Nordstrom Recap

I know I am a few weeks late on this post but I hope all my readers can forgive me. Life has been a bit hectic and finding the time to sit down and write a blog post these past few weeks has been nearly impossible, I am sure many of you can relate, but that's a story for another day.

So my shopping trip with my sister and mother was quite successful. I did not buy much (which is probably a good thing), but the items I did get I fell in LOVE with. I ended up purchasing the most amazing boots and the perfect fall accent to my wardrobe. I bought the Steve Madden "Gretell" in brown suede. It is hard not to wear them every day before fall but they don't quite compliment the weather since we are finally experiencing summer in the PNW.

What I loved most about these boots was the versatility. They are classic brown suede, have a sturdy heel, and can be work with colored skinny jeans, tights, dresses, leggings, and skirts. They offer so much function and value plus I feel they make a subtle statement without being overwhelming.

The other statement piece I bought was the beautiful ivory Dee Elle Lace Shift Dress that I find to be perfect in every way. It has lace, a sexy scoop in the back, a conservative front, and can be worn in spring or fall. It is was worth every penny, and a steal at under $40 on sale!This dress is perfect for any occasion. I intend on dressing it down with a denim jacket and boots, or dressing it up with colored tights and a cute pair of flats. I can't wait to wander around the many coffee shops and farmer's markets Seattle provides in my new fall finds!

Nordstrom and Traditions

Traditions, we all have them. They are the simple things in life that we look forward to and bring such joy. Why is this? Is it because of the stability of it? You know once a year it will happen, even though you can't predict what else may come in this crazy, beautiful life of ours. Most people associate tradition with the holidays, but for me there is one tradition I enjoy that has nothing to do with the holidays, well unless you consider the beginning of fall fashion a holiday, which maybe we should :)

Every year the Nordstrom catalogue comes in the mail, how exciting it is to flip through the pages, circling your wish list and getting a first glimpse at fall trends. And then the day finally arrives, the first day of the sale! It is an ancient tradition as old as time, well ok you caught me, its not that old. But as far back as I remember though the first weekend of the anniversary sale consists of the ladies in my family waking up early, Starbucks in hand, waiting for the glorious doors to open so we may scour the racks like wild animals. I typically end up with half the store in my dressing room, and I will admit I won't come home with THAT much, but it is fun to try on the new trends; decide what you have to have, what you can find cheaper, what you can skip completely, and what you want to try and make on your own.

The Nordstrom sale usually signifies a new beginning for me. In the past it was the beginning of the school year, so I would choose out a few tops that were my statement pieces for the year, a pair of shoes, and maybe some jeans or an accessory or two. For whatever reason though the sale feels like a clean slate. I get to choose how I want people to see me this year, am I punk? hipster? classy? casual? Now that school is over things have not changed much. I still look at this as my New Year's. This year will be a milestone in my life; I will be an Aunt for the first time, change jobs, make headway on my career, and focus on pursuing all simple things that bring me joy.

I hope you guys are as excited for this weekend as I am! Happy shopping and I wish you all the best of luck!

O&V Bottles

Finished Project

Another easy afternoon project. I was shopping at Cost Plus World Market and for $3.99 found a set of clear glass bottles for oil and vinegar. I wanted to jazz them up and give them some character so with a little bit of time, some latex gloves, and armour-etch I created both a fun display and storage system for some kitchen essentials. 


Here is what you will need:

• Glass bottles
• Gloves
• Armour Etch
• Brush
• Stickers or stencil
• Tape
• Newspaper (or some other protective surface)

WARNING: Armour Etch is a corrosive material, yes you can handle it safely, I just wanted to give a heads up so make sure to wear gloves at all times, try to keep your mess minimal, and careful washing it off so it does not splash you!

Now lets begin:

1. Make sure your bottles are clean and dry. 
2. Once this is done you can set up your design. You could stencil in a design or picture, use scrapbooking stickers (like I did) to keep the glass clear for the writing and etch the entire bottle around it, or stencil in your writing with cut outs. There is a lot of leeway here, I think its best to find what suits your style. I will let you know that Martha Stewart has some fantastic fonts for scrapbooks, These made my life super easy when laying out the design and making sure everything was straight and evenly spaced. I also chose to tape off the top of the bottle to ensure I had even lines, here I just used electrical tape that I had on hand, you could use scotch-tape or even skip this step.
3. Make sure to read all directions on the Armour Etch before using it and make sure to put on your gloves. Begin to brush over the bottles in all the desired areas, apply LIBERALLY. Seriously, the more the better. I learned this the hard way and had to repeat this step because of it.
4. When your bottles are fully coated in a thick, white, gritty substance let it sit for between 5-10 minutes. I am someone that likes to go the full amount of time for safe measure.
5. Once time is up make sure to carefully wash the bottles in warm water. Keep the gloves on and you can rub the etching cream off under a warm tap. What you will find is a beautifully etched glass



Before Etching



Clean Dry Bottles

6. Make sure your bottles are fully dry and clean and now you can add your oil and vinegar. TA-DA! Another beautiful project that takes less than an hour. I hope you all enjoy your new bottles with some delicious fresh french bread!

Tangerine Dreamsicle

Tangerine Dreamsicle

While on a lovely Saturday morning walk I found myself at a viewpoint overlooking my favorite city. Taking in the sight I thought to myself if a city can be bold and take a chance with color then why shouldn't I be able to? I decided its time to follow Seattle's fashion sense and make a bold statement with....Tangerine. This is one of my favorite trending colors of the season. There is something so fresh and bright about this color, plus if you want my opinion, you can never have a bad day wearing such a cheerful palette! This bright orange hue takes confidence to wear, exudes a playful demeanor, and embraces the best parts of spring and summer. So whether it be skinny jeans in a colorful shade or a pop of color on a small accessory, just make sure to add one of springs hottest colors to your wardrobe this season.