Stitch Fix Review #2 August 2014

Stitch Fix....my latest obsession! Here is my review of the 2nd box I received.

But first, as a quick recap this is how Stitch Fix works:

Stitch Fix is a subscription service that allows you to try on clothes in your own home that were chosen for you by a personal stylist. There is a styling fee of $20 for each shipment but if you choose to keep any of the items in your Fix, that $20 will be applied toward the cost of the clothing that you keep. Additionally, if you keep all five articles that are sent to you, you will also receive a 25% discount on the total cost. 

When you sign up for Stitch Fix, you will fill out a very detailed style profile which will give your stylist an idea of the types of clothing you like as well as your sizes/measurements. You can also send your stylist a link to your Pinterest board where you can show them articles of clothing and styles that you like the most. 

Prices vary for each article. I have mine set to the lowest cost possible which ranges about 40-50$ for shirts and 50-70$ for pants/dresses. This is not normally what I would ever pay for a single shirt and rarely what I would pay for a dress, however, these clothes are better quality than what I would buy at Old Navy or Target and I am hoping that I can begin ridding my closet of inexpensive pieces that I'm not totally crazy about to more quality pieces that I love. 

Also, it's so fun to get your box in the mail each month full of surprises to try on. The styling fee cost is totally worth it for me to not have to drag my kids with me into a mall and maneuver a stroller into the dressing rooms. 

Shipping is free and free returns too. You simply "check out" on the Stitch Fix website after you try everything on and whatever you choose not to keep, you send back in the postage paid envelope that comes in your box within three days. Convenient!! 

Before I start my review, I just want to clarify that I am not being paid by Stich Fix. I am simply writing to share my thoughts on this fun service. However, if you sign up for Stitch Fix by clicking my referral link, I will receive a small amount of credit toward future boxes I receive. 

 

Here's the note I received this time.  Notice that I had a different stylist than I had in the month of July.  I hope this does not continue to be a trend with Stitch Fix.  I love the service but I was hoping that I would have a stylist who would get to know my styling preferences by working with me multiple times.  Don't get me wrong, Kelly, you did a great job.  Just stick with me here, ok?  *hint, hint* 

 

First up I received this Egret Embroidery Detail Tank by Skies are Blue ($54)

I was excited to see this one in my box and thought for sure I would love it but, no. I loved the embroidery and the super soft flowy material but the shape of it made me feel frumpy and WIDE. It was so boxy. No thanks. Sent back.

Next was this Bessie Crochet Overlay Stripe Tank by Mystree ($58) To my stylists defense, I posted this one on my Pinterest board but when I put it on?  No way. Too many stripes, too clingy around my belly. Cute on the hanger but on me? Not so much. Sent back.

Up next are the following two items, Tony Cotton Cargo Skinny Pants by Sanctuary ($58) and a Meryl Tulip Print Sleeveless Blouse by 41Hawthorn ($64)

I actually loved both of these items. The pants fit perfectly but since they were white as snow I knew the sticky little hands of my two kids would have them stained up in no time. Sadly, they were sent back. The blouse was so cute and just my style. I had a similar one posted on my Pinterest board.  Had it not been "dry clean only" I would have definitely kept it. 

Finally, there's THIS. I LOVED this one. It's an Angelina Colorblock Chevron Print Maxi Dress by Gilli ($74)

I loved everything about this one. The length was perfect and the colors will allow it to be a fall transitional piece with a jacket or sweater. Also, this was made in the USA. 

So, I only kept one item out of this Fix. It was $74 but after my $20 styling fee, I paid $54.
Stay tuned for my September review.  In the meantime, check out my first review if you haven't already. 

Stitch Fix Review #1 July 2014

You guys! Have you heard of Stitch Fix? If you haven't, let me school you.

Stitch Fix is a subscription service that allows you to try on clothes in your own home that were chosen for you by a personal stylist. There is a styling fee of $20 for each shipment but if you choose to keep any of the items in your Fix, that $20 will be applied toward the cost of the clothing that you keep. Additionally, if you keep all five articles that are sent to you, you will also receive a 25% discount on the total cost. 

When you sign up for Stitch Fix, you will fill out a very detailed style profile which will give your stylist an idea of the types of clothing you like as well as your sizes/measurements. You can also send your stylist a link to your Pinterest board where you can show them articles of clothing and styles that you like the most. 

Prices vary for each article. I have mine set to the lowest cost possible which ranges about 40-50$ for shirts and 50-70$ for pants/dresses. This is not normally what I would ever pay for a single shirt and rarely what I would pay for a dress, however, these clothes are better quality than what I normally buy at Old Navy or Target and I am hoping that I can begin ridding my closet of inexpensive pieces that I'm not totally crazy about to more quality pieces that I love. 

Also, it's so fun to get your box in the mail each month full of surprises to try on. The styling fee cost is totally worth it for me to not have to drag my kids with me into a mall and maneuver a stroller into the dressing rooms. 

Shipping is free and free returns too. You simply "check out" on the Stitch Fix website after you try everything on and whatever you choose not to keep, you send back in the postage paid envelope that comes in your box within three days. Convenient!! 

Before I start my review, I just want to clarify that I am not being paid by Stich Fix. I am simply writing to share my thoughts on this fun service. However, if you sign up for Stitch Fix by clicking my referral link, I will receive a small amount of credit toward future boxes I receive. 

Here we go. When I first opened by box, I found a note from my stylist as well as these styling cards with ideas of how to pair each item with things I may already have in my closet. 

First is this Montgomery Chevron Cross-Front Top by 41 Hawthorn ($48) I loved the fabric of this shirt. It's so soft and fit perfectly. This one was a keeper! 

Next up is this Pasadena Crochet Front Short Sleeve Blouse by Papermoon ($48) I loved the color of this one and I'm a sucker for all things crochet. However, I did not keep this one because I felt that it fell just a tad too short at my waist. But boo hoo....when I go back and see this picture, it makes me wish I would have reconsidered keeping it. 

And then there's this dress. It's an Aggie Sleeveless Side Gathered Striped Maxi by Pomelo ($68) Ugh. I love maxis but hated this one. It was clingy in all the wrong places (hello, mommy belly!) and the way it was sewed seemed weird to me. You can't really tell from the picture but the striped pattern didn't line up down the seam. This one just wasn't working for me. When I came downstairs to model it for Greg he said I looked "voluptuous." Back in the mailbox it went.

 

Here is a Erie Mini Reversable Crossbody Tote by Street Level ($48) I would have kept this if I were keeping all of the items in my fix for the 25% discount but I wasn't in love with it and I couldn't justify keeping it. Cute but sent back. 

Last is this Dita Colorblock Sleeveless Ponte Dress by 41Hawthorn ($78) I was excited to see this dress in my fix because I had pinned this one on my Pinterest board and my stylist seen it and sent it. The one I pinned was different colors but I loved the colors of this one even more. Big, huge KEPT and I wore it that exact same day on a dinner date with my sweetie. 

So, I kept 2 of the five items. The total cost came to $126 but then the $20 stylist fee went toward the cost making it $106. Lucky for me, my Mom sent me $100 for my birthday so this fix cost me $6! :)

Our Week in Review 7/21-7/27

Last week was a busy one and flew by.  Emme started Bible School and she loved every minute of it. Every evening when we picked her up she was excited to show us her latest crafts. I will definitely be sending her back next year. 

The kids also started their swim lessons at the YMCA. Preston is in the "Diaper Dip" class and Emme is with the preschoolers. During the first session, I got in the water with Preston and Greg took a turn at the next class. As I sat on the sidelines and watched Greg helping Preston along, singing the songs to him and praising him when he followed the teachers instructions, I was so proud. Little moments like that remind me of just how wonderful he is.....the kids and I are blessed that he is ours. 

On Friday, we invited our neighbors to join us at Calypso Cove. We all had a great time. Emme just loved having her best friend there with her. This is the first friend she has made on her own. What makes it especially sweet is that her name is Peyton, the same as Emme's big sister that passed away years ago. Peyton and Emme have such a precious friendship. They play together nearly every day and it warms my heart when I see them holding hands and running across the yards together. I fully believe that this is not coincidence but God's plan unfolding perfectly. 

And aaaahhhhh.....the the weekend arrived. A long weekend at that since Greg had the day off on Monday. The kids stayed with their grandparents so Greg and I had a weekend of sleeping in, renting movies and thrift store shopping. How awesome is it that my husband enjoys thrifting as much as I do?

And just look at this great lamp he found for our basement.....for only $12! And my sandals for $12 too!  (As a side note, these are new sandals....they were in a box and still had the tags so no unnecessary worrying that I may get a foot fungus is needed.) 

I have also been getting text messages from my Aunt Missy a lot lately. This makes my heart happy. This exchange from yesterday made me giggle. 

Finally, just what am I going to do with our new puppy? She chewed up an IPhone cord this past week. It's the third one she's chewed in half and her latest fascination is to try to chew our clothes off of us. This is her with the IPhone cord evidence and biting at my maxi dress. Any ideas for taming her biting behavior is welcome. In the meantime, I think her name should be changed to Cujo. 

The Saddest Goodbye

On June 24th I had to say goodbye to the sweetest, most loyal friend I've ever had. We had been friends for fifteen years.  I knew that one day her time to pass over the Rainbow Bridge would come but nothing can prepare you for the moment you really have to make that decision, to make that final call to the vet.
Fifteen is a nice, old age for a dog and I'm grateful that Scout stuck around as long as she did. We had scares over the course of her lifetime because animals ALWAYS get into some strange predicaments.
For example, I learned early on that if you store your pups toys in a fancy wicker basket, she will surely be more interested in chewing up the basket rather than the toys inside. She will also get a piece of that wicker lodged sideways in her mouth which will ensue an emergency vet trip.  Another time, she thought ornamental grass would make a tasty treat but somehow instead of swallowing it, she arranged to get it stuck in her nasal cavity and once again, an emergency trip to the vet was made. A surgery revealed a piece of grass as long as an ink pen stuck up her snout.  And then, just about a month before we said our good-bye, she attempted to eat an entire mini corndog all in one bite which caused Greg to have to perform the Heimlich maneuver on her. She definitely made my heart skip a few beats on more than one occasion.
We also had so many good, happy times that I only wish I could remember and record every one of them. One time, we took her on a trip to Chicago with us and the hotel we were staying at just so happened to be hosting a dog show. Everywhere we went, she was complimented on how cute she was and wished good luck on a dog show in which she would not be participating. But she held her head high and pranced just to prove she was every bit as fancy as the other canines.
She went on vacations to Myrtle Beach, Cherokee NC and Lake Barkley. We tried to take her with us wherever we went if it was at all possible. After all, she was our family.
 I knew her health was failing yet a part of me what hopeful that she would pass quietly in her sleep so that I wouldn't have to make the humane, yet sad decision to let her go. The day we said good-bye, the kids and I spent the day giving her cuddles. We bought her a cheeseburger and she seemed to savor every bite of it. And then later,  I wrapped her in a baby blanket in the vet's office and held her in my arms as she drifted into a deep sleep. She had been deaf for about the past year so although I know she couldn't hear my voice as I tried to soothe her, I am hopeful that she could feel the love.
I've thought a lot about how each of us have a purpose in our lives and I am sure the same is true for pets. Scout went full circle with me and I'm convinced that she didn't leave me until things were finally right in my life.
 You see, I got Scout in 1999 shortly after my daughter passed away. She gave me something to love and something to care for when my heart was broken.  Then, in 2006 she was faithfully by my side when I decided to make a change in my life by making the move to Louisville. She and I took walks together in our new city and then, we met a friend to take those walks with us. That friend later became by husband. In 2009, I had a very difficult pregnancy and was put on home bed rest and then later, hospital bed rest. I know that Scout sensed that I was very sick. She rarely left my side and each day that I had to spend in bed, she stayed right next to me. And after all of that, she stayed a few more years until I had my son. I think dogs are very intelligent creatures and because of this, I believe that Scout knew that my life is finally where it needed to be. I'm not the same broken person I was when she rescued me.
I still miss her but I find comfort in knowing that her old bones no longer ache. I'll bet she runs back and forth across fields all day and still feels the love that we all have in our hearts for her.
R.I.P., sweet Scout. Until we meet again....

     

     Scout LaRue 5/8/99-6/24/14

Five Years Strong

I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world.  When I met Greg, I had a connection with him instantly.  I fell in love quickly and I still get those same butterfly feelings when I'm with him.  Until Greg, I never knew love could come so easily.  He's the peanut to my butter, the cotton to my candy. 
Last week, we celebrated our five year anniversary.  Looking back, I don't know where the time has gone.  I wish I could remember every moment but what I have collectively is the feeling that we're doing something right.
 Life is demanding more often than not so we decided that in celebration of our half decade of marriage we would spend a long weekend at a secluded cabin in North Carolina.  We debated about where to go and had grand visions of going back to Negril where we would relive our honeymoon but in the end, we decided that what we really wanted was just to be together and to have peace.  Anyone with two small children can attest that quiet is worth more than you could ever put a dollar amount on. 
We stayed just outside of Asheville, N.C. in a little town called Fairview.  Our cabin was called the Sharon Springs Wellness Retreat.  We had laughed at that name a few times before we arrived and thought it sounded pretty pretentious but by the time we left, we both agreed that we most definitely felt "well" and it was most definitely a "retreat."  On the morning of our anniversary, we got our day started with one hour massages and ended the day with a long sit in the wood burning sauna followed by dancing to the soothing voice of Neil Young coming through the surround sounds speakers crooning "Harvest Moon."  I had never thought of Greg and I having a "song" before but the words to that one and dancing with him that night brought tears streaming down my face and I'll never again be able to listen to those beautiful words without thinking of him. 
Asheville was an interesting town, full of local restaurants and bars and the most unique art galleries I've ever been in. It reminded me of a combination of Ironton and Louisville; small town feel with big city fun.  The locals seemed pretty comfortable in their own skin with not much need to pretend to be someone they're not. And HIPPIES....they were everywhere. Let's just say the people watching was spectacular. 
 Just outside of Asheville, is the Blue Ridge Parkway where we took a long drive and stopped for a picnic near a scenic overlook.  We also went to this place called Craggy Gardens which I'm sure is beautiful when the plants are in bloom, but when we visited the weather was rainy and the sky was gray which made it feel extra creepy, if you ask me. Greg also felt it important to inform me that Asheville has been a place known for it's extraterrestrial activity which I did not find one bit comforting. 
On the last day of our getaway, we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide and visited Lake Lure.  I had never heard of it before this trip but I very quickly found out why National Geographic voted it one of the top ten most beautiful man-made lakes in the world.  Lake Lure also happens to be where Dirty Dancing was filmed.  It was a really cool place to visit and as I looked around, it was surreal to recognize landmarks from the movie.  The drive to the lake and the visit there was not part of the original plan for our trip but I'm so glad we went on a little adventure and ended up there.  It was easily one of my most favorite parts of our weekend. 
Now, we're back home and the peacefulness and quiet of our trip has been replaced with the sounds of our babies laughing (and sometimes fighting) and our barking dog but I wouldn't have it any other way.  This too is peaceful but in an entirely different way. This is home.  This is where our love story began and this is where our lives are unfolding as perfectly as God intended.

Our cabin--Sharon Springs Wellness Retreat

Creepy, Craggy Gardens

Lake Lure, home of Dirty Dancing

Us at a burger joint called Juicy Lucy's

 

                                                           Me, at the Continental Divide

A Stinky Situation

This past week as I was getting in the Jeep to take Emme to school, I noticed a really bad odor permeating through the air when I opened the door.  I was in a hurry so I just had to suffer through it but I was determined to find the source once I got home.  I searched high and low and in every crevice that I could reach my arm into.  What I found was goldfish cracker crumbs under Emme's carseat, a half eaten piece of sausage in Preston's carseat, a bag of Sixlets candy and then     what I was sure to be the source of the problem....a bottle with about 1/2 ounce of milk in it  that had rolled up underneath my passenger seat.  "Strange," I thought as I looked at the nipple and noticed that there were teeth marks and holes in it. Since when did Preston chew the nipples off of his bottles?  I was grateful that I was no longer breastfeeding if this is the kind of damage he's able to cause.  Quickly, I put the bottle in the trash and was finally rid of the stink that it had caused.  Or so I thought.
A few hours later when I went to pick Emme up and once again opened the door to the car, the smell hit me and this time caused me to gag.  Even poor little Preston who does not have many words yet in his vocabulary knew to say "Pew."  Actually, he said "pew" the entire drive to school.  And he and Emme were both saying "Pew" the entire ride home.
I texted Greg and informed him that he needed to do some investigation when he got home from work.  In the meantime, I decided I was going to look under the hood to see if I had roadkill lodged in there somewhere. This caused immediate concern for my neighbor who happened to be watching from his garage.  Of course he wanted to know what I was doing so I had to explain the whole stinky story   He must have been a bit intrigued or maybe a bit sympathetic but he began helping me with the detective work.  We found nothing.
Enter Greg into the picture.  He's so smart.  He comes home  from work, opens the car door, gags a little, probably said "Pew" and 30 seconds later said to me, "there's a dead mouse in the dashboard." Excuse me?
 I had two main concerns at this point.  One being, how are we going to get it out because Lord knows I cannot continue to drive around holding my nose with one hand and steering with the other all while hearing "pew pew pew" from the backseat.  And the second was the thoughts that I had been driving around with a MOUSE in my car.  A mouse that was obviously alive at one point.  Alive and most likely having the feast of his life on sixlets and sausage.  Oh, and now this explains the teethmarks in the nipple since he was apparently trying to wash everything down with the milk left in Preston's bottle.  Folks, let me reiterate to make sure you see this from the same perspective I do.  This mouse could have crawled up my pant leg, ran across the kids laps or danced across my dash all while giving me a heart attack.  But instead, he decided that after such a scrumptious dinner, he needed a nap....inside the dash board. I can only assume that he ended up dying in there because he ate so much that he was now too fat and gluttonous to get himself back out.   
So, here we are five days later and the smell is STILL there.  Greg and I are in a constant debate over who should have to ride around with Dead Mouse.  He insists that he should not have to because he has to eat his breakfast in there on his way to work and how can he possibly enjoy his coffee and English muffin with carcass stinch in the air?  I suggest to him that perhaps I should just not make him any breakfast.
We have consulted the internet about what to do to rid ourselves of this problem and the general consensus is that you just have to let it "age" and the smell will eventually dissipate on its own.  Gross.
In the meantime, Emme had a genius idea that we should get an air freshener. Of course!  A febreeze car freshener is what I need!  You've seen the commercials where they blindfold people and sit them next to bags of trash and rotten food and the people are smiling with their blindfolds on and say something like "it smells just like the beach!"  I'm here to tell you that those people are actors and liars.  I attached it to my air vent just as the instructions said and turned the air on so as to get the fresh Gain scent wafting through the air.  Not only did I not smell anything that even remotely reminded me of the beach but I also  learned very quickly that I cannot under any circumstances turn my air on again until the mouse "ages."
How long does it take a dead mouse to "age?"  I've never had to consider the answer to that question before now but I suppose I'm about to find out.

Oh, Boy!

A boy! We're going to have a son...and you know what they say...little boys LOVE their Mommas.  And yes, I have every intention of making him a Momma's boy. Just kidding....maybe. 

We found out in mid-February that we are expecting and since then, time seems like it's flying by. 
October 28th is quickly approaching and this pregnancy so far has been a breeze.  No high blood pressure and not one ounce of morning sickness.  Weight gain has been minimal, although I expect that this will change as I hit my third trimester but hey.....at least I've went the first five months with only about 3 lbs of added weight and I was told at our ultrasound last week that Baby Boy Drake weighs almost 1 lb. 

Today, I'm thinking about the day I told Greg he's going to be a Daddy again.  I cannot think of that moment without tears welling up in my eyes.  I don't expect that I'll ever forget it and that documenting it in a blog probably isn't necessary for my own memory but I thought I'd share it with you. 

We spent most every evening after Greg gets home from work at our kitchen table eating dinner together.  Emme sits between us in her booster seat and Greg and I sit across from one another.  We never miss a prayer before dinner and Greg almost always leads the prayer as we all hold hands.  On this certain day in February, I asked Greg if he minded if I led prayer.  He seemed surprised and I silently wondered at what point in the prayer my voice would crack from emotion.  (As most of you know, I'm a very emotional girl.)  We clasped hands and although I can't remember the exact words of thankfulness I gave, I do remember ending the prayer by saying "And thank you for the new baby that's coming to join our family."  I opened my teary eyes and looked at Greg who sat wide-eyed and open mouthed as he was processing what I'd just said.  We both jumped up from the table and hugged while Emme sat smearing her dinner across her tray as she always does. 

Needless to say, our entire family is overjoyed that we are having another baby.  Emme has been such a blessing to us and I can hardly wait to see her with a little baby brother.  I'm also already wondering how long it will take before he gets on her nerves because just the other day she complained that Scout, our dog was "looking at her."  I guess she's training for her role as big sister. 

Here's to fun as a family of four (or five...if you count our beloved little dog.)