The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE!

Can you feel Fall in the air?

No? Yea, I know. Summer just began. Which means Nordstrom is forcing us to take stock of our FALL clothing needs. And OH DO THEY TEMPT US. 

Nordstom is the devil... a fabulous, perfectly styled, devil... 

I spent some time on the pre-sale website today. And no matter what season it is, sweater, boot and new jeans love is in the air. 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale - Boots by hipmamab featuring slip on shoes

accessories from Nordstrom anniversary sale by hipmamab featuring nylon handbags

clothes - nordstrom anniversary sale 2013 by hipmamab featuring jeans

Of course as I'm cruising the Nordstrom website, I have the song "I wanna be a millionaire..." going through my head. 

Sigh. 

TOMS for the Elite: Nieman-Marcus' better made and more expensive exclusive line of TOMS shoes

Last Saturday this woman walked by me in the CUTEST TOMS I've seen yet. They were metallic gold - but not sequined like the ones I've seen before. I immediately stopped her to ask about them. "Oh, they are from Niemans! I guess they have their own exclusive styles," she kindly replied with a look of worry, like I was going to physically yank them off her feet. I turned to my friend Carrie and said "We're going to Niemans."

Since shoe shopping was next on our list, Carrie didn't need too much convincing. We headed to the Nieman Marcus store in the Newport Fashion Island Shopping Center and confirmed that yes, Niemans does have a different variety of TOMS shoes than I've seen other places - and these TOMS come with at least a $30 higher price point.

Yes, TOMS for the rich. 

The thing that intrigued me the most is that while these shoes were more expensive, they also were better made. While the TOMS I own look like the rubber sole was attached with a hot glue gun, these TOMS had a thicker, more sturdy bottom that was sewn on. Additionally, these had a leather area on the bottom near the arch with the TOMS logo. While I've debated the TOMS ballet flats at Nordstrom because they seem (and feel) like they are almost made of cardboard, the NM exclusive metallic hot pink TOMS ballet flats were comfortable from the moment I slipped my foot into them. So really, if you have been wanting TOMS but are too afraid of slipping into a dirty hippie look, these are the TOMS for you. 

But this discovery also left a strange feeling in my stomach. From a marketing stand-point I understand the need to offer different retailers different "exclusive" items that fit with their brand. I don't think that $85 TOMS will sell as well at your local surf shop as they would in New York City. So why am I kinda astonished by learning about this?

I think it has to do with the integrity of the company's mission: the "one for one" concept. I would (and have) slapped down $45 for a pair of some-what ugly canvas shoes knowing that a child out there is receiving a pair in return. But $125 for exclusive Nieman-Marcus hot pink ballet flats - that's not socioeconomic trade, but pure old American capitalism. Are the women of 5th Ave too good to wear the same TOMS as the beach bums in Encinitas? Does the upper class really need their very own, specially made TOMS? And I'm sure the price difference in making the shoes this much "better" is pennies on the dollar.. so is TOMS giving two or three pairs to needy children in return for their purchase? 

Food For Thought

Anne, one of my oldest and dearest friend's has dedicated her life to helping others around the world. From Africa to Haiti she's been there, providing aid and medicine to those that don't have it. I asked her opinion on TOMS shoes, and her response was pretty straightforward. While aid workers will gladly take the attention and donations for any cause - out of all the issues out there, un-shod feet is actually at the bottom of the list of "issues." It's not going to matter if the child has shoes if there is no clean water for them to drink, no medicines available to heal them or no food for them to eat. While yes, they can contract illness or hurt themselves by not wearing shoes, these things are minor in comparison to what not having food, water and medicine does to their lives. 

All good points. But still, in this day and age we all like to help out when and where we can and we all love a company based on promoting social justice. Maybe that's why seeing the "exclusive" TOMS styles irked me so much. For a company that is dedicated to helping the less fortunate, doesn't it seem like by providing these more expensive and better made shoes to an elite demographic that the company is actually creating a bit of a class divide? There are way too many gaps between the "haves" and the "have nots," and I had at least (idealistically) thought that TOMS shoes crossed that divide. 

That all being said, I'm still lusting after those hot pink ballet flats. 

I welcome your comments on this. Did you know about the "exclusive" TOMS brand? Does this affect your opinion of the company, the shoes and the company's mission at all?

After posting this article, fellow blogger Lindsay Goldner pointed me to this article on TOMS shoe's being a "band-aid" that she had recently read. Great read and very relevant to the points my friend Anne made! 

Budgets Suck. My sideline review of the 2010 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

We have a bunch of financial changes and big expensive things going on in life at the moment - job change, moving, the kids (just in general). These things that have caused us to have to seriously implement the B word: Budget. What does that mean? That means that I'm going to be sitting out the 2010 Nordstrom Anniversary sale. 

Unfortunately Nordies doesn't realize this, and they are still sending me catalogs and emails with all the things that I'm longing to purchase now, but not be able to wear until San Diego see's fall weather sometime in November/December. Hey, it literally JUST became summer here THIS WEEK. 

But I hate to miss a good party. So right now I'm playing the "if-I-had-a-Nodies-card-that-I-never-had-to-pay-off" game and I'm going to share with you my top picks of the sale that I will be staying as far away as possible from.

 SHOES:

 

Boots. Booties. Heels. And that Puma ballet flat sneaker.. because you always need a pair of shoes to walk around Disneyland in.

JACKETS

Trouvé Studded Leather Motorcycle Jacket
Sale $198.90
After Sale: $298.00

 I love this motorcycle jacket. Grey leather goes with everything and is a great alternative to black or brown.

LUST.

Halogen® Crop Collarless Jacket
Sale $98.90
After Sale: $148.00

Since it doesn't even get chilly in San Diego until October, this 3/4 length sleeve is perfect to put a little fall in your outfit even if it's 80 degrees out

flounce tbd Sequin Jacket
Sale $89.90
After Sale: $138.00

This is definitely a Rachel Zoe / Whitney Port look... but I kinda think it's hot.

SHIRTS AND PANTS

Bellatrix Printed Silk Chiffon Tunic
Sale $58.90
After Sale: $88.00

They keep pushing floral down our throats, so before I know it, I will break down and get some floral pieces. I love tunics with skinny jeans and boots.

Seventy Two Changes Boxy Tee
Sale $79.90
After Sale: $128.00

This looks like a top I would live in. I love things that are flowy but not all that long. 

Paige Premium Denim 'Verdugo' Stretch Denim Leggings (Tranquil Wash)
Sale $109.90
After Sale: $168.00

There is a special place in my heart reserved just for Paige Denim. "Jeggings" are another thing I think we are all just going to have to break down and buy this year. I know, you've been fighting it. Morally opposed to it, but I think this is the year we will all break. Not to mention it will be nice to just be able to stick your jean in your boot without all the folding and sticking them in socks and then ending up with that painful skin wrinkle where your boot pushed the pegged jean leg into your ankle for the past 4 hours. Yea - that guy knows what I'm talking about...

MISC.

Michael Kors 'Jet Set Iconic' Chronograph Watch
Sale $166.90
After Sale: $250.00

I've been lusting over a big gold Michael Kors watch for 2 years now. They are $$ though - even on sale. I mean, pricey for a fashion watch.

Nordstrom Textured Hoop Earrings
Sale $16.90
After Sale: $26.00

Earring staple. I wear gold hoops daily.

M·A·C 'Apply, Line & Define' Eye Brushes (Set of 5) (Nordstrom Exclusive) ($125 Value)
$49.50

If you don't have a good set of brushes, this sale is the best time to invest in some. The price is right and you will use them for years.

Well, now that I have the retail itch, I'm going to go cry in my Cheerios about not being able to buy it ALL. But hey, I need a dining room set. As Jason pointed out, we can't eat Thanksgiving dinner on a pair of boots. 

Happy Shopping!

Walking in Heels

When you talk to people about working from home, normally their eyes glaze over and they get this blissful expression and say something along the lines of "Oh, how nice to not have to get dressed everyday..." To which I normally reply, "Yea, but I miss shoes."

Seriously. I have missed shoes.

Even if you are one of those Type AA++ people who gets dressed to sit in your home office to work, I bet you still are not wearing shoes. At the very most I have on slippers in the winter, but besides that I slip on flip flops, running shoes or ballet flats before running out the door to do a lunch time errand. I would go to Nordstrom and stare at all the pretty shoes and dream about having a place to wear them {more than once}. High heel boots, bright wedges, a coveted pair of Christian Louboutin Simple Pumps, I could only dream! I mean really. I'm no Posh Spice traipsing around soccer fields in 5 inch stilettos.  

At my last office job I wore heels almost daily. I loved my heels. Kittens, pumps, wedges, I dressed my feet up. A nice pair of pointed pumps immediately turns jeans and sweater into a "work outfit". I always felt more put-together, taller and skinnier. Also, and while this sounds a bit odd in retrospect, ballet flats were not en Vogue in 2005. The Tory Burch "Reva Revolution" (Her signature ballet flat that launched that style shoe into a wardrobe must have) didn't hit until late 2006/early 2007. Which means flats were not even in my work ensemble vocabulary the last time I was office-bound.

Last week I started a new contract with a new PR agency, a contract that actually is IN an office. For the first time in four years I'm working out of the house on a regular basis. Luckily, the office I'm working in is a super cool and creative environment with a definite "San Diego Business" dress code, so clothes to wear to work are not really an issue (well, not any more of an issue than normal). It's exciting. The office is in one of the more "urban" parts of town; walking into the office, away from the kids and the house, has been a nice addition to my mainly suburban life. I get a little rush from the little walk from my car to the office and if I close my eyes and happen to pass a homeless person who smells like urine, I can pretend that I'm a big NYCity girl for 2 minutes. I worried that I would have a problem going back to an office, but in reality, the only thing I need to adjust to is walking in heels again.

Living in Color

It's so true that the moment the Holidays are over, our minds immediately head into Spring. While we have barely gotten cold yet here in San Diego, other parts of the country are buried in weeks and weeks of snow. Considering how excited I got when the Nordstrom catalog came last week, I'm sure they just wanted to throw it out the window when they turned the page to see this: 

I mean really, this was almost cruel of Nordstrom's to do.

And wow, I really want this green fedora. I want to plan a trip to Palm Springs JUST to be able to wear this hat.

But then again, I love color. While in the winter and for basics, I will stick to black, I really make an effort to not buy everything in black. The total opposite of my mother, I love color and big, bold patterns.

It could be my ultimate rebellion that I love that 50's 60's patterns and would love nothing more than to wallpaper my house ala The Brady Bunch.

When we first started researching and talking to people about the traditional look of a Mid-Century Modern house, the thing that tuned me off is the stark minimalist feeling of "modern". Thats not me. I'm mix pattern bright color girl. 

I'm like this hat. The brighter the better.

Which was interesting that yesterday's Daily Shoot challenge was about color and framing a picture of your favorite color. Naturally, the color most people associate with me is HOT PINK. Which I do SO love... but my ultimate favorite color has to be Tiffany Blue.

Had I not had a boy first and in desperate need of buying PINKPINKPINK for my baby girl, I would have done Zoe's room in Tiffany Blue and white. 

The way that particular blue jumps when accented with white or red amazes me. The color brings a smile to my face and makes my heart flutter. Yes, it could be the ultimate association (there is nothing better than a gift in a blue box) but I really just love this color.

 #ds57