Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2017: Women

It's finally here! I wait all year for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, it's like Christmas in July and I am literally at my computer waiting for the clock to strike 12:01 AM to shop! This year's catalog was chock full of ninety throwback trends--crushed velvet, dark and moody embroidered detailing, plaid skirts and chunky heeled loafers--that will set the stage for what we will be seeing in window displays at our favorite stores come fall. While I am not so enthralled with nineties trends--I already embodied Cher Horowitz once in my life--there were some pieces that were must haves. Here are my picks for women in this years #nsale. 

As a curvy gal, rompers and jumpsuits are hit and miss but this one is absolutely STUNNING! 

I have this Leith Dress in black and the overall vibe has me feeling like Baby from Dirty Dancing every time I slip it on, plus it has pockets! The colored versions are perfect for the fall or if you prefer to really channel your inner Frances Houseman, try it in ivory. (PS: the ivory version is on sale right now!)

This dress is not from the anniversary sale but a must-have for a sexy twist on the classic LBD.

Classic tees are a staple in any girl's wardrobe and these Lush Tees are so comfortable and versatile. I love them with my absolute favorite leggings. If you are a mom like I am and have that baby belly pooch that just won't go away no matter how hard you slave away at the gym, these leggings are for you. You will NOT be disappointed! The sale has a cropped version in a blush color that is oh-so pretty.

If you lack in the "dressy" tops I really loved this one, it's really friendly if you are large busted (I'm a 38H and it fits great). For those girls (like myself) who count getting dressed up as tossing on your favorite athleisure wear, this Zella top is such a winner! Try it paired with some skinnies and a moto jacket over for a little edge. There is nothing like a real, leather jacket so don't skimp and grab this one while it's still on sale. 

                                                   

Slouchy sweaters are so mom friendly in the colder months for looking put together, I added color to my mostly neutral wardrobe by picking up these BP ones in blush and green.

And there you have it, those were a handful of my favorite staples from the 2017 Nordstrom Anniversary sale. Presale is still going on so if you are a card member be sure to shop soon before the sale goes life to the rest of the public on July 21st!

I own all of these pieces so if you have any sizing questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

how to get the most out of your fix: a guide to a Stitch Fix

I'm just going to come out and say it, Stitch Fix mail day is like Christmas morning for adults!  

What is this magical thing you ask? It's an online service that pairs you with a stylist (not necessarily the same one every time) who styles five articles of clothing and accessories for you and then ships them to your doorstep.  No monthly subscription but you do pay $20 upfront that gets credited towards whatever you purchase.  If you don't buy anything you lose your $20, buy everything and not only is your $20 applied, but you get an additional 25% off also.  The stuff you don't like gets shipped back for free--just make sure you do it within the allocated time frame.  That's it, easy-peasy.

I was turned on to this service by one of my best friends who swears by it.  She hates shopping, never makes time for it, and typically gets the same things when she shops.  She said the best part of this service is that she gets sent pieces that she typically would pass over in stores.  I, on the other hand, love to shop and am pretty in-trend for the seasons.  But there was something about the process that appealed to me, so I decided to give it a whirl.  Besides, who can really resist Christmas morning every month?!  Whenever I request a Fix I can barely wait for it to come and sometimes my Fix totally slays me and other times it's a total dud.  After reading complaints, as well as raves, about the service, I have decided to compile a list to help you get the most out of your monthly Fix.

1. As with all things, communication is key.  I have found the best way to be pleased with my Fixes is to maintain an open line of communication.  Fill out the survey completely, let your stylist know what style and types of items you want to see or you want to avoid in your Fix.  You may feel like you are oversharing information but if you love neon green, mention it. Short-waisted or long-legged?  Make a note of it.  Being a designer jean snob, I always knew what inseam of jeans I was looking for so you bet in my profile it is noted what my inseams are for ankle length, floor length, and heel length.  Might I be going overboard?  Sure, but I always get a pair of pants in the right length. 

2. Your Pinterest Board.  I have about a bazillion things pinned on my Pinterest style board, but I try to make sure when I pin clothing I make my own note and not just Pin the previous person's comments.  You could Pin an outfit because you love the red glossy Hunter rain boots or the blanket scarf but how is your stylist going to know that you hate the distressed skinny jeans and chunky cardigan in the same photo?

3. Keep your disappointment in check.  Speaking of Pinterest, if you have something pinned that you love, most likely hundreds of other girls have it pinned too.  Do you have any idea how bad I want that navy blue & burgundy floral pencil skirt and matching navy striped top?  Pretty damn bad. Am I slightly disappointed when my Fix comes and that damn skirt is not in my box, yes, but I don't let it take away from the experience. 

4. Remember what Stitch Fix is all about.  There is a fine line between wanting a few items on your Pinterest board & requesting them and demanding a list of items from your stylist, OR ELSE.  Like I mentioned in the preface to this list, Stitch Fix is about that element of surprise and receiving things that you normally wouldn't pick.  It's okay to ask if you could receive an item or two but if you are giving a list of what you want then you probably are better off shopping for yourself.  

5. When you don't get what you want, be nice.  At the end of the day, your stylist is a person just like you and I.  I have read of people who leave scathing, down-right nasty, comments when they don't get what they want.  This is a service that YOU sign up for, it's not a necessity and it's supposed to be fun.  Maybe your stylist is having an off day, maybe the inventory wasn't there, or maybe your stylist just completely missed the mark, it doesn't give anyone the right to be mean.  Constructive criticism yields far better results than telling someone they absolutely suck at life.

6. Have realistic price expectations.  Again, remember this is a service; a fun luxury that you sign up for.  There is definitely a premium for having someone else style you, plus, if you buy everything you are getting five pieces of clothing and accessories.  If you are expecting $10 tops and $25 jeans this may not be the service for you.  To put it in perspective, I kept two things in my last Fix: a dress and a pair of pants and I think I spent around $200.  My price points are set high because I don't want to miss out on something and I am will to pay the price for a coveted item.

7. Lastly, have fun.  I've said it several times throughout this list, just have fun with it! This service is meant to be fun--remember, monthly Christmas mornings!  If you try it and it's not for you, that's okay.  Just have fun with it! 

Here is my lovely dress from my last Fix, the Kensie Jet Dress.  I haven't worn it yet, but i'm smitten with it and its lovely lace hem details. 

(If you haven't tried Stitch Fix yet but want to and enjoyed my guide, please feel free to use my referral link.) 

a few of our favorite things... the six month old baby edition.

In honor of baby C turning six months old this week I figured I could share some of our favorite things at the moment. C always loves something that is soft and cuddly and teething toys are all the rage in our house right now.  All of these things are items that we use on a daily basis lately and are oh-so-adorable!

                                         

1. Lucy Owl- When I first saw these I knew C had to have one, or three... They are super soft and you can have your child's initials or name embroidered on any of the animal's chests. 

2. Muslin Swaddles- We have at least 20 muslin swaddles in our house. I use them for EVERYTHING-for laying on the floor, for wiping up spit up, and to put in the crib with C when she sleeps as she likes to snuggle with it.  Plus they are super breathable so I don't worry about her suffocating. We have all sorts of brands but this print is oh-so-pretty.

3. Sophie the Giraffe and her cheaper but equally adorable sister Kiki the Elephant- Sophie was B's when he was a baby. B didn't like her too much but C loves her. We also have Kiki which is a great alternative if you don't want to shell out the cash for Sophie!

                                    

4. Matryoshka Doll Teethers- I came across these and bought them because they were cheap and cute.  I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived, they are perfect for holding on to and all the raised designs probably feel good to chew on.
5. Baby Links- Another favorite from the first time around. I love these because of their versatility- they can be interlinked like in the picture to be a toy or, as I like to use them, as a toy leash! I link them to things like the matryoshka teethers and then to the stroller or car seat.

6. Sit-Me-Up Seat- This thing was all the rage on one of my mommy boards so I decided to give it a whirl. It's an awesome substitute for the Bumbo! C can't sit up unassisted yet but loves to "play" with her brother, so I put her in it, throw a few toys on the tray, and put her next to her brother! (This comes with or without the tray.)

the newest member of the pack

Once again, it has been an awfully long time since I last posted. School and life often gets the best of me and if we are being brutally honest I am the worst at trying to maintain balance.  There have been some big changes in our household since I last posted as we welcomed baby C to the pack! This may be a long post but I want to share my trying to conceive (TTC) experience to give hope to others who may be struggling with trying to have a baby.

First, let me back track a little bit.  From the get go I knew I was not going to be able to conceive B without a little assistance. It took about a year to get knocked up with B with the help of injectable infertility meds. 

{It was only appropriate to add an adorable Baby B photo here}

Already going through the whole having-a-baby thing, when the hubs and I decided to try for baby #2 we thought it was going to be easy peasy like B.  Well, what happens when you have that kind of mindset? Yup, it doesn't exactly go as planned.  We did about six rounds of injectable meds with no success and ended up doing an IVF cycle. Our cycle went about as good as it can possibly go and I ended up pregnant on the first go around with eight more embryos to spare.

I'll skip over the pregnancy part. All I will say is once again pregnancy is so not my thing. I was sick for the first 27 weeks with C, then became a wild, starving, bottomless pit for the remaining 14 weeks. If you noticed, 27+14 does not equal 40... That would be because I was a week overdue with C and had to be induced.  I think that the powers-that-be do me a solid when it comes to labor and delivery because both of my kids were pretty similar. About six hours of active labor and a whole whopping five minutes of pushing.

And now I shall introduce you to our newest member of the pack, hound terrorizer in training, and little love of our life: 

Claire Lily

{Born 01/12/2015, 8:05 PM, 8 lbs & 4 oz, and 21.5" long}

And now let me inundate you with ridiculously cute C pics....

{Lily honestly believes she is human}

{and just for good measure here is B & Big Tim... Only because these might be the cutest pictures of a boy and his dog EVER.}

[Disclaimer: I understand that not everybody's IVF experience is like mine and while some might find it insensitive of me to talk about my relatively 'easy' IVF process. You have to remember that everyone's experiences are different, however we are all in the same boat.]

back into the swing of things with a post of all things awesomely badger dog...

If you were one of the very, very few who followed the old blog you would know that I am absolutely awful at blogging while I am in school.  In the fall I took this amazing history course that I absolutely loved and thought was going to be incredibly easy; however, I was so wrong on so many different levels and my beloved blog took a back seat to my beloved history class! Anyways, I am back and am going to celebrate a few of my latest badger dog finds! :)

First up, I stumbled across Bean Goods during an instagram search for #doxielove. Bean Goods celebrates the owners two little badger dogs, Bean & Van, and combines their love of dachshunds with a love for clothing.  The result is amazing wiener dog clothing and accessories. After patiently awaiting for their "long hair, don't care" shirt to come back into stock my BFF, L, purchased one for me for Christmas.  It just came in the mail yesterday and it is totally amazing! I will be pairing it with some skinny jeans, tall black wedge boots, and a black blazer.  I am super excited to see what they will be coming out with next, in the mean time here are my favorite picks:

BTW: Doesn't the hound on the "long hair, don't care" shirt look like my little Violet?

Two years ago, my crafty husband made me floor to ceiling bookshelves to house my ever-expanding book collection. That Christmas he bought me these awesome book-ends from ZGallerie to go in my amazing bookshelf. I was surprise to google them and see that they are still available. Trust me the lengthy shipping time is worth the wait. They are amazingly sturdy and gorgeous!

Every year B sends out Valentine's Day cards to all of his loved ones. Last year he picked out these ones from Tiny Prints. They are super cute and such a hit, plus they accommodate a picture on the inside! The only downside is that since they are pretty small you have to buy small envelopes to mail them in (the envelopes they come with can't be put in the mail). Regardless, they are pretty cute for the little dachshund lovers!

And last but not least, I came across this Brio Ride-on Dachshund a little bit ago.  We are Brio fans in this household and my wonderful mother-in-law bought B a large Brio Dachshund Pull Toy when he was just a little itty-bitty thing! You can bet that if I EVER have another baby this Ride-on Dachshund is making the short list of must haves!

And there you have it folks! All of my latest wiener dog-loving finds! I also came across some awesome and oh-so warm dachshund flannel sheets from Belk but they no longer have them in stock! Boo! Anyways, hopefully I will get back to blogging on a somewhat more regular basis. Until then enjoy these awesome doxie finds! 

Soccer

                                              

{First day of soccer.}

So when we got the fall sports catalog in the mail from our local city sports and recreation center I asked B what he wanted to play. His options were soccer, t-ball, basketball, and football; he told me that he wanted to play soccer and basketball. Dad is a football fan while baseball is my sport of choice so I tried to sway B's decision. About an hour later I ask him again and he tells me soccer. He then follows his selection by saying, "Barry plays soccer too..." Barry is the hubs' best friend and we had just visited him. During our visit Barry had a soccer game, needless to say B is pretty enamored by Barry.

B started tiny tot soccer about two weeks ago. Do you have any idea how cute it is to see about 10-15 two to three year olds attempt to play some soccer?!?! They don't actually play a soccer game, though that might be hysterical and mind-numbingly cute, but they do do some soccer drills and learn skills like passing and dribbling and throwing the soccer ball. B is pretty good for a three year old, he knows how to pass (kick the ball), dribble, and how to score. I wish this was a year long or least 6 month kind of thing but its not. 

Next sport on our list, Basketball! :)

                

{Working on some dribbling.}

{Listening to his coach give directions.}

    

{Learning how to do a big overhead throw.}

 {Taking a break.}

{My little soccer stud and I.}

how to ruin a perfectly fabulous trip to San Francisco

                                               

{At the Oakland Raiders game.}

The hubs and I just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary (yay!). So, trying to step up and be the coolest wife ever, I bought him second-row-from-the-field Oakland Raiders tickets. (Side note: I am not a Raiders fan, I like the Seahawks and my team is the NY Football Giants, but I am trying to be a good wife.)  Anyhow, the game we attended fell on the weekend immediately after our anniversary. The hubs and I were running late, as we usually are, and by the time we get there the stadium parking is full. (Side note #2: How are you going to build a stadium that barely fits ANY cars! The game was not even close to being sold out!) So we drive around for about 20 minutes looking for parking that we don't have to pay $30 for and decide on the free overflow parking that the stadium suggests. 

I go to grab my bag and the hubs tells me that I can't bring my bag in. Apparently this past year the NFL implemented a new bag policy where you can not bring a bag into the stadium unless it is a clutch or clear. Let's be honest here, where does one even buy a clear plastic purse anymore??? Need a diaper bag, oh... that has to be clear too. Really NFL? Really??? A little peeved, I remove my drivers license and check card from my wallet and lock it into the glove box. I hide my empty bag, which happens to be this really cool black nylon cross-body diaper bag that I JUST got, underneath the seat, and throw my camera into the glove box. We walk over to the game.

                                      

{After the game.}

The game was pretty fun. The crowd is a little rowdy, but the Raiders won. I even made the comment that even though I am in no way, shape, or form, a Raider's fan, I wouldn't mind going to another game. Plus, you have to appreciate a team that has such devout fans. 

Well, that thought faded pretty darn fast.

We got back to our car, unlocked the door, and got in. I noticed that my glove box handle was broken, and the hubs; a Ford guy, started cracking the typical Chevy's-are-a-piece-of-crap jokes. I went to grab my bag from under the seat and it was gone. I open the center console; camera, gone. Oh yeah, my wallet, gone too.  Some ass-hat broke into our car and stole my stuff. 

I was mad, sad, and feeling slightly violated. My wallet really had nothing in it except for pictures and $4 cash and my bag, albeit new, was empty except for some strawberry hand lotion, lip balm, and hand sanitizer. The camera was an outdated point-and-shoot. What makes me the most mad, I wish my SD card from the camera was left behind... Those are my memories, what I would give to at least get that SD card back.

This is why A) I will never go to another NFL game until the bag policy changes again and B) one of the reasons why the Oakland Raiders and their fans have such a negative rep.  Occurrences like this just put a really ill taste in your mouth and really put a damper on something that is supposed to be really fun.

{Our view from our room, night & day.}

We had booked a hotel for the night in San Francisco for after the game and we almost just went home as we were feeling pretty defeated. Luckily we went to the city and stayed in an amazing place. Hotel Nikko is situated around Union Square and so graciously upgraded us to a suite in one of their Imperial rooms on the second to the top floor. The room was amazing as was the views. We will definitely be staying here again. We ended up walking around Union Square and bringing pizza back to our room that night. The only thing that kept the whole anniversary trip from being ruined was the hotel. Thank you Hotel Nikko for salvaging a pretty awful situation!

The next day was definitely better, we went to the Ferry Building Marketplace and picked up some great things from the Miette bakery and from Sur la Table and headed home to be reunited with B. That evening B started his very first day of tot soccer, which I will post about later. :)

{Us at the marketplace... Happy Anniversary to us!}