Searching for KonMari Joy

There’s a sweater in my closet that I LOVE. It has seen better days, is pilling and has a couple tiny holes in the front from my belt, I think. Due to the wool/cashmere blend, I am actually allergic to it and have to take a Claritin before I put it on but when I do…ahhh…happiness, maybe even joy.

I must be a really poor shopper because I have very few items in my closet that really bring me joy and if I followed that tidying up policy to heart I’d have very few things to wear at all.

Poor shopper or not, I am an equal opportunity purger. Yesterday no t-shirt, tank or sweater was spared if it didn’t bring me joy. Well, that’s not entirely true. Sometimes a girl just needs a couple things that are just that…a couple things.

That being said, I held each piece in my hands, tried on most of them and sorted into piles of Keep, Don’t Keep and Doesn’t Belong In This Drawer.

The Equal Opportunity Purger in me easily tossed items with a pop of color into the Don’t Keep pile. I seem to think I like orange and pink but those were the easiest pieces to cast aside. Also pitched were white t-shirts that were no longer white, a few Nordstrom Rack finds that I don’t think I’d even tried on and a sweatshirt-type thing from the Lululemon sale section that I probably bought because it was on sale.

It really does feel good to weed out and be left with things I actually wear. I enjoy feeling “lighter” if only in my closet and not on the scale. It does feel good to donate the items I don’t keep to our local food and clothing bank. And maybe that is where the KonMari joy is, not just in a t-shirt.

linking up with: Curly Crafty Mom, Sincerely, Paula, Elegance and Mommyhood, Jaymie Ashcraft, A Labour of Life, Momfessionals, Jo-Lynne Shane, Fashion Should Be Fun, Adri Lately, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Posh Classy Mom, By BMG, Style Nudge, Beauty by Miss L, Elegantly Dressed & Stylish, The Fashion Canvas

 

To Dress or Not to Dress?

A wise friend once said to me “Three things tell the truth: wine, young children and leggings.”

My sister, the person who introduced me to Lululemon 13 years ago, declared a couple years back that she was going to make an effort to get dressed (meaning no yoga pants) every day and she politely suggested I do the same. I thought she was on to something so I, too, decided that I would put together actual outfits that don’t consist of stretchy fabric and athletic shoes.

I don’t know about you but attempting to be stylish can be exhausting some days.

Do I attempt Stitch Fix again for inspiration or go with tried and true denim? Love these jeans, btw, C of H Emerson Skinny Boyfriend.

Do I throw in my fave camo t-shirt or a cozy sweatshirt?

Something a little dressier?

I LOVE fake layering!

And then there’s which shoes to wear with what. I love flats and sneakers but feel better in even the slightest heel.

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand that these decisions are high-grade problems and I’m thankful to have them!

Today, however, I couldn’t decide. See photo below… 😂. Sorry, sis.

linking up with: Curly Crafty Mom, Shelbee on the Edge, Jaymie Ashcraft, Fashion Should Be Fun, A Labour of Life, Sincerely Paula, Nancy’s Fashion Style, A Little Bit of Everything, Jo-Lynne Shane, Bright on a Budget, Rachel the Hat, Sheelagoh, Beauty101 by Lisa, Fine Whatever, More Pieces of Me, Not Dressed as Lamb, The Glam Adventure, Not Dead Yet Style, Style Nudge, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, The Pleated Poppy, Get Your Pretty On, Shopping My Closet, The Mummy Chronicles, The Blended Blog, Classy Yet Trendy, Posh Classy Mom, Foxy’s Domestic Side, Beauty by Miss L, The Fashion Canvas

My Fixes Need Fixing!

‘Tis the season for a holiday StitchFix delivery. After wearing the same uninspired outfit to two holiday parties, I scheduled a fix to arrive before Christmas in hopes of having something festive to wear while entertaining and being entertained.

I was pretty specific in the notes to my stylist. A mid-length skirt was on my list as was “festive” tops for evening and a pant that wasn’t jeans or leggings. Good, right?

Well, I also should have said a full skirt. This pencil skirt, while soft and curve-hugging, felt too formal for what I’d had in mind. Must. Be. Specific. The black top had an interesting back but I’m not a fan of 3/4 length sleeves or that slightly above the wrist spot.

I don’t even know what to say about this poncho/cape. 

These pants are keepers. My daughter said they looked good on me…for “teacher pants”. Hmm. I think I can fix that with some hemming and edgier shoes or a bootie. 

Green. Like my last fix, I really wanted to like this top. Maybe in a different colorbut definitely not this green. I went into my profile and unchecked the box next to green in the color preferences section.

Here is the back of the top I mentioned earlier. 

My sister says I might need a new stylist for my next Fix. Is that like breaking up with someone? Will it hurt her feelings?  Equally as important, will it improve my Fix success rate?

Thoughts?

linking up with: Not Dead Yet Style, Not Dressed As Lamb, Crazy Together, High Latitude Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, The Fashion Canvas, The Pleated Poppy, Shopping My Closet, Get Your Pretty On, The Mummy Chronicles,Classy Yet Trendy, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Posh Classy Mom, A Good Hue, The Blended Blog, Curly Crafty Mom, A Pocketful of Polka Dots, The Fab Journey, Sincerely, Paula, Elegance and Mommyhood, A Labour of Life,Fashion Should Be Fun, Jaymie Ashcraft, Nancy’s Fashion Style, A Little Bit of Everything, Jo-Lynne Shane, More Pieces of Me, Elegantly Fashionable

Third Time’s the Charm?

I love everything about the Stitch Fix concept so I decided to give it another try. If nothing else, it is super fun to open the box and see what my stylist thinks might look good on me.

I have kept just one thing from my each of my previous two boxes so I was hoping to have a more successful Fix this time around.

First up was the Olaf hooded knit top. Cozy but not super flattering and not unlike a couple other things I have in my drawer.

 

I added the Wels plaid puffer vest to to see if it would change my opinion. It didn’t but it did reinforce the fact that me and the word “puffer” do not mix well.

 

 

I pulled out the Minno cowl neck pullover sweater. The cowl neck was a good style for me but my 13-year-old daughter promptly said it looked like an old lady sweater. Next!

 

This dark green Fillmore crochet detail dlouse was the last top in the collection. The color wasn’t bad but I knew it wasn’t right for me. In my sister’s words it was “yuck”.

 

 

Thankfully, the leggings you see in every photo were also from Stitch Fix. This Liverpool coated skinny pant is comfortable and a step up from the usual Lululemons I wear. Though you can’t see in the pics it has that finish on them that give them a little sheen but not in a bad way.

So, it looks like I’m keeping just one thing again from my Fix. My sister recently tried her first Fix and kept two things so she’s off to a better start than I was. I give my stylist an A for effort. Though this Fix wasn’t a charm I’ll try it again simply for the fun and for adding the occasional piece to my wardrobe.

linking up with: Curly Crafty Mom, A Labour of Life, Sincerely Paula, Elegance and Mommyhood, Jaymie Ashcroft, A Pocketful of Polka Dots, A Little Bit of Everything, Jo-Lynne Shane, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Posh Classy Mom, Rachel the Hat, Shelbee on the Edge, High Latitude Style, Claire Justine, Fine Whatever, Beauty101 by Lisa, Not Dead Yet Style, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, More Pieces of Me, Elegantly Fashionable, Not Dressed as Lamb, ByBMG, Garay Treasures, Style Nudge, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, A Good Hue, The Pleated Poppy, The Blended Blog, Get Your Pretty On, Mummy Chronicles, Crazy Together

 

 

 

Better than a Robe

If I was Oprah and people cared as much about my favorite things as they do hers, what I’m about to share here would fly off the shelves.

My good friend has designed and produced a robe/sweatshirt hybrid that is truly genius. Not only is this lounger as comfy as your favorite beat up sweats, it is also stylish enough to wear out of the house.

This cozy piece has ribbed sleeves with thumb holes, an interior cinching system so it’s super flattering and comes in a few great color combos including my favorite, obviously, gray.

Did I mention the Rhody Lane loungers are designed and manufactured locally in Seattle? I love supporting my friend who is supporting our local economy and crushing it as far as style goes.

I should mention that I purchased (was not gifted) my robe at the Rhody Lane launch party and this plug is purely because I love it so much.

You should check it out for yourself at Rhody Lane

linking up with: Curly Crafty Mom, Elegance and Mommyhood, Sincerely Paula, Adri Lately, Fashion Should Be Fun, Shelbee on the Edge, Jaymie Ashcraft, High Latitude Style, Jo-Lynne Shane, A Little Bit of Everything, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Rachel the Hat, Posh Classy Mom, Beauty101 by Lisa, Not Dead Yet Style, More Pieces of Me, Garay Treasures

Confessions of an Overpacker

Been to Hawaii or any tropical destination in your lifetime? If so, and correct me if I’m wrong, you know that casual is the most common dress code. And, from experience, I also know that, if you are there to relax, you spend a large portion of your time in swimsuits, coverups and flip flops. I wish someone would have reminded me of this a couple weeks ago.

I am an overpacker. Always have been, probably always will be. I like options. A lot of options. My packing job for my most recent trip to Lana’i and the Big Island set a new personal record for the worst packing I’ve ever done.

I could go over all the unnecessary clothing items I brought but showing you the shoe situation will give you a clear picture, I think.

I wore these Vince sneakers on the plane. I love them for running around at home but they have zero give and once my feet swelled they were close to unbearable. Noted.

 

These Vince sandals were probably the best sandal and probably the only sandal I really needed. Comfortable and practical as they went with most of what I’d packed. Check.

 

I’d been searching for a neutral wedge to wear out for dinners but couldn’t find any that didn’t have the jute footbed and I find that really uncomfortable so I brought these. I wear them all the time at home. Never made it out of the suitcase. 

 

These were a good find at Nordstrom Rack just a couple days before departure. Loved the wedge and the leather footbed (see above). I wore these a couple times, once with a  long sundress and once with a pair of black dressy shorts. 

These are really some of the most uncomfortable flip flops I’ve ever worn and I feel like I’ve given them multiple chances to redeem themselves. The straps rub on the tops of my feet and cause blisters. I’ve had them a couple years, maybe longer. They will not be making a repeat appearance. In my humble opinion, nothing beats good old Havaianas.

I bought these a little more than a year ago and have worn them a lot. They have basically no support but are surprisingly comfortable. I wore them to the pool, to the store and to dinners. Two thumbs up, Tory Burch! I would have brought the same pair in black but my puppy ate them a couple months ago.

Finally (I think), I brought these Asics for hiking and working out. I didn’t do either of those activities as often as I’d planned but I always bring a running shoe of some type on vacation.

Any shoes I’m forgetting? Let me know what you bring on a tropical vacation.

linking up with: Style Nudge, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Two Peas in a Blog, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Not Dressed As Lamb, Claire Justine xoxo, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Posh Classy Mom, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy, Shopping My Closet, Classy Yet Trendy, The Mummy Chronicles, Sydney Fashion Hunter, The Blended Blog, Happiness at Mid-life, Curly Crafty Mom, Elegance and Mommyhood, The Fab Journey, Sincerely, Paula, Good Random Fun, High Latitude Style, Jaymie Ashcroft, Fashion Should Be Fun, Nancy’s Fashion Style, A Little Bit of Everything, Jo-lynne Shane, Shelbee on the Edge

Target $10 Finds

 

Oh, Target, how do I love thee? Let me count the $10 ways…

Unlike my sister (who I share this blog with), I have not been to Europe lately (like in 21 years) and have not laid eyes on the Parisian Target. Instead, I happily shlep to my local Target on a weekly, sometimes tri-weekly basis, to purchase both necessities and justifiable finds for $10 and under.

Who doesn’t love a good dollar section? While my youngest likes to point out that the dollar section sometimes has things for $2 or even (gasp!) $3, I LOVE how you can grab everything from flash cards to napkins, socks, toys and more. I always take a quick peruse through here.

White towels frighten me. I fear the process of having to keep them white so maybe it’s  bleach that frightens me. However, more frightening are the medicated skin care products my daughter uses that suck the color out of anything she touches.

These stacks of washcloths are a staple in my daughter’s bathroom. Are they super soft? No, but she has yet to develop an opinion on the fluffiness of her towels and they stay relatively white.

 

It’s true (I’ve heard) that retailers put items near the checkout stands for impulse purchases. Who doesn’t love a movie for under ten bucks?!

On several occasions I have grabbed an oldie but a goodie for my viewing pleasure including some “classics” I thought my daughters would enjoy. Clueless, anyone?

 

IMHO, there are so many reasons to love Target, $10 or otherwise.

linking up with: The Fab Journey, A Little Bit of Everything, Shelbee on the Edge, byBMG Blog, Sincerely, Paula

 

 

 

 

A Second Fix

A couple weeks ago I decided I needed another fix… another Stitch Fix, that is.

So, I hopped online and secured my delivery date for this highly addictive service. This time, however, I requested my stylist add a couple short sleeved blouses to the mix.

As promised, the box arrived on schedule and as before I ripped into it, excited to see what she’d picked for me.

Putting aside the fact that I’d put in my profile that I didn’t need shoes, I could admit these Seavees were cute. However, they felt kind of frumpy on and were too small to boot. Moving on!

I didn’t like the feel of the fabric when I took the first blouse out of the box but the color was bright and interesting so I slipped it on.

The style was cute and while you can’t see it, there were three little buttons up the back seam of this top. Three negatives however:

1. Like I mentioned, The fabric didn’t feel good and had so much static in it I felt like I was wrapped in plastic wrap.

2. The buttons up the front gaped a little bit.
3. Who am I kidding? I’m never going to wear that color!

If you knew me you would know why the next top I tried was also a reject. But you don’t really know me so suffice to say that I don’t wear a lot of patterns.

The fabric on this one also wasn’t quite right. I sound like one of those bears from the Goldilocks story.

Next up a super cute looking black lace overlay short-sleeved blouse. This one would have been a winner except that it puckered on the shoulders where the lace overlay is attached to the cami underneath.

Zero for three in the top department but the jeans in the box looked and felt good before I even put them on!

DL1961 skinnies in a fantastic stretchy denim.

These fit like a dream! Super comfy with a just-right waistline (not too high, not too low). Round two of trying on my Fix was complete and like round one, I kept just one piece.

I packed everything else up in the prepaid envelope and checked out online which is a feature I love. I added a note to my stylist during the checkout process and that was it.

This service is so fun even if I got my Fix and am still topless. Wink, wink.

linking up with: Jo-Lynne Shane, More Pieces of Me, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Reasons to Dress, The Pleated Poppy, Shopping My Closet, The Blended Blog, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Happiness at Mid-life, Curly Crafty Mom, Posh Classy Mom, Elegance and Mommyhood,Fashion Should Be Fun, Jaymie Ashcraft, A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Jo-Lynne Shane, High Latitude Style, Beauty 101 By Lisa, Not Dressed As Lamb

Getting a Fix

This sounded like my dream come true since I’ve become the reluctant shopper (husband’s nickname for me). Have you heard the commercials and seen the Facebook ads for Stitch Fix?

To break it down, you go online, create a profile, answer some questions regarding your personal style and preferences and hit the save button. You choose a date to receive your “Fix” and then a mystery stylist sends you a box of goodies she has selected for you based on your profile.

The box arrives like this and includes a card with photos and styling tips and a prepaid envelope for returns.

I opened it up, very curious to see what my stylist had chosen. It it were two cami/tank-styled tops, a pair of boyfriend jeans, gray jogger pants and a floral dress.

It was easy to see why she had sent me the pieces she had based on the profile I had created. I live in boyfriend jeans and tanks with sweaters or jackets. That being said, I didn’t need another pair of said jeans so I knew I wasn’t going to keep those. The jogger pants would be easy to style with the suggestions she sent me and I was thisclose to keeping those except they made my butt look a little bigger than I prefer so I added those to the return pile as well.

The grayish/greenish tank had a crocheted panel at the top which was cute but the fabric felt like it would pill after a couple wears so that was a no. Also cute was the black overlay tank. The problem was that in my profile I had specified that I liked things to fit looser around the middle and this was too loose. Almost maternity looking. Out.

Finally there was the dress. I don’t wear a lot of dresses but since I was trying things on…

 

 

It’s a keeper, I think! Kinda cute, lightweight and comfortable. So 1 out of 5 ain’t bad for a first go. The styling card suggested this dress with a denim jacket, which wasn’t in the box. Guess this reluctant shopper needs to go shopping.

linking up with:  The Pleated Poppy, Shopping My Closet, Reasons to Dress, Mummy Chronicles, The Blended Blog, Happiness at Midlife, Curly Crafty Mom, Jaymie Ashcraft, Fashion Should Be Fun, Jo-Lynne Shane,Posh Classy Mom,Garay Treasures, More Pieces of Me, Sincerely, Jenna Marie

 

Sorry, girls :(

Nothing better than a great shoe find! I made a quick trip to Nordstrom Rack in search of tees and tanks for my girls yesterday.

Sadly, they still have nothing to wear in this record heat we are experiencing in Seattle right now but I found some great shoes for myself!

I just happened to glance down the shoe aisle on the way to the kid’s section and these practically jumped out at me!

Camo, Stuart Weitzman, half price. Need I say more?

I can always shop for the girls tomorrow…

linking up with: The Pleated Poppy, Shopping My Closet, Jersey Girl, Texan Heart, Jo-Lynne Shane, Jaymie Ashcraft, Fashion Should Be Fun, More Pieces of Me, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Style Nudge Shoe & Tell