september in instagram

so i might be freaking out just a little bit that it is actually october. this month is going to awesome! i have so many fun things planned for this little blog of mine. just this week i have an awesome photoshoot with an even more awesome photographer and a fun james bond/fashion show event i'm attending! october is the prime month for fall festivities so i'm hoping to do fun stuff like visiting a pumpkin patch, finding a halloween costume, drinking a caramel apple spice latte, and trying out new fall-themed recipes. but what i'm most excited for this month is flying out to seattle to visit my best friend, brittany for halloween/her birthday! we only see each other one or two times a year so it is sure to be amazing. happy october, everyone!

1. i won this awesome caseable phone case in a giveaway through seeking style!

2. lana del rey on vinyl = my life is complete

3. iced coffee and a cute brown tote bag are fall essentials

4. i love pittsburgh

5. ordered some goodies to feed my online shopping addiction

6. pnc park is the prettiest baseball stadium ever (go pirates!)

7. i met the cutest little kitten at a farm in anthony's hometown

8. duo boots sent me these amazing studded loafers that are perfect for autumn!

9. me and my boy all dressed up for the wedding last weekend

you can follow me on instagram at nikkiwilliams11 <3

xxoo,

n

city of bridges

last weekend was a great one, and this one is bound to be even better. when anthony got into town on friday, we had an extremely picturesque pittsburgh day. the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and we spent the entire day outdoors exploring the city. i've been so busy on campus the past few weeks with school and work, i realized i haven't ventured outside of my little downtown bubble where my school is. it was nice to get off campus and enjoy some of my favorite things pittsburgh has to offer.

pittsburgh is famous for having the most bridges out of any city in the entire world. it has 446. crazy, right?! the bridges downtown are this cool yellow color dubbed "alohmon," a phrase combining the names of the three rivers that intersect downtown at point state park: allegheny, ohio, and monongahela. just a little pittsburgh history lesson in case you're interested. ha! this city is so dang awesome i can't even handle it sometimes. 

our first on the list of things to do was ice cream. because i clearly have an obsession with candy and sweets and pretty much all different kinds of food in general. we went to dream cream ice cream which is one of the best spots downtown. it's a little ice cream parlor that allows people with "dreams" to choose a fun flavor, and everytime that flavor is sold they give a portion of the sales to their cause! i got a cup of "fools gold" and helped support a girl who is running a marathon to benefit the leukemia & lymphoma society. like i needed more of a reason to eat ice cream! ;)

this shirt is my first time venturing into the world of peplum, and i must say: i love it! i got it at forever 21 a few weeks ago for suuuuper cheap. it's so simple and comfy. but makes me feel like i look a little more dressed up. i paired it with my fave gray skinnies and my brand new boots. i got these babies on amazon for 30$. i also have a prime account, so all i had to do was click "purchase" and two days later they were at my door! man, i love the internet. i've been doing A LOT of online shopping lately. hehe.

the next part of our adventure was visiting the andy warhol museum. andy warhol was from pittsburgh, and it's the largest museum in the world featuring a single artist! this place is so cool. andy warhol was super unique and creative and the museum does a kick ass job at displaying that. i've included some of my favorite pieces in this post so you could see.

i would seriously love to decorate my house with warhol as inspiration. it's so bright and colorful. each floor had a different colored wall. and these skull paintings were my ultimate favorite. what are some of your favorite museums? pittsburgh has so many cool ones within walking distance. and with my school id i get free entry! sweeeeet.

spending the day out and about doing some of my favorite pittsburgh things made me fall in love with this city all over again. living in baltimore this summer was great, but i'm happy to be back in pittsburgh, the first big city i ever lived in, as well as my first home away from home. even though i don't plan on living here forever, pittsburgh will always hold a special place in my heart.

this coming weekend is going to be filled with wedding fun! i'm excited. as usual, thanks for reading.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

peplum top: forever 21

boots: dwds shoes

jeans: tj maxx

purse: urban outfitters

necklace: forever 21

totally thrifted

i haven't done a totally thrifted post in a while, so i think its about time to give out some lovely secondhand inspiration on this fine monday afternoon. a definite fall staple in my wardrobe is plaid. i love plaid! there's something about it to me that just screams autumn. i love layers and plaid shirts are perfect for tying around your waist or pairing over a dress or even wearing oversized with tights if you're feeling lazy.

i was perusing the racks at a thrift store a few weeks ago when this amazing denim jumper just popped out at me. i always take it as a sign from above when such a cool piece like this is in my size. while thrifting you don't have the ability to find a dress in a small, medium, and large-- you've just gotta take what you can get. this just happened to fit me like a glove and i was already getting out my $2 (!!!) as i tried it on because it was a basically a match made in heaven.

i was feeling suuuuper 90s in this outfit last week. i mean denim dress, plaid shirt around the waist, and converse. it's like i stepped right out of an episode of saved by the bell. i'm all about denim lately. whether it is shirts, jeans, dresses, vests, etc. the only trick is to not look like JT and britney circa 2001. so besides going full-out canadian tuxedo, denim is pretty versatile.

everyday i wake up and pray that converse will never go out of style. so far, so good because i just can't get enough of these bad boys. in any season, you will catch me wearing them. they are just so damn comfy. and this shirt is thrifted from the men's section (obvi) because, come on, guys' button down shirts are just better.

this dress was easy for end of summer weather, but i don't want to retire it just yet. i'm hoping i can layer it up and keep it around this fall/winter season. maybe with tights and a chunky sweater? i will have to do some brainstorming. any ideas/inspiration to help a girl out? i'd love to hear!

this look is pretty simple, and i found some really cool pieces online at target if you wanna check it out! target is the bomb dot com and they have the best deals. i mean this totally sweet acid wash dress is less than $20. target, you can do no wrong.

shirt//dress//shoes//purse

enjoy your monday!

xxoo,

n

going green

happy hump day, folks! (insert the commercial with the camel screaming "what day is it?! here) the weekend is in sight and i hope everyone has fun and exciting plans! i know i do. anthony gets into town tomorrow night and we're heading to his hometown to celebrate some good friends of ours. their wedding is next weekend, but this weekend is the bachelor/bachelorette parties! i'm so excited to have been invited, and am really looking forward to a fun night with some awesome ladies.

i feel so lucky that anthony has such awesome friends. he has a great group of guys from high school and i always enjoy hanging out with them. plus, it doesn't hurt that they are all dating/engaged/(almost) married to super cool girls, so i've got some awesome girlfriends out of it as well. the wedding next week is going to be so fun! weddings are pretty much always great, but in the past, all of the weddings i've gone to were for my parents friends, or friends of the family, never my friends. it should be even more exciting that they are my age and making this awesome commitment. okay, and dancing and alcohol won't be bad either ;)

alright, so can we just talk about these shoes. they are beige patent leather with gold studs on the heel. i'm pretty sure you already can tell that i am obsessed with them. i got them on sale at target a few months ago and they are just so cute. i'm all about the neutral shoes. i'm not the kind of person that has a million pairs of shoes, so i like shoes i can wear with a lot of different outfits. in the summer, i gravitate between a few sandals. and in the winter, i mix it up with a few different boots. but these flats are great for all year round!

this pretty green, lacy dress is from old navy.  i don't know about you, but when i was younger i loved old navy. i always got giftcards there for christmas and it was awesome. but then as a teenager, i didn't really shop there much. now, as an adult, i honestly can't get enough of old navy. they have such a good collection of staple pieces and fun accessories (i love their shoes!). this dress got plenty of use this summer season and it will be a great transition piece into the colder months with scarves and sweaters.

i hope the weather stays breezy and sunny for the next couple weekends because i just can't get enough. i'm not quite ready to bust out the tights yet. everything in pittsburgh is still green and beautiful, but soon the colors of fall with be upon us. i have a few more summery dresses i want to break out of my closet before the cold weather hits, so cross your fingers for me that the sunshine lasts!

i hope everyone is having a fabulous week. i know mine has been super busy, but very productive. lots of homework and working and going to the gym lately. i love the fact that for my last semester, i gave myself fridays off, so my weekend technically starts tomorrow at 5:40. yay! having a 3 day weekend is amazing. 

do something fun today, folks. and thanks for stopping by.

xxoo,
n

outfit details
dress: old navy
shoes: target
necklace: forever 21

pretty in pink

so it feels like summer is officially over. i went to happy hour yesterday evening and had to wear long sleeves and jeans because pittsburgh was so chilly! just a few short days ago it was in the 90s and i was still wearing tank tops and sandals. it sucks but it seems as though autumn isn't much of a season in pittsburgh. it goes from hot to cold and there isn't really an in between.

while i'll be sad to put the tanks and bandeaus in the back of my closet, i couldn't help but style a summer outfit one last time. bright colors, fun sunnies-- this outfit was perfect for the hot september temps. and the great thing about these pants is how transitional they are. if i throw them on with a slouchy sweater and some boots, i'll be set for a lovely autumn day. they will be the perfect pop of color in my fall wardrobe.

                

can you believe how fast september is flying by?! it's already halfway over! i have a very relaxing weekend in store full of lots of mad men on netflix, a bit of homework, and plenty of sleep! i'm excited because my first flag football game is tomorrow and i'm interested to see how it goes. besides running on the treadmill, i haven't played any sports since the beginning of high school! eeek. i'm afraid i'm going to be in for a rude awakening playing football with the boys, ha ha!

i'm usually not a fan of pink and black together, but for some reason this floral bandeau made me want to try it out. this striped tank is one of my faves. the buttons down the front and the little pocket are just too cute. i love pairing together different patterns, and stripes and floral make for a great combination (if i do say so myself).

i'm probably going to retire these sunnies til next summer, because the mint/pink combo doesn't really strike me as very "autumn-y" and i'll stick with my handy dandy maroon ones to beat the fall sunshine! i'm one of those people that literally never leaves the house without sunglasses. rain or shine, i just always prefer to wear them outdoors. is anyone else like that?

this summer was so amazing, and i'm so glad to have had this lovely little space on the internet to document it. blogging is such a good way to record all the fun adventures i've had and all of the interesting outfits i've worn along the way. i would encourage everyone to start a blog! not to make money, or get 1,000 instagram follows, but just for yourself. it's a great hobby and an inspiring community. i've enjoyed the few short months i've been doing it so far, and look forward to continue blogging in the future. thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with my journey along the way! i means a lot to me <3

happy end of summer everyone!

xxoo,

n

outfit details

pants: tj maxx

tank: urban outfitters

sandals: payless

bandeau: forever 21

jewelry: forever 21  

sunnies: double dutch boutique 

maryland seafood festival

howdy! this past weekend was amazing, but it feels good to be back in the daily grind. i visited anthony in baltimore and it was so good to see him. it'd only been a few weeks but i missed him like crazy. we planned a busy and eventful weekend, but made sure to leave time to relax and just hang out. on saturday we woke up and grabbed chick fil a breakfast (my absolute fave!!) and ran a few errands. then, that afternoon, we headed to sandy point state park for the 46th annual maryland seafood festival. i lived in maryland for 18 years of my life and this was my first time attending. it was amazing!

the weather was absolutely perfect on saturday in annapolis. the festival took place right on the water. there was a beautiful view of the chesapeake bay bridge, plus so many sail boats and cool ships out on the bay. the scenery really put you in the mood for some seafood! i am a huge seafood fanatic and crab has always been my favorite food. i guess that's what happens when you are born and raised in maryland, right?! well, this festival definitely appealed to the marylander in me.

the first thing we did when we got there was check out the craft beer/oyster tasting. anthony had already done his research online before we got there, and was super excited for this part of the festival! anthony is the planner in our relationship. he is the one that books our trips, finds fun activities to do around town, plans our vacations, etc. he is always super prepared with printed tickets and an itinerary and i just kind of get to show up. ha! it's pretty sweet for me. i'm too spontaneous/a procrastinator/crazy to be in charge of things. lol. so i guess we balance each other out :)



the beer was amazing and the oysters were even more amazing. you had to buy little tickets for a dollar each at the front of the tent and each ticket got you a little cup of craft beer and two oysters. talk about a good deal. we spent less than twenty bucks and basically drank and ate as much as we could. it was cool to get to try a bunch of different beers rather than just get one cup of miller lite. i even tried my first pumpkin beer! yum. it made me so excited for fall.



after we were done eating and drinking til we were about to explode, my mom, stepdad, and sister samantha (who you met in this post) came to join us! it was so nice of them to drive up to see me. i've missed being in the same state as them the past few weeks that i've been back at school. we walked around and visited the different shops and tents with fun little nik naks and cool art. it was a really awesome and well put together festival. there was tons to do, and the fact that i could step right over to the sand didn't hurt, either!

alright, how cute is samantha's outfit?! i was totally drooling over her fun tiger print muscle tee. she has such a cool, funky style. i love watching her grow up. she's the sweetest person i've ever met. and she's a free spirit, that's for sure! i'm a proud big sister. :) i wore these super comfy seersucker shorts i thrifted over the summer. it seemed more than appropriate to put these on for a day at the bay. paired with my favorite keds and a simple white blouse, i was prepared for a gorgeous day at the beach. 

spending time with my family and anthony made for the perfect day. but the cherry on top was definitely the delicious crabcake sandwich i had. hahah. have i mentioned i love food? it was so so so good. i couldn't have had a better saturday in maryland. it made me appreciate the beautiful state that i'm from! (plus, it doesn't hurt we have the best cuisine, if i do say so myself). the festival was a perfect farewell to summer.

enjoy the rest of your week! thanks for checking in.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

shirt: thrifted

shorts: thrifted

watch: antique 

shoes: keds

glasses: doubledutch boutique

for the record

so last year for christmas, i gave anthony a record player. i was super excited for us to start a record collection, hunt for our favorite albums, dance around our apartment, etc. but it hasn't exactly gone according to plan. yes, we've been buying records, but the record player i ordered from amazon didn't work! no matter what we tried or how nice of speakers we bought, it just wouldn't play. so we got lazy and kinda forgot about it (oops). but a couple weeks ago, we took it to a local record store in catonsville called trax on wax and the lovely man working told us our needle was out of place, and proceeded to snap it back in. voilà! it was fixed. yes, we should have done that months ago, but oh well! it works now. and i can finally listen to lana del rey on vinyl. all is well in the world.

so now that we have an up and running record player, we have been buying records up a storm. anthony ordered some of his faves online, and we also hit up a few local ones in baltimore while i was still there. when anthony drove me up to pittsburgh to move in, there was no doubt about it that we had to stop by jerry's records. the place is huge. they literally have over a million amazing records and the prices can't be beat. i'm talking most are under $5. it was actually voted one of the best record stores in the country by rolling stone magazine a few years ago.

it was a fun day out and about in pittsburgh. we saw some friends, ate vietnamese food (i tried pho soup for the first time!), and bought a bunch of good records. personally, i was stoked to find some michael jackson, tina turner, and bruce springsteen. and anthony found a johnny cash album and fleetwood mac live. talk about a successful day. we were two happy campers.



i thrifted this crop top while home in anthony's hometown and i'm crazy about it. the bright color and the fit are just perfect. and it was a dollar! i mean come on people, how can you not thrift?! it's the best (and cheapest) hobby ever. this darling skirt is forever 21 from about 5 years ago and it just never gets old to me. ha! the flowers are so pretty. looking back i'm wondering why i didn't wear this on the fourth of july! what the heck is my problem, it's literally red, white, and blue! well, we will just say happy belated labor day, and call it quits :)

i never miss an opportunity to pair turquoise accents with an outfit (in case you haven't noticed). it's my fave color and this purse from urban outfitters rocks. the color is gorgeous! one of the things i'm going to miss most about summer is all of the color. i'm going to try my best to incorporate fun and bright colors into my fall wardrobe. it's a little more tricky because when it gets cold and grey outside, i just want to throw on an oversized black sweater and run out the door. but the world needs color all year round! dream in neon, people! ;)

i hope everyone had a fabulous long weekend, and is enjoying the fact that today isn't monday.

xxoo,

n

outfit details

crop top: thrifted

skirt: forever 21

sandals: thrifted

purse: urban outfitters

bracelet: forever 21