WELCOME, TO THE BLOG!
I'm Nikki, mom to twinlets & furbaby, firefighter wife, & seeker of silver linings. This is a behind-the-scenes look at my life-long obsessions of beauty {hairstylist}, fitness {former chubby child}, style {shopaholic} & everything in between. I hope you stay awhile and find something that inspires you!

Beachwaver FAQs: ALL the Answers (Plus How-to Videos!)
It still shocks me when someone says — with bewilderment in their eyes — it turns on its own!? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Yes, the Beachwaver does, in fact, turn on its own. And yes, I am that "lazy" that I, as a stylist...
Nikki
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@thenikkicagle
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When something says "try for free for five days," odds are, I'm going to say "why the heck not?" Especially when I've been lusting over Warby Parker glasses for so dang long.
You know how when things are "free," they somehow don't end up actually being free? Well, much to my surprise, that was actually not the case here {for once}. The process couldn't have been easier - or free'er {is that a word? It is now.}. You can take this quick little quiz and they'll present you wit

THE SLIMMING EFFECT: BLACK & BODYSUITS
Black as a slimming trick - groundbreaking, right? We're not recreating the fashion wheel here - we all know black is a go-to slimmer. I pretty much lived in black {leggings} postpartum. And even now that I'm feeling much more fit-mom-ish and less frumpy-mom-ish, I've kind of become accustomed to my black. Colorful me - accustomed to black. Motherhood does things to you. Now, pair black with a bodysuit, and you're in the double-slimming business. In the right fabric, a bodysu

TOP 10 BABY ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR FIRST BEACH TRIP
Fresh off the sandy-heels of our first beach trip {or trip, period} as a family of four, and I feel like I now have the knowledge {read: trials & errors} to be able to share the MUST have items for your first beach trip with babes. For comparison - ours are 6 1/2 months, teething like fiends, newbie-sitters, easily entertained, and live by a pretty strict eat/play/sleep schedule.
Much like when we registered for our baby shower, I spent countless hours researching and aski

NEW-MOM MUST HAVE: THE UNDERCOVER BABY
As a new mom, you quickly find out that there are like 80,000 "must-haves." It can be so overwhelming to figure out what you actually need—and what's just going to collect dust.
If you're teetering on whether you need a car seat cover, or not - let me save you the headache of deciding: you do. I know, another mom telling you another thing you have to have. But, trust me on this one. Top three reasons why: People LOVE babies. Love them. But people are...well...gross, sometim

BEST NON-MATERNITY BRANDS FOR PREGNANCY
Okay, so, yes, maternity pants with their big stretchy belly band and all the room to breathe are amazing. I invested in two whole pairs and despite their comfiness, it still pained me to shell out money on clothes I will never, ever, wear again. Which is why I made it my mission to seek out maternity-friendly clothes that weren't actually maternity. Simply put - give me all the stretch and flow. Here's a breakdown of my maternity wardrobe staples - and by staples, I mean, st

THE BEST & MOST CONFUSING FROM MET GALA 2016
{Claire Danes, aka Cinderella, in Zac Posen} The Emmy's, Grammy's & Oscar's don't have anything on the biggest, boldest & bravest night in fashion—the Met Gala. For those who have been living under a fashion rock - the Met Gala is Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit. Which basically means, a night for the most beautiful people in the world to wear the most incredible designs in the world, to the biggest ball of the year. And, what's a ball without a theme? Th

VALENTINE'S DAY 3 WAYS: GIRL NEXT DOOR, BOHO CHIC & GIRLY EDGE
My style changes based on my mood—and since I have no idea which mood will strike me this Valentine's Day, why not fulfill them all? {Just in case} After all, it is a 3-day weekend ;-)Sometimes I like to play innocent girl-next-door. Other times I pretend I am oh-so-boho-chic. And when I'm really feeling fearless, I mix in a little, "Is she girly? Or is she edgy?" style.
Whichever mood strikes you, I hope this fuels some of your outfit inspiration for this lovey-dovey week

#BLIZZARD2016: SURVIVING JONAS
Oh sweet naive girl. When Jonas first started to trickle down I was as giddy as a 6-year-old. It was the first real snowfall of the year and I was counting all of the ways to spend it—hot cocoa loaded with 'mallows, a nonstop fire in the fireplace, too many calories to keep track of, a constant stream of wine, shoveling for hours {only so I could count it as a workout and throw snowballs at the hubby}, and so so much binging on Scandal. Thirty inches, 5 days, and 10 pounds la

BREAKING ALL THE FASHION RULES: WINTER WHITE
It's January, majorly post-Labor Day, and not even close to Memorial Day, but yes, ladies & ladies {gents don't so much care} - I am in WHITE. Not that I e v e r believed in following the fashion rules {my mom used to yell at me for wearing two different socks to school—I started young}, but naysayers will tell you that white after Labor Day is the number one fashion faux pas. But you know what? I will wear my white, mix my patterns, mash-up gold & silver, and by god, I WILL

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH FALL {AND LOFT PANTS}
Is it just me, or have even pumpkins stepped up their fashion game?! The best thing about pumpkins is that they're no longer a Halloween-thang—they're a Fall-round decor game changer. Porches, coffee tables, mantles - you name it, they're adorning it. And seeing as how Fall is my favorite season, I'm certainly not going to complain about endless options for decorating all season long. Another thing I'm not complaining about? Loft pants. Jeans, cords, flares, skinnies, joggers

THAT 70'S FALL STYLE: TWO WAYS
Fall is my a b s o l u t e favorite season. The crisp air, the pumpkin everything, the colorful skylines, the bonfires & boots & scarves & F A S H I O N. I think my Fall wardrobe is my favorite of all—and yes, I have a separate wardrobe for every season, would you really expect anything less?! Summer's 70's fashion flare {pun intended} of fringe & crochet & platforms is carrying into Fall with wide legs & floppy hats & funky patterns. I for one am so very excited that this 70

COOL FOR CULOTTES {AND BULL RUN WINERY!}
Three things I absolutely love: 1. Jumpsuits 2. Wide leg anything 3. Wine So, when all three are thrown together in one day, c l e a r l y it's a good dang day. But enough about my awesome day - let's stop and talk for one second about culottes. Back in my day {mimics grandparent}, culottes were called gauchos, and try as I might I just couldn't pull them off. Gauchos were known for making you even shorter & stouter than your original form - they had powers of pure black magi

A SHOPAHOLIC'S SECRET SIFTING SPOT: THE 'MAXX
Hi, my name is Nikki, and I'm a certified shopaholic. I was born with this disease, and it has only grown with age & experience. I have so many clothes in my closet that I dread putting freshly washed clothes away because I know it will be a serious maneuver & workout mission to get one more piece of clothing to fit. Yet, I continue to shop—I just can't help myself. But how, HOW do I shop so much and leave no debt in my trail? It's not because I'm a millionaire, because I am

VEGAS DAY-TO-NIGHT: CROP TOPS TO CUT-OUTS
Let's be real, it should really be called "Skin City," as it is one of the most fashionable cities in the US...with the least amount of clothing. From bikinis, to brunch, to bars—there's little left to the imagination. I for one like to keep it a little more "conservative"—well, conservative compared to Vegas standards. A peek here, a peek there, all while leaving a little to the imagination. I'm nothing if not a lady {don't tell my pool-cabana-behaving-self that}... This is

DREAM SPRING 2015 WARDROBE: HIPPY CHIC
Spring survey says... Hippy Chic, baby. With the 70's AND 90's making a MAJ comeback, you can expect the fashion mash-up of your dreams. It's the nostalgic threads of your childhood, meets hints of the era you wish you would have lived {and dressed} in. We're talking flares, florals, pastels & platforms. Every piece is a statement - and all you need is one. But why limit to one when there are 13 lucky pieces in this collection alone?! #bonafideshopaholic Happy Spring Shopping

TRANSITIONING TO SPRING WITH A WINTER WARDROBE
I love, love, LOVE a good romper. My Spring & Summer wardrobes contain quite the collection of rompers—so much so that their designated section {are you surprised that I have "designated sections" in my closet? I didn't think so.} takes up nearly a 1/4 of my closet from April to October. With this devoted love of rompers I can't possibly go without them from November to March, but the freezing temps in the DMV don't really lend to a romper's functionality—ie itty bitty shorts

MILITARY CHIC
You'll soon realize that I don't particularly have a "style." And if I do, it's nearly impossible to pinpoint and define. I like trendy...with a hint of flair—but not just one type of trend - e v e r y trend. I {always} put my own twist on every coveted wardrobe piece so that it works for me, my short little frame, my proud little curve, and my {ahem} lack-luster womanhood. What works for me may not work for you—and likewise, there are undoubtedly styles that I drool over tha

FLIPPY FLOPPY HAT
Floppy hats—are they practical? Sure. They shield from the sun, they guard celebs from the paps, and they do a K I L L E R job of hiding roots. But do we really wear them for that reason? #letsbereal No. We wear them because they are flippy, floppy & fabulous. Because they take any outfit from, "cute", to "hello, lover" <3 Brown, black, beige—I own them all, I flop them all. On another note—don't let your eyes deceive you - this incredible location is not an enchanting forest