As Seen On Kathleen

Happy Sunday! Hopefully you've all had a relaxing weekend after a short work week. I got back from Disney on Friday and got hit with the cold that's been going around. Either way, it was such a fun family vacation and it was nice getting to spend some time with Wesley's family while we were there too!

This time each year is usually crazy with Lilly Pulitzer's After Party Sale starting right after New Years. For those of you that don't know, I worked at Lilly for almost five years up until this past summer. That means I've seen about ten After Party Sales and can tell you exactly what works and what doesn't work when it comes to beating the madness and finding the best deals. Here is a list of my most important DO's and DON'Ts of the After Party Sale:

1. DO have an account set up on lillypulitzer.com before the sale actually opens up. You'll want to input your credit card info and have it ready to go once you go to check out.

2. DON'T assume that just because something's in your cart, that it's yours and no one else will be able to buy it. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH: It's not yours until you've checked out and paid for it. The best way to ensure that you get what you want is by checking out one item at a time from your shopping cart. You might have to place 20 separate orders but, trust me, that's much better than losing what's in your cart.

3. DO look for your "holy grail" or hard to find items during the sale. A lot of times, Lilly will sell items from years ago, even samples, during the APS. This is a good opportunity to find that unicorn that you've been dreaming of at an AMAZING price!

4. DON'T use the iOS app to shop the sale. Due to heavy traffic on the site, Lilly will be disabling the iOS app temporarily while the sale is going on.

5. DO use any device to shop the sale. Even though the app will not be working, you can still use the regular website on any browser on any device, including your phone or tablet. And if you're a real pro, you'll have the sale up on three devices at once ;)

6. DON'T try and return or exchange anything you purchased from the APS. Lilly's policy is that all APS purchases are FINAL SALE.

7. DO try to resell or trade items that didn't work for you on Facebook boards/Poshmark/Mercari. So you impulsively bought something, it got here, and you don't love it? No worries! One Lilly lover's trash is another's treasure. There are so many ways to sell items that didn't work for you and I can almost guarantee that someone out there is looking for what you have!

8. DON'T assume that everything that is on sale online will also be in stores. While the prices will be the same and the store will have SOME of what's online, it will only be a fraction of what's on the website. Most likely, the stores won't have any of the samples or GWPs or older items that are online. It'll be more recent items and prints in the store.

9. DO shop early access in stores. Most stores are doing a preview party this weekend so if you happen to live nearby one, it's worth it to go in and check out the deals in-person before they hit the site! Plus, if you fall in love with something in the store and they don't happen to have your size, you'll know what to look for on the website!

10. DON'T forget to have fun! It's the most colorful sale of the year and a perfect excuse to treat yourself to some new resort wear and put yourself in a sunny state of mind!

Here are some of my favorite Lilly looks from the past couple years:

My mom is also a HUGE fan of Lilly, even more so than I am I think! The Tatum cardigan (we're both wearing it here) comes in a ton of colors and can be dressed up or down depending on where you're wearing it!

Lilly brought back their swim about a year ago and I was OBSESSED. I basically lived in this one piece all summer.

This coverup was SOOOO extra on our cruise last year but it was perfect to throw on over my bathing suit to grab lunch or walk around inside the ship.

Convincing W to match with me was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be.

Probably my most prized Lilly dress - this maxi from the Goop collaboration. It's 100% silk and the most flattering dress on pretty much any figure.

I hope you all find the best deals and have fun shopping! If you have any questions, drop a comment below or shoot me an email and I'll be sure to get back to you :) Thanks so much for reading!

Xo,
Katie