SOCIAL MEDIA

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Summer Work Look


As Summer Vaca winds down & the temps cool a little we're left in this weird limbo between Summer & Fall. It's definitely not the time for spaghetti straps but also not the time for a thick sweater, so what do we wear to work!? I love wearing a light chambray material during this weather as it keeps me cool but doesn't leave me looking like I'm under dressed. Pairing this type of top with white jeans will also help to make this look transition from the heat of summer to the cooler fall temps. I paired this look with some mule sandals, these are the perfect transitional piece to add to your wardrobe. Your feet are covered for the most part but you get a little glimpse of your fresh pedi, think of them as a mix between a closed bootie & a wedge sandal (perfect!).  I threw on my favorite pebbled leather bag with this look & was ready to head to work! 

What do you like to wear to work in the summer?

XO,
Niki 

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Thursday Thoughts & LipSense Review



Happy Thursday! Is it just me or are these weeks FLYING by!? I can't believe July is almost over!

Things I did this week // 

* Kyle & I went to Boston which I shared all about HERE in my weekend recap post!

* I've been doing a lot of shopping for the upcoming season which I've been sharing over on Insta Stories. I've gotten a lot of feedback through DM's saying that you enjoy when I try on the items & give a little review so I will be doing that more frequently- You can follow me on Instagram @nichollesophia

Things I'm doing this weekend // 

* Enjoying the sunshine! This summer has been a rainy one so I take every chance I get to enjoy the nice weather!

 * Preparing back to school items- I just went shopping this week for some items for my classroom so I need to get all of that in order & see what I still need! The start of the school year is a month away! 

LipSense Review // Does it Work?
Recently Kristen ( a LipSense distributor) reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in trying out LipSense (no strings attached). Being that I love beauty products & have heard mixed reviews about this product I decided I would give it a shot. LipSense claims to be a lip product that is waterproof, kiss proof, smudge proof, budge proof and won't move all day- no matter what.  Kristen sent me a great package with two LipSense colors (caramel apple/ blu-red)  along with the clear gloss & oops remover. My first impression of the product was that the packaging was cute & I liked that you could see the color through the tube- it's so annoying to me when tubes are opaque so you can't see the color! Prior to using the product, I watched a tutorial which basically says to apply three thin layers of the color & then top with clear gloss- then boom- lip color that won't come off. Upon application of the first layer, I thought that the product had a VERY strong scent and also slightly stung my lips. I applied the next two layers- let them dry fully & then topped with the gloss. Once the product was fully applied it did not smell and was no longer stinging my lips and girls it.did.not.move!! I kid you not- I tried SO hard to get this lip color off and it just wouldn't! This product stayed on my lips ALL day and lived up to its claims. At the end of the day, I tried the oops remover which I personally didn't think worked very well, while it removed some of the product my lips were definitely still colored pink. All in all, I would suggest purchasing the colors & gloss and skip the oops remover! I'm thinking I want to try some LipSense in more natural shades, I think this product would be great for every day as I can't be walking around my classroom reapplying lipstick! 

If you have any interest in purchasing LipSense you can find the products on Kristen's site HERE 

*Thanks to Simply Kristen Nicole for sending me these products to test!


Tuesday, July 25, 2017

What To Do In Boston: Weekend Recap



Hi, All! This past weekend Kyle & I ventured to Boston. It's only about a 3-hour drive so it's a fun weekend trip to take. Kyle was able to take the weekend off which is pretty rare for him (he's a realtor & summer is his busy season) We were so excited to be able to get away for a few days! 
We've been to Boston quite a few times now & never make any concrete plans for when we go. This time we just wanted to relax, eat some good food and enjoy uninterrupted time together. 

Where We Stayed //  Hyatt Regency Boston

After much scouring on the web, we decided we would stay at the Hyatt. One of the main reasons we chose this hotel is because it was within walking distance to Faneuil Hall, Newbury Street, and the waterfront. Another plus of this hotel was that it has a parking garage attached. Parking in Boston can be a little tricky so this was really nice. For 24 hrs in the garage, it was $40, which in comparison to other places is a great deal.  Our room at the hotel was very clean & had updated finishes & decorations. What I was most impressed with was how quiet our room was- you couldn't hear anyone in the rooms surrounding! 

Where We Ate // Everywhere! 



Joes American Grill
I've eaten here a few times prior & loved it both times so we decided to venture back here for lunch. I love the atmosphere here as it's the perfect mix of casual & fancy. The restaurant itself is pretty large so the wait usually isn't too bad.  One of the things Joes is known for is the loaf of bread they serve at the beginning of the meal- so good! For lunch we both ordered salads & they were delicious. I highly recommend this place! 


Salvatore's Restaurant 
I can't say enough good things about this place! When we got there around 5:45 we asked the wait for 2 people and they said it would be about 1 1/2 hours..yikes! But they offered for us to sit at the bar so we chose to do that. The two bartenders were soo nice and made some nice dinner conversation! We got these risotto balls stuffed with cheese as an app and they were delicious. For a meal I got the Lobster Ravioli & Kyle got a pizza, both were so good!

Faneuil Hall // Quincy Market
One of my favorite things to do in Boston is to walk around these two places. Inside Quincy Market has the most delicious food EVER & a plethora of yummy desserts. This time I was on the hunt for Canolios and I wasn't disappointed with the one I got! There's also this one place that carves out bread bowls and fills them with meatballs and cheese....I mean how much better can it get!?


What We Did // Explore! 
One of my favorites thing about Boston is that you don't really need to make any plans to ensure a great trip. There are SO many things going on in this city that it's easy to just plan as you go! When we got to the city the first thing we did was walk to Newbury Street. You could easily spend an entire day there just going into all the little shops. We walked the entire street & then I decided my feet hurt (#dontwearsandals) and I needed to change shoes so back to the hotel we went! My number one tip is to wear sneakers!! I'm not kidding when I say you will walk EVERYWHERE. It's kinda a pain to take a car around the city so once you park you don't really want to move your car, so walking it is! After our shopping adventure, we headed to Faneuil Hall/ Quincy market because I needed some sweet treats to re-energize me! We spent quite some time there just hanging out- there's always a ton of street performers & this dance group which is so fun to watch! Next, we took a little rest at the hotel and scoped out what we wanted for dinner. We ended up at Salvatores because one it was Italian food & two it was a three-minute walk from the hotel & we were quite exhausted. We had a great dinner then headed back to the hotel & down to the bar for dessert & drinks. It was a fun day but we were ready for bed!

Have you ever been to Boston? What are your fave things to do?

XO,
Niki



Sunday, July 23, 2017

Weekend Outfit & Espadrilles



On the weekends I love to be extra comfy because I'm usually running errands or just hanging out. Kyle loves to tell me I wear the most impractical shoes but I promise these ones are practical! These lace up espadrilles would look cute with a short t-shirt dress or paired with jeans like I have them. I love that they're the perfect mix between a sneaker & an espadrille. I paired these fun shoes with a great pair of light wash Joes denim & a cute tee. I love the crisscross detail on the shirt because it adds some extra interest to an otherwise basic outfit. What do you like to wear on the weekends? I would love to hear!

XO,
Niki 

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Thursday Thoughts




How cute are these Halogen Slides!? I love them! 

Happy Thursday Everyone! This summer just seems to be flying by, before we know it it's going to be September! Yikes! 

Things I did this week // 

* I'm super excited to share that I accepted a position teaching 1st grade in Chittenden County! I won't lie and tell you getting a teaching job has been easy because it has been far from it, but it honestly is the most rewarding career for me. I can't wait to share more of this great adventure with you!

* To celebrate my new job my parents made a delicious dinner with my favorite Mac and Cheese along with a giant Costco cake...that said it feeds 48...oops! But seriously Costco cake has to be the best cake in the world, it's just SO good.

* Kyle & I tried a new restaurant in Burlington called 'The Spot on The Dock'. The atmosphere here is great as it's right on the lake with beautiful views. We went early so we didn't have to wait for a table but when we were seated we weren't given any menus, then when we asked for one they said they were out?? Then we ended up with one that was missing a page! It was just a little strange. We both ordered a beer and got avocado fries as an app which was very tasty. The menu felt very limited and there weren't many entree options. Overall I would only come back here for drinks & snacks. 

Things I'm doing this weekend // 

* Kyle & I are off to Boston for the weekend. He has been super busy with work and has a few days of downtime this weekend so we decided to pack up & take a little trip. Surprisingly there are a lot of great hotel deals in Boston right now! I thought it was going to be really expensive to get a room downtown but it's not bad at all.

* We are planning to just explore Boston & eat lots of good food. Last time we were in town we did a historic walk & read all of the different signs and such which was really fun. It's looking like it going to be quite hot when we go so maybe we will venture down to the water!

Do you have any fun weekend plans? Let me know!

XO,
Niki

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Beauty Picks



Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite beauty products that are included in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Beauty products rarely go on major sale so this is the perfect time to stock up on makeup and skincare! What I love about the selection at Nordstrom is that I'm able to try high-end brands at a great price! I love trying new products but don't always love the crazy price tag! 


I've had my Clarisonic Mia for almost two years now and I can tell you it's so worth it. I love using this to really get my skin clean so products don't build up. This is a crazy good deal for this product as it's almost $50 dollars off! 


For some reason, I'm addicted to buying lip products. I think it's because I'm not very adventurous when it come's to eye or face makeup so I like to go a little crazy with lips. This color would be perfect for fall and it's a great deal for $36 as it comes with 3 products! 


One of my favorite palettes to buy is cheek palettes. I love wearing blush and having different color options each day. NARS blushes are some of the best out there and this is a great way to get to test out multiple colors! 


This is one of my favorite lip balms. I actually just ran out of the rose shade so I will be purchasing this! They are a little pricey for a lip balm so I love that this set comes with two items for the price of one!


If there's one thing you are definitely going to need more of at some point soon it's Beauty Blenders. No matter how many times you clean them, at some point you've gotta throw them away. Right now is a great time to pick up a set that comes with 2 beauty blenders & the cleaner! Plus a cute little cosmetic bag! 

Are there any beauty products you are snagging during the sale? Let me know!

XO,
Niki 

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Room Tour



Hi, All!

I've gotten a lot of questions about my little room so I wanted to share some pictures with you today! This is the spare room in Kyle & I's condo that we decided would be my own little space. I have a lot of clothing and shoes and they really needed quite a lot of space to be organized. 

The first thing I did in this room was removed the closet doors, when you are working with a small space you want to open it up as much as possible, by removing the doors it made the room feel larger and less closed off.

Next, I got a very large floor mirror. I put this in the corner of the room leaned against the walls which also helps to open the space & reflect some light into the room. I love this mirror because it's so big so I can see my entire outfit.

I purchased a desk that provided storage as I didn't want to have things laying out all of the time. This desk doubles as a workspace & vanity. What I love most about this desk is that the worktop is HUGE, it's about 2 feet in width so it provides a lot of space and doesn't feel cramped or cluttered.

The dresser in my room is actually an antique that my Dad had and helped me to refinish. I love how it turned out but I will say that refinishing furniture is not as easy as I thought! It took us quite some time to complete!

The last thing I will touch on is my clothing rack. I think everyone needs one of these in their space. I use this rack to hold new purchases and clothing I'm planning on wearing in the season. This helps me so I can pull clothing and separate it so I'm making sure I'm wearing my favorite pieces!

If you have any other questions about my space or where certain items are from just let me know!

XO,
Niki