is a verrrry expensive place (who knew?) and pittsburgh is a tad bit (a lot) more affordable. i applied to my school here because the application fee was free and i thought, what the heck? a few months later, i was touring the campus, exploring downtown, and falling in love with my university and pittsburgh. i moved in that fall and never looked back.

i have learned so much in the past three and a half years, not just about school and what i'm studying, but about life i've learned that some friendships are meant to last forever, while some are more temporary because people change and move on and there is nothing wrong with that. i've learned about living with roommates and how it can be crazy, annoying, and fun all at the same time. i've learned that everyone makes mistakes, but it's best not to dwell on the past. i've learned that if you love someone enough, it doesn't matter how far away they are or how often you see them, you will make it work, because they're worth it.

there's so much that can be said about your college experience and i wouldn't change a thing about mine. i've worked at gold's gym and starbucks, i've taken classes i've loved and classes that made me want to drop out, i've had internships all over the city that taught me more than i ever could have expected. i learned about my love for graphic design, social media, and web development and couldn't be more ecstatic to have actually gotten a job in my desired field. as i move on to the next stage in my life, i will close this chapter with nothing but kind words and satisfaction for the last three and a half years of my life.

i'm happy and sad to be moving away from this amazing city, but am excited to live and experience washington, dc and have the opportunity to fall in love with a new city all over again. sorry to get all sappy and personal on you, it's just been a whirlwind lately and i'm so happy that i have this little corner of the internet where i can share all of my thoughts with you guys. as always, thanks for reading (and i hope you like my outfit).

xxoo,

n

outfit details

sweater: old navy

chambray + pants: tj maxx

necklace: c/o chicnova

sneakers: target

bracelet: culture shop

autumn fallin'

i'm attempting to hold on to every last moment of fall that i possibly can. the winter temps are coming in way too fast for my liking. all last weekend in south carolina it was freeeezing and that was even farther down south than home! i was hoping that i at least wouldn't have to wear my huge puffer jacket, but nope, still needed it. but it was so beautiful down there i almost didn't care about the weather. almost.

my hair finally grew out a little bit so i can put it up in a little mini ponytail now! yay! i totally love the low maintenance of short hair, but i definitely miss the easiness of throwing it all up in a top knot when i haven't washed it in a day or two. since my hair is so thin it's get greasy really easily and i never know what to do about it. any other thin-haired gals out there experience this problem? help!

this is my most favorite pea coat. i got it after christmas last year for a steal at target. if you really want some good deals on winter wear, just wait til the day after christmas! sales galore. this beauty was half priced, so i did what any normal person would do and found another pea coat that was half priced as well and bought both. ha!

i wish the fall leaves could stay on the ground all winter long because i'm not quite ready yet to see bare trees and snowflakes yet. i very much prefer the beauty of fall over the craziness of the christmas season, but i think i'm probably the only one. christmas is a little bit too stressful sometimes! thanksgiving is more my speed-- food and family. two of my fave things ;)

it wouldn't be autumn without over-the-knee socks, am i right?! these brown ones are so warm and cozy and are perfect for pretty much any outfit. i wish i could buy about 38478 more pairs but that might be a tad bit excessive. i'm surprised i don't already have these in every color because that's just what i do when i like something. if i like it in brown, then i'll probably like it in black, blue, grey, green, red, etc. you get the point. i have a problem, people!

hope everyone is having a great thursday. one more day til the weekend! we can do it, y'all.

xxoo,
n

outfit details
jacket: target
scarf: urban outfitters
jeans: tj maxx
boots: dwds
sunnies: charlotte russe

city limits

it is officially closer to the end of the week than to the beginning and i could not be happier about it. this week has been just a tad bit on the slow side cause i'm getting antsy for thanksgiving break! i get a whole week off (how awesome is that?!) and i could not be more excited to be hopping on the megabus tomorrow night to go home.

i'm visiting anthony in baltimore for the weekend and then spending the rest of the week with my fam. we're making the trek down to south carolina to visit my stepdad's family right outside myrtle beach. they have a huge party and invite pretty much everyone they know. they roast a giant pig, have sooo much food, we ride four wheelers, sit around the campfire, etc. we went a couple years ago and it was just amazing! there's nothing better than spending a few days with my family.

no matter how hard i try i cannot stop wearing this sweater! it's just so darn comfy. plus it's warm enough that on a nice day it can basically serve as my jacket. this navy infinity scarf is also becoming a daily staple. the solid color means i can pretty much wear it with anything. i got it from this cute little boutique in the south side called figleaf. they had so many cute dresses and shoes and i want to go back and buy this lovely scarf in every single color. because that's just what you do when you like something a lot. 

i got this cute little purse a while ago from h&m. it's just so small and tiny and is perfect to throw my phone and wallet in for a little adventure. and it has all the colors so it matches everything. also, if you don't have a chambray shirt i don't know what you're doing with your life. i could literally style this shirt differently every single day and would never run out of new ideas.

i think the theme of this outfit is versatility because all of these pieces are closet staples that i wear on a regular basis, and this outfit just happens to showcase me wearing them all at once. solid colored accessories and denim shirts are things that will never go out of style. i guarantee that in 5 years i will still have this outfit and would happily piece all of these items together again. it's just simple and classic.

what are some staple pieces in your wardrobe that you know will never go out of style?

xxoo,

n

outfit details

chambray shirt/pants: tj maxx

cardigan/purse: h&m

shoes: zooshoo

infinity scarf: figleaf

sunnies: doubledutch boutique

squirrel hill adventures

it's a rainy sunday here in pittsburgh, and it's the perfect day to lounge around in comfy clothes and just relax. this weekend has been a great one, with equal parts of being productive and having fun. i found out on wednesday that i got a full time job (yay!) in dc (double yay!) and will be starting in january, after graduation and the holidays are over. i honestly couldn't be more excited and happy about everything going on in my life right now.

i also chopped a few inches of my hair off last week! i needed a small change and for me that means doing something different with my hair. i'm trying not to dye it anymore (i've had so many horror stories experimenting with at home kits) and i'm focusing more on keeping it healthy. it always feels so much better after a fresh haircut. 

change is good and there's so many exciting changes happening in my life right now. in the next two months i'll be graduating from college, moving to maryland, and starting a new job. it's crazy and hectic and hard to believe, but i truly can't wait. i have so much to be looking forward to.

while out and about in the adorable little neighborhood of squirrel hill, i found this awesome mural wall with the initials "SQH" on it and i couldn't help but stop and snap some pics. this is a typical casual fall outfit. piling on a few different layers to stay warm and wearing my favorite army jacket. i get asked every time i wear it if i bedazzled it myself and i wish i could say yes (it's very tempting, i wish i was that creative) but i sadly say that i bought it like this. i love how the jewels give this more masculine piece some girly flare.

also, side note: drop whatever you're doing and head to the nearest goodwill and stock up on cozy, oversized grandpa sweaters right now. you will not regret it, i promise you. get some plain colors and some crazy patterns and call it a day. they are the perfect winter wardrobe staple. you can wear them over a dress, with jeans, with a cute skirt, etc. the options are endless! okay, yes i have a slight obsession, but i think everyone else should too!!

what are your favorite pieces to layer in the fall? i'd love some new ideas!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

tee: urban outfitters

sweater: thrifted

scarf: zara

boots: dwds

jacket: jolt (on sale right now for $16!!!!)