Capsule Approach to the Nsale + My Honest Opinion

 

Wrap Dress, V-Neck Sweater, Booties, Sneakers, Suede Moto Jacket, Backpack, Skirt, White Tee, Earrings, Blazer, Jeans

Hi friends! Just going to jump right into today's post since it's longer. I didn't really cover the Nordstrom Anniversary sale last year because I only bought 2 things! I honestly haven't been as impressed with the selection the last couple of years and I also feel like they're making it less and less accessible. This year I also only have 2 or 3 things on my wish list. I think me wanting to buy less during this sale is also a reflection of how I have approached shopping and style the last year or so.

Last year I started to take more of a capsule approach to my wardrobe in an effort to declutter and also spend less/only invest in classic pieces I can wear multiple ways. I still have generally stuck to that mindset, although, I will admit that I went a little crazy with shopping this summer just because I've been so excited to have places & events to wear new clothes! My general rule of thumb with buying anything though is "Can this be styled at least 5 different ways?" and is it a "closet gap?" 

While I'm not overly impressed with the selection, I will say that this sale is a great time to invest in a few good wardrobe staples. I wanted to take this approach with sharing some picks from the Nordstrom sale that I look at as closet staples and "capsule pieces" especially for fall and winter, though many of these items would also transition well into spring!

Also, just as an honorable mention, we are going to Iceland in September so these boots and this coat are also on my list mainly for that trip! Just wanted to share if you have any fall excursions planned.

What do you think of the sale this year? Are you shopping?

Styling My New Ikea Bookshelf!

 

Happy Monday friends! I hope you had a great weekend. Steven and I have really been enjoying eating out on the weekends again especially with the awesome weather we have been having! On Sunday, we drove up to Frederick to shop for antiques and Steven is actually fixing up my parent's old record player so we bought a few albums at this really cool store there.

In other news, the other rooms of our house are really starting to come together! There are definitely decorative touches we want to add to each room as we go but I feel like a huge bulk of it is complete! With my office, I knew that I wanted to have some kind of bookshelf and while we were shopping at Ikea for our little movie room, I stumbled upon this guy. This bookshelf is called the Liatorp and I LOVE the faux shiplap detailing and the cream color. We also want to eventually add little puck lights to some of the shelves. 

Just a few quick tips I found helpful for styling!

1.) Remove the book jackets/covers of your hardback books and it will look much more cohesive. As I was removing the jackets I noticed a lot of my books were blue or black and I tried to group those ones together. Since our whole house has a ton of blue throughout, I really wanted to focus on displaying the blue books. I also found it really neat that most of my crime/thriller books had a black and white cover so I grouped those together!

2.) Take photos as you're putting everything together and I actually drew on the photo on my iPhone to see what might look good in certain places/where I needed more or less height/texture/etc.

3.) Plants! Plants really tie everything together for me. I have found that to be true while decorating our entire house. Adding plants (as long as you have the appropriate lighting) really gives the room so much life and color.

4.) Stack books in different orientations (horizontal, vertical). I also added some books to baskets and let some stand on their own to keep it from looking cluttered!

5.) This one is obvious but Pinterest was incredibly helpful for inspo!

Bachelorette Weekend in Asheville,NC!

 

Happy Wednesday friends! I hope you guys are doing so well and had a great 4th of July weekend. We have had such lovely weather here so we really have been taking advantage and also have been still getting a lot done around the house. I'll share some photos soon because it's definitely coming together!

2 weekends ago, I traveled down to Asheville with a bunch of my girlfriends for a "belated bachelorette party." This was a trip postponed from 2020 due to COVID and I'm so glad we still did it! I'm not going to lie, I didn't take a TON of pictures because I was just fully enjoying being in the moment with all of my friends but wanted to share a few of the most noteworthy things we did if you're planning a girls trip or a trip with family!

Dinner & drinks on the Sunset Terrace at Omni Grove Park Inn - This was a perfect way to kick off the weekend! The view was absolutely breathtaking and the food/service was amazing. I highly recommend adding this to your itinerary because it's a view you will never forget!

Kayaking Barhop - I think this was the majority favorite excursion of our trip! You get a tour guide who takes you from brewery to brewery via kayak and it was a blast. It's beginner friendly for sure if you've never kayaked before although there are points where you have to navigate around branches/etc. The breweries are all along the River Arts district which was my favorite part of the city that we saw. The walls are all covered in graffiti and murals! I definitely would do this again.

Friday Night Drum Circle - I think this occurs every Friday night but it's at the center of the city and it's a very cool experience! 

Shopping - there was a market with tons of local artists on Saturday when we were walking around the downtown area. A few other shops we all really loved were Frock, Virtue, and Duncan & York.

Restaurants - Aside from the Sunset Terrace we ate at Tupelo Honey (which I've had before and never disappoints especially with their cocktail selection & biscuits), White Duck Taco (this was at the end of our brewery tour and it is a MUST), Sunshine Sammies (ice cream with AMAZING vegan options).

Have you ever been to Asheville? If so, what was your favorite part?