#GalSquad: Fabulous Holiday Products & a Gift Card Promotion

You guys know how much I love being a member of the Red Door Spa #GalSquad. I mean, I’ve had an amazing Brandied Pear and Marshmallow Body Melt Treatment, they gave me their fabulous Arden Standard Facial and even treated my little piggy’s to a Watermelon Basiltini Pedicure. Yup, I’m quite a spoiled girl!

For the month of November, my friends at Red Door Spa sent me two items that are just perfect for the upcoming holidays: the Skyward bar from the Primal Elements Holiday Soap Collection and the Balsam and Cedar Luxury Scented Candle from Illume.

Red Door Spa - November

The Primal Elements Collection uses a hand-made process to create Vegetable Glycerin Soaps that are high quality, effective, and based on caring, sound environmental practices.

For Illume, nothing ushers in the season of giving like the Balsam & Cedar collection. A well-crafted tradition and cult classic, this quintessential fragrance envelops you in an enchanted winter forest. Balsam and oak moss mingle with aromatic cedar wood, cinnamon and eucalyptus to ignite the ultimate yuletide moment.

You can purchase either of these treats at your favorite Red Door Spa location. Click here to find the spa closest to you.

11.22_giftRed Door Gift Card Promotion:
Since we are talking about the holidays, I have to share with you the promotion that the Red Door Spa is running on their gift cards. They are offering Bonus Spa Dollars with every $100 gift card purchased from November 3 until December 25.

What this means is that when you spend $100 you get $15, spending $200 gets you $30 and when you spend $300 you receive $45. So, not only can you treat your loved ones with a spa service… you can treat YOURSELF too!

If you are interested in purchasing a Red Door Spa gift card for everyone on your holiday shopping list and receiving bonus spa dollars for yourself, click here!

 

Disclosure: I am a Red Door #GalSquad Ambassador, which means that once a month I am able to experience a new product or service free of charge. I’m not required to blog about my experiences; only post a few pictures on my social media accounts (which may be shared on the Red Door Spa accounts).

Offer Details: Limited Time offer. Bonus Spa Dollar promotion ends December 25, 2015. Limit $45 bonus per transaction. To get your Bonus Spa Dollar Voucher, your gift order must total $100 or more. The bonus spa dollar voucher will be attached to your purchase confirmation email. Mention this offer at time of booking. Bonus Spa Dollars must be presented at checkout and may be redeemed towards a service or retail purchase only. Cannot be redeemed on date of issue. Limit one bonus voucher per transaction. Card cannot be applied to taxes, gratuities, packages, series, Red Door More massage membership, gift certificate or gift card purchase and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Not valid for cash back or credit towards future purchases. The company cannot replace card if lost or stolen. Offer valid through January 31, 2016.

My November Stitch Fix: Comfy + Casual

The weather outside isn’t frightful yet, but I’m already feeling the urge to snuggle up under a fuzzy blanket, drink some hot cocoa and nibble on some snickerdoodles.

After over two dozen Stitch Fix boxes, I’m doing quite well on work-appropriate clothes. However, I’ve recently realized that my weekend casual wear could really use some upgrading.

With that in mind, here’s what I told my Stylist:

I really need help with casual clothes that I can wear comfortably on the weekends (soft fabrics, easy to wash). I’d love a whole Fix of casual tops and sweaters (v necks are best). I’d also love to try a super soft blanket scarf (less than $50).

Here is my “typical” weekend look and I pretty much throw on some variation of this outfit any day that I’m not working in an office. It’s comfy and casual, but I’d really like to step it up like one notch above my typical t-shirt and jeans.

Pocketful of Joules - typical casual look

T-shirt (Thug Life Shirts), comfy open cardigan (Stitch Fix), stretchy skinny jeans (Democracy), a scarf and boots (Clarks). On Friday I grabbed these jeans out of my donation pile and decided to try my hand at making them into skinny jeans by narrowing the ankles so that they work with my favorite boots… and I’ve worn them every day since. {Let me know if you are interested in a quick tutorial.} Also, if you are looking for the PERFECT pair of casual boots, these are pretty fantastic.

Pocketful of Joules - boots

I recently became a Clarks Trendsetter and they sent me their Valora Sky boots which are like a cross between sexy motorcycle boots and the most comfortable boots ever. They are also currently on sale!

Okay, back to the Stitch Fix reveal! Let’s see what my stylist sent for me to try:

Stitch Fix Review - November 2015 - Pocketful of Joules

{If you are interested in checking out all of my Fix reviews, you can click here. This Fix is #26… so I’m kind of a fan!}

Item #1: Loveappella Tiffina Knit Top – $54
My first thought when I pulled this top out of the box is that it was exactly what I was hoping for. It is so soft that it’s like they weaved it from puppy fur. Um… but not in a creepy Cruella De Vil kind of way. The open neck and fun cuff detail is right up my alley too. The ONLY thing I wish were a little different is the color, as I don’t know if light grey is the most flattering color on me.

Stitch Fix Review - Loveappella Tiffina Knit Top - Pocketful of Joules

The rest of the outfit: exact pants and exact boots.

Keep or Return? I can see myself wearing this shirt with a pair of comfy jeans, layered under an open cardigan with a scarf, or even just thrown on with yoga pants, so it will definitely get worn. I emailed Customer Service to see if any other colors are available before I check out.

Item #2: Market & Spruce Jamie Button Down Cotton Shirt – $54
I was a little confused when I saw this shirt because when I think “comfy weekend style” my mind doesn’t go to a button down top. Even though this top is a softer, less structured style, it’s still not really what I’d go for when grabbing clothes on a lazy Saturday. Actually, it’s not really what I’d go for on a workday either. It is a nice basic though, so I styled it with my berry colored pants and knee-boots. {If you’d like to see a bunch more ways to style these pants, check this post out}

Stitch Fix Review - Market Spruce Jaime Button Down Cotton Shirt - Pocketful of Joules

The rest of the outfit: exact pants and similar boots.

Keep or Return? If you are just building your wardrobe, this top might be a great match for you. However, I don’t love it and the bust is pulling on me so back it goes!

Item #3: Colorblock Verbena Sequin Detail Blouse – $68
In the note my stylist sent with this month’s Fix, she mentioned that this top on my Pinterest page is a style that Stitch Fix carried last year and that I might like the version she sent over as a dressier replacement. The top is pretty much the perfect holiday top. However, unlike the style I pinned it shouts MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I paired it with a skirt I just got from Modcloth (it is the Essential Elegance skirt) and some heels. {Speaking of, do you think this skirt is a keeper?}

Stitch Fix Review - Colorblock Berbena Sequin Detail Blouse - Pocketful of Joules

The rest of the outfit: exact skirt and similar shoes.

Keep or Return? The blouse is awfully festive! However, as pretty as it is I can’t really see myself wearing it any other time besides December.

Item #4: RD Style Gilianna V-Neck Zipper Detail Sweater – $68
What is it with the grey tops this month? I mean, I like grey… but it seems like my stylist is ALL about the grey. This is a great basic sweater with a v-neck style and a fun zipper detail. It is kind of what I’m looking for, but really similar to the sweater she sent me last month that I kept.

Stitch Fix Review - RD Style Gilianna V-neck Zipper Detail Sweater - Pocketful of Joules

The rest of the outfit: exact pants and exact boots.

Keep or Return? Honestly, I don’t love the zipper detail. It’s just kind of random and the metal of the zipper is really coarse and scratchy. I can imagine Jack going in for a tackle-hug and hurting himself on it, so it’s a no-go.

Item #5: Echo Adalia Striped Blanket Scarf – $38
I like big scarves and I cannot lie. I mean, what is the use of a wispy little scarf that hardly keeps your neck warm? I have a couple scarves that I’ve been wearing for the past couple years and was thinking I should switch it up a little. So I asked my stylist to send me something soft and this is what I received.

Stitch Fix Review - Echo Adalia Striped Blanket Scarf - Pocketful of Joules

The rest of the outfit: exact jacket, exact t-shirt, exact pants and exact boots.

This scarf is pretty much EXACTLY what I imagined in my head. Its super soft, has a cool pattern and is a great size that actually keeps you nice and toasty. I did have some trouble tying it in a way that didn’t look super weird, but finally ended up with this way of wearing it that I really like.

Stitch Fix Review - Echo Adalia Striped Blanket Scarf 2 - Pocketful of Joules

Keep or Return? I love this scarf and will definitely be wearing it all winter long!

Help Me Decide!
This month’s Fix was really hit and miss. I love the Loveappella top and the blanket scarf, so I’m leaning towards keeping both of them. The black button up shirt is just not really my style, much less my weekend style. As for the red sequin blouse and grey zipper sweater, I think I’ll pass.

So now it’s time for you to weigh in! What should I buy?

{the survey is now closed}

11/18/15 Update: Thank you so much to everyone who voted in the survey and also those of you who left a comment below. I decided to go ahead and get both the blanket scarf and the Loveappella top because OHMYGOSH it is so fuzzy! I emailed Stitch Fix about switching out the color and/or sizing up for a little more of a comfy fit and they are sending me the next size (but won’t do a color exchange). Thanks for your help in deciding and be sure to stop by next month for my December Fix review!

November Fix survey

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. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Stitch Fix for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my blogging addiction.

Psssst…Do you love checking out what other people received in their Fixes? I added quick links to every single one of my reviews on my Stitch Fix Reviews page!

4 Ways to Style Berry-Colored Pants

After years and years of being a black pants or jeans kinda girl, I’ve finally started to be a little more comfortable wearing colored pants. While I still need to work myself up to wear some of the brighter colors, I’ve really gotten some use out of my olive green pants. In fact, I recently published 4 Ways to Wear Olive Colored Pants over on BlogHer.

After seeing a few ladies rocking their burgundy/berry colored pants, I started hunting for a pair to add to my closet. When I was putting together the My Style: October Favorites post a couple weeks ago I found these Democracy colored jeans and crossed my fingers that they’d fit well when they arrived.

Well, they’ve arrived and I’M IN LOVE!

I wore them to work the very next morning:

They were comfortable, held their shape all day and were super flattering… which means I need to figure out a bunch of outfits so I can wear them ALL the time! So, I dug into my closet and put together the first four outfits I saw. Sometimes colored jeans can be a bit intimidating to style, so I figured I’d share them with you so that you could copy them if you’d like!

4 ways to style berry colored pants

Look #1: A Printed Top & Lots of Black

Berry Pants - look 1

Here is the first outfit I put together when my jeans first arrived at my house. I played up the berry color with a printed top that has a brighter pink in the background and then grounded it all with black flats and a black cardigan. The flowy cut of the blouse also lets you have a big lunch without showing off a food baby. Just saying.

Look #2: Black Lace & Leopard Heels

Berry Pants - look 2

For this sassy look, I topped the pants with a lacy peekaboo top and a sexy pair of leopard printed pumps. My husband would love it if I wore this on a date night and it’s actually relatively comfortable as long as we don’t walk too far!

Look #3: Stripes & Boots

Berry Pants - look 3

This is a great everyday look that I would wear for a casual day at work, shopping on the weekend or for a Thanksgiving get together. While black boots would also look totally fine, I decided to mix it up a little with this brown pair. I feel like this outfit would also look really cute if you added on a jean jacket and colorful scarf.

Look #4: A Comfy Sweater & Booties

Berry Pants - look 4

I have the hardest time wearing booties with pants because the cuffs are always too loose to get a good tight cuff going on. These pants are pretty great, however I should have thrown on a pair of socks so you didn’t get a flash of pale ankle in there. By pairing the pants with an over-sized comfy sweater – but giving it shape by tucking in the front – this outfit pretty much feels like I’m wearing pajamas but much, much cuter.

Do you have a favorite look? Are you a little intimidated when trying to style colored pants?

 

Disclosure: This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my blogging addiction.