Stitch Fix #1

Good morning!  It's Stitch Fix Day!

(Well, actually it was yesterday, but I'm sharing my Fix with you today, so...)

Let me ask you a few questions:

• Do you find that you never have time to go shopping?  
• Do you get frustrated in poorly lit dressing rooms with funhouse mirrors that make you look nothing like you look in real life?  
• Isn't it frustrating to try on separates and try to figure out how you'll match them with what's already in your closet after you leave the store?  
• Wouldn't it be great if you had someone picking out things just for you and your body type? 

If you answered "YES!" to any of those questions, then Stitch Fix is the perfect solution!

How it works:  Go to the Stitch Fix website and create an account, then fill out a style profile questionnaire.  (Full disclosure: every link to Stitch Fix on this post is my referral link. It's a great way to earn $$$ for new clothes with each fix!) Pay a $20 styling fee, and wait for your fix to arrive!

You will receive 5 items (could be any combination of clothing and accessories), which you can try on in the privacy and comfort of your OWN home and with your OWN clothes!  Send anything you don't want back in a prepaid envelope within 3 days of receiving it, and you will be charged ONLY for the items you keep!

This is especially easy for new moms! If you did what I did and threw out a bunch of your clothes in a pregnant, hormonal rage and now only have maternity clothes for the fall...this is the way to go! I can try everything on after Z is asleep without leaving my house! And I can send it back SO easily without having to go to the post office!

How much does it cost? Every fix costs $20 for the styling fee.  If you decide to keep any items, that $20 will be applied to your purchase! If you keep nothing, you do not get the $20 refunded.  If you decided to keep all five items, you receive an additional 25% off your purchase! The items themselves are a wide range of prices, but the website says that you can expect an average of $65/item.

Is it a monthly thing? Will I get charged $20 every month? Nope! You can sign up for monthly fixes, or you can go in and order a fix on an as-needed basis. 

But what if my stylist gets it completely wrong? You can go back to the site and offer feedback on every single item you receive and you can update your style profile at any time!

Okay! So onto my Fix!

I was SO excited to get the box! It's wrapped beautifully, which says a lot to me, and the packing slip included a personal note from my stylist, Jaime.

The first item I tried on was the Ashlee Floral Print Swiss Dot Blouse.  I loved this item as soon as I pulled it out of the box.  Sadly, it was too small. :( It just barely buttoned over my chest, and the sleeves were way too tight.  Getting it back off my body was an aerobic activity.

Verdict: Will not keep.

The next thing out of the box was the Foster Chambray Shirt Dress.  I love that Chambray is so "in" this fall! This dress was deliciously soft and very comfortable.  Unfortunately, it didn't do much for my figure. I tried it on alone and then as an "outfit" with my own scarf, leggings and boots.

Verdict: Will not keep.

Next was the Galena Solid Pleated Ponte Skirt.  I was skeptical of this skirt because of the length and the fact that it had no zipper or buttons or anything.  But when I put it on, with my own blouse and shoes, I loved it! And it has pockets!

This skirt will be perfect for the fall & winter months because it's thick and sturdy and incredibly comfortable and versatile.

Verdict: will definitely keep!

Next was the Vivianna Open-Draped Knit Cardigan.  This item was VERY warm and cozy (a little too warm yet for these balmy October days in Texas...).  The style card attached to it (oh I forgot to mention! there's a style card on every item with suggestions on how to wear it!) suggested it with jeans and over a dress, so I tried it both ways.

Verdict: Undecided. It's a great piece, but it's a little on the high end, price-wise, for my taste.  I can see myself wearing it a lot, though, especially on days that are too warm for a coat but too chilly to go without a sweater or light jacket.

Finally, the last item in my box was an accessory: the Facet Rectangles & Floral Jewels necklace.

This necklace is lovely, and would be perfect for the upcoming holiday season.  However, the price is way too high for a necklace that, in my opinion, felt a bit light and cheap.  A friend's wise words to me were, "if it feels cheap in your hand, then it is." I could find something very similar at Plato's Closet or TJ Maxx for at least half the price.

Verdict: will not keep.

Overall, my stylist did a great job. I loved the way everything in the box looked...just not necessarily how it looked on me.  So, she did a great job based on what I said in my style profile!  I'll definitely be leaving her feedback and ordering at least one more fix before the year is out!

Balance

Balance is something I've thought about a lot lately.  You may think I mean the obvious: balance in life since having a baby.  You'd be almost right...because I do want to address that, too, at some point.  But really I'm trying to find a balance in my blogging life.  A balance between vanity and community and therapy and honesty.

I don't even know how to really say this, so let me direct you to my internet-friend Joseph's blog post, which does a fantastic job putting words to how I feel about blogging, most of the time: The Flip Side.  Go ahead! I'll wait.

*Jeopardy theme music*

Back?  Okay! Isn't he a great writer?  He seems like a cool dude.

Anyway, here are some truths about why I blog, in the form of bullet points:

• I love writing down how I feel.
• I like being a part of a community of bloggers.
• Of course I like the attention and the validation...
• But I also like the affirmations and support I've gotten from people who are, essentially, strangers.
• I kind of want free stuff sometimes (i.e., "I'll send you this [insert product] if you'll blog about your experience!"). Hasn't happened yet, but one can hope.
• I like being real, open and honest.

Since becoming a mother, that last bullet point has been the leading impetus for my blog posts.  Sometimes I just want to write down how I feel, get support from other moms, or get affirmation and support...you know, all those other bullet points.  But I also want other moms (new moms especially; ones in the same boat as I am) to see that they may not be the only one feeling the way they do.

The only mom who struggled with nursing.

The only mom who ever felt exhausted and decidedly unhappy in the first couple of weeks.

The only mom who felt terrible guilt about...well...anything.

The only mom who has postpartum depression/anxiety.

The only mom who still wears clothes she got four years ago on clearance.

The only mom who wears the same pair of jeans/pants/shoes 3 times in one week.

The only mom who buys cheap, drugstore makeup.

The only mom who picks up takeout because everything is just too hard to cook.

The only mom who falls asleep on the couch instead of spending precious evening hours with her husband sometimes.

The only mom who cries into her pillow (or on the way to work) because she feels like she can't be good at EVERYTHING (wife, mom, employee, etc.) and so one or more always falls short.

And so on and so forth.

My blog also keeps me accountable, as I've said in my Outfit of the Day posts.  Knowing that a handful of internet strangers might wanna see what outfit I was able to throw together so that I'd look (and therefore feel) a bit more put together even after a frantic morning trying to wrangle a newborn out the door.

But man, I struggle with people thinking I'm just vain.  I mean, I am vain.  Sometimes more than others. Even what I just said above about my OOTD posts is selfish: it helps ME feel more put together when I know I'm going to post my outfit online.  I'd like to think it also helps other women know that they don't have to be wealthy or buy a bunch of new clothes in order to look nice at work, but I'll admit that's not always my reason for posting.

I don't know...I guess part of this slight feeling of discomfort comes from feeling like I'm defined by my blog, my Twitter, my Instagram, my Facebook account...but the truth is that we do live in a world that is pretty much run by social media.  I don't think that has to be a terrible thing, though.  I think that being honest and REAL about it is the best way to handle a social media society.

I just want to be genuine. I want to be liked for every part of who I am -- even the not-so-glamorous or put together parts. I want to be honest in my joys and in my struggles.  I want to never ever paint a picture of a perfect life on social media, because the reality of my life is that it's a hectic, crazy mess sometimes.

But it's honest. And it's real. And it's messy.  And it's wonderful.

I may never find the balance between vain and genuine.  But I think the fact that I try has to count for something. 

Outfit of the Day

I wasn't sure I'd start off this week doing Outfit of the Day every day...and I'm still not sure that I'll do it every day this week, but I did like how much these blog posts kept me accountable. As the week progressed and my general fatigue increased (why do 4-month-olds need so much attention anyway??) (also ALCS and World Series baseball games go late into the night sometimes!), I felt more and more inclined to just throw my hair up in a half ponytail and put on jeans (or yoga pants) and a long-sleeved shirt.

Today would have been the perfect day for that.

I woke up at 7:10 (I should have been out the door by 7:30) and still needed to shower. I hadn't planned what I was going to wear today. I could have blown out my hair, but I decided that just a few minutes with my smiling baby trumped that, so I left with wet hair (at 7:40...oops) wearing an outfit that I threw together after staring at my closet for a few minutes with slightly crazed eyes.

I'm not always a planner by nature but, when it comes to my clothes, I usually think ahead the night before about what I might want to wear.  Luckily, today didn't end up a total disaster.  I think sequins cover a multitude of sins, but that's just my personal philosophy.

Pants: Kohls (last seen here)

Camisole: Old Navy

Sequined shrug: Kohls (I think)

Shoes: Nine West

One thing I noticed in my crazed search for something to wear this morning is that I own very few structured, professional blouses/tops. This cami is old and soft and comfortable, but, as you can see, it hangs funny and would be better suited with a pair of pajama pants than with work slacks. It clings to the waist of the pants, and does nothing to flatter that area of my body.

However, the length of the cami paired with the cropped sweater gives the illusion of a longer torso.  Since I'm very short-waisted, this is a good thing.

As for the hair...here's a closer look:

My hair is getting LONG, and besides the fact that it takes forever to dry, it's falling out thanks to more lovely postpartum symptoms that nobody ever warns you about til it's too late and you're wondering if you could make a wig with what you find in the shower.

Here's my New Mom hair tip: ALWAYS have the following in your purse or at work: a small can of hairspray, a fold up brush (with a mirror! they sell them at Walmart), and a sleeve of bobby pins.  I did this in the bathroom at work in about 10 minutes. 

There are a bazillion hair tutorials online and on Pinterest, but let me sum this one up for you very easily:

1. Make two braided pigtails
2. Fold one up over your head and pin til it feels secure.
3. Fold the other one around the back of your head and pin the ends up into the start of the first braid. Pin until secure.
4. Spray all over with hairspray.

Today was another classic example of "hurried Mom" syndrome, but I'm learning little tips and tricks that help me get out the door feeling slightly put together and not quite so messy and frumpy. 

Happy Monday!

Outfit of the Day

Well I managed to post every outfit I wore this week!  I won't do this every day of every week, but I'm going to try to keep this series in mind when I'm getting dressed in the mornings. Even today, on casual Friday at work, I wanted to try to be a little less "ordinary" than my usual jeans & a school shirt.  This keeps me accountable and it keeps me constantly aware of what I'm wearing.

I know this will make me sound like a broken record, but I really do feel better all day long when I take the time to dress in something that makes me feel good. It's easy in the moment to just throw on any clothes but, by around midday, I always feel frumpy and haphazard and gross. 

Thanks for playing along with me this week!

Shirt: UNT bookstore

Cardigan: Same from Mom's closet that I wore on Tuesday

Jeans: ummm....Levi's? I'm not a big designer jeans gal...whatever fits, I buy and then RUN out the door before I can be further traumatized by the process.

Shoes: TOMS Classics black canvas

Butterfly earrings: Gifted

Outfit of the Day

Today I committed a two cardinal fashion sins:

1. Frump frump frump. Flowy shirt with loose-fitting pants. Yuck. Should've worn a more fitted top OR a skinnier pant with this top.

2. BAD shoes. Bad. Very bad. So bad I didn't even take a picture. They are busted up slingback black flats that are not flattering anymore in the least. But, they're comfortable, so I got lazy.

Today was a typical "mom"  morning for me. I woke up late (after being up for an hour between 4 and 5am listening to my poor baby cough and fall asleep between coughing fits...heartbreaking!), and had to get Z and myself out the door QUICKLY so I could drop him off at daycare and get to my doctor's appointment. Naturally, they were running about 45 minutes behind, but how could I have known that? Sigh.

So, I grabbed the closest things I could find out of my closet and threw my hair up in a bun sponge. Normally it looks a little better, but today was just a yucky day. I feel frumpy and sloppy.  Better luck tomorrow!

Shirt: Polka Dot Pleated Top - LC by Lauren Conrad at Kohls

Pants: Black Apt 9 Curvy Fit Trousers in Petite at Kohls

Earrings: Can't remember, but I love them! They're so airy and light, and they match this blouse perfectly!

Shoes: Too awful to photograph. A pair of heels would've made me feel MUCH better today!

Outfit of the Day

This morning, as I was getting dressed, I thought to myself, "Why am I doing this outfit of the day thing this week, again? Remind me, self, because I really just want to wear yoga pants." I know that nobody is holding me accountable or anything, and I know that I don't HAVE to do it every day.  But I always always feel better when I take a little time to put an outfit together, even I'm running a few minutes late because Z spit up at the last minute or because I can't find something weather-appropriate (that's clean) for him to wear.

So I put on my new dress and shoes and headed out the door feeling prepared to face another day in the offices of higher education!

Today's look is simple, which is nice for a new mom.  This dress is also a blank slate.  SO MANY OPTIONS for shoes, tights, jewelry, belts, scarves, cardigans, etc.  But since it's going to be a chilly 80 degrees in North Texas today, I went for an easy, simple look.

Dress: Elle Pintuck Fit and Flare dress in Red Lacquer for Kohls

Shoes: Mossimo Valmai pointed toe loafers from Target

Necklace: Secondhand from Plato's Closet

Outfit of the Day

Today's outfit mostly consists of items either thrifted or gifted! So it will be hard to tell you where to find the items, but I can try to help with brands, at least!

This dress is one of my very favorites. I wear it all spring/summer, and then just add tights and a cardigan once temperatures start to drop! I love the ruffle detail in the front and the crocheted lace back. You can be daring and just wear a bra underneath and let it show, or certainly be more modest and wear a cami so that the back is more covered.

Dress: Bailey Blue, thrifted, found at Plato's Closet

Belt: thrifted, found at Plato's Closet

Cardigan: Mom's closet (no really, my mom's closet) (I think she's always wanted it back) (Nope)

Patterned tights: Gifted

Shoes: Aerosoles (I believe the style is "Vivian," but I can't find a direct link anywhere online)

Earrings: Vintage.

Glasses: Zenni Optical