I noticed the button up dress I grabbed in blue and green is on sale and rounded up a few other things I’m loving that are currently on sale! Everything is linked below….
1.FREE PEOPLE BUTTON UP DRESS :on sale for 40% off. I own this in 2 colors and its a great nursing dress. It runs really big so I’d suggest ordering 1 size down.
2. CLASSIC STRAIGHT LEG JEAN: These come super highly rated and look like a great light wash jean for fall. I’ve been on the hunt for jeans like these without distressing. 30% off with code SPREETIME
3. BURGUNDY MAXI DRESS: Who needs a pretty dress for family pictures? This one is pretty and flowy and on sale for just under $100
4. OLAPLEX HOLIDAY HAIR SET: an $84 value for $60. I’ve been using their No. 3 for about a year and their shampoo and conditioner for 3 months and all the products build on top of eachother. The No. 3 is a must for me now and really helps soften my dry ends. A great introduction to this entire system.
5. LEATHER MOTO JACKET: really great cut and looks so similar to the one I own and love. 40% off.
6. NUDE POINTED FLATS: This color/shape of shoe is a must for me and the ones I’ve had for a year are shot. These ones are well made and i might need to grab them while they are 30% off with code SPREETIME
As you will quickly see from the Behind The Dress: August episode below, The August Dress was the one dress I wasn’t super crazy about. I felt like I was just going through the motions as I started to prep for this dress…but just wait until you see what it was like shooting this dress!
The photoshoot for The August Dress was when everything finally clicked with me. I experienced so many emotions during the creation of the dress. Be there when the fabric literally caught my eye, our reaction when we held it in the light, what was so frustrating about filming the time-lapse, the most incredible special and emotional message I received from a reader, and the absolute MAGIC of shooting The August Dress in the desert.
Grab your girlfriends and throw this one up on your Apple TV, because it’s time to peel back the curtain on The August Dress and see what made The August Dress hard, emotional, exciting, and incredible rewarding!
BEHIND THE DRESS: AUGUST
This month we added a blooper reel to the behind the dress. Some parts of The August Dress were just too funny not to share!
IN CASE YOU MISSED THE OTHERS, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES:
The June Dress was a dream to shop for, a dream to sew, and a dream to shoot! I can’t wait until you see how magical the setting was for this dress. It’s one of my favorite Behind The Dress Episodes yet! I can’t wait for you to see how The June Dress moves and sparkles!
In this Behind The Dress episode you will just how much 60 yards of tulle looks like! There are a few shots of me sitting at my sewing machine to sew together all 60 yards and it’s crazy! Garrett also pops up in this Behind The Dress because he made a little cameo in this monthly dress. Also- can you even handle what furry little creature showed up to watch the shoot? I was dying!
BEHIND THE DRESS: JUNE
I can’t wait for this dress to be displayed on The Monthly Dress Tour! If you haven’t heard yet, I will be taking all 12 of my dresses on tour in a dress exhibit where YOU can see them up close! I’ll also be speaking all about my experience with this series. Check out this post to find out where I will be touring and take this quick 1 minute survey to help me plan the tour! I can’t wait to meet you!)
In case you missed the others, make sure you check out the other Behind The Dress Episodes:
Follow along with me on instagram and in my newsletter for updates on The Monthly Dress Tour!Over the next few months we will be prepping to bring these dresses to you so you can experience The Monthly Dress Series in real life! If you haven’t take this quick 1 minute surveyI would really appreciate your input! If we do add more tour date locations, I will be using the information from the survey to determine where we take the dresses. Make sure you list your location! I will also picking some winners who took the survey to give free tickets to the tour to!
Since starting my blog back in 2010, Elle Apparel has grown and evolved along with me. Sometimes I get so focused on researching and working on new content for Elle Apparel, that I forget to look back on the past content I have created on my blog or Instagram. It was so fun to look back through my adventures, shoots, and posts from 2016. This past year I started incorporating more of Garrett and the boys in my shoots, got really serious about diet and exercise, created some of my favorite clothing tutorials, started my YouTube Channel, and so much more. Here is a look back at my favorite moments throughout the year, and all of my favorite posts in each category on Elle Apparel…
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2016
I attended my first Reward Style Conference in Texas and wrote all about the blogging secrets and business strategies I learned in this post.
I had my very first meet and greet with Abby up in Utah! I got to meet so many sweet readers, and I was absolutely blown away at the turn out!
I got to shoot lots of fun posts with my boys. These shoots are always the most stressful, but are always my very favorite images. This shoot and this shoot were some of my favorites of 2016.
I wore a lot of white. Like..a lot. Here, here, here, here, here…you get the idea.
I got to be part of a TV show called Random Acts, and helped style the most wonderfully deserving girl and give her the wardrobe of her dreams.
I was interviewed about my thoughts on motherhood and was surprised to see that my boys were interviewed about me! The video from this post always makes me cry. It’s such a treasure to me!
We took the whole family to Hawaii! It was one of our favorite trips to date. I wrote all about what we did and included videos from our trip in this post and in this post.
After a year in the works, I launched the complete redesign of Elle Apparel and celebrated with my biggest giveaway ever! I gave away over $1000 worth of my favorite products.
I enjoyed a relaxing girls weekend with my favorite California bloggers in Beverly Hills.
I was able to nurse Eli longer than any of my other babies, and transitioned him to a bottle. (I still miss nursing!)
I attended my second NYFW, and it was one of the best trips I have ever had. You can see all of my NYFW posts here, here, here, here, here and here.
I launched my weekly Instagram Roundup blog posts, making it super easy to get links to outfits that I didn’t shoot specifically for the blog.
Thank you all so much for reading and for your kind comments on my blog and on my instagram. I feel like I have really connected with a lot of you! (…probably because I let it all hang out on Insta Stories and Snapchat 😉 ) I’m excited to share some new projects I have in the works for 2017.
INSTAGRAM ROUNDUP: NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE EDITION
Happy Saturday you guys! This week I’ve rounded up all of my recent Instagram posts that have outfits where I’m wearing anything I purchased at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. There were a lot to keep up with, so I wanted to put them all in one place for everyone. And now that the sale is open to everyone, I know items are selling out fast so I want to make shopping as simple as possible. In case you missed it, I launched my new site on Wednesday and I have an entire section dedicated to the Anniversary Sale. You can shop that here.
I have been in touch with Nordstrom this morning, and I have an UPDATE on all of the sold out items! They are planning on restocking most of the items that sold out during the pre-sale. They don’t know what days they will restock, but it will be THIS WEEK. So here is the best solution to grab those hot items before they sell out for good:
Head to Nordstrom.com and throw all the things you want to purchase in their “wishlist” option. Then, check back frequently. You will only have to check your personal wish list to see what is in stock, rather than having to search each item individually. That way you can grab it as soon as its replenished!
You can also go to my sale roundup post, where I pulled together all the best pieces from the sale in categories that are easy to shop from. I also did a post with all of my dressing rooms snaps, giving you sizing and fit information on some of my favorite items. And most recently, I did an entire post on some of mine (and Garrett’s) favorite men’s picks from the sale!
These jeans are so comfortable, and such a good price point. I would highly recommend getting a pair. If they don’t have your size left, put a pair in your wishlist because they should be restocked sometime next week! This shirt was also a huge score. It is so incredibly soft and goes with so many things. You’ll want a basic top this fall that you can wear under sweaters and layers. I know this cargo jacket went so fast, but I linked to a similar cargo jacket that has a cute draped look to it. A lot of things went really fast this year, but be on the lookout for restocking happening next week!
I love this stripe top so much. I know sizes were limited last time I looked, so if they don’t have your size I would opt for a bold patterned plaid top (there were so many cute ones this year). My flats are also one of the things selling out extremely fast, but I linked to the same shoe (just in other colors). They have some really cute burgundy ones that would be great for fall. My bag comes in brown and black, and it’s less than $30! You can’t beat that, especially if you like to change up your fall bags frequently. My black pants are going to be a great fall staple too. I love the distressing on them (not too much, and just on the knees).
Okay, these booties. I love them. They are under $100, the perfect nude for so many fall looks, and have a great look (and cut out) to them. If they don’t have your size, these booties are very similar in style. They are also really comfortable and come in three different colors.
This blue dress is so comfortable, and it’s one of those items that you can get a lot of wear in right now, before fall. The same goes for open-toe heels. They are perfect for a transition from summer to fall, before we get into full on boot weather. My wool hat is another one of those fall staples you probably aren’t thinking about right now, but come fall you’ll be wishing you had it. But by the time fall comes, it’ll be back to full price! It comes in black too.
I could live in this pajama set. It’s so cozy. If you’re like me and you love a good set of pajamas to lounge in, these are them. They are soft and stretchy (they have some spandex in them), so they’re extra comfortable for relaxing in.
This top is a great basic that is really easy to dress up. Those are the best kinds of tops because you really can’t go wrong when you wear them. This one is soft, comfortable, not too revealing (the slit doesn’t go too low to where you have to pull it up constantly), and it comes in lots of colors. My heels are old, so they are no longer available, but I linked to similar Steve Madden sandals that are part of the Anniversary Sale. This one comes in black or taupe suede, and it has a nice cut out, lace-up look. This pair comes in nude or black leather, and it is an open-toe sandal without the cutout look.
Fall is the best time to add earth tones to your outfits. I love how the blue in jeans looks with the army green color in my cargo jacket. When you add some softer, neutral colors like nude heels and a grey top, you’ve got yourself a basics outfit ready for fall. You’re going to see a lot of this green color around this fall. There are lots of dresses, tops, and jackets in a really similar green all throughout the sale.
This top is such a must. It’s going to be your go-to top for fall, so if you haven’t gotten it… trust me, you’ll want to. It comes in lots of different colors, and it’s easy to wear casually with jeans and some booties, or dressed up with some heels. Speaking of heels… I’m so glad I got these. They are the prettiest cabernet color, which will be perfect for fall and the holidays. They also come in a black and nude suede. I love all the detail they add to a simple outfit.
This year there was such a good selection of plaid tops. This one is so buttery soft and comfortable. Plus, how many times have you loved a plaid top, but wanted it just a bit longer? This one definitely got the length right. You can wear it untucked or do a slight tuck to bring up the length. Either way, this top is a must for fall. My jeans aren’t part of the Anniversary Sale, but they are one of the most comfortable jeans I own. They are also under $100, and the distressing on them isn’t overdone.
None of this outfit is part of the Anniversary Sale, but a lot of people were interested in my blazer, so I wanted to throw it in here. It’s a great alternative to a cardigan sweater because it’s nice and long but more dressy. I love that it’s not too oversized that it looks baggy, and it definitely doesn’t lose it’s feminine touch. My top is great for layering, adding something a little more than just your basic white tee would. It would actually be a great white top for fall, layered under long sweaters and jackets.
This striped top is another top I’m glad I grabbed. It’s one I have in white, and love. It’s a great basic top that is really versatile and flattering. I always like to get it one size bigger so that it fits a little looser. It goes with everything, and it comes in lots of different colors. It’s a favorite of mine. I also love how easy this bag is already fitting into my wardrobe… so glad I picked it up!
I couldn’t just choose one plaid top. I’m really glad I got this one because the coloring just reminds me of fall. It’s supposed to be oversized, and it is. It’s really comfortable, and so soft. You’ll want to wear it everywhere already. I love how much it stands out against my jeans, slightly tucked in. It would also go well with white pants and some booties.
TED BAKER BAG (sold out) SIMILAR HERE, HERE, AND HERE
I’m so bummed that this bag is sold out because it’s just so pretty. It has such a classic, tailored look to it. But I linked to three other black bags that are similar and all part of the Anniversary Sale. This one is a crossbody with a similar envelope type look at the opening. This one has a really unique cut on the opening flap, with pretty gold hardware. This Kate Spade bag is the biggest of the three, and it’s also very classic looking, but it has more of a minimal looking design.
I love how this white top looks under a long blazer. The peplum adds detail and style to the look. It’s not part of the sale, but it’s less than $40 and comes in two other colors. The sleeves are elbow-length, which makes it an easy top to transition into fall too.
This sweater is so comfortable. It’s really soft, and flattering too. Fall is all about sweaters, and I love having basic colored tops that I can use to layer, and add in to a variety of outfits. It works really well with jeans on it’s own, but I could just as easily throw a vest or cardigan over it when it gets cooler. My flats are older, so they are no longer available, but I linked to some similar ones that are part of the Anniversary Sale.
It’s been a busy week with my new site launch, so I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend with my family. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
I took a bit of a (much needed) breather from regular posts after the new year, but I’m recharged and ready for some exciting things coming in 2016! As I have been planning out my editorial calendar for the upcoming months, I took some time….ok, a lot of time, looking through my posts from 2015. So much happened that year and it was full of some of my favorite memories.
I announced I was pregnant in this post last February, and the majority of the year’s outfit posts were maternity ones. It was pretty challenging at times, but I had a lot of fun planning outfits and trying to figure out how in the world to dress my growing bump. Here are some favorites… (I’ve included links to each post under the photos!)
I sewed a lot of fun dresses and tops last year, and tried to keep them all maternity and non maternity friendly. Check out the full tutorials by clicking on the link under the picture…
With the birth of Eli, I started incorporating a lot more posts that involved my kids and family. I love getting to feature them on my blog and it just seem natural since they are the biggest/best part of my life. Eli’s birth was one of my favorite posts to write. I’m so glad I jotted down the details of it. It was an amazing experience and I don’t want to forget it!
Another HUGE project my best friend Merrick and I worked on tirelessly was the launch of The Modern Girls Guide to Sewing. A two-part online video course that teaches you everything you need to know about how to sew and make your own clothing! We launched only a few days before I had Eli (whew!) and it is a project that we are both so proud of. All the stars aligned on this and it feels so good to have our courses up and available.
I compiled all of my maternity looks into my Dressing The Bump series. I broke each look down for the first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester of pregnancy. They have been some of my post popular posts ever and were so fun to compile.
With a new baby come a lot of questions, things to buy, adjustments, etc. I launched my After the Bump series shortly after Eli was born and compiled the ultimate hospital packing guide, baby registry guide, and a few tips I’ve learned for how to get (or make the most of) sleep after having a baby.
I have some super excited things already in the works for 2016 and I’m so excited to share them with you! If there is anything you are interested in seeing more of on Elle Apparel, just let me know in the comments below! I truly appreciate all of the support and kind words from all of you. You guys are so kind! Its been fun connecting and forming friendships with you here and over on instagram!
I have been on the hunt for the perfect leather jacket for a while. Most days I gravitate to the feminine pieces in my closet, but there are just those days when you need to embrace your inner rocker.
Now I’m off to clean the tornado that is my house and start packing. We are California bound in less than 2 weeks…..I should probably start this dreaded packing sometime before then, right?
A chambray top is a must for Spring. I got mine from J.Crew last year and it goes with ev-er-e-thing!I also have some white capri’s I want to refashion into skinnies.
I also have gold sequined fabric for a pencil skirt. I bought it when I was pregnant and have been patiently waiting to get my normal body backso that I can make it. But I posted this one because of the price. You GOTTA click on the link…….ok, I can’t wait, so I’m just gonna tell you…..
$695.
what the WHAT?!?
I’m sorry J.Crew, but that is so outrageous. I can think of a lot of things I would want with $700, and one skirt is not one of them.
I’ve kept my eye out for some good tribal fabric for a while now, and it was love at first sight when I spotted this print down at the fabric district. I only bought a yard of it, don’t ask me why because it was only $2 a yard. I wish I had had more fabric to make it a little longer, but other than having to patch up a little section on the back that I cut wrong, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I wonder how it will look when I’m not 9 months pregnant…
I apologize for an entire week of silence last week. No baby…definitely still pregnant (2 more weeks to go!). I have been wrapped up in the world of potty training and the teeny tiny bit of free time I have had have been spent passed out on my bed. Potty training is tiring!
With that said, I wanted to pop in and show you my top pics for best dressed at the Golden Globes last night. You might see a little repetition in the colors…
I thought Jessica Alba looked amazing. Her skin was glowing and that dress was to die for. The color was perfect on her skin tone.
Nicole’s dress was unbelievable. I loved the detailing and how perfectly if formed to her body.
Kate Beckinsale was the best dressed for me. I love her and think she is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. She looked gorgeous in that dress, and those earring! I died.
So yes, maybe all my top pics had pinkish/nudish dresses on, but I LOVED them. What were your favorites?
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