Friday Finds #223

Lots of sale finds, my husband counting my shoes, promo codes galore, and so much more.

I’m excited to get back to sharing my Roses + Thorns for the week. You may have noticed I skipped over this part last week, but I couldn’t bring myself to hash out my feelings last week.

This week, I tried my best to get back into the swing of things. The show must go on!

I spent most of the week working on my HOLIDAY SAVINGS GUIDE!! I’ve been working with a bunch of my favorite retailers to get special discount codes for the rest of the year. That way, if you miss a bigger holiday promotion, you can save some money whenever you end up shopping. Such a huge thank you to the brands included at the top for being so generous! Some of the discount codes will stack with their holiday promotions, some will not.

In the lower section, I’ll be keeping track of alllllll of the Black Friday / Cyber Monday codes and discounts. This will be updated all season long, so be sure to bookmark the guide to reference again and again!

If there’s a retailer you’d love to see, please let me know and I can work on getting a code!!

THIS WEEK'S ROSE(S) 🌹

I had my second Mahjong lesson this week, where we played our first guided play game. And I won!! Happy to say I got my first Mahjong, although I had a little help from our instructor. (We used Mod Mahj if you’re in the Chicagoland area!)

I took yesterday afternoon off work and finally ran a ton of errands that I had been putting off for a few weeks. Felt good to cross those things off my to-do list! (It also turned into me going on a wild goose chase to find my FIL’s birthday gift, but I secured it!! There’s no better feeling than finally finding that sold-out item, am I right??)

I was quite happy to see the Bears let go of their offense coordinator! We went to the Bears game with friends this past Sunday and it was an absolutely pathetic game. Hoping this switch brings some fresh energy that’s been missing the last month or two.

Other than that, I’ve tried to have a sense of gratitude every day when I’ve been out on walks with Marley. We are truly having THE BEST fall I’ve ever experienced in Chicago. The leaves have never looked prettier, and even though they’re past their peak, the trees have actually hung onto them since we haven’t had a true cold snap. Fall always feels SO fleeting in Chicago, typically going from hot in September to freezing in October, but this year has been SO pleasant and mild. Such a treat!!

THIS WEEK'S THORN 🪡

I feel like this hopefully will be a rose in the long run, but I started a new medication this week and have been getting used to that. Always a bit of an adjustment process, especially when you’re not feeling 100% like yourself! (Also kind of an interesting experiment trying to figure out if feelings and symptoms are related to current events, hormones, or the medication — ha! 😅 )

I have been sleeping HORRIBLY lately. Again, not sure if it’s the new meds, anxiety with the news, or work stressors, but my sleep has been as bad as it’s been in years. Gotta figure that out ASAP, as it’s showing on my face! ha.

Marley had an upset stomach allllll week long, which definitely wasn’t fun to deal with, but thankfully I think she’s finally on the mend! 🙏

This was technically a thorn last week, but my waterbottle spilled in my purse while my computer was in it. THANK GOD my computer still works (this should really be a Rose!), but there’s moisture behind the screen that makes looking at the screen prettyyy wonky. Honestly, I’ll take it though. So glad to not have to replace my laptop right now!! But I do need to take it in to inquire about replacing just the screen for now. Add that to the next ‘errands I’ll put off for weeks’ list!

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ✨

We have yet another packed weekend, surprise surprise. 🤪 I’m grabbing drinks with my college girlfriends for happy hour later, and then tonight, we have a friend’s birthday party trolley ending at karaoke. On Saturday, I’m babysitting my friend’s baby in the morning and then we’re heading to the suburbs to hang out with some other good friends who are also new parents. And on Sunday, finally a day without plans! I plan to be on the couch watching football alllllll afternoon.

Also looking forward to publishing all of my Gift Guides on my blog next week!!

Friday Finds

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes. Plus a ton of really great sale picks!

Here are this week’s finds…

Things to Read, Watch, & Listen to

After finishing Husbands & Lovers, I wanted another light book to read. My Book Club recommended Just for the Summer, Ever Summer After, and Midnight Library. I was about to buy another Beatriz Williams book, but remembered I have approximately 476 books on my shelves that I’ve yet to read. So I picked up The Singles Game, where I found a note from the author who must have sent it my way back in 2016. Better late than never, right?!

The song I’ve had on repeat lately is Hope by CamelPhat. It will for sure be my #1 most played this year!

Things to Shop + Browse

The 5 Minute Journal now comes in PRINTS!!! 😍

I keep getting served adds for their new “Life Designer” journal and it looks sooooo spot on for what I need in my life right now. (PS — you’ll see it in the Holiday Savings Guide above, but I got a special code for their site: JESSICAS10)

I fell in love with these affordable penny loafers this week! I just wish they came in a dark brown.

These jeans look like Veronica Beard for a third of the price!!

This cardigan looks like the Jenni Kayne Cooper sweater for a fraction of the cost. On my wish list.

This Anine Bing tank is such a great layering staple. And it’s currently 30% off with code TRAVEL3O!

As I’m about to share so many new shoe finds, I have a sort of ‘funny’ story for you… I did a major closet purge last weekend and finally made the summer/winter switch. Especially with all of the extra wedding dresses and outfits, my closet has essentially been uninhabitable for the last few months. Anyway, I spent at least eight hours working on it last Saturday and Dave came in at the end to admire my work. In the 2.5 years we’ve lived in this apartment, I guess he’s never really looked around my closet because he was *shook* by the number of shoes I have. We have high ceilings, so above the door frame, I have a ton of shoe cubbies stacked on the very top shelf. So I guess unless you’re actually *inside* my (very tiny) ‘step-in’ closet, you can’t really see them all? IDK what made him finally notice, but I heard about it the rest of the day. “Wow, you just have so much stuff. I can’t believe how many shoes are in there.” 🫠 (And this was after the closet purge! And after all of my flat sandals had been put away in storage!)

Anyway, all that to say, I just love shoes. IDK if it’s because they always fit or I just really love collecting shoes. As I was putting this list together this week, I had to laugh when half of the shopping links were in the footwear category. Whoops!

That being said, I’m OBSESSED with these Red Sambas. Such a fun pop in the winter!

And this little tomato red bag ($128) would be the perfect match!

If the red Sambas above are too loud for you, the white sneakers with red stripes just got restocked in all sizes!! ps: The reverse black-and-cream Sambas that I have are still available in a few sizes.

In my closet switch, I very excitedly rediscovered my Nike Phoenix Fleece sweatsuit from last winter. I wore it over and over and over last year, from travel and errands to lounging at home, it was *the* coziest. My only gripe was how short the cropped sweatshirt was so I was THRILLED to see they brought back the sweat set, but with a non-cropped crewneck top. I couldn’t say no to the gorgeous forest green color, so I went with this sweatshirt and these sweatpants. FYI — I take a small in these, so I would recommend sizing down since they’re already oversized.

If you, too, are crushing on that green color… The sweatpants come in a mid-rise, non-oversized fit, as well as a high-waisted, wide-leg silhouette. If crewnecks aren’t your vibe, there’s a shorter hoodie, as well as a longer hoodie. And I’m crushing on this quarter-zip polo sweatshirt! All are available in Plus, too.

(PS: These are my exact sweatpants from last season, and this was the cropped sweatshirt, although not available in the same brown color I have.)

Norstrom has some really great sale finds right now… These Mary-Jane ballet flats are the style of the season, and I love the soft silver and brown/red tweed fabric that are both 30% off.

I adore these olive green velvet mules that are 30% off — so fun for a winter wedding.

If you need a sparkly holiday shoe, this mesh crystal pair and these shiny silver pumps are both 30% off. These bow kitten heels are also darling!

I know these won’t be for everyone, but I love these studded flats — now 50% off.

How gorgeous is the copper color on these velvet ballet flats?! In love, and 30% off.

If your guy needs a new pair of running shoes, Dave recently got these Hokas and loves them. Currently 20% off!

Also for the guys… Dave has this Faherty shacket in countless colors and the olive color is currently 45% off!

This Skims bralette is 50% off.

This Varley funnelneck sweatshirt with a cinched waist is 25% off.

The #1 thing on my current wishlist is this pair of leopard mary-jane flats, but unfortunately, those aren’t on sale.

I’m not really a Disney person (I’ve never been!), but I know people go crazy for it. Lululemon just dropped a Disney collection, so definitely check it out if you’re going or taking your kiddos anytime soon.

These plaid PJs for the whole fam are so cute.

A few more things I love that are included in Revolve’s 30% off promo… Just use code TRAVEL30 at checkout. This striped button-down, these bra-friendly tanks, this Bears tee, and these Aviator Nation sweatpants.

For any bikers out there, these cycling shoes are so cute! At first, I thought they were such a fun colorway for my favorite sneakers, but then I realized they are clip-compatible. I had no idea they made shoes like that, where you can still wear them even after unclipping. (Says the girl who doesn’t own a bike and whose only cycling experience is a spin class.)

I love this Ralph Lauren quilted barn coat. (60% off!)

This RL hooded A-line raincoat also caught my eye! (56% off, only $100)

For something with a little more color to brighten up dreary days, this Avec Les Filles quilted coat is adorbs. (55% off!)

Things to Cook

I believe Dave got the recipe from this Instagram Reel, but we made tomato soup (with our new Immersion Blender from our wedding registry!!) this week and it was so good! I will say, the grilled cheese to dip was a must.

It was a week for soup apparently because we also made this Old Fashioned Beef Stew.

Last night, we made Dave’s mom’s Turkey Meatloaf, which was delicious, pretty healthy, and also could have fed the entire neighborhood. (5lbs of turkey!! Why didn’t we halve the recipe??) We delivered some to our neighbors, who also gave it their stamp of approval, so I’ll have to get the recipe posted on my blog sometime soon.

And speaking of recipes, I made delicious Apple Cider Margaritas last weekend! I rebought some of the ingredients this week to remake them and get them photographed. Stay tuned for that recipe, too! They were super easy and had such a nice fall taste.

Other Things of Note

If you know of any brides-to-be, I would be forever grateful if you sent them my newest passion project: Just Another Bridal Blog

I’ve become obsessed with shopping for little white dresses and styling bridal outfits — way more than I could ever dream of wearing. So, I started another Substack dedicated to all things bride, mainly as a creative outlet to share my favorites and clean out the bookmarks on my browser and screenshots on my phone. I hope for it to serve as a source of inspiration for anyone in the throws of wedding planning! Bachelorette party outfits, bridal showers and luncheon looks, after-party dresses, and little white accessories — all of the fun fashion ideas for brides-to-be in one place.