There has been so many big changes in our lives the last 2 months! We have moved out of Chicago to Tampa. We are officially Tampa residents!!
A little back story: I have been wanting to move back to Tampa really bad for years. I moved from Tampa to Chicago 10.5 years ago. I loved the area we lived in, I love the people and I love the food. It was a great place to live. But it never felt like home to me. Every time I came back to Tampa to visit my family, Tampa felt like home.
For 2 years John and I have been seriously talking about moving to Tampa. We knew the timing had to be right for this move to happen. With 2 young kids we can’t just pick up and throw our stuff into a car, drive down and figure it out when we get there. Everything had to be right for this move to be possible.
For 2 years John has been looking for jobs in Tampa and nothing has worked out. We started to wonder if this was ever going to happen for us. Our kids get older every year (obviously!) and I was starting to think our window of perfect timing for them was closing. I wanted to move when they were young enough that it is easy to start over.
Then… 2 months ago I was offered my dream job! Read More
There are soooo many great beauty items of the #NSale this year!! During the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale you will see exclusive sets, palettes and items that are only available during the sale. You will also see brands and products on sale that never go on sale. Now is a great time to stock up on your favorite skincare and body products, invest in a high quality hair tool or Clarisonic, or try something new!
Make-Up
Beauty Blender Best Friends Set :: Best make-up applicator ever! I use mine every day. I love the natural look of my make-up when applied with a beauty blender. This set comes with 2 beauty blenders + the cleanser.
Sale: $35 | Value: $56
Hourglass Ambient Luminous Light Palette :: This is an exclusive palette that has never been made before. I’m so excited about it! It has a bronzer, blush & highlight. I love Hourglass so much! These colors are gorgeous! I use their bronzer every day and I love this blush color. Their highlight is very natural looking and is great on mature skin because it won’t settle in fine lines.
Exclusive for Sale: $62
Laura Mercier ‘Flawless Icons’ Eye & Cheek Palette :: I am in love with this palette! I love the eyeshadow shades. It has a nice balance of shimmer and mattes to create beautiful looks. And it also has a bronzer and highlight in the palette. This is a great palette for everyday and for travel.
Sale: $65 | Value: $155
MAC Look in a Box :: Every year during the #NSale MAC does a ‘look in a box’. I especially love this ‘fun & flirty’ set because of the shade of lipstick and gloss. It’s a sweet girly pink. The white shade eyeshadow is a great highlight shadow for fair skin (me!) and this is MAC’s best mascara.
Sale: $39.50 | Value: $70
Sigma ‘The Power Pair’ Set :: So excited about this set!! This is my favorite foundation brush!! I’ve been using it for years and still love it soooo much! And I have this cleaning mat and it is my favorite way to clean my brushes! It’s so easy, you put it in your sink and swirl your brushes around on it with soap. Instantly clean!
Sale: $34.50 | Value: $49
Bobbi Brown ‘Bobbi on Trend – Sultry Bronze’ Eye Set :: I always love the Bobbi Brown set on the sale each year! Great shadow colors that can take you from day to night. You also get an eyeliner and mascara.
Sale: $65 | Value: $149
Skin Care
Philosophy Purity Cleanser :: Amazing cleanser! This cleanser is a makeup remover, cleanses the skin and is safe to use on eyes. I recently started Sofia on a simple skin care routine and this is the cleanser she is using. She loves it and I love it for my skin too. Great for any age!
Sale: $53 | Value: $79
GlamGlow Mask Glamazing GRAVITYMUD Set :: Obsessed with this set! I loooooove GlamGlow masks. I love that they did a set of 3 of their masks. I love all of these masks so much!
Sale: $69 | Value: $113
Clarisonic Mia 2 :: If you don’t own a Clarisonic now is the time to pull the trigger. I use mine every day and it really helps my skin. If I’m traveling and forget to pack it I notice a difference in my skin in just a couple of days (in a bad way). Using my Clarisonic daily helps keep my skin clear of clogged pores, texture and blackheads. The new Clarisonic Mia Fit is also on the sale.
Sale: $118 | After Sale: $169
Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head Set :: You need to be changing out your Clarisonic brush head every 3 months. With this set you have all the brush heads you need for a whole year. Now you don’t have to think about it again till next year!
Sale: $74 | Value: $108
Mario Badescu :: The drying lotion in this set is bomb for drying up a zit! This is a great brand of skin care for someone starting a skin care regimen or for someone on a budget. They have great products for a great price.
Sale: $33 | Value: $50
Body & Hair
Whish Body Butter :: I just tried this for the first time a couple days ago when I purchased it at Nordstrom. I am in love! After using it once I went online and order several more in different scents. This body butter is thick, creamy & hydrating without feeling sticky or too thick. It’s perfect! And it comes in more scents!
Sale: $15 | Value: $47
Whish Bath & Body Gel :: Love this! It’s extremely gentle on my skin and gets me clean! It’s hard to find a shower gel that does both of those things.
Sale: $10 | Value: $16
T3 Featherweight 2 – Black & Rose Gold Hair Dryer :: A high quality hair dryer makes a world of difference to the overall look of your hair. Until 2 years ago I have always used cheap hair dryers that I picked up at the grocery store. Then I finally invested into a high quality hair dryer. I had no idea it makes such a difference!!! My hair is so much healthier, smoother, less frizz and fly aways. Definitely worth the investment!
Sale: $139 | After Sale: $200
Drybar Beach in a Box Collection :: I am obsessed with Drybar products. And right now everyone wants that tosseled beach hair. I recently got my hair styled at my salon and I asked for beach waves. They used a curling iron with the clip. I have been using a clipless curling wand for more than 5 years. I thought a clip curling iron was very old school. She used the clip part of the curling iron to pull thru my ends. She said to achieve the beach wave you curl the hair gently and the ends have to be straight.
Sale: $140 | Value: $209
Supergoop Sunscreen Set :: Amazing sunscreen! This stuff works amazing and you can’t even feel it on your skin!
Sale: $38 | Value: $57
Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy Set :: I was given a Crabtree & Evelyn hand therapy a couple months ago. I have always thought of this brand as something that Grandma’s use. So I tucked the hand cream away in a drawer with no intention of using it. A few weeks ago I ran out of my normal hand cream, with the craziness of moving I didn’t have time to run out and repurchase my typical hand cream. So I grabbed this one out of the drawer. I was shocked at how much I love it. I love the smell (not Grandma-ish at all!). I love how creamy and silky it feels going on. And it’s extremely hydrating! I have been using it every night since.
Sale: $18 | Value: $27
GHD Platinum Flat Iron :: I own the ghd curling wand and am obsessed! I tried their flat iron once and it was amazing! They have the most incredible technology for hair tools. It makes my hair so shiny and healthy. I use mine every day and I never feel like it’s damaging my hair.
Sale: $174 | After Sale: $249
Kiehl’s Jumbo Creme de Corps :: This is the most all time popular body moisturizer. It’s been around since 1851. It is creamy, it is moisturizing, it smells fresh. It comes in the hugest bottle ever and will last you 6-12 months (depending on how much you use).
Sale: $52 | After Sale $75
It’s finally here!!! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale begins today for Early Access!!! I spent 7 hours, yes 7 hours!, at Nordstrom last night shopping the sale. My sister, Mom and I were there till almost midnight. I’m sharing with you all my favorites of the sale! (insider tip: the best items sell out quick, so don’t wait!)
We have been in the moving process for weeks now. A cross country move takes a lot of time and planning!! We are moving to Tampa!! (I’m working on a blog post to spill the beans on all the exciting changes in my life:) ) Last Tuesday the moving truck arrived to pack up our entire house. We have been in Tampa since Friday. The moving truck was supposed to be here Sunday…. but is delayed till Friday!
With all that being said I haven’t been able to post as much as I would like. Many of my outfits I have worn I have only gotten an iPhone pic. So I wanted to do a roundup to give you all the outfit details.
I wore this dress for my farewell/girls night out party. As soon as I put it on I was instantly obsessed. Dresses this style can be tricky for me since I have a curvy body and I’m bigger on bottom. But I absolutely love the way this one fits and hangs on my body. I am obsessed with the 1 shoulder and all the bright colors!
I have a natural wave in my hair and I rarely let it run wild. I got out of the shower and got busy taking care of the kids and a million other things. By the time I got back into the bathroom my hair was mostly dry. At that point I decided to just let it be and see what happens. I thought it was really fun, especially for summer.
I do have a natural wave, here is how I styled it: on wet I hair I sprayed TIGI Root Boost in my roots, put in Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream (leave-in conditioner, calms frizz, gives shine) + Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil. This oil is the best thing ever!!! It smooths frizz and makes my hair silky smooth and healthy. This is the most life changing hair product I have ever used! Then I sprayed in Verb Sea Spray. This sea salt spray is incredible! It gives great texture and separation.
I love the neckline of this top and the vertical stripes. I’ve been loving bootcut and flare jeans so much lately! If you are curvy with a bigger bottom half (like me!) they balance you out and make your butt and hips appear smaller. I was so excited to get my short hair up in a mini topknot!
This was taken on father’s day when we were out for brunch. I don’t want to sound mushy or typical, but seriously from the bottom of my heart I think John is the best Dad ever! I took this candid picture without telling them to show how much Sofia and Caleb love their Dad. They are obsessed with him! And it’s because he is such a loving father. I am so lucky to have him as the father to our children.
I have been on the hunt for the perfect mirrored sunglasses. I didn’t want to spend a lot because I know they are very trendy. I really wanted a pink pair! These from Quay are perfect! I love the shape and the fit. Aaaaaand, even though they are rose colored they don’t make the world rose colored. They act like normal sunglasses and just shade everything.
Could he be cuter?! I mean seriously, he is my little prince!
I can’t even express into words how surreal it is to walk into Sephora and see my sister’s face. This is a store I have been shopping at since I was a teenager. I’ve always enjoyed walking in and checking out the ‘hot now’ products right up front. And to walk in and see Jaclyn’s picture and the products she helped create is so bazaar! I am so proud of her! She is so full of integrity and honesty and has worked so hard. I admire her and look up to her, she inspires me. I am honored to be her sister and to be apart of her journey. I have never known another person like her, she is truly unique!
The 2 weeks before we moved we were hitting up all our favorite restaurants. Firkin in Libertyville is one of our absolute favorites! If you go there try the lobster tacos and the grass fed burger!!
Summertime is for big hats and flowy tops. This hat looks soooooo much more expensive than it is! I feel very Samantha Jones when I wear this hat. This top keeps selling out and popping back up in certain sizes. It’s 1 of my favorite tops for summer, so airy and easy to wear. If it’s available in your size and you want it don’t wait. This top does run big. I wear a size 4 in tops and I’m wearing a size small.
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is just around the corner!!!!
This is my favorite sale of the whole year!!! I have been shopping it every year for more than 10 years! As soon as I know the date I mark my calendar so I can shop it on the first day.
Why is it so amazing?
This is the biggest sale of the year – no joke!!! Nordstrom brings in brand new pre-fall merchandise and it’s immediately on sale, up to 40% off!!!! You are able to shop all the fall fashion early at a discount. Nordstrom shows you the full price and the discounted price during the Anniversary Sale. When the sale is done all the prices go back up to full price.
Dates to know:
July 13th Level 4 Nordstrom cardholders can shop in store only.
July 14th-July 21st Early Access Shopping, online & in stores. Early Access is for any Nordstrom cardholder.
July 22nd-August 7th Public Access Shopping is open for everyone!
August 8th Prices go back up to full price.
I don’t want another credit card but I want to shop Early Access?
Nordstrom offeres debit card options so you don’t have to open another credit card. Just like any debit card, it is linked to your checking account of choice. You earn points and rewards and get all the benefits of a cardholder. It takes about 5 minutes to do in store or you can apply online.
Shop on the first day, the best stuff sells out quick.
Everything on the sale will be online midnight PST July 14th.
Free shipping & free returns on all orders.
If you are a cardholder, use one of your triple point days. I know when I shop the sale it is my biggest spending day of the year, I want to rack in those points!
I tend to buy now and return later if I have to. Items sell out and prices go up. I don’t want to regret not getting something I love.
All stores open early on the first day of the sale, check your local store for the time.
I will post all my favorites of the sale on July 14th. Come back and check it out! :)
Make-Up
Skin Care
Body & Hair
