I was up in Maine this past weekend, this time with two of my friends, and I still can’t get over how gorgeous it is. I had to take advantage of the scenery because it’ll probably be the last time I make it up to the house this winter.

Did you guys do anything fun for the long weekend?

sweater poncho: Romeo & Juliet Couture // leggings: Nasty Gal // boots: I have no idea, I’ve had them since high school // earmuffs: Adrienne Landau via Last Call by Neiman Marcus // bracelet: Tobi

30 Days Dairy-Free Update

As I mentioned in a post last week, I’m going dairy-free for 30 days to see if it helps clear up my skin. Today marks day 11, and I think it’s still too early to tell—but I really think this could be working! Depending on where I am in my menstrual cycle (sorry guys, period talk—your favorite!) my skin can be super clear or a legitimate field of landmines, so I still need to stick it out the whole 30 days before I can draw any conclusions on how dairy affects my complexion.

I’m surprised at how easy it’s been to cut out cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream. Because I cook the majority of my meals at home, I just tossed any lingering dairy products in my kitchen and avoided them at the grocery store. Out of sight, out of mind. The first day, however, I was super paranoid that everything I ate somehow had diary in it—I mean, really paranoid. I read the ingredients on my carton of almond milk like 17 times to reassure myself it wasn’t a dairy product. All common sense went out the window. I would take a bite of something absentmindedly and be like “Shit! Is there dairy in this?!” Relax, Nicole, you’re eating an apple.

I’m happy to report that my brain is fully functional again and I’m confidently eating apples and almond milk without having panic attacks. Eating at restaurants is a little more challenging because you can’t always tell by the menu if something’s been prepared with butter or not, but I find salads (with no crumbled cheese toppings) are usually a safe bet.

I’ll let you guys know how it goes when my little experiment is over!

And if you haven’t yet entered to win a skincare regimen from Rodan + Fields (worth up to $193!) you can do so all week HERE.

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Santa HOOKED IT UP this year with this vest. It’s so soft, I was actually surprised when the tag didn’t read 90% Newborn Baby Skin 10% Clouds. I didn’t think I’d ever own an article of clothing I wore more frequently than these liquid-look leggings, but then I got this vest, and now I have a new favorite outfit. The thought of washing this vest actually makes me sad because it means I’ll have to take it off.

{vest: dylan by true grit / leggings: Nasty Gal / boots: Aldo / sunglasses: Ray-Ban}

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A little fresh snowfall makes everything look prettier—even my rotting safety hazard of a balcony. I’m not exaggerating, there’s a 50% chance you will fall through the wood to your death every time you take a step onto that thing. But the light snow we got covered up the rotting ends of the deck and made me feel just that much less ghetto. Ah, the little things.

Anyway, I’m the queen of bargain hunting, with a specialty in eBay, and I wanted to let you all know about Neiman Marcus’ outlet on the site before it closes (which is soon). Like with any outlet, you have to hunt through a hefty portion of junk before you find the gems, but the Last Call by Neiman Marcus eBay store has been a treasure trove of deals for me in the past. I scored these fur earmuffs for like 90% off last winter. Shwiiiing!

{jacket: BDG / earmuffs: Adrienne Landau via Last Call by Neiman Marcus}

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A white peplum top with a cutout back and amazingly impractical cutout wedges. Thanks for making titling this post so easy, Outfit!

If you’ve been following along with this blog for a while (Mom, Dad), you may recognize these absurd(ly awesome) shoes. I have these pups in pink, too.

Normally I’m not big on buying the same article of clothing in multiple different colors. Well, that’s a lie. In high school I had yellow Uggs, baby blue Uggs, tan Uggs, black Uggs and brown Uggs. But after I stopped being a complete douche bag and cleaned up my act (and closet), the appeal of having the same thing in different colors had faded.

An exception had to be made with these wedges. I’m attracted to ankle-breaking shoes like a moth to flame. And both pairs were scored on eBay for a fraction of the cost. Because ballin’ on a budget is my middle name.

Not really. It’s Anna.

{top: ASOS}
{jeans: William Rast via Shopbop, also worn here}
{wedges: Jeffrey Campbell via ebay}
{belt: Urban Outfitters, also worn here and here}
{bag: Aldo}
{bracelets: Sailormade and Alex and Ani}

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I start the countdown to Halloween on November 1. It’s my favorite holiday and I’m unhealthily obsessed. But since I’m assuming most people don’t share in my extreme enthusiasm, I decided to wait until now to slowly start easing you into what is bound to be an intensely Halloween-focused rest of the month on the blog.

While this is by no means a costume, a motocross-inspired outfit to accompany my dad’s dirt bike seemed fitting—I can’t resist a game of dress-up. And I now fully understand why my brother never wanted me to ride his bikes. I use them as outfit accessories.

{shirt: Junk Food Clothing Co.}
{jeans: William Rast via Shopbop}
{shoes: Jessica Simpson via ebay, also worn here}
{sunglasses: Ray-Ban, also worn here}
{bracelets: Chan Luu and Alex and Ani}

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