Stitch Fix Review

 

A few weeks ago, I was at the beach and a friend told me about one of those monthly mail services called Stitch Fix.  For those of you who don’t know, Stitch Fix is a company that sends you a package with five clothing or accessory items that are personalized to you based on your style profile.  There is a $20 styling fee for this service, but shipping is free.  When the items come, you try them on at home (with the clothing you already have) and send back what you do not want to purchase within three days.  Your $20 styling fee goes towards whatever you purchase, so you only lose it if you do not buy any of the items, and if you buy all five, you get a 25% discount.

So I pretty much immediately signed up, filled out my style profile and requested a Fix, and updated my Pinterest boards (the stylist checks the board you link for inspiration).  When one day I logged in and saw that my Fix was being created and should be to me by June 20th, I was so excited and happy!  I received my package on June 21st, one day late, my boyfriend had to remind me to reclaim my happy.  I was pretty impressed!

This is what it looks like when you unpack the box.  There is the clothing/accessories, the pre-paid return pouch, a style guide for how each item can be styled differently, a pricing guide/receipt, and a cute personalized note from your stylist.  My stylist this time was Karen and she sent me a note welcoming me to the Stitch Fix family.  She also described each piece she sent and why she picked it for me.  How wonderful is that?

The shirt and purse pictured above is what I kept.  The shirt is the Brooks Striped Button Down Cotton Shirt from Ellison.  It is so soft and it goes with so many different things in my closet that I had to keep it.  The purse is the Kacie Half Flap Crossbody Bag from Emperia.  It is Vegan and beautiful!  I was so happy to see this purse inside because I have been pinning lots of similar crossbody purses on my Pinterest boards- good job Karen!

 

The Cranston Paisley tank top was cute, but too big and the red was not flattering for my pale skin.  The Rory Boyfriend Jeans would have been perfect if they were skinny jeans. I loved the color and material, but boyfriend jeans look terrible on me.  The Colorblock Maxi Dress was pretty and very soft, but I just didn’t love it.

Things I like about Stitch Fix:

1. You do not have to commit to every month, they have several choices for automatic Fixes or you can choose to do one at a time whenever you feel like it.

2. The $20 styling fee goes towards the items you purchase, so you are really only paying for the clothing that you like.

3.  The stylist really tries to get your style right by looking at your Pinterest board, and reading your personal notes for what you would like to see in your Fix.

4.  Surprises make me happy and not going to the mall makes me happy, so Stitch Fix makes me REALLY HAPPY!

Overall, I loved my first Stitch Fix and I have already signed up for my next one!  I will review that one after I get it in July.  If you want to try Stitch Fix, please click one of the links I posted, so that they know I referred you there.  Thanks Stitch Fix (and my stylist Karen) for helping me reclaim my happy!

Boh’s and O’s and Friends

Way back in March, my friends and I were all trying to go to the Oriole’s Opening Day game, but tickets were looking too expensive.  Then by some miracle we were able to buy a 3 game pack of tickets that included standing room only on Opening Day, all for the price of Opening Day’s tickets alone.  We obviously jumped at that opportunity and had a blast partying before and during that game!

That was us on Opening Day back in March.  Yesterday was the second game in our 3 game pack, and we had just as much fun.  We took the Lightrail into the city, hopped off at Camden Yards, and walked straight to The Bullpen.  The slogan at The Bullpen is CHEAP ASS BEER.  Seriously, they have posters with the phrase hand written on them framed inside with  “Employee of the Year” on it!  After grabbing a few cheap beers, we headed across the street, and into Camden Yards, one of the most beautiful ball parks in the country IMHO.

The game was great.  The O’s were losing by one in the bottom of the 9th, the crowd was on their feet, 2 men on base, and here comes Chris Davis to the plate.  We were in the outfield and all of us watched as the ball he hit traveled toward us and into the stands for a walk-off home run to win the game!  The crowd erupted, and so did we!  It was such an incredibly happy feeling and I am grateful to have shared it with some of my best friends, and a stadium full of people.  Thanks Chris Davis for helping me reclaim my happy!

Good Hair Day

Today I had a plan to reclaim my happy by rediscovering my passion for photography.  I had been using too many excuses for not continuing photographing things and editing them to perfection.  The camera is too heavy, my iphone is more convenient, my computer has a virus and I can’t use Lightroom or import photos, my memory card is full, and I don’t have TIME!  I’m so tired of using excuses for not doing what makes me happy, so I am choosing to stop doing that.  I woke up, found my product registration key for Lightroom 4, downloaded it, and imported my whole memory card onto my boyfriends computer (thanks Love).  I even spent a few minutes before getting ready for work editing an old photo that I had forgotten I had taken.

 

This was taken a few months ago when I was taking my puppy outside at sunrise.  I loved the sky so much, I had to go grab my camera to capture it.  It’s funny how looking at something that I took a few months ago can get me excited about this hobby again, but it has!  I can’t wait to get my camera out and edit my pictures in Lightroom again.  I was feeling great after I finished this photo today, that I actually spent some extra time on my hair to make it match my happy mood!

I had to get a selfie before work to document that I actually took the time to curl my hair today.  It was worth it because I got lots of compliments from my coworkers today, thanks guys!  All in all, today was an exercise in taking the time to reclaim my happy, and a very successful one at that!

 

Backyard Fun With Friends

Yesterday was the first day that has really felt like Summer to me.  It was 93 degrees when I got off work, and it just seemed like a backyard grilling session to break in our new grill was in order.  When my boyfriend and I decided to move out of the house with our roommates and best friends about a year and a half ago, it was bitter sweet.  We were so excited to be on our own and start the next stage of our lives together, but we were a little sad to not see our friends everyday anymore.  So when they started looking for a new place a few months ago, we suggested our apartment complex, and they loved it!  It was a win-win for us because we got our friends right next door and a $200 referral check!

Last night they were able to join us and we had a blast grilling burgers on our new grill, drinking Corona Extra with lime, and playing Kam Jam!  For those of you who have never played Kan Jam before, you need to.  It was the best $40 we have ever spent on an outdoor lawn game.  You take turns throwing a frisbee at a kan and try to make it go inside or hit the kan.  We first played it when we went camping a few years ago and a father and son asked my boyfriend’s family to join in.  Needless to say, we had so much fun, we went straight home and bought our own set right away!

That’s an action shot from last night, notice the sky turning pink!  We had so much fun and were able to play a few games until it got dark.  It was a little windy, which made for some funny looking frisbee wobbling across the lawn.  We are very lucky to have some of our best friends live so close to us that they can join in on a last minute Kan Jam/Grilling party.  I am looking forward to many more of those throughout the Summer!  Thanks friends for helping me reclaim my happy yesterday!

Reclaiming Happy

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
― Abraham Lincoln

Over the past few years, I have been wondering why I was feeling more disappointment in my life than happiness.  I couldn’t pinpoint what was causing this because I have so much to be thankful for; my family, my friends, my wonderful boyfriend, my dogs, my job, and the list goes on.  There is a roof over my head, I am in no danger of going hungry, and I am finally feeling healthy!

A couple of months ago, I was really, really sick. I’m talking lay on the couch, don’t move, and hope it gets better sick. I had a fever of at least 102 degrees almost everyday for 2 weeks, followed immediately by a tough case of bronchitis, and then I coughed so hard that I hurt my ribs. All in all I was in a pretty miserable mood for about 6 weeks, so when one day a few weeks ago I woke up feeling great, I took advantage of it.

Wood Sign by Spunky Fluff

I went outside, breathed in the fresh Spring air, smiled, and was thankful for the happinessand relief I was feeling. Then I started to think about how something so simple as being healthy was making me feel happier than I had felt in years. How could that be? I still had bills, I still had a stressful job that pays less than my friends jobs, I still had a puppy who doesn’t always listen, I still had a small apartment that I can’t seem to keep clean, and I still didn’t have time to do all of the things that I want to do.

So I started looking at my life in terms of what I have that makes me happy, instead of what tends to stress me out.  I have bills, but I have set up a budget which helps keep me on track.  I have a stressful job, but I have wonderful co-workers, benefits, and career opportunities.  I have an adorable puppy, who is very smart and is learning more everyday.  I have an apartment that I share with my boyfriend that is close to work and has a community pool!  I can make time for the people in my life, things that need to be done, and things I want to do!

I am twenty-seven years old, and it has taking me far too long to do this, but, for the sake of myself, my family, and my friends, I am finally RECLAIMING HAPPY!