Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Wishlist

Every July, when it’s hot as hell outside, I start to thinking about my fall wardrobe. Some of my best pieces (and bargains) have come from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. Case in point - my over the knee boots (this season’s update here), Frye Bag and brown leather boots were all sale purchases. Some things are 50% off or more which is kind of amazing for a before the season sale. I’ve been eyeing a new pair of jeans and maybe some short booties. There are some leather pieces I really love too, but I need to decide if that’s really practical for this stage in my life (which is a whole other can of worms I’ve been pondering lately).  Right now it’s early access (meaning you have to have a Nordstrom card to shop) but for the rest of us commoners, the general sale starts this Thursday. It’s also no pressure because Nordstrom is great about returns. Click on any image for more details! 

FOOTWEAR

JEANS

HANDBAGS

TOPS AND JACKETS

JEWELRY

Also! I made a Pinterest board of all of my fall ideas (some on sale, some from other sites) that I’m going to keep updating as I plan my budget! I’m also getting some great ideas for DIY projects and sewing! 

What I Wore | Artistic Type

WhatIWore: A long time ago, I remember watching a backstage interview with Marc Jacobs talking about a collection. He said his muse was a 1970s art teacher and for some reason, that vision has stuck with me ever since! Every time I wear black with a bold necklace (and people, this is bold for me, I hardly ever wear jewelry!) or this color palette (black, burgundy, cognac brown), I feel like that woman! 

Believe it or not, I taught two semesters of fashion illustration at IU a few years back and part of me hopes that when my own kids are off at school I might have a chance to get back into it. I even started illustrating a fashion coloring book last winter, but you know, life, so it was never completed.  These days all of my projects are things to wear (like this or this) or for Baby Girl (I’m making her a quilt now!)

When: October 4, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’
Dress: ASOS Maternity (regular sizes here)
Jacket: Thrifted, altered (more options here)
Necklace: Madewell 
Bag: Coach (similar here)
Scarf: Vintage, Dior
Boots: gift of Rockport from last winter

Where: Coffee Shop

I’ve also got to talk about this jacket and scarf. Between my freshman and sophomore years in college, I worked in a factory over the summer and if I remember correctly, made about $8/hr, which back then, was like gold! For the first time in my life, I had some real spending money, so where did I go? Goodwill! I was juuuuust starting to get into vintage clothing and I remember the day I found this jacket. It used to be long (seen here) and has such a bad ass 70s vibe. I feel like I should be an undercover cop (or maybe aforementioned art teacher?) wearing it. The scarf is also from Goodwill and it’s Christian Dior (here’s how I wore it in 2008) . When I found it in a bin or old scarves, panty hose and underwear (why do they put them all together like that?!) I had this moment of oh god, don’t let anyone else realize what I’ve found! I FOUND A CHRISTIAN DIOR SCARF!!! Shopping second hand gives a thrill like no other!

And finally, for whatever it’s worth, Felix picked out my shoes today. Red. Boots! he demanded. Ok little man, burgundy boots will work. 

See Also: Two other ways I’ve styled this jacket (with a little white dress here or a black maxi here) 

What I Wore | Garden Variety

WhatIWore: Here’s what I wore over the weekend to check out a new cafe in Jasper, IN called Brew. They’re a coffee shop in the morning and a restaurant by night and they’re carrying lots of craft Indiana beers and Cardinal Spirits, so Adam and I wanted to check it out. If you’re in the area, you’ll love it!! 

Felix stayed behind in Bloomington with Nana and Paw Paw so Adam and I could make a date of it, and I wore a black knit dress that was the perfect canvas for my embroidered denim jacket. I love it so much! From the front, it still has a really neutral appeal but from the back… surprise!! party time!! 

When: September 4, 2016

What:
Necklace: Madewell (on sale!)
Dress: ASOS Maternity (regular sizes here)
Denim Jacket: Embroidered by me!
Booties: Rag + Bone ‘Newbury’

Where: Morning road trip to Jasper

I did a little searching and found a handful of similar shopable jackets, but fair warning - they’re not cheap! Rightly so - even done on a machine, this kind of thing takes a lot of time! My jacket was probably between 30-40 hours of work!