Must

I am officially on my way back to SoCal today and while I am sad to be leaving NL, I am very much looking forward to seeing Target my family. The hardest part about a relationship with a person from another continent is the constantly having to say goodbye to one family to say hello to another. I have yet to master this, but I am getting better at it over time. The greatest part about this trip back to the US is that I get to celebrate by birthday AGAIN with my family. I love a good cupcake (hint hint) and presents so I say bring it on.

Since I have been MIA for awhile I have a huge stock pile of things you must check out, but some may be a little older and instead of emailing me that it was so two weeks ago, just roll your eyes and say it to yourself. I have been in a work cave for almost two months. Give a girl a break!!

image via Mou

Mou - (pronounced Moo) aka heaven on my feet.

The last week of February I was on site at an event in Istanbul and really misjudged the amount of walking I would do on a hard unforgiving marble floor. While I had packed my most comfortable boots and insoles, the amount of actual walking I did in this conference center destroyed my feet. As luck would have it one of the sponsor booths was Mou and I had struck up a conversation with the ladies at the booth that suggested I try on their boots for comfort. I did, I purchased and the next day I wore the boots to work the floor and my entire day was changed. I even had one guy say to me that I looked happier that day. And I was because my feet were happy, comfortable and not hurting. Now before you say they look like Uggs, I must say they are definitely more stylish and comfortable then Uggs. Now I am not saying these are to be worn to dinner or really out and about, they are plane and errand perfect. I own two and regret nothing.

image via Amazon

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals

I am obsessed with Jaimie Olivers 15 minute meal show that they have in the Netherlands. Take away the delicious and easy to follow recipes and it is just fun to watch him in the kitchen, see the items he uses to make the meals (nothing fancy) and the farm house decor that he has in his indoor and outdoor kitchen make for more than just another food show. Doesn't hurt that the book is pretty awesome too. Buy it!

Image via Trader Joe's

Coconut Oil

I have been obsessed with coconut oil for a few months now. Not only do I use it for my pancakes, but my shower scrub and cuticles. Now I found this article there are several other things it can be used for. I love the smell and the fact that if you use a small amount it will sink right in to the skin. It's pretty pricey at the grocery store, but I have found it fairly inexpensive at Trader Joe's and even at Costco. If you have any other suggestions of where to get it please let me know!

Image via Etsy

Downton Abbey Bracelet

For those Downton Abbey obsessed folks out there (or Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Hunger Games, etc.) this Etsy shop takes some of the best quotes from shows and movies and puts them on bracelets, charms and rings. They are cute, inexpensive and great gifts for the show/book nerd in your life.

Image via Sprinkle Bakes

Guinness Pretzel Truffles

Heather from Sprinkle Bakes is a genius when it comes to baked goods and these lovelies are no exception. This St. Patricks Day just say no to green beer and whip up a batch of of these truffles instead. Easy to make and even easier to consume I am looking forward to Sunday with these babies. If you have a little more energy and time you should give the the Sweet and Salty Guinness Chocolate Pie a go as well. It looks amazing!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Get Your Shop On - Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

I wrote about this sale last year here with my favorite picks and this year will be no different. The great thing about this year is that I was able to shop the sale prior to the public sale and online no less. No crowds, no waiting and nothing out of stock. Easiest sale ever. This year I took a different approach to my shopping strategy and really kept to fall basics and essentials to compliment my current closet and not restyle it. I think I made some good choices that will last well beyond fall, which is always the goal with those of us trying to make the most of our hard earned money. Now comes the hard part and I have to wait until the weather cools to be able to wear my items. Apparently SoCal has not received the memo that I want to wear my new boots (Just kidding, please keep the weather warm and lovely mother nature. Thanks in advance. xx Shann)

The sale officially started last Friday, but now is the best time to check it out as the crazed shoppers have died down to a dull roar. Don't wait too long thought, you only have until August 6th to get these prices!

View this SkinnyScoop List

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Dream List

The Mothership

I have talked about Nordstrom on this blog more times than I can count. I have posted things you can buy there almost weekly and recommend them to everyone who will listen. I follow them on twitter, Pinterest, Facebook (and lucky me they follow me back) and participate in surveys on a regular basis for them. In short I LOVE Nordstrom. The other night a girlfriend and I were meeting each other for a quick drink. She was feeling a little sick that day so we were going to make it an early night so everyone could get some rest. Fast forward three drinks, dinner and a little too much fun and you end up at the Nordstrom Flagship shoe department with little care about the cost of a good shoe (What? I got three jobs.). I tried on so many super fabulous shoes and then picked a perfect pair of summer shoes by Stuart Weitzman.

Exhibit A - Also soooo comfortable.

As soon as everything was purchased we decided to celebrate the acquisition of our new shoes before heading home.  While sitting in the restaurant I couldn't resist taking my shoes out of the box for a quick admiration glance. That's when I found this:

I am aware that the cost may be ridiculous for some.
We all have our things.
Anyway, if you can't see what is going on, what I was charged
does not match the sale price on my shoe. I actually think
these were marked down early for the half yearly sale that
didn't start, at that time, for a few days.

So I tweeted this picture to Nordstrom and here is the DM conversation that took place:

I modified the size of the tweets so this wasn't a super long picture, but I didn't change anything in the actual tweets.

I think this all speaks for itself and I had no idea that I could love them even more. I walked in the store in Fashion Island and didn't even need to say a word outside of my name. They are amazing!

Thank you Michael, Theresa & Nordstrom. I will always be a shopper for life!

The Weather Up Here is Fine Thankyouverymuch

You don't have to get very far on this site to realize I love high heels. I own a lot of them. I wear all of them (some more than others, but it changes depending on season and mood) and take exceptionally good care of them. In fact when I bought my condo the first thing I did was have a shoe wall built in my small walk in closest to make sure they were displayed properly. The one thing that you may not know is that I am 5 feet 9 inches tall in bare feet. While this is not record breaking, in the US this is tall for a woman.  On top of that 5 feet 9 inches I wear 3 to 4 1/2 inch heels. Often. I also hang out with people shorter than me so I am almost always the tallest in the group. This may not seem like a revelation to you, but this was a big deal for me for years. Nothing makes you stand out more than being a head taller than everyone in the room. When I was in my early 20's I thought it was better to stay away from heels and stick with cute flats to blend in, all the while I was jealous of my friends in their fancy heels. Then one day out shopping I found an amazing pair of pink 4 inch heels that I had to try on.  Once they hit my feet I just knew that I had to have them. I immediately wore them out that evening to a gathering where no one said anything other than how much they loved my shoes (in fact a lady at the 7-eleven told me they were "bangin'"). It took me until that night to realize that the only one with the problem with my height was me (and the guys with the little man syndrome, but who really cares what they think). That night the monster was born and quickly my credit limit was reached. I still have moments where I feel the heel maybe too tall, but now that is more about comfort rather than looks. My only regret is that it took me so long to get this all figured out, think of all the shoes I have missed!

This post is for the tall ladies who with or without heels are over 6 feet. The advantages are vast and the view is amazing!

Valentines Day Whatever

You may think this week is about Valentines day, but you would be wrong. This is the official start of my birthday week and Valentines day always tries to steal my thunder. I have been super busy the last few weeks (when not sending zombie Valentines cards) sending my boyfriend helpful birthday gift tips. I am sure he loves these daily items almost as much as I do (read not at all). I have also utilized Pinterest to help me remember all the crazy things I think I want.  My favorite category is the Wish List of Semi Useful Things. Random stuff for sure, but at least it's fun. Here are a few of my favorite items that I have on my birthday list, fully expecting to not receive them. Oh but a girl can wish!

I will have these boots on way or the other. I love the color and the buckles. Everything. Gift card? Piperlime

I have been wanting a new lens for the last few months and this is the chosen one. Canon

I would then of course need a stylish camera bag. OpenSky

And of course some hot pink shoes.  J.Crew

Have a great Monday!

They might be Giants or Something

I am not even going to try and pretend that I watched the Super Bowl. I didn't attend a party, didn't turn it on, didn't watch Madonna lip sync and definitely didn't see any touchdowns. It's on purpose and no food will tempt me to be bored out of my mind. The only reason I know who won or anything about the halftime show is due to twitter. Hopefully the people I follow got it right so I don't look like a total idiot with my title and the Madonna information. Anyway, I went shopping instead. If you have never left the house (or the house where the party is at) you are sadly missing out on the best time to get your shop on. The malls, Target and grocery store are void of people and making shopping during the Super Bowel the best time ever. I only wish that I was still in the Phoenix, AZ area so I could go have shopped at the Last Chance Nordstrom store in relative peace. Oh well at least I was able to get these babies on my way out of AZ on Friday (for $69...no joke).

They can be found here at Nordstrom if you like them, but they are a little more that $69. Next time you are in Phoenix I highly suggest going to Last Chance, but only if you are will to do a little sifting. I gave myself a time limit otherwise I would have had a lot more explaining to do. These are simply a birthday gift to myself...12 days early.

Two things I think you need to know

This week I happened across two things on the Internet that made me ridiculously happy. I know I get excited a little to easily, but I really love both of these things and am so excited to share them.

1. So remember when I wrote about how reading the Hunger Games doesn't necessarily make you stupid (being stupid makes you stupid or thinking that Kim Kardashian is relevant makes you stupid, but I am getting off track)? Well as you may (or may not know) Hunger Games is coming to a theater near you in March. As part of the promotion for the film they have come up with a site called Capital Couture that currently has several Capital style (if you read the books you will understand) features on it including a nail tutorial and a close up of Effie's gold shoes (I super heart them). I believe that they will to continue to update it with more items and I for one am super excited. I wonder if they will try to sell Effie's shoes...

2. Speaking of shoes, OMG. TOMS is finally making shoes that I will wear. No really check these babies out.

They are starting pre-orders February 1st at Nordstrom and I will be getting on that band wagon my friend. TOMS does a One for One, which means for every pair of shoes purchased TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need and I have wanted to buy them strictly for that reason. The problem is that the current type of shoes are just too homely for me (Yes, even the wedges. You can send your hate mail to shannonin30 at gmail dot com). Every time I try to purchase them my brain goes into an inner dialogue with itself and tells me that I am not supposed to look that granola EVER so I have never successfully purchased a pair. Well now I can feel good about purchasing a pair of shoes and looking good in the process. Everybody wins.

As a side note I made it to the grandparents in one piece with a few pics (I will post a few of them next week) and no major drama. Not too bad for a 7 hour trip all by myself.  Yay!

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!!

Boots for all

While walking around the Netherlands for the last two weeks I have noticed that almost everyone has kicky boots that they wear with jeans, skirts, dresses, pants or whatever they want. Of course it's fall/winter weather so it is totally appropriate. The styles they are wearing really has me lusting after new boots. The are practical with little to no heel for walking or biking around the city and are in pretty neutral tones with not a lot of bells and whistles. I may not need them, but I totally want a new pair. Here are some of my top choices.

1. Seriously I have these on my list! Hunter knee length boots

2. Perfect for the city. MICHAEL Michael Kors 

3. I love the low height of the heel. Not too much. Timberland 

4. Total wish I could have them boots! Stuart Weitzman

5. I love the color. Belle Sigerson Morrison

6. Love, love, love. Barbour riding boots

7. $100 on sale at Piperlime.  Bandolino

Wish me luck with the trains and happy Friday!!

Anniversary Sale is HERE!

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is the one sale that I always look forward to every year. I stock up on all of my fall basics and get some great key pieces that I know will be used all season long. I usually make sure that on the first day of the sale that I am not expected in the office until the early afternoon so I can make sure to take my time and browse all items. This year however I was in NYC on the first day of the sale (NYC does not currently have a Nordies, but I hear they are working on fixing that) so I sadly missed the craziness of the doors opening and the women rushing the racks. The good news is that the first day is actually just a fun thing for me and Nordstrom does have plenty of stock to last the entire sale. So that left me with even more time to puruse the sale online and make a list of what I want to make sure and see. I do not order online since that is not nearly as fun as going to the store and checking it all out in person! I think I have narrowed this down to a few key items, but I am sure that will all go to wayside when I am going from department to department checking it all out. Here is what is at the top of my must have list.

Cole Haan 'Air Whitley' Boot. What can I say, I adore a good black
versatile boot and need to replace my old flat black boots. I think these will fit the bill nicely.

Miz Mooz 'Felicity' Pump. Love this subtle color.

Elie Tahari
I love this top. Splash of color, but not too much.
Perfect for office or going out.

Calvin Klein
I could see this go from day to evening so effortlessly.

autumn cashmere sweater
Total splurge, but I love sweaters and it's CASHMERE

MAC Brushes
Best deal on brushes HANDS down. I replace my
worn brushes every year with this deal.

Hope you have fun checking it out and let me know what you end up with. Happy Shopping!!

Public Service Announcement

I was going to post something else today, but prompted by someone that I saw on my drive in to work today I feel the need to spread a little PSA.

Leggings are not pants. They are thin and I can see through them, which means if I can, everyone can. If you want everyone to see your underwear super, but if you think we can't you are mistaken. Please cover your ASSets and wear a tunic or sweater. Might I suggest this or this. Both of these options cover the bits accordingly and are super cute.

If you are in question about what you have placed on your legs and if they are pants or not BuzzFeed has provided a handy little diagram to help you out: Am I wearing pants? This also made me laugh out loud.

Thank you,
Shannon

PS - I think I might be in love!

They do not go with leggings!

You can find them here, but they will easily cost you a vacation.