[Want, Need, Wear, Read] A Gift Guide for the Mama + a HUGE $1,000 Stitch Fix Giveaway!

For some reason, I always feel like answering the question "what would ____ like for Christmas?" is the hardest to answer about myself. I literally could name off a million things that Mason wants and close to at least ten (ha!) things that Seth wants. But for me? I draw a blank. It's silly really. I mean, I should know myself the best, right? Apparently... wrong. So, I got smart this year and started a list on my phone so when people asked, I knew just what to tell them!

WANT

If you follow me on Instagram, you'd know that this would be a definite winner for me for Christmas - a Starbucks gift card! Seriously, I am addicted to those Chestnut Praline Lattes. I wasn't sure after my first one, but now I'm hooked. It's going to be a sad day when the red cups and the holiday drinks are gone. As long as they don't take away my Peach Green Tea Lemonade, I'll still be a happy girl!

The new iPhone 7 came out a couple months ago and since I wasn't eligible for an upgrade, I tried to ignore it. Well, now, I am eligible for an upgrade and I'm DYING for the new iPhone 7 Plus! I never thought I'd want a Plus because I thought it would be too big, but now I think I need it for the amazing camera. I mean, I don't have a real camera, so the camera portion of the phone is very important to me and I hear the 7 Plus's camera is SIGNIFICANTLY better than the regular 7. So maybe this should be under the need category too? ;)

I'd really love a dutch oven. My mother in law has one and makes the most amazing meals in it and I'd love to recreate them at home so we could have them on days other than Sunday family dinner night. They are super expensive so I guess I wouldn't consider it a need, but I really do want one.

NEED

I'm just going to file this as a need - a Target gift card! I mean, what don't I need at Target? The answer is nothing - because I need everything! This would be a definite win if I found one of these in my stocking!

We are in desperate need of new pots and pans. The ones we have have definitely seen better days. These ones get great reviews on Costco's website, but I'm always open to suggestions!

I'm sure this should fall under the want category, but hey, everyone NEEDS waffles, right? Right. As much as Mason LOVES Eggo waffles (the blueberry kind to be exact), I'd love to have a real waffle maker to be able to make waffles on the weekends! No toaster kind for me!

WEAR

I've been DYING for a Kendra Scott necklace for forever but just couldn't pull the trigger and spend the money. This is kind of a cheat since I already bought it for myself (err, well TWO! Ha.) when they had a Black Friday sale last week, but I was so excited when Meghan helped me find this pendant necklace without the tassel! I mean, I love the tassel, but I feel like the tassel makes it more fancy, and well, I'm just not very fancy, so I was so happy to find out that they still sell the necklace without one! So happy in fact that with their 20% off sale, I bought two. I mean, free shipping and free returns? Why not?

Ok, this is kind of a cheat too (apparently I'm bad at buying myself presents and/or waiting until Christmas!), but I loved my brown Lucky Brand flats so much that when I saw that the black ones went on sale (on Amazon!) I had to buy them! They arrived yesterday and are pure perfection! I know these will get a lot of wear.

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you probably know that I love Stitch Fix. I got a gift card for my birthday last year, ordered my first fix, and have been hooked ever since. I mean, the fact that someone can send you jeans that fit PERFECTLY blows my mind and keeps me coming back. I mean, I can't even buy myself jeans that fit this good!

If you haven't tried Stitch Fix yet, I highly suggest you add a gift card to your Christmas wish list! Heck, just a $20 gift card will get you a free styling fee and then you can decide if you want to continue the service after you get your first box. (I was hooked after one box and actually JUST got my first 5/5 (!!!) after switching stylists recently. I can't wait to share that with you soon, but that's a post for another day.) Stitch Fix gift cards make excellent stocking stuffers!

READ

I'll be honest, I'm not a big reader. I don't think this comes as a surprise to most. But, I do love a good cookbook. This Mix and Match Mama Eats Cookbook or the new Skinnytaste Fast and Slow look amazing! Or, even though it would probably take me a year to read the whole thing, I'd love The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines!



Oh! And one more thing... to go along with the wear category (and quite possibly the want and need categories too!),  I'm super excited to be partnering with some other Stitch Fix bloggers to bring you one of the biggest Stitch Fix giveaways yet - a chance to win a $1000 Stitch Fix gift card!

Never tried Stitch Fix before? Why wait! This is the perfect opportunity to get yourself started! Already love Stitch Fix? Then you know just how good this giveaway is!

Enter on the rafflecopter below. Good luck!

This post contains affiliate links but, as always, all opinions are my own. If you use my affiliate link, I may receive a small commission.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LuLaRoe Online Pop Up - Tonight!

If there's one thing we can all agree on after last night's election, it's that we now need some retail therapy! #amiright

So, today, I'm excited to announce that I've partnered with Jess (the creator of the gorgeous bows in the Sadie Sky Boutique!) and new LuLaRoe consultant!

Now I know a lot of people are skeptical about LuLaRoe. Heck, I was in the beginning before I bought my first item! I had no idea what size to order (the sizing is a little off your normal sizing so it's hard to know what size to get). Some of the patterns are WAY outside my comfort zone! But seriously, you guys, I'm not even kidding when I tell you, Jess has the best inventory I've ever seen. She has a great mixture of solids, stripes, patterns, and basically you name it, she has it.

Since she only started as a consultant a week or so ago, I haven't had the opportunity to buy too many pieces from her (I only have two from her, but I've been thisclose to buying so many more!), but I did want to show you the pieces that I do have and how I style them. LuLaRoe pieces are super versatile and you can dress them up or down depending on where you are wearing them. Trip to the grocery store on the weekend? Dress it down. Work during the week? Dress it slightly up. Going to see a play on the weekend? Going to a wedding? Dress it up some more! Seriously. One piece can take you from a casual weekend at home to a night out on the town.

Currently, I only have two styles - the Carly (dress) and the Irma (shirt), but I took a few pictures to show you how I normally wear them and how I could wear them if I wanted to dress them up. I mostly wear them pretty casually because I don't go to fancy events and my work is super causal, but just by changing a few accessories and your shoes, you can totally dress up either one!

Let's start with the Carly.

Both of these are size XS. And I NEVER wear in XS in anything. But like I said, these run big. Jess is awesome at helping with sizes so as long as you know you'e regular size, she can totally help you!

Carly's are slightly longer in the back, which I LOVE. Bending down to pick up toys or talking to Mason or doing whatever, I never have to worry about the back of my dress being too short.

Left is size XS. // Right is size S.

I always thought that XS was my size. It fit and I felt good. And then I saw this one in Jess's shop and had to have it. But it was a size small. She told me not to worry, it would be fine, and you know what? It was fine! It's slightly longer in the front and back (see below for back) but not too long where I think it looks bad. In fact, if I didn't tell you that they were different sizes, I'm not sure you would even know.

Left is XS. // Right is S.

Notice slight length differences.

Add a scarf and sweater for Fall! (XS) // Casual look for the weekend with Converse. (XS) // Slightly more dressy with sandals for Summer. (S)

 And the Irma.

My go to size is an XXS. Again, I don't wear an XXS in anything nor have I ever. Or maybe since I was 10. But seriously, this size works perfect for me! 99.9% of the time, I wear them with jeans or shorts. But for variety sake, I opted to try them on with some leggings. This is an XXS black Irma with green one size (OS) leggings. While I would probably size up to a XS for length in the back, the XXS does cover my butt.

And MY GOSH was this the MOST comfortable outfit. EVER.

Another XXS Irma with OS black leggings.

XXS gray Irma with black jeans and Converse. Super casual yet still cute and put together. I tucked up the back so it didn't hang down.

Three ways to wear an Irma.

1 // Super casual with jeans and Converse.

2 // Slightly more dressy with a scarf and some flats.

3 // More dressy with a necklace and booties.

Left : I wore this to a birthday party this weekend. Super casual.

Right : With a scarf, jeans, and booties.

Two ways to wear an Irma.

1 // "Free flowing". The back hangs down over my butt.

2 // How I normally wear my Irmas, tucked under to look more like a "regular" shirt.

Want to try LuLaRoe but worried about sizes, fabrics, patterns, and colors? I've watched a couple of Jess's live sales and while she's not doing that tonight, she is insanely good at explaining colors and fabrics so if you have any questions, don't be scared to ask! She can tell you the blend of fabrics that a particular item is made out of, can tell you if the fabric has a texture (like ribbing), can send you a close up of the colors, whatever you need to feel comfortable with your purchase.

So, if you're interested in attending my online pop up tonight or even just interested in browsing Jess's inventory, you can find her group on Facebook here. You'll have to request to be added so leave a comment below so I know that you're interested and I can let her know to approve you.

Do you like LuLaRoe? 
What styles are your favorite?

[Scarf Exchange] Scarf Reveal + Link Up

I've been super excited about today's scarf reveal since we announced the scarf exchange. Scarves are my favorite (and the weather has finally cooperated and I've been able to wear one all week - all the praise hand emojis!) and I'm super excited about seeing what scarves everyone else got. I have a feeling I'll be adding lots of things to my holiday wish list!

As for me, I was paired with Sarah from Seeing All Sides. I was especially excited about finding out that she was my partner as she and I have become pretty close recently, text often, and I know we have similar scarf styles. She always looks so cute and I knew that I was in for a treat. And I was not disappointed!

Sarah sent me this gorgeous blue blanket scarf. To be honest, I don't have a blanket scarf but have always wanted one so I was super stoked to see that she sent me one. I do have to admit though that I did have to google (on Pinterest) how to tie it though! It's a little intimidating that it is so big, but once I figured out a couple styles that I liked, I was sold. I can't wait for it to get a little cooler so I can wear it more often!

Not only did Sarah send me this super cute scarf, but she also sent it in this adorable bag AND she sent me some of my favorite chocolates AND she sent Mason a present too! Seriously, how did I get so lucky?? Unfortunately for me, my package arrived during our heat wave and the chocolates were all melted BUT that didn't stop me. I put them in the fridge and they were good as new in a few hours and I ate them up a couple days later.

Sarah's present added to our already festive window!

Sarah, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I absolutely loved everything and am so excited for it to get cooler and to learn more ways to tie my scarf!

To see what I got Sarah, pop on over to her blog!

Did you participate in the scarf exchange with us? 
Link up with us below so we can see what you got!

An InLinkz Link-up

Announcing... Our Second Annual Fall Scarf Exchange!

For those of you who have been following me for a while, you know that I love scarves. LOVE THEM! I think in another life I must have lived somewhere cold because I love scarves so much. In fact, I would totally wear them year round if I wasn't so afraid of passing out from heat stroke. But enough of this Summer talk... it's officially Fall now and in my book, Fall = scarf weather (regardless of what Mother Nature says!) and I'm super excited to announce that our scarf exchange is back for the second year! Scarves are TOTALLY my thing and when Whitney asked if I was interested in co-hosting a scarf exchange with her and Courtney last Fall, I was totally in. I'm so excited that the ladies loved it as much as I did and that we can host this exchange again this year!

The basic idea of the scarf exchange is simple - you buy a scarf for someone and someone buys a scarf for you! And then in a couple weeks, you join us back here and share what you got so we can all swoon over your new scarf and add them to our Christmas lists :)

Here's how it works :

Step 1: If you're interested in participating in the exchange (which we hope you are!), please send me an email with a subject line of "2016 Scarf Exchange". Comments below are always welcome but WILL NOT include you in the exchange. Please make sure you send me an email at chasinmasonblog@gmail.com if you want to participate. In your email, please include your name, your email, your blog url (if you have one), your Instagram name (if you have one), and any other social media links that you'd like to share with your partner. Exchange is open to US residents only - so sorry! 

Sign ups will close on Saturday, October 1st at 11:59pm Pacific Time so please make sure you email me by then.

Step 2: Partner matches will be made on October 2nd and emails notifying you of who your partner is will be sent that night or on October 3rd.

Step 3: Please make contact with your partner by Friday, October 7th. You guys can discuss things like what kind of scarves you typically like (infinity, regular, etc), any fabric preferences or allergies to fabrics, etc. You can even share a picture of some scarves you already have to give your partner an idea of what kinds of scarves you typically like. I would also encourage you to check out your partner's social media handles and blog to get an idea of their style as well. You will exchange mailing addresses at this point.

Step 4: If you haven't received any contact from your partner by Saturday, October 8th, please email me at chasinmasonblog@gmail.com and I will try to contact your partner or match you up with someone else.

Step 5: Mail your packages by Monday, October 17th. That gives you a little over a week or so to go shopping and get the package in the mail.

Step 6: Come back and link up your blog post with us on Thursday, November 3rd showing us your goodies! No blog? No problem! Share your new scarf with us on social media with #FallScarfExchange16

A little bit of additional information :

• Please plan to spend about $20-25 BEFORE shipping on the scarf for your partner.
• As mentioned above, the exchange is open to US residents only.
• You do not need to be a blogger to participate. You can get to know your partner through email and social media.
• Please make sure that you can commit to all the dates and the cost before you sign up. You don't want to leave your partner cold and scarf-less this Fall and Winter!
• And please let me, Courtney, or Whitney know if you have any questions!

And in case you have any doubt about my love for scarves, I've rounded up a few of my favorites that I have on constant rotation throughout the Fall and Winter (and even Spring if I can get away with it).

My favorite place to shop for scarves is Nordstrom. You might think, whoa, that's out of my price range. But fear not! They have amazing, good quality, CUTE scarves for reasonable prices! A few of these I was gifted but the purple and the white ones I got there at the anniversary sale for less than $20! I also love Old Navy and Gap and some shops on Etsy have super cute ones too!

So, if you love scarves as much as Whitney, Courtney, and I, join us for our scarf exchange!

Beth at Our Pretty Little Girls | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram 

Liz at Chasin' Mason | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Jessica at Sweet Little Ones | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Ruthie at Rear. Release. Regroup. | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Justine at Full Hands, Full Heart
Sarah at Abiding In Grace | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Becky at BYBMG | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Laura at Life Is Beautiful | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Christina at Waltzing In Beauty | Pinterest | Instagram
Meghan at The Adventure Starts Here | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Tina at Go Big or Go Home | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Whitney at Polka Dotty Place | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

An InLinkz Link-up

Playing Fashion Blogger, the Perfect Shirt Extender, + a Giveaway!

While I'm far from it, every once in a while, I like to play fashion blogger. I know I'm no where near fashion blogger status because (1) ALL of my poses are the exact same and (2) my wardrobe is so boring and (3) I'm a terrible model!

With that introduction, aren't you excited to see what I have to say today?

HA!

But in all reality, yes, I am no fashion blogger BUT I do love to share a good deal or a service I love (I'm looking at you, Stitch Fix!). Today, I want to share a shop with you that I've abolustely fallen in love with -- Classic Dianne. From the very first time I heard Vanessa talk about these shirt extenders, I was in love. I quickly entered her giveaway and to my surprise, I won! I was SO excited. I had already been eyeing which one I wanted to buy if I didn't win and to my surprise, I was able to pick one out for myself, free of charge.

But like I was saying, before I knew I won the giveaway, I had been eyeing the extenders. You see. I HATE it when my shirts are too short. I've not purchased or purchased and later retuned MANY shirts because of the length. I've even started buying some shirts in the tall size JUST for the extra length. And speaking of extra length, if you've been following my blog or following me on Instagram for any length of time, you may notice that I LOVE layering. Like I'm obsessed. I pretty much cannot wear any shirt without layering. Yes, even when it's 100 degrees outside.

black lace shirt extender

I really can't describe it but I just feel so much more put together with the layered look. The outfit on the left just looks like it's missing something and I love how the shirt extender just gives the outfit that little extra bit of something with not only layering but the lacey-ness also. I also think just the little bit of lace sticking out of the bottom gives the outfit that little extra something to make it a little bit more fancy than just a t-shirt and shorts, while still being casual at the same time.

My favorite part of the shirt extender is that it is worn around your waist. I love the fact that this makes it totally customizable for each individual person. While the extenders come in one length, the fact that you can pull it up a bit or roll the waist band lets just a little bit of lace peek out or let's you fully show off the lace in all it's glory. In the first picture, I had pulled it up a bit so it wasn't quite so long with my shorts. However, if I was wearing pants, I would have pulled it all the way down around my hips where my pants lay. Then in the second picture, I pulled it down a bit to show another option and to show where it should fall.

scalloped lace dress extender

The dress extender also fits around your waist which I found to be perfect. I didn't need to pull it up or roll the waistband because the extender fit perfectly. This dress or should I say "dress" I have literally NEVER worn as a dress because I feel like it's too short for me. I'm pretty self conscious when it comes to the length of dresses and have only worn this "dress" as a tunic with leggings. And now? Now I can't wait for fall in order to be able to wear 3/4 sleeves without sweating to death and to show off the cute white extender underneath!

These shirt and dress extenders have given new life to half the items in my closet. I am such a clothing hoarder because I love something, even if I haven't worn it in forever because "something is wrong with it". I literally haven't worn this pink shirt in forever and now I want to wear it everyday to show off the lacey extension underneath.

But don't be sold at my word... try them out for yourself! I'm SUPER excited to be able to offer a free shirt extender to one of my readers! I know you will love it as much as I do. All you have to do is enter on the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US residents only. All entries will be verified. Giveaway runs from Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 12:00am PST to Saturday, August 13, 2016 at 11:59pm PST. Winner will be notified by me on Sunday, August 14, 2016.

Can't wait to see if you won? (Did I mention I wish I could win my own giveaway? Because I REALLY want to get this black and white stripped asymmetrical extender, this asymmetrical floral extender, and this off white asymmetrical extender for myself!)
Use coupon code chasinmason to receive 15% off from August 9, 2016 to August 31, 2016!

A huge thank you to Classic Dianne for the free shirt and dress extenders and for the generous giveaway and coupon code. All opinions and bad modeling poses are my own.

An InLinkz Link-up

Announcing... a Fall Scarf Exchange!

You guys. This. This is my jam. I LOVE scarves! I think in another life I must have lived somewhere cold because I love scarves so much. In fact, I would totally wear them year round if I wasn't so afraid of passing out from heat stroke. But enough of this Summer talk... it's officially Fall now and in my book, Fall = scarf weather and I'm super excited to announce that this year, I am co-hosting a scarf exchange with Courtney and Whitney. Scarves are TOTALLY my thing and when Whitney asked if I'd be interested in co-hosting a scarf exchange with her and Courtney this Fall, I was totally in.

The basic idea of the scarf exchange is simple - you buy a scarf for someone and someone buys a scarf for you! And then in a couple weeks, you join us back here and share what you got so we can all swoon over your new scarf and add them to our Christmas lists :)

Here's how it works :

Step 1: If you're interested in participating in the exchange (which we hope you are!), please send me an email with a subject line of "2015 Scarf Exchange". Comments below are always welcome but WILL NOT include you in the exchange. Please make sure you send me an email at chasinmasonblog@gmail.com if you want to participate. Please include your name, your email, your blog url (if you have one), your Instagram name (if you have one), and any other social media links that you'd like to share with your partner. Please also include your country (exchange is open to US and Canada residents only) - this will help with the matching! 

Sign ups will close on Monday, October 5th at 9pm Pacific Time so please make sure you email me by then.

Step 2: Partner matches will be made on October 6th and emails notifying you of who your partner is will be sent that night or on October 7th.

Step 3: Please make contact with your partner by Monday, October 12th. You guys can discuss things like what kind of scarves you typically like (infinity, regular, etc), any fabric preferences or allergies to fabrics, etc. You can even share a picture of some scarves you already have to give your partner an idea of what kinds of scarves you typically like. I would also encourage you to check out your partner's social media handles and blog to get an idea as well. You'll also need to exchange addresses.

Step 4: If you haven't received any contact from your partner by Tuesday, October 13th, please email me at chasinmasonblog@gmail.com and I will match you up with someone else.

Step 5: Mail your packages by Monday, October 26th. That gives you 2 weeks to go shopping and get the package in the mail.

Step 6: Come back and link up your blog post with us on Tuesday, November 10th showing us your goodies! No blog? No problem! Share your new scarf with us on social media with #FallScarfExchange15

A little bit of additional information :

• Please plan to spend about $20-25 BEFORE shipping on the scarf for your partner.
• As mentioned above, the exchange is open to US and Canada residents only.
• You do not need to be a blogger to participate. You can get to know your partner through email and social media.
• Please make sure that you can commit to all the dates before you sign up. You don't want to leave your partner cold and scarf-less this Fall and Winter!
• And please let me, Courtney, or Whitney know if you have any questions!

And in case you have any doubt about my love for scarves, I've rounded up a few of my favorites that I have on constant rotation throughout the Fall and Winter (and even Spring if I can get away with it).

My favorite place to shop for scarves is Nordstrom. You might think, whoa, that's out of my price range. But fear not! They have amazing, good quality, CUTE scarves for reasonable prices! A few of these I was gifted but the purple and the white ones I got there at the anniversary sale for less than $20! I also love Old Navy and Gap and some shops on Etsy have super cute ones too!

So, if you love scarves as much as Whitney, Courtney, and I, join us for our scarf exchange!