Game Night Outfit - Penguins v. Avalanche - 12/18/17

This game night outfit was ALL. ABOUT. THE. BOOTS.

Seriously though, these boots are my new favorites, hands down. Not to mention they're 40% off right now on Nordstrom's website & in store!! They're called the Fab Nara Over the Knee Boot and they're available in red or black. I need the black ones too. Not want, need.

The Dress

This dress is an oldie but a goodie. It's a full laced 3/4 sleeve dress from H&M with an attached black silk slip underneath. Though they don't have this exact dress anymore I found a few very similar styles, and best of all they're all on sale!

• Lace Dress - $24.99
• Ruffled Lace Dress - $24.99
• Lace V Neck Dress - $24.99
• Black Lace Dress - $17.99

Those Boots Though...

But for real, these boots are my new favorites!! My Mom bought these for me as an early Christmas gift and I am very, very, very thankful for the gift! They're faux suede and stretchy. The stretchy factor is SO important because if they don't have any stretch to them, they don't stay up on your leg. There's nothing worse than cute over-the-knee boots that slouch down to your shins.

As I mentioned, these are available in both red and black on Nordstrom's website

Fab Nara Over the Knee Boot - $53.96

Even Santa liked them...

Accessories

Though the boots were the centerpiece of the outfit, I decided to add a red studded belt to bring it all together. It looked cute without the belt, but I have to wear a belt pack for my ear piece so belts are always a plus! This studded red belt is from Betsey Johnson.

Big Shock...I went with my favorite Aldo thin gold hoop earrings, as I always do. 

With the combination of the high neck line of this dress and the studded belt, I opted for just the earrings. A long necklace is always cute with a high neck but it becomes too much when you also add the belt to the mix. 

DEALS

• Free shipping on the Fab Nara Over the Knee Boots on Nordstrom (Plus they're 40% off)
• Spend $50 in store at H&M and receive a free $10 gift card!
• Free shipping on H&M orders over $40 using code 0040
• 35% off all sale items & free shipping on Betsey Johnson using code EXTRA
• 20% off all regular priced items on the Aldo website

Game Night Outfit - Lightning v. Avalanche - 12/16/17

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

Star Wars Night at Pepsi Center

A few years back I found this jacket at a boutique in Vegas. The brand is LA Showroom. Since it's a wholesale b2b website it's a little tricky to navigate on it's own. I love finding boutiques that carry unique pieces like this jacket! 

I wore this to an Avs game a year or so back, when I did someone told me I looked like a Stormtrooper. From that point on, it was ruined. I can't wear this jacket and not feel like I'm dressed as a Stormtrooper...ever. So from there on out this was my dedicated "Star Wars Night" must-have. 

 

    

Comeback Baby Black Dress 

Since the outfit was ALL about the Stormtrooper jacket, I wanted something very basic to go underneath.

Enter Lulu's. 

Lulu's is truly one of my all time favorites for clothes!! This LBD is only $34!! The material on this dress is so soft and the best part is that it comes in a few other colors too!! Check it out here: Comeback Baby Black Dress.

It's perfect to wear on it's own or layered as a basic! 

Studded Booties

I admit it... I googled what a Stormtrooper looked like so I could determine what color shoes I should wear. I was beyond relieved when I saw the white bottoms so I could wear these studded booties!

Nowadays there are SO many ways to shop online! I saw these one day when I was scrolling through Pinterest. I was NOT scrolling through with the intention of shopping, but sometimes that's what happens on there. One minute you're looking at appetizer recipes the next you've clicked through 4 websites and you're buying shoes. 

Regardless, I'm happy with the distracted decision. I'd call this Stormtrooper outfit attempt a success, what do you think?

Will Work For Clothes

I once heard a millionaire has 7 sources of income. I'm no millionaire but I'm very driven to make $$! Aren't we all!? With the holidays right around the corner, we all need a little extra dough right? I've found a few ways, to not only clean out unnecessary items in your wardrobe, but also make money at the same time.

I Have Nothing to Wear

Just like most women, I have a small obsession with clothes and accessories. How many times do you look in your closet with walls of clothes and say, "I have NOTHING to wear!" All the time right?! Yet, I'm terrible at donating clothes because what if I wear that one more time?! I don't know about you, but every now and then I get into "spring cleaning" mode and go crazy. I've tried going to Plato's Closet, or other similar consignment stores. Unfortunately, their offers have always been quite low for my items because the labels are not "current season" labels.

Poshmark

A few years ago, I found this app that has literally changed my life! Many of you may already know about it, or have even tried it out. There are quite a few versions of this app out on the market. Just like anything you have to put work in to get production out.

The Poshmark app allows you to post any of your unwanted or unused items. You get to set your asking price and post up to 8 photos of your item. I recommend posting 3-4 photos as a minimum. If you only post 1 photo, people will be less likely to buy your item. You then provide your title, description and a few additional details that the app will prompt you to answer. The more details you can provide, again, the more likely someone is to buy your item.

Poshmark takes 20% of the sale, but I've found that even with their take I'm still walking away with money that was just sitting around in my closet.

You Must Stay Active

You can certainly post your items then leave the app in hopes that something sells. But chances are, if you're not active, you will not sell your items. When I say "active" I mean, sharing your closet items and be-friending fellow poshers. The more you can "share" your items and get the images in your fellow poshers feeds, the more likely you will catch the eye of a potential buyer.

I go through my Poshmark closet at least once every few days to share each item to my followers or to a Poshmark party. I've noticed the more I share, the more sales I make.

My favorite part of Poshmark is, as soon as you make a sale they e-mail you a USPS Priority Mail shipping label. You print your shipping label out, box up your item and out it goes! Once delivered, the recipient has a few days to "accept" the item, which in turn releases the funds to you. Simple as that!

Once you have money in your Poshmark app, you have two options to obtain the $. You can either link up your bank account to transfer the funds directly to (this is the one I do.) Or, request a check. This option is a few extra steps and takes a few days to receive in the mail, but I understand some people don't like to share their bank account details.

Buy in confidence

When you purchase an item on Poshmark for more than $500, they offer free authentication! The shipping label printed out will go directly to Poshmark which has authentication specialists at their facility. Once it has been verified by their experts, they ship it directly to the buyer.

A few tips and tricks:

• Find a bin to put the items in that you post. That way when you make a sale, you know exactly where the item is and can ship asap! (There's nothing worse than making a sale, not knowing where the item is, and then taking a few days to ship.) 
• When you package your item, make it a cute presentation! Put a thank you note in there, wrap it in tissue paper, anything to make it exciting for the recipient to open up!
• Ship quick! The quicker you ship, the quicker you will make your $$ Plus, your buyer will be happy to get the item quickly!
• Take the time to post nice photos and DON'T filter them! You wouldn't purchase an item from Nordstrom that had a filter over it not knowing what it really looks like. 

Tradesy

Similar to Poshmark, Tradesy is an app that allows you to post your items for others to buy. I feel that they specialize in higher end items (i.e. designer bags, clothing, shoes etc...)

You can even copy and paste descriptions from your Poshmark items over to Tradesy as you're posting them! Tradesy will create a white backdrop on your main photo a few days after you post it, keep that in mind as you are importing your selected photos.

They have a slightly different set-up than Poshmark for their earnings. Tradesy deducts a flat commission fee of $7.50 for sold items less than $50. For items sold more than $50 they deduct a commission rate of 19.8%. Once items have sold you can withdraw your earnings to a PayPal account, a debit card or transfer to your bank.

Just like Poshmark, I select the option of printing a free label to ship my item upon sale. Tradesy also offers a free kit that helps you package your item up nicely. This will happen if you select that option when listing your sale.

Tradesy only allows the sale of 100% authentic designer items. They have a team that reviews every return (if for some reason you are questioning your purchase's authenticity.) They will issue you a full refund if they find your item was misrepresented. This means you can buy gently worn designer items at a fraction of the cost and still be comfortable that your purchasing a real item!

There are many other applications that allow you to sell your items (i.e. Ebay, Craigslist, Letgo etc...) I prefer both Tradesy & Poshmark to any of these other options for a few reasons.

1. The comfort & safety of selling your items without ever having to meet someone face to face. 
2. The ease of posting your items on either application.
3. The pre-paid shipping label provided upon sale of your listed item.
4. The companies themselves are incredibly easy to work with and e-mail, should a problem arise (this has been tested from my own experiences!)
5. The ability to operate these applications from either cell phone, iPad or computer.
6. Clean out your old stuff.
7. Make money on your unwanted items.

These are just a few of many reasons why I love using these apps. I highly recommend trying them out. It certainly takes some work, but I swear it's such an easy way to make some extra money!

DEALS 

• Use code NICSHARPE to earn $5 in credit upon signing up for Poshmark!!

Game Night Outfit - Panthers v. Avalanche - 12/14/17

Two words. Free. People. 

I went into their store on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on Thursday, and walked out with 5 new outfits, no joke. Since when do I love EVERYTHING in Free People?? I guess now?! They're collection right now is AMAZING. Plus they've got some great sales going on during the holidays!

That's where this Game Night Outfit inspiration all began. 

Power Hour Slip

This LBD has gone straight to the top of my favorite list! 

Between it's lace accents, V-cut neck, open back and bell sleeves this is a winner in all categories!

I know what you're thinking, where can I purchase this right now?! It's available up on their website here: 

Free People Power Hour Slip

Audrianna Grey Suede Caged Heels

These super sleek heels are just $42 on Lulu's! They're currently out of stock but you can enter your e-mail along with your size, once the heels become available they will send you an e-mail to alert you! 

Watermelon Tourmaline 

It's hard to top this little LBD, but my accessory of the evening....well it does that, and then some! The STUNNING Watermelon Tourmaline Necklace from Amali Jewelry.

 I. Can't. Even. 

This sweet, sweet little babe was hand picked by Sara Freedenfeld, the owner and designer behind Amali Jewelry. Not only does she find the most delicious gemstones, but she creates the most incredible pieces around them. This one has 18k yellow gold chain wrapped around the outside and a row of silver diamonds hand weaved into the chain. Again..... I. Can't. Even.

DEALS

• Free shipping at Lulu's on all orders over $50 
• Visit Hurdle's Jewelry this week to view an exclusive look at the entire Amali Jewelry collection! Only in store through December!

Game Night Outfit - Sabres v. Avalanche - 12/5/17

So this game night outfit was me trying to be creative and it kinda back fired on me. Though many told me "it looks great!" Truth be told, it just wasn't my favorite. That's okay though! You can't win 'em all!!

The one thing I did learn from putting this outfit together, you can mix and match to create a totally new look!

The original outfit (not work appropriate more like NYE appropriate)

The Lacy Daisy White Two-Piece - not currently available but you can submit your e-mail if you want to be notified as soon as it's available! I love this skirt so I decided still use the skirt portion of the outfit for my Game Night Outfit!

The lace pattern of this particular set is so delicate and beautiful! I've actually worn the top portion under a button up as an accent too! 

This just goes to show you can always mix & match two-piecers into their own outfits!

Next came the H&M sweater! Seriously, if you need basics (i.e. v-neck cozy sweaters in every color) without spending a fortune...go to H&M!

 

Michael Kors Makes Shoes Too!

I am normally drawn towards Michael Kors for  their fabulous handbags & watches, but then I found out they have beautiful shoes too!! I found this pair at none other than the clearance rack of TJ Maxx! Since they're definitely a "last-season" model it's tough to find them in store, but I did some searching and found a few pairs on eBay & Tradesy (blog post coming soon about this amazing site).

They're really well made and most importantly comfortable too! You can really never have too many brown heels can you??

This model is called the "Peep Toe Platform Caged Booties - Graham High Heel"

DEALS

• Free Shipping at H&M with code 0040
• Complimentary 2 day shipping if you order by 12/19 noon ET with code HOLIDAY17

Game Night Outfit - Stars v. Avalanche - 12/3/17

As a big Avalanche fan, this is a night we would really love to forget. Unless of course, you're season ticket member Jeff, who won $1,000 during our Toyota Time promotion! (At this point the game was still looking alright so we were happy campers).

Aside from this highlight, there wasn't a lot to write home about. So, we'll stick to the game night outfit. 

Shift & Shout Dress - Lulu's

If you've read my blog, you know one of my favorite go-tos is Lulus. They have a lot of basic pieces in a ton of colors. This is their Shift & Shout Dress which I own in white & olive green. It's just $48 and fits beautifully. I always worry with white dresses that they're going to be see through but this one has two thick layers, so you're safe! 

This dress is so cute on it's own but I chose to throw an olive green blazer over the top of it. I have a huge issue with shoulder pads. I know everything comes back around, but I don't know that I can get on board with the shoulder pads. I love blazers but I'm very specific about which ones I get because they have to lay a certain way on me. This one was from Forever 21 and lays perfectly! It's very lightweight and most importantly does NOT have shoulder pads!  

Though I can't find the exact blazer, they have a lot to offer on the Forever 21 website. This is the closest one I could find to the one I wore: Open-Front Longline Blazer.

Lace 'em up

These shoes are some of my favorites! Aldo makes the best heels!! These stencil cut out heels have a zipper in the back but also lace up the front too. They had these available in tan and red, I'm so bummed I never purchased the red pair! They don't carry these exact ones anymore, but I put together a page that has all of their current tan heels here! 

Little Details

Since I had a high neckline on my dress, I decided to layer it with my new chain link triangle necklace from Hailee Grace Boutique. They've got some seriously cute accessories and jewelry! I highly recommend checking them out!

Deals

• Get free shipping on orders of $50 or more on Lulu's
• Take $10 off orders of $75 or more using code HOLIDAY10
• Get free shipping on orders over $21 at Forever 21
• 50% off original price of all SALE at Aldo

Game Night Outfit - Devils v. Avalanche - 12/1/17

Despite an Avalanche loss, last Friday night was buzzing with a fun & exciting crowd. For me, it was a nutty week at the jewelry store. Plus, with having games every other night from Wednesday to Tuesday it's felt like a whirlwind!

I wanted to choose an outfit that was cute & comfortable, yet worthy of a Friday night! Olive green is a go-to color in my wardrobe. I think the combination of blonde mixed with olive green is so pretty! I recently went a little darker with my hair color but considering I've got at least 10 dark green dresses I'm still planning to wear the heck out of them!

I love what I do for so many reasons. One of my favorite things about my job with the Avalanche is the ability to interact and meet with hundreds of amazing people. Friday night I was introduced to these three cuties.

After playing our promotion I gave these lovely young ladies tickets to Disney on Ice. This was their reaction: 

Seriously, the look on the their faces is priceless. My night was complete after this!

The Actual Game Night Outfit

To be 100% honest I don't remember where I purchased this dress from! As I've mentioned before, I love the olive green color for dresses and have plenty in my wardrobe. The brand on the label is  Katwalk. I recently browsed their website and they've got some pretty cute stuff!

With the minimal look, I wanted to layer it with a black jacket. Hoods are everything to me, if a jacket has a hood on it...I'm sold. This particular coat from H&M is a quick go-to for me. It's light, has pockets and most importantly has a hood . I have it in black and green! I haven't been able to find the exact jackets at H&M but they have some very similar ones up on their website.

H&M has the best basics. Plus, their clothes are of decent quality too! If you sign up for their e-mails they constantly offer sales and discounts. It takes a lot for me not to constantly shop on their site!

Boots

Continuing with deals from the previous shopping week, I found these Qupid over the knee tassel boots at Inspyre Boutique. I love the combination of the tan with that dark green dress. The only bummer with these boots was that no matter how hard I tied them in the back, they didn't stay up. I ended up having to use heavy duty tape & tape them to my leg. This resulted in some marks for the following 24 hours on my leg but, as always, sometimes beauty is pain. 

The tassels on the back were what drew me into these boots. I love that they had a little extra accent to the traditional over-the-knee boot look. 

Jewelry 

The next important piece of the outfit puzzle...the jewels. 

This past weekend at the jewelry store, we hosted our annual Amali Jewelry trunk show. This is one of my favorite weekends of the entire year! Sara, the designer and creator of Amali Jewelry comes into town and brings along her entire line with her. Let me tell you, her pieces make the word "stunning" look weak. They are simply beautiful!!! She hand picks all of the gemstones that she creates her jewelry around. Not only is her jewelry gorgeous, but Sara is beyond beautiful as well both inside and out. 

I was fortunate enough to borrow one of her stunning one-of-a-kind Tanzanite necklaces that she had with her. 

Big shock coming here...I wore hoop earrings too. Yep, you can look at pretty much every other game night outfit post for the link to these favorite Aldo hoop earrings of mine! 

So what do you think of this game night outfit? Hopefully you like it as much as I did! As always, check out the deals section below for offers from the brands I am wearing.

DEALS:

• Free shipping on orders $50 or more on Qupid
• Enter your e-mail address to receive 10% off your first order at Qupid
• Free shipping on orders of $40 or more on H&M using code 0040

Game Night Outfit- Jets v. Avalanche - 11/29/17

Back at it again! We've got a home Avalanche game every other night this week which means one thing...lots of game night outfits!! Good thing I went crazy last weekend for Small Business Saturday! If you haven't read my other posts....why not? Okay, kidding but I talked a lot about my obsession for local boutiques!

This game night outfit came straight from two local spots! Patterns & Pops and Inspyre Boutique.

I even snagged Bernie, the Avalanche mascot, for an elevator selfie. Lookin' good pup!

Patterns & Pops Top

The top came from the cute boutique Patterns & Pops off of Platte St. in LoDo. I love this little shop, not only for their cute clothes,
but also for their adorable trinkets and decor. Their accessories are so fun & make for the perfect holiday gift!

I purchased this long slit tunic top during the summer out of the sale bin. If you know me at all, you know I love a good sale. This top was just $10!!

My New Favorite Pants - Jack + Inspyre Boutique

These pants are literally the bees knees. They're comfy, fashionable and perfect for everyday wear!! I found these beauties at Inspyre Boutique. They always have the best Jack by BB Dakota pieces! 

These moto faux suede pants are easily one of my new favorite wardrobe items and will be getting a lot of wear. You can pick yours up at Inspyre for just $74! Well worth every penny!!

A Pop of Pink

Being that I went with a very covered all black outfit, I needed something to pop. Enter fluorescent pink heels...

I've had these Qupid heels forever, and rarely pull them out. I'm a sucker for hot pink anything honestly. They were the perfect addition to this low key black outfit.

Gold Disc Necklace

No surprise here, but I wore my mini diamond heart necklace from Hurdle's Jewelry. This is my go-to necklace that is literally on almost every day. 

                           

One of the trends I've seen a lot lately are gold disc necklaces stacked along with others. I've been jonesing to get an actual 14k gold disc but haven't found the perfect one (that's not hundreds of dollars). 

When I was at Inspyre Boutique on Small Business Saturday I noticed a bunch of zodiac necklaces on their counter. I found a Cancer zodiac necklace and on the back side was plain gold. Done and done. Now I have a cute zodiac necklace and I can flip it around to have the gold disc look I've wanted. One day I'll get the real deal, but this is the perfect addition for now!

DEALS

• Free shipping on all orders of $50 or more at Qupid
• Enter your email at Qupid to receive 10% off your first order
• Free shipping on all orders of $100 or more at Patterns & Pops