DIY: Reindeer Frame (free!)

Growing up, Christmas was always a production in our house.
The first Saturday of December was dedicated to spending hours pulling boxes of decorations out of the attic, listening to Nsync Christmas, and prancing around the house putting out the decorations- it was a whole day event that no one missed.

Fast forward to my first year living on my own and the sad realization of my lack of Christmas decor and even greater lack of funds:
With not a whole lot of money for decor, I had to become really crafty with how I would decorate, and wait for it... Pinterest didn't exist.
A few years later and I actually prefer crafting over buying decor now; it's just more personal and you can really personalize for your space.


The other day I did one of the easiest DIYs ever and it is now one of my favorite Christmas items.
No fancy craft things needed- just simply gather things from around the house.

Things you will need:
Any picture frame
One sheet of colored paper
One little piece of wrapping paper or scrapbook paper

1. Trace an outline of the reindeer (or you can print it out- I had just run out of ink & didn't want to wait until I visited the store) 

2. Find a frame around your house 

3. Trace the shape onto wrapping paper or scrapbook paper

 4. Mount the shape on a solid color and put in frame.

So easy and so cute!!!

Enjoy!!

Xoxo,

Nicole 

OOTD: What my coffee mug wore

Disclaimer: My coffee cup and I didn't coordinate our outfits- it just ended up this way.


Running my errands has become about 4538954076845 times better with this little cutie by my side in my hand; in fact, we have been inseparable since her arrival at my house on Thursday morning.
You see, when your coffee mug wears a tutu, your life changes a little bit- mornings become happier, errands are more fun, and people compliment you a lot.
So my suggestion to you right now is to head on over to Starbucks and buy this cup; because, let's face it, life just feels better when you have a striped mug with a bow tie, gold buttons, and a tutu.

Happy Tuesday, loves!

Xoxo,

Nicole

Put a little prep in your step

In college, I hated that people would tell me "this ___ looks like something you would wear".
I had friends whose style I felt was so unpredictable and they could literally wear anything they wanted; I wanted so badly to be that person.
I went through phases of wearing baggy clothes, clothes that were too short for me, lots of dark clothes- all in efforts to keep a "well-balanced" closet.

The problem was, I never felt comfortable in most of the clothes I wore.
I was so caught up with trying to be trendy and stylish that I sacrificed my confidence.
I would try to wear those baggy, aztec-type sweaters and I just felt lost inside of clothes- I had no control over my style and certainly didn't felt comfortable with myself.

At 25, I am finally ok with being the preppy person I am.
In fact, I now fully embrace it- bring on the stripes, glitter, and hearts.
This "style crisis" was one of the reasons I started Real Life Dress Up- I have experienced how it feels to not feel comfortable with yourself and I have taken control back from my clothes.
I now wear clothes that I feel confident in and sometimes that means "skipping" on certain trends.


My tip to you- identify what you feel comfortable & confident with and embrace it.

& if your style happens to be more on the preppy side, then this is the blog for you :)

Sweater: F21 (old)

Shirt under sweater: Ross (old)

Jeans: F21 (old)

Shoes: GoJane

What is your personal style? Has anyone else experienced this shift?

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Penniless Socialite// Style Elixir

40 days until Christmas

Does anyone else have holidays on the mind at full speed?
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my mind is spinning & lately I have been all about DIY gifts.
Every year around Christmas time I try to reflect back on what I received for Christmas the previous year & to be honest, the ONLY things I can ever remember are things that were made personally for me.
So instead of taking the easy route and shutting down retail stores this year, I have committed to trying to create the most personal gifts for our loved ones.
Stay tuned for lots of DIY projects for grandparents, spouses, newlyweds, white elephant.

Apparently my wardrobe has Christmas on its mind too.
I think this may be one of my top contenders for a Christmas outfit this year.

Later this week, I am revealing ways to dress up your house for the holidays at little to no cost. 

Here's a little sneaky peek. 

Thanks for visiting! What is your favorite DIY gift to give or receive? 

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Vodka Infused Lemonade// Perfectly Courtured// Mix and Match Fashion// Penniless Socialite// Glitz and Gold

To all the moms out there: The 5 minute challenge

I've recently received a few emails from a couple different moms, all with the same complaint- "All of the outfits I see on blog and Pinterest aren't realistic for me because I have kids".
While I don't have kids yet, I do understand the conflict of wanting to dress up but also needing something functional (shout out to all my nanny fams who kept me busy/employed during my college years).

So I gave myself the 5 minute challenge and channeled my inner mom. I gave myself 5 minutes to get ready for running errands and completing all of my mom duties, and I gave myself 5 minutes to transition over into a date night outfit. Wearing the same shirt was important to me because I wanted to show versatility in clothing purchases.



For the day time: Gap ruffle shirt ($5 via goodwill), skinny jeans, flats and little stud earrings.

I know that necklaces and bracelets are not typically options as a mom, so the ruffles of the shirt gave me enough confidence to feel put together still. The red lipstick also put a little pep in my step.

Please excuse the wrinkles on the shirt- I wanted to make it realistic... busy moms don't have time to iron ;) 

Night time: Date night, back to school night, coffee with friends; anything. I threw on red pumps, added a gold tassel necklace, and grabbed a clutch. I think it took me about 3 minutes total. 

What do you guys think? Realistic for a mom to dedicate 3-5 minutes to throw on a ruffle shirt and some lipstick?

P.S. I loved receiving emails this last week- please keep them coming!!

Xoxo, 

Nicole 

A Video!

Hi ladies!


I am trying something new and decided to add a a video instead of pictures for this post.
A lot of people ask me about thrifting and how I experience so much success, so I have identified these 5 rules for thrifting.
YouTube is a whole new platform for me, but I think in this case, it provides a more interactive/personal approach.
Let me know if you like this format!







Hope it was helpful!

Happy Monday!


Xoxo,
Nicole

Dressing like a 25 year old

Somehow I am 25 years old.
I don't remember it happening, but it happened and I have to accept it... I am 25.
Being a lover of all things pink, floral, lace, and tulle, I have to constantly be careful of my outfit selections- I can be mistaken for a 15 year old in a second.
But often I feel even older than I really am and sometimes am drawn to things my grandmother may wear. (she is a fashionable women with a closet full of Kate Spade- so don't feel offended for her)
It's this crazy fine balance; the life of a 25 year old- don't dress too young, don't dress too old.

Naturally I choose leopard because it can go horribly wrong (who likes to play it safe?)
With the first outfit, I tried to keep it classy with a black necklace, but realized I was playing on that  "too old" line.
A simple necklace and shoe swap made for a much more age-appropriate outfit selection.
The yellow necklace keeps the outfit youthful and the nude pumps add some age.
It's a tricky balance... does it get better with age?

What about you guys? Ever have a hard time deciding if something is age appropriate?

Happy Wednesday!!!

Don't forget to check the sidebar for ways to stay connected. 

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Here