folklife festival

a couple weekends ago anthony and i went to the smithsonian folklife festival at the national mall. they had a whole bunch of cool tents set up with music, crafts, and food! it was a hot day, so we just wandered around and tried to find shade to stay cool. the mall was absolutely packed with families, couples, and the usual bike riders. dc is definitely a city that is on the go. i know new york gets the rep for the city that never sleeps, but dc definitely wins the award for most active. 

i wore my crazy printed maxi skirt and felt like i fit right in with all of the awesome colors that were at this place. so many pretty fabrics, bags, and knick knacks, it took all of my self restraint not to just buy everything in sight. i'm such a sucker for a good pattern. whether it's on a piece of clothing, artwork, or a blanket, i just can't stay away. wait til you see my apartment!! there's so many colors and prints and random things throughout it. i'm still working on some last minute finishing touches and then i'm gonna post the full apartment tour. yay!

i couldn't get over this crazy awesome colorful wall! they had the festival broken up by different countries and this was in the china section. all of the details were just so beautiful. i loved that i unintentionally matched in my yellow crop top. this little thrifted shirt is the comfiest thing in my closet. and it's yellow so it matches everything. cause everything goes with yellow right? (oh is that just me?)  and the best part about this wall-- all of the tourists were taking pictures so anthony and i taking outfit photos fit right in :) 

well i'm off to spend my saturday lounging by the pool with anthony and a good book. happy weekend!
xxoo,
n
outfit details
crop top + sandals + necklace: thrifted
skirt: scout
sunnies: target

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

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

picnic in the park

well folks, it is officially summer in baltimore and it is HOT. there is no doubt summer is my favorite season. trips to the beach, tanned skin, sundresses, ice cream cones, swimming, what's not to like?! last summer i was in pittsburgh, so it was hot, but not hot. maryland summers are a totally different story because of humidity. it's rough but i try hard to appreciate it because when i'm back at school in the fall, and pittsburgh is in the single digits, i will be daydreaming about high-waisted shorts and crop tops.

saturday was absolutely gorgeous and there was no better way to spend it than at a park. we headed over to columbia and visited lake kittamaqundi. we had never been there before, but it's right next to mall so that was awesome, and it was so beautiful. it was just one of those days where the sky was so blue and the clouds were perfect and fluffy. i really love maryland because we get the perfect dose of all four seasons. yes, i loveeee summer; but if it was in the 80s on christmas, it just wouldn't seem right. i like how i get to enjoy each season individually (and the fashion that comes with each one).

       

to keep cool in the heat, i paired this thrifted crop top/tank with this fun skirt from scout. it was light and comfy. plus, combined with a fun pair of sunnies, i was basically wearing all the colors of the rainbow and it was awesome. this colorful outfit was definitely due to the fact that my mood today was above average because a.) i slept til eleven, b.) it finally didn't rain today, and c.) IT FINALLY DIDN'T RAIN TODAY!!

                   

we brought a little picnic of yummy snacks like fruit and carrots and hummus and packed our books and lounged in the shade all afternoon. it was relaxing and a great way to spend the day. sometimes you just need to lay in the grass and forget about work and computers and money and just de-stress.

              

we spent the day laying and reading and enjoying the pretty sights of the lake. i was so happy to spend the day with anthony and not have anything to worry about. i'm so lucky i have this kid, he makes me so happy. i'm glad i have someone who wants to go on little adventures and just really enjoys life. :D

                        

                 

how do you usually spend your weekends? what's your favorite activity when you need to just get out of the house? comment below!

thanks for reading.

xxoo,
n

outfit details
tank: thrifted
skirt: scout
shoes: converse
cross bracelet: buffalo exchange
flower bracelet/sunnies: flea market

after the rain

so baltimore's been doing this thing where everyday this week is scorching hot and sunny and humid during the day and then at night, it thunderstorms. it's causing me major cabin fever, because after work i just have to run inside with my umbrella and cuddle up til it's time for bed. i need fresh air and grass and flowers in my life, and this week has just not been cutting it. but luckily, today the storm lasted only about 30 minutes! horray! so you can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as it cleared up, i headed right outside to enjoy the great outdoors.

so speaking of things that are great, how great is this maxi skirt?! i got it last month while visiting my best friend in the entire universe (brittany) in omaha, nebraska. we've been best friends since 8th grade and she moved out there right before our senior year. i've been out to the midwest to visit her a few times and each time i do, i make sure i stop by scout. its an amazing little vintage/consignment store in the cutest little neighborhood. they buy, sell, and trade and i always have good luck finding interesting pieces. the pattern on this skirt is to die for. and for the majority of us who don't live in nebraska, they have a kick ass website so be sure to check them out!

                                

these brown leather sandals have been my new summer staple. i picked them up at a thrift store when i was at my parent's house for father's day weekend. they are so comfy and go with anything. oh yeah, and they were $8. scoreeee. i'm going to have an upcoming post where i showcase an outfit that is compiled of solely thrift store goodies. i'm excited to show how fun and easy thrifting can be!

                              

the one good thing about all of this rain is that everything is so green. i love it. though i do hope that it holds off this weekend. me and anthony want to head out to a park and scope out some of the trails and maybe even have a picnic. i need some sunshine in my life! other than that, we will probably just relax with netflix and homemade smoothies (a new necessity in our lives. watermelon/banana is our fave). the perfect summer snack.

 

i always find that with each season, i always have a go-to piece, like with these sandals. what's your favorite go-to summer accessory?

thanks for reading and happy friday.

xxoo,
n

outfit details
maxi skirt: scout
lace camisole: thrifted
various bracelets: forever 21
earrings: forever 21
sandals: thrifted