A few weeks ago I received my invitation to Nordstrom's Private Holiday Shopping Event (I got one last year but didn't go).

The trigger for the invite is spending a certain amount (via a Nordstrom Card) which I did when I purchased this....

So I decided to attend the morning event at Tysons Corner. I had never been to the mall in Tysons. A previous employer had an office there that I had been to once or twice And i had also been to the Tiffanys located there.

Luckily due to it being early on a Sunday traffic was not a problem.

I took my mom with me. As we are walking into the mall I notice she is carrying a big Macy's shopping bag!!!! I asked her to please fold it up ( hello! we can't have a Macys bag at a big Nordstrom event... that would be like taking a Kate Spade handbag to a Chanel fashion show ;) )

Her response: But my candy canes are in there!!

Me: What?!?!?!!?

Mom: Candy Canes! I hand them out to salespeople!!

This was the first time I had heard about any such activity... so I am sure I made a face....

Moving on...

We entered Nordstrom with my fancy ticket.

Silver platters of food, tea and coffee from Silver Service!



Waiters with trays of OJ, Water w/ Lime and fancy appetizers :)

I only bought 1 item, but wow! some of the other shoppers were going crazy!!

Then we went out and explored the rest of the mall. I did some damge in Pottery Barn, and my mom even handed out her candy canes, which the salespeople made a fuss over (since I am not one for fuss... and really want to avoid talking to salespeople at all costs anyway... I just smiled and tried to get out of the store as fast as possible).

We went to lunch as Coastal Flats..... it was all decorated for XMAS..... and I had an awesome Shrimp Roll .....