Pocketful of Joules

After my March Stitch Fix success that cost me a little more than I had hoped for (but totally worth it), I figured that it would probably be a good idea for my wallet if I skip a month. Apparently Stitch Fix felt the same way, because when I went to sign up for my next Fix, they had a longer waiting time than normal… so my next box won’t come until mid- May.

I know you guys like weighing in on my purchases though, so I thought I’d do a little review of my favorite pieces and the pieces that I regret buying. If you’d like to play catch-up, you can see all of my Stitch Fix reviews here.

Everything I’ve Bought
I’ve been Fix-ing since September, which has resulted in me purchasing TEN items:

Top row: Kayla Skinny Jean (March), HoneyPunch Payge Striped Cross-Back Sweater (December), Mission ¾ Sleeve V-neck Blouse (February). Middle row: Moni Stud Detailed ¾ Sleeve Blouse (March), Rylin Pintuck Detailed Silk Blouse (February). Bottom row: 41Hawthorn Abrianna Long-sleeved Knit Cardigan (October), Renee C Jemdy Striped Dolman Sleeve Jersey Top (November), Mia Melon Paloma Striped Short Sleeve Cut-Out Top (September), Broadway Swing Skirt (January) and Ivy Tulip Print Tab Sleeve Blouse (January).

Winning
Even though I still love most of my purchases, three of them stand above the rest. I consider these three items my BEST purchases because they fit great, they’re wearing wonderfully AND every time I wear one of them they put a little extra sparkle in my grin:

Ivy Tulip Print Tab Sleeve Blouse
I wear this shirt A LOT. It looks good with everything – a suit, a skirt or even a pair of jeans.

It’s loose enough that I’m not constantly sucking in my stomach or adjusting my top, and it’s got a sassy little slit neckline that shows off my assets. Every single time I wear this top I get compliments and it looks just as perfect as when I received it.

Moni Stud Detailed ¾ Sleeve Blouse
This is another of my absolute favorite shirts in my closet. The red is vibrant and the studs are just enough decoration that I don’t need to wear any jewelry if I don’t want to.

It is a bit sheer, so I usually layer it over a tank top. This is another one of those shirts that can look polished and professional for work AND looks great with jeans if I want to step it up a notch for a family holiday dinner or date night.

Kayla Skinny Jean
To be honest, I haven’t had a chance to wear these jeans often but I did break them out over the weekend for date night with my husband!  I feel like they’re going to be my go-to pants for some upcoming spring events though and I really like them best with my chunky sandal wedges.

The reason I had to put them on my LOVE list is that they make me feel so damn sassy! Instead of focusing on how much more work I need to do to lose weight, I can actually appreciate how far I’ve come. And my husband gives them two thumbs up and a booty grab.

Regrets
Out of the 10 pieces of Stitch Fix clothing I’ve purchased, I only regret two of them…

41Hawthorn Abrianna Long-sleeved Knit Cardigan
I knew that this sweater was kind of boring when I bought it in October. However, it was lightweight and could be worn in a variety of ways. It actually became my go-to sweater for Friday’s at work for a few weeks because I could throw it over a plain shirt, add a statement necklace and be good to go. Unfortunately, after just a few months of wear the sweater looks incredibly worn. The fabric has pilling all over the place and it’s such a shame. I absolutely regret this purchase, because it is about to be added to the Goodwill pile and I just bought it 6 months ago. However, looking back at my October Fix… well, there was nothing else I would have bought anyways.

Renee C Jemdy Striped Dolman Sleeve Jersey Top
Sorry dolman sleeve top, I really wanted to be the kind of girl that would rock you for a night out. However, my husband hates you. So, that means that I have to rock you for a night out WITHOUT my husband… which pretty much never happens. I tried to wear the top to work for a holiday party and someone took the MOST UNFLATTERING PICTURE in all the land of me… so now I can’t even look at this shirt without feeling like Fatty McFattyPants. And no, I’m not posting the picture because it is SO HORRIBLE. Regret, regret, REGRET!

Even with a couple regrets, I really think that Stitch Fix has been a great service for me. I’m much more thoughtful when I purchase clothes – both from my Fixes and when shopping in stores. I’ve noticed that I’m less likely to buy something cheap and trendy (besides that stupid dolman shirt), which has been a really good thing for my closet.

When I initially thought about Stitch Fix, I was afraid that the quick-ish decision turn-around time would result in too many hasty decisions. However, for me, it has been just the opposite – it forces me to try on the clothes with stuff from my own closet and REALLY THINK about whether I’m going to get wear out of it. You all help too and I LOVE getting your feedback on what I should buy and what I should skip!

Have you tried Stitch Fix yet? If so, do you have any clothing regrets? Have you ever liked an item of clothing only to switch over to HATING it because of an unflattering picture?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, I pay for the $20 styling fee and any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. I do have a special referral link though and if you decide to click through and sign up I will receive a small referral reward. Here’s my link. So thank you for anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction.

Today I’d like to use this bit of space to wish my husband a very Happy Birthday.

If I could buy him the fastest DSM in all the land, plop a bow on top and give it to him for his birthday… I totally would. As it is, he has all the love and kisses that Jack and I have to offer.

Travis isn’t only an amazing husband and wonderful father, he is also one of the nicest people I know. Way nicer than me. Way, way, WAY nicer than me. He is that guy who will help a stranger for no reason, other than he’s there and he can help. He’s smart and funny and so darn handsome. I’m so happy to be able to call him my husband.

Happy Birthday Travis!

I’ve been working out on the elliptical for a couple months now and it’s been hard to keep myself motivated. First, I gobbled up every single season of Alias and was super upset when it was over. Now, I’ve recently started watching Orange is the New Black, which I love.

I’m kind of sick of my workout clothes though, so after seeing a ton of ads for Fabletics I decided to try it out. I figured that even if I hated everything, I could share my review with you in case you were thinking about trying them too.

Fabletics is a membership-based online company where you fill out a lifestyle quiz and then are shown exercise outfits that you might like. When you are a VIP member (which is just a fancy way of saying a member), you get the outfits for a “discounted” price.

Most of my workout clothes are super old, with any new-ish ones coming from 5k races or Marshalls. According to all the buzz out there, Fabletics would not only be more stylish, but of a higher quality than I was used to – more like lululemon or Athletica.

I signed up for the membership, checked out the website and decided to order an exercise outfit set called the Apse. It was three pieces: a t-shirt, an exercise bra and a pair of cropped pants. My total cost was just under $40, which is probably equal to what I would pay at Marshalls for similar items.

Here’s how it looks on the model:

I wasn’t expecting the outfit to magically give me abs… but it would be pretty nice if it did!

My package arrived a few days after it shipped and unlike Stitch Fix, Wantable or Citrus Lane… they put absolutely no thought into their packaging. It was like I had ordered something from Gap or Old Navy.

Then, I tore open the clothes and tried them on.

The Samana Sports Bra
I love the orange color of the bra and the fact that the straps are adjustable. However, unless you have a super small chest, this bra isn’t holding ANYTHING still. I don’t even know why they bother to make this exercise bra in a size larger than extra small, because it’s pretty much worthless. However, when I run outside, I like to double-up on my exercise bras and this can work as one of my layers. I could also wear it around the house, as long as I don’t try to go up the stairs too quickly.

Havana Coverup
Instead of getting this in the white that is pictured, I chose the grey version of this top. In the picture, it appeared to be a soft cotton t-shirt with some runching by the shoulders. I liked the look of it and thought that I could even throw it on with a pair of shorts in the summer. Then, I saw it in person and realized it had an open back. Um…what the hell?! Yes, it’s soft. Yes, the grey is nice. But I wasn’t intending to show everyone my tattoo. I don’t know… is this top cute or just a little trashy? I probably wouldn’t leave the house without a tank top underneath… and I HATE having to wear more than one shirt in the summer (layering doesn’t work for me on 90 degree days).

Here’s the shirt over the orange bra:

And here is the back view. I mean, I guess it’s kind of sassy. Right? As an added bonus, here is the first glimpse the internet has ever gotten of one of my tattoos — not too bad looking for being 17 years old!

Zanzibar Crop
I was most excited about these pants. In the description they said that they were fitted through the hip area and loose through the legs. What they DIDN’T say is that they are also loose through the crotch area. Like MC Hammer loose. Even if I hike them up and fold them over, I could still fit a diaper under my pants.

Because that’s the look that every girl is going for.

In my imagination, these capris were going to be super flattering and soft. But in reality they are cheap, scratchy sweatpants. I’m going to throw them in the wash a few times to see if I can shrink them and soften them up, but right now I pretty much hate them.

In fact, I did a photo interpretive dance on how I feel about these pants. I call it, “What the heck is going on with my crotch?!”

So, the question I always ask myself… was this service worth the money?
NO.

I don’t think that the shirt, exercise bra and pants were worth the $40. I absolutely don’t think that they were worth the “true retail price” of $79.95. I could return them, but I’d have to pay a $6.95 restocking fee, so I might as well just keep them.  It’s just sad to pay $40 for three totally cheap pieces that I could have bought from Walmart.

After I initially placed my order, I read some other reviews and a lot of people had issues when they tried to cancel their membership. If you don’t cancel promptly, they will continue charging you for every month. Since I pretty much disliked everything in my package, I called up about 15 minutes after it arrived in my mailbox to cancel.

Even though I had to call (they do not accept online cancellations) and listen to the entire customer service script, I was able to cancel in less than 5 minutes. Only time will tell if they try to charge my credit card next month. If they do, I’ll be sure to post an update.

Have you tried out Fabletics? Do you think $40 was a fair price for the outfit I received? Are you jealous of my diaper pants? Did you giggle a little at my interpretive dance photos?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Fabletics and I paid for my purchase with my own hard-earned money. They did provide me with a special referral link, where if any of you signed up I’d earn credit towards my next purchase. I did NOT post the link or ANY links to their website because I would not recommend this company.

With the arrival of spring, I’ve started thinking a bit more about our home’s curb appeal.

When we first moved in, I decorated our front porch with a couple painted chairs. I actually found the chairs in our garage (left over from the last homeowners) and spray painted them yellow. They were okay for a while, until I decided that the yellow wasn’t doing it for me and I repainted them navy blue.

When I painted our front door a pretty clover green, the chairs still worked… but I never really LOVED them, even if they were free.

Adding to the outdoor chair fun, I’ve been dreaming about having a few Adirondack chairs to go around our fire pit. I was stalking a plastic version from Home Depot last year, but before we committed to buying them they were sold out everywhere.

When we stopped by Home Depot last weekend, we scooped up these four mushroom colored plastic Adirondack chairs for $17.98 each. We also picked up a matching table for less than $10 (I don’t see it on the website) to hold our s’mores supplies. Most of the time, it’s just Travis and me around the fire… so I figured I could use the other two chairs on our front porch and then steal them back if we have company over.

The navy blue chairs were demoted to the sunroom and two of our new chairs found a home on our front porch.

The pillows are from Target this season for $15 each. I was worried that they’d be too short and stout, but I think they look great AND they’re pretty darn comfortable.

The little stool/table is the one that I spray painted a couple years ago (originally from Ikea’s clearance section for $3). My sassy sparkle squirrel is from West Elm, the tray is from a Totswap and the candle was rescued from another room. The lantern is also from Ikea, by way of a thrift store.

I feel like the colors work well with our door and the chairs are SO MUCH more comfortable than the old ones. I’m actually loving our front porch now!

Oh, and here’s where the other two chairs and table live:

Anyone want to come over for a bonfire? Have you been doing any outdoor updates now that the weather is finally warming up?