Last week Kelly got a jump start on all of us when she stopped by the Nordstrom Rack grand opening. Well on Monday I finally got in on the action and swung by after work for a little bargain hunting. And while I was bummed I didn’t get to attend the opening event, it was worth the wait. Nordstrom Rack graciously gave me a little gift card to get the shopping started.

When I walked in, well prepared on all the great deals and solid findings (thanks Beth!), I immediately made a game plan. I’d scope our accessories, work my way through the clothes, hit up shoes, give it all a whirl in the fitting rooms and then make one last pass over (with stops in beauty, kids and men’s for good measure).

Favorite Finds: a pair of Valentino sunglasses and a Kate Spade gold watch

Here’s my highlights:

* Handbags and wallets: Definitely dig around a little in the wallet/clutches section. I spotted lots of Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors but you had to do a little digging. Also the purse selection was pretty great. I had my eye on a cognac Marc Jacobs beauty but couldn’t bring myself to make the splurge. They also had a big selection of pretty Marc Jacobs scarves – perfect for this time of year. Lots of good work bags and totes (a few cute cloth Marc Jacobs ones that would make great baby bags).

* Shoes: I’m sure if I didn’t wear a giant monster shoe size I wouldn’t have found as many winners – just because it looked like by the end of the day the deal hunters had done work on the size 7-8 category. But since I’m in the big gal shoe size of a 10, I scoped out a seriously fancy selection of boots. There was an amazing pair of flat Coach boots, a big selection of Frye and the most amazing pair of Tory Burch heeled boots. Still a little pricey for me but definitely worth the splurge if you’re looking for a nice pair of boots to last you season after season. I also spied tons of great flats. I ended up taking home a pair of DV dolce vita leopard loafers that I can’t wait to break out.

My recommendation: make shoes your first stop when you hit up the store.

Kate Spade Silk Peplum Top | Coach Flat Boots

* Clothes: The jeans selection was on point. Hudson, Paige, Joe’s, AG and way more. I am still regretting not buying an amazing coated black pair from Hudson, so much that I may need to do a run by later this week to see if they’re still there. If you’re searching for a new pair, definitely make this your first stop. They also had a couple racks packed with Kate Spade and DVF. I think I tried on half of each rack but I couldn’t bring myself to splurge on a new blouse (cause that’s just what I need). They also had tons of basics from Spendid, lots of really cute chunky knits from Vince and amazing leather jackets from Michael Kors.

bliss products | Kate Spade black bag | Sunglass selection | Bright Baubles

* Jewelry & Sunglasses: Here’s where I hit the jackpot. I decided when I came in that I wanted to try and find a couple pieces that I normally wouldn’t buy for myself. Not just a bunch of tops or random flats. I ended up finding what I ended up bringing home in this section. The watch selection is amazing. They had at least 15 different Kate Spade options and I ended up finding a simple gold one at an amazing price. It’s now just waiting to be sized before it takes up a permanent place on my wrist.

They also had a pretty great jewelry selection. Lots of fun earrings and bright necklaces. I also spied tons of fun rings although I never wear rings so that was out for me. If you love a good statement ring though, they had options that ranged from sweet and pretty to edgy and simple.

I also ended up finding a great pair of new sunglasses. They had a bunch of Ray-Bans, lots of Gucci and a bunch of Burberry but my favorites were a blush/gray pair from Valentino with a pretty killer price.

* Beauty: Essie and OPI nail polish for days. Seriously, there were tons of colors. If you’re a gal who loves to collect polishes, you’ll be in heaven. They also had lots of great gift options from Stilla, bliss, Lorac, Philosophy and more. Yeah some of these are from last season but when it comes to lip gloss, a pretty pink worked last year and will work now too.

DV dolce vita loafers | OPI for days | Stilla lip glosses | Designer wallet selection
So now that I’ve given you way more info than you probably needed, it’s time for you to either share what you’ve found or make plans to stop by soon. The store is located in the Shelbyville Road Plaza (next door to Feeder’s Supply and the Nike outlet) and is clean, super organized and full of good stuff. They’ll be getting new merchandise in regularly so don’t be discouraged if you don’t find something you love on your first stop.

For the last 40 years Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, Inc., offering customers a wide selection of on-trend apparel, accessories, and shoes at an everyday savings of 30-70% off. Follow Nordstrom Rack on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn the latest on new arrivals, events and promotions.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Nordstrom Rack via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Nordstrom Rack.