Stitch Fix Plus: Round 12
December 5, 2018 • brands. review
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I'm ready for some festive clothes. I mentioned to my stylist that holiday-friendly items would be welcome this round.
Stitch Fix is a styling service for women, men, and children. After completing a style profile including your likes and sizes, a $20 deposit secures a box of five items chosen for you (some members receive an invite to style pass which waives the styling fee for a year)! Try everything on at home, keeping what you like and returning what you don't in a convenient prepaid mailer. Your deposit is applied towards anything you keep and a 25% discount is applied if you love and keep all 5 pieces. I was a skeptic when I first tried Stitch Fix, but I enjoy trying the new goodies each month.
Here's what my stylist chose for me this round:
VIOLETS & ROSES | Tinsley Slim Straight Trouser, $58
These were a decently fitting pull-on pant, but at 5'10, they were way too short for me. Returned.
41 HAWTHORN | Jarred Lace Detail Cap-Sleeve Blouse, $58
I've had this top on my Pinterest board forever and had finally accepted that my stylist would never send it to me. Earlier this month, I bought it from someone in a Facebook group. So, technically this pick was a win. I returned it, but only because I already own it.
ABSOLUTELY | Emmay Button Up Lace Detail Cardigan, $48
I got a great black cardigan in another recent fix and ruffles just aren't my thing. This would be a great piece for most people, but this just wasn't my style. Returned.
FRANCO SARTO | Davey Leather Heel, $99
These shoes are gorgeous! They'd be a perfect holiday party shoe, which is what I asked for. If they were a more neutral color I may have kept them, but I'm not willing to pay that price for a shoe I'll only wear once or twice a year. Returned.
41 HAWTHORN | Alivia Sweater Dress, $78
Oh, how I wish this dress had sleeves. The sweater fabric was amazingly thick and soft. It would be the perfect dress to wear unlayered with just tights and booties. This would have been an absolute yes if it had a 3/4 or long sleeve. I'm not big on layering, though, so I returned it.
Try your first box - here's a $25 credit!
These were definitely festive like I asked for. Which items would you wear to a holiday party?
Baltimore, MD, USA
December to Remember: Office Party Gift Guide Under $25 + Giveaway Hop!
December 1, 2018 • giveaway
The spouse, the kids, the parents, the besties...there are so many gifts to buy right now! I personally like to get a head start and I love the feeling of being "done"—until I inevitably remember that one recipient or event I forgot. Then I'm hustling last minute to find that perfect appropriate gift for the office Santa swap. Whether it's a white elephant swap, a tactful boss' gift, or secret Santa, I've noticed that these affordable items tend to be crowd-pleasers:
- Doggy bag lunch bag: I stole this last year and it was immediately stolen from me. I'm still bummed.
- Bento box kit: I love how neatly this one stacks up. It has everything you need and comes in 3 other colors!
- Succulent planters: Also available in an assortment of colors, it's the perfect low-maintenance way to beautify a desk
- Volcano candle: A classic. One party I went to had three of these floating around (they were all stolen!)
- RFID passport wallet: Perfect for frequent travelers. Choose from an abundance of colors!
- Noise cancelling earbuds: Your cube-dwelling colleagues will thank you. The ear grips also make them perfect for the gym.
- Holiday tea set: Every bit as popular as coffee in my office. Such a festive assortment!
I have a gift for one of you - a stocking stuffed with at least $30 worth of goodies! Enter below to win and keep reading for more giveaways!
Welcome to the December to Remember Giveaway Hop brought to you by The Hopping Bloggers!
Each giveaway has a value of a minimum of $15, however some are worth much more. Be sure to enter to win all of them because there is no limit to how many you can win. GOOD LUCK!
If you’re a blogger looking to connect with brands: Join The Hopping Bloggers database and get started today!
If you’re a brand looking to work with a network of professional bloggers: Check out the creative campaigns The Hopping Bloggers has to offer!
Baltimore, MD, USA
Gourmet Pear Parmesean Bites with Stella + Giveaway!
November 19, 2018 • brands, food
This post is sponsored by Stella® Cheese but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
No holiday party is complete without delicious bites to eat. In anticipation of the season, my Facebook feed has been filled with videos of festive punches and appetizers. One particular appetizer featuring brie has appeared time and time again. Delicious as it is, why should brie get all the cheese love? If you're a cheeseaholic like me, take a good look at the cheese section of your local grocer and get creative! One cheesy appetizer is never enough.
My local Harris Teeter is full of Stella chesses. They are easy to use and have an Italian history of traditional cheesemaking almost as rich as it's flavors. I grabbed some organic shredded parmesean and explored pairings to find the best gourmet bite.
I love how it tastes in these puff pastry bites combined with the sweetness of pear and hint of cinnamon. It's easy to make, easy to eat, and looks super fancy. They're the perfect addition to your party hors d'oeuvre lineup!
I love how it tastes in these puff pastry bites combined with the sweetness of pear and hint of cinnamon. It's easy to make, easy to eat, and looks super fancy. They're the perfect addition to your party hors d'oeuvre lineup!
Psst...what's a holiday party without a stocking?
Enter to win this stocking full of goodies while you nibble on some yummy Stella Cheeses!
December to Remember Giveaway Hop
Enter to win this stocking full of goodies while you nibble on some yummy Stella Cheeses!
December to Remember Giveaway Hop
Parmesean Pear Bites
by
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients (2 dozen bites)
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
For the bites:
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 container Stella shredded parmesean cheese
- 1 pear, diced
- Chopped walnuts
- Cinnamon
- Sugar
- Honey
 |
| Easy as 1,2,3! |
Instructions
For the egg wash:
Whisk egg and water together in separate container
For the bites:
Preheat oven to 425 F
Coat puff pastry on one side with egg wash
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar
Cut pastry into squares approximately 2x2 inches
Press squares wash side up into mini muffin tin
Fill pastry halfway with shredded Parmesan
Fill rest of pastry with diced pear
Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top and additional Parmesan if desired
Place in oven and bake 15–20 minutes
Drizzle with honey and serve warm
Powered by Recipage
Baltimore, MD, USA
Stitch Fix Plus: Round 11
November 8, 2018 • brands. review
Because of my style pass and need for more cooler-weather pieces, I've increased the frequency of my Stitch Fix shipments recently. For my 11th fix, I opted not to request anything of my stylist. It's weird, but I've noticed the fixes seem to be a better fit when I don't ask for anything specific. I was also given a different stylist from the last fix, so it's always interesting to see a new person's take on what I might like.
If you're new to this blog or to Stitch Fix, it's a handy styling service where a stylist picks 5 items for you based on preferences you've noted in a style quiz. You try them on at home, keeping what you love and sending back what you don't. a $20 styling fee gets this started, and it's applied to any items you keep (or you can use my referral link for $25 off your first fix meaning your fee is waived and you get another $5 towards whatever you like!).
Here's what was chosen for me this time (I checked out before I remembered to grab all the prices, but pretty much everything was in my preferred range this time):
Papermoon | Arin Button Front Top
I was in love with this when I put it on. It's the softest, most comfortable fabric, and I loved that it was a mixed media top - the back was mostly solid navy. I was dying to keep it, but it had the same issue most button-downs have for busty girls: gaps. You'd think designers would have worked this point out by now. Returned.
Pink Clover | Melbourne Duster Cardigan
The cardigan is comfortable and a nice olive green. Styling it with the other items from my fix here didn't do it justice.I would have liked a little more coverage in the front, but otherwise have no complaints about this. It just didn't wow me enough to keep it. Returned.
Wisp | Anaisey Jersey Dress
This one had me scratching my head. The sheath style, the loud print, nothing about this says "me". The photo doesn't look so bad, but I see a stranger. It was an odd choice and far out of my comfort zone. Returned.
Violet & Red | Vail Suede Flat
Yes! I asked for shoes my last two fixes and got zilch, so these were a nice surprise. While I suspect I will never get some cute booties in a Fix, I was thrilled to see some flats. These were adorable and comfortable. I exchanged them for a size up (exchanging is a super easy process) which means I kept these!
Market & Spruce | Bella Corduroy Bootcut Pant
Like shoes, I also asked for work-appropriate pants the past few fixes. I gave up and these showed up this fix. Navy is my jam but corduroy is not (and the waistline was a little low). Returned.
Thoughts
Overall, I'm happy that this new stylist took the time to pay attention to things I had previously requested. The shirt, shoes, and cardigan were all my style even though I only kept one of the items. While the other two items were out there, I can appreciate a stylist that makes bolder choices - some of my favorite items in my first fixes were ones I didn't think I'd like. I asked that this stylist stick around for my next fix, so stay tuned!
Baltimore, MD, USA
I tried Dia & Co.: Part 2
November 5, 2018 • brands. review
If you missed it, I decided to get more adventurous in my game of fashion subscription roulette, so I signed up for Dia & Co., a subscription specifically for us curvier ladies. Thanks to a promotion combined with the use of Ebates, not only did I try my first box for free, I was paid $10! Not bad.
You can read about my first Dia box here, or TL;DR: I sent everything back.
Of course, the point of subscriptions is they are supposed to improve based on your feedback, so I filled out all my likes and dislikes and awaited the second shipment (which I did, in fact pay the $20 styling fee for). Here's what they chose for me:
Molly & Isladora Candy Stripe Cardigan, $65
This is close to my style but more on the casual side, so I wouldn't get any work wear out of it. Also, I can't tell if the sleeves are 3/4 or just too short. Returned.
Cameo Stephy Mix Blouse, $65
I was thrilled when I pulled this out of the box! I loved the color, flowy fabric, and cute keyhole accent in the back. Then I put it on, and....why does everything have big sleeves!? I'm a simple person who likes simple sleeves. I wanted to keep this so bad but just couldn't get past the big sleeves and fit. Returned.
Delancey Studio Hudson Bootcut Jean, $69
These were a nice thick denim which will be great in cooler temps and I liked the clean, dark wash. I prefer skinny to bootcut, but kept these since they fit great and I didn't want to lose my styling fee.
Tulsa Necklace, $28
This is the most perplexing accessory I've ever received in a subscription box. The stone is "real": it's heavy, it's nice, it's not plastic. The metal setting and chain, however, looked and felt like something out of a gumball machine. Usually accessories are one or the other. It was odd to have one that was both. Returned.
Rafaella Trista Grommet Trim Top, $59
Here we go again with the sleeves. WHY!? I shared this on insta live and a lot of people seemed to love it, but Sean said I looked like I was going to go perform at a rodeo, so....returned. Also, the fabric was an icky poly-ish blend.
Thoughts
This was close. Sooo close. The colors and overall simplicity were right on, but each item had some sort of detail that was just a no for me. What can I say, I'm a picky girl. The stylist is definitely on the right track, so I've put in more feedback and requested another box for November. Stay tuned!
What would you have kept from this box? Let me know in the comments!
Baltimore, MD, USA
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