Stitch Fix #7?

The Fix Where I Tried REALLY Hard...

I am starting this BEFORE my newest Stitch Fix arrives. I have been disappointed in the last few fixes, but I realized that I hadn't really been providing any feedback, and hadn't updated my Pinterest board, so I took some ownership on them not being awesome. So this time I wrote a detailed list of what I wanted and updated my Pinterest boards. Here is what I boards looked like when my fix was being styled:

I had notes of what I liked. When I look at this board I see lots of colorful tops, prints or solids with "dimension", lots of lace and some "chunkier" sweaters. Let's see what I end up with!!

RESULTS

My Fix arrived today. I am pleased at the attempt even though I don't love all the items. Here's what arrived:

41HAWTHORN Beckett V-Neck Blouse: This was everything I asked for. A little "funky", lots of colors, and really "my" colors! I am not sure it's the most flattering, but it makes me feel a little sassy and I love it.

I have clearly stated that I am good on jeans. I asked for a pair of distressed boyfriend SHORTS (though I realize they are out of season) and got these jeans instead. Not something I need. I scored an AWESOME pair (though a little big) at The Rack for $20, so I am set. It's the same jeans in all the photos.

KUT FROM THE KLOTH Haiden Distressed Straight Leg Jean

They fit well and are pretty stylish, but not something I need at all, so they are going back.

The next thing I asked for was a black top with "dimension" maybe lace, as I seem to be drawn to it. This top was a HORRID fit. I got some massive uniboob in the front and the beginning of back cleavage in the back. LOSE, LOSE! Honestly the photos are only up in the name of helping others! I am sure this would be cute on the right person, but that person is not me.

PAPERMOON Violeta Scallop Detail Blouse

Moving on to more unflattering pictures... I had said no "critter print", which I really took to mean animal prints, but apparently that extends to animals themselves. I had pinned a super cute top with birds as well as one with elephants. I guess I should have been more specific about "delicate" prints. This elephant top is not me and is shown with a sweater that is also not me. I can look like a grandmother, boobalicious, or like I am really wearing a sweater vest and not in a good way.

HEM & THREAD Trento Airy Knit Sweater Vest
PIXLEY Ellie Elephant Print Blouse

Overall, I was happier than the last couple fixes. I put more work into it, but we're getting a lot closer than we were, so that's a huge plus! I am going to make sure to DELETE old pins that I don't like, because I think that was a big problem.

So, what do you think? Have you tried Stitch Fix? Were you happy??

LAST Nodstrom Post!

For Reals!

I am waiting until ALL my stuff has been delivered to publish this, I can't bear to have more than four posts about this sale!

For anyone looking for the PERFECT Winter skirt, look no further. This is a great miniskirt to pair with leggings/tights, boots, anything. Some of you may remember the $100 stitch fix skirt (which I wear all the time) and this one is similar, but it's $21.90! Jolt Knit Bandage Skirt

This isn't a true black, it's kinda "heathered", but, it fits amazing and is something I will wear ALL the time! I am a Women's size 4/27 in most bottoms and bought a S in this. I realized later it was Junior sizing and I should have purchased a Medium. Oh well. It's tight, but not uncomfortable tight. I love it and will totally keep it. Go buy one NOW! You'll thank me later. I really do love everything about it.

It's shown here with a Vince sweater, which was just a random sale return, not part of the anniversary sale. After stalking lots of random fashion blogs, I came across this brand time after time. So, I looked online and OMG, SO EXPENSIVE. I might be willing to pay more for quality, but that means I'll spend $100 on something AWESOME. I am not going to spend $300 on a sweater! (don't worry the end of this story isn't that I bought a $300 sweater) I started stalking the Vince section of the Nordstrom because I heard that there were a lot of returns of items when the Anniversary Sale began. Sure enough I stumbled across this sweater. I bought a Medium because it was the only size they had. After trying on some other styles at Sacks Off Fifth, I realized I should have purchased a Small. However, it's SO COMFY, I might just keep it!



The next item I bought for my mom as a Christmas Gift. I had read some AMAZING things about the Barefoot Dreams Cardigan. I took it out of the bag and HAD to try it on. Seriously it's beyond soft. I kinda want to keep it for myself, but that wasn't the plan! My mom is about the same size as I am, maybe a couple of inches taller. I am not sure the fit is great. It's BEYOND soft and so comfy, but really not all that flattering. I am not sure if it's a return or not... Thoughts?

Barefoot Dreams Cardigan










I did a HUGE bunch of returns yesterday and will still have a few more random ones (things I bought in two colors and the top I bought two of so I could decide which pattern placement I liked better, oh and the THREE pairs of black booties, even though I am only keeping one!). I have a problem. And, if anyone has suggestions for a gift for my poor UPS guy, let me know (I assume it would be frowned upon to leave him a cold beer on the porch...)

Teacher Planner

The NEVER ENDING Search For the PERFECT PLANNER

Every year I search for a planner that will do everything I want it to do. There are a ton of basic lesson planners. This one from Amazon has been one of my favs for years. It is great for lesson planning, but I didn't love that I didn't have a monthly layout and there wasn't room for anything else. 

I have heard amazing things about Erin Condren (that's a referral link), but there are so many sections I won't use. I am not going to keep track of 150 kids birthdays. More if we consider how many changes I have to my schedule! That also means I am not going to keep my gradebook, attendance or seating charts in my planner. I feel like the planner is FABULOUS for elementary teachers, decent for MS teachers but less than ideal for a "traditional" HS teacher with 150+ students. Combine that with the cost, and I just can't see paying $60 for a planner when I am not going to use all of it. Yet, I was drawn. There are cool pockets, colorful stickers and I do like the layout of the day by day. 

So, I decided to create my own planner. I looked on etsy, Teacher's Pay Teacher's and just kept thinking, that would be great IF...There were so many that were close to perfect and I got a zillion great ideas from looking around. I went through three drafts and this is what I came up with!

My Planner!

I have a friend designing cover art for me, awesome! I have our yearly calendar as well as two pages of bell schedules. Seriously it took two pages. We have SO MANY DIFFERENT schedules! I also need to add in our A/B Block Schedule, but I don't have that yet.

Cover and Yearly Schedule

The pages of schedules are followed by 43 weeks of this layout! It's undated (because I didn't want to risk printing something and making a mistake!). I teach two different preps a day, so the left side boxes will be used for one class and the right hand side first two blocks for the other class and then the far right side gives me a to-do column. The bottom green box will be for weekend (SPEECH!) plans, or a list of things to print, who knows. I left it blank so I can see how I want to use it. 

I did order the Erin Condren Colorful Date Dots and Event Stickers so I can use those on all these pages. :-)

So many of these pages. So much copying and pasting!

Then we go to the month by month. I wanted all the months to be together rather than split up by the weeks. Does that make sense? Most of the "week at a glance" type planners have a March month followed by all the March weeks. Then an April month followed by all the April weeks, etc. I wanted all the months together so I can see it all together for class timing. So I have August-June month layouts.

Monthly layouts for August-June

This last part was just for me. I was watching you-tube videos of HS teachers talking about how they used their planner to its fullest. Most, if not all, of them said there were sections they just didn't use. One woman said she used the attendance section to keep track, not of daily attendance, but of when kids missed assessments. I got to thinking that my biggest issue last year was keeping track of kids who missed quizzes/tests. I typically wouldn't notice until it was graded and in the gradebook (which in some instances was like 2 weeks!). I did have WAY more Freshmen than usual last year, and many of them were NOT GOOD at telling me they missed a quiz, so by the time I noticed we were past that curriculum, making it harder for them to make it up. So I designed these pages to keep track of kids who are absent on a test or quiz day. I have a column for their name. The second is an abbreviation of my three preps, so I can circle what class they are in. Then, what quiz/test it was, the day they missed, the day they SAY they will make it up and a check for WHEN it gets in. I might put the date I get it back in that column because I think that will be beneficial for parent meetings. :-)

Checklist for Missing Tests/Quizzes

I am hoping that all coil binds are the same because I also ordered (from Erin Condren) some dividers for all these sections as well as some of their CoilClip connectors. Super fun! I love office supplies!

PHEW! This was my third design and by far my fav. I found a wonderful local print shop who can print it, in color, for about $25 and coil bind it with a clear front color and black linen/plastic back. Would love any feedback before I submit it to the copy place!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Cont...

Yep, there's still more... 

This is all but 3 items. Keep in mind a LOT of this is getting returned! Today most of the stuff I ordered In Store arrived. Most of the items were awesome, I think only one of these is getting returned.

First up is the second flannel-esque shirt.  This is the Hinge Check Cotton Shirt. The first top, from yesterday was HORRID. This one is exactly as I expect button up shirts to fit. This is a size Small and I feel like other than the ONE button, it fits well. I tried it unbuttoned and as long as I don't bend over, it's not bad! A lot of the sizes have sold out, so I am debating ordering the Medium to do a fit comparison. This is a closer fit than the model online...

The colors are me, and the lining is an adorable floral pattern! :-)

Next up was the Zella wrap that I was super stoked about. My store only had it in a Large and I was swimming in it, so I ordered a Small. Zella Studio Draped Wrap Top. I am just kinda meh about it. I really wanted to be excited about it, but feel like when I move, it started to look "wrong" and I have to fix it. I love the back length, makes it perfect with leggings, but the top part of the arms cuts at the bicep and it's tight there. Again, thinking maybe I need a Medium??











This top had to be one of the things I was most excited about. I had tried it on in store and they only had a Small. HOLY UNIBOOB. So I ordered a Medium online. Okay, I actually ordered two so I could choose the pattern placement. If you look on the Norstrom site as opposed to this photo, I much prefer the placement I got (fewer branches on the front)! This is the 1.State Sleeveless Peplum Top. I have never been a fan of the peplum style, but loved the print of this and it's actually flattering!

Shown with my one cardigan purchase!
NYDJ trouser pants I bought years ago, but similar to these.

Lastly is a Halogen Lace Skirt. I ordered a Petite length and typically when I do, I go up a size, so this is a 6P. I love that the lining is shorter than the lace, super cute! Given that I have SO MANY black and grey tops, I feel like the burgundy color will go with a lot of what I already own.  The waist sits SUPER high, but I am okay with it. I am also attempting to rock it with booties...

Phew, I am actually sick of trying on clothes! I am making my return pile, so I don't have to go in a bunch of times! I have two sweaters still arriving as well as the second placement of the floral top!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Part Three (yes, part THREE, no judgement)

SO MANY BOXES!

I think my UPS guys is shaking his head at me. EVERY item today arrived in its OWN box. Ugh. At least I can recycle them!

Part one of my reviews can be found here. This was an in store trip with a Personal Shopper. It was WAY more successful than my attempts to buy online myself.

Part two/shoe can be found here. I LOVE these shoes the more I see them! I am trying to restrain myself from getting the black ones as well.

First of all, my daughter's shoes arrived. Her school has strict regulations on shoe color and last year she wore her black patent leather mary janes almost EVERY day. We had some pretty cold days and I wanted to get her something that would keep her feet a bit toastier than mary janes. Not to mention she only wants to wear skirts/dresses so she only has tights with said shoes. I decided if she was going to wear them all the time, I would splurge on a pair of uggs and waterproof them. She tried them on and LOVED them. She was not happy I made her take them off. First of all, it was 100 degrees yesterday and second, I don't want them ruined or lost before school starts. She was sad that I wouldn't let her wear them, so she's currently watching The Cat In The Hat while sitting next to the box...

The first box I opened contained one of the two flannel-ish shirts I purchased. This is the Treasure & Bond Popover in Blue Cloud. I am wearing it in a Medium. I am trying not to let the fact that it's sold out sway my initial ICK (as shown here). 

The collar is all wrong. It's blocked by my hands, but if you go to the Nordstrom site you can see there is no real collar, it's just there... Maybe it's the wrong size, maybe it's because it was all crumpled up in the box and desperately needs an iron, but I don't feel like it does ANYTHING for me.

I don't think this is a keeper at all!

Next up is one of the items I KICKED myself for not ordering right away in the color I wanted. That's the Chelsea28 Pleated Trim Sweater. The Gray/Cream color combo sold out while I was deliberating. In fact, the moment I put this on, I went to order a size down to compare and there are ZERO XS options in any color. This is a small and I feel like because of the cut, a size down wouldn't do anything. It's not really connected in the back, the chiffon connects it and that can be pulled to fit two of me in there. I would HAVE to wear a cami underneath. You can see with my white shorts on how sheer it is all the way up. I am a HS teacher and have my back to the class when I write on the board and this is more than I would care to share at school, but would be super cute for a night out! Overall, I love the sweater and it's REALLY comfy. When you're not holding your arm out, it doesn't look ginormous from the back, I promise! I'm working on this whole showcasing clothing thing, but look at the Nordstrom photos for a flattering back shot!

Next up, was this Halogen Boucle Knit Drape Dollar Jacket. This is a Petite Medium and that might have a lot to do with how badly it fits. I knew the regular sleeves would be too long, so I ordered the petite, but when I look at the online photos, I think this one is cut too short, despite my complete lack of torso.

Also, don't be jealous of my aca-awesome Pitch Perfect Tee. :-)

I would have changed my shirt, but my goal was a jacket I could throw over a Tee and dress it up. It likely would be a solid color, or word-free tee, but changing seemed like way too much effort! :-)








Open or closed, it's not flattering and is being RETURNED!

Earrings last! There were two pairs I purchased, the first were a very basic silver earring. At just under $16 they are a total keeper. I love the style and am thinking of purchasing a few more pairs for Holiday Gifts. They are "larger", but so simple that they don't overwhelm. Nordstrom Crisscross Hoop.

Last was a pair of Rebecca Minkoff Triangle Drop Earrings.
I have had a thing for Rose Gold recently, so had to try them. These were Rose Gold and a little funky. Since they are fairly small, I think it works!


Phew, I think that's it for now! There are still 7 more items en route. I am sure they will all arrive... In their own boxes!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Part Shoe

Hahah, I love my own puns

No sooner had I clicked "publish" did my doorbell ring. Luckily it was USPS not UPS, so I am spared another embarrassing visit from the UPS guy. Seriously, how do they stay in business when they ship EVERYTHING in its own box? On the plus side, these arrived in two days, which is SHOCKING. Typically my Nordstrom orders take much longer. All the reviews said to size down, but these feel a little tight, nothing horrible, but are they worth spending the time on breaking in??

Halogen Olson Pointy Toe Studded T-strap Flat

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2015!

Shopping Time!

I enjoy a good sale. As I have gotten older I have begun to appreciate quality over quantity. Don't get me wrong, I want ALL the clothes, but I am willing to pay more to get something that fits well. About 5 years ago I learned that Nordstrom would hem all their pants for free, so I started buying pants there! Anyone who has a tough time finding clothes that fit correctly can understand the advantage of a good alteration! Plus, if it sits in my closet for 6 months and I never wear it, I can return it! Win, Win, Win. In any instance, each year I get excited for the Anniversary Sale. I try not to get too hyped on the "sale" part and make good choices. Last year was a BUST, I found next to nothing for myself, but my husband got a lot of "grown-up" clothes (as opposed to the stuff he wore in High School). This year I was determined to find some good clothes. Almost 5 years ago I had my breast reduction (best thing EVER), so I don't have a large stockpile of clothes. Plus, with my changing size, a lot of the stuff I had purchased right after surgery doesn't fit now. This is why I have lots of shoes, they always fit! :-)

This past March as a birthday treat, I met with a personal shopper from Nordstrom. It's a free service and I will say the only bad part was that everything she brought me fit well! It was hard to narrow everything down, but awesome at the same time! I had been using Stitch Fix, which I love, but I hated that I couldn't exchange sizes when I needed to. Susie at Nordstrom has been fabulous and I set up an appointment with her for the Anniversary Sale this year. I couldn't get in during pre-sale time, but I went today and was not disappointed! I swear I bought some things in color, but they are all being shipped, so I will have another blog entry when that all arrives (in separate boxes I am sure. I think I need to make cookies for my UPS guy).

Here's what I walked away with (forgive my bathroom pics, it's the only full length mirror in the house!). Let me know your thoughts!

I am way not fancy enough to have affiliate links, so clicking on these will not give me any benefit, I just wanted to share what I found and get some feedback outside of the dressing room and away from the hype!

First off was this sweater. Trouve zip-neck Sweater. She brought it to me in the forest green color, but that was all kinds of wrong. Then she brought it in the light gray which I really liked. She had me try on a Small, which looked good, but she told me it was too big and brought in the XS. Now, those of you that know me, know that I am not an XS anything, BUT she was right. It fit better. That alone is why I love the personal shopper. She knows how things should look and when it fits better I will wear it more! I love the side slits and the length.

The pants are Kut From The Kloth Diana Pant which I am wearing in a 4P and love the length. They were my ONLY online purchase that fit well. There will be no photos of the dresses I bought online that made me look pregnant.

The shoes, Via Spiga Tasa Sandal, I think, sadly, are going back. The left one is cutting into my big toe! If anyone has spied good neutral bootie-esque shoes, let me know!

One of my main goals with working with a personal shopper is to try on things I would otherwise never try on. Enter the leopard skirt. This was not part of the anniversary sale, but totally not me, yet flattering. This is another maybe. I tried it on with the booties (more info on those in a moment) and with the heels. I think this length needs heels (on me).

So, while the skirt is a firm maybe (not sure I have the right top, not sure the one I am wearing works...), the top shown here is a fav of mine. I bought two similar ones a couple of years ago in purple and grey. It's a flattering fit and I love it with the black skinny pants and a better necklace, or a scarf. The top is Pleione Mixed-Media V-neck Tunic. I am wearing the "regular" not petite, size Small. This is much more flattering than the pictures!

Onto the booties. I have two pairs of heeled booties and a great pair of tall black boots, but thought these were much more casual, so would get more wear! Plus great, when I don't want to wear heels. Franco Sarto Granite Bootie.

I also tried the skirt on with heels (again, probably not keeping these, but the height gives you an idea of what it looks like with a heel. I paired it with a very basic top and a cardigan. My friends, you would be proud, I only purchased ONE cardigan this year (and I got rid of four from my closet that don't fit right anymore!).

Top: Halogen Side-Slit Long Scoop Neck Tee

Cardigan: Halogen Lightweight V-neck Cardigan

And no, I would not wear this outfit all together. Again, not sure I have the right tops for this skirt. The more I type about it, the more I think it might be going back. Unless of course someone can convince me that it looks good! :-)

I know this is all very black/grey, but I swear some color is coming! Several items were not in my size, but here is what is on order (hopefully it fits when it arrives)

Halogen Lace Pencil Skirt - In Burgundy
1.State Sleeveless Peplum Top - I tried this on in a small, but couldn't breathe, it was SUPER cute, so I am hoping the Medium I ordered fits better.
Hinge Check Cotton Shirt and Treasure & Bond Plaid high-low Popover Top (in the blue cloud color). We will see which one fits better when they arrive, I won't be keeping both!
Zella Studio Draped Wrap Top - This they only had in a large and it was WAY too big. I am not sure when it arrives how it will look, but I am hoping comfy, cozy!

Phew! That's it! What are your thoughts? Did you find anything awesome at the sale that I should check out when I make my returns?!

Homemaker Day!

Home Ec at Home!

The kids lost screen time a while ago. Their attitudes when we had to turn things off, the badgering, and fighting was too much, so they went away. We bring out ipads from time to time for 30-60min stints when it's earned (or needed!), but it's certainly not at the level it used to be. It's both good and bad, but for the most part it forces us to BE with our kids more. Frustrating at times, but isn't that what parenting is? :-)

Despite the weekend, today is a solo-parenting day. Temping to take back out the computers, but I know it's not for the best. Rather we are having a home ec kind of day! We are starting sewing lessons and making homemade ice cream.

Sewing - Lesson One

Set Up!

We attempted a sewing craft a year ago, but the kids got frustrated with having to cut fabric and we never even got to the sewing part. So, this summer we are beginning sewing lessons. I started by taking the needle OUT of my old machine and getting it set up at a kid-friendly height. I googled "sewing machine paper practice sheets" and after a trip to Costco for paper (it had somehow all disappeared from the printer), printed some out. I found a slew of ones I liked on The Sewing Geek website. I printed four of them for each kid and we went to work. The first issue was making sure they could operate the machine safely. I set them up at our front "junk" table and put the foot pedal on a stool so they could reach it.


We began with the straight line (no thread, no needle) and talked about how the machine works. How it goes faster/slower, how the pressure foot works and where to keep your hands so you stay safe. At this point their craziness payed off as they distracted each other. I was able to point out when they weren't concentrating without having to worry about a needed sticking them!

They were decent at taking turns, which was nice. That's not always the case. One we all had two turns with straight lines with no needle, we took a break. I think I needed the break more than they did. Our break consisted of making ice cream, which is continued at the bottom of this page!

Sewing - Lesson One (and a half)

I had planned on making this two days, but I was bored and they were interested, so I put in thread and a needle. I am happy to say that no one sewed their finger! We did the same straight lines we had practiced before. We worked on putting the pressure foot down, turning the needed down, then getting positioned before starting. Then when we were done, putting the needle up, pressure foot up and pulling the paper out. I still trimmed all the threads, lest they accidentally cut their PAPER with my SEWING SCISSORS.

All three of them did a great job. I was really happy with their progress. We are making pillow cases as our first project since it's all straight lines. I feel like as soon as I can cut their fabric, we are going to be ready! We'll do another few sessions of paper practice, then hit the fabric! I can't wait.

We have the pillowcases up first, and then "sleeping bags" for a stuffed animal. Knowing my luck they are going to want to make one for their HUGE bears. I think I will encourage them to pick one of their smaller animals so we can make the project bear(ha!)able.

First Practice Pages

Zachary's Lines	Annabelle's Lines	Logan's Lines

Ice Cream!

Our sewing breaks today were interspersed with ice cream making. I found the recipe online and it seemed simple enough. All you need are two ziploc bags, one quart size (though I think sandwich would work) and one gallon size and just a few ingredients. You can also use two coffee cans, but we don't have any!

            Take the smaller ziploc and put in:

                     1/2 cup of Half and Half

                     1 tablespoon sugar

                     1/4 teaspoon vanilla

            Place the smaller ziploc into the larger one. 

            Surround the smaller one with:

                     3 cups ice

                     1/3 cup coarse/rock salt (we bought "ice cream" salt at Fred Meyer)

Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake. Shake your ice cream. Shake your ice cream. (singing is optional, but encouraged).

It should take about 10-15 min to "set". The vanilla took much longer because the kids were in charge. While they were "working" I set to work on a fresh strawberry version. I put strawberries (the remainder of what I had in the fridge) in with the half and half, sugar and vanilla and blended it up quickly before putting it in the ziploc. When we went to eat it, I felt like it was TART and needed a little more sugar, so I put whipped cream on top. The kids loved it!