Stitch Fix Review

It's been quiet over here for a while. Now that school and work have started, I seem to have little or no time for blogging. But I got really excited to share about this Stitch Fix personal stylist service I stumbled upon. Now I will begin by saying it is a bit pricey. But I have a theory on how to make it less so...and I am counting on my husband not reading the blog. :)

So what is Stitch Fix? It is a service for women who don't have time to shop! OK, maybe it's a service for women who can't get enough of shopping. Either way, you fill out a style profile and they send you 5 items that are tailored to your style and taste. You pay $20, a fee that will be credited toward anything you purchase, and you can choose to have the service once a month or every two months etc. You also can receive a 25% discount if you decide to buy all 5 items.

So here are my thoughts after receiving my first Stitch Fix.

Pros: I LOVED everything they sent! They nailed my style. The styles in the box went together to create 3 complete outfits I could wear to work or for casual. Great quality items. The dress was lined and the fabrics/stitching on each item was good quality. Almost everything fit perfectly! It's free shipping both ways and they send you a card with outfit ideas for each item!


Cons: Expensive. If I bought the entire box it would have been $220 (and that's with the 25% discount). Now if that came once every two months and I was always able to create three outfits each time, I think that might be OK. We will have to see though....I think I'll try one more month and see! (famous last words)

I received:
1 dress
1 striped top
1 patchwork top
1 pair of jeans (jeans were too tight in the legs for me, if I was a teen it would probably work)
2 bracelets

In the end I'm keeping the striped top only. I think it will be a favorite. If you sign up (for lack of sounding like a pyramid scheme) make sure you sign up through me or someone else, through a Facebook invite or something so I/they and (you I believe) can get a credit toward a purchase!

Happy shopping!

Photography.....Hobby or Passion?

  The blog has been quiet for days as I try to determine how to balance what I have been doing with what I want to do. I may be premature in saying this...as I have become very passionate about many things and dropped them like a rock six months later...but I don't think I have ever enjoyed something so much as the camera I received for my birthday. I am no expert photographer...barely an amateur at that. But what I lack in skill I think I make up for in desire. I can't go anywhere without my camera. So all this to say I am finding I have a strong desire share my photography right now as opposed to style related topics. So if you will, forgive me while I indulge myself.

Your Closet in Pictures

  

  I have a list of dinners on a piece of paper in my kitchen. These are for times I need to go grocery shopping but am drawing a blank on meal options. Maybe I'm alone in this but I really do stand there and think, "Is there anything besides pot roast?" 

  This happens with dressing as well. We have all said, "I have nothing to wear." And what that really means is, "I can't think of anything to wear". So I decided to make an outfit list. A nice list of outfits that are tried and true and make me feel good wearing them. The problem with that is it's no fun to look down a list and see, "Black t-shirt, pink jeans, gold statement necklace". I don't have pink jeans BTW....maybe I should? 

  So anyway, my friend was showing me a store she follows on Instagram and they had these lovely little outfits laid out similar to what you see on Pintrest. I was inspired. I thought, everyone has a smart phone these days, why not snap pictures of your top ten go-to outfit favorites. Then you could flip through that and always have something to fall back on when you can't think of anything.

  So here we go. I have made seven outfits from a few favorite tops and bottoms. I am in the thick of having to remember how to dress myself for going back to work this semester so I really think this will help! 

This segues into some of my next topics such as 'Closet Cleanup' and 'Wardrobe Staples'. Stay tuned to be awakened by the power of the wooden hanger!

ipsy Party!!

   OK so if you have never heard of ipsy you are not alone. I wasn't sure what it was until my sister informed me and now that natural phenomenon has occurred where I see it everywhere. What is it you ask? Well, you pay $10 a month (cancel at any time) and they send you full size samples of 4-5 products in a cute little makeup bag. The products aren't totally random, you fill out a profile of your skin type and needs before you sign up so they can taylor the products to your tastes....but in the end there is a certain amount of "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit".

   So what my sister, Alex, and I decided to do was to share an account and do an ipsy "party" each month. Because we don't know what we are getting we randomly delegate someone to start and take out one product. If they like it, they can keep it, if not they can pass and the turn goes to the next to take that or go for something else. In the end we were definitely just making trades but it was loads of fun trying on all the samples and rating them etc.

  So I encourage you to sign up and if you have someone in mind who you would like to share it with, it's twice the fun! Or bring two sets of samples and have more to pick from.

Below I have listed the products we received in this months bag.

1. Jo'rel Parker Classico perfume

2. Mongongo Vanilla Coconut Creme by Jersey Sore Sun

3. Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronze by Tarte

4. Lipstick by Bellapierre in P.I.N.K

5. Swizzlestick Eyeliner by Eyetini in Blue Hawaiian

6. Makeup bag by ipsy

Follow the link here to sign up! 

Happy ipsy partying!

Easy Breezy Cocoon Dress Tutorial

This is my first sewing tutorial so be patient with me. Before we begin I must ask all perfectionists to leave the room. 

What you will need:

1.25 yards of a rayon or other drappy fabric (mine is from Joann)

Matching thread

Parchment paper

Step 1: Find a dolman sleeve or similar loose fitting top in your closet to use as a pattern guide. The top I used is more or less sleeveless so I added more of a sleeve by extending from the shoulder and armpit a few inches. Use parchment paper and trace the top folded in half. I only traced the neckline of the back but you could make two patterns and do the front and back neckline (this is where I'm lazy....I just decide the front neckline as I go along).

*You can use the pattern for a top or long dress as well just adjust the length.

Step 2: Fold the fabric toward the center and place your pattern with the "non-sleeve" side to the fold (see picture below). Pin the pattern in place and cut around the pattern (except the bottom of the top) leaving a 1/4 to 1/2 inch seam allowance. I then cut the bottom of the pattern extra long so that I can hem it to my desired length later. Repeat on the other fold.

Step 3: So now you have two long pieces that each, if opened, resemble 1/2 of a maxi dress. Lay the two pieces wrong side out and pin together along the top of the shoulder and from armpit to the bottom.

Step 4: Try on! Make sure it can be slipped on and that there is no terrible mistake you made. Also at this point you might refer to a dress you have in your closet to find the right length. Mine is about 2-3 inches below my fingertips. Cut the bottom to the desired length leaving a 1-1.5 inch hem allowance. 

Step 5: Sew across the shoulders first and then from the bottom of the sleeve, down the armpit, to the bottom of the dress. 

*This is about when I decide on a neckline for the front. I freehand cut a little at a time to get the desired effect. I chose a v-neck for this. Use one of your other shirts as a guide if you're scared.

Step 6: Hem the sleeves and the bottom of the dress. Always fold the fabric twice to prevent fraying and iron and pin before hemming. For that part I always take my time and try on to make sure the hem is even.....too many bad experiences. 

Step 7: Interfacing! Don't be scared....it's really easy. But it's hard to explain so I linked a tutorial here.  The basic idea is that you make a strip of fabric that goes around the neckline. Sew (right side of interfacing to right side of dress), fold it into dress and sew again on top. Simple right? You can always just fold it down and sew but the interfacing looks much better. 

 Voila! You have a casual cocoon dress that can be dressed up for evening or paired with flip-flops for a trip to Target!

Or you could just buy one.......

Feel free to leave comments or questions!

Back to School Shopping for Girls

 Ughhh.......It's back to school time again. I really hate to see the summer go. :(

    And if your kids are growing as fast a mine, then about this time of year you find their jeans have all been cut off because they are too short. Their tops are starting to look ragged and faded after a summer of fun. It's time for the annual back to school shopping! So I have provided a basic checklist so that you don't go out there without a plan.

   But before you use the list, make an inventory of what you do have that's in good condition. Locate all of those off-season purchases you tucked away somewhere last winter and narrow down what you need. This list is not intended to get you through the year. It is a suggestion of staples that your little lady can wear, with her existing pieces, to make sure she will have at least a weeks worth of outfits that can be rotated.

   I listed the bottoms first because it seems easier to work from there to find tops that coordinate. Then you can add the accessories and layering pieces to finish the outfits. Try to get tops that go with at least two of your bottoms and accessories that are versatile. 

So here we go!

Bottoms

2 pairs of jeans (one colored, one classic)

1 pair 3/4 length pants or jeans

2 pair of shorts (one plain, one patterned)

1 skirt

Tops

3 t-shirts, (two solid, one graphic)

2 shirts (non-t-shirt, e.g. sleeveless button up)

2 layering pieces (denim or crocheted vest or scarf)

Miscellaneous

1 casual dress

2 fun necklaces

2 pair of shoes (one sandals that won't slip off and one sneakers)

1 super-cool backpack


  You probably won't need all of this but it makes for a nice checklist. I have offered up some options below mostly from Target, Old Navy and Gap followed by 5 outfits using some of the items.

  And btw..... if you think Gap is kind of expensive, sign up for their emails. I get 40% (my entire purchase) notices all the time. I find them to be less expensive in the end than Target or Old Navy and better quality!

* Just bought the silver shoes below for $8 at Target! Woo hoo!!!

Outfit 1

Outfit 2

Outfit 3

Outfit 4

Outfit 5

Yes that is about $300 worth of clothes...and no, I will not be spending that. But it gives me a jumping off point to see where we are and what we need.

Happy shopping!

Update from the Gulf

It's very hard to do a style blog from the beach when you spend every day in the same two swimsuits. So I will pause the fashion to bring you some fun mid-week photos of our stay on Pensacola Beach. I can't get over the water and how amazingly blue-green and clear it is. They do not call it the Emerald Coast for nothing! We drove to Destin and it has even clearer water and white sands....but much more touristy. I tend to gravitate to the more relaxing places but to each his own. 

The beach is beautiful but spending time with family is the truly rewarding part of the trip. I'm feeling pretty blessed.

Beach babe.

Storms rolling in.

Jellyfish hunter

Pretty pink condo

Relaxing by the pool :)