Madewell Sale on Sale!

top (now $29.99; org $62)

Drop what you're doing! My big tip for shopping at Madewell is ALWAYS shop their sale on sale. The last one was about a week and a half ago, so you can imagine how surprised I was to see them do another one. And this has to be the best deal of all-EXTRA 40% OFF (code: SHORETHING). So many pieces are marked so low and it's a mix of newer Summer and some of their older pieces. Trust me, things are going to sell out and I wouldn't hold back now.

Below are pieces I've been waiting to pull the trigger on (already got this tee, skirt, and adorable dress): 

An InLinkz Link-up

Embracing Slow

Thank you Athleta for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

It took me 9 months. 9 of the longest, messiest months to get to this point. A point that I had no idea how I was going to get to, but I knew somehow I had to. The truth is what I thought everything I identified myself as was suddenly ripped away from me, I was forced to reevaluate my entire life, my worth, and the direction I wanted to go. My job was just gone one day and I was powerless. It wasn't until I had to face that fact alone (hello, you're laid off) I realized how I associated that job as who I was. That was the hardest part of loosing my job, that feeling of not knowing yourself. It wasn't the money part so much, but the time you're forced to slow down to get to know the person you are.

So much our lives revolves around our jobs, and my life was always go, go, go. I mean when you're working 9-5 there's little time to access much else. You're trying to be a good employee, come home to be a good girlfriend/wife/partner, and try to have a social life. But this sudden breakup (that's what it felt like) from my job left me with all the time in the world. That always sounded like a dream when I was working, but truly being alone all day long was initially scary. It took many months to embrace this new normal and go with it. To just not fight it and embrace it. Once I stopped resisting and trusting it would work out, I gained an inner peace that I have never known. The beauty of it is taking the time to slow things down I ended up gaining a new sense of self that isn't tied to a job status and that feeling of empowerment was self-created by ME.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by life, give yourself permission to slow down. You need it more than you know. You might feel it's counterproductive, but trust me it's not. It'll clear the fog.

While I'm grateful to be in a new season (aka new job), I know the foundation to stay empowered is by making myself a priority daily. Whether it's sitting down for 5 or 10 minutes with a book or meditation app, I do it. Some days, it's reaching for my yoga pants for a walk or a hike. That's why I've teamed up with Athleta because they value each woman's individuality and limitless potential. Not only do they understand the power of community (it does take a village), but are doing their part by making clothes from sustainable fibers. With a variety of collections, Athleta offers pieces that fit whatever lifestyle I choose (even work pants!).

How do you stay empowered?

The One Thing I Still Wear from the #NSale

top (black version) // jeans // shoes c/o // purse

Half of me loves the concept of the Nordstrom Sale. Half of me wants nothing to do with it. Maybe it's the overload of every fashion blogger sharing all their picks (only all the picks are the same). Then there's that part of me that really loves getting new clothes ON SALE! Last year, I felt the pressure to give it a try, like seriously try to make an effort to create content around it. It was, also, my very first Anniversary sale, so maybe I would just be open about it and might like it. You don't know if you never try, right? It's the optimism in me. Since I was working by a Nordstrom, I figured it wasn't inconvenient to drop by before work and check it out. And it was convenient because no one is up driving even those typically congested areas of LA. I even got there so early that I could grab an iced honey latte and make sure I had all my picks to look for when I was in store. 

Then it was time and those doors opened. Me and all the seasoned shoppers eagerly made our way in. I basically had bee lined straight to the Madewell section. Hello, Madewell on sale before it hits anywhere else. It felt so exclusive. I picked up several pieces that seemed to be deals. Then, I found a couple of other staple pieces, including these jeans I'm wearing. While I didn't think much of them at the time (other than I'm getting them on sale), they were an immediate yes after I tried them on. 

Fast forward to this year, the only thing I actually got my money worth on were these jeans. Six pieces and only one was worth it. That left a bitter taste that I can't exactly shake this time around. I was a newbie to it, so maybe I did it wrong? But once I got to that Madewell section the adrenaline took over and I grabbed more than normal because it will sell out. Plus, I had to do it for the content and the potential for affiliate commissions. Yeah, I fell into that trap.

After all the dust settled, I was hit with another blow. No, it wasn't the low commissions or not all the items selling out. It was the feeling I was duped. The Madewell items I thought I was getting to shop early never made it to the actual Madewell stores. I kept waiting and waiting for the tees and the dress I got to be apart of their Fall collection. So so wrong. Were these pieces just outlet? Did I miss the memo? 

While I kept a slim opening to consider shopping the sale this year, it looks as though I'm not shopping it early. I know myself well and don't want to put myself in a situation where I end up buying things because they are on sale and will sell out. For those that have more self control, I say go for it! This year I'm going to sit it out until it opens up to the public. 

BUT it's still linkup time! Our picks from last week's link up are Ruth from My Little Nest and Tilden from To Be Bright!

An InLinkz Link-up