Hi all! It was a fabulous trip to Europe for us, but after 28 days (!!) we are very happy to be home in our own beds, with our doggies!

I’m unpacking and laundrying today, and just got the chance to open the box from Nordstrom. Here are my notes:

1. Dolce Vita black and white western booties. They look fab! I like the way they flash the white when I sit down wearing full length wide leg jeans, but I’ll have to try a session with some crops and boyfriends too, to see how they look styles that way. The larger concern is a slight bit of stiffness across the instep. I’m wearing them around the house a bit to see if it seems to ease or not. If the issue remains, I’ll return them, which would be a shame. I like the black and white mix a lot. Just enough white to be a spot of interest without screaming “white footwear” (just my personal preference).

2. Zella black jacket. Big disappointment. Sleeves sticky and snug (hard to pull on over a sleeved top), and one of the snaps pulled out of the fabric right away. Not great quality. Returning.

3. Rag & Bone sneakers. I was almost hoping these wouldn’t work, because I gained not one but two pairs of sneakers in Paris. (Yeah, I know, who goes to Paris and gets sneakers? Apparently me! But more on that in a separate post.) But they are very comfortable and a great fit straight out of the box. I’ve been eyeing them since last year’s NAS in both the blue and the grey, and the grey feels like a nice alternative to my white or black or silver sneakers. It also goes great with my favorite handbag (the grey Bao Bao backpack). So I’m inclined to keep. I do wear my sneakers!

4. Blanc Noir white jacket. Surprisingly warm and super well made! I wasn’t expecting it to be so substantial but it’s really nice. It’s roomier and longer on me than the model photo, but this is a winter jacket for sure. So it’s good to have room for a couple of layers underneath. Hubs likes it too. So I’m inclined to keep it. Really good piece for the price point!

5. On hoodie. Ok, I don’t really need another hoodie, but this is another very quality piece, with excellent details (the drawstring holder, the zips at the hem!), and I get a LOT of wear out of my hoodies so they tend to be good buys. The burgundy is a little browner than my favorite shade, but when all the other details are as right as they are on this piece, I’ll accept a shade that’s a little off my ideal. It’s a bit oversized but I like that in a hoodie. Fabric is more like a performance piece than a cotton, but I’m good with that too. Keeper.

So, it looks like three keepers with a possibility of a fourth. Not a bad sale at all, and a very good ratio for what I ordered (3/5 or 4/5!).