I know you girls have been dying to see today's post since I teased it on Wednesday.
But before we get started, I just want to say how thankful I am for all of you.
Because you are all just the sweetest.
Like the ABSOLUTE sweetest.
And you have the kindest hearts.
Everybody was just thrilled to pieces for Candace and left the most lovely comments, and that made me smile. I seriously just walked around on Wednesday with the goofiest smile all day long.
Many of you also supported Candace and her family by buying one of her cute shirts! Thank you!
In addition to the "Autism Different Not Less" shirt from Wednesday, you can also click HERE for the baseball tee one that I have on below. Soooo cute!
This exact style is also available in a Warrior Mom tee HERE.
I am just so so proud that all of you that read this blog are all so sweet and supportive.
Truly, your comments blew me away. Candace too. She was overwhelmed with all of it in the best way possible!
So, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING AWESOME!
If you didn't see the first post, you need to (and you need to read the comments too)! Click HERE to read about how this contest came to be and to learn a little bit about today's Special Mama!
And if you are a mom yourself (especially if you are the mom of a child with special needs), click HERE to check out Candace's blog. She just recently started it, but it's inspiring!
This little portion of one of her posts touched me deeply:
Counting was the first academic skill that Camden accomplished entirely on his own. That was a big ol turning point for us. In the next couple of months that followed, we discovered that he could receptively identify his colors and shapes. The alphabet and sight words came shortly thereafter.
And certainly, the message of HOPE is huge for us. Maybe it’s the melancholy in me, but one of my very favorite verses is from Proverbs 13:12. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” While I have never been without hope, I have certainly longed and ached for various things. Words. Eye contact. Shared interests. To hear “mama” or “I love you.” Those longings have been fulfilled, and boy did it feel good.
If you're a mama who is struggling with hope, Candace's words will be good for you to hear!
Okay..let's get started on our NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE SHOPPING SPREE!!!!!
By the way, I've already decided that I'm going to do this every year during the Nordstrom Sale. I will continue to honor special moms throughout the year, but every year during the sale I will take one mama to Nordstrom and we will DO IT UP RIGHT!!!!
It's going to be an ANNUAL event!!!!
Remember, Candace had $1000 to spend at Nordstrom to update her closet with great pieces.
We wanted her to get the most bang for her buck, and we wanted her to have pieces that we knew would be staples for years to come.
We went back and forth between all 3 clothing departments upstairs pulling TONS and TONS of things for Candace to try on. It took us probably around 45 minutes or so to do this.
And we took it all to one dressing room because we wanted to have it all in one place.
FUN doesn't even being to describe our day.
In fact, I kept on telling Candace that it was the most fun I've had shopping EVER.
And that's saying somethin'. :)
The first thing Candace tried on was THIS quilted sweatshirt. Doesn't it look great on her?
I had tried it on last week and liked it enough to feature it, but as soon as I saw her in it I started questioning why I hadn't purchased it for myself. Because GREATNESS.
It's soft and cozy and just cute!
You could throw this "sweatshirt" on with jeans and look totally pulled together.
Click HERE.
$58.90 / After Sale $88
I just had to put on the other color and hop in a picture with her.
Don't you think we could be sisters?
Click HERE for the cream and grey.
Click HERE for the black and grey.
$58.90 / After Sale $88
For size reference, I was wearing a small, and I think Candace was too.
Yeah, I'm going to have to get this top for myself. It's just so dang cute.
And when you pair the cute factor with the COMFY factor, COUNT. ME. IN.
I see it with my skinny jeans and my Frye boots.
I also see it with my cuffed jeans and my new BP booties! Most people said they needed to order a 1/2 size up in the booties, so keep that in mind if ordering a pair for yourself.
I just can't decide if I want the cream or the black in the top!
I better not take too long deciding.....
In the picture above Candace was wearing the Vigoss tomboy jeans.
And she LOVED them.
Duh. Because they're awesome.
Sadly, they are still not available online! Boo!
However, THESE are similar (not on sale, but still only $58). They are definitely more fitted and more of a skinny jean, but they are still a really great pair of jeans. I have them and I wear them with tall boots and love them! But I also cuff them to wear with flats and booties and
think they look great!
They have awesome reviews, so check them out HERE.
I also had Candace try on THESE and she loved them too.
I bought these for myself during the sale and talked about them last week. For size reference, I got a 5. They are soooooo perfect for tunics and tall boots because they are fitted, stretchy,
and the perfect length.
And because of all those qualities, THEY DON'T SCRUNCH AT ALL when tucked into tall boots!
#stayawayfromscrunchykneejeans
Click HERE.
$37.90 / After Sale $58
YES. I said THIRTY SEVEN DOLLARS and 90 CENTS.
FOR JEANS.
I KNOW.
Candace tried on THIS sweater which she had seen me feature (last week) in green.
And y'all. This DARLING sweater with the elbow patches (LOVE LOVE LOVE the elbow patches) is soooo affordable.
Click HERE for striped options and click HERE for solid options (and I'm really liking the red with the brown elbow patches a lot)!
$24.90 / After Sale $38
For size reference, Candace and I both took a small in this sweater.
(I got an e-mail today from a reader that said she sized up because it was juniors, and she wished she hadn't. The sweater seem to run a little big, so for a fitted look, go with your true size.)
And if you notice, she is wearing THIS Stella and Dot Sanibel pendant necklace that she just got in her goody bag! Doesn't it look great with the sweater?
Candace knew she wanted a military jacket, so she tried a couple on that we saw.
Click HERE for the dark grey twill jacket (with a super cute back!).
It's $98 and not on sale, but it had a really cute fit.
Click HERE for the khaki jacket Candace is wearing on the right. We ordered this one for her online in military green in a medium (she's wearing a large in the jacket in the "rose" color which is definitely just a really good khaki and not "rose" at all). In fact, I liked the khaki color A LOT.
Candace, don't you have a little money left? Do you need the khaki too?
It's on sale for only $37.90!
After this we broke for lunch, and the sweet ladies at Stonebriar just kept our dressing room doors locked so we could come back after we grabbed a bite!
We met Shay at Tin Star in the food court and of course had some brisket tacos!
We had the best time just sharing stories about our families!
Candace left a sweet comment after the post on Wednesday, and here's just a part of it:
"I actually think the heart-to-heart over brisket tacos with you and Shay was the highlight. You are beautiful women inside and out!"
You should have heard everything we talked about at lunch!
We got deep into some things, and we also shared some HILARIOUS stories.
But listen, what happens at the mall food court STAYS at the mall food court. Right girls?
#i'llnevertell
;)
We could just kick ourselves for not getting a picture together. We were just having too much fun and didn't think about it!
Thank you Shay for rearranging your schedule in the morning (and thank you Lovie for coming early for the kids!) so you could be there to take the pictures when Candace got all of her stuff (see post HERE). And we're so glad you got to grab a bite with us too!
We thought it was best to give our brisket tacos time to settle (although Candace only ordered 1, and I almost decided to not be her friend anymore because of it) so we headed to the shoe department. We also knew that shoes and boots were going to take a good part of the budget, and we wanted to know what we were going to spend on shoes before we went back up to the clothes.
Because we're savvy shoppers.
And because we love shoes.
:)
She tried on THESE, and although we both totally LOVED them (I mean, look at that detail on the back!) and Candace said they were super comfortable, we decided it made more sense for her to get some flats that were more year-round.
(But if you are looking for a spring and summer shoe, check 'em out!)
Click HERE (Not on sale and $69.95).
She also tried on THESE Sperry's that ARE included in the Anniversary Sale!
We liked them, but they weren't quite what she was looking for.
Still, very cute and versatile and a great price right now! If you're a Sperry lover, you need to snatch these babies up! They were neutral with some spunk.
$59.90 / After Sale $89.95
Click HERE.
Okay. So THESE are actually my shoes c/o Yosi Samra that I brought from home.
I brought them for Candace to try on because I knew they no longer had them in store at Nordstrom, but I suspected that she would love them (we talked about how she wanted an animal print flat).
So, click HERE for these snakeskin flats at Nordstrom (only 7s and 10s left)
Sale price right now $51.56.
But if snakeskin isn't your thing, or if your size isn't available, click HERE for all Yosi Samra available at Nordstrom right now! Lots of really great choices!
These little puppies fold up and you can throw them in your bag!
And yes, they are crazy comfy.
And of course we had to get her a nude flat. Of course. :)
She ended up liking THESE Sam Edelman's the best. And even though they weren't on sale, I convinced her that they would become such a staple and she would never doubt that they were worth the money.
Click HERE for these nude leather flats. $89.95.
We also went into our shopping trip knowing that she was wanting a new pair of black boots.
She tried on 2 different pairs that we didn't like (one of them looked too cheap and one of them looked too cowboy-ish), but when she put THESE on we knew immediately.
The guy helping us said they were a very popular boot because of the quality, the appearance of the leather, and the comfort.
Click HERE for these awesome boots at an amazing price!
$189.90 / After Sale $279.95
They also come in a dark brown and a grey!
They look grey in the two pictures on the right, but that's just due to the lighting. The picture on the left is more representative of how the black boots actually look. They are a true black.
Love the detailing of the wrap around straps and buckle!
So, she got the Sam Edelman nude flats and the Ecco black boots (and she ordered some Yosi Samras online because they don't carry them at Northpark), and then we headed back up to try on the rest of her clothes.
Candace loved THIS tunic, and so did I, but in the end we passed on it. Although seeing her in it here, I'm questioning our decision?!?
I know we decided to pass since it was $99 and we felt it was too memorable (which means you would have to really think about it every time you wore it to make sure nobody would be all "Well, here comes Candace in that shirt again!), but dang she sure is cute in it!
Click HERE for the tunic!
And look! She has on her new Kimberly necklace (found HERE)!
I can't find this striped tee, but if you know the link, please leave it!
Click HERE for the leopard infinity scarf that is $12.90 right now!
Think how cute it would be with a military jacket or a denim jacket!
$12.90 / $20 After Sale
Click HERE for this simple tee that's only $15.90 right now during the sale!
LOTS of color options. Candace was wearing a small.
Great by itself, and great for layering!
And check out the KIMBERLY NECKLACE again! It makes even a plain t-shirt seem WOW!
And check her out in the short sleeve Pleione shirts!
This shirt comes in lots of different color and pattern choices and is just cute as can be! And we were surprised, but we actually liked the blue shirt with the jeans! And the gold necklace just really sets it off, don't ya think?
$29.90 / After Sale $48
Click HERE.
We ended up passing on the above shirt, because one of the Nordstrom girls told us it wasn't on sale, even though I thought it was.
When I was looking for the link for the post, I found it ON SALE!
I texted the following to Candace, and her response cracked me up (I am in dark blue and she is in white)!
Yes, sweet salesgirl. Please don't question my Nordstrom sale knowledge.
And YOU KNOW we had to get her the NEW and IMPROVED MUST HAVE shirt!
Like I've said before, it's more fitted and has nicer details than last year's shirt.
And it really is way better than last year's shirt, and I probably wore last year's shirt no less than 30 times last year. Please, don't judge me.
Well, she LOVED IT.
Of course she did.
Because what's not to love.
Click HERE.
$37.90 / After Sale $58
And listen, fair warning, if you don't get this now ladies, you are going to kick yourself when you see me wearing it once a week come fall. Because I'm telling you, I can't get enough. And then it's going to cost you $58.
Remember I suggest to size down, Candace was wearing an x-small (and I have an x-small too).
Also remember that although there are a ton of other colors to choose from, they all show lots of wrinkles, which is why the black is my favorite.
Okay peeps.
HOLD THE PHONE.
Like seriously.
HOLD THE FREAKING PHONE.
It's NOT on sale, but we didn't even care.
Check out THIS tunic. $68.
We saw it and immediately thought it would look amazing with tall boots and
the MUST HAVE leggings.
{Sidenote here: If you don't have the must have leggings yet, correct that right now. The ultra wide waistband at the top sucks you in and corrects muffin top (not that I would personally know anything about that! ha!), they aren't see through at all, and they wash perfectly.
If you don't get them, you cray.}
And I have to say, I'm thinking we were both kind of genius because this tunic didn't really look like anything special on the hanger, but OH MY WORD at the DARLING once she put it on.
It looked good with her jeans, but it will look FANTASTIC with her leggings.
(She was smart and bought them last year).)
Click HERE for the tunic (comes in 3 colors), Candace is wearing charcoal.
Look how cute the back is with the band at the bottom!
For size reference, Candace is 5'4" and she is wearing an x-small/small.
Click HERE for this amazing tunic!
(If you're not a leggings person, it looks great with jeans too!)
And as you can see, it's plenty long for leggings and covers the crotchal region appropriately. :)
And we know how important that is.
Always remember what our friend Ryan has to say....
Actually, Ryan had even more to say last year on this very controversial topic....click HERE to read my original post entitled OPERATION COVER YOUR CROTCHAL AREA.
(And listen, I'm going to need you to just go ahead and act like crotchal is a real word.)
Here I am in 3 different outfits in my leggings last year. And as you can see, my crotchal area is appropriately covered in all pictures thankyouverymuch.
Okay, enough about the leggings, I just feel like it's my civic duty to let everybody know about them.
Now.
I must tell you.
Before we left the mall I made Candace come with me to the lingerie department to get a pair of the Hanky Pankies. She was unsure, but I insisted. We all know I can be pretty bossy.
And as if shopping with Candace all day wasn't enough fun, we also ran into this lady while picking up the Hanky Pankies.
This is Vanessa.
And we all owe Vanessa a huge "THANK YOU"!
And maybe a muffin basket.
Vanessa was in the Nordstrom lingerie department the day I tried on the blardigan for the first time. I was taking it off the hanger and she came over and started singing it's praises. And that's when I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with Vanessa because she is sweet as pie and an absolute hoot!
Make sure you say "hi" to her next time you are at the Stonebriar Nordstrom.
I'm wearing the amethyst and Vanessa is wearing the ombre.
Look how happy we are in our blardigans.
(No, these are not on sale. The "sale" ones are still out of stock. Sorry!)
Oh, for all of the new readers out there (I had several people e-mail me this week saying they had recently found my blog when searching for Anniversary Sale picks! yay!) click HERE if you want to read more information about the blardigan.
Here I am in it the first day I tried it on with my Vigoss skinny jeans and last year's version of the MUST HAVE shirt.
*And for the newbies...Yes, the blardigan is found in the lingerie department.
HOWEVER.
The fitted arms make it totally appropriate to wear outside of the house, which I do all the time.
I also wear it at home all the time. *
Okay. So that was it for our shopping trip.
STUPID. CRAZY. FUN.
Oooh wait. One more collage of us in the dressing room!
You seriously can't imagine the fun we had.
#becauseitwasunimaginable
#idon'tevenknowhatthatmeans
#itwasreallyfun
So, it was time to say good-bye, and Candace was THRILLED with her haul!
I however was feeling a little blue at this point because it was all over. I had been looking forward to this day for months, and I just wasn't ready for it to end.
#somebodycuetheviolins
And then I figured out a way to make the fun last a little bit longer ;)......
On the way out the door we stopped in the shoe department.
Nordstrom had asked me to do a 2 part post on kid's shoes to make sure all of my readers knew about their awesome selection, and I of course was happy to oblige!
(Thanks again to you ladies for putting me on Nordstrom's radar!)
Anyway, since I was going to be talking about kids shoes, I thought it would be a great idea to also get Candace's boys each a pair of new shoes for fall and go ahead and knock out Part I of the kids shoe series! Carter couldn't care less about new clothes, but he always loves getting new shoes! I thought Candace's boys might too.
So, I present to you:
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Kids Shoes Part I
Every year for the last 3 years I've bought Carter at least 1 pair of shoes during the anniversary sale. You just can't beat the Nordstrom prices on quality shoes during this sale.
You'll get a more comprehensive post next week on the shoes for Part II,
but today I wanted to show you a few pair that I'm loving.
The in-store inventory was kind of picked over (and lots of the shoes in the sale are available online only), but Candace and I both liked THESE.
They come in baby, walker, toddler, and little kid.
$23.90 / After Sale $35.95
Click HERE.
But we ended up ordering the following:
Click HERE for Camden's $31.90 / After Sale $45.95
Click HERE for Carson's. $33.90 / After Sale $48.95
(Oh dang, I just finished the collage and realized I got the choices wrong. Carson is actually getting the orange and Camden is getting the red. My bad.)
And I've had so much fun seeing some of the shoes that you ladies have been getting for your kids and sending in for the SCORE REPORT. It's sooooooo smart to shop this sale for fall shoes!
(I promise that I'm slowly but surely getting through all of the Score Report entries!)
Here are some of the kids shoe pics that have been sent it to me so far that I'm loving.
The converse on the bottom right are WAY cuter in the photograph than they are on the site.
And those sparkly pumas for girls? I'm guessing little girls would die for those shoes!
The collage is interactive, so just click on the shoe that you are interested in inside the collage!
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In case clicking on the pics doesn't work for you (I've had reports it doesn't for some people...here are the text links too):
Click HERE for the kid's MK boots ($49.90 / After Sale $74.95)
Comes in toddler, little kid, and big kid.
Click HERE for Puma Whirlwind V shoe. ($25.90 / After Sale $39.95)
Comes in baby, walker, toddler, and little kid.
Click HERE for Puma Glitz sneakers ($29.90 / After Sale $49.95)
Comes in baby, walker, toddler, and little kid.
Click HERE for the Nike Dual Fusion. ($36.90 / After Sale $55 - price varies according to size)
Comes in baby, walker, toddler, little kid, and big kid.
Click HERE for Converse. ($25.90 / After Sale $39.95)
That's all for today friends!
I hope you all had a great time watching Candace shop her face off!!!!
Thanks again for all of your sweet words in support of Candace. You ladies seriously know how to make a girl feel all warm and fuzzy. Y'all rock!
And thanks again to Nordstrom for the nudge to talk about kid's shoes!
I know all of us mamas love to get great deals not just for us, but for our kids too!
xoxo,
Sheaffer :)
p.s.
It occurred to me that you all might want to know exactly what she ended up with!
Here's what we ordered before we even hit the store b/c we were afraid they might sell out:
MUST HAVE shirt in black
Caslon jacket in the military green
grey pea coat
She left the store with the following:
BLUE skinny jeans
Vigoss Tomboy jeans (no longer available online)
Free People cowl neck tunic
Quilted sweatshirt
Leopard infinity scarf
Sam Edelman nude flats
Ecco black boots
And....she had $ remaining on her card and picked up several more things online too that were no longer available in store!
Maybe we can talk her into sending us pics of those items next week!