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Showing posts with label Fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fashion. Show all posts
Not only did some of my pieces not even fit anymore, but I noticed some of them were on their way (or already) out of style. I'm not sure when they styles started shifting, but it was sometime during my last pregnancy. While I was in new-baby limbo, what was considered "trendy" shifted right under my feet.
I don't fully know what the new rules are, and I also started to realize that I'm reaching that age where I should be going for more timeless looks anyway. So I'm falling back on classic pieces mixed in with a few newer cuts, which I think is an age-appropriate approach now that I'm well into my thirties.
One rule I have picked up on (probably from this Youtube style channel, which is the only such channel I watch), is that right now your lower "half" should look longer than the upper portion of your body. See, I like those concrete rules, and this one is fair enough. I can work with that.
But you'll notice that I still reach for those long flannel shirts in the fall. What can I say, I like what I like.
(I've also heard that showing your socks is back in - all the kids are doing it.)
Anyway, here are a few of my current cozy outfits for the fall, as I've been gradually updated my closet.
A few of my current favorites have come from an under-appreciated store - Walmart! I know there are a lot of Walmart-haters out there, but I have to say, I've been liking a lot of the clothing there lately, and the quality is way better than previously. And actually, it's main competition, Target, has been hit or miss for me for the last year. Is Walmart surpassing Target for my go-to for clothes shopping? I don't know, but I did get some great shorts at Walmart this summer, and I found the tan blazer, the light-wash skinny jeans, the grey t-shirt, and the faux leather joggers there this fall. (The Free Assembly and Scoop brands are particularly good for the price, but you have to check in the store - it's hard to find certain items online.)
Next thing to update - my shoes, since the heels I wore in one of the photos above are literally falling apart. I don't think I've bought any new shoes for the last three-ish years (except sneakers on clearance).
How often do you update your wardrobe? Any new style "rules" you've picked up on?
However, since having kids I find myself enjoying clothes shopping much less than I used to. It's just not as fun to try on new jeans while reminding my kids to "sit right outside the dressing room door", and "please don't pick on your sister", and "it's your brother's turn to play a game on my phone now." So I find myself ordering a lot more things online.
When Stitchfix came on the scene a couple years ago, it felt like every blogger was trying it. I thought it looked interesting, but I still ended up shopping for myself most of the time. Last year for my birthday though, my sweet friend Ashley gave me a gift card to try Stitchfix! I put it off for quite a while because I was still not feeling like my figure had equalized after having Georgie, but finally this fall I created an account.
What Stitchfix Is
In case you've been living under a rock (or just don't follow any fashion bloggers), the way Stitchfix works is that you pay a $20 "styling fee", they send you a box of clothes that they think you will like, and then you choose what you want to keep and send the rest back. If you keep something, that $20 styling fee applies toward your purchase.
Worth noting here is that if you choose to keep nothing, you lose the $20 styling fee, and the fee is also charged per box they send you. I did not realize the fee was charged per box at first and was confused when my gift card balance dropped by $20. I contacted customer service though, and they refunded me the $20 because of the confusion, which was really great of them.
After each box you give them feedback so they can try to send you items you will like better the next time.
My Experience
I requested three boxes from Stitchfix before I spent all of my gift card money. The pictures in this post are with items from my first box (I ran out of time to take photos of the second and third boxes). I thought the first box was pretty close to my usual style. The red top was really "me", the sweater and shirt were super soft, and the earrings were gorgeous!
(Items: red shirt and jeans. Shoes are mine.)
The only thing that I didn't like were the jeans. Every pair of jeans they sent me, in all three boxes, were too loose in the waist, so I probably should have sized down.
I ended up not keeping anything from that first box, even though I liked the items they sent me. It was mostly fit and price issues. Some of them fit fine, but didn't "wow" me enough to spend the moneyon them. The sweaters and shirts ranged from around $40-50, the pants were probably around $50, and the earrings were $30. (I should have kept the packing slips they sent me so I could have given you exact prices - I'm sorry about that.)
The second box they sent was filled with half hits, half misses. I received a shirt (around $40), a dress (around $55), jeans ($50), a pair of green ponte pants ($45), and a short-sleeve sweater ($40). I liked the green pants and the sweater, but once again - they didn't "wow" me enough to pay that much. Thankfully I had requested an "extra" with this box, a pretty bralette with thin straps that would work well under a lot of my own sweaters, so I ended up keeping that.
The last box was by far the best! I received a cute pair of leopard print duck boots ($70), a yellow sweater ($40), a black shirt with pretty details ($40), another pair of jeans ($50), and a black quilted moto jacket ($80). I loved every item in this box, except the jeans because of fit issues again. The detail on the black shirt was cute, the boots were fun, and I loved the jacket. But as I sat there trying to decide what to do, I realized I would never pay that much for these particular items in a store. I would wait for a sale, or see if I could find a similar item elsewhere for cheaper. In the end I decided to send everything back. Thankfully I had ordered another "extra" bralette with the last box, so I purchased that and didn't lose my last $20 on the styling fee.
(I might have enjoyed playing "fashion blogger" for a day, ha! Derek took these photos for me, so I guess he got to play "fashion photographer" too. Items: cardigan and earrings. Dress and boots are mine.)
Are You Noticing A Theme?
Overall, I was impressed with the fact that most of the pieces they sent me did actually fit my style pretty well! I really liked almost everything they sent me. I was very skeptical that they were going to be able to pinpoint my style with only a few questions on their site, but they did a pretty good job! How can I get a job as a stylist? I think that would be super fun.
(Item: gray shirt. Pants and shoes are mine.)
When I filled out the questionnaire, for most items (except jeans and outerwear), when asked the price I was willing to spend, I selected "the cheaper the better". I had heard Stitchfix items were a little pricier than what you might find at Target or JC Penny, and I found that to be true. Even with selecting "the cheaper the better", I still found that most of the items were more than I would usually spend. I shop clearance quite alot, and I shop at less expensive stores, so I'm used to lower prices for items like the ones they sent me. I probably won't request another box unless I decide I want another bralette, just because my style description should probably include the phrase "won't spend more than $30 on a top, because she knows she can get a cute sweater for $15 at Walmart".
However, there is the convenience aspect to consider as well. For people who don't like to shop for themselves, or for whom shopping is very difficult, or people who don't like to spend a lot of time browsing online, I think paying a little more than normal for the service would probably be worth it.
And it's worth it to try it if you're curious too! I had so much fun filling out my style profile, and when they sent me a box it was exciting to open it. It felt like a present since I didn't know what would be in the box! I'm so glad my friend gave me a gift card, because I probably never would have tried it on my own, and it was a fun experience!
My advice if you try Stitchfix would be to always include an extra that you know you could purchase with the $20 fee if you end up not wanting to purchase any of the other items they send. I recommend trying the Free People barrettes, obviously. I have two of them now, and I really like them!
Have you ever tried Stitchfix? What did you think of it?
Wearing: These new duck boots that I ordered here. At first I felt a little clunky in them. But I know they will be great for ice and snow this winter, so I kept them and they've been growing on me!
Drinking: Coffee with a splash of half-and-half. Derek and I made a no-fancy-coffee pact for the month of November, and I'm trying my hardest to stick to it. It is embarrassing how much I can spend in one month on just coffee!
Picking: Rock for behind the new wood stove that Derek is installing this week. Our old house had a wood stove, and I loved that thing. It added a coziness to the living room and was a life-saver when the power would go out. I could even cook on it! We decided we wanted one in our new house too, but I had a terrible time picking out the rock for it. Our old wood stove had this really pretty grayish natural rock behind it, with lichen even growing on the rock, and it was so pretty. But real rock is expensive, and fake rock doesn't grow lichen. I made a decision though, and Derek took the week off to get the rock up! It's going to look good I think.
Reading: Long Before Luther by Nathan Busenitz. The subtitle is "tracing the heart of the gospel from Christ to the Reformation", and it looks really fascinating! I just started it.
Preparing: For the girls' birthday party this Saturday. I have struggled for a long time on how to handle birthday parties with five kids. Five individual parties each year was out of the question, but I also didn't want them to never have a birthday party during their growing up years. I still don't know exactly what my plan is, but this year I decided we'd do one combined party for the girls, and one for the boys in the spring. The girls requested a "princess tea party" birthday. I just ordered candy canes so I can hot glue the curved part onto plastic cups - you know, to make little "tea cups". I'm fancy like that. Hey, you would be shocked how hard and expensive it is to find a basic teacup these days, so I had to improvise!
Feeling: Like I need next week off after all this party prep. But moms don't get vacation time.
Trying: To be more consistent in my Bible reading. I typically wake up before the kids each morning to read, which works great when I can make it happen. However, I'm finding that other days the kids pull me in a million directions right after I wake up, which leads me to sometimes forget. I've been feeling especially spiritually weary lately, and I know it's because I haven't had enough consistency in my daily quiet time. This week I've been settling the kids with their breakfast and sneaking away while they eat, and that seems to be working better!
Following: Speaking of Bible reading, I started this Bible reading plan in earnest, and I am loving it. It's been a while since I tried to read the Bible within a certain time frame. At first I was a little intimidated by the sheer volume of reading each day. Now that I'm into it though, I am loving reading bigger chunks of Scripture at a time. Going in-depth with one section is important and meaningful, but I'm at a stage in life where increasing the quantity of Bible reading is more doable. The name is fitting, "keeping the feast". I feel that way right now when I finish reading for the day, like I've had a feast.
Sporting: A new hair color! I tried to edit this photo to make the color the most accurate. It's basically a little darker and richer than my natural color, and on my previous honey-highlights, it has a red-maroon tint. Last winter I went with straight-up burgundy hair, so this is a subtler version of that. I'm told it will fade out really well, and I'm liking it alot!
Wondering: If you've noticed that my blogroll in the sidebar has expanded a bit? I found a few new blogs lately that I'm enjoying!
Considering: A social media break. I took a Facebook break for the month of December last year, and it was so lovely. This year I'm considering taking a break from Instagram too! Just trying to figure out logistics of how to still share blog posts and still get Christmas photos printed into books easily (since I normally use Chatbooks connected with my Instagram). Question: how do you typically read this blog? Do you come to new posts through social media, or do you use a blog reader, or just type in the url when you want to read new posts? I'll put a poll below.
Listening: To Christmas music. Yes, I am.
Watching: Derek and I recently re-started watching The Middle from the beginning. We were watching Blue Bloods for a while, but we needed a break from drama. In general we are more comedy-type people, and we relate to the Hecks! Maybe you have to be from a certain type of family to appreciate that show, because the only people I know who have loved it as much as we do are other members of my family...but we all find it hilarious.
What have you all been up to?
Linking up here.
I have had a long, contentious relationship with my hair.
It's too much to get into that whole story here, but let's just say that when I hit puberty my hair decided to rebel against me. It frizzed and curled and waved and did weird things, and I've been wrestling it into submission ever since.
Thankfully this is typically very easy to do in my usual dry climate. I straighten it, and nothing really messes it up unless it gets wet. There is no real humidity to speak of.
Well, last time I went to New Orleans, I learned what humidity truly was. I would go outside literally for two minutes, and I'd come back in and my hair was doing that weird frizz/curl thing it does. It was bigger. The frizz obscured all shine. My bangs were sticking straight out to the side of my head in a strange attempt to curl. It might have even made me cry one day when I realized how ridiculous I looked (please keep in mind I was hugely pregnant and hormonal, which may have also been a factor).
For our second trip to New Orleans I was determined to plan for the frizz, and though my hair didn't 100% held it's ground (is that even possible in New Orleans?), I have been overall pretty pleased with how it's held up. This is what I think went better this time.
Hair Training
I mentioned this briefly before, but I've been training my hair recently to need less washing. Part of this method includes brushing your scalp oils into your hair each night, which is supposed to be good for it. This is totally anecdotal, but I suspect that the scalp oils have helped my hair hold it's shape a little better in this humidity.
Chi Shine Infusion Spray
I knew I was going to bring this spray on this trip, because last time we came my best hair day was the day I had used this product. I just spray it over my hair after blow-drying and before straightening, and it makes my hair smoother and shinier, and that seems to tamp down in the humidity-induced frizz. (It's only $8 on Amazon today, which is a great deal!)
Joico Humidity Blocker Finishing Spray
This is the big guns. I sprayed this on my hair every time I left the hotel in New Orleans. It's basically like a very touchable hair spray. Even after spending most of the day walking around outside, my hair looked like this:
It waved a little, but didn't frizz or stick out weird. With my hair, I call that a success.
All my southern friends, how do you keep your hair under control in that humidity?
Especially if your hair is sort-of curly like mine? I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I do think my hair strategy would have to change if I lived down south. This shorter style I usually sport is doable in dry weather, but requires a lot of maintenance when you breathe a significant amount of water in with your oxygen.
Me and Derek, and I just went with my curls (with my humidity blocker spray) at the end of our trip.
It's May 1st! It snowed yesterday, and there is frost dusting my porch as I write this, but I can hear the birds chirping from the tree just outside my window, and golden rays are busy melting the ice. So it's a typical start to the month. May there be more golden rays, more rain and dew, and less snow this month!
On to what I enjoyed in the month of April.
Bible.is App.
Derek randomly decided to search for audio bibles one day, and he found this great app! You can get the ESV version of the Bible for free to listen to through the app. But my favorite part is that they have a normal reading and a dramatic reading. The dramatic reading has music in the background, and the actor does different voices. It's so fun to listen to! Different sections of the text are linked to well-done videos too. It's just cool!
Skylar's Scent Club.
(The link is a referral link that is supposed to give you 25% off? And then I get a credit if you decide to try it.)
I have a tiny weakness for subscription boxes, and in April I decided to try Skylar's Scent Club. Skylar is a company that makes perfume that is supposedly more natural and less "toxic", which is nice...but to be honest, I just signed up because I like things that smell good. Each month they send a rollerball with a limited-time scent. In April they sent one called Magic Bloom, and it was so fresh and happy-smelling. May is going to be Vintage Rose. I may be checking my mailbox daily until it arrives.
Spearmint Oil For Laundry.
Speaking of things that smell good - that is also the reason I have a little essential oils stash in my cabinet. I just don't buy alot of the claims made about essential oils, but I do know that I like nice-smelling things, so I use them for some things around the house. In April I felt like I had a ridiculous amount of laundry, but the process was made just a tiny bit more fun by putting a few drops of spearmint oil on a dryer ball. Each time the dryer is running my laundry room smells like a pack of gum.
It's the little things.
This is where I buy oils. (Another referral link here that is supposed to give us both a $10 discount.) And I feel great about the company, thank you very much my oil-selling friends. You know I still love you guys!
The New Little Women Movie.
Last year they came out with a modern movie version of Little Women. After a very long wait in the library hold line, I finally watched it yesterday, and it is so cute. I loved it! It stays true to the characters, and doesn't "dirty up" the story at all with modern nonsense. It's basically the same as the old movie, but set in the present day. It was very well done! I honestly don't even know how it got a PG-13 rating. Aside from a scene with some teen drinking and making out, it was pretty clean. I'll definitely watch it with my girls when they are older.
A New Swimsuit.
Guys, you don't understand, this has been a months long process. After having Georgie, I knew my old swimsuits were just not going to cut it anymore. I bought a new top last summer to tide me over, but it was time to hunt down something new and more flattering.
I've been eyeing swimsuits all winter, I ordered a couple items that I ended up returning. I finally found these bottoms a few months ago that were a little higher waisted, so they smooth out my tummy lumps nicely. I've been on the lookout for a top to match, and finally ordered this one.
It's a winner! I've found it!
I may order another pair of the swim bottoms just for a different look, but I finally found something that makes me feel pretty good about visiting the pool this summer. Victory! A picture of the swimsuit on me is in my Instagram stories today if you want to see (I'm not sure I wanted a permanent record of that on my blog, haha!).
None Like Him by Jen Wilkin.
I'm late to the party on this one. I've been listening to this audiobook about God's attributes after my Bible time in the morning, and it is very good. I usually end up taking a full page of notes on each chapter, and she gives Bible verses for further study of each attribute. Highly recommend!
Spring Flowers.
In late April, I finally found some flowering trees!
Spring is officially here now.
What new discoveries did you make in April?
(Note: We took a trip to the beach recently - vacation recap coming soon - and I got this dress from Pinkblush just in time before we left! They sent it to me for free in exchange for the feature I am including in this post, but I totally used it as my dress for an unofficial 30-year-old photo shoot on the beach!)
In less than a month, I will be turning 30, and I'm not bothered by it. Not even a little bit. Here's why.
1. Growing older means more experience.
You all know I'm a talk radio fan (honestly, I listen to way too many shows and podcasts), and Rush Limbaugh often says how he is never sorry to grow older, because it means he has more experience and knows more than he used to. I have to say, I love that. I've adopted his attitude over the years, and especially as I've been surrounded by wise older people. Some of them are decades older than me, like my parents or grandparents, some are people just a few years further down the road of life (ahem, like my husband), but I always look at them and think about the experiences and growth that they've walked through and I haven't yet. So the passing of a year, even a big year like 30, is just another year that I've grown and matured and learned more.
2. Let's be honest, 30 is not that old.
We all like to joke about how old we are getting when these decade markers pass us by, but really, the early 30's are still relatively immature. We all think we know more than we actually do. Just watching the people in my life who are approaching 40, I see the difference even that one decade makes in maturity and wisdom. I'm not naive enough to think I have no more growing to do. Thirty is still very young (maybe not always in a good way).
3. I'm surrounded by people who love me (and vice versa).
It is not lost on me how much of a blessing it is to enter my 30's with my own family established, and surrounded by family and friends who love me. I think maybe the hardest part of getting older is not being quite where you thought you would be, whether that's professionally, relationally, or personally. Being surrounded by the people who are most important to me, feeling like I belong somewhere, was always one of my biggest hopes for 30, and so my heart is full. When I look to the years ahead, I can expect a continuation and maturation of the fun I've already been having with my husband and kids and family and friends, and that's a blessing!
It is not lost on me how much of a blessing it is to enter my 30's with my own family established, and surrounded by family and friends who love me. I think maybe the hardest part of getting older is not being quite where you thought you would be, whether that's professionally, relationally, or personally. Being surrounded by the people who are most important to me, feeling like I belong somewhere, was always one of my biggest hopes for 30, and so my heart is full. When I look to the years ahead, I can expect a continuation and maturation of the fun I've already been having with my husband and kids and family and friends, and that's a blessing!
4. I've figured out who I am.
Maybe this is just me, but I've always had these arbitrary marker years in my head, ages that I look ahead to and think "Wow, when I'm that old, I will have arrived." Well, I haven't really arrived because every time I reach the magical age there is another marker age on the horizon. But 30 was one of those years for me. When I thought about 30, I envisioned having figured out my own identity and style, and feeling confident in who God made me to be and what He wants me to do. And maybe it's just the power of suggestion, because of the mental picture I've developed surrounding the age of 30, but I do feel like I've figured out who I am. I just think 30 is going to be good. (The next marker age is 36, in case you were wondering.)
(Speaking of style...I think one of my favorite parts of this age is that I've figured finally figured mine out. I like to try new trends, but I fit them in around casual and feminine basics - this dress from Pink Blush is a good example! PinkBlush is my go-to for maternity clothes, but I love PinkBlush's non-maternity clothes too because they are the right cut for my grown-up, post-baby body, with tons of flattering options. Thirty means abandoning the juniors section for good, and finding brands that look good on my figure, and with options like Pinkblush I'm okay with that! You can check out the dress I'm wearing here. It's a perfect beach dress, right?)
5. Each year I live on this earth brings me closer to Jesus.
Each year I live is that much longer I have to grow in my walk with the Lord and learn to serve Him better. Life on this earth is only an incredibly small sliver of eternity, and for those of us who have trusted in Jesus for our salvation, we have eternity in Heaven to look forward to. And anything good that we experience here will be magnified and perfected there. Really, how can I be sorry to grow older when I think about that? Every year I spend here is one year closer to when I'll see Jesus face to face. As a believer, there are only good things to look forward to when you take the long view.
Was 30 a good year for you, or was it hard to leave your 20's? Or if you are in your 20's, do you look forward to or dread turning 30?
Comment below, I want to hear!
Note: I received the dress below from PinkBlush in exchange for a blog post. All opinions are my own.)
Do you know that pumpkin spice flavors hit Starbucks this weekend?!
I can hardly believe it, but autumn is upon us. I am not sorry to say goodbye to summer and welcome fall, because it means we are that much closer to meeting our baby girl! (Plus, I love fall.)
What I am not so excited about going into September is playing the "what should I wear?" game. I always want to break out the long sleeves and boots this time of year, but the truth is, the technical season of summer doesn't end until September 22nd - and the weather knows it. It's hard to infuse a fall vibe into your wardrobe without also melting in the heat (especially when you are largely pregnant).
I have developed a few guidelines over the years though to help me walk that tricky summer-weather, early-fall line.
Switch to fall colors.
For early fall, I look for lighter-weight pieces in fall colors or patterns - then I feel fall-ish without resorting to my sweaters and sacrificing a comfortable body temperature.
Add in a brown leather or suede bag.
I have summer bags in various colors, but I save the brown leather bags for fall. It's amazing how just switching the color or fabric of your bag can make an outfit seem more pre-fall appropriate.
Go with the booties.
Avoid the tall boots until it actually gets cool enough to not melt your feet, and invest in some warmer-weather booties. I like the ones with cutouts so my feet can still breath when the temperature is summer-like.
Wear summer on top, fall on the bottom (or vice versa).
I think during these early fall days it's totally appropriate to go with different seasons for each half of your look. Wear some shorts with a light top and cardigan, or wear something short-sleeved with long pants and boots. Just make sure the colors are all fall-appropriate to tie it together.
Don't put away the dresses!
I rely on dresses a lot in the summer heat, and I see no need to change that in the early fall when the weather is still warm. I just apply tips #1 and #4 to my dresses and go from there. I'm really liking this new dress from PinkBlush going into this fall! It's short enough to keep me cool, but the long sleeves with the crochet really give it a fall feeling to me.
Does anyone else have as hard of a time knowing when and how to transition to fall fashion as I do? What works best for you?
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