Skimming the news is the way to go

It’s been a while since I’ve last posted due to a very busy work schedule, but I wanted to stop by and share something that I’ve discovered that I think all of you might like and could use.

While this year is only half way through, there’s been so much going on in the news that it’s hard to keep up with what’s true, what’s not, and what’s worth knowing. A few months ago I was introduced to a newsletter started by two women that has changed the way I get my news. While I majored in Broadcast Journalism in college, I ended up with a job in technology instead. I’m still interested in the news and keeping up to date on the latest happenings but it’s not always easy.

If you’re like me and you want to stay informed, learn something new, and sound like you’re well versed in a variety of topics, you need to check out theSkimm.

What’s theSkimm?
A free and fun daily newsletter that comes directly to your inbox (week days only).

Why should I subscribe to theSkimm?
It’s an entertaining fresh way of getting your news. For those of us always on the go, it’s an effortless way to stay connected to what’s going on around the world. Plus, it’s created by two women, and I’m always one for supporting women led/owned businesses.

Sounds great, how do I sign up?
You can sign up via my referral link here.

theSkimm is completely free, so signing up via my link helps me become an official skimm’bassador, meaning I can eventually help provide feedback, content, and test products/series the company is working on.

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A Spring Fix – Stitch Fix Review

Photo courtesy of Stitch Fix

Disclosure: This post contains Stitch Fix Affiliate links, and I may receive compensation.

What’s Stitch Fix: An amazing fashion company that provides you with your own personal stylist who picks out pieces based on your style profile, requests, budget and your figure!

Spring is fully here and summer is just around the corner. As the weather starts to heat up I’m looking to add some lighter pieces into my wardrobe so I can conquer hot and steamy New York City commuting. This Fix I asked for some flowy dresses, a solid dark wash pair of shorts and some short sleeved tops.

#1 – Daniel Rainn Natalie Tie Neck Top
My first piece in my May fix was a short sleeved top from Daniel Rainn, one of my favorite designers with Stitch Fix. When I pulled the top out of the box my initial concern was the color of the top. While the cut, style, and pattern were cute, the main color of the top seemed like it might not work for someone with my coloring. Sure enough, after trying the top on, I felt it matched my skin tone too much and made me look washed out. Although the top was a miss for me, I think it would be a great top to wear to the office or on a even on a beach trip. If you have a darker skin tone, or are someone who can tan, this top would look amazing on you. Unfortunately, as a redhead, I don’t tan so back to Stitch Fix the top goes.

Daniel Rainn Natalie Tie Neck Top

#2 – Margaret M Lorali Knit Dress
I’m so thankful that Stitch Fix brought Margaret M into my life. Margaret M is a company out of Canada that designs flattering clothing for women that is supposed to provide a slimming effect. I already own 2 pairs of pants and skirt from them, so of course I had to add one of their dresses to my wardrobe. The Lorali knit dress is fun, flowy, and so comfortable. The fabric is silky smooth and cool to the touch. I love how the waistline is designed, and how the pattern sits, giving you a really flattering figure. The color and pattern of this dress is also perfect for these spring/summer months. I have yet to be disappointed with Margaret M pieces in my Fixes.

Margaret M Lorali Knit Dress
Margaret M Lorali Knit Dress

#3 – Crescent Cailyn Textured Dress
Royal blue dresses should be a staple in every woman’s wardrobe, they look amazing with any skin tone and hair color. I love the texture on this dress from Crescent. The dress is full of little raised circles that help dress this dress up a bit, make it something you could wear for multiple occasions from the office, to a date, or even to a bridal shower. The tie waistband is cute and functional while the neckline detail is fun and frilly. I love the how this dress is lightweight and looks like it could travel well without having to worry about too many wrinkles popping up. As someone who has spent weeks traveling, I really appreciate pieces that I can throw into my suitcase and not have to worry about.

Crescent Cailyn Textured Dress
Crescent Cailyn Textured Dress

#4 – Market & Spruce Tanzie Open Back Top
I love a tank top. I’ve lived in tank tops most summers, and I love how this one is little dressier than usual but can also be pretty casual. While the front is pretty simple and plain, the back cutout adds a little something special, bringing this tank top up an extra notch. I recommend pairing this top with a pair of white pants or shorts.

Market & Spruce Tanzie Open Back Top
Market & Spruce Tanzie Open Back Top

#5 – Level 99 Josh Denim Short
You can’t survive Spring without a great pair of shorts. I had high hopes for Stitch Fix shorts, but this pair of denim shorts misses all the marks in my book. I was hoping for a solid dark wash pair of jeans, no distressing or whiskers. What I got instead was a pair of shorts that I can’t explain any other way but to say they look like “mom shorts.” Now, no offense to moms, but we’ve all heard about mom jeans, and these shorts are their spawn. Maybe it’s the cut or fit on my body, but they just didn’t look good. The shorts elongated my butt, and just looked strange. I wasn’t a fan of the large pockets in the front either. I should note this was my first time requesting shorts from Stitch Fix, but I might give it another go and ask for a fun color or print in the future.

Level 99 Josh Denim Short
Level 99 Josh Denim Short

Final Thoughts: This fix provide a few cute items that I’m excited to circulate in my Spring wardrobe, but had a couple misses. I look forward to working with my stylist to find a few more pieces for the upcoming warm weather here in the North East.

As always, suggestions for a better fix:

  1. Be very specific. If there are certain pieces or types of clothing you really want, provide that in your styling note to your stylist.
  2. Create a Pinterest Board. Stylists will check them out if you keep mentioning them in your style notes.
  3. Call out designers or names of actual articles of clothing . Your stylist may not provide those exact items but they’ll start to get a better sense of what style you’re into.

Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest Boards for more Stitch Fix fun!

Haven’t tried Stitch Fix yet? Sign up with my Stitch Fix code!

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Springing into Spring with Stitch Fix

Photo courtesy of Stitch Fix

Disclosure: This post contains Stitch Fix Affiliate links, and I may receive compensation.

What’s Stitch Fix: An amazing fashion company that provides you with your own personal stylist who picks out pieces based on your style profile, requests, budget and your figure!

Since Spring is just a few days away, for my March fix I wanted to get a head start on Spring! My requests included a tan/beige trench coat, flowy dresses, and a flowy skirt with a top to match. For the most part most of my fix hit the nail on the head, but one item in particular left me disappointed.

#1 – Papermoon Barkley Woven Detail Knit Top
This top is another cute one from Papermoon, giving you the illusion of two tops in one, which is a style I like because it looks like you’ve put more thought into what you’re wearing than you actually did! One small thing I’d change is to make the green part of the shirt a little bit longer, it cuts off at a slightly awkward length. The colors and pattern scream Spring. I really loved how soft this top was and how the back of the top went down further than the front, making it so you could get away with wearing this top with leggings if you wanted. Another cute detail is the print in the neckline opening, something unique and unexpected!

Papermoon Barkley Woven Detail Knit Top
Papermoon Barkley Woven Detail Knit Top

#2 – 41Hawthorn Tova Dress
I was really hoping for a lightweight flowy floral dress for Spring and this 41Hawthorn dress ticks off all my boxes! The print is gorgeous and makes me happy just looking at it. The built in elastic waistline gives the dress a bit more shape and helps make this is a great piece for any body shape. I absolutely love how comfortable and lightweight the dress is, making it a great pick for all sorts of events and locations, be it the office or out on the weekend. I’d also recommend this if you’re attending a bridal shower because it’s such a cheery and bright print.

41Hawthorn Tova Dress
41Hawthorn Tova Dress

#3 – Renee C Lindia Printed Swing Skirt
I’m going to showcase the next two pieces together in my personal photo, since my stylist recommend pairing them together, but let’s first start with the skirt by Renee C. I was hoping for a skirt that wasn’t too tight and form fitting that had a little bit of flare to it, and this skirt delivered. The fabric is fairly thick and structured, but you still get a great swing look to it. The pattern is a beautiful navy background with white flowers. One of my favorite colors to wear is navy so this skirt is a perfect addition to my wardrobe.

Renee C Lindia Printed Swing Skirt

#4 – Papermoon Gracey Button Front Blouse
When I first pulled this top out I was a little worried with how bright it was, and if it would look ok on me since I have pretty fair skin and red hair – pink isn’t always a redhead’s friend – but it certainly screamed Spring fashion. Eventually, the shirt won me over and I found it was really breezy and comfortable to wear. I can see myself wearing it in most seasons because it has some length to the sleeves but it’s also really light so it can be a pretty versitile piece. Now when I requested a skirt in my Fix, I was specific to ask for a top to go with it since I always have trouble finding tops in my wardrobe to match with skirts (I don’t trust myself basically) but when I saw my stylist suggested this hot pink top with the navy floral skirt I wasn’t sure I’d like the look. I learned my lesson though, and you can’t judge two pieces without trying them on together. I was pleasantly surprised and felt the look was fresh, young, and maybe a bit fashion forward (for my wardrobe anyways).  What do you think?

Papermoon Gracey Button Front Blouse

#5 – Laundry By Shelli Segal Ellin Rain Jacket
The item I was hoping to get the most was a classic trench coat, and was disheartened when I open my stylist’s note to see she wasn’t able to find one, but hoped this coat would do the trick. Do the trick it did not. First off, the color wasn’t doing it for me. It’s bright white, which is far from the tan/beige I was hoping for and I feared it would easily get dirty. The next thing that hit me was the scent. Yes, you read that right, the scent. The jacket smelled like a shower curtain liner, not something I want to go for 🙂 But I figured hey, you’ve got to try it on maybe these initial reactions will go away. Sadly, they didn’t. The coat felt a size too big for me, and it didn’t have a tie belt which really confused me. Why wouldn’t you put a belt on this coat? Without the belt the coat went out pretty far and and it made me feel like I could hide a pregnant belly. I didn’t like the look, smell, or feel of the jacket so I returned it. Thankfully it was expensive enough that it didn’t cause any issues with the savings I would have made by keeping all 5 items.

Laundry By Shelli Segal Ellin Rain Jacket
Laundry By Shelli Segal Ellin Rain Jacket
Laundry By Shelli Segal Ellin Rain Jacket

Final Thoughts: Overall, I was pretty satisfied with my Fix. Several of the pieces I had seen on Pinterest and had even pinned so it was exciting to see them in this month’s box and to know my stylist continues to check out my pins. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the jacket, basically everything I had requested was provided, which is always an awesome treat and surprise because I know not every request is possible with the stock Stitch Fix has on hand. I’ll definitely be ordering another box soon to get some more transition pieces for Spring and Summer. What’s on your spring/summer wish list?

As always, suggestions for a better fix:

  1. Be very specific. If there are certain pieces or types of clothing you really want, provide that in your styling note to your stylist.
  2. Create a Pinterest Board. Stylists will check them out if you keep mentioning them in your style notes.
  3. Call out designers or names of actual articles of clothing . Your stylist may not provide those exact items but they’ll start to get a better sense of what style you’re into.

Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest Boards for more Stitch Fix fun!

Haven’t tried Stitch Fix yet? Sign up with my Stitch Fix code!

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Fabulous Fashion for Plus Size Gals

Photo provided by Stitch Fix

Disclosure: This post contains Stitch Fix Affiliate links, and I may receive compensation.

What’s Stitch Fix: An amazing fashion company that provides you with your own personal stylist who picks out pieces based on your style profile, requests, budget and your figure!

We all know how passionate I am about Stitch Fix, so I’m so thrilled to announce that Stitch Fix has expanded their offering to include plus sizes for ladies! If you’ve ever wanted to try Stitch Fix before, but weren’t sure their pervious size ranges would work for you, you’ve got to give it a try! Starting today Stitch Fix offers sizes from 0-24W & XS-3X.

The plus size line is stylish and fabulous thanks to Stitch Fix’s Curvy Style Council, compiled of 3 wonderful bloggers who were selected to help represent “the real needs of real bodies,” according to Stitch Fix. We’re not all built the same, and we should be able to explore new styles no matter what our size or shape may be.

Photo provided by Stitch Fix

You’ll be sure to find great pieces from Junarose, Think Eloquii, Slink Jeans, Kiyonna, and many other designers!

Schedule your Fix today, what have you got to lose!? I’ve already seen some ladies post some of their Fix pieces on Instagram and they’re looking amazing!

If you’re new to Stitch Fix, check out my quick tips below for a successful fix:

  1. Be very specific. If there are certain pieces or types of clothing you really want, provide that in your styling note to your stylist.
  2. Create a Pinterest Board. Stylists will check them out if you keep mentioning them in your style notes.
  3. Call out designers or names of actual articles of clothing . Your stylist may not provide those exact items but they’ll start to get a better sense of what style you’re into.

Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest Boards for more Stitch Fix fun!

Haven’t tried Stitch Fix yet? Sign up with my Stitch Fix code!

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Taking on stress head first

Hi there! It’s been a little while since I’ve posted so I wanted to provide just a quick post that I hope helps you a bit with the everyday bustle of life.

I’d classify myself as someone who is easily stressed or carries a fair deal of stress around with them. However, I’ve found some things that have worked for me to help lower my stress that I wanted to share with you:

  1. Pop Pilates
    • Exercise can be a great way to relieve stress even if it seems intimidating or just something else to add to your long list of things to get done in a day.
    • I’m recommending a particular exercise that will be easy for you to fit into your schedule because you don’t need to leave your home, and you don’t need any equipment – Pop Pilates. You can find it on Youtube, participate in the comfort of your own home, and it’s free!
    • For those looking to take on more of a challenge, I’m currently participating in Piit28 brought you by the same instructor as Pop Pilates. This program does cost money, but once again all you need is your own body, no equipment, and less than an hour of time a day (6 days a week).
    • I’m feeling more energized now and less in a funk because I have something else to focus on.
    • P.S. I’m doing a big review of Piit28 when I complete it at the end of this month, so stay tuned!
  2. Meditate
    • A couple years ago I took a course at work that was about searching yourself, finding out what made you tick, and learning how to relax, breathe, and yes meditate. From that class I was introduced to a great app called Headspace. It’s a subscription service (monthly, yearly), but you can try it out for 10 days free first.
    • I’ve found that going through a guided meditation, even if it seems all hippy dippy, is so relaxing, and really helps my brain relax and learn to let go emotions and stressors in times of need.
  3. Read
    • If you read this blog you know I love to read – check out my reading challenge posts! If you need to escape reality, cuddle up with a book and before you know it you’re mind will be off dreaming of some fantasy world. Last year at the age of 26 I decided to sign myself up for a library card, something I hadn’t had in probably over a decade, and it’s been great!
  4. Use a Planner
    • I subscribe to FabFitFun and in my last box I received a Moleskine Weekly Notebook.
    • I can control my schedule, capture events and projects all in one handy spot and the ability to cross of days is quite empowering.
    • I bought start stickers at the Dollar Tree that I can use to spice things up and track things like days I did Piit28 or meditated.

Hope you find a little time in your day to stop, breathe, and take your mind off of all that you’ve got going on to enjoy some peace and relaxation.

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