A Lion's Heart

Last night, amidst an amalgamation of papers, Shakespeare plays, and several mugs of hot coco, I considered taking a "blog-cation." Last week, all of my less fun emotions and all of my insecurities teamed up with a massive amount of work to make me feel, well, less than wonderful. Last night was really the culmination of such things. I've been doing well and staying strong with the various personal and social things that I've been dealing with this semester, and it's been surprisingly easy, but all of a sudden I found myself feeling really weak and worried in a way I haven't been in months. And it scared the hell out of me (though I don't like the thought of there being hell in me). I've made a lot of strides in the past few months, and finding myself completely overwhelmed made me worry that all of my progress had been instantly erased. After a good day, lots of good music, and an embarrassing amount of hot coco (which reminds me, I should go make myself some coco) I'm feeling better and nagging myself about the fact that I'm going to feel weak and powerless, but that I'm strong, and the strides I've made and continue to make can't just leave me because they are me.

So, uh, I guess this is my way of saying I'm not taking a blog-cation because, frankly, I love taking photos and writing these posts. And I love hearing your thoughts, though I have been the absolute worst at commenting on your blogs. So, thanks for sticking with me folks. I'll be a better blogger, promise.

Dress: H&M, Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft, Tights: Asos, Shoes: Ruche, Headband: This DIY











(sorry the sizing of these photos is all wonky. Forgot that cropping changes the size of the photo. Whoops!)

Until tomorrow,
Nicole

Blooming Up From the Ground

Yesterday was deliciously easy-going. I usually work on Fridays but ended up not having to go in yesterday, so I decided to do some thrifting and reading. Later, I attended a documentary screening at my school, which proved to be a moving, inspiring experience. I won't go too into detail here, but the film, The Return of Navajo Boy, focusses on one Navajo family as well as the overall topic of the problem of unclosed uranium mines on Navajo ground, and how Navajo that were hired to work in uranium mines weren't told of the health risks that many are now dealing with and dying from. I may have to do a post just about this, because it's a topic that needs to be discussed, that I knew nothing about before watching the film, but I encourage you to go to the film's website and learn a bit about it.

On to less important matters, I wore a very large sweater yesterday because it was quite chilly. My lovely sister got me this sweater for my birthday, and I can see it coming quite in handy now that the temperatures seem to be consistently dropping.

Blouse: H&M, Sweater: Gift (I think Urban Outfitters), Shoes: Urban Outfitters, Jeans: Levi's









Until tomorrow,
Nicole

Got A Head Full of Lightning

I'm quite pleased that it's now officially the weekend. This week wasn't particularly more stressful than any other, but it's always nice to get a little break from the rapidly rising tide that is this semester. Can you believe Thanksgiving is three weeks away? I can't. I refuse to believe it. As much as I love eating, if it's almost Thanksgiving, then I have a WHOLE lot of work to get done. But, for now, it's the weekend! Of course, I'll be doing work for plenty of this weekend, but I'm also excited about some fun plans I've got.

As for my outfit, it actually follows the exact same formula as what I wore yesterday but didn't get a chance to photograph: button down, pullover sweater, skirt, tights. It's a combination that has become a default for me this autumn because it's easy but makes me feel kind of put together at the same time (a wonderful feeling, especially when in actuality your mind is running in eighty different directions!

Skirt: Goodwill, Blouse: Nordstrom Rack, Sweater: Forever 21, Tights: Asos, Boots: Delia's, Brooch: Grandma's

Until tomorrow,

Nicole

Leftovers

Thanks to the terrible, early darkness, I didn't get a chance to take outfit photos today. I attempted indoor pictures (three separate times at that) but very quickly got frustrated and gave up. Then I remembered these photos from over the weekend! After hiking on Saturday we went out to dinner. And because I'm silly, I changed into a little dress I'd been wanting to wear again. It's definitely more of a summery dress, but I couldn't resist the fun, sherbet-ness of it! If you have any ideas about how to Fall-icize it, I'd love to hear them.

Dress: Asos, Sweater: Zara, Shoes: Goodwill









Until tomorrow,
Nicole

So It Goes

This morning, I was trudging, only half-awake, from the parking lot to class, when I heard the little squeaky voice of the most adorable little girl announce, "Mommy, look! That girl is fancy!" One of the best things about kids is that they have no filter. That little girl made my morning with her kind little words, and for the rest of the day I couldn't stop thinking about kindness. I tried harder to smile at the people around me, hold doors for more people, wish everyone I spoke to a good day, and just be a better person (as long as we disregard how angry I got at the people who cut me off while I was sitting in traffic today but YOU KNOW, it's only because they were being cruel and self-serving). I got to wondering about why we don't speak our minds more. There were so many times walking around campus today that I thought "Man, I love that girl's jacket! Dress! Shoes!" but didn't say anything, though if someone said that to me I would be so thrilled. There are a ton of people in my life, those I know well and those I know less well, that I appreciate for their humor, wit, happiness, and company, but I hardly ever tell them because "it would just be weird." Before I left work today, one of my bosses made sure to tell me that they really appreciate the work I'm doing for them, and that he's happy I'm on their team. And just like the kindness of that little girl in the parking lot, my spirits were immediately lifted. I want to throw this idea of "it's weird" out the window. It's not weird to tell someone that you appreciate them, that you like their shoes, that you're happy just to know them. Sure, it's uncommon, but it shouldn't be.


In regards to my outfit, this Slaughterhouse Five tee shirt was one of my birthday presents, and I'm so happy to have it. As I've mentioned, Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors and people, so this shirt is right up my alley. I almost paired it with jeans, but thought it would be just too egregious to wear both jeans AND a tee shirt to work (not that they care), so I paired it with a skirt.

Shirt: Out of Print Clothing, Skirt, shoes: Urban Outfitter, Jean Jacket: Goodwill








(Those pockets are real small, so I look mostly like a chicken)



Until tomorrow,
Nicole

Bear Mountain

Yesterday was the best. For my birthday, my family and I did a bit of hiking around Bear Mountain. My goodness, it was beautiful. The pictures I took don't even do it justice. We drove up to the very top, and the view was insane. All of the leaves on the trees were various shades of purple, orange, and yellow, and it was really like looking down on a sea of beautiful autumn colors. After last weekend's little snow storm, I was a little bummed out by the prospect of the leaves falling off the trees sooner than usual because of the crazy weather, but it was perfect. We did a bit of hiking around the various delightful trails, and even found ourselves, uh, in a few climbing related predicaments. It was fun, and terribly amusing climbing down (and back up after wimping out) super steep rocks. I may have tumbled once. Possibly. After some hiking, we accidentally found the wonderful park at the bottom of the mountain. There were so many fun things to do there. There was a huge grassy field I could have lay down in all day (and played frisbee in. Things for next time!) and a carousel where I got to ride a FOX - because now that I'm officially twenty, I'm acting even more mature than usual. There was also a nature trail and zoo, where I found myself in solidarity with a particularly contemplative-looking bear. I'm quite determined to drag my friends up to Bear Mountain soon enough! I'm sure I'm leaving out one million wonderful things. This birthday weekend has honestly been fantastic. The past few months of being nineteen were tumultuous, exciting, crazy, and held a lot of changes for me. So welcoming in a new year, a new decade of my life, is exciting, and I couldn't think of a better way to have spent my birthday.















Proving my newfound maturity:



Thoughtful bear, longing for something more:



The lake:



Throwing leaves and making dumb faces!



The aftermath, when it took me too long to figure out that leaf was stuck on my head:





Until tomorrow,
Nicole

They Say It's Your Birthday

So, today is my twentieth birthday! Hooray! I'll be spending the day with my family, going on a hike, eating delicious food, and just celebrating. These photos are from last night's pre-birthday birthday celebration. My friends and I met up at a lovely restaurant called Eatery in the city, and had some good food and a real good time. Seriously, when we all get together, I laugh like a maniac and embarrass myself and everyone at the table. But, that's okay because (usually) they're all laughing right along. It was a wonderfully immature and fantastic evening - the perfect way to welcome in being twenty. I didn't take too many photos, but I did get photos of my friends, and of my birthday pumpkin pie - they stuck a candle in it!

Blouse: Forever 21, Skirt: Goodwill, Tights: We Love Colors, Shoes: Urban Outfitters, Coat: Tag sale







We said the word "penis" a lot, and then laughed about it, because we're a very mature and proper bunch of ladies:






Until tomorrow,
Nicole