Not Another LA Blonde

Tag: inspiration

Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale
Happy Holidays y’all! I hope now that it’s two days after Christmas y’all are slowly recovering! I know that a lot of you spent tons of money already for Christmas and the last thing on your mind is spending more money. But if you’re anything like me, and have a gift card or two burning a hole in your pocket, then this post is for you!

We all know that the Half Yearly Sale is going on at Nordstrom, so I’ve made your life easier and went ahead and rounded up a bunch of my favorite items from the sale. I currently only have a few of the items, but the rest are either in my cart or on my wish list! I’ve recently started shopping at Nordstrom more and more (probably because I have a Nordstrom card and I love getting notes!) but I just love their customer service and the free shipping/free returns ALL the time!

If you haven’t already checked out the Half Yearly Sale, I highly suggest you go take a look. Run, don’t walk to your computer to take a look! Things are selling out very quickly! Below, I’ve rounded up my top picks from the sale that I think you should take a look at. I’ve linked all the items right below this picture and in the description of each item. Happy shopping!

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1. Michael Kors Belted Parka Jacket – $90.99 60% off This jacket is normally $220.00! The website says that the jacket runs true to size and is currently available in sizes XS to XL. This is such a good deal as MK hardly ever goes on sale! I wish I lived somewhere colder so I could get this jacket! The last MK jacket I got, it fit TTS but the good thing about Nordstrom is the FREE returns, so if you can swing it, I would get 2 sizes if you’re unsure and then return the one you don’t want.
1. Treasure & Bond Brushed Stripe Blanket Scarf – $26.98 40% Off This blanket/scarf is normally $45 and comes in TWO colors! The first color is called “Ivory Combo” and has pinks and greys in it. The other color is called “Olive Combo” and has red, yellow, blue and greyish/black it in. Ok, how cute is this scarf!? I LOVE the pink colored one and think it would go great with all the winter whites and neutrals going on right now.
1. Nike Flyknit 2 LunarEpic Men’s Shoe – $83.98 40% Off This shoe is normally $140 and comes in both black/white and in a blackish/white with blue accent. The black one is available in sizes: 8, 8.5, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 13, and 14. The second color option is ONLY available in size 8.5. This is such a great deal for Nike, so if you are looking to get something post-Holiday season for that special guy in your life, now is the time. I know these are going to go super-fast, so hurry!
1. Thread & Supply Brandon Fleece Jacket – $71.02 33% Off This super popular jacket is normally $106.00, but is on sale in both colors: “Carafe Bear” and “Ivory”. Keep your eye on it though because both colors are only available in size Large. Nordstrom sometimes restocks, so def keep your eye on it. This style also comes in a vest that you can look at here.
1. American Atelier Portland Beverage Dispenser & Stand – $20.00 60% Off As you all know I’m getting married in June so I’ve taken a liking to checking out home goods when they go on sale. This drink dispenser is normally $50. This would be perfect for hosting parties and putting a little sangria in there! You could get two of these for less than what it would cost you to buy one at full price.
1. Halogen Velvet Cold Shoulder Top – $38.90 33% Off This velvet top would be perfect for NYE! It comes in 4 colors: black, blue, burgundy, and pink. All four colors come in both regular and petite. If you like this and are a petite size, I would hurry because they are selling out quickly! The black is available in every size in both regular and petite. The blue is only available in Petite XS, but in every size in regular. BOTH the burgundy and the pink are only available in regular sizes. The website says this top runs true to size. I like the black version the best.
1. American Atelier Daphne Set of 4 Stemless Wine Glasses – $24.12 33% Off So these glasses are really popular right now as I have seen a bunch of my fellow bloggers with these on their stories. They are regularly priced at $36 for the set. With the price of them on sale, it makes each glass about $6 each. They come in both copper and gold. I wish I had my own house already, because I absolutely love these and NEED them in my life ASAP!
1. Barefoot Dreams Cozy Chic Throw – $116.90 20% Off I know this price is a little steep, but this throw is normally priced at $147. This throw is super soft and a great size to use as a blanket. It is currently in stock in the cream, espresso, and stone colors.
1. Diff Rose 55mm Polarized Mirrored Sunglasses – $50.98 40% off These sunglasses are normally $85. I love the slight cat-eye look of the frames and the fact that they are polarized, what a win!
1. Men’s Michael Kors Wool Blend Double Breasted Peacoat – $99.90 70% Off Are you kidding me??? 70% off!! This is such a steal! You should hope on the website or run to your store and swipe this as fast as you can! This coat comes in four colors: black, burgundy, grey, and navy. Personally, I like the grey and black the best. The black is only available in size XXL and XXXL. The burgundy is only available in a M. The grey and navy are fully stocked in ALL sizes. The website says that if you are between sizes, to order one size down, but again you can always buy two sizes and return the one that doesn’t work.
1. BaubleBar Criselda Ball Shoulder Duster Earrings – $28.80 40% Off These earrings are normally $48. These would be soo cute for New Year’s Eve!
1. Tory Burch “Miller” Flip Flop – $146.25 25% Off These sandals are originally $198 but are on SALE! I swear these sandals NEVER go on sale, so of course I had to buy them. I actually bought these during their Black Friday sale and they were a cheaper price then. They are a super cute dark grey that will go with everything. I have them in the brown. I normally wear a size 6.5, but these run small so I order up and get a 7 which is perfect! They are currently only available in size 4, 4.5, 5, and 5.5. I would keep checking all day if I were you because they tend to restock. When I bought mine, it took me 3 different tries to FINALLY get them in my size. They’ve been restocking them like crazy so don’t lose hope if they’re not in your size right this second.
1. Leith Easy Circle Cardigan – $44.98 40% Off This cardigan comes in five colors: black, blue, coral, olive, and pink. This style is oversized by design, but if you want a tighter fit, order one size down. The black and olive are available is sizes M- XXL. The blue is only available in a size L. The coral color is fully stocked in every size. And the pink is available in sizes L-XXL. It looks like this cardigan hits about mid-thigh.
1. J.Crew Voletta V-Back Sweater – $53.70 40% Off This sweater is super cute and is normally priced at $89.50. It comes in three colors: grey, muslin (ivory), and olive. The grey is available in sizes S-XL. The ivory color is available in every size except S and the olive is available in only M and L. You can also get the grey from the J.Crew website or store, but only in in grey and only in sizes M-XXL. The only thing with buying it from J.Crew is that it is final sale (it’s also $45.99 there).
1. Kate Spade Cameron Street – Jeweled Lottie Leather Satchel – $233.16 33% Off This purse is normally $348 (that’s a lot of money for such a small purse!). It comes in pink and in black. It also has the cutest jewels lining the bottom portion of the bag. I love that this bag has top handles and a crossbody strap.
1. Vince Camuto Sequin Front Top – $71.40 40% Off This top is perfect for NYE and it is normally $119!! The website says that the top runs big, so you should size down! In my experience with Vince Camuto tops, I always end up sizing down. This is currently fully stocked in all sizes in both regular and petite. It has a sparkly, sequin front and a drapey knit back.
1. Free People Kolby Fringe Scarf – $28.80 40% Off Ok, I know how y’all love this Free People scarf so I thought I’d include it in my post. This one is really cool because I feel like it is different than the solid color ones that I’ve seen everyone with. This one is red, black, and white stripe.
1. Recover Flow iPhone 6/6s/7/8 Plus Case – $11.98 40% Off The phone case is normally priced at $20. In general I love the marble look, but throw some pink and sparkles and I’m definitely in love! You should note though that it is an iPhone 8 Plus case that is retrofitted to also accommodate iPhone 6, 6s and 7 Plus. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but you can always return it if it doesn’t fit your phone.
1. BLANKNYC Suede Moto Jacket – $112.80 40% Off This jacket is normally $188. It is available in three colors: black, burgundy, and coral. If you’re between sizes, you should order up a size. As a rule, I always size up in sweaters or jackets because I know that I am going to end up layering under them and I like to have the extra space. The black is available in sizes S-L. The burgundy is fully stocked in every size and the coral is only available in S or M. While there are still sizes available, I wouldn’t count on having them last too long!
Those are my top items that are currently on sale at Nordstrom. There are tons of other great deals out there so let me know what fun stuff you picked up from the Half Yearly Sale.

XOXO
December 27, 2017
Top 8 Fall Must Haves
Happy Tuesday y’all!!! I hope y’all had a GREAT weekend even though that was a few days ago now! I kicked off my weekend with a high school football game where my brother’s team beat their local rival (it was a nail bitter!) and then spent all day Sunday stopping some Bridesmaids from fighting with each other via email!

As we all know, Friday was the first official day of Fall and it had me thinking about changing up my wardrobe and adding some cooler weather pieces to my everyday look. Even though Fall doesn’t really start in SoCal until at least mid-October to November, there’s never a wrong time to add a few key pieces.

So to kick off the Fall season I’ve decided to share with y’all some of my favorite items for Fall so far. I have 5 out of the 8 items posted and the rest is in my shopping cart to buy when I get home from work! All of the pieces I’m linking are budget friendly and super cute!
1. Billabong “Dance With Me” Sweater – $55.95 This sweater is super cute and I actually found it while I was in Catalina with my family. It was the last one and I knew I had to buy it. It goes perfect with a pair of skinny jeans and low booties. It can be found at Nordstrom in sizes S-L in the color “White Cap” and on the Billabong website but only in a size L. I know that this sweater is a little more on the expensive side, but it is so worth it!
1. Lucky Brand “Brooke” Ripped Skinny Jeans – $59.99 These are originally $100 at Macy’s but are on SALE! These are currently in my cart and I’m so excited about them because I’ve been looking for a pair of ripped jeans that weren’t too ripped! They are currently almost sold out and are only available in sizes 25-29 so hurry and check them out if you like them!
1. Leopard print Scarf – $19 I found this scarf during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and only paid $11.90 for it. It’s super cut and lightweight which means it’s the perfect transitional piece.
1. Madden Girl “Addy” Peep-Toe Block-Heel Dress Sandals – $59.00 I found these at Macy’s in July when I went shopping for my birthday. You can also find them online at Belk for the same price. They come in chestnut (I have this color) and in black. They are true to size and zip on the side so it makes them easy to put on and take off (I wear a 6.5 and they fit perfectly). These peep toe booties are sooo cute and perfect for fall; throw them on with a pair of jeans, a white tee and that super cute leopard scarf and you’ve got yourself a cute, but casual look.
1. Billabong “Dance With Me” Sweater – $55.95 I bought this sweater during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale after I fell in love with the cream color one. I highly recommend trying to find this sweater on sale because I only paid $39.90 instead of full price. Again this type of sweater can be found at Nordstrom and at Billabong. On the Billabong website this sweater also comes in Ash Rose in sizes S-L.
1. Madden Girl “Fayth” Booties – $79.00 I am so bad, I had these in my shopping cart and did a little later night shopping. I found these booties at Macy’s and I can’t wait for them to come in the mail. These zip up the back and I ordered a 6.5 so hopefully they run true to size and I don’t have to exchange them. These come in three different colors (black, brown, and sand); I had such a hard time deciding between the brown and the sand but ended up going with the brown. I love the detailing on the back which is all the rage right now in the bootie world and the heel is low enough on them that wearing them all day shouldn’t be an issue.
1. Caslon Rounded V-Neck Tee – $25.00 This basic tee can be found at Nordstrom’s in a variety of colors. The website says that this shirt runs large and to order one size down if between sizes. I currently have this in my cart and I think that I’m going to go ahead and buy the Petite XS. The good thing about Nordstrom is that it’s FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS so win-win. This “Beige Rainy Day” color would go perfectly with the jeans mentioned above and either pair of booties in this article. You could also throw on that leopard scarf and you’re good to go. I’ve been looking for a good, simple v-neck and I hope this one doesn’t disappoint!
1. Steve Madden Women’s “Glenda” Athletic Mules – $79.00 I found these slip ons at Macy’s and we all know these are huge right now! These come in four colors: black suede, grey suede, pink suede, and rose gold. You can also find these on com for $49.98 or at DSW for full price! These would be perfect with shorts or some cropped jeans.
With all things Macy’s related, I like to wait until there is some kind of sale going on (and there always is) before I buy the more expensive pieces at a much cheaper price. All of the items in this shown here are under $100 which makes them very wallet friendly. Let’s hope that Fall comes to SoCal soon because I’m a little over the heat and bi-polar weather we have. It’s that time of the year where it’s sweater weather in the morning and by lunch you wish you had an outfit change.

Let me know if any of y’all picked up any great fall pieces that you want to share with me!

XOXO
September 26, 2017
SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW

Dear ________,

I’ll always look at pictures of us and wonder where it all went wrong and think about all the good times we used to have. I miss you sometimes when I think about how you would be the first person I would tell things to, my best friend. We were supposed to be there for each other and be in each other’s weddings, you were supposed to be the sister I never had. But looking back now, I know that you didn’t think of me the same way that I thought of you. You just saw me as constant competition, but that’s not what I wanted to be. Now when I see you, you’re nothing more than a stranger to me. We walk past each other like we’ve never met, like we weren’t the family I thought we were, and like we didn’t have a million inside jokes or secrets with each other. Thanks for being a learning experience for me that even after all this time I still haven’t figured out.

Sincerely,

The girl you used to know

Wow, ok so that got a little emotional up there. Let’s be honest… I’m sure many of you have felt that same way about somebody you used to be close with. I know it’s happened to me a few times, but sometimes it cuts deeper than others and sometimes it still comes back to hurt you years later.

There are always going to be people that come in and out of your life at different times. Some people are meant to stay in your life forever, while others are only there for various amounts of time. Every person that comes into our life has a purpose for being there. I’ve had plenty of people come into my life and then leave and every time someone leaves, there’s a lesson to be learned. For the most part, everyone who is no longer in my life, I’ve figured out the reason that they didn’t stick around, but there are some that, I think, I will never know the lesson that was supposed to come from them. But don’t get me wrong here, this doesn’t mean that I don’t know why or what happened to make them leave my life (I know damn well what happened!).

There will be FRIENDS that eventually drift out of your life and it may not even be from something significant. It could be as simple as you went to different high schools, or your lives were on different tracks. When I was younger, I was a competitive gymnast with a very rigorous training schedule and I had friends at school that didn’t understand that and eventually we went separate ways because my commitments were not with partying on the weekend and drinking (with an 8am Saturday morning practice, there were no late Friday nights). I still see some of those people that drifted away from time to time, but they’re not really in my life anymore, not like the friends I made in high school. I have a few VERY good friends that I can call at any time and they’ll be there. Having so many friends drift away has taught me to appreciate the best friends that I have and that every friendship takes a little bit of work. I’m grateful for the friends that I have and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

There will be BOYFRIENDS that come into your life and you’re either with them for a short while or you’re with them for years before you FINALLY break up. Let’s face it, you’re devastated at first, but then you get over it and realize all the reasons that they were no good for you and why they weren’t going to fit into your life. Maybe they wanted different things in life, maybe they were holding you back from reaching your full potential, or you were blind when you were with them and couldn’t see what everyone else was telling you. But then you meet someone and something in your heart feels different than any other time; you look at them knowing that it’s forever and then that forever becomes a reality and at that moment you know that all the frogs made it possible for you to find your prince. All of those other silly boys that came first taught you valuable lessons: how you want to be treated, what you’re truly looking for in the man that you want to spend forever with, what you will/won’t put up with in a relationship and how to stick up for yourself. But most of all, you learn that you deserved to be treated like the absolute princess that you are and you won’t let anyone treat you any other way. So to them, say thank you for that learning experience and hold on to the one that treats you like no one else before has (thank you to my fiancé for showing me what true love is and for always supporting my dreams).

And I’m going to get real honest with you, there could even be FAMILY who decide that you’re not good enough for them and they walk right out of your life like they never even knew you. In the town I grew up in it’s pretty common for people to not talk to their own family. It makes me sad to think about that, but I get it; and trust me, I can relate. It doesn’t make it right and it definitely doesn’t make it ok, but sometimes there is literally nothing you can do about it. These right here are the lessons that are hardest to figure out (shoot, I honestly couldn’t tell you what lesson I’ve learned yet) and yet the memories never go away. They’re the hardest “what ifs” to deal with. For a long time I wondered if I had done one particular thing differently then would all this be different? Would the last few years have been easier or harder? But I’ve learned that you can’t think that way because the thoughts will start to consume you and you can’t live like that. You just have to hold your head up high and know that the best way to live your life is to live it exactly the way you want to.

There’s always going to be the “what ifs” in life. What if this never happened? Or what if I had done something differently? But guess what? You can’t go back and change anything now, there’s only one way to keep looking and it sure isn’t behind you. You have to remember that everything happens for a reason and even if you don’t know it yet, it’s happening. There’s a reason that certain people don’t stick around to see the most important parts of our lives and the huge milestones that you accomplish. So my advice to y’all is to live life to the fullest and to always be proud of who you are and the choices you have made in life.

Thank you for letting me get a little personal with y’all today. I had planned on a different post, but with all the upcoming milestones for me it had me thinking on a deeper level. Let me know what your thoughts are or if you have anything you’d like to share.

XOXO

July 31, 2017