Stitch Fix!-3

Office Clothes Fix

This month i asked for some professional work clothes, specifically a nice long pair of pants to wear. I have the hardest time finding pants that are long enough and also fit my proportions, why is it that women's pants aren't sold the same way that men's are? I would love to be able to order pants by my inseam and waist size and know they will fit right every time instead of this random number correlating to a different size depending on which store you buy from nonsense. Brittany did another excellent job in finding clothes that looked downright cute in their pictures. However, on me not so cute.

First up is the pants!

Liverpool- Jordyn Bootcut Pant- $88
I really wanted to love these pants, look how nicely they fit. Unfortunately they have that slightly stretchy elastic waistband instead of a zipper and there are no belt loops so these constantly move up and down throughout the day. I understand that they're supposed to be easy to slip on but it was a herculean effort to get that waistband up over my rear and lack of a belt meant that i either had a camel toe because they rode up or a saggy behind because they rode low. I popped a lot of stitches in the process so i just don't feel comfortable sending them back but i may be able to sew in some belt loops to make them usable, we'll see.

 

Olive & Oak- Stewart Button Back Top- $58
41Hawthorne- Blayne French Terry Blazer- $88
Brittany wanted me to try the pants on with the white Olive & Oak cotton top and the olive 41hawthorne knit blazer. The outfit looks pretty darn professional but unfortunately the cotton top came in wrinkled and is marked as dry clean only which means it won't hold up to my "throw everything in the washer/dryer and hope for the best" method of doing laundry. The knit blazer is a beautiful green color and i love how soft it is however i do not love the hulking shoulder pads that are clearly outlined through the knit material and don't actually stay in place. So sadly, sending both of them back.

Market & Spruce- Bernadette Lace Overlay Raglan Top- $58
How stinkin' adorable is this shirt?!? It has that beautiful lacy detail on the front and the fabric underneath the lace is silky enough that the lace always stays nicely draped and doesn't bunch up. I was so sad to send this back but it's just too large on me, the sleeves bunch up and look like elephant skin.

Loveappella- Lolla 3/4 sleeve woven back knit top- $58
I love love love this shirt, lookit that cute back detail! and look how nicely the front lays. The back is just that sheer fabric so you will need to wear an undershirt so that it's appropriate but this will be great for spring. I just had to keep this one even though i have a few back detail shirts that i bought off of the Stitch Fix B/S/T group on facebook.

My Verdict= Found a shirt i love so pretty successful in my opinion and brittany picked out an entire fix full of clothes that looked great on the styling sheet. Keep in mind the stylists don't get to see the clothes in person to see the imperfections that we do when we receive the items so make sure you're giving them specific feedback as to why you don't love an item.


Stitch Fix is a clothing service that will deliver a box with 5 pieces of clothing/accessories that you can try on to see if you like before you buy. When you sign up for Stitch Fix they have you fill out a style profile that your stylist will use to pick out items that fit your likes as well as items they think would work for your body type. They also like trying to take you out of your comfort zone. The way the site is set up, the more fixes you receive the more tuned towards your preferences they are so if you don't get something you like within the first couple of boxes it will only get better from there as long as you are leaving honest feedback.They do charge a $20 styling fee but that $20 goes towards any item you decide to purchase in the box and i haven't received a box yet where i didn't love at least one item. If you do decide to splurge and purchase all of the items they send to you there is a nifty 25% off discount worth noting but i personally wouldn't buy all 5 items if you don't love most of them. If you would like to try stitch fix i do get a $25 referral credit for anyone who signs up through my referral link. 

You can also find handy fashion tips on the stitch fix blog! and more stitch fix reveals at crazytogether's link-up party

Crochet all of the lalylala patterns!

One of the groups that i'm a part of on Ravelry has been doing a Lalylala-a-long. If you haven't seen Lydia's patterns you should check them out here. She also has a ravelry group as well. She designs the cutest crocheted dolls and stuffies. All of her patterns have a whimsy about them, i especially love the 4-season sets she's been publishing. The only one i have so far is the winter one below but i can tell i'm going to need to get every set she publishes. 

I'm currently most of the way through a Heinz the reindeer using a combination of lion brand bon bons and fibra natura cotton sport weight yarn that i got for a steal during black friday deals. These little guys are the perfect size for tree ornaments, how great would it be to have a herd of little heinz the reindeer's all over your tree next year?

I also made a Simon the snowman for one of the kids at the school i used to work at, innit it cute?

I used yarn for the eyes instead of safety eyes because of availability but for the next ones i think i should buy some. The cheeks are colored in with a marker using light strokes, they are a little too pink but i think it still turned out great. 

My next project is going to have to be a little Bjorn the birdhouse from her spring line How precious is the little edging on the roof? Maybe even a cute little chickadee if i change the colors of her Titus pattern? I can't decide!

Have you made anything recently that you'd like to share, looking for some inspiration? Skip to my lou does a link-up every monday, just follow the link below to her linky-party. 

http://www.skiptomylou.org/made-by-you-monday-284/

Stitch Fix!-2

Summer Time Fix

I was told i might be able to chaperone a trip to New Mexico with a group of students so this time around i asked my stylist for summer clothes that would be appropriate to wear around kids. I was hoping for longer "mom" shorts and comfortable breathable tops. I also asked if she could find a certain sweater for me that I had received a few fixes back but somehow lost on my way back from Juneau (i remember packing it but when i unpacked it wasn't wrapped around my makeup like it was supposed to be, super bummed and Alaska Airlines denies having taken it out of my luggage). I requested Brittany as my stylist because she did an awesome job the fix before last, i think i might request her permanently. Unfortunately i heard last minute that they found enough chaperones and wouldn't need me and it was too late to cancel my fix but who doesn't need more summer clothes?

On to the goods, don't they look so pretty all wrapped up?

Brittany was able to find me two great pairs of shorts that aren't too tight and are nice and long. She also found me two t-shirts that are breathable and while she wasn't able to find the sweater i loved she did find one that's a beautiful burgundy color.

Le Sample- Sanford Knit Top- $48.00

Kut from the Kloth- Elliot Cargo Pocket Short- $58.00

I love this outfit, the shorts are buttery soft and don't ride up funny in the crotch area and aren't skin tight so my thighs don't look like the michelin tire man. I love the darker olive color on these. The t-shirt is see through so an undershirt is necessary but i love the linen striping down the front and back. These were both definitely keepers that i will wear all summer.

Skies are Blue- Donavon Crochet Detail Knit Top- $54.00

Kut from the Kloth- Lonnie Distressed Cuffed Denim Boyfriend Short- $68.00

This shirt has cute crocheted detailing down the front but it leaves little holes in the fabric, an undershirt is a must. I love the green color even though bright colors are a little out of my comfort zone. The shorts have distressing on the fronts which I'm not in love with but these are a bit longer than the green ones and the waist is a bit higher which i love. Both of these are keepers as well but i think I'll wear the shirt more often than the shorts.

RD Style- Wakefield Crossover Sweater- $68.00

I really wanted to love this sweater, the color was right and the knit fabric was so soft. Unfortunately the sleeves are a weird length and if i try to push them up closer to my elbow the draping looks very... unfortunate. I don't feel as if this sweater is flattering as it makes me look like a shapeless lump, the constant shifting of the draping is also hard to deal with as i felt like i had to keep adjusting it. Bit bummed it didn't work out and actually ended up keeping it because if i had bought everything but this i would have paid $228 total and if i bought everything it would only cost $222 due to the 25% discount for buying all items. Thankfully one of my friends seems to love it so it may be gifted to them. 

My verdict= Successful Fix but I'd really like to find a replacement for that gosh darn sweater

Stitch Fix is a clothing service that will deliver a box with 5 pieces of clothing/accessories that you can try on to see if you like before you buy. When you sign up for Stitch Fix they have you fill out a style profile that your stylist will use to pick out items that fit your likes as well as items they think would work for your body type. They also like trying to take you out of your comfort zone. The way the site is set up, the more fixes you receive the more tuned towards your preferences they are so if you don't get something you like within the first couple of boxes it will only get better from there as long as you are leaving honest feedback.They do charge a $20 styling fee but that $20 goes towards any item you decide to purchase in the box and i haven't received a box yet where i didn't love at least one item. If you do decide to splurge and purchase all of the items they send to you there is a nifty 25% off discount worth noting but i personally wouldn't buy all 5 items if you don't love most of them. If you would like to try stitch fix i do get a $25 referral credit for anyone who signs up through my referral link. 

You can also find handy fashion tips on the stitch fix blog! and more stitch fix reveals at crazytogether's link-up party

 

Pi(e) Day

Happy 3.14

I hope all of your days were filled with delicious pie. I hooked my family up with some pizza pie and for desert... you guessed it actual pie. We had chicken bacon ranch and a hawaiian pizza from a local restaurant called Little Louie's and the chicken bacon ranch was the bomb.  I loved the crispy bacon and diced tomatoes on it.

I tried something new and made a lemon meringue pie. I've never dealt with meringue before but the recipe i followed was nice and easy and you can find it here. I cheaped out and used a store bought crust because i was feeling lazy but the filling was nice and tart and the meringue was sugary so it all balanced out. Next time I'm definitely making a home-made crust because this one just wasn't buttery or flaky, bit disappointing really.

I also whipped up one of my favorites just in case the meringue failed, it's a nutter butter pie that is a real crowd pleaser. The filling is a mixture of cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, homemade whipped topping and crushed up nutter butters. I'm pretty sure i could eat it with a spoon by itself but shoving it inside of a crust made out of even more crushed up cookies and topping it with homemade whipped topping just puts me in tasty pie heaven.

Did anyone else make anything awesome for Pi(e) day?

Stitch Fix!-1

Where I Ramble on About Clothes

Living where i live i find myself very thankful for so many things.
Like the view, the view is just phenomenal. Being able to take a short walk and see this every day during the summer is definitely worth it.

The only downside to having tundra in your backyard and living in a small town? The inability to shop and try things on. Thankfully a friend turned me on to this clothing delivery service called Stitch Fix that will deliver a box with 5 pieces of clothing/accessories that you can try on to see if you like before you buy. When you sign up for Stitch Fix they have you fill out a style profile that your stylist will use to pick out items that fit your likes as well as items they think would work for your body type that might take you out of your comfort zone. The way the site is set up, the more fixes you receive the more tuned towards your preferences they are so if you don't get something you like within the first couple of boxes it will only get better from there.They do charge a $20 styling fee but that $20 goes towards any item you decide to purchase in the box and i haven't received a box yet where i didn't love at least one item. If you do decide to splurge and purchase all of the items they send to you there is a nifty 25% off discount worth noting but i personally wouldn't buy all 5 items if you don't love most of them. If you would like to try stitch fix i do get a $25 referral credit for anyone who signs up through my referral link. 

For every fix you sign up for you can write a custom note to your stylist. For my most recent Fix i mentioned that i would love some professional business-y type clothes. They sent along two complete outfits as well as styling tips.

Amour Vert- Allessandro Silk V-Neck Blouse- $118
Margaret M- Christiana Textured Pencil Skirt- $78
The first two items looked pretty snazzy but my stylist suggested i pair them together. What you don't see in the picture is the contracting patterns. The skirt has a nice checkered pattern all over it that i didn't think went well with the busy heart print on the top. I still thought both of these items were keepers but they just didn't pair well in my opinion. I am in love with this top, it is buttery soft and drapes nicely. It's long enough that you can wear it as a tunic but the material is so thin you can also tuck it in to pants or a skirt without the lumpy bumps on your tummy.

Tart- Anahi Knit Blazer- $148
41Hawthorn- Gillian Sweater Knit Skirt- $64
Collective Concepts- Norell Silk Detail Blouse- $68
The next three items she suggested i pair together just seemed to miss the mark on all points. The skirt was super soft but it was made out of a thick knit fabric and just didn't lay right. The silk detail blouse was buttery soft but again, it didn't lay right and the asymmetrical line across the front did nothing for my shape. The blazer was basically shapeless and truly disappointed me as i LOVE blazers. There was even a horrid stitching detail around the shoulderpads that made them impossible to remove. Unfortunately all three had to go back.

My verdict= Successful Fix

You can also find handy fashion tips on the stitch fix blog! and more stitch fix reveals at crazytogether's link-up party

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November: Lovely Year of Finishes Goal

My goal for November is going to be an easy one 

I'm hoping to finish up the four 241 totes above for upcoming Christmas bazaars around town. Well, 3 for the bazaars and one for me to keep. I made the bag below for a swap a while back using the birch bark tree print out of the backyard baby line and i really loved the embroidery i did on all of the little leaves with variegated thread. 

 I want to re-use that idea on another print out of that line and also stitch some "wind" around the clouds.

Here's to hoping i actually finish them this month what with all of the crazy prep for thanksgiving!