Gibson Holiday Glam Goes To L.A.

Did you see my BIG POST last week?  The one where I announced that there is going to be a holiday glam top at Nordstrom called The Sheaffer?

I KNOW.

I can hardly believe it myself. #heartpalpitations

In preparation for the release of the Gibson Glam Holiday Line (remember, I’m doing it with 8 other bloggers!), we all headed to L.A. last week to meet with Gibson. We had a couple of nights in a gorgeous house, were treated to delicious food, had a make up artist to doll us all up, and we literally took thousands of photos.

IT WAS A BLAST.

So, today’s post is a little recap of that trip!  Remember, launch date for this Holiday Glam Line is November 12th, but today is a little behind the scenes look at our time together in L.A.

TRAVEL OUTFIT

Tuesday morning I threw on a great travel outfit and headed out the door.  Jeans that feel like leggings, wedge sneakers, a comfy tee, and a stretchy denim jacket for warmth FOR THE WIN.

knot front tee / denim jacket / earrings / Sims stone necklace / black jeans /wedge sneakers

I highly recommend each and every piece I’m wearing.

If you are a loyal STMT reader, you might notice that this denim jacket is new!  Don’t worry, it’s from the same maker as our beloved MUST HAVE DENIM JACKET, it’s just a darker wash and the fit is a bit more generous.  I LOVE IT.  I think it’s a must have as well.  For size reference, I’m wearing a medium in the jacket for a relaxed fit.

The knot front tee (SO CUTE!) is ON SALE for only $14.99 (reg. $32) and is an awesome basic.  It’s thicker than the whisper thin tees I love from Madewell, and it’s just plain cute (and flattering!) with the little knot in front.  For those of you that haven’t mastered the 1/2 tuck, this tee gives you a waist without having to do a tuck.  I love it and definitely want it in other colors now that it’s 1/2 price!

And you know I love my black denim.  Click HERE to see the black jeans styled with a striped tee and military jacket in my 8 Fall Staples post.

The jeans are from Wit and Wisdom, and you know I’m one of their biggest fans.  Just like some of the other jeans I’ve highlighted in the past, these jeans have the Ab-solution technology.  Which means that the jeans suck you in, while somehow still allowing you to breathe.  They just hug you in all the right places and they don’t stretch out during the day.  For size reference, I’m wearing the regular 4s here because the petites weren’t available at the time when I ordered these.  If ordering now, I would try the petites (and I’m 5’4″).  If between sizes, I would suggest sizing down because although they don’t stretch out, they are very stretchy!

Go read the reviews if you are on the fence about these jeans.  Some tidbits from reviewers follow:   “feel like butter”, “most comfortable jeans I have ever bought”, “no muffin top” , “great post partum jeans”, “nice and stretchy”, “comfortable and forgiving”, “fit like a glove”, “great stretch”, “soft and comfortable”, “really flattering”, and “my new go to jeans”.  I mean, LADIES!  That’s some high praise!  And I’m telling you, everybody needs a pair of great black jeans.

And I followed a lot of other blogger’s leads and went ahead and got this suitcase.  It’s on SUPER SALE right now and it’s LEGIT.  It zips closed on both side and it wheels around like a dream.

knot front tee / denim jacket / earrings / Sims stone necklace / black jeans /wedge sneakers

This is a still shot of a boomerang I took with Mallory and Cassie at the airport.  Because are you really traveling with blogger friends if you don’t do a boomerang?  #thanswerisno

As soon as we got off the plane we were taken to the Gibson showroom, and they immediately put mics on us and started doing on camera interviews!

I’m not quite sure if I was raising the roof here or what, but this was taken during my on camera interview.  #calmdownsheaffer

The other bloggers continued to arrive for the next hour or so, and then finally everybody was there!

I’ve got to say, it was SO MUCH FUN to be a part of this group of ladies.  Rachel, Tara, and Dede were just as sweet and kind as I imagined they would be (this was my first time meeting them!).  And I of course always love hanging with my girls.

Top Row: Megan from Honey We’re Home, Rachel of Pinteresting Plans, Suzie from Gibson!, Ashley from Fancy Ashley, Mallory from Style Your Senses,  Tara of Jimmy Choos and Tennis Shoes,

Bottom Row:   Dede of Dress Up Buttercup, Cassie from Hi Sugarplum, ME!!!, and  Erin of Living in Yellow

That night we headed to  Nordstrom Local on Melrose and were treated to champagne, the yummiest little hors d’oeuvres, and Nordstrom stylists had pulled some things for us that they thought we might like.

Just a bunch of bloggers at our Mother Ship.

I saw this dress online the week before we left.  I took a chance on it, and I’m so glad I did.

I. LOVE. THIS. DRESS.

It’s a great fall color (comes in mustard too), it doesn’t wrinkle at all, and it’s crazy comfy.

It can easily be dressed up or down (it would be so cute with leopard heels!), and it will work for me for so many different types of occasions.

AND GET THIS.  IT’S ONLY $79!!!

I would say this dress definitely runs large.  I often size up to a medium in dresses, so that’s what I ordered, but the medium swallowed me.  The small was a much better fit, so I would suggest sizing down from your normal dress size.

dress / earrings / necklace / taupe block heel option

I pulled this dress straight out of my suitcase and put it on without having to steam it or anything.  It is literally NO WRINKLE.  And the crinkle pleats are so fun!

The entire dress is made up of tiny crinkle pleats, and the smock waist is surprisingly comfortable and flattering.

I grabbed a quick pic with Mallory before heading in to the store.

My stylist pulled this gorgeous leather jacket for me, and since it was 50% OFF, it had to come home with me.  I fell in love with it and was powerless against it.  #nordstromtoldmeto

It is buttery soft, has fantastic reviews, is STILL ON SALE, and is going to be perfect for my upcoming girl’s trip to New York next month!  I’ll of course be wearing it non stop with jeans, but I love it with this dress too!  I’m guessing I’ll be wearing this exact combo for one of our night’s in NY.

We headed back to the house after the Nordstrom event.  And that’s when this happened.  #oops #worth it

I mean, there’s nothing better than a box full of Shake Shack fries.

Except maybe a box of Shake Shake burgers.

We stayed up for a little bit of girl talk in pajamas, then we got up bright and early the next morning to shoot TONS of looks. We all got pics in our own shirts, but we also picked our other favorites and got pics in those too.  It was so fun to see how we all had different favorites, and even those that had the same favorites styled them totally differently.  It was really awesome to see everybody interpret the tops with their own personal style!

Now, I can’t show you any of the pieces yet, but I can share with you the items that I styled the pieces with.

FIRST UP, I was of course wearing THIS BRA (BEST STRAPLESS BRA ON THE PLANET) and THESE UNDIES (ABSOLUTELY NO PANTY LINES) with every single outfit!  Not all of the tops require a strapless, but mine is so comfy I just wore it the whole time!

And the below collage shows the accessories, shoes, and pants I paired with all of the collection’s tops!  I ordered tons of options and then sifted through things at home and only took the best of the best with me to L.A.  I knew I would have to style a lot of outfits, so I wanted plenty of options.

ACCESSORIES:  drusy drops /pink and red drops / gold disc earrings / red feather drop earrings / blingy necklace / blingy bracelets

CLUTCHES:  leopard clutch / black glitter clutch / multi color glitter clutch

HEELS:  leopard heels / “black fabric” ankle strap sandal/ polka dot heels

PANTS:  boot cut jeans / black velvet ankle pants / coated skinny jeans / boyfriend jeans

PHOTO SHOOT DAY

The next several shots have the tops scribbled out because #TOPSECRET.

Here’s all you need to know.  GET EXCITED.

Mallory / Cassie / Me / Ashley

Cassie / Me

Me / Megan

Ashley / Rachel/ Me

Ashley / Me

And how much fun is this!  THE GANG’S ALL HERE Y’ALL!  You know, just a bunch of girls casually walking arm and arm down Melrose.

 

So all morning we shot on Melrose and around town.  To be honest, I was really nervous about this because all of the other girls shoot with photographers all the time and are total pros, but I had such a great time!  We did individual shots, small group shots, and the entire group.  I’m so excited  to see the pictures!  The photographers were amazingly talented, so I have great confidence that the shots are going to be incredible.

We returned to the house for a yummy catered lunch and a tiny bit of downtime as we all had scheduled appointments in the make up chair.  That afternoon and evening we took shots on backdrops for the Nordstrom site.

Here I am getting beautified.

shirt / my favorite denim shorts ever

 

And here I am post make up, all rollered up.  Rollers for life, y’all.  And I just realized I forgot to include these gorgeous earrings in the above collage.  I wore them with a couple of different looks.

And then we shot our own signature tops. AND Y’ALL.  I am so excited to show you this top on launch day!

I’m not partial or anything (wink wink)…BUT IT’S GORGEOUS.

I just know y’all are going to love it just as much as I do because IT’S SO US.

And my pants and accessories?  They are SO GOOD.  I totally splurged on the pants…but I figured being on the Nordstrom site is a pretty great reason to splurge.

black velvet ankle pants / polka dot heels / multi color glitter clutch

FEELING THANKFUL

We wrapped up the night with a gorgeous dinner party (I apparently didn’t grab any pictures that night), some lovely toasts, and lots of great conversation. And then we all headed home the next morning.

It was a whirlwind of a trip for sure, but I felt so privileged to be included in such an awesome group of women.  The clothing line is incredible and I have no doubt that y’all are going to love it all, but spending time with these other bloggers was such a treat.  And the Gibson team?  They impressed me the entire weekend.  It was so cool to see all the moving parts of a collaboration like this (the Gibson peeps did soooooooooooo much prep work), and my goodness did it all pay off. Everything ran so smoothly and it was just a joy to be a part of it.  And I loved how everybody was so kind and supportive of each other.

For the flight home, I threw on my boyfriend jeans that I’d worn just the day before with fancy tops and heels….and I switched out the fancy things for a tee and sneakers.  All the praise hand for tees and sneakers (these are my faves).

And I wore my Holt necklace home.  If you didn’t see my post last Friday, Holt is my cousin’s 3 year old little boy who was diagnosed with cancer last month.  Click HERE to get to The Incredible Holt post to learn about sweet Holt and find out different ways you can help.  There are limited quantities of the necklace remaining (they will most likely sell out this weekend, and maybe even today), but $4.20 of each necklace goes directly to Holt!

Holt necklace / knot front tee / boyfriend jeans / no show socks / Adidas sneakers

That wraps up the trip recap portion of the post, but since I’m having a love affair with Gibson right now, I thought I would highlight some more Gibson favorites.

FAVORITE GIBSON PIECES

This twist front fleece top is from last year.  It was a favorite last year, and I know it will be again this year.  I have it in red and black, and I grab for both of them all the time.  I have the red one in a regular small, and it’s quite a bit longer.  I got this black one in a petite medium for a shorter fit.

twist front top/ snake skin bag / sunglasses/ blingy necklace / blingy bracelets / earrings / jeans / tall wedge boots

AND GIRLS!

LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS SNAKE SKIN BAG!

It’s freaking fabulous.

And it looks sooooooooooooooooooooo much more expensive than it is.

It’s ONLY $55.

Which is CRAZY TALK.

(FYI, if you prefer leopard to snake print, you are in luck!  Click HERE for the leopard version.  Only 29 available!)

I gravitated towards this large hobo bag, but if you like the snake skin look but prefer a smaller bag…click HERE for an awesome cross body (only 67 available)!  Topshop actually has a really large selection of unique and affordable bags.

And if I haven’t convinced some of you to get the jeans and the boots yet, well then I feel like I’ve failed you.

I’m wearing my regular 27 in the jeans, and the boots are true to size as well.

And my sunglasses are on sale for ONLY$4.99!!!

twist front top/ snake skin bag / sunglasses/ blingy necklace / blingy bracelets / earrings / jeans / tall wedge boots

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

I’ve shown you this fleece v neck before, and it remains a favorite.  Speaking of favorite, I’m wearing the above jeans again.

fleece v neck / feather earrings /  blingy necklace / blingy bracelets / jeans / leopard belt /loafers

This Gibson wrap front top is also a favorite.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it gets a restock!

wrap front top / earrings / similar jeans / shoreline converse

I bought the grey floral version of this sweatshirt for myself when it went on sale, and then Gibson sent me this pink floral one!  33% OFF!

poplin cuff sweatshirt / jeans / shoreline converse

So that’s it for today y’all!  A recap of my L.A. trip with Gibson, and a handful of my favorite current Gibson pieces.  I hope everybody has a wonderful weekend with their people!

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