Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2019

nsale

Something big is coming this Friday! It’s my favorite sale of the year: the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I’m letting you in on all the tips and tricks to get the most bang for your buck during this sale.

When Can I Shop?

Early Access begins for cardholders on July 12th in store and online at 12:30 pm EST. You can apply either for a credit or debit card. The best part of the whole thing is you don’t have to pay with it during the sale if you don’t want to but you do have to have one of the cards to access the sale early. I have been shopping this sale for 5 years now and at first I shopped regular access and many things were sold out by that time.

The Anniversary Sale access opens to everyone on July 19th-August 4th in store and online. During this time some items will be restocked but it’s just a luck of the draw on which ones are. I’ll be giving constant updates on restocks during this time on my blog and Instagram.

 

How Can I Shop?

I prefer shopping online since I don’t live near a Nordstrom location. I shop via my laptop on the website or the app. I encourage you to create a Nordstrom account for real before the sale begins that has all your info saved. It makes check-out quicker and easier. It also is much more likely that you’ll get the pieces you want before the sell out.

 

What types of items will be for sale?

Fall/winter clothing and shoes for men, women, and children; items for your home and beauty products. I’m going to show you some of my favorites from last year’s sale and I’ll have a new post this weekend with my favorites from the 2019 sale.

 

nordstrom-sale

I get one of these Leith cardigans every single year. This was last year’s gorgeous blue version. Always get your true size or size down because they run large! I have an XS on here. I paired it with the BP Camisole in black. This item will also be back this year in this color and some fun prints! I’ll definitely grab another one for layering.

The BP tees both long sleeve and short sleeve are always a great deal and perfect for layering!

My vest is North Face and I get one yearly. They go with everything and last forever. My thermal sold out during the early access last year and I still can’t get enough. The wedge tennis shoes are Steve Madden and the most comfortable for a long day of standing on your feet or walking.

 

Another fun camisole they had last year. I loved the color and detail on this one from WAYF.

Paired a Leith cardigan from 2 years ago from the sale with last year’s favorite dress of mine. This cute gray t-shirt material dress was worn to school and everywhere in between. I wish I had also snagged the black one they had!

This sweater is probably one of my favorite things I bought last year. It sold out during Early Access and I am still obsessed with it.

They always have the best BP Plaid shirts every year during the sale. They fit true to size and go with everything! These sneakers were also part of the sale last year.

This cardigan was 2-3 years ago but I still wear it weekly during the fall and winter. It goes with everything! It sold out during the Early Access and feels like cashmere.

My sweater is BP and can be worn forward or backward. I’d love this in another color for fall!

My Patagonia better sweater vest had been on repeat for years. I actually didn’t get it from the sale so I paid a lot more for it. Definitely a staple piece of mine for fall and winter!

I’ve almost bought this Patagonia Nano jacket every year during the sale and finally did it last year. It’s one of my most worn items and perfect for being easily packed for travel. These usually go fast during the sale!

My BlankNYC suede moto jacket is other item I never could quite pull the trigger on but is usually included in the sale. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this during the sale and it was much more expensive.

Besides all these items I love the Barefoot Dreams Cardigan, Zella Running sock packs, Antica Farmcista Diffusers and Candles in Prosecco, La Mer Favorites Kit, and Barefoot Dreams throws!

nordstrom

I’ll be posting all my favorites for this year’s sale on Friday afternoon. Make sure you’re following me on http://www.liketoknow.it/whenpigsflyblog to easily shop all my picks! Leave me any questions in the comments and I’ll be glad to help!

 

Love,

Megan

June Best Sellers

I cannot believe June is almost over y’all! Where has this year gone?! Today, I’m sharing my best sellers for this month on the liketoknow.it app! You can shop each of these items easily with the link below each photo.

The two piece set is SO good for $24. I’m wearing a small and hit it with a steamer before I wore it. The top runs a little big if you are smaller chested but I safety pinned it to make it work.

https://rstyle.me/n/dm4nuvch37p

This swimsuit is so comfortable and it would be perfect for 4th of July. I’m wearing a small and it runs true to size. It’s $27 and the quality is incredible.

https://rstyle.me/n/dm9q5nch37p

The comfiest summer sundress. I got a medium for length but would’ve been fine with a small. The straps are adjustable and it is lined underneath. These wedges have also been extremely popular this month for only $24. True to size, I’m wearing my usual 6.5 in the gray.

https://rstyle.me/n/dnjzqkch37p

https://rstyle.me/n/dkszt9ch37p

This romper feels like pajamas! Love the pockets and wearing a small. The waist is adjustable and it’s a good length even for someone like myself with longer legs.

https://rstyle.me/n/dnjzrkch37p

I love the fit of this suit. I’m wearing a medium and it is so flattering! Not too cheeky or high cut. I was afraid the underwire in the top would be uncomfortable but I’ve worn it all day at the lake it wasn’t at all.

https://rstyle.me/n/dm36efch37p

Last but not least, this stunner! Wearing a small and only $28. I cannot believe this dress. The quality is unreal. It comes in many colors and my eye is on lavender next.

https://rstyle.me/n/dm4ntsch37p

All of this month’s best sellers are available via Amazon and most are Prime shipping. Have fun shopping y’all!

Love,

Megan

Best sellers of May

Sharing my May best sellers today! The top six things that everyone was shopping last month. The first is this palm kimono from Amazon: https://rstyle.me/+3MJEl40of_apJnPFOXBOaw

So versatile and cute! Can we yours for under $20 and at your home in 2 days.

Next is this Brixton hat! I’ve had mine for a year and it has been virtually everywhere with me. https://rstyle.me/+SXnHXrTrJoTYl7Mu2RrLlw

This swimsuit from Amazon is another crowd favorite! https://rstyle.me/+PZLMEIQDEbvKXpLOa_Qjgg

This cute swimmie was also super popular and comes in tons of prints! https://rstyle.me/+Fl3VvouMO3-DIESSBJRuKw

This belt is always popular! It’s the skinny version via Amazon and I love the color. https://rstyle.me/+id4_MYCgG3djztLh9iTF0A

Another cute pool or beach option! https://rstyle.me/+id4_MYCgG3djztLh9iTF0A

Hope you guys enjoyed these picks! I’m going to start doing best sellers every month so stay tuned for June’s later this month.

Love,

Megan

Amazon Swimsuit + Coverup Roundup

Sharing all my favorites from Amazon today! You can shop all these items via www.liketoknow.it/whenpigsflyblog This palm coverup is under $20 and I’ve worn it so many times since I got it last year.

This scalloped suit comes in a couple of colors! I’m wearing a medium but it’s plenty stretchy and I could’ve done the small as well.

My hat isn’t Amazon but it’s definitely worth $45 since I’ve worn it SO many times. Linking a similar one for $15. My cover up is a couple of years old but I found the same one for $13 except its white. https://rstyle.me/+U9SeebOBQD4xd8pA87aOqQ

Snakeskin is everything right now and I’m loving this for $20. I’m wearing a small.

 

This one piece is so cute as a body suit or swimsuit. I got the medium since I have a long torso but the straps are adjustable.

This was my top selling item of April. I’m in a medium and this two piece is only $15.

Another cover up that’s a few years old but still available for $13! https://rstyle.me/+r-aZRIam0jSFwE5vhpW1yw

 

Love this set and it comes in a ton of different colors and patterns. Sunglasses are also available via Amazon.

Questions about fit or anything else from my haul? I’ll be glad to answer if you’ll leave me a comment! Happy shopping!

Love,

Megan

Trend Spin Link Up – Ruffles & Frills

I can’t believe it’s already April! Spring is just flying by. I could certainly do without all the pollen but I sure do love the longer days and warmer weather! This week I’m participating in my first style link up with two other amazing and well established bloggers. Our theme just happens to be some of my favorite things: ruffles and frills! You can bet if something has a ruffle or bow my eye is instantly drawn to it. I just love girlie details like that!

I’m wearing this gorgeous powder blue maxi from WAYF Ruffle Maxi Gown from Nordstrom. I’m wearing small but do wish the XS had been available as I think it would’ve been a better fit for me. I lucked out and got this dress at half off. The regular price is a bit of a splurge but it’s well worth it.

I’m wearing this for my Easter dress but I think it would also be great for engagement photos or wedding guests! I also linked some similar but more affordable options in the liketoknow.it app for convenient shopping. Shop my look

Love,

Megan

RUFFLES & FRILLS

Walking in Memphis / The Fashion Canvas / When Pigs Fly

Wedding Wednesday: Bridal Party Attire

This week we’re talking all about what you want your bridal party to wear on your special day! By now you should have chosen your color theme and will be able to work from that to select what everyone will wear.

Working with your color palette will help you decide what color or colors your dresses will be. My colors were black and white with a splash of gold accents in the decor. My bridesmaids wore black dresses from Show Me Your Mumu. They each chose the style they wanted so we ended up having four different styles total which I loved. You will need to decide if you want matching dresses or mismatched dresses which will be your personal preference! I loved the mismatched look for our laid back beach wedding and it allowed each girl to choose the dress she felt she looked best in. SMYM dresses were perfect because they’re made of wrinkle resistant fabric that allowed my girls to travel with them! Most of all I wanted them in dresses that they truly could wear again. I’ve heard from multiple girls that were my bridesmaids that they have indeed worn their dress again which makes me so happy!

The styles worn by my bridesmaids were: Kendall Maxi, Heather Maxi, Hacienda Maxi, and the King Crop + Ballgown Skirt. Let me know if you need help locating any of these! Many times you can find used ones on resale apps or websites. I purchased one in mint condition for a wedding for under $100 and was able to resell it after.

Places to find bridesmaids dresses under $200:

http://www.showmeyourmumu.com

http://www.nordstrom.com

http://www.davidsbridal.com

http://www.jcrew.com

 

Places to find bridesmaids dresses under $100:

http://www.asos.com

http://www.amazon.com

http://www.lulus.com

http://www.windsorstore.com

Our groomsmen wore back tuxes and bow ties with matching black and white Chaco sandals. Their tuxes were rented from JoS A. Bank This was very easy since they could pick them up where the lived or when they got to the destination and also return them there. My husband already owned his tux before our wedding but I would highly recommend it to any groom since he has worn it multiple times since then.

Our groomsmen wore back tuxes and bow ties with matching black and white Chaco sandals. Their tuxes were rented from JoS A. Bank This was very easy since they could pick them up where the lived or when they got to the destination and also return them there. My husband already owned his tux before our wedding but I would highly recommend it to any groom since he has worn it multiple times since then.

Do you have any questions about outfitting your bridal party? Let me know and I’d be glad to answer!

 

Love,

Megan

Wedding Wednesday: Designing Your Invites On A Budget

Things I never thought would be as expensive as they are: save the dates, invitations, and programs. Seriously, I was not prepared. I’m bringing you tips today to keep the cost down so you can save some coins!

Before we even took engagement pictures I knew I wanted a save the date with a photo of us on it. This is obviously not required but a personal preference of mine. This meant since we had a short engagement that we needed to take our photos soon after to get the save the dates out. Once we got the photos back from the photographer we chose the main photo together. We actually hadn’t planned for our only dog at the time, Reese, to be in more than a few photos and she ended being on the save the date because that was our favorite from the shoot. Now, I truly can’t imagine it any other way. Since we had a horizontal photo that’s where we started when designing the save the dates. There are many websites you can create your own save the date online but they get pricey very quickly. My best friend is a graphic designer and I told her what I wanted in order for her to design it. I chose gold, white, and black as the colors since those were also my wedding colors. It’s great to choose those things early on in order for everything to coordinate.

 

We added our wedding website to the back for people to reference. We had them printed through a printing company online. It all ended up being much more less expensive than using any website online. I highly recommend using a graphic designer and printing them yourself if possible. We sent our save the dates out about 4 months before our actual wedding since it was a destination wedding. Definitely send them out in enough time for people to make arrangements as needed. Another tip I wanted to add is leading up to sending out the save the dates buy stamps every week. Stamps do get expensive and stocking up a little at a time is a great way to slowly get what you need. Remember you will also need them for invitations, RSVP cards, and thank you notes. I promise you can never have enough stamps during this time in your life!

In keeping with the black and white theme of the wedding I choose the same colors for the invitations and RSVP cards. I opted for a simple and less formal style of invitations. My best friend also designed both of these. We chose a more modern style and wording for the invitations. Remember to include a stamp and return address for the RSVP cards. We kept a list and checked them off as they came in. We requested our cards be returned a little less than two months before the wedding date because of catering for dinner.

 

 

Programs are the one thing I really didn’t care about. I feel like everyone just throws them away. This is where I really decided to cut cost. My best friend designed these in keeping with the black and white theme. We only included the wedding party and families. Our ceremony was short so we didn’t feel the need to add the order of events. The total time was maybe 15 minutes. We printed these front and back at Office Depot for less than $30 and while I’m glad we have them I’m also glad we didn’t spend a fortune on them! ETSY would be a great place to find a graphic designer if you don’t know any personally. Many of which have very reasonable prices. This is usually where I get my Christmas cards designed and then print them myself. Let me know if you have any questions about the design process and saving money during it!

 

Love,

Megan

Wedding Wednesday: Picking Your First Dance Songs

 

The wedding planning process isn’t always stressful. Some parts of it are actually pretty fun! One of those things is choosing the songs for your first dances. Typically at the reception the bride and groom share a first dance followed by the bride and her father and the groom and his mother. Today, I’m sharing some tips for making these decisions along with my top picks for first dance songs!

 

Tips for pick your first dance song with your groom:

  • Make it a fun process! Turn on some music and listen/dance together.
  • Narrow it down to 3 songs before deciding on the final song. This will make it easier to choose with fewer choices.
  • Decide if the song will be played from recording or live if you have a band. We chose live since we had a band.
  • Practice dancing to the song if you want or don’t! We didn’t because we just wanted to be in the moment and not worry about choreographed dance moves. This part is strictly up to you as a couple.

 

My top ten favorite songs for the bride/groom first dance:

  • You Are The Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne (This was our first dance song!)
  • Beyond – Leon Bridges (This song didn’t exist when we got married but it probably would’ve been our first dance!)
  • You & Me – Dave Matthews Band
  • XO – John Mayer
  • Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
  • When A Man Loves A Woman – Percy Sledge
  • Your Song – Elton John
  • Just The Way Your Are – Billy Joel
  • From The Ground Up – Dan + Shay
  • This – Darius Rucker

 

Tips for choosing father/daughter and mother/son dance songs:

  • Choose the song together with your father or mother!
  • Make it one that represents your relationship together.
  • It can be fun or serious! Whatever fits your personalities best.
  • Once you’ve chosen the song decide if it will be a recording or played live by the band if you’re having one.

 

My top ten picks for the father/daughter dance song:

  • Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison (This is what we used! It was so fun.)
  • My Girl – The Temptations
  • Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
  • In My Life – The Beatles
  • Daughters – John Mayer
  • You Are My Sunshine – Johnny Cash
  • American Girl – Tom Petty
  • I’ll Be There – Jackson 5
  • You’ve Got A Friend – James Taylor
  • How Sweet It Is – James Taylor

 

 

My top ten picks for mother/song dance songs:

  • Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
  • The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
  • Wonderful Tonight – Eric Calpton
  • You’ll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins
  • What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
  • Forever Young – Rod Stewart
  • You’re My Best Friend – Queen
  • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye
  • Stand By Me – Ben E. King
  • Landslide – Fleetwood Mac

 

I hope this gave you some ideas to help you get started in the process of choosing your first dance songs! Let me know if you have any favorites in the comments!

Love,
Megan

Wedding Wednesday: Where to splurge vs. save

The wedding process can be overwhelming. Especially the monetary part of it! There are so many choices to make over the course of the planning phase and unfortunately most of them cost money. Once you’ve set your budget you can begin to make these choices both large and small. I’m sharing my opinion as a past bride on what to splurge on vs. what to save on!

 

WHERE TO SPLURGE:

  • The dress, duh! I know this contradicts my past post but I do think if spending a little more (as long as it’s in your budget) for your dream dress is well worth it.
  • The robe you get ready in the day of the wedding! I still wear mine and think it was worth every penny. It came from Nordstrom where they have a ton of great ones!
  • A special piece of jewelry, shoes etc. to wear the day of your wedding. But in my opinion, I’d only choose one of these things since you’re already going to be wearing a stunning dress! I only chose a pair of earrings as my splurge piece since I wanted my dress to shine.
  • The music for the wedding and reception. I had a violinist for our ceremony and it was worth every penny! She let me choose all the songs which was great since I didn’t use traditional wedding songs. I thought our violinist was the perfect musical backdrop to our beach wedding! For the reception had a band that played lots of 70s music which is what we both really like as a couple. The music can make or break a wedding so definitely splurge here!
  • Save the dates and invitations were worth using premium printing and paper. My best friend is a graphic designer and customized all of our stuff but if I hadn’t known one I would’ve hired one for sure! She also hand lettered all our envelopes which also worth the money to me as well.
  • Drink ware which probably just depends on the couple but we did neoprene koozies and frost flex cups with our logo on them both of which are more expensive but that was something we felt like was worth it!
  • Food is a huge one to me! Wedding dinners per head are more expensive than you could ever imagine even just for a buffet. This has been one thing I’ve known forever but still didn’t want to skimp on. We did a couple different types of fish, chicken, and sides from a local caterer. It was all delicious! I just feel like if people take the time to come celebrate you they should at least be able to enjoy a nice meal.
  • If you are having alcohol at your wedding I think it’s worth it to do the open bar. That’s what we did and we were happy with our choice. I will mention that because of county beach curfew our reception could only be until 10 pm so you probably would have to take into account how long your reception will last.
  • Photography and videography. The first one I feel like most people know but the second one I really didn’t. I was not going to have a videographer until like a month before my wedding. I just didn’t understand the need in the age of cellphones! I’m so glad I had one. I love watching our wedding video. Photos are wonderful but they still can’t capture everything! If you take one thing away from this post it should be: book the videographer!!
  • Your sendoff and whatever that entails. I knew I wanted a sparkler exit so we found the nicest sparklers that burned the longest for that. We also rented a vintage bentley and driver for our getaway car which I loved! This all made for awesome photos.
  • Transportation for your wedding party to and from the wedding location(s). This will ensure everyone is safe and on time to everything!

WHAT TO SAVE ON:

  • Flowers because you can do it yourself with a little help! I’m going to do a whole post on this but basically you can order them wholesale from Sam’s Club and arrange them. We did all of our flowers except my bouquet which was professionally arranged.
  • Cake and sweets since neither my husband or I care about either much. We had a smaller cake and added a topper from ETSY. I noticed that a lot of times at weddings I’ve been to they have way too many sweets period and no one is eating them.
  • Decor in general because I can promise people barely notice this stuff. I had a few hand lettered signs done by my best friend which I loved but other than that we had table runners, small flower arrangements, and a few pictures. Since we got married on the beach we wanted to let that shine through!
  • Programs because I can promise no one cares about them. We had double sided ones printed at Office Depot for less than $30. They doubled as a fan for people if needed and I’m sure most were thrown away which is totally fine because we saved here!
  • Favors which we didn’t do at all. Personally, I can’t recall one favor I got from a wedding ever. I’m sure I did but they’re just not memorable. I love a nice koozie so we had those and the cups.
  • Wedding planner because you can definitely do it on your own if you do some research! It definitely takes some organization but it can be done and is worth the money you save.
  • The venue itself which is what we did in deciding to do both the wedding and reception on the beach at a public access area that had parking and restrooms. Having everything at one location will help you save on everything in general and be easier for you and your guests.

 

 

Overall, when it comes to what to splurge on and what to save on when planning a wedding it truly depends on your personal budget and preferences. If you put your mind to it you can save on anything! Make sure to keep open communication with your partner, parents, in-laws and whoever is involved in the wedding planning process. Have questions? Leave them in the comments below!

Love,

Megan

Wedding Wednesday: Choosing The Dress

One of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning process is definitely choosing THE dress. I didn’t go about doing this in the conventional way most do. I found the dress I fell in love with in VIE Magazine’s wedding edition the summer before when we were in Florida and saved it. Unfortunately, it was a Berta Bridal gown that cost over 10k and was definitely very far outside my wedding budget. Since I knew exactly what I wanted I decided not to go dress shopping and just have my dress made from scratch!

I am very blessed to have an amazing woman in my life who kept me when I was little and is an unbelievable seamstress. Ms. Charlotte Lay took my dreams and truly made them a reality. I literally showed her a photo of the dress I loved and she pieced together different patterns to create it.

She took my measurements for my custom gown and then we picked out the fabric. We needed a lot of lace for the dress and got it from Hancock Fabrics. We had to get some from other stores shipped to us since the local one didn’t have enough. During this period of time Hancock Fabrics ended up closing our local store. We had gotten our fabric just in time!

 

We decided to alter the original dress idea so that the V in the front wasn’t as low to keep it more modest. We also added sewn in cups to eliminate the need for a bra which I highly recommend. Spanx were also a must because of the fitted aspect of the dress to avoid a show! I highly recommend bringing the exact undergarments and shoes you’ll be wearing to every fitting. This will help your dress to fit and look the best it can on you!

 

 

Since I got married on the beach I decided to go without shoes. Definitely don’t feel like you have to wear sky-high heels! Flats are definitely an option and bare feet too! I’m not really a heels type gal so even if I had gotten married in a different setting I doubt I would’ve worn anything with much height!

 

Another thing I never thought I’d want for my wedding day was a veil. It’s just not something I ever saw myself wearing. I ended up deciding a few weeks before the wedding that I wanted one. We luckily had leftover lace from my dress and my seamstress was able to create one. We went with a knee-length style and I loved it. It made me feel very bridal and I would recommend having one to any bride. This would definitely be an area you could cut costs by having your veil made instead of buying it in a store.

 

 

My biggest tip of all when choosing the dress is to not let too many people have an opinion. In the end you’re the one wearing the dress and if it makes you feel beautiful on your special day that’s all that matters! Have fun with the process and know that you will be a beautiful bride! Good luck with the dress process to all my future brides. Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be glad to help!

 

Love,

Megan