Isn’t she the cutest little lady!? I love her big, bright, blue eyes and her sweet little voice. What a great family!
August Stitch Fix {southern maryland lifestyle photographer}
Ya’ll, it’s Stitch Fix time again! This month I asked just for summer stuff. It’s still over 90 every day here so I’m definitely not mentally prepared for layers and sleeves.
I’ve beat the nail well into the ground, but for review on what exactly Stitch Fix is – sign up via Stitch Fix. SCHEDULE YOUR VERY OWN PERSONAL CHRISTMAS
Sit back and wait.
You are charged $20 when the Fix ships. That $20 goes to anything you keep in the box, so it’s not just a service charge, which is pretty amazing if you ask me. If you keep all 5 of the items contained in each box, you get 25% off of the entire box!
Let’s get into the box:
My eyes are first drawn to the brown and coral floral and I’m wondering to myself “what in the name of God is that?” and NOT with positive connotation!
Turns out it’s the Gilli Kamile 2fer Faux Suede Knit Dress
I’ve paired it with the Bay to Baubles Whitmore Bauble Stone Collar Necklace as suggested by my killer stylist, Holly.
It’s interesting what this does to my already over-sized derriere…
I don’t know how I feel about this yet. I put on these Guess wedges that my mom just gave me the other day because she’s not worn them in the three years she’s owned them (SCORE!) and I feel like I like it. But then I feel like I don’t. I’m still undecided on this. The necklace I love – so much so that I already have one almost identical to it in my wardrobe! ha
Next up is the Collective Concepts Paddio Lace Inset Blouse which I’ve paired with the Renee C Lidia Printed Swing Skirt.
The skirt is wonderful. I love the print and the feel and the cut. It’s a little heavier than I’d like for August in MD, but it’ll transition easier to fall, and I do need to think that way even if my brain can’t grasp the concept based on current thermometer readings! And my favorite color is blue, so …The shirt is nice. I like the collar and I love the lace inset, totally my style. Problem? It’s a petite. What does it specifically say in my ‘notes’ in my style profile? NO PETITE TOPS (and also no more boyfriend jeans, for the love of God, I look awful in them!). I’m not a petite. I’m short, but I have nothing petite about me otherwise. So for FIFTY EIGHT DOLLARS for a shirt, I really want it to fit. Even with the 25% potential discount. I’m just kinda peeved by the sizing issue.
I think I’ll let that slide, though, because of the
Loveappella Denzi Raglan Knit Top
SOLD. I mean, stripes and floral and blue and amazing fabric?! YES PLEASE. This screams football season to me. I can still feel feminine but won’t be that embarrassing mom. Even Gustav approves!
Another stellar box by my girl, Holly. I’m always excited to receive my boxes, and always pleasantly surprised by at least one item, so it’s worth it for me each and every month!
July Stitch Fix {southern maryland lifestyle photographer}
Another episode of Stitchmas is here.
To start, let’s cover what Stitch Fix is, in case you aren’t quite aware!
However frequently you desire (monthly, quarterly, annually, as needed, etc), you schedule a FIX by visiting Stitch Fix, answering some questions to determine your “style profile” and then selecting the date for your fix to ship. When your box arrives, it will contain five hand selected items from your personal stylist. In the comfort of your own home, you try on the five items. Keep what you want. The $20 you are charged to have your Fix ship is a credit to anything you keep. Send the rest back in your pre-paid envelope. So easy peasy!
So I attempted to do another unboxing video, because it felt really fun last month, but mid-filming my husband decided to holler down the hallway at the dogs or something and then came into the bedroom making all sorts of racket, and, well, it pissed me off and I stopped halfway through and it was ruined. Maybe next month!
This month I told Holly (my very own personal stylist), that July is my birth month and that I was particularly interested in one top I’ve seen floating around the blogs. Not much guidance from my end (I try to not make my requests too super specific – seems like I can find specific items if I just Google them) and here’s what I got:
BC Footwear Society D’Orsay Flats
At first glance, I found these to be pretty Meh. And after trying them on, I’ve determined that D’Orsays are cute on feet that aren’t attached to my legs. Sadly, these have to be returned.
Holly suggested that I style them with the Renee C Zalia Knit Dress “for my night out”. Which is cute. She thinks I get a night out for my birthday. *insert laughing emojis here*
I love this dress. I’ll grant her that the shoes do go with the dress, I just hate the way they feel on me. The dress is another story. It’s lightweight enough to wear on days when it’s 95F with a heat index of 105 (such as Sunday when I took these photos) but still professional enough to wear to the office. Dressed down with flats like this, it’s casual enough to wear to a weekend function like a cookout or whatever. Super cute and keeping this for sure.
Karen Kane Blair Printed Aline Skirt drew my attention next.
Unfortunately, this skirt was not made for this body. I have a really weird shape where my stomach is somehow disproportionately small as compared to my rear — a point of contention for clothes for just about my entire life. Since there was no ‘give’ in this fabric, I couldn’t even zip this closed. After seeing the prices, I was okay with that decision!
I then tried on the Collective Conceps Pamela V-Neck Blouse and I’m torn.
This was straight from my Pinterest board. But I’m not sure I love the way it fits me. What do you think?
I saved the polka dots for last. Anyone that knows my fashion taste knows that I have a crush on polka dots. This Daniel Rainn Poppins Crochet Trim Blouse did not disappoint. So super cute. And check out the details on the sleeves! Holly knows how to talk to me with clothes!
She suggested I pair it with the white shorts from last fix – but I definitely wouldn’t ever wear this outfit. You see, the dots on this blouse are off white and the starch whiteness of the shorts against the off white dots drives me bonkers. Everything.must.match (thanks, Mom!).
Again, I’m torn, however, after putting the blouse onto my body. I can’t decide if I love it or don’t. Thoughts?
So that’s this month, and for the first time in a long time, it’s not a grand slam. I TOTALLY LOVE the dress. Definitely ‘no’ to the shoes and the too-small skirt (that I would’ve kept if the inevitable up-sizing wouldn’t be too large in the waist…), and two that I just don’t know! HELP, HELP!!!
Snore and Roar
Since we are members of FONZ, we get some pretty sweet perks. The annual membership, to me, is worth the ‘free’ parking when we go to the zoo. So Saturday night, we camped at the zoo. You read that right. Tent, us, zoo, all at once.
It’s not like there are more reasons needed to want to camp at the zoo besides, you know, camping at the freakin’ zoo. But somehow it does get better. We selected the Cheetah Conservation option and it did not disappoint. We got to meet the Cheetahs. Not super up close, like we haven’t touched cheetah, but we were verrrrrrrrrrrry close. Of particular interest was Bacari. He was so obsessed with Thurston that he followed us around. This made for an extra incredible experience.
We saw other animals during our tour, including the Grevy’s zebras, damas, gazelles, and some super cool vultures — at feeding time, no less, so we got to watch a vulture pull the innards of a rat, well, out.
Other things we did:
We got to walk through whale invertebrate. Unfortunately this is a sculpture made entirely of trash recovered from one beach in Oregon (there were 17 or 18 assorted sculptures throughout the zoo). It’s cool what she did; just sad how she got her materials.
We got to see the tiger clean his paws at night.
A lion was our alarm clock.
Cutey boy catching the big cats.
The gorillas are quite active at 8am. This one was picking his nose and then seeing what came out.
And we got to watch the pandas tussle. They were so dang adorable.
So happy to have the chance to celebrate Thurston’s 6th birthday with such a memorable gift.
Wanna try Stitch Fix? FOLLOW ME THERE!
doTerra June order
June Stitch Fix {southern maryland lifestyle photographer}
At the suggestion of my computer nerd BFF, I threw caution to the wind this month, and release to you my very first unboxing video! Don’t judge too hard; it’s my first time!
So, what is this Stitch Fix! thing anyway?
The short of it is:
Sign up at Stitch Fix
Fill out your style profile (size, height, weight, age, budget, style preferences via photos, etc)
SCHEDULE YOUR VERY OWN PERSONAL CHRISTMAS
Sit back and wait.
You are charged $20 when the Fix ships. That $20 goes to anything you keep in the box, so it’s not just a service charge, which is pretty amazing if you ask me. If you keep all 5 of the items contained in each box, you get 25% off of the entire box!
So, without further ado:
I usually like to start things off with a picture of the stack. Since I ripped that puppy open for the video of my unboxing, well, there isn’t a stack picture. SORRY.
We’ll start the reviews with the Le Lis Kelden Ruffle Sleeve Blouse. The print on this is GORGEOUS. I love the navy with the yellow floral. Issues: three quarter bell sleeves. My soul has little to no love for this boho trend, even if I wish I could embrace it. It’s see-through. 100% completely you can see my bra right through this thing right down to the lace. So it requires a second layer. It’s Maryland. Though today may have been only a high of 75, yesterday was 90 and tomorrow will be also. So a draw back to get it now and save it until the fall (if the sleeves weren’t so awful to me).
The fit is pretty nice. As always, my arms are behemoth so that’s a little snug, but not to the point where I couldn’t get the shirt on or off of myself. I really like the way it feels on, and honestly, the sleeves aren’t as awful as I anticipated when I looked at it coming out of the box. And therein lies yet another reason why StitchFix is so amazing. 1000000% guaranteed I’d have passed right by this at a store.
The Collective Concepts Mikoh Crochet Strap Top is, quite true to how Holly (you rock!) describes it: easy breezy. It definitely has the color that we all need this time of year. And the ruffling is completely cute. I like the crochet, too. This brand always fits me right — no huge arm holes, not too tight on the shoulders or bust. I tried so hard to wear a fedora with this and, aside from a complete inability to take focused pictures of myself in this top for some really random reason, I just looked like a doofus. Maybe I’ll do a bloopers post one day. Today is not that day.
PS. Say hi to Cannoli with me.
Next up is a two-fer: Market & Spruce Colibri Polka Dot Print Top paired with the Liverpool Kaiden Distressed Denim Short. I was so relieved that these were shorts and not more white jeans. I have a pair of white jeans. They’re amazing and were from Target, my second favorite place to shop, and they fit amazeballs. So, anyway, relief flooded over me to find these were shorts. I was on the fence about them, too, because they’re white shorts. I mean, if you have white jeans, probably there’s no need for white shorts. So then I put them on. And, as Holly suggested, I paired them with the Colibri. This Colibri in the cutest variation of this shirt I’ve ever seen — navy with white polka dots. I effing love polka dots. I went out on a nerd limb and tried the mixed print craze via the striped shoes I scored at Target [and you should totally get some, too]. Holly was right. I needed both this shirt and these shorts (even if the shirt is long sleeves and it’s hot as hell in MD; I retract that first world problem whining in the video).
I’ve saved the best for last. I mean, holy amazing awesome in love, hanging in my closet first! The Brixon Ivy Cristen Shirt Dress is such a whimsical assortment of colors that it’s mesmerizing. Just the most gorgeously delicate balance of mint with coral and navy. And it’s a shirt dress, so extra comfortable. The waist tie is sewn on, which I wish wasn’t the case because I prefer to tie my stuff in the rear. But not at all a deal breaker. There’s also a slip layer so it isn’t see through. This does make it a little weightier, but still not too heavy to be wearing in MD in the middle of our Augusts. This is in my top ten favorite Stitch Fix items of all time. Maybe top five. Seriously.
So, I’d say this one is a 4.5 out of 5. I’m still not sold on the ruffle sleeves totally BUT with the 25% discount to keep it is cheaper than to send it back.
congratulations Mr and Mrs Y {southern maryland wedding photographer}
Congrats to my friend Katy and her new beau on their beautiful nuptials.
Happy Mothers Day {southern maryland photographer}
I hope your Mother’s Day was as lovely as ever.
May Stitch Fix {southern maryland lifestyle photographer}
SQUEAL. Literal squeal. I need to just delve in. If you haven’t followed along for a while, and have no clue what Stitch Fix is, visit here for the explanation!
YAY:
I love the stack. So many surprises await!
To start, the Kut from the Kloth Kate Distressed Boyfriend Jean in White.
Sigh. I tried so hard to make these work, but I really just don’t have the figure for boyfriends. I’m short and bottom-heavy (read, my derriere stretches from here to the next time zone). I’m just not a fan of myself in them. To keep the 25% discount, I was luckily able to sell these quickly on a buy/sell/trade forum!
Le Lis Truxton Embellished Crew Neck Blouse
When in doubt for a blouse, toss on the Rune leggings from a prior fix. I love these sapphire blue heels from Jessica Simpson -that I accidentally ordered. Long story. The top of this blouse is all bling. The collar is embellished, the floral is divine, and the cut is great for tight bottoms. Total love.
Papermoon Piko Knit Tank was one my bomb ass stylist Holly sent for a weekend of running the boys. And it’s perfection. Just the right touch of feminine so I don’t feel like one of the boys. Feels like a dream. Love that it’s somehow loose and clingy. I paired it with last summer’s Dear John dark wash denim and my go-to Imagine TOMS. Perfect grocery store day.
I saved the best for last, because I did literally squeal when I saw this band of color. The Papermoon Bastille Tulip Sleeve Blouse pairs so perfectly with the Pixley Stacey Scallop Hem Cut-out Detail Skirt. I mean, I just can’t even. For a few days I’ve been so very sad because, well you can’t see in these pictures but this skirt will not zip up my backside. I can squeeze and finagle and then not breath, and was considering doing that, but luckily a size exchange is en route to me. I’ll be updating my profile because it seems that the Pixley skirts run small for me. Paired with the same accidentally-ordered sapphire pumps and I’m golden for a day at the office. I just hope the weather breaks and the sun hangs out for a while. I hate wearing skirts in the rain; no real idea why. The top is a staple that my wardrobe has really been lacking; tremendously lacking. But the cute sleeves are such a great detail to make it better than just a plain ol’ ivory top. To die for.
So here we are again. Holly was once again brilliant. She’s my bestie at Stitch Fix. I feel like we’ve been pals for so long. Knocked it out of the park.