Simply Sarah Nicole

Where has 2016 gone?! I can't believe another year has come and gone, but 2016 has been full of lots of adventures and good memories. I started my senior year of high school, went on an eye-opening mission trip to Minneapolis over the summer, spent two weeks in Wisconsin at Pine Lake and Door County, made the decision to go to Iowa State, spent lots of time with friends, turned 17, made memories with family, celebrated one year of blogging, went to Texas for spring break, started experiencing some of my 'lasts' in high school, spent many nights watching football games, took lots of pictures, and had a blast at my first prom, as well as my last homecoming. Overall, 2016 has been a really good year and I am so excited for what 2017 will bring! In today's post I'm sharing the perfect party or special occasion dress (sorry I didn't get this out sooner!). As you can tell, I'm pretty excited to ring in the new year! I found these glittery 2017 photo props ...

Where has the time gone!? December is flying by and somehow there is now only five days until Christmas! I am looking forward to spending time with family in Wisconsin for Christmas this year. Hopefully there will still be lots of snow on the ground! With Christmas drawing near I have put together two dressier outfit options for Christmas festivities! 'Tis the season for gifts! I have been obsessed with wrapping gifts in brown paper and then adding different ribbon to make the gift unique! Adding some red ribbon has been a go-to for me this year! Adding red lip color is perfect for any Christmas outfit! I've been loving the shade Razzle Dazzle Red by E.L.F. this season!  Can we just take a moment to talk about how this dress has POCKETS?! It honestly might be my favorite part of the dress. I don't know why, but a dress with pockets just makes me happy. I love the shape of this dress! It is a flattering style and with a sparkly statement neck...

With Christmas just days away, the holiday season is in full swing! I LOVE anything and everything to do with Christmas. I also love any excuse to dress festive! Plaid shirts are a winter staple that are perfect to dress up or down. Today I have put together three different ways to style the perfect holiday shirt. I love, love, love this plaid shirt. It has just the right amount of red to make it feel festive, while also still being perfectly fine to wear any other time of the year. I love pairing it with navy blue corduroys and riding boots for a laid-back look perfect for holiday events. It's a super simple and easy combination, while still being adorable! I love tying a bow in my hair for an extra pop of red. This ribbon helps pull the look together while giving it a fun touch! This Forever 21 Necklace has been a great purchase. It goes with everything and is a great addition if you are looking to dress up an outfit. All I did to change up this look was thr...

With the weather cooling down the last week, it's officially time to start layering! This year I have loved wearing capes. They are such an effortless way to look polished while still being super warm and comfortable! I fell in love with this cape from Francesca's a few weeks ago and they unfortunately no longer have it in stock. However, I liked a super similar blanket scarf that can be worn to give an almost identical look! The mix of colors in this cape is absolutely perfect for fall! I've been especially loving golden tones this season and I was so excited that this color combination included a touch of gold.  The multiple colors makes it super simple to pair with a shirt for layering. For this day I went with a plain white long sleeve from Old Navy. Guys, this cape has pockets! I don't know about you, but finding pockets on something instantly makes it way better! I've talked about these boots in past posts, but they are honestly such a practical...

Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for this year. I am so thankful for my loving family and all of the support they show me. I am so thankful for my amazing friends who never fail to make me laugh. I am so thankful for my encouraging church and youth groups. I am so thankful that I have figured out where I want to go to college. I am so thankful for my blog and the opportunities it has brought. Most of all I am so thankful for my salvation through Jesus Christ. The list could go on and on with everything that I have to be thankful for, but I'll leave it with those. With Thanksgiving just days away, I'll be sharing a Thanksgiving look with you today and ways you can duplicate it with pieces from your own closet! Okay, so I am kind of in love with this scarf, I've been wearing it non-stop! It literally goes with anything, and the colors are perfect for fall. I found it at Loft Outlet a few weeks ago and now I can't find the exact one, but I linked a...

Life is hard. To be honest, it sucks sometimes. The last few days have been so emotionally draining. I have cried harder than I ever have, hugged so many people, laughed at sweet memories, clung so hard to my friends, and relied on God to show his goodness in this situation. Losing a friend is never something that I ever thought would happen this young. Death in general is difficult. The finality and suddenness of it scares me. Even though this week has been gut-wrenching, I have been so encouraged by the way people have been responding. I have been so uplifted by so many different people and I wanted to write down and share my some of my thoughts as well as what has encouraged me in hopes of possibly encouraging someone else. I just want to say that you are loved. You are loved by the creator of the universe, you are loved by your friends and peers, you are loved by your family. You are worthy because you are loved. Do not EVER forget that.   Kindness goes a long way. I ...

Last year I hopped on the cape bandwagon, and I am so glad I did. Similar to blanket scarves, they are just like socially acceptable blankets.  An added bonus is that they are super cute too! I saw a red and black buffalo checked cape in a picture last fall and searched all winter for a look-alike! Finally, a few weeks ago at Walmart, of all places, I spotted this one! I scored it for under $15 and was a happy girl! Here's how I styled it and how you can get the look! I started by layering the cape with a simple white shirt to brighten up the outfit. Between the warmth of the shirt underneath and the cape itself, this look was perfect for a gorgeous fall day. I paired the tops with my go-to American Eagle jeans, to keep the outfit simple and comfortable.   Since I am so short, a lot of material can easily swallow me up and create a very boxy shape. With this in mind, I added a simple tan belt around my waist to give the cape some shape. I was feeling extr...

Ah, fall is finally here and couldn't be happier about it! I love the cooler weather, pretty trees, and fun fall activities. I have to admit though that my favorite aspect of fall is that fact that I get to pull out all of my cozy sweaters and scarves. The fall months are prime time for playing around with layering due to the unpredictable tempatures. My easy go-to outfit for fall consists of a sweater, vest, blanket scarf, jeans, and riding boots. The evening my mom and I went to the pumpkin farm was the definition of a perfect fall evening; 50 degrees, a cool breeze, and sunny. I've linked all of the pieces down below if you are interested in getting the look! This outfit was perfect for finding the perfect pumpkin! It kept me plenty warm while still allowed for me to be able to easily move around! All of the pieces from this outfit are staples of mine. They all can be mixed and matched with so many other outfits to create a totally different look!  I love blan...