Month: July 2016

The 2016 Anniversary Sale is Live!

Its here!!! The 2016 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is live! Were you up at midnight pacific time to shop? They did things a little differently this year with no downtime to the website like in previous years. There were also none of the anniversary items loaded in advance (at least none reported!) Several people including me had trouble with the site. I had the same dress added to my cart 18 times as I clicked through various pages.

I went to the store and here’s some of the highlights and misses.

Designer

The Alexander Wang Darcy Hobo sold out super fast. If you are still lusting over it, you need to be online at the stroke of midnight when the public sale opens. I think that is your best shot at scoring one of those. I talked to a sales associate at the store today and the beet color sold out to Level 4 customers yesterday within the first hour!  Wow!  I saw the bag online at midnight but only in 2 of the 3 colors (black and latte), so I think that is probably why–all of the hobos in beet were already gone!

The 3.1 Phillip Lim Quill bags were also sold very quickly. As of right now, the mini Soleil chain bag is still for sale on the website in Cherry.

I saw the Yigal Azrouel sweater in store and it is so soft. The Burberry Brit Craysmore cropped peacoat was super cute, but that style just doesn’t work for me so I didn’t try it on. The material felt very nice though.

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There were some Missoni scarves that I hadn’t heard anyone talk about. They were gorgeous!

Missoni Scarves - Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
Missoni Scarves – Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

 

Handbags

The new Marc Jacobs bags were all very nice. I really like the grey leather that they use and the gold hardware. I have this combo in the form of a Classic Q Natasha in the old Marc by Marc Jacobs line. The hobo was very large.  I think the tote shown here was nicer.

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There was a pink Coach Crosby 24 bag that I thought was very cute. Love this shade of pink!

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Shoes

The shoe tent is always a zoo so I didn’t stay too long. I checked out the AGLs this year and thought that the AGL Blakely studded flats were cute, but the Kristin Block heel was a pass for me. The AGL Frankie Tall Wedge was amazing and SO SO LIGHT.  All 3 of these AGLs are Made in Italy.

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There was a La Canadienne boot and Blondo boot that I also liked.

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The Tory Burch flats looked cute but I didn’t try on. I liked the pewter snake (the shiny one) color a lot.

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2016 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Shopping Tips

Early Access for the 2016 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts TOMORROW!  OMG I can hardly contain myself.  According to the online chat customer service, the website will be updated at midnight PST with everything available in the sale.  I will definitely be staying up to see what they unveil!  I also have a shopping appointment tomorrow during the day with one of my friends.  We go every year together and its now an unofficial tradition of ours 🙂

After shopping the sale for a number of years now, there are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way that I’d like to share.

1. Know what goes fast and go for that first

Nordstrom Hinge Victoriana Jacket
This Nordstrom Hinge Victoriana Jacket sold out instantly on the first day.

There are always 1-2 hot items from the sale that will sell out immediately.  One year, it was Tory Burch boots.  Another year it was the beautiful jacket above that was featured on the cover of the catalog.  This year, I’m not quite sure what it will be.  Perhaps the Veronica Beard Jacket (page 4, item #5159429) or maybe the Vince color block coat (page 12, item #5149611). If you aren’t able to shop early access, or if the item you want sells out, don’t worry, there is separate stock allocated to the public sale as well.

2. Be a Nordstrom Card Holder!

Nordstrom Visa Signature Card
Nordstrom Visa Signature Card

Nordstrom card holders get to shop Early Access which starts 8 days before the public sale.  This is great for the impatient shopper like me who wanted to see the catalog in June!  Haha!  Nordstrom card holders also have special perks like free alterations and when you shop enough to be in the higher levels, there are things like invitations to the holiday party and private parties.  I’ve been to the holiday party and it is SO MUCH FUN.  Not to mention, the past few years it has been 10 points per $1 spent on your Nordstrom card!  You can choose to use your personal triple points day when you make your big order too, for extra points.

3. Make an appointment with a sales associate

If you typically shop with a stylist all year round, then this will be easy. I’m sure your sales associate will have already called you to make an appointment!  If you’re like me and don’t normally shop with a sales associate then you’ll have to just find someone to book with.  I called my favorite department a few weeks ago and booked an appointment with someone.  Working with a sales associate is great because they can help you track down your favorite items and they can also help pull all of the items you’re interested in and put them aside in a room for you so that you don’t have to deal with the chaos of the first shopping day if you don’t want to.

4. Make a list of what you want from each department

In preparation for your shopping appointment, make a list of all the must-see items from each department you want to visit so you don’t forget anything.  If you’re shopping the first day of early access or the first day of the public sale, it gets pretty crazy in the store.  If I don’t make a list, I tend to forget about things and I will blow my budget and forget to buy some of the essentials I came for!  I try to mark down department by department what items I want to check out in the catalog.

Will you be shopping the sale on Thursday (or next Friday)?  I will be online at midnight eagerly awaiting the site re-opening with the Anniversary items, then at the store on Thursday bright and early!  Can’t wait to see what you all get! 🙂

 

My list for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

I’ve been busy making my shopping list for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale by talking to sales associates, checking IG and googling for as much intel as I can find!

Here’s what is currently on my list:

Barefoot Dreams – Drape Front Cardigan

Barefoot Dreams Drape Front Cardigan
Barefoot Dreams Drape Front Cardigan

The Barefoot Dreams drape front cardigan is BACK and thank goodness it is!  This was one of the most popular items last year and I’m so glad it is part of the sale again.  My sources say that the pewter, stone/cocoa ombre and pewter/black ombre colorways will be part of the sale.  Shown above in the pewter/black ombre which is stunning!  I also love the velvet plum/aubergine colorway but unfortunately that one is not part of the sale.

I’ve been told that the Barefoot Dreams Circle cardigan and a travel shawl will also be part of the sale.

 Michele Watch

I don’t normally wear a watch but this Michele watch is so gorgeous its really more like a piece of jewelry. I love the diamonds all around.

Zella Leggings

Zella Live In Leggings
Zella Live In Leggings

I always pick up a few pairs of Zella leggings to add to my collection and replace any that are 2-3 years old and are starting to look a little faded and worn. This year I would like 1 more pair of the bootcut and 1 more pair of the full length Live In Leggings. I have plenty of the Live In capri length, but those are my absolute favorite to wear!  (Btw – for those of you who are new to the brand, the material is more matte than shiny. I find Lucy yoga pants to be shinier and same with Lululemon).

I forgot to confirm with a SA about whether or not these 3 items will be part of the sale, but they have been for as long as I can remember.

What’s on your list for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?  Staples, trend items or are you searching for something special for yourself or a loved one?

Tips for Travel Planning with TripAdvisor

Trip-Advisor-logo2

Whenever I’m planning a trip, I make extensive use of TripAdvisor.com to figure out which hotel I want to stay in, what interesting things I want to put on my to do list and how to handle some of the finer points of logistics of traveling.

For instance, when I planned my trip to Maui last year, I read many complimentary reviews and critical reviews of the property I was interested in staying at. TripAdvisor even has a way to filter out reviews for travelers who are similar to you.  I generally check out what Families have to say since that is who I am usually traveling with. A business traveler often has different needs — for instance, no requirements for a kid friendly pool or activities!  I also noticed that they have added “Time of Year” as a filter since that is also critical–high season travel will often be crowded and you want to know if the resort has sufficient amenities to accommodate all travelers!

TripAdvisorReviewFilters

Another great feature of TripAdvisor is the FORUMS! I love being able to ask other travelers questions and I’ve picked up some amazing tips here. For instance, one of the most memorable parts of my trip to Italy was visiting the Vatican. It was in the forums that I learned about the Scavi tour, a little known underground tour of the Vatican catacombs. This was an amazing experience and one that I would have never read about in a guidebook.

I’ve also been able to ask on the forums about how train strikes work in Europe. Again, on our trip to Italy, train personnel were scheduled to strike on a particular day. We were scheduled to travel to Switzerland on that day and I was wondering if the train would make it to Switzerland or if it would stop at the specified time, or if they would stop at the closest station and walk off the job. The wonderful contributors on the forums assured me that my train would make it to Switzerland and it did!

I always try to write up a review of the hotel I stayed in — particularly if I’m able to help out another traveler. I just feel like its a great way to pay it back to the community that helped make my trip a success!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts on Thursday at midnight!

Anyone else getting excited for the Nordstrom Anniversary sale?  Just a reminder that early access for cardholders starts on Thursday at midnight PST (aka Wednesday after dinner if you’re on the west coast, or 3am Thursday on the east coast).  The public sale starts July 22nd.

I went to the store today with some girlfriends and saw that the early access tents are already being setup. I can’t wait to see what goodies will be inside!

If you’re not a rewards member, don’t forget to sign up here for a free $10 Note to spend during the anniversary sale!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale tents being setup