My Girl’s Trip to NYC (and What I Wore)! + The Best of The Nordstrom Fall Sale

Last Saturday I went to New York with some girlfriends and had the most wonderful time!!!  I hadn’t been to New York since high school, so I was thrilled to get to go back with some of my besties!  Shay and Erika did a phenomenal job planning the trip, and we were all just along for the ride.  Seriously, Shay took all of our requests into consideration and planned out everything perfectly, and Erika was a boss at figuring out all we needed to know about the Subway.  They’re only booking trips outside of the continental U.S. right now (with the exception of Walt Disney World), but you should contact them if interested in any of those destinations. They’ll take care of you!

I wouldn’t have changed a thing about our trip, and I’m excited to share the trip with y’all today.   You will get to see where we went, what we ate, and of course what I wore!

Several of the items I wore are NOW ON SALE, so when Nordstrom and Shopstyle reached out to see if I would showcase some NEW TO SALE items, I was so excited!  I’ll make sure to highlight the sale items I’m wearing throughout the post, and then I’ll highlight some extras at the end of the post.  Y’all know I can’t resist a good sale.  This particular sale runs from 11/9 – 11/18, and highly coveted items will be marked up to 40% OFF!  Nordstrom knows how to do a sale, and they don’t mess around.

DAY 1

We got an early start, and I was picked up at 3:55 a.m. to head to the airport for our 6:30 flight! When getting dressed for the plane, I knew I wanted to wear my leather jacket for 3 reasons:  1)  It could possibly serve as a pillow on the plane.  2)  It was supposed to be quite chilly when we got off the plane.  3)  It’s kind of heavy, so I didn’t want to pack it.

The jacket is buttery soft, has such a cute fit (love the large collar when unzipped and asymmetrical fit when zipped up), and has a bit of an edgy look.  I love it, and I love it even more now that it is ON SALE for 40% OFF!  If you’ve been in the market for a great leather jacket, I highly recommend this one.  (You might remember that I purchased a leather jacket on my L.A. trip with Gibson, but after wearing it once I realized that the shoulders were too wide and it made me look broader than I am.  So, that’s when I went back to the drawing board and got this one.)  And not only is the jacket on sale, so are the sweater and the sneakers that I’m wearing.  I wore these sneakers 2 full days while walking all over New York, and my feet never hurt one bit.

black v neck sweater ON SALE/ leather jacket ON SALE/ earrings / ankle jeans / sneakers ON SALE

I threw on some of the bracelets I wanted for my trip to so I wouldn’t have to pack them! And you see here how I like to wear these super blingy (and seemingly dressy) bracelets with something super casual.

blingy bracelets / druzy bracelet

As soon as we got off the plane, I pulled this scarf out of my bag for an additional layer and some warmth.  It’s super soft, comfy, and easy to style.  And it comes in 2 additional colors, including a great mustard.

scarf / black v neck sweater ON SALE/ leather jacket ON SALE/ earrings / ankle jeans / sneakers ON SALE

On the first day we hit the ground running! We got off the plane and started our vacation immediately since our rooms weren’t quite ready yet.  First up? The Plaza Hotel Food Hall!  There were so many great choices for everybody, and it was found on the bottom floor of the totally fabulous and swanky Plaza hotel. I had a savory crepe and grapefruit soda, a couple had lobster rolls and chowder, and the others had some thin and crispy personal pizzas that looked amazing.

After lunch, we headed straight to Central Park.  And my goodness did we get lucky with the timing on this trip.  Central Park was showing off.

I couldn’t believe the colors.

We knew we wanted a group shot in the park with the gorgeous foliage, and my goodness did we get one!  #nailedit

We might have also walked by a guy who was trying to get a shot of himself jumping for joy in the park. So we joined in.  Naturally.  And then I asked to take a picture of the back of the photographer’s camera.  Naturally.

We strolled down to Rockefeller center to see some ice skaters.

And then we did a little shopping/browsing on 5th Avenue!  One of the swanky stores offered us champagne.  Yes, please!

We strolled the streets of NY some more, and then we went back to the hotel for a bit to freshen up and change for dinner.  Before I put my new outfit on, I wanted to take off the jacket to give you an up close look at the sweater.  It’s a great basic, I love the v neck styling, and guess what….it’s NOW ON SALE for ONLY $29.90, and it comes in plus size too!  I’m wearing my regular size small, but it does run big, so you might want to size down if you don’t have a large chest.

I packed the ankle jeans seen below, my step hem jeans (NOW ON SALE!), and my black Wit and Wisdom jeans for the trip.  But I ended up wearing the ones below all 3 days.

And my blingy necklace and earrings  aren’t on sale, but I sure do love them.

black v neck sweater ON SALE/ blingy necklace/ earrings / ankle jeans / sneakers ON SALE/ blingy bracelets

Night 1

Since we’d all been up since about 2:00 a.m., Shay knew she needed to keep our first night pretty low key, so dinner was the only thing on the agenda.

I pulled out the same crinkle dress I wore in L.A. (now on sale, but limited sizes remaining), and paired it with my new leather jacket.  I topped it off with the cross body (NOW ON SALE!) that I bought specifically for the trip, and I loved the way the whole look came together.

dress ON SALE/ leather jacket ON SALE/ earrings / similar block heel booties/ cross body bag ON SALE

We walked to dinner (it was like 20 feet from the hotel!) but I popped over to Times Square for a picture!

The gang’s all here!

And you know we had to pose with the lights.

Karla, Erika, Lisa, Narci, Lori, Jeni, me, Andrea, Meagan, and Shay

We ate dinner at The Hunt and Fish Club, and my word was the food delicious.  I could have made an entire meal of the fried risotto balls and the popovers with garlic butter.  I didn’t get the steak, but after having a bite, I should have!  It melted in your mouth, but my King Crab risotto was delicious as well.

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DAY 2

My Day 2 outfit was fun and functional, and I thought mixing the stripes with the leopard was a little unexpected.

cashmere sweater / Quay sunglasses / leopard scarf / my favorite UGG boots / cross body bag ON SALE

After checking the weather again before heading out, I decided to swap out my UGGs for my sneakers, and I’m glad I did.  Day 2 warmed up considerably, and I was glad my feet weren’t as toasty warm as they would have been in the UGGs.

cashmere sweater / Quay sunglasses / leopard scarf / leather jacket /sneakers ON SALE / cross body bag ON SALE

On the way to breakfast, we had a quick Times Square photo opp.

And took the Subway for the first time.  By the end of our stay, we were pros.  Ha!

Brunch at The Smith was AMAZING.  Everybody raved over their food, but I think that the breakfast pot pie (seen in the middle picture) should win the 1st Place Brunch award.

After brunch, we casually meandered through the city, and it was wonderful.  We stumbled upon some outdoor flea markets, and it all felt VERY New York.  We were just soaking it all in!

cashmere sweater / Quay sunglasses / leopard scarf / cross body bag ON SALE/ sneakers ON SALE

Strolling the streets of New York with your besties on a crisp fall day is pretty much LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE.

We were all so happy!

We made a quick coffee/hot chocolate break.

And then we strolled around and admired the gorgeous brownstones.  The architectural details and the stoops were all so unbelievably charming.  We borrowed a stoop and grabbed a pic.  I’m so thankful for this tribe of mine.

Our sweet friend Manda was on our minds during the entire trip, so we wanted to do something to honor her.  We stopped by a flower shop, grabbed some purple flowers, and sent her parents this picture to let them know that she was in our thoughts and our hearts.

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NIGHT 2

I was SO READY for night 2 and all the festivities that went along with that.  I was also excited about the outfit I got to wear!  (I don’t have any solo shots of me in this top, so you can click HERE to see it on me if you want to see how it fits.)

floral blouse ON SALE/ earrings / coated skinny jeans/ sequin and croc clutch / mesh polka dot heels

We headed out to an early dinner before the show, but not before we grabbed some mirror selfies at the hotel.  #bloggerlife  My friends are used to it.  When we were still at the airport, I asked them to kindly ignore my selfies throughout the entire trip.  They did.  Ha!

All dressed up for a night out on the town!

Shay made us reservations for dinner at Carmine’s , a family style Italian restaurant that I’ll be thinking about for years to come.  The best house salad, Caesar salad, lasagna, chicken picatta and angel hair, and rigatoni and broccoli that I’ve had in my life.  And you know what else was delicious?  THE SANGRIA!  It’s not to be missed.

I love my earrings, so I grabbed a quick pic. They are a gorgeous pink and red combination with some bling, and they will be perfect for the holidays!  This shot also does a great job of showing the tiny pleats on the blouse.

Choosing a Broadway show that none of us had seen before proved difficult, but we settled on Mean Girls, and it was tremendous!  The cast was crazy talented, and I laughed till my sides hurt.  The entire crowd was having a ball.  I highly recommend it, especially if you’re with a group of girls!

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DAY 3

Day 3 was cold and rainy, so I broke out my yellow rain coat that I bought for the trip!  I loved it, and the group joked it was easy to keep track of me on the subway.  #itsfunnybecauseitstrue I loved the sunshiny yellow color, but it also comes in purple, navy, pink, and lavender.  And the interior of my particular jacket is lined with a precious blue and white striped fabric.

The jacket has near perfect reviews, and I whole heartedly agree.  This jacket is DARLING and it works!  I stayed dry all day.  For size reference, I went with a 6.

But if you are looking for a lighter and more easily packable rain jacket, you’re in luck!  Joules has a couple of choices that just went ON SALE!

My slim profile UGGs were the best choice for footwear that I could have made on this day.  We were on our feet all day, it was cold, and it was raining off and on.  My feet stayed warm, comfy, and dry the entire day.  These boots are probably my most worn shoes in my closet once it gets cold, and they have been for the last 2 years.

rain coat / scarf ON SALE/cross body bag ON SALE/ ankle jeans / slim profile Uggs

We went back and forth between inside and outside all day long, so it was a challenge to stay comfortable temperature wise!  The raincoat came off when we were inside and got tied around my waist.  And my scarf got tied around my cross body.

rain coat / cozy fleece v neck/ scarf ON SALE/cross body bag ON SALE / ankle jeans / slim profile Uggs

We started out Day 3 with a 3 hour food tour through Foods of NY Tours.

They have several tours available that highlight different types of foods and different neighborhoods, but our group chose one that starts at Chelsea Market.  And look how cute Jeni is in my scarf.

Our tour included 16, and a guide that we fell in love with (Shout Out, Cindy!).  She gave us history of the building, the landmarks we passed, and the philosophy behind the food we were eating (which was all locally sourced).  It was a wonderful way to spend 3 hours, and the food was incredible.  We started off with fried oreos with homeade whip cream and ended with Ooey Gooey ice cream.  In between we got to taste the best hot dogs of our lives, a zucchini tart, mozarella and basil sandwiches, and individual chicken pot pies.

We were STUFFED, but good heavens were we happy.

Here’s our fearless leader, Cindy!

We headed straight from the food tour to the 9/11 museum. Touring the museum was incredibly emotional, but it was an experience I will never forget, and I’m so glad that we spent some time there.  I was obviously so moved by the stories of both the first responders and the victims.  It’s difficult to even write about the experience, but I think the audio recordings from loved ones were what touched me the most. We were there a little over 2 hours, but I could have stayed much longer.

NIGHT 3

Well, after walking around all day in the rain, we were done with pictures.  We had reservations at Toloache, a Mexican restaurant that Shay had been to before, and it did not disappoint.  I didn’t think I was going to be blown away by NYC Mexican food, but I was wrong.  The guac trio was inspired (I should totally be a food critic, right?), and the queso fundido was the stuff dreams our made of.  I had brisket tacos and a prickly pear margarita, but I should have ordered the coconut mojito like some of the other girls.  Y’ALL.  It was legit.

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DAY 4

On Day 4, we woke up and traveled home.  I was so sad to leave the carefree life with my girlfriends, but happy to get home and hug my people.

Here’s my travel outfit.

You can’t see it, but I’m wearing one of my very favorite sweaters (that I now own in 3 colors) that JUST WENT 40% OFF!  Last year I purchased it in both red and black, and this year I grabbed it in shitake.  I have smalls, and it’s definitely a relaxed fit, just how I like to wear it.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this sweater.

v neck sweater ON SALE / scarf / camo jacket / earrings / ankle jeans / sneakers ON SALE

So that’s it!  That my New York Girl’s Trip!  I was so grateful to have this time with this group of girls, some of my very closest friends.  The majority of us have been friends for over 10 years now (some longer), and we count on each other.  We lift each other up, we celebrate each other during happy times, and we support each other during hard times.  We’ve been through some really dark times together, but we take care of each other and faithfully pray for one other, and I’m forever grateful to and for this group of women.

OTHER ITEMS ON SALE…

Okay…..I know the post has been really long already….but pay attention! TONS of new SALE ITEMS just dropped on the Nordstrom site. And you’re in luck, because the sale can be overwhelming, but I went through hundreds and hundreds of items to find THE VERY BEST OF THE BEST.

There’s a large number of scarves on sale that you have to check out for yourself.

This slouchy turtleneck sweater is now 40% OFF, and you can see it on me HERE.

I know y’all love Articles of Society jeans, and this black pair is 40% OFF.

This quilted hooded jacket is an AMAZING deal!  I love the flattering cut and the quilted pattern.  And it looks like the perfect jacket to throw on to run to the grocery store or to grab the kids from school.  Everybody needs a jacket like this, and the $42 price tag makes it affordable to everybody.

Ooh!  Some great Kendra Scott “lady studs” for 40% OFF.  These would make great gifts!

Below you will find some of my other favorites.  BELIEVE YOU ME, I scoured the internet, and I feel like I’ve located the best deals.  Just click on the item(s) you are interested in.

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AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…

You guys!!!!!!! The Gibson x Holiday Glam line launches at Nordstrom on Monday, November 12th! We’re talking 9 bloggers, 9 fabulous holiday pieces, and even some additional bonus styles!

I am in LOVE with my top, and I know y’all will be too! It comes in classic black, a bright white, and a gorgeous cranberry. You can dress it up with black velvet pants or coated jeans, or you can dress it down with boyfriend jeans and leopard heels!

Get ready too see all sorts of gorgeous things in just 3 MORE SLEEPS!!!! Get excited, ladies!

Whew!  You made it through the post!  I hope you enjoyed the New York recap, the SALE ROUND UP, and I of course hope you are excited about the Gibson Holiday Glam launch!  Thank you to Nordstrom and Shopstyle for sponsoring this post.   And during this busy season, I don’t want you to forget about some of the amazing services that Nordstrom offers.  As always, FREE SHIPPING AND FREE RETURNS are offered….but curbside pick up and gift boxing services are also greatly appreciated (and needed!) at this time of year!

See you back here on Monday morning for the Gibson Holiday Glam launch!  EEK!

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