Post Christmas Sale Reviews//Nordstrom's Half-year Sale and Planners

I'm doing some quick review on items that are currently on sale at Nordstrom during their Half Year Sale.

The first is the LUSH "PERFECT ROLL TAB SLEEVE" TUNIC. These are marked down from $42 to $25.
I am wearing the XS in the color legion blue. I love this thicker chiffon material because it's not see through. The length is definitely longer (30 inches), but again this is a tunic style. It reaches mid thigh, which I think is great when worn with leggings and boots. You can also tuck it in and wear it as a looser fitting blouse like I did.

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I do want to mention the neck line is a little lower and you can definitely see part of my bra if the collar moves a but, so it may be a good idea to wear a tank underneath

There is an array of colors online and they are all marked down to $25. I love how versatile this shirt can be, so ordered it in the new olive, and the tawny port.




The second item is the VINCE CAMUTO HILLSY BOOTS. I purchased these boots back in September after seeing numerous positive review on popular blogs and have worn these a ton!
They are extremely versatile and can be worn in the spring, fall, and warmer winter days. I originally purchased these for $158, and they are now marked down to $95, making it a 40% discount.




Lastly, the BP COLOR BLOCK BLANKET SCARF - I purchase this in Navy multi for $30, but is now 50% off for under $15. I wanted to try out the blanket scarf trend this year. I was a little hesitant because these scarves can often overpower my small frame, but when worn correctly, can be extremely stylish while keeping you warm!
I love the array of colors on this scarf because I've been able to pair it with pieces that have the same color as any of the colors on the scarf.

Here, I've paired it with a gray sweater.

Pairing it with an olive green sweater.

I want to mention that if you shop on NORDSTROM using EBATES,  you can earn cash back. I have been using this site for about 5 years now and have received over $600 in checks. I use this site for shopping on almost everything, including movie tickets on FANDANGO.


On an unrelated note. I have been a huge fan or weekly/monthly planners ever since my college years and used them avidly during law school. To make planning  a little more fun, I always look for fun planners and love to color coordinate items. I stopped my my local Marshalls and ran into a huge collection of 2016 planners, all of which are less than $10. Here are some examples of the cute planners that were available. I wanted to mention this in case any of you are big fans of planners. I picked up a gray one one with copper details.

Happy shopping!

Holiday Outfits Ideas// Holiday Tartan

Christmas is right around the corner and I wanted to share some simple outfits ideas you can try using pieces you may already have in your closet.


I love layering statement jewelry with colored sweaters or tartan shirts.
I've paired an old red JCREW SWEATER with a JCREW STATEMENT NECKLACE. I think the touch of sparkle makes the sweater so much more festive.



Using the same necklace, I've added some sparkle to a plan tartan/plaid shirt. This is one of my all time favorite plaid shirts I own. It's by RALPH LAUREN. the multitude of colors makes it an extremely versatile piece, and is perfect for the holidays!

You can add all sorts of statement necklaces to simple pieces like these. Below are a few of my all time favorite statement pieces.
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Recent Finds and Instagram Outfits

I wanted to share some outfit details and recent finds with everyone since several followers had asked me on Instagram.

The first is a very casual, yet put together outfit. It gives off the sense of “I woke up like this.”I layered this BLANKNYC FAUX LEATHER JACKET over my gym clothes (yoga pants and a loose grey T) and switched gym sneakers for a pair of KED'S CANVAS CHAMPION SNEAKERS. To keep warm I added this HUNTER GREEN SOLE SOCIETY WOOL PLAID SCARF (also SEE HERE). For my bag, I'm wearing my LOUIS VUITTON BANDOULIERE (REVIEW HERE, SEE ON ME)
I purchased this jacket earlier last year and have worn it to death. I was hesitant and wanted to return the purchase initially because the jacket was a little too edgy for me as I tend to gravitate towards more classic pieces. However, I quickly learned that this jacket would become one of my staples during the fall/ early winter and even spring time.

Recent Jewelry Purchases & Reviews

I didn't do any shopping on Black Friday this year, and instead took advantage of online sales during Cyber Monday.

NORDSTROM is one of my all time favorite stores (hassle free returns, and great customer service). They were having an extra 25% off of sale items between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, so I browsed the sale section almost everyday during the period and made several different orders. I'm reviewing some jewelry pieces I picked up during this sale.

Side note - this HORLOWE AND GRAHAM SLUB TEXTURED JACKET is probably one of my favorite purchases this fall. It's still available online for $49.95. The texture is great and makes it look more expensive and dressy than what it actually is (a sweatshirt, essentially). For reference I'm wearing PXS.

First up is the TRIPLE CHEVRON NECKLACE

I was a little skeptical about this necklace when I placed it into my shopping cart since the final price was only $5.98 on sale from $20. I was pleasantly surprised when this arrived a couple of days ago. The quality is great, and the material looks more expensive than it is. The chevron has little hammered details on it (you can see this on the close up picture below.)

Adding simple pieces like this to a very basic top can elevate the entire look. I love wearing these by themselves, or even layering several delicate necklaces together for a more modern edge like I've pictured above.

Over the Knee Boot Reviews//Stuart Weitzman 5050's, Mainline, and Via Spiga Alto

Today, I will be reviewing several pairs of black over the knee boots with you. I purchased my first pair (by Halston) about 6 years ago, but sadly I wore them to death, and was in search of a new pair for the last couple of years.

Last year, I ended up purchasing a pair of DOLCE VITA MERIS after trying on at least a dozen different pairs of OTK boots. They weren't perfect; the calves were too big, but I justified the leather alterations after purchasing them on super sale for about $100. Here is a picture of my wearing them after alterations.

The leather on these boots is thick and very sturdy - I was actually very impressed; I wore it through rain and snow.

These have a zipper going down the entire back, but I wanted a pair of plain OTK boots that could be paired with dresses and skirts.

Anyways, my search continued for a perfect pair of over the knee boots. I recently tried on 3 pairs of over the knee boots: the oh so popular STUART WEITZMAN 5050, MAINLINE, and VIA SPIGA ALTO.

Alto (left) 5050 (right). I love the sleekness of the pointed toe of the Alto.

Alto (left) 5050 (right). Notice the height difference between the 2. Alto is 2 inches taller.

STUART WEITZMAN 5050: these have about a 1 inch heel, 13/14 inch opening, and are 22 inches tall. I'm not sure if I've ever felt a softer leather on a shoe. The fit of these boots is what won me over. The tight fit of these makes the boots seamless and elongates my legs. The top reaches 2 inches above my knee. The only downside to this was it's steep price tag - $655 for a pair of boots was way too much in my opinion. However I was able to price match these during a 35% off sale. These run about 0.5-1 whole size too large depending on the width of your feet. I am typically a 6, ended up purchasing a 5.5, but felt that I could have sized down to a 5.

VIA SPIGA ALTO: These have a 2 inch stacked heel, 12 inch opening (great for TINY legs!), and are 23 inches tall. The leather on these boots feel thicker and sturdier than any Stuart Weitzman's I've tried, making them low maintenance and possibly more durable. These have a zipper that run half way down the inside - this was a plus in my opinion, because it can prevent possible over stretching in the ankle area. The 6's felt very snug around my legs, and the foot area are true to size. Since these have a 2 inch stacked heel, they do add some more height than the other two options. The only downside was the back of this boot reaches above the bend of the knee, so can be a little uncomfortable while sitting. This may not be an issue for those taller than 5'4. These are typically $495, more affordable than the SW, but not by much. NORDSTROM is currently having a 40% off sale making these $296. These are also available in all sizes on zappos.

STUART WEITZMAN MAINLINE BOOT:  These have about a 1 inch hidden platform, 13 inch opening, and are 19 inches tall. I tried these boots on at the Off 5th Saks outlet store (sorry for the lack of pictures). These are about 3 inches shorter than the 5050 boots, and barely passed my knees. The leather quality felt just as good as the 5050 boots, but these are more of a knee high boot if you're over 5'2. These are marked to $349 on the OFF 5TH WEBSITE, but were $299 in stores two days ago, and may still be offering that price. These run about 1/2 a size too big (not as roomy as the 5050) I tried on a 5, and were extremely tight, so a 5.5 would have been perfect. I loved the pointier toe box on these - I think they do a better job elongating the legs than the 5050, and have a more feminine look.

My Top Cyber Monday 2015 Deals

It's that time of year again when the sales roll in in preparation for the holiday season. I've gathered my top retailers and deals for you.


In addition to the sales, I highly recommend using EBATES to get cash back for almost all online purchases. They are currently offering 6% cashback for Nordstrom, 10% at Lord & Taylor, 12% at Neiman Marcus.

Here are some of my top picks - Stack with EBATES for a better deal!


J.Crew - 30-40% all items with code MONDAY
- Stadium Cloth Cocoon Coat; my REVIEW HERE
- Lady Coat with Thinsulate - I have 00 in Navy. See ON ME

J.Crew Factory 
 50% off everything, with additional 15% with code TODAYONLY. I recently purchased the Factory City Coat and it's my new favorite jacket. It's $96 after code, but combine it with 9% CASHBACK on Ebates, making this coat $85! My review HERE (see ON ME)

Nordstrom 
 They are price matching most retailers with an extra 25% off sale/clearance items with 6% cashback on EBATES.
There's a great selection of over the knee boots. I have the Stuart Weitzman 5050, but the VIA SPIGA OVER THE KNEE BOOTS are a great alternative for over 50% off (final price $222 from $495). I have these; and they are great for small calves!

J. Crew Factory City Coat Review

I recently took a trip to my local J.Crew Factory store and tried on the CITY COAT. The City Coat ($228) is reminiscent of J.Crew's Stadium-Cloth Cocoon Coat ($350) at 2/3 the cost and is a wool-blend. 

You can see the similarities between the two below (City Coat on the top and Stadium-cloth Cocoon Coat is on the bottom:

I think the City Coat is great for late fall and early winter in New Enland; it is probably not thick enough to battle the blistering Boston winter - I will stick with my J.Crew Double Cloth Lady Coat with Thinsulate for those cold days.

The ended up purchasing the coat in the color heather stone, since I don't have anything like that, for $114. I don't think I would purchase this at its full price of $228  since the Cocoon Coat can be purchased at almost the same price during a 25% off sale.

As for sizing - this coat is a boxy/over-sized fit, so I think the sizing may be a little off. My coats from J.Crew are 00, however I ended up purchasing the Factory City Coat in a P00. There is only an inch differnce in legth between the regular and petite sizing. However the real issue for me was the sleeve length - the 00 was way too long and covered half my hand; the petite was surprisingly perfect.

Here's a picture of me wearing the 00P. The length was great; it hit mid-thigh. (I'm 5'4, 105lbs for reference).

There's plenty of room for layering thick sweaters underneath.

Louis Vuitton Monogram vs. Damiere Ebene

I've always wanted a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag for as long as I could remember, but regrettably never purchased one since the price keeps increasing for these bags. Last year alone, there were two price increases on the Speedy's.  A few weeks ago, I came home to a giant Louis Vuitton box and inside was the Speedy Bandouliere 35 that my husband surprised me with. The 35 was much larger than I expected, and with the straps on the Bandouliere style, the bag resembled an smaller over-night travel bag.

Over the next 2 weeks, I made 4 trips to my local Louis Vuitton  trying on different sizes and styles. My dilema was: 

      1. Keeping the 35 or exchanging it for the 30

      2. Which pattern? Monogram vs. Damiere Ebene

While at the store, the sales associates made suggestions for alternative styles, but I knew I wanted to keep the speedy. After all, the speedy is number 3 on the top 10 classic handbags of all time list- the Speedy was originally created in 1930, and it's more popular than ever now!

In my head, I debated between the 35 and 30. I travel quote frequently for work, so the 35 would have been great for traveling - there was more than enough room in it for an ipad, laptop, scarf, and even a sweater. However the 35 looked a little too large on me as an everyday bag. 

My second problem was the pattern - I was originally gifted with the monogram, but after doing more in-depth research, I shied away from it.

MONOGRAM PRINT-

PROS: 

• Light colored handles made the bag more versatile while pairing with different outfits/colors and could be used all 4 seasons
• Classic recognizable logos (althought this could be a negative as well)
• This is the pattern I've always wanted

CONS:

• Vachetta leather on the handles and straps. When the bag is new the leather on the handles and straps is a beautiful light beige color, and over time it darkens with use (although some people prefer the darker color). This darkening process is called patina. I didn't mind patina, but my fear was the color change would not be uniform across all the leather, and didn't want to end up with spotty handles and straps. (Please see photo below for patina process).
• High maintenance - the sales associate told me not to touch the handles after applying hand lotion, hand sanitizer, and definitely not while my hands were damp after a wash - all of these would cause spotting on the light colored leather. She said it was best if I didn't use it very often.