Pocketful of Joules

I’m so excited to show you all a reveal of my Fall 2017 FabFitFun box! After getting FatFitFun boxes for the past couple years, I finally went ahead and upgraded to a ‘select member’ to give me the ability to choose a couple of my preferred options. Basically, this is an awesome box full of FALL that makes me even more excited for the changing leaves and the cooler air.

Before we get into what was in my fall box, here’s a quick overview of FabFitFun:

• Boxes come on a quarterly basis and cost $49.99 each. To upgrade to a ‘select member’ you just pay for a year at once (rather than quarterly), it’s usually a little cheaper and it gives you the chance to make some choices on options. If you want to try them out, here is a special $10 off link for you to use on your first box.
• If you want to check out my previous boxes, you can find them here: Summer 2016 Reveal, Spring 2016 Reveal, Fall 2015 Reveal, Summer 2015 Reveal, Fall 2016 Reveal, Spring 2017 Reveal and Summer 2017 Reveal.

Let’s check out the Fall box:

And here’s a little gallery of the items I received:

Mer-Sea Scarf, $98
As a select member,  I was able to choose between three color options for this super soft scarf. I picked the gray option that has the color ranging from a light gray to a darker gray. This scarf is super cozy and can also be used as a bed throw or wrap to keep you snuggled up around the house on a cold day.

Trestique Lip Crayon, $28
This 2-in-1 product has a lightweight lip crayon on one side and a matching lip balm on the other. Select members were able to choose between Florence Fig & Rose Balm or Tuscan Wine & Syrah Balm. For all other members, they are surprised with one of the options. I went for the Fig color and I love it!

Private Party Denim Gym Bag, $59
Once again, select members were able to choose from three different sayings and I picked, “Will Workout for Cupcakes”. Of course! I don’t actually own any other gym bags right now because I don’t go to the gym, but this is a great size for a weekend trip. I actually used it over this past weekend for an overnight bag to take to a B&B.

Deco Miami Lavender Cuticle Oil, $12.50
This cuticle oil is a nourishing blend of vitamins and organic oils (argan oil and bamboo extract) that work to soften and moisturize the cuticle bed of your nails. This will be super handy when the weather starts getting colder and my hands turning corpse hands. This is one of those things that I’d never buy myself, but I will certainly get some use out of.

Whish Renewing Mud Mask, $48
This mask has natural ingredients like bentonite clay, aloe and rosehip oil to reveal smoother, softer skin while slowing down the aging process. You just put a thin layer on for less than a minute and then rub it in a circular motion to do a little exfoliation. I think I’ll keep this in the shower so that I remember to use it a couple times a week.

DP Hue Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse, $35
For our ‘choice boost’ all members were able to pick between a charcoal teeth whitening powder or this apple cider vinegar hair rinse. I went with the hair rinse because it is supposed to gently remove impurities from your hair without stripping it of its natural oils. I haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet, but I’ll keep you posted!

IMM Living Jewelry Holder, $33
This jewelry holder is a mix of rose gold wire and porcelain and gives you a place to display your jewelry. Out of the entire box, this is the only item I’m not excited about and don’t have a use for. However, this would make a great holiday gift or be easy to trade on the FabFitFun facebook trading pages.

B-Low the Belt Mia Belt, $55
The second ‘choice boost’ that members picked between was the Mia belt or a cable knit beanie. I don’t really wear beanies, so I went with the belt and received a black version with a silver buckle. I tried and tried, but I just cannot figure out how to make the belt loop thingie work on me. It just looks kind of silly… So, this one will be definitely be going into the trade pile.

My Tagalongs Hot/Cold Pack, $15
These hot/cold packs are useful and have some super cute sayings. I received a black version that has “you give me fever” printed on one side and “cold hearted snake” on the other. Oce again, I wouldn’t have bought this for myself, but it is handy to have around the house.

This is one of my favorite boxes for a while and I am especially excited about the scarf, gym bag, mud mask, lip crayon and apple cider vinegar hair rinse. The total value of everything in the Fall FabFitFun box is $383.50 and I’m super pleased with everything I received!

Do you want to try out the FabFitFun box? I have a special code that will give you $10 off your first box, just use this link.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post and FabFitFun did not pay for me to review their products on my blog. If you decide that you would like to sign up for your own subscription and use my link, I will receive referral credits on my account and you will receive $10 off your first box.

I’ve been sitting on a few referral credits in my Trunk Club account for the last couple months because I really wanted to spoil myself with a fun Birthday Trunk. The time is finally here! I’ve worked with my stylist, Dana, for my last couple Trunks so I was excited to send over my September Trunk request:

Here’s what I asked for:

I’d love some fall transition pieces that you can see me wearing over and over again. I’d like to see a mix of statement pieces, outfit makers and some elevated basics.

Want to see what she sent?

Statement Piece:

 BLANKNYC Printed and Studded Moto Jacket, $168

Wow, talk about a statement piece! You could literally add this jacket to any outfit and it makes it into something special.

Outfit Makers:

Treasure & Bond Charm Whistle Pendant, $45

STS Blue Taylor Tomboy Boyfriend Jeans, $55

Citizens of Humanity Emerson Ripped Slim Boyfriend Jeans, $268

These outfit makers can totally transform a plain tee shirt and sneakers into something a little extra cute.

Elevated Basics:

Bobeau Jessica Twist Hem Slub Tee, $34

Madewell Levine Solid Tie Front Top, $39.50

BP Side Slit Tee, $19

Caslon Ballet Neck Elbow Sleeve Tee, $26

Two by Vince Camuto Twill Jogger Pants, $99

Toms Deconstructed Alpargata Slip-ons, $78.95

In our category of ‘elevated basics’ Dana sent over some fun basics with a twist — some with a literal twist…

If you’re new to my Trunk Club reveals (you can find them all here), I don’t typically photograph every single one of the items. When the Trunk first arrives, I usually go through it and narrow down my choices to a pile of my favorites.

Now for the fun part… Try On Party!

Outfit #1: BP Tee + Kut from the Kloth Tomboy Jeans + Treasure & Bond necklace + BLANKNYC moto jacket + Toms slip-ons

When I saw the preview that Dana sent over I immediately knew I wanted to pair these items together. This is basically a super comfy t-shirt and jeans weekend outfit with the statement piece of the moto jacket to elevate the whole look to something casually cool. The BP tee is super soft and flowy, but it’s also super long (see below), so I don’t love it as much as I thought I would. I don’t actually own any other distressed jeans and these are pretty great. The hole-to-jeans ratio is good and there isn’t a huge open spot in the knee for my toes to catch in as I pull on my pants (resulting in me falling over and yelling timber…). They are cut a little generously with the whole ‘boyfriend’ fit and I find them super comfortable. The price is also right at $55!

Let’s talk about the moto jacket. It is very similar to the BLANKNYC jacket that I drooled over during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (but didn’t buy and now it’s only in size small…). If you are a smaller size, they actually have a similar version on sale for $88 on the Nordstrom website. Initially, I kind of loved it. It adds an air of cool to the whole outfit. But then, I suddenly felt a little too “whoa, living on a prayer” as if I were wearing a costume. I think that the right person could totally pull this off, but for me it may be a little too much STATEMENT for my statement piece. What do you think?

Here is the back view (with the super long shirt sticking out):

Outfit #2: Madewell tie front tee + Two by Vince Camuto Twill Jogger Pants + Treasure & Bond necklace + Toms slip-ons

This outfit was suggested by Dana and is what I would consider a step above my typical casual look. I was pretty unsure about the pants, because they kind of read like fancy sweatpants in the photo. In person they are almost a tencel-kind of fabric – super soft, but also a little fancier. They came super wrinkled, but I hung them in  my bathroom while taking a shower and most of the wrinkles fell right now. With that being said, I just feel like I’m wearing fancy pajamas, or in the second photo…fancy pajamas with a moto jacket…

The Toms are cute and comfy, like all Toms. However, I already own two pairs in a very similar color (yay for thrifting!). The necklace is a super fun piece from Treasure & Bond with kind of a charm-necklace look to it. It is a Nordstrom brand and as an added bonus, Nordstrom donates 5% of net profits for Treasure & Bond items to organizations that work to empower youth. I can see me throwing this necklace on with a bunch of items from my closet.

Outfit #3 with my finalists: my own tee + Kut from the Kloth Tomboy Jeans + Treasure & Bond necklace + my own booties

Okay, so if you’ve been playing along that leaves me with the following favorites from this Trunk: the Treasure & Bond necklace and the distressed jeans. I tried them with one of my own tee shirts and a pair of booties… what do you think, do they work with booties?

I really like the jacket, but I have a feeling that it’s one those things that once purchased would just sit in my closet waiting for my life to become more exciting so I could take it out for a spin. I like the metal studs and the painted on flowers, but maybe it would be more wearable for me if it were just one or the other? It just doesn’t seem to go with my typical off-work life of Costco runs and dropping my kid at school… Maybe I’m being silly though and I should just rock it with my head held high (and my devil horns in the air)?

Help me out! I have $150 in credits to spoil myself a little… should I buy the jeans and/or necklace? Do you think I should take a chance on the moto jacket?

If you want to have Dana style a Trunk for you — and you totally should because she’s awesome —  I have her linked to my referral code here:  https://www.trunkclub.com/invite/QZFJ33 (Please note: if you use my referral link it will cost you nothing extra and it earns me a small amount to go towards items in my next Trunk).

{Psssst… if you like my clothing box company reviews, here is a handy-dandy list of the ones I’ve tried: Stitch Fix, Trendsend, The Ms. Collection, DailyLook Elite and Wantable’s Fitness Edit}

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Trunk Club, I pay for any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Trunk Club for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction! This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

I shared my ‘back to school’ shopping with you all in early August (you can read it here) but I recently realized that Jack grew out of most of his long sleeve shirts. I haven’t bought him a whole new winter wardrobe (yet) because I’m super picky on my boy shirts, but I did find a few to hold us over until stores start stocking for cooler weather. For some reason I find it really hard to find shirts that are cool, but not too babyish, but not too boring…

I did find a few that I love though and the best part is that not only are they cute, but they are reasonably priced:

Old Navy Graphic Raglan-Sleeve Tee, currently on sale for $15.00 (+ 30% off with code HURRY)

Old Navy Slub Knit Henley for Boys, currently on sale for $14.00 (+ 30% off with code HURRY). This one comes in a few colors and the slub knit fabric is the perfect weight for fall (not too thin and not to thick!)

Target Cat & Jack Boy’s Astronaut Graphic Tee, currently available for $8.99!

Target Art Class Gorilla Remix Tee, currently available for $11.99 (I shared this one previously, but it’s super cute and still in stock).

I also found Jack a couple Under Armour shirts and some track pants at our local TJ Maxx, so if you like active wear for kids, you might want to check them out. Unfortunately, they don’t have their kids section online… so I can’t link anything for you.

Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Target or Old Navy, I pay for any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

If you’ve been reading along for a while, you may have noticed that things have gone quite quiet on the Stitch Fix subject. After 11 Fixes in 2014, 12 Fixes in 2015, and 7 Fixes in 2016… I only had 2 Fixes in 2017. I had actually given up on the whole Stitch Fix thing (because I love thrifting and Trunk Club). However, they must have noticed so they mailed me a ‘try a Fix for free’ postcard a few weeks ago. With nothing to lose, I decided to go ahead an order myself a ‘Fall Transition Fix’. I mean, it IS my birthday month. So, treat yo self and all that.

For my September Stitch Fix, I picked the category of “seasonal refresh” and left this stylist note:

Fall is my favorite season and I’m turning 40 in September, so let’s do an all Fall transitional weather fix. I pinned some new items on my board and updated my profile. You can see how I typically dress on my instagram at PocketfulofJoules.

Going into it, I did not have high hopes for the Fix. Want to see what I got?

Looks pretty, right? My stylist totally nailed the whole fall transition feeling and I love the colors she stuck with!

Let’s break down each piece…

Item #1: Octavia Clyde Mixed-Material Tote, $68
This color of this tote is so pretty and I really like the whole mixed-material look and the snazzy tassels. It’s a little larger than I typically use, but there is an option to fold it over and use a cross-body strap (see next photo for folded option). The leather/suede feels very expensive too… especially for a $68 bag. With that being said, I don’t actually need a fall/winter purse. If you’re looking for a larger purse, you might want to request this one.

Item #2: Daniel Rainn Gardenia Crochet Detail Top, $68
While I usually like the style of a lot of Daniel Rainn blouses, I’ve mentioned before that I find it very hard to pay full price for them when I can pop by Nordstrom Rack and find hundreds of options for less than $30 (proof). This one is a pretty floral on a brown background with a crochet detail around the top. It is cute and I love the ¾ sleeves, but it’s just not an amazing piece that would anything different to my closet.

Item #3: Kut from the Kloth Simmons Bootcut Jean, $88
I love that bootcut jeans are making a comeback and Kut from the Kloth is one of those brands that typically fit me well. However, I purchased a pair of bootcut jeans in my February Trunk from Trunk Club (you can see them here). Since I already have a pair of bootcut jeans that I love, I don’t really need these.

Item #4: Liverpool Nereus Quilted Panel Denim Jacket, $98
I like the idea of a lightweight jacket and this one like a sweatshirt and a denim jacket had a baby. Also, it has thumb holes… which I love! I like the feminine fitted shape, the cool textured pattern down the center, and the pockets that you can actually use. The only thing I don’t really like about it is that the top collar area kind of stabs me in the neck. The jacket also feels a little too ‘sportswear’ for me to justify the price tag, but if you are into the athleisure look you might love this!

Item #5: Leota Seraphina Textured Knit Dress, $118
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that a fit-and-flare dress is totally my jam. This one is extra great with a scoop neck and sleeves. This dress is also incredibly similar to a dress that I already own (the floral jacquard dress from this post). Its super confusing though, because the app shows the front of the dress as a scoop neck, but the actual dress has the tag on the scoop area… meaning that should be the back? I found the plus-sized version at Nordstrom and it shows the dress on properly. I prefer it ‘backwards’ though with a lower (more flattering) neckline. I paired it with a gold braided belt and my thrifted leopard print heels. I went back and forth on this dress a few times, but ultimately decided that I don’t totally LOVE it so it’s going back.

My Final Thoughts
To be honest, I’m actually really impressed with this Fix. My randomly-assigned stylist (Jenn) did a great job in listening to what I wanted and provided a nice Fix that could mix in well with the rest of my closet. Of course, she had no way of knowing that I already own some similar items. If I were still in the ‘building my wardrobe’ phase, I would have purchased the entire Fix. However, at this point in my shopping I’m getting super picky so that I only add items that I love. As much as I like to ‘treat myself’ this whole Fix is going back. I think Stitch Fix is a great option for those who don’t really know what they want, but at this point in my life I have developed a pretty good sense of what looks good (and doesn’t look good) on me, so I think that it’s time for me to give up on trying to make Stitch Fix work for me.

Do you think I made the right decision on this Fix?

Psssst…If you like checking out what other people receive in their Fixes, you might like my Stitch Fix Reviews page where I have every single Fix review I’ve ever done listed! You may also want to check out my Trunk Club posts on my Trunk Club Reviews page!

Disclosure: 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. If you choose to use my referral link when signing up for Stitch Fix, I will receive a small referral reward.