I’ve shared my early access picks here and here, and my free-for-all picks last Friday here, but today I wanted to share my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale steals under $100.
This is a great time to snag some killer boots, luxe cashmere and designer denim at a serious markdown. There’s also a great coat selection for those of you in colder climates! I try to not even look because let’s be honest… no one really needs a coat in Southern California.
Have you snagged a great deal? I’d love to hear! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
Christian is notorious for giving me cooking or baking supplies for gifts… a subtle hint to bake him something for his never fully indulged sweet tooth. When he hinted to his parents for my Christmas gift, I was so excited to receive a pie plate and loaf pan that matched my everyday china, that I was baking pies every week.
Insert Christian nodding his head in glorious achievement.
He recently requested a coconut pie, so when I found this recipe it was game over. So rich but so delicious, and it combines our favorite baking ingredients – chocolate and coconut!
Plus (and perhaps most importantly), it’s super easy.
My last round of photos from our trip to Catalina, this sweet midi dress feels so Southern (and it’s under $30!). I love how it ties at the shoulders, reminding me of a dress I would have wanted to wear as a little girl. I don’t wear a lot of kelly green, and I don’t really know why… because it’s one of those colors that when I wear it, I always love it!
I wore this to explore the main town of Avalon in Catalina Island on our last day of our trip. Let’s be honest, the last day of any trip is always sad, so wearing a cute outfit and carrying around Sauvignon Blanc in a hydroflask definitely makes it a little less painful.
What? I did that? No way.
Way. You can’t leave a good bottle that’s already been opened in the fridge, right?! I’m fine with it.
dress c/o, comes in one size, fits like a large medium and a midi dress on me (I’m 5’7″), save on this one and splurge on this one… and this dress isn’t green but how cute!? | bag c/o, love this one and this one | heels – Zara, similar here | earrings – Etsy, love these | sunnies
If I haven’t yammered on enough about my favorite sale of the year, it’s free game for anyone starting TODAY! I shared my early access picks here and here, but I’ve added some new swoon-worthy pieces to today’s roundup. Don’t forget that Nordstrom also offers home, menswear, beauty and children’s clothing – so there is seriously something for everyone.
I think this basket would look so cute with blankets stored in it, I have marquee signs from Nordstrom and I’m obsessed and this trench is just too good.
Have you snagged some swag?! Spill the deets and most importantly, have an amazing weekend.
I can’t believe I’m just now sharing these photos from Catalina Island, but better late than never, right? You might remember this maxi skirt from this post or this crop top from this post. I’m all about mixing and matching the pieces in your closet to create new looks and maximize your closet. The way this skirt moves is so pretty, my only complaint is that I don’t have it in more colors!
These stairs were right by the condo where we stayed in Hamilton Cove and it was beyond picturesque. I can’t even describe the view – Catalina is a hidden gem that you must visit if you’re in Southern California. I think drinking coffee on the balcony here is a memory that will never leave my mind (or at least I hope not).
Last week I shared some early access picks here, but I wanted to share another round of Nordstrom steals before it’s a free-for-all on Friday! These pants I feel a seriously strong connection to (as in I’m pretty sure we are meant for each other), and I have a PMD and have really been loving it.
I’ve also been perusing the Cupcakes & Cashmere collection both here and here, and kind of want everything, but it could just be because I have a mega girl crush on Emily Schuman. Have any of you shopped her collection yet and if so, what do you think?
Note: today is also Amazon’s Prime Day – some seriously amazing discounts on all kinds of items! If you are in the market for some new gadgets, now’s your chance. Discounted kindles, Ray Ban’s, watches and cameras.
AND, to you early access Nordstrom shoppers – tell me what you’ve scored so far! Not a cardholder? Don’t sweat it. You can still preview what’s on sale and get your picks ready when the sale goes public on Friday.
I’m a sucker for a maxi dress and one that looks as tropical-ready as this one is a no-brainer. Our first night on Catalina Island required a little fancy and I pulled this number out for oceanside dinner with Christian. When he first saw me he said, “that looks like something you wore at Rosewood Mayakoba!” I wore so many backless maxi dresses I snagged off of eBay on our honeymoon. So for the brides out there – this would be such a fabulous honeymoon dress! I’ve also linked more white maxi dress options below in the details.
– a quick and easy DIY to add a little marble contact paper to the bottom shelf of our bookshelf –
– having the idea to cut bougainvillea from our patio for a floral arrangement and wondering… WHY have I not thought of this earlier!? –
– packing for a quick trip to Las Vegas –
After a whirlwind week, I’m doing what any logical person would do when they’re exhausted… heading to Vegas! It’s a quick 36-hour trip with a direct, one-hour flight, so I will back in town on Sunday to celebrate my birthday with Christian. I am dragging him to have high tea with me at a tea salon near our house (because my birthday would be the only time he would eat tea sandwiches and drink tea with me with a smile on his face), and then hoping he gives me the vacuum and teacups/saucers I’ve requested. SERIOUSLY!? I am sounding older and older by the minute.
This week has been full of blog dinners, happy hours and work events, and the earliest I’ve gotten home is 9:00pm (this is where Christian sings a la Justin Timberlake “cry me river”), so I am actually really looking forward to a low-maintenance birthday. I’m turning 28… which I have to share because I feel like you probably think I’m turning 65 based on the paragraph above. I’m not mad about it. Every year I turn older I’m more and more comfortable making decisions and following my intuition.
I was recently listening to a podcast that talked about ego vs. intuition and learning to trust your intuition in times that required important decision-making. Your ego tells you to do the thing that looks the best to the outside world, while your intuition tells you what you’re made of – your conscious, your integrity. I’m a religious person, and I’ve always felt that the gut feeling I feel is God guiding me to the right choice. The older I get the more confident I am to stay true to myself, which makes me feel like this.
Thank you so much for reading, for sharing your kind (and often hilarious) comments, and for making this blog one of the most fun and rewarding things in my life. Love you, mean it – XO –
If you haven’t seen it all over your Instagram feed yet… early access to one of the best shopping holidays of the year, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, is ON for Nordstrom cardholders! I think this is such a great time to snag a major deal on some of those name brand items you might not be able to budget for full-price.
In years past I’ve scored Frye boots, designer jeans, perfumes and handbags at a serious discount. Today I’m rounding up some of my favorites for those of you with early access! Don’t have a Nordstrom card? Don’t sweat it, you can still see what’s marked down, you simply can’t complete your purchase until the sale is available to all shoppers on July 17th.
I’ve also included some extra items that I think are great deals below in the product thumbnails – this bag? Tassel everything, yes please.
Thanks so much for reading, and Friday’s Five will actually be shared tomorrow. Friday’s Five on Saturday… that doesn’t make sense you say? Well it actually sums up my manic life right now because I feel like I’m all over the place on four hours of sleep with work and blog… so I’m going with it, as it feels fitting! #Jesustakethewheel Happy weekend, babes! XO –
A great pair of distressed denim is what dreams are made of. I practically live in my 501 shorts in the summer – I’ve had them for five years now and the more worn in, the better. These espadrilles might be the cutest ones I’ve seen yet, and this necklace has my name written all over it.
What are you wishing after this week? My birthday is on the 12th… so I’m working on getting my wish list in order. It’s really wild if I tell you what’s on there now… additions to my everyday china, a bundt pan so I can make Christian a chocolate chip poundcake, a pet rumba, a new slipcover for our ottoman, a new kettle, and a ginger jar.
My friends tell me, “you’re like a 60-year old in a 27 year-old’s body… but, like, you’re still a good time.” I think the latter part is just to soften up the first part. Christian told me my birthday list was a little sad, and I was like “well I mean I could ask for a Chanel bag and black Louboutins so if you’d like me to jump ship I surely can.” So I’m trading in the Louboutins for a more affordable bunt pan… because that’s a normal trade-off.
I love a lazy afternoon with a Bloody Mary. I can remember my grandmother making me virgin Bloody Mary’s at family get-togethers when I would ask what she was drinking. She taught me a few important details for the drink — lots of olives, lots of celery and serve it in a McCarty glass. Today I’m making my favorite Bloody Mary in a Mason jar so you can see the ingredients better, but trust that I still love drinking them in McCarty glasses!
I shared this recipe a few years ago, but honestly the pictures were so frightening that I wanted to start fresh, so here’s my favorite recipe, and it makes two drinks.
Ingredients:
4 oz vodka (added last)
3 cups tomato juice (I like to use the Garden Patch juice from Trader Joe’s)
1 TB Worcestershire
juice of one lemon (keep peel to use on the rim of the glass)
2 tsp olive juice
2 tsp horseradish
1 tsp hot sauce
freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Old Bay, plus extra for the rim
Garnish with:
a lemon wedge
2 stalks celery
a few olives
a pickle
Mix the top ingredients together (without the vodka — that comes later), shaking well to make sure the horseradish is blended properly. Run the lemon peel from the juiced lemon along the rim of your drinking glass. Pour some Old Bay seasoning on a flat dish or your cutting board and dab the glass rim in the seasoning. Fill glass with ice, pour the vodka and fill the rest of the glass with Bloody Mary mix. Toss some olives, a pickle and celery in that baby and add a lemon slice if you’re feeling fancy.
And there you have it! If you have a recipe you love I would love to hear it! Thanks so much for reading y’all and thank you to my fabulous 87-year-old Grammy for teaching me how it’s done. XO –
It’s safe to say this white ruffled romper is a summer obsession of mine. I love how polished it is with a little feminine ruffle and party in the back. I also think it would look so cute with a chambray shirt knotted in the front.
Christian was working on the 4th, so we celebrated on the 3rd with a day at the pool, a picnic with Bailey and cooking together at the house while arguing between old Sex & the City episodes vs. The Discovery Channel. So basically it was our usual summer day! Sidenote: I think this is why I’ve always been an Aidan fan. If I relate to Carrie, C is most definitely Aidan. Like this scene? Tis my life – down to the dog. And this scene? Been there, done that.
“No, I’M taking a walk. You can stay here with your boxes of shit and your shoe-eating dog, and you can knock yourself out putting on the rogaine and the speedstick!”
I have so many favorite scenes I could talk about it for hours. Do you have a favorite SATC scene? I need to hear it!
