I’ve been planning and plotting a BIG surprise for you ladies! As many of you know and love, I do 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways every year in December leading up to Christmas. The prizes have gotten bigger and better every single year! You can check out 2017’s awesome prizes here. I’ve been told by quite a few of you that these giveaways truly are the most wonderful time of the year and it’s always so much fun for me to be able to give back to you ladies for your continuous support and encouragement. Well drumroll please… I’d like to introduce 12 Days of NSALE Giveaways! Since the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is literally like Christmas in July, Santa Shelbi is back in action!
The giveaways start TODAY and will run through next Friday, the 20th! A new giveaway is announced every single day between July 9th and 20th on Instagram stories and the blog here. Each giveaway will only run for 24 hours so a new winner is announced every day!
Half of the prizes will be Nordstrom gift cards: $25, $50, $100 and up plus there will be multiple winners some of the days! These giveaways are meant to help you shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale because it is truly Christmas in July y’all! The other half of the giveaways will be fun surprises and boy do we have some BIG ones. The average dollar value for majority of these prizes are $200+.
Unlike 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways, the NSALE giveaways will be strictly announced on Instagram stories and not on my Instagram feed. Why? Because I want to specifically give back to my followers that interact with and support me on a daily basis! You are the real MVPs! That being said, you will want to make sure that you are checking my Instagram each day to find out what I am giving away and how to enter.
To enter, every day will be a little different but will always be thoroughly explained in my stories. For 6 of the days I am strictly giving away something on my own. For these days, all you have to do is post the story template that I give you ladies to your Instagram stories and tag me. You can find the story template of the day on my Instagram stories and on the blog here.
For the remaining 6 days, I will be partnering with some of my favorite blogger babes! All you will have to do on these days is follow myself and the blogger(s) that I pair up with. Disclaimer: each giveaway will NEVER be more than 3 girls- super easy and hopefully you will find some other accounts that you enjoy following! Plus, chances are you already follow most of them because I’ve shared all of them before with you ladies. I have only partnered up with bloggers that I genuinely call friends and enjoy following.
I’m giving you ladies so many way to gain extra entries! Each time you do one of these, it’s an additional entry!!
1. Follow me and anyone I partner up with in the Liketoknow.it app. See below for instructions.
2. Share any image to your Instagram or Instagram Stories of what you are buying from the Nordstrom sale and tag me! Can be an image of me, you or a screenshot of your order.
3. Like/Comment on my Instagram pictures
Each giveaway will only run for 24 hours and will be announced on my blog here. Just click “giveaways”. I suggest bookmarking this tab so that you have quick access to all things Nordstrom Sale, including the giveaways and winners!
Now it’s time for Santa Shelbi to get back to the workshop so without further adieu…
2017 was the year of growth for this blog but I want 2018 to be the year of community and connection. I’ve started to realize that I don’t care one bit what the follower count says anymore, I care about connecting with the ones I already have because it is SO fulfilling and I already have everything I need right here.
I am so happy that you are a part of the IACTM community and I am excited to make IACTM an even better outlet this year! It wasn’t until the very end of 2017, my “you only live once” phase that I just didn’t care what I put out there- the good,bad, the ugly. And you know what? Y’all seemed to really love it. I thought I had hit rock bottom but y’all loved it. Not the rock bottom part per say but the “screw everything, this is the real me, take it or leave it” part of rock bottom. And it made my rock bottom seem just the opposite. I realized I thrived at rock bottom. I realized what it meant to have and be a part of a community. So that’s exactly what 2018 is all about.
Things Happening in 2018
Weekly Giveaways
You all loved my 12 Days of Christmas giveaways so much that Santa Shelbi is coming out of retirement to bring you giveaways until you say “NO MORE!”. Since I want to get you more engaged and build this community, the giveaways will involve getting to know you better. That being said, as long as you follow along on Instagram and Instagram stories these are going to be EASY. You won’t have to follow any other bloggers or tag a million friends. The winner for the week will be chosen every Sunday evening.
The way it works: the first 100 comments on every Instagram post will be entered to win. This means you might want to have post notifications turned on or check Instagram each day. I usually post around 12 pm and 8 pm CST but that’s not always the case. The key is you will have to watch my Instagram stories each day to know how to enter. I will ask a question on my stories and you will then have to answer the question in a comment on the most recent Instagram post. I will also occasionally give fun ways for extra entries that might involve a secret emoji or something else simple and ultimately FUN!
How the winner is chosen: at the end of the week I will add up how many Instagram posts I did and generate two random numbers. The first random number will select which Instagram post, the second will select a number 1-100. That will be the number of the comment on that specific Instagram post aka the winner! I will do the drawing during the Instagram Live each week so that y’all can get the hang of how it works and be able to see who wins at the same time that I do!
Weekly Instagram Lives (“Chic Chats”)
So many of you want to see more real life shenanigans so from now on, I’m going to host a quick (30 minutes TOPS) Instagram Live every week. The majority of you picked Sunday nights at 8 CST/9 EST so that is what we are going to start off with for now but if I get enough people that want them on a different day I might trade off each week. For each live session there will be a topic of YOUR choosing. For ex: how to start a blog, best jeans under $100, spring trends, etc. I’ll have you guys send me your suggestions each week and then I will announce the topic the day of the live. This way you can decide if you want to tune in or not. I plan on giving away a $5 gift card to the most engaged person EVERY single week so it will help to tune into the live even though it will be saved for 24 hours.
Tuesday Ten
After many requests to shop my closet, I finally figured out a way to make it happen! Every Tuesday (or that’s what I’m aiming for) I will be selling 10 brand new or like new items from my closet at a MAJOR discount. This does not necessarily mean all clothes. It could be skin care, make up, fitness items, purses, shoes, vacuums (yes I get random stuff!), etc. While the clothes will primarily be my size (Top: XS/S // Bottoms: 25 or 0), this is not always going to be the case. I do get sent stuff sometimes that is not my size! I will host the sale every Tuesday evening on my Instagram stories at 8 pm CST. This will be first come, first serve. If you are interested in an item, you will email itsallchictomeblog@gmail.com to claim it. I will give each person an hour to pay before someone else will get a shot. I will put prices on each item and there will be a standard $10 shipping.
Blog Tips
So many of you are either bloggers yourself or just want to know more about how all of this blogging stuff works. You asked, so I am answering. I am going to start doing blog tips twice a month! Everything from how to start a blog, beginner photography, how to grow on social media, how to make gift guides/collages, etc. If you have topics you want me to talk about, please send them my way!
Styling/Business Coaching Services
I’ve been trying to figure out for the past year how I could connect more with you guys and bring my passion for fashion and building your own business to life. I love blogging but I’m also behind a computer all day. I am so much of a people person and find so much joy from sharing what I love best with others, I just haven’t known how. *Insert blog here* The blog has connected me to all of you and in 2018 I will be offering personal styling sessions as well as business coaching for beginner bloggers/entrepreneurs both locally in person and virtually. Stay tuned for more information on this 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
How old are you?
I am 26 years young! I have 2 younger sisters and we are all within 4 years of each other.
What was your full time job?
I was a supply analyst for a retail power (electricity) company. My job in a nutshell consisted of forecasting power usage, buying/selling power, hedging our exposure, data analytics and lots of excel spreadsheets.
Why did you quit?
Ultimately I quit because of timing and I knew it was not what I wanted to be doing long term. Between my two hip surgeries, moving home, travel opportunities, and a burning passion to give the blog my all, I decided it was the right time for me to quit. Granted this would have never been possible if I was not living at home and the fact that I built my savings up over the last 3 years.
How did you manage your full time job with the blog?
Long story short – not very well. I would keep my blog email open at work so that I could star important emails and answer any time sensitive ones. I would write posts and answer emails after work. I would take pictures every other weekend, usually Saturday mornings where I would shoot 4-8 looks at one time with my photographer which would give me enough content for about 2 weeks. I didn’t have much of a social life between working 2 jobs but I didn’t mind at the time.
Do you plan on going back to work?
Yes! I am starting to look for work now and am hoping to go back to work in March or so. I still don’t really know what I want to be doing but I’m thinking something along the lines of marketing, public relations, social media, or event management. If you have a job that you love, I’d absolutely love to hear!
What surgeries did you have?
I had two PAO surgeries to correct hip dysplasia. I had the left side done in March and the right side done in October. Each were about a 2 month recovery. You can read all about it here.
How did you rehab after?
Yes, but not like I should have. After the first one I only went to physical therapy for a month because I was in so much pain. I don’t think the place I was going was very attentive to what my body needed and instead of finding a new place, I just quit. This go around has been harder because now I have 2 bad hips instead of just 1 so we are working both sides in physical therapy. I also have had 2 falls since my last surgery which have not been good for my hips. On top of that, I had to get my own health insurance and it’s been a constant battle so I am currently not doing physical therapy but desperately need to be!
Where did you go to college/what was your major?
I went to Texas A&M University and graduated with a Finance major and International Business minor. I actually studied abroad my sophmore year all over Europe – London, Paris, Nice, Monaco, Austria, Venice, and more!
Instagram Live Winners
Please contact me to claim your prize! And if you didn’t win this time, I will be doing it every week!
@keepingupwithgjones
@kiki_1978_
@babykakesss
2017 Feedback Survey
Thank you so much for making 2017 such a great year. I am so happy that you are a part of the IACTM community and thank you for answering these quick questions that aim to make IACTM an even better outlet! Remember these are anonymous and your HONEST feedback helps me the most! Thanks in advance for your response and taking the time to make IACTM a community – I am so glad that you are here!
*You can answer the questions below + submit the survey directly below!*
HO HO HO Merry Christmas and Happy December 1st! Who else is already blaring the Christmas tunes and becoming their happiest (s)elf?! Well if you aren’t already I have something that will surely change that! Santa Shelbi is back for another year of 12 Days of Christmas giveaways. It’s time to kick off the holidays by giving back to all of you for following along with me all year and also to spread some love and Christmas cheer.
This year I have been fortunate enough to work with so many amazing brands that have truly helped my small business grow and allowed me to take a leap of faith into blogging full time. Of course, absolutely none of that would mean anything if it weren’t for all of YOU that continually support me and my dreams. So to show my appreciation, I have teamed up with 12 of my favorite brands to bring you some pretty amazing gifts to get you in the holiday spirit! You might also see a few appearances from some of my favorite (rein)deers that make this whole blogging thing pretty amazing!
All you need to know at this point is that each day December 1 – 12 I will be posting a new giveaway around 8 pm CST on my Instagram account (@itsallchictome if you’re not already following along, get on that). I have also set up a page HERE that will keep a running list of the giveaways each day if you want to bookmark it on your computer so that you don’t miss any giveaway opportunities! You will be able to enter all of the giveaways until 12/12 when the clock strikes 12 am. All 12 days of winners will be announced on my blog on the 13th!
I’ve got prizes of all kinds lined up this year! Some big, some small, some for girls and some for guys! I’ll be bringing you LOTS of gift guides to help with all of your holiday shopping. The holiday cheer officially starts here! So without further adieu, today kicks of the series you’ve all been waiting for! Make sure to check my Instagram account at 8 pm CST to see how to enter today’s giveaway with my besties, Britt from Hello Honey and my girls (Kelly and Kylee) from Whine to Wine. PS: I hid a hint in today’s blog post of what the first giveaway will be 😉
**I will be announcing on my Instagram stories each day how you can gain extra entries so make sure to stay up to date with those as they only last 24 hours!!**
You all might remember this gorgeous jacket from a few months back. It was actually my favorite purchase from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale as I was able to score it on major sale. Since then, I’ve been trying to wait to share this post with you until the jacket went on sale again because it is a bit of a splurge, especially for such a unique piece that some might find hard to style. Well you all are in luck because one of my best friends found an identical dupe for you at a quarter of the cost!
While this jacket is definitely a statement piece, it is easier to style than you would think! My advice? Just let the jacket win. What do I mean by that? Don’t try to overpower it. Let it do all of the talking. Simply wear other pieces that do not stand out. As you can see from both of my styled looks, I wear simple, solid colored pieces and then add a pop of color and edge with the jacket.
GIVEAWAY TIME!
’tis the season to give back!
I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers
to give YOU a chance to win:
a $1,000 Nordstrom Gift Card, to make your holidays just a little bit sweeter!
Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter.
You’ll receive one entry per completion.
This giveaway is open internationally and runs until end of day 11/20.
Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!
*this giveaway is in no way sponsored by Nordstrom.
Coffee bug: for the one that is always on her phone! $15
Be sure to click on my Holiday Shop tab for more gift guides and other holiday gift ideas as seen below.
GIVEAWAY
Continuing on with the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways, I have teamed up with Bauble Bar to give away two $75 dollar gift cards for you and your best friend. I own several Bauble bar pieces including a few of the ones below. Follow the below directions to enter and be on the lookout for an Instagram post later today explaining how to gain extra entries as well.
To enter, every day will be a little different but will always be thoroughly explained in my stories. For 6 of the days I am strictly giving away something on my own. For these days, all you have to do is post the story template that I give you ladies to your Instagram stories and tag me. You can find the story template of the day on my Instagram stories and on the blog here.
