Being Bridget

Archives for June 2018

HOW TO SHOP THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE 2018

photographed by craig mcdean for vogue, 2005

WHAT IS THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

The Nordstrom Anniversary sale {or NSALE as it’s often referred too} happens once a year during the summer months when Nordstrom places hundreds of *new* fall items on major sale. When you think of a regular sale, you probably think of discounted items from the previous season, available in only a smattering of colors and sizes. That can be great, but what makes the NSALE different is that it is brand new merchandise, available in all sizes, and all colors.  Yeah. I know. I’ll let that sink in for a minute.

As you can imagine, people go gangbusters for this sale, so to prepare, Nordstrom buys deep into each item so as many people as possible are able to purchase the items they want. With that being said, items still sell out, and quickly, but Nordstrom does their best to restock several times before the sale ends, so just make sure you keep checking back.

But wait, we might be getting ahead of ourselves. You don’t even know when the sale starts! So let’s break it down below!

WHEN DOES IT START

Early access starts July 12th and this is important because it means you will get to shop the sale before a large majority of other shoppers. How? You must be a Nordstrom credit card holder. But before you throw your hands up, and protest signing up for another credit card, let me reassure you that this one is worth it.  The best sale items sell out extremely quickly, and if you aren’t a credit card holder, you won’t have access to those sale items before they’re gone. The card has no annual fees, and once approved, you automatically get a $40 bonus note to spend toward any purchase that day. Plus, you earn 2 points per dollar spent in stores and online – points add up and transform into gift cards that you can then use to make purchases. {winning!} To recap, the important dates to remember for the sale are below:

  • EARLY ACCESS: July 12th
  • PUBLIC ACCESS: July 20th
  • SALE ENDS: August 5th

Sign up to get your own Nordstrom credit card here so by the time the sale starts, you’re all ready to go!

WHAT TO BUY

I’ll touch on this subject in more detail in a week or so, but because the items on sale are all brand new fall items, it’s important to think ahead and get organized. Do a scan of your closet – is there anything you wish you owned? Anything your wardrobe is missing? A new pair of distressed denim? A leather jacket? Some boots or booties? What about your beauty cabinet? Also, now is a good time to think ahead to upcoming birthdays and holidays – christmas especially! I always stock up on gifts during this sale. Make up palettes, lingerie sets {bridal showers//bachelorette parties!}, bath sets, and other small accessories are all great for this kind of thing. It might also be helpful to prioritize your list. The first items to go are always going to be the shoes – boots, booties, sneakers and flats will all go quickly, as well as jackets, sweaters, jeans and big ticket items like purses, and beauty.

HOW TO SHOP

Online or in stores! If you’re like me, and mostly an online shopper, you can purchase your favorite sale items from the comfort of your own home. With the NSALE being such a hectic event, I like to steer clear of the mall and the hoards of people I know are surely fighting over the items in person. Plus, if you keep in mind that Nordstrom has free shipping and free returns, you can order multiple sizes & colors of every item without guilt. Nothing is as easy as returning items to Nordstrom – they have the best customer service.

WHERE TO START

Right here! I’ll be previewing the sale a day early and will be sharing all of my favorite picks with you guys! So check back in on the 12th as soon as the sale starts to see what my favorite items are from each category! And as always, follow along on Instagram to see behind the scene peaks & previews of the items as I see them!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments! Can’t wait for this sale to start, and I can’t wait for you guys to score the best fall items at a fraction of the cost!

Rickrack Swimsuit for Summer

Swimsuit: Karla Colletto Zola One Shoulder Swimsuit // Shorts: Zara, similar here // Bag: Zara, similar here // Shoes: Loeffler Randall // Bracelet: Roxanne Assoulin // Sunglasses: Old, similar here

With 4th of July just around the corner, there is no better time to wear this blue & white rick rack swimsuit! I absolutely love how classic it is and I know it will be a style I wear all summer long. I also love that I can throw on a pair of shorts and have the swimsuit double as a top I can run around town in {a beach town that is!} The shorts I’m wearing are an older style from Zara, but these are a very similar alternative. Sizing note: I’m wearing a size 8 in this swimsuit {I’m normally an XS or S} so this suit runs extremely small! Size up!

What plans do you all have planned for the 4th? Have you figured out your outfit yet? If not, peep my shop here! I have tons of cute picks!

And because I’ve really been loving all things rick rack recently, I thought I’d round up a few of my favs from around the interwebs! Are you into rickrack? What do you think of the below? Let me know in the comments!

photos: The Retro Penguin

The Perfect Summer Dress

Dress: Caara Linen Midi Dress // Bag: Zara {similar here} // Shoes: Ancient Greek Sandals // Sunglasses: Celine // Earrings: Lele Sadoughi {also here & less expensive version here}

This white linen dress is perfect. I love the length, and the light linen material – and the white makes it feel so fresh. You could easily add a pop of color {like these gorgeous turquoise earrings} or heeled sandals to dress it up a bit. The tie back also makes it easy for any size to wear! I’m wearing a size small, and pairing it here with my favorite gold sandals and straw tote. I know I will wear these basics all summer long!

photos: The Retro Penguin

Father’s Day Gift Guide

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18

Raise your hand if you dread shopping for the men in your life. Why is it so hard!? It shouldn’t be! And hopefully, with this list, it can be a little easier this year for the Father’s in your life. I decided to scour the internet {& think hard about my own husband’s favorite items} and summarized the best of the best below.

TECH GIFTS

My husband is a typical guy in that he loves all things tech related. I thought about what some of his favorite gadgets are and how much we love them and thought they’d actually make great gifts. The Beats by Dre pill {#1} is something my husband brings everywhere. And I mean everywhere. He packs it when we travel, he brings it on bike rides, he puts it in the 4 wheeler when we’re out at the ranch…anywhere he goes, so does this speaker.

The Coravin {#6} is a no-brainer if the man in your life loves wine. With this tool, you don’t ever need to worry about finishing a bottle before it goes bad. The Coravin has a tiny needle that you insert into the cork of the wine bottle which allows you to pour one glass at a time. Once the needle is removed, the cork reseals itself, and the integrity of the wine is preserved. Also great if you like white wine, and your SO likes red – now you can have a glass of each without guilt! My husband and I have had our Coravin over 5 years now and it is still one of our most used and appreciated kitchen gadgets.

When it comes to tech accessories, my husband loves his Bose noise canceling headphones {#9}. They’re compact, comfortable and connect via bluetooth making them essentially wireless. Although my husband doesn’t have an apple watch {or any smart watch for that matter} I think if he did he would really love this smartwatch dock {#13} for charging. It’s sleek, and small, and would look nice sitting on a bedside table or bathroom counter.

TRAVEL

One of my favorite travel items is my Away suitcase {#10}. It’s great looking, unisex, and fits into the smallest of overhead compartments {all while fitting so.much.stuff.} I also love that it has a portable charging station built into it and is super lightweight. You’d be surprised at how hard it is to find a clean & classic looking suitcase that still has all the bells & whistles. This suitcase is a must for anyone in your life, but would make a great Dad’s day gift!

I feel like the Ostrich pillow doesn’t even need an introduction. I’ve been wearing and talking about mine on my blog for so long, that most of you probably already know it is my #1 must travel accessory. A pillow that surrounds your eyes and ears to block out all noise and light, the Ostrich pillow makes flying so. much. better. The first time I ever used this pillow, I was actually spending the night in a chair at the hospital {long story}. It was incredible at blocking out all the beeping noises, and bright lights and allowed me to sleep peacefully through the night. When it did that, I knew I would be able to fall asleep anywhere – especially on a plane! That was 3 years ago and I haven’t looked back since.

CLOTHES

Most men need help in the style department {or atleast appreciate it} and what better opportunity to give them a little something personalized? #3, #7, #8, #11, #12, #14, #15 & #17 can all be personalized. Amazing, right? I liked these items specifically because the initials were simple, clean and masculine. They were small, and elegantly placed. Most of them also provided several styles to choose from! My favorites of the bunch are the leather catchall {#7}, the leather charger roll up {#11} which would be amazing for travel, and the brown leather wallet {#15} which is a classic that would stand the test of time.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

The Allbirds are my husband’s all time favorite shoes. He compares them to socks that you’re allowed to wear in public. They’re under $100, come in a million colorways and you can throw them in the washing machine to wash if they get stinky. Win, win, win. Lastly, I thought it would be awesome to give a 23 & Me DNA Kit as a gift. This is what I’m getting my dad and father-in-law {crossing my fingers they don’t read this!} because seriously – how cool? Being able to find out the details of your own ancestry and heritage is fascinating, and would make such a unique gift!

Let me know in the comments which your favorite of the above is! Or if you’re ahead of the game, and already have a gift, let me know what you’re getting dad! Dying to hear!