early access : round one

I (and every other blogger on Instagram) enjoy referring to Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale as "Christmas in July." 

(John enjoys referring to it as THINGS I CAN'T REPEAT IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN. He's adorable like that.) 

Shopping the sale isn't hard y'all. Figuring out which one of your kids still gets to attend college is the hard part. Calm down, I'm kidding. 

(It's obviously Ally Grace.)

Yesterday, I had a chance to go preview the sale a day early. (And NO, it's not because I'm such a fancy, big-time blogger. It's more because I can't be trusted not to walk away with ALL THE THINGS and Nordstrom knows this.)

I had a mature and responsible game plan. I was going to avoid jackets and shoes, and instead focus on key pieces currently lacking in my wardrobe.

(Which does NOT include shoes of any kind, because if I add to my shoe collection, it's probably going to organize and form an army against me.)  I was PLANNING to be all budget-y, and "is this really a NEED?" ish.

But then shoes happened. And hooded moto jackets happened. And I think you can guess the rest. 

*walks out five hours later with 6 bags, 3 jackets, and 9 pairs of shoes.

AHEM. 

Um, hi Sherri, that's great and all, but can ya show us the actual clothes now?

Why yes. Yes I can. (Now that I've battled technical difficulties for the last 5 hours and considered throwing my computer out the window).

*crazy laughs and pounds espresso

Let's get into it, shall we? First up, THE GOOD.

rails button down | nordstrom brand leather skirt | leith booties

First of all, these shoes have been on my list since I saw the catalog. I'd say top 5 on my wish list for sure. They did not disappoint! I'm wearing my normal size 8.5 in these. They also happen to be an excellent dupe of a much pricier (but still super fun) option. 

The plaid button down is a staple every year, and it's because it's super flattering and SOFT LIKE UNICORN WINGS. I unbuttoned the bottom two buttons, and knotted it. I also sized up one to a large, because I like things a little oversized. 

And this freaking leather skirt. I wanted to hate it. I tried really hard. Because even on sale it's too expensive. SO, scroll through for a few different ways to style this bad boy. Since I need to come up with about 37 options in order to justify the price.

caslon shirt dress (under $50!) | louise et cie bootie (these are a more muted red than in this picture, just fyi)

Y'all, this dress was honestly the biggest surprise of the sale for me. I would have skipped right over this one, but when I put it on, I FELL A LITTLE IN LOVE. It's soft. It's super comfy. I can wear it with basically any of the shoes in my closet, AND it's under $50. Plus, how cute are these red booties? I'll admit it; I was being super lazy and just didn't want to change my shoes from the outfit before. Let's just file this entire thing under "happy accidents." Here are a few other pieces I would use to style this dress, because if we can wear it multiple ways, we are INVESTING OUR MONEY. Or something like that.

topshop wrap top | topshop midi skirt | blanknyc hooded moto jacket | stuart weitzman slouch boot

Me and my intern for the day. I'm teaching her the importance of taking your job seriously. 

So, this top and skirt combo are super matchy, which is very in right now. I love the colors and the asymmetrical hem on the skirt. I'm not positive I'm going to keep the top, but the skirt is super fun. I'm wearing a US size 6 in both (I always size up in TOPSHOP.)   

NOW. Let me drop a little truth bomb. THIS JACKET WILL SELL OUT. It's the BlankNYC faux-leather jacket everyone obsessed over last year, but they've added a detachable hood. The black has amazing rose gold detail, and there's a teal color that has me all kinds of shook. 

I can't even defend these boots. They are hella expensive. AND there's a solid chance that I'll get them dirty in about 5 minutes. But if ever there is a time to buy Stuart Weitzman shoes, IT IS NOW.

another way to style this skirt would be with a cute white sweater, like this BP version.

trouve sweater | veronica beard denim (on regular sale, no early access required- 40% off!) | lewit slingback

I KNEW I would love this sweater the moment I saw it. Sign me up for color blocking, always. Plus it's super light, and since it'll probably be 92 degrees in December, light sweaters are our friends. I'm wearing a small, and I'd say it runs slightly large, as I'm usually a medium in tops. (Also, online I think it calls this color red and not orange. But online is wrong.)

Now let's discuss the lavender elephant in the room. These shoes weren't even gonna get taken out of the box, if I'm being honest. But the cut of the shoe is too good to pass up, so I gave it a shot. Y'ALL. These shoes are insanely flattering. And the lavender is so fun, especially with the orange of the sweater. Another happy accident of a look, and I'm here for it. 

P.S. Lavender IS ALL OVER THE SALE Y'ALL. It's gonna be big for fall, so make your peace with it. (Or ya know, just wear what you wanna wear. Either way.)

P.P.S. Pretend these aren't all the wrong colors. (I mean, I actually like all these options too. But just click on the item to see the colors pictured above.)

halogen tweed midi skirt | halogen striped top | louise et cie bootie

I have people ask all the time for workwear ideas. And I'm not gonna pretend like I'm so good at workwear, because I'm not. Unless you "work" at a yoga studio. AHEM. But, I USED to get dressed up like a fancy ladyboss, so I gave it a shot.

Pencil skirts are amaze, and this one is super cute. It didn't fit me very well (tight in hips, loose in waist. Story of my life.) It was almost cute enough to get it altered, but I KNOW me. And "altered" basically just means "has really great intentions but will let it sit on the floor of my closet for the next year.)

Remember to check the Anniversary Sale tab at the top of this page, for an updated list of my personal favorites! Feel free to message me with any questions about fit, size, or how annoying I plan to be during this sale.  PLUS, I'm announcing the winner of my Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway (for you AND your bestie!) tomorrow, so head over to my Instagram and enter (if you haven't already)! 

Happy shopping y'all,