[Stitch Fix] Fix #5

I got this fix a little over a month ago and I'm embarrassed that it's taken me so long to blog it. I really should sit down and do it right after I get it because I can always remember fit/style preferences and issues best right after the fact. But, alas, life got in the way. #bloggerproblems

Regardless, I'm sharing now! This month I also got a new photographer (and spoiler alert : it's not me, my iPhone, and my mirror!) so hopefully you like pictures!

In case you haven't heard of Stitch Fix, it's basically a personal shopping service. You fill out your online profile by answering some questions about likes/dislikes, style, sizing, etc and then can write a note about what you're interested in as well as link a Pinterest style board to help your stylist know what you're looking for and what you're style is. Then your personal stylist gathers some items that she thinks you'd like and sends them to you. You try them on in the comfort of your own home and decide what you do and don't want to keep and then you have three days to send back whatever you don't want. Easy peasy! The styling fee is $20 and if you send back all the items, you lose the $20. If you keep one (or more) items, they deduct the $20 styling fee from your total and you pay the difference. And if you keep all five items, they deduct the $20 from the total and you get a 25% discount on all the items. Pretty great! If you're interested in signing up, if you want to use my referral code then I'll get small credit to my account and will be forever grateful.

This fix... like my past couple fixes, I wasn't 100% sure about. When I opened the box, at first I was excited but then I was a little worried because... pattern. But, they say don't judge a book by it's cover (or a fix by it's... first glance?) so I took the clothes out, looked at my style card, and tried them on. And to my surprise... I liked almost everything!

So, now... on to my fix! I normally try to include as much information as possible in case my stylist (hi Amy!) reads my blog and/or in case I could help other's with sizing and stuff for their potential future fixes, but I seem to have misplaced the receipt they send with the fix so I don't have prices this time. I'm not sure that it really matters, but just a little disclaimer.

Market & Spruce | Careen V-Neck Dolman Knit Top | Size : M

Did someone say dolman? If you don't know about my love for the dolman style, you should reference here and here, because literally, if it has the word 'dolman' in the name, I'm pretty much keeping it. The only exception was here when I felt that the material wasn't good enough quality for the money. But anyway, back to the dolman. I loved that this dolman was gray. The other ones that I have are blue with black stripes and solid black, so the color being different (albeit another neutral color) was already on it's way to winning my heart over. Then I tried it on, and I was sold. I will admit, it is not the most exciting shirt ever, BUT it is one of the most comfortable and one of the most flattering styles I've ever worn, so in to my closet it went.

Verdict : Kept.


Market & Spruce | Elaine Ikat Print Pocket-Front Knit Shirt | Size : M

Market & Spruce is the maker of all the dolmans that I LOVE so I had high hopes for this shirt. At first glance, I didn't love the pattern, but again, I didn't want to rule it out without trying it on. So I tried it on... and ruled it out. The pattern wasn't what pushed me over the edge though, it was the fit. I felt like it didn't "do anything for me" and kind of hung poorly. I didn't like that it was longer in the front than in the back (isn't the style the opposite?) and felt like it was too boxy. It was, however, VERY soft, so it had that going for it, but I didn't like the material enough to overlook the fit issues.

Verdict : Returned.


Kut from Kloth | Corynne Distressed Boyfriend Short | Size : 10

Shorts. Yes, shorts. In this fix I had asked for more warmer weather clothes. At the point that I got the fix, the weather was crazy hot (think 80's in February) and I figured summer was on the horizon in California. I normally don't wear shorts, even in the summer, EVER but sometimes it is just THAT hot that you need shorts. Plus, now that I have work events outside, when it is 100+ degrees in the summer, I just can't stand to wear jeans and no matter how white my legs are, I will wear shorts. I saw some 'Dear John' shorts on Pinterest and pinned a bunch for my stylist to see, but she said they didn't have any in stock. I was a little bummed until I tried these Kut from Kloth shorts on...

I LOVED THESE SHORTS. LOVED. And I've never said that about any shorts EVER before. (Can you tell that I kept the shorts???) When I put them on, I immediately loved the material. Now while they are denim material, they are a softer denim. I don't quite know how to explain it, but they were so comfortable. I loved the length, I loved the material, and I loved the slight distressing. I felt that they were so flattering, especially on my (ahem) butt and legs. I don't even know what else to say, but these shorts were perfection.

Verdict : Kept.


Loveappella | Carlita Jersey Maxi Dress | Size : M

In my fix, I had asked for a dress, preferably a maxi dress. Like I mentioned above, I don't overly love my legs and they are very white, so I usually steer clear of shorter dresses (though sometimes when it's 100 degrees, you just have to - like with the shorts). I had pinned a few different styles that I liked - most of them being plain on the top, pattern on the bottom, and having short sleeves. I prefer to wear a real bra (vs strapless) whenever possible, so I'd prefer my dresses to have either thicker straps or short sleeves. Unfortunately, I guess they didn't have any of those styles, so my stylist sent me this Loveappella dress. At first glance, my first thought was "HOLY PATTERN", but once I tried it on, I liked it a lot more. In fact, looking back on this picture kind of makes me wish I kept it. Kind of.

I've never worn so much pattern probably since I was 10. I don't know why, but I feel like patterns like this are so loud and make me stand out, and I don't really like all the attention. But once I tried it on, it was so comfortable that I forgot how much pattern it was. I don't know if you've ever worn a Loveappella shirt or dress, but the material is SO SOFT and so comfortable. I did find that the dress was a little low cut for my liking but I had a little white bandeau that I wore under it and it covered me up nicely. My main problem with this dress was the sleeves though - or lack there of. It was tank top style and I definitely couldn't wear a real bra with it.

I was on the fence about this dress but ultimately decided to return it because of the strap issue and because of the price. I don't have the paper to refer to for the exact pricing but I think it was $78 and I didn't think I would get $78 worth of wear out of it. But, I will tell you, this dress made me realize that I need to not be so closed minded about patterns because I loved the look of this dress once I put it on!

Verdict : Returned.


Liverpool | Kolten Denim Jacket | Size : M/10 

I had asked for a blue denim jacket in my fix because I thought it would look cute over some of the maxi dresses that I already have for when it's warm during the day but still cold in the morning. Unfortunately they didn't have any blue denim jackets so my stylist sent me a black denim jacket. At first I was disappointed, especially since most of my maxis are navy blue or black and I didn't think that a black jacket would be the best choice. Once I tried it on though, I almost changed my mind. This was one of the most comfortable jackets I've ever tried on. With jackets, I almost always have the problem with moving my arms. You know, when your jacket fits when your arms are down but when you lift them (or lift your child), you feel like you are going to rip the jacket. No? Just me? Well anyway, I have the hardest time finding a jacket that fits with my arms down and with raising my arms. This jacket did just that! It had the right amount of stretch that it was comfortable, but was just enough denim to give me that part of the style that I was looking for.

Ultimately it was the price that made me send it back (it was $98!) and the fact that I didn't think i would wear it as often as I originally thought to make spending the money worthwhile.

Verdict : Returned.


So, if you're keeping track, overall, I ended up keeping 2 out of my 5 items! (And it was almost a 4 out of 5 except for a few things!). I kind of regret sending the dress back, but I do feel good about my choices! And, as always, I'm excited for my next fix to arrive!

So, tell me... do you agree with my choices? Would you have kept any of the items?

Linking up with Maria from Crazy Together.

The Bridal Shower Weekend that Started with the Cops Arresting Someone on my Plane.

Also known as, the longest blog post title. Ever.

So, let me explain. I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding in May and this weekend was the bridal shower in Sacramento. I had to work all day Friday so I took the late flight. My mother in law went up early on Wednesday and my sister in law and nieces went up earlier in the day on Friday (thank GOODNESS, but I'll get to that later).

My flight was at 8:35pm. Everything was fine until we started pulling away from the gate. I got to the airport and through security quickly. I stopped to get some snacks and a water just fine. Boarding the plane went smoothly. We started to pull away from the gate and then... someone in the front decided to stand up. As we were moving. He was probably in row 3 or 4 and literally got up, started texting on his phone, and walked to the front of the plane, right outside the cock pit. Since we were moving, we hit a small bump in the ground, and he fell backwards and hit the little cubbies they store the snacks in. I guess the flight attendants were at the back of the plane because the people at the front started yelling at him to sit down.... which severely agitated him. He started cussing and yelling. People told him to sit down again and some lady started yelling "he's clearly not ok!!!". I had NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON and to be honest, I was getting scared.

Someone else yelled to the flight attendants that we needed help. They slowly sauntered toward the front and kind of... did nothing. Various other people started yelling and cussing and I don't even know what was happening but he started yelling at some guy saying "I make 4 million dollars a year and am 28 years old, what do you do with your life?" At this point I was still confused and scared but I was also thinking... if you make $4 million a year... why are you on a Jet Blue flight and not in your own private plane? But you know, whatever. Maybe he's frugal?

At this point the flight attendants made their way to the phone and called the pilot to head back to the airport BUT at the same time, the guy decided that he wanted off the plane NOW so he ran down the aisle to the emergency exit row (right behind me!!!) and literally jumped in the lap of the guy sitting by the exit. The guy was clearly pissed and yelled at the guy to get off of him, which pissed him off even more. He threw himself against the emergency exit door and tried to open it. I, again, was terrified. He was RIGHT BEHIND me and I thought he was going to start throwing punches. Also at this point, I swear every person in the plane (at least within my immediate sight range) was taping it. I'm sure Twitter and snapchat and Facebook were blowing up with videos of this guy. Me? I was texting Seth and my sister in law but was NO WAY taking a video or trying to get anywhere near this guys radar. The cops FINALLY came on board and took the guy away as he yelled "don't touch me!" and the cops yelled "I'll touch you wherever I want" (awkward). As the cops are taking him off the plane, there are people literally sticking their phones IN HIS FACE. I think to myself that these people have got to be crazy, but whatever floats your boat. People yelled for the cops to take the guy's backpack. They do.

THEN they proceed to kick off various other people, probably 2-3 more, who talked back to the cops and were causing major disturbance. Then, before they leave, they ask if anyone else wants to leave. Everyone remains quiet. The cops leave and people literally start cheering and clapping. I swear I have NEVER EVER experienced anything like that in my life nor do I want to EVER. AGAIN.

FINALLY. We were on our way. And surprisingly, only 10 minutes late!

I arrived in Sacramento around 10:05pm and boy did I have a story to tell! I think the guy that got kicked off (oh, and taken away in a cop car straight off the tar mack) must have been super drunk or on some thing because he was acting crazy. I mean, who just gets up as the plane is getting ready to take off? I thank my lucky stars that this happened BEFORE we were in the air because I don't even want to think about what would have happened. I honestly think the flight attendants did not know what to do because the lady next to me told one of them that they handled the situation very professionally and he said "thank you, I literally didn't know what to do." #ifeelsosafe

The rest of the weekend was thankfully a LOT less eventful, but we did have a beautiful bridal shower on Saturday afternoon and lots of girl time! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Also, I'd like to note that we rented a van for the weekend. We joked all weekend about it being a minivan since I feel like minivan's typically get a bad wrap. BUT I will say this. The minivan had SO MUCH LEG ROOM in the middle row that I was literally so amazed. I texted Seth this picture and told him how impressed I was and how much leg room and trunk space there was. He said we can't get one. For the record, I don't want one BUT I do have a new respect for them!

Saturday night we went out to dinner at a mexican place and I had an amazing pomegranate margarita.

And Sunday we had brunch and lots of girl time before we headed back to the airport for our extremely uneventful (all the praise hand emojis) flight home.

The highlights of my night were Mason running to me at the airport and reading books to him at night. As much fun as I had this weekend celebrating bride to be Ally, coming home to my boys felt pretty dang good too.

[Thoughts on Thursday] Confessions.

Time for another confession session!

I must confess...

... that I did not turn on one post notification during that whole Instagram algorithm fiasco. Ain't nobody got time for that.

... that I don't understand how people snapchat WHILE driving. I mean, that can't be safe!

... that sometimes I park further away from the store that I'm going to so I can get more "exercise". I use that term loosely but it's pretty much the only exercise that I get during the day (#keepingitreal), so at least I feel slightly better about myself for getting a few extra steps in.

... that I cut up a fresh pineapple a couple weeks ago and we didn't eat it as fast as we should have, so I threw it in the freezer in a plastic bag. BUT what I didn't think about is that fresh pineapple is juicy and they froze into one large ice block of pineapple. I've been making smoothies in the morning and had to use an ice chisel (aka a butter knife LOL) to break it apart to eat.

... that the only brand of ranch dressing that I like is Hidden Valley Ranch. I don't know why, but I've tried other kinds and they just don't measure up. 

... that a couple weeks ago Seth and I (honestly, mostly Seth!) realized that the back up weather man on our local news station was the "weather man" from Ali's season of the bachelorette!

... that if I don't know who you are, I probably won't answer the phone. I've been getting a lot of random numbers calling me lately and I just don't answer. If it's important, I figure that they'll leave a message and I can call them back.

and last but not least...

... that yesterday at the post office, I had my first rude encounter. Most people comment on how cute Mason is helping with the mail, but not this lady. I was minding my own business, having Mason put the letters into the slot when an older (maybe 80's?) woman walked up behind me. I didn't even hear her at first and then she said "can we hurry up? some of us have places to be." I was so shocked that I just said "there's another slot right here" and pointed to the right - there are 3 slots and I was using the middle one. She so politely said "I ONLY use the middle one." Well ok lady. So I told Mason to scoot over and we moved out of the way so she could put her letter in the middle slot. She then said "you know, he shouldn't be up there. it's not safe." It was then that I was even MORE shocked. I didn't correct you on your attitude problem, you don't need to correct me on my parenting, thank you very much. I didn't even know what to say so I didn't say anything to her and just prompted Mason to continue putting the letters in the slot. Had she come in a few minutes earlier when I had stepped away to take a picture of Mason, mayyyyyybe I could understand her suggestion. BUT when she saw me I was literally thisclose to Mason while he was putting the letters in. He was fine. And should he have lost his balance, I would have caught him.

Thanks but no thanks for your unsolicited advice lady.

Rant over.

And that's all I've got for today! Can you relate to any of my confessions?

Foodie for a Year : April [a brunch recipe]

The recipe I want to share with you today is not really much of a recipe at all. It's more of a bunch of ingredients that you put together on top of a bagel to create a delicious breakfast/brunch meal. It also makes for a great, quick, weeknight dinner if you have leftovers!

Lox and bagels!

But first things first. What really makes a brunch a brunch is the drinks. We celebrated brunch on this particular day on Easter Sunday with my dad and step mom, who were visiting for the weekend. A couple weeks prior, we had had mimosas and bloody Mary's for a brunch celebration for Seth's birthday and I knew we needed them again on this day. I'm not picky with my champagne for the mimosas (hence the Andre), but you could definitely spend a little more money and get something a little classier.

I personally don't really like tomato juice, so I stuck to my mimosa, but the other adults opted for the bloody Mary's and weren't sorry.

As much as I would have loved to just have a variety of mimosas for brunch, we did have food too! We stuck to a simple spread of lox and bagels. We got all of the ingredients at Costco and loved that we picked up everything we needed at one stop. These lox were some of the best I've ever had (isn't everything at Costco just the best??). I love to pair it with an everything bagel, topped with cream cheese and tomato and on this particular day... avocado as well! Avocado is one of my very favorite things so I don't know why it took me so long to pair it with lox and bagels. Needless to say, I helped myself to seconds.

This is a simple, easy brunch recipe sure to satisfy all of your guests! It was even toddler tested and toddler approved. #winning.

While lox and bagels is one of my all time favorite brunch meals, I also love to have challah french toast (THE best), pancakes or waffles, or even just a good omelet on occasion for brunch. We don't really do "fancy" very often, but when we do, it's always one of my favorites! I also have TONS of ideas pinned to one of my various Pinterest boards that I'd love to try one day, but that requires a bit more thought and preparation. Maybe one day!

Don't forget to mark your calendars... our next Foodie for a Year link up is on June 7th! On June 7th, we'll be sharing a favorite summer recipe!

And in case you forgot to mark your calendars for the rest of the link ups :

Courtney, Jamie, Jamie, Sarah, Whitney, and I are excited that you wanted to share a brunch related recipe with us! Don't forget to add your link below so we can check it out!

An InLinkz Link-up