I brought the boys to the #nsale the other day. The goal was to find new shoes for Fall, and to force Raines to try on a million pairs of jeans until he found a pair that were soft and didn’t “come up high and bug”. (He chose Joe’s Brixton jeans, if you also have a picky little guy.)
Pax picked these Adidas sneaks because of the bright red velcro (he’s so predictable), and R chose these Nike Free 5.0 sneaks, which….wait. I own. Like the exact same pair. In fact, there were a ton of shoes – especially for girls – that I’m dying over (like these DV by Dolce Vita boots I mean seriously), and the kids’ clothes are just…awesome. Cool and fun and exactly how I like to dress but a touch more playful.
I apologize in advance for all of the close-up pictures of feet.
Also, if you are looking for manicure tips, you’re going to be sadly disappointed. (Yes, I see the glam mums on Instagram with the coordinated nail polish and I have no idea either.)
So, duly warned, let’s continue.
[crickets]
I know you are probably (certainly) underwhelmed, and if there is any sort of perking up at this photo it’s likely because of the fab sandals (which, BTW, are made in Greece of the softest leather). Yes. I feel you. But here’s the thing: I can’t seem to squeeze in a real pedicure.
IknowIknowIknowIknow. Lecture all you want, stand atop the mountain and scream about Mama Me Time and how we’re all Worth a Little Pampering and I won’t argue. But it doesn’t solve my pressing problem: Sandals on, pedi gone.
One would think, if pedicure time was such an issue (#firstworldproblems) that over the years I would actually have developed a steady hand. From all of that “practice”. To those I say:
BWAH HA HA HA HA HA- no.
My pedicure skills are embarrassing. Like, Raines-once-gave-me-a-pedicure-that-was-better-than-my-own-pathetic-attempts-and-he-was-four-at-the-time bad.
I blame my mother. She’s no better (in both the making-time and steady-hand departments), but she’s developed a genius nailpolish technique to make up for both lack of prioritization and skill. It involves painting your toenails with wild abandon (seriously, paint everything – nail, skin, whatever. Just cover those toes good.) and then, once they’re dry…take a shower. It turns out that nailpolish will slide right off your skin in the shower (with only a bit of scrubbing required). Seriously – try it. You’ll be amazed.
So. My problem, however, is that Mom’s technique requires a shower. And I only seem to remember my naked toenail problem as I’m stepping through the doorway - fully prepped and primped – and then CRAP. I look down. And there they are. My naked little piggies on their way to market.
So the other night as we were about to leave, in desperation I grabbed a random bottle of nailpolish from my basket of many (seriously why so many?). I was determined – DETERMINED – not to eff it up. I was going to paint the piggies with a steady, STEADY hand. I was slow breathing, I was giving myself a Jack Handy-esque pep talk, I unscrewed the cap, cleaned off the brush a bit – OK too much you need some polish on the brush, S!! And then carefully….caaarreefuuuulllyyy….applied it all over my big toe. GAH!
But here’s the thing: It was glitter polish.
Do you have any glitter polish? Not metallic nail polish, but glitter. The clear polish with glitter floating around? Yes. That. And I do realize it is typically worn by 8 year old girls. BUT! BUTBUTBUT! The clear polish part makes it rather foolproof. So you can just kind of glop it all over and then scrape off the bits you don’t need. Like, right there on the spot, no waiting for it to dry and then shower, and no nail polish remover required. (I mean it’s better if you try to stay in the lines, but if you go over, no big deal.)
And because the glitter is so reflective, even if you only have time for a single coat, it’s fine. It’s not great (as evidenced in my photo above) but I’ll give it the big ‘ol GOOD ENOUGH. Especially if you are peering down at feet from up high. (Ahem. Let’s skip the short jokes.)
I was so enamored with this speedy little glitter trick, that I dug through the nail polish basket and UNEARTHED – yup – MORE GLITTER.
This blue glitter nail polish was bought at Target that one day when both boys had been driving me crazy “Can we get legos? Can we get pokeman? Can we get soop-hero? MOM WHAT CAN WE GET?” that by the time we were making a beeline back to the checkout and passed the Essie display and even Raines was like, “Mom, if we can’t get anything FUN can we at least get that sparkly blue nail polish???” I was all SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR TWO MINUTES OF COOPERATION BOYS, FINE.
And then we got Starbucks and painted our nails and Pax fell asleep in the car.
And now? I have another glitter polish for last-minute pedicure emergencies. So there you go.
I hope you enjoyed this recent installment of BEAUTY: MEH. GOOD ENOUGH.
There’s this combo I’m obsessed with. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? It’s a little thing I like to call black and white.
IknowIknowIknow. No points for originality. But here’s my latest twist: contrasting collars
A collar, all buttoned up and offset by a contrasting neckline….it makes me feel like Twiggy or something. (Granted, I’m like half her height and twice her age but let’s just go with it for a sec.)
And because the line between a rut and mom-uniform is blurry….I’m basically wearing the same thing out on date night. Swap a short skirt for the cut-offs, then add heels.
Hunh. That’s a pretty good rule of thumb for just about anything, dontcha think? Swap for skirt. High heels.
As I type this, I’m still eyeing a large pile of Nordstrom bags, trying to calculate cost-per-wear vs. what-I-already-may-own-that-is-almost-identical with little clouds of need-vs-want raining on my shopping parade….but these heels? An easy in. I love the complicated details and nude color.
Ok gang. I’m back at it. Now that the sale is open to all, let’s start with my very favorites (which also happen to be the ones that may sell out quickly).
I know these are pricey. But…they’re the kind of boots you can walk everywhere in, go to the playground in, and otherwise mess up. They’ll just look better with some wear and tear. And moto boots are a classic – notice that sort of in-between shape? Not tall boots, but not exactly short boots either? Yeah. You could wear these for years. Rag and Bone also nailed the color. They’re listed as “gray”, but in reality they are sort of a grayish moss with really dark brown leather detailing. Which means…these boots would look just as good with browns and navy as they would with black. They would literally go with everything without being matchy-matchy. So. For these reasons, despite the $$, the Rag and Bone Moto boots make the top spot in my recommendation. (You have to calculate your own personal CPW cost-per-wear to see if they make sense for you.)
Ummm…these are FABULOUS. They’re comfortable, shockingly lightweight, flat and they have a similar stretchy back panel as the Stuart Weitzman boots I’ve been coveting. (For $635. And if you remember my rule from earlier, I’m a “NOT $600″ kind of girl.)
Here’s my “yeah….these are gooood” face:
I can pretty much promise that these Louise and Cie boots will sell out fast. They look too much like the Weitzmans not too…and now that I know how comfortable they are? Yikes.
Be a little leery of color. I loved the black (which in reality is actually a cool, slightly distressed gray as pictured)…but the tan colors? Not so much. It was a bit too construction worker for me. Observe:
Next!! I somehow missed these the first time, but reader Rachel pointed them out. Hunter’s Short Moto Rainboot ($129 down from $195) is a very welcome update from the norm, and so practical (yet chic!) for rainy day worm hunts.
These are slightly higher than medium comfortable. I did find the back of the heel a bit stiff, but I suspect they would soften over time. The shoes I really wanted, however, are the Vince Bowen Slip on sneakers. I have it on good authority that those are shockingly comfortable. And they must be – as of Friday, Nordstroms at King of Prussia had only one (!!) left. In size 10. In any case, whether you go with the Vince slip-ons or the Steve Madden snake slip-ons, this is THE new sneaker shape for Fall.
Ok, let’s move on to the heels!! The next two pairs of shoes surprised me by being both comfortable AND hothothot. Voila…
These sandals are every bit as comfy as I’d hoped they’d be…but surprisingly sexy, too.
Now the Sam Edelman Palma Heels, $99 down from $160 are obviously sofreakinghot….but also soft and padded, making them…comfortable? Yes. (warning: That heel is pretty darn high.) And that IS a mirrored heel, BTW.
In Debate
Ok, now let’s talk about those Frye’s. Specifically, the Anna Shortie Leather Boot, $218 down from $327.
So. I’ve tried this boot on several times (like seriously 10)…and I…like…it. It’s not true love, but I like it. For some reason, these boots don’t make my heart beat fast. Maybe that’s just me. The good news is that the initial stiffness I noticed was already starting to give after the 6th or 7th try-on, so my concerns with comfort have been alleviated. And if you are looking for a wear-with-everything kind of boot, this rich camel is one of the most versatile colors (goes well with brown, black, navy, etc.). So IDK.
It’s…close, right? I mean I like how the zippers (on both sides of the boot) allow you do make the opening bigger or smaller. I think it looks kind of…nonchalantly cool, you know? But the Fryes will hold up better in the long run (and probably be more comfortable to boot. Get it? “To boot?”)
Ignoring, for a moment, that the Hinge boots are roughly half the cost of the Fryes…which would you pick?
And then to further complicate matters…for the same price point as the Hinge boots, DV by Dolca Vita (another fav brand) has the Ferin buckle boots.
Soooo….yeah. To make your head hurt further, my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Shop has a few additional boot/shoe picks for those interested.
Gang, I plied Mike with booze and (uh, we’ll just leave it at that) to get him to sit down and take a close look at the Nordstrom sale. Here are the pieces he’s loving:
I don’t have any #dressingroomselfies (that would require a whole lot more than I was willing to offer on a Tuesday night), but I did take a quick photo of Mike in one of the Hugo Boss slim-cut suits.
Out of the four almost-identical looking pairs of shoes I showed him, Mike scoffed (scoffed!) at three of them then declared this one, “Effing ligit right there!” Alrighty then.
Out of everything, this shirt was the piece Mike was the MOST excited about. In the summer, he swears by layering a short-sleeve button-down shirt under his suits. HOWEVER, it’s been tough to find ones that are both long enough to tuck in (check) but where the sleeves aren’t that long, dorky, old-man-short-sleeve OR that tragically hip man-cap-sleeve. This one looks juuuust right.
But you know what it is when you have one of those long days at the office and you come home really tired and are met by your (adorably??) crazy wife who snaps a picture of you to share on the internet for all to see and you let her? Know what that is?
It’s LOVE is what.
Lastly, thanks for all of the feedback on the redesign. I know a few of you have noticed items “disappearing” from the boutiques. It turns out that there’s a limit to the number of pieces I can add. SO. For the sale, I broke it out into two shops: The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Shop contains links to all of my picks for women…and a the newly created Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks – Men and Kids contains…yeah. Self explanatory. (Besides, it’s nice to get all of that boring man-footwear out of the way. We can then focus on the important stuff. Which reminds me: Has anyone ordered these cool boots? They’re online only, but I’m DYING to hear how they look or see a pic….
xo,
S
ps. And for those of you who aren’t Nordstrom card holders, the sale opens to the general public TOMORROW. And I may or may not have more #dressingroomselfies. (I KNOW. But I bad-mouthed those Frye boots and had to give them one more chance. More later.)
