The New School Year Trifecta

I warn you that when I say school, I mostly mean Washington schools =) Because will you be wearing Uggs and a super heavy jacket in sunny California? Luckily, the answer is no. But still.

First of all, when was anyone going to tell me about the glory of the Anniversary Sale at Nordstrom's? I already want to mark my calendar for next year! I thought they would be some piddly sales on some no name brands ... but no! There were significant sales on BRAND NAMES! Take for example, this wonderful Northface jacket. If you a) have ever vacationed in Big Bear (Californians!) or b) lived in Washington, you may have heard of this brand. I think it started out as a snow/ski clothing company, but it gets s'darn cold here in Washington state that civilians wear these on a daily basis in winter (I even saw a girl wearing one the other day AT THE POOL. She was life guarding and it was about 60 degrees and overcast. IN JULY. See what I mean?) Anyways, the bottom line: this jacket is normally $165, but I got it for $122.90. And even though I have this jacket in black, I ordered it in white, because it was so much cheaper, and because I like to shake things up once in awhile.


I think Washingtonians have an unnatural love for Ugg boots. That beings said, I think they may be making a comeback. I say unnatural, by the way, because a) it's almost always raining, and rain=soggy Uggs, and b) I thought they were so 2004. But they keep you warm and toasty, and they somehow make it onto Oprah's Favorite Things every year so that's gotta be something good, right? By the way, I learned a lesson today: when you see a deal such as this, snatch it up the minute you think of buying it, do not pussy foot around! Or you might come back two hours later after your mom is done looking at hotels only to find that your size is gone and you have to go a size bigger and take refuge in the fact that you can return it to the store for free. Or something like that. Normally $139.95, I got them for $99.90.

Lastly, I will need a backpack, for schlepping my books to class and to protect them from the rain. I know Northface is a reliable brand, now my only dilemma is which backpack to choose? I like this one because it is supposedly made with a woman in mind and is more lightweight and not as long... but do I love this Cargo Green? I don't hate it, but is the more expensive black version going to sway me? $54.97

Or do I want this one? Which is a whole pound heavier (with nothing in it!) than the other, but aslo two inches taller? And in this red? I admittedly like it a tad more than the green... but of course I like the more expensive black version best... So I'm leaning towards the other backpack above this one, even though it is smaller... I'll only need to carry one class' books with me at a time anyway, I have time in between to drop off and switch books. But then again, in the review for the other backpack this petite 5 foot woman said it fit her perfectly and I was all "Girrl, I am not 5 feet or petite!" $54,97 So which do you vote for?