You see, Loeffler Randall’s fall sale has begun! So, so many lovelies, but my personal favorite is still that pair of Blaise haircalf loafers – I wear them all the time. They’re down to $228, a serious steal! You can also nab their signature tall rain boots for just $98 – that’s cheaper than a pair of Hunters, friends.

Come on, do it. You know you’ve been dying for a pair of Loefflers this season!

Sure, I’m an enabler….but I’m also right.

I’m so glad you asked!

Friends, I am seriously in need of pants. I went a little skirt-crazy over the summer, and I’m getting tired of denim every.single.day. A pair of classic straight black pants is never out of style, and I love the slim-but-not-skinny cut on these. And for a bit of fun (and a break from all that red denim), I love this pair in royal blue.

I’m always a sucker for tweed…nothing new there. And I do especially love the jacket/cardigan hybrid as a rule. So, while I need it least of all, this grey and gold tweed cardi is probably my favorite. (Also love the contrasting sleeves, another huge fall trend). And speaking of tweed, I’m pretty obsessed with this dress (though my dress needs are more than met for the year). It feels like one part Proenza Schouler, one part Chanel, and ten parts Elie Tahari – he’s just that good. If I still worked in an office, I’d snap this up in two seconds.

Best of all, not one thing I picked here is over $300…and most (all but the dress, really) are well under the $200 mark. According to their email, the sale is private for today only…so snap up your favorite pieces before anyone else does!

Anything catch your eye?

Yes, my v-neck cashmere sweater collection is threatening to take over my bedroom. But this delicious Magaschoni version in that stunning jade green is calling to me. ($95, was $198)

And speaking of classics that never go out of style, this cap sleeve knit dress (also by Magaschoni) is begging to be my new LBD. It’s so very Audrey…just the thing for those of you that like a more conservative style in your cocktail attire. ($198, was $498.)

I am really feeling the Botkier love this season – their pieces get better every time I look. This Botkier open-toed heel defies all my rules – normally, the peep toe bootie makes me crazy – but I somehow adore these. Plus, they’re perfect for a fall transition – add a colored tight for some interest, or stick with solid black to create a long, lean line. ($149, was $298.)

And, speaking of Botkier, their crossbody bags this season were especially wonderful, and now my two favorites are on sale. It’s hard to choose between that bright red Charlotte ($191, was $318) or the Isla in tarnished gold ($263, was $438)…they’re both perfect for summer, but the Isla is just begging to carry you into fall.

Last but not least, button-down shirts are a new staple of mine. Maybe I’m more in the mood to dress up these days, or I just finally, finally tired of my old tee-and-cardigan standby look. If you’re feeling it too, there are a dozen excellent options on sale…most under $100. So, so hard to narrow down the field!

See anything you can’t live without?

First, a little down-and-dirty on what’s happening with the sale this year. The official start date is July 15, but pre-sale shopping begins July 5. The pre-sale shopping option that’s typically been open to Nordstrom cardholders and other VIP customers is now only open to cardholders, allegedly. This means that no matter how much your salesperson loves you, they can’t let you pre-shop without a Nordstrom card. But, the upside, according to my sources, is that you get to take your goods home with you the day you shop, instead of having to head back to the store on opening day to pick up your pre-sale goods.

So, with that done, how about a little peek at my picks from the sale?

First up, shoes – since I know you’re all shoe nuts like me. Not much in the way of heels and flats, but there are some good boots to choose from.

Far right: Frye “Melissa” button-back boot, $219

Far right: Via Spiga “Kacey” riding boot, $259

Tory Burch riding boot, $299

The coats are really lacking this season…Nordstrom seems to have abandoned coats for capes, which is unfortunate, as they’re hard to wear – both literally and figuratively. But, if you must cape, there is one style I actually love – it has enough tailoring to keep the look clean and easily wearable:

Right: Helene Berman wool cape, $165

This Mackage coat is the other winner from the catalog. It’s still not something I’d love enough to nab, but the clean tailoring is nice, as is the leather detail at the sleeves. I do have a feeling this one’s going to be popular…so you’ll be seeing it out and about.

Mackage “Tessa” wool-blend coat with knit & leather trim, $389

As for the rest of the apparel, there are the usual suspects: a few highly-identifiable, under-$100 picks that everyone will be snatching up…and then a few special pieces that are worth a second look.

That Halogen pencil skirt on the first three models comes in 6 colors and is $45, so expect to see it on everyone in your office come August. The little cuffed ankle pant on the far right is by Amber Sun, and is also $45. I’m cautiously optimistic about the pants – they’re cute on the model, but atrocious in another image I saw, so it could definitely go either way.

Left 3: Halogen seamed pencil skirt, $45; Right: Amber Sun “Aubrey” pant, $45.

And, a few standout pieces that are perfect for giving your fall closet a little kick-start:

McGinn “Elizabeth” tweed jacket, $229

This silk blouse by Joie is one of maybe three pieces I’ll actually be nabbing from the sale. I love the bright teal, and it’s a perfect tunic shape, so you can easily dress it up or down. It’s hard to imagine beneath that fugly chunky knit vest, I realize…but try.

Joie “Marlo” blouse, in peacock, beige or grey, $145

If you’re not quite over the faux-fur trend, this Trina Turk cardigan is a great way to give it a try. While the photo doesn’t really provide much help, it’s a long, wrap-style cardigan, and the fur collar is removable. So, when you’re ready to retire the trend, you still have a classic camel cashmere cardigan in your closet.

Trina Turk “Deville” cardigan, $198

There’s always one killer splurge in the sale. Last year, it was a classic Burberry trench. This year, it’s this black faux-wrap dress by St. John. It’s a classic long-sleeved wrap cut (without the wardrobe malfunction potential), and it will be in your closet forever, making it a bargain by any standard.

St. John faux-wrap dress, $399

(Love those shoes she’s wearing too, by the way…Michael by Michael Kors, $99, but they have a 5-inch heel.)

Last but certainly not least, a few accessories to tie all this fun together. There are two big “splurge” bags this year – one by Chloe, which I thought was boring, and this one by Marc Jacobs. It’s hard not to love that pink, which is actually a bit more mauve in other photos.

Marc Jacobs “Karlie” shoulder bag, $866

And on the more reasonable end of the spectrum, I found myself quite liking the bag on the top left, below. The brand is “Roccatella,” which meant nothing to me until I saw it was a new diffusion line from Be&D, which makes amazing bags.  I also love the Rebecca Minkoff bag in the bottom right image, though I’ve found the quality on RM bags a bit spotty lately. Love the ostrich-embossed leather, though, and it comes in 3 colors.

Top left: Roccatella by Be&D “Jane” belted leather satchel, $264; Bottom right: Rebecca Minkoff “Covet” flap bag, $282.

And my bracelet obsession continues with these options from Ippolita and Lagos. The Ippolita styles are the bangles in the center with the solid-set semi-precious stones, and the Lagos is that rope-style silver bracelet with the diamond X in the center.

Center: Ippolita bangles, set of 3, $394; Bottom, far right: Lagos Caviar X Diamond bracelet, $299.

That’s it, friends! Of course, if you see something else in these images that you’re dying for details on, just leave a comment, and I’ll give you all the info I can. In the meantime, give your favorite salesperson a call, and get a pre-shop date scheduled!

First things first, friends:  won’t you please come over and “like” my new ShoppingsMyCardio Facebook page?  It will just take a second, and will make me oh so happy.  I promise not to have one of those annoying pages that posts 10 times a day and takes up your whole feed…I hate that.

So, I haven’t been being all that good about letting you know where else I’ve been writing lately, and we should remedy that.  Mostly because I’m quite proud of an interview I recently did with Rachel Gorenstein, a woman who’s both the creative director & buyer for one of my favorite shops in Portland and the designer behind one of my favorite boutique labels, Rachel Mara.  Total dream job!  The feature was for a new print magazine (remember those?) called About Face, but you can also check it out here.  Also, this dress, which we featured in the piece, is my latest stalker-grade obsession.  Must. Have. It.

Also, I did a fun little feature for a local site called Neighborhood Notes, all about locally-made perfumes.  And I’ll tell you guys the joke I begrudgingly left out of the feature…the one about how when they asked me to write about Portland perfumes, I was instantly snickering to myself, thinking that a “Portland perfume” would have to be some sort of body odor/bong water concoction.  The locals would burn me alive…but I knew you’d think it was hysterical (because it’s true).

Anyway…on to our finds!

This week was “Preview Week” in NYC.  For those of you who don’t obsess over these things like I do, this is the week that virtually every brand that doesn’t show at Fashion Week was showcasing their new collections for Fall.  I’ll have more to show you next week, but for now, a little eye candy from the J.Crew preview.  For the full collection, check out the coverage from Racked and The Cut…but these are a few of my favorites:

Good bags, in particular, don’t you agree? And those plum wide-legged pants are mine, people.  If you’re now in a J.Crew mood (sorry about that), the good news is that they’re offering 20% off $150+ purchases this weekend.  The code is SUNNY…hey, here’s hoping.

I’m perpetually in an art-buying phase…right now, I’m getting ready to print some of my talented husband’s photography for our walls.  But I came across artist John Murphy’s collages for the second time recently, and fell in love with them all over again.  I’ve always wanted a diptych of these two, but how could I possibly be expected to resist that elephant, with the little flower poos?  (I can’t believe I just said “poo” on the blog.  Twice.)

Thoroughly awesome.

In the “cheap thrills” department, Lands’ End Canvas is having a ginormous clearance sale right now.  While I didn’t have much luck with their denim when I tried the brand a while back, I am sort of feeling I could use a back-up pair of skinny jeans for spring, and these Super Slim Jeans are $29, which is highly tempting.  This cut has almost 50% spandex, so really, how badly could they possibly fit?  I will warn that, in my experience, their denim runs s-m-a-l-l…so, size accordingly.

Oh!  Remember that pretty green Cole Haan bag I snagged earlier this month?  Well, nab 25% off the entire (full-price) Cole Haan handbag line today only with code…wait, wait, wait. You have to go to my Facebook or Twitter page to get the code.  Mean?  Extortion?  Nawwww…this is creative marketing, people!  Indulge me, won’t you?

And have a great weekend, friends!

elizabeth & james silk explorer blouse, $137; theory dolson top, $70 (i’m having a silk shirt moment, what can i say?)

free people boardwalk tunic, $49; vince inside-out striped sweater, $136

tucker classic tunic, $154; elizabeth and james fur-collared poe blazer, $535

frye harlow campus booties, $129; obakki ombre cardigan, $305

anything you have your eye on?

i picked up this exact dkny trench in black during nordstrom’s anniversary sale, and i absolutely love it.  it’s the perfect mid-weight trench, made of sleek, waterproof fabric, and it fit me better than the classic burberry trench (which, given my love for burberry, is saying something).  in fact, i loved it so much that i convinced my very frugal BFF to buy the exact same one (in tan) when we were out shopping a month later.

now, you can nab that same lovely trench, in black or tan (or both!), for a measly $111 – down from $278. if you don’t have the perfect trench in your closet, now’s the time, friends.

the dkny cozy ($137): i’ll admit, it baffles me a little.  but there’s a whole iphone app dedicated to sharing the thousand ways there are to wear it, and i dig the camel shade for fall.  i haven’t seen these marked down before, so if you’re already loving the look, this might be the time to jump.

geren ford paneled sweater ($125):  i know, i know, i said no more stripes.  but old habits die hard, and this is such a classic! i’d love to see this layered under a tweed blazer for fall.

james jeans humphrey high rise flare ($126):  rises are on their way back up, and trouser jeans are finally, finally becoming a bit easier to find.  pounce on this classic pair now, and your style problems for fall are solved.

joie martine blouse ($139):  these floaty silk blouses will be everywhere this fall – add them to those trouser jeans above and throw on a cozy scarf in a contrasting pattern for a perfectly chic fall look.  the pattern choices are virtually endless, but i love the soft, ethereal quality of the grey and cream here, and the pleated placket is just a bonus.  this bolder version from patterson j kincaid was a close second, though, and half the price!

as for my buys, i can’t even believe i’m saying this, but i think i’m going to make a full-price splurge on this alexander wang tee.  it’s utterly ridiculous, i know, but his knits are just unbearably soft, and they drape so well!  i’m not even a white tee girl, and i know i’ll be wearing this one to death.

from left: cotton essential v-neck cardigan, $248 down to $48; chunky pointelle pullover, $268 down to $108; cashmere v-neck sweater, $278 down to $138.

plus, if you spend $200, you can take an additional $40 off with code 40JULY.  oh, and a $200 purchase also qualifies you for free shipping. you see how this could get out of hand quickly.

i just picked up a handful of cardigans for fall…as often as i wear them, i thought it was time to bring in a new string of starters to replace some of my very hard-working team from the last several years.