Adventures with Stitch Fix: Box #2

I promise. Not all of my posts will be about Stitch Fix…

Box #2 was waiting for me at my doorstep when I got home from work today. Yippee!

If you want to read about the disaster that was Box #1, just click here. Tl;dr version: it sucked.

I’m happy to report that this fix was significantly better than the first. I mean, not that it had a lot of work to do to be better. I pretty much just needed to like at least one thing for this box to have been an improvement. And while I only decided to keep one item, I ultimately liked the direction the stylist went this time.

I eagerly unpacked the box and splayed all the items on my bed.

First impression? Loved the range of colors. I tend to be a black and white type of shopper so I enjoy the fact that there are colors here I wouldn’t normally pick for myself. Like that green sweater. Get on my body!

On to the individual items!

Item #1: Denna Skinny Jean

I am a HUGE fan of skinny jeans. I wear them all day erryday. They are a staple of my wardrobe. Was I stoked there was a pair in my box? Absolutely! Considering my last box contained an unfortunate pair of drab trousers, seeing these jeans in my box gave me hope that the stylists were paying attention to my feedback from Box #1.

Unfortunately, they were too big. Way too big. So back they go!

Item #2: Joanie Lace Detail Sleeveless Blouse

This blouse is gorgeous and the fabric is incredibly soft. And that lace detail. Love it! But, c’mon. $68 for a shirt that doesn’t have sleeves? It’d have to be the most amazing thing I’ve ever put on my body to justify that cost. And while it was very pretty, I wasn’t in love with it. So it also went in the “no” pile.

Item #3: Trinidad Chevron Striped Henley Blouse

Not much to say about this shirt other than that it was super drab. I like the overall style I guess. But there’s something about this shirt that was just… meh. Into the “no” pile it went to join everything else so far. Not looking good people.

Item #4: Corinna Striped Dolman Top

Awkward selfie is awkward.

Winner winner chicken dinner! Finally, a shirt I can get behind. Smiles were shared. High fives were had. Selfies were taken. Good times all around. To be honest, the shirt is nothing really special. It’s a fairly standard, run of the mill dolman top. But it fit beautifully, the color warmed my skin, and I can see it becoming a part of my work week rotation which is something I was hoping to get out of using Stitch Fix. I victoriously tossed it into the “yes” pile!

Item #5: Concord Striped Draped Pocket Cardigan

Oh cardigan. I wanted to love you so badly. These types of drapey cardigans pair so well with skinny jeans (which we’ve established I wear all the time). Unfortunately the draping in front was rather heavy and made me look about 5-10 pounds heavier than I am. That and the green was surprisingly not all that pretty against my skin. Bummer. I dejectedly put this one into the “no” pile.

So there you have it! To say this fix was better is an understatement. I’m happy I found at least one item so my $20 wasn’t a waste. And it seems like the stylists are paying attention to my profile updates and comments which is encouraging.

I signed up for another fix in April. This is getting dangerously close to becoming a monthly thing…

JLaw xx

Adventures with Stitch Fix: Anticipation

I got a happy little email in my inbox today:

For obvious reasons I have blocked out personal information. Don’t need no creepers showing up at my doorstep or intercepting my packages..

So Box #2 is on the way! Even thought my first box was a DISASTER (see post here), I can’t help but be excited for my next fix to show up. Oh the possibilities!

I coooooould cheat and log in to my account to see what will be inside my box. But where’s the fun in that?? So I will wait patiently for these goodies to show up at my doorstep. And I’ll be sure to update with pictures this time.

Stay tuned…

JLaw xx

Home Sweet Home

Candles and Chocolate

Adventures with Stitch Fix: Box #1

Recently a friend of mine introduced me to the idea behind Stitch Fix, “an online personal styling service for women”, or so says their website description.

Essentially you sign up, fill out a style survey, and pay a $20 styling fee. On a date of your choosing, a box of 5 items arrives at your doorstep and you have 3 days to try on the pieces in the comfort of you own home. Anything you like you can choose to buy and the initial $20 you paid goes toward your purchase. If you buy all 5 items, you receive a 25% discount. If you don’t like anything, you are simply out the $20 styling fee you initially paid. They even provide you with a prepaid return package you can use to send the items you don’t want back.

It’s actually a pretty brilliant concept.

I was stoked when my first box showed up on my doorstep at the end of January. Trying on clothes picked out for you in the comfort of your home just screams luxury and convenience, doesn’t it?

I pulled out the 5 hand picked items in my personal box…

…and my heart sank.

Heather grey trousers? A calf length chevron skirt? Two hideous, boxy shirts and another that looked like it *might* fit a child?

wat

I tried everything on. It didn’t get any better.

I’ll admit. Maaaaaaaybe my expectations were a little too high. I’d thoroughly researched Stitch Fix before signing up. There is a plethora of blogs where women document their “fixes” (examples here, here, and here). It seemed like every single blog I read raved about how spot on the sizes were, how innovative the styles were, how they were brought outside of their style comfort zones in a good way, blah blah blah.

Unfortunately I could not share in their enthusiasm. I have absolutely no need for trousers in my life, regardless of the fact that the ones they sent me were hideous and horribly unflattering. The chevron skirt came down to the top of calves which is an unflattering length on most people. And the tops made me feel like I had the fattest arms EVER since they were all tight in the arms, but then they were SUPER boxy and loose around the mid section. Do you want to be too small or too big, shirts? Make up your minds!

I had to laugh at the ridiculousness. It appeared they had the impression I was a frumpy, older business woman.

I threw all the items in disgust into the prepaid return package and didn’t look back.

I’ve had some time to think since then, and I decided to review my style profile. I can blame the stylists to a certain extent, but they had to have gleaned their information from somewhere, right? Where did it go so horribly wrong??!

And boy, upon review, my profile was a hot mess.

I could see why they thought I’d like trousers when I listed my position as management and that I wanted work clothes in every box as much as I could get. Little do they know I work at a family business and that college sweatshirts have been regularly known to make an appearance in the office.

I could see why they sent me horribly loose, short, boxy shirts when I listed my torso as short, noted that I preferred my tops loose, and chose the option that never under any circumstance would I show off my tummy.

It appears that perhaps I had given them the impression that I was, in fact, a frumpy, older business woman.

I’ve decided to give them another shot, namely because I referred a friend and have a $25 credit burning a hole in my pocket. That and I take some responsibility for the disaster that was my first box. I also feel that the boxes truly should get better the more feedback they receive.. and boy did I give them feedback.

Hopefully the revamped profile will help them send me a MUCH better selection.

You know the old saying “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”?

Here’s to hoping I’m not the fooled twice…

JLaw xx

Healthy Eating Woes

Healthy eating is hard. Literally.

I’m not sure if it’s a me problem, but I’ve always had problems making hard boiled eggs. They either come out too runny or overcooked. Each batch was different. I felt like I was playing a guessing game as to when to remove them from heat. And I wasn’t even sure when to put the eggs in the water. Do you start with them in the cold water and bring it to a boil? Do you drop them in when it’s boiling?? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!

I finally found a recipe that claimed to instruct how to make the perfect hard boiled egg. And apparently the secret is to bring water to a boil with the eggs already submerged and then.. wait for it… remove them from heat and cover them for 12 minutes. Wut?! Mind. Blown. I’d always left the eggs in the water with a rolling boil and then would take a stab at when to pull them off, thus the variations in cooked centers.

This is brilliant!

I made a batch last night and actually remembered to take one with me for breakfast this morning. Which is impressive. Come break I eagerly started to peel my egg. And then this happened:

Ummm.. my egg is disappearing…

Not only did I have to peel the egg a single, tiny piece at a time but as I peeled chunks of my egg came off with the shell! Grrrrrrrrrr……

I’m sure there’s literature out there on the web that can help me figure out how to avoid this in the cooking process as well as how to deal with it when it happens. But right now I’m still hungry since I lost 1/4th of my egg in the peeling process.

Annoyed.

Not only that but my strawberries had gone bad.

Oh mushy strawberries. Why do you delight in torturing me??

At least my coffee was delicious.

Healthy breakfast #fail.

JLaw xx

Monday… We Meet Again

I recently came across this post on Pinterest:

Of all the random crap I pin to my fitness board and promptly forget, this one actually stuck with me.

I definitely subscribe to the first idea. Never miss a Monday. When I workout on Monday, anything seems possible. Goals for eating right just seem easier to achieve. Goals for getting my butt to the gym multiple times during the week seem plausible. I feel at peace and accomplished when I workout on Mondays.

When I miss a Monday workout, I feel like a lazy slob. No joke. Mondays can be tough. Coming off a weekend, at times the first day back at work can feel like a drag. Oftentimes the last thing I want to even think about is working out.The idea of the elliptical can be cringe worthy.

Monday workouts are the cornerstone of me establishing a solid base for the week.

I can tell you this – at this moment, I don’t feel like working out. I’d rather go home after work, throw on sweats, and chow down on some leftovers. But you know what? I’m going to make myself go to the gym. Because Monday workouts are important.

That and I get to watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills while I workout….

Hooray Mondays!

JLaw xx

New Year’s Resolution: Book #1

I’m in the habit of “making” New Year’s resolutions only to forget within weeks what I resolved to do.

But not this year!

When I was younger, you couldn’t find me without my nose in a book. On long car rides, or even short ones, I was constantly reading. My reading was so excessive that I think it might have concerned my parents. Was I reading to avoid human interaction? Did I read so much because I lacked basic social skills? 

The simple reality was and remains that I love books. From their musty scent to the feeling of their weight in my hand, books elicit a feeling of sublime joy in me.

In college, I started as a bio major. I quickly noped that. I’ll give you one guess what my major ended up being. Haha just kidding. I’ll tell you. I majored in Literatures in English. Love me some Jane Austen!

In recent years, however, I have truly fallen away from reading. You are more likely to find me playing candy crush on my phone than turning a page. Nowadays I bundle up on the couch with a remote in my hands more often than a good book. I can’t remember the last time I even finished a book!

Not only that but I have found that my patience when it comes to reading has waned. When I read, I find my thoughts wandering. Impulsively I will pick up my phone in the middle of reading. Technology and my phone have become a type of addiction. This year, I would like to break that addiction.

So, for 2014, my New Year’s resolution is to read one book a month. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a start.

This morning I sat down and managed to finish book 1 of 12 for my reading challenge this year.

Book #1: The Hobbit

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” PREACH.

I mustache you a question… Is this book good?

So, I have a confession. I kind of cheated. I have read The Hobbit before. However, it was when I was in grade school and really all I remembered about it was the scene where Bilbo meets Gollum for the first time. Believe me, that was the stuff of nightmares. Re-reading that scene was just as terrifying as the first time. Goosebumps abounded!

I chose The Hobbit mainly because I wanted to re-read the book before the final movie comes out. Because let’s face it, 9 times out of 10 the book is better than the movie. Also, I’m a sucker for middle earth. Perhaps I’m revealing too much of my inner nerd, but what’s a little nerdiness between friends?

Without going into a detailed book report (haha remember those in grade school? come to think of it… I might have written one for this book….), I loved mostly everything about this book. I could go on for DAYZ about Tolkien’s use of language. It’s truly beautiful. And the world he creates is so frickin’ lush! Spooky, dark woodland romps? Check. Freakishly large spiders chasing you? *shivers* Check. Ginormous eagles swooping in to save the day? Check. Epic battles of epic proportions? Check check!

If you are familiar at all with Tolkien — and unless you’ve been living under a rock in recent years I’m sure you’ve at least heard of that little thing Peter Jackson brought to the big screen called The Lord of the Rings — do yourself a favor and read this book. NOW. To see where it all started and come to understand the masterful web Tolkein spun from the beginning is pretty awesome.

Ok. Book report done.

Next up: Book #2: Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon.

JLaw xx