Sponsored

"I don’t know if this jewelry is your style, but thought I would let you know about this opportunity in case it is!"

The Facebook message popped up from a friend of Sean's who had lived in Michigan's upper peninsula for many years. I clicked the link and perused the jewelry offerings. Oh, it was definitely my style. I own plenty of leaf clothes and earrings, but this took my love for nature inspired pieces up a notch. Yes, I was definitely going to apply for an opportunity to be an ambassador for Beth Millner Jewelry.

Short background: Beth Millner started making jewelry in her home in 2007 while she was still in college. These days, she has grown into a storefront with 5–7 employees in Marquette, Michigan. The best thing is that while she's grown, her principles have stayed the same: her pieces are all hand made in an eco-friendly, sustainable fashion (think recycled silver and mailers), and she gives back to her community - I recently got a sneak peek at one of her fundraiser jewelry pieces and I'm looking forward to making it mine!

In exchange for my ambassadorship, Beth sent me some pieces to wear and show off this summer. You can see my unboxing here, but of course, my wish list is long, so I thought I'd share my top 5 favorites with everyone. Keep reading to the end, because I have 5 gift cards up for grabs to choose your own favorite Beth Millner Jewelry pieces!

Also, 5 people will win a $20 gift card for any Beth Miller Jewelry piece. How awesome is that!? Enter for your chance below!

Beth Millner

I recently got my fourth shipment from Stitch Fix, and it looks like the fourth time is the charm! I've been diligently sharing feedback each round and also evaluating how I ask my stylist for things, and based on this shipment, I'd say it paid off!

Quick refresher: Stitch Fix is a super easy styling services that delivers new fashions to you each month (or sooner, if you're so inclined). Simply take a style quiz, share your preferences for fit, price range, and perhaps a social media link or two, and you're on your way to a stylist choosing 5 items specifically for you! A $20 styling fee is applied to each shipment and is deducted from any items you keep. You can leave thorough feedback on everything you receive to ensure your fixes keep getting better!

Here's what I received this month:

My first fix included a lightweight navy cardigan, so I don't need another per se, but this is so pretty! I love the lace detail and roll tab sleeves. I don't have anything like this, so it was an easy decision to keep it.

The fabric is soft, like LulaRoe leggings soft. Similar to my Nadine West complaint, this skirt has the old school scrunchy waistband and not the nice wide waistbands you see on most maxi skirts. The fit is a little slimmer than I like my maxis and in general I'm picky about florals. I didn't love this one, but with the keep all discount, it was cheaper to keep all 5 items including this than to keep the 4 I liked and send this back. (Update: I was able to sell this on a SF Facebook group)

I wasn't feeling this in the picture, but loved it when I pulled it out of the box. The grey cotton fabric is super soft, and the woven print fabric up top is really fun. The price is higher than I prefer for this type of shirt and I wouldn't have kept it had I only kept one or two items, but I went for it this time since I liked so many items.

I was thrilled to see these in my Fix! I adore quatrefoil anything and actually have a pair similar to this that is a tad bigger than I prefer. These are gorgeous and the perfect size. Of course I kept them!

This is so pretty and super soft.The sheer top portion has a pretty keyhole detail in the back and while this is super comfortable, it's also perfect for the office. I loved it so much that I wore it to work the very next day before I even took the blog photos! You can safely assume I kept this.

Items loved: 4/5

Items kept: 5/5

So here's the deal: Stitch Fix offers a 25% discount if you keep your entire fix. I did the math and it actually cost me less to keep the maxi skirt than it would have to send it back since I loved the other 4 items. Another SF user let me know that there's plenty of Facebook buy/sell/trade groups just for SF items, so I'll try my luck at finding the maxi skirt a home that will appreciate it.

The 4th time really is the charm! I could tell that the stylist chose items based on ones I'd liked before, particularly the two shirts and the cardigan. Navy is always a winning color for me, and while the grey top wouldn't have caught my eye online or even in stores, I tried it and loved it which really is what Stitch Fix is all about.

What did you think of this month's fix? Let me know in the comments!

Oh, and if you didn't know (I've received a few "I'm scared" comments): Stitch Fix is so confident you’ll love it, they will refund your $20 styling fee if you don’t buy anything in your first order! 

The days of my youth were spent at church and at church-related activities: Sunday school, morning service, evening service, weeknight AWANA clubs or youth groups. In addition to these were the occasional retreats, summer camp, snow camp, or conference.

Yes, conference. As a teenager, our youth group went more than once to the Dawson McAllister conference when it visited our local chapel/events center. It was a pretty big deal. These days, he has a "hope line" on some radio stations, but back in the day, he traveled the U.S. delivering motivational gospel to us youngsters.

You can still find me in church on Sundays, but my religious social calendar isn't as rigorous as it was as a teen. However, when I flip on a Christian radio station and MercyMe happens to be playing, it takes me right back to those days. They were the artists performing at the first conference I ever attended. It was the first time I heard the song I Can Only Imagine, one I find beautiful to this day. While some praise and worship music has a way of sounding dated, this one stands the test of time - I still hear it sung in worship services and played on Christian radio.

I was intrigued when I heard a movie of the same name was being produced and thrilled when Flyby Promotions gave me the opportunity to view and share it with you all. Sean and I sat down to watch it together over the weekend and then continued on to the special features for more information!




What I noticed right away when watching this film was the quality.  It didn't have the low-budget, cheesy look or feel that plague many faith based movies. The visuals were gorgeous and the talent was spot on (the cast included a mix of household names like Dennis Quaid and Trace Adkins as well as newcomers like J Michael Finley who I actually saw on Broadway in Les Mis a few years ago!)

I Can Only Imagine was produced by the Erwin Brothers who seek out true stories of an uplifting nature to share with audiences in a high quality format rather than writing the preachy, cheesier stories the genre was known for in the past. In this case, Imagine is the true story behind the song, most specifically lead singer Bart Millard's life and circumstances that ultimately became inspiration.

What I especially liked about Imagine was it's broader accessibility to audiences. The film is someone's story being told and it just so happens that the person in question is a Christian. It doesn't feel preachy or isolating because it isn't trying to preach. Elements in the story are ones that people from many walks of life can relate to, such as the father-son relationships or the chasing of a dream.

I did enjoy the film, but don't just take my word for it. While my review was solicited, it certainly wasn't needed. Just as I Can Only Imagine is the most successful Christian song of all time, the $7 million film is a proven success, grossing $17 million in its opening weekend. My search for numbers since then found it had hit $71 million by April 11. A quick google news search showed me the wide range of outlets who have discussed the film from the more predictable Fox News to the more surprising Hollywood Reporter.

I Can Only Imagine is available on DVD/streaming now! Not only did Flyby send us a copy on DVD to watch, they sent a second to share with one winner! Enter for your chance at a free copy below.

I Can Only Imagine

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Ever since I started trying Stitch Fix, I've heard one particular piece of feedback over and over:

"It's too expensive"

I get it. Price was one of two reasons I didn't try it sooner. (Note, "as cheap as possible" is now a cost option when signing up for Stitch Fix, so they do have more affordable options these days.)

Once I signed up, my Facebook feed filled with ads for other style subscription services. One in particular had me raising an eyebrow: Nadine West. With their bright pink bubble mailers, they claim that "Only $7 to $35 items means this is a monthly outfit subscription you can ACTUALLY afford."

OK. So they're cheaper than Stitch Fix. But are they any good? Are they too cheap? Curiosity got the best of me and I finally signed up. Here's what I found:

You take a much shorter style quiz, choosing from style and color preferences and providing your sizes. You can also check if you do or don't want tops, bottoms, dresses, or scarves. All subscriptions include jewelry. There aren't more in depth questions such as how things typically fit you in different areas (i.e., are pants typically tight in one area and baggy in another?).

The $9.78 shipping fee is charged for each delivery, and like SF's styling fee, can be applied towards the purchase of any clothes you keep.  A prepaid label is included to send back anything you choose not to keep. The package includes an invoice with each item's name and price. (My shipment contained 5 items which would have cost $99 for all).

This was a point of frustration for me. I have all packages shipped to my office because there's a huge package theft issue in my city. It wouldn't accept the address and I almost didn't sign up. Finally, I did a search for the official postal address, and it took.

My shipment was sent via DHL-USPS. It took longer than I expected, and the tracking didn't stay up to date, but I will attribute part of this to Memorial Day weekend and see what happens next time.

The bubble mailer was packed to the gills. There was nowhere I felt I could cut it open for fear of cutting the contents, so I spent several minutes slowly peeling away to get it open. Also, anything you ship back should go in the same mailer, so you don't want to damage it.

My shipment came with 3 jewelry items (all labeled as lead and nickel "compliant") and 2 clothing items, ranging in price from $12.19–$29.99:

This was a simple goldtone tennis-style bracelet with clear stones. I've gotten similar bracelets as free prizes at MLM parties and this just isn't something I'd buy myself. I sent it back.

These were most my style of anything in the shipment. I loved the simplicity and pretty mandala etching. These are versatile enough to wear with plenty of outfits. I kept these.

This isn't my style, and it felt super cheap. I have plenty of $5 Paparazzi jewelry that feels sturdier than this. I would laugh if I saw this in a store for $25, and I was really surprised at the price tag from a service that totes low prices. In my opinion, this pricing is in line with Stitch Fix accessories (which are much sturdier), but not for Nadine West. I sent it back.

These are capri-length leggings with a black and bluehoundstooth print. While I'd be open to capri-leggings for lounging/workout purposes, I wasn't a fan of these for a few reasons: 1. The ugly print, 2. the very low rise, and 3. the icky old school waistband - we all know yoga waistbands are where it's at! That being said, I thought this was a fair price point, but I sent these back.

This was labeled a dress, but it's really a tunic; it barely covered my bum! I knew right away I wouldn't be keeping it for one particular reason: it's a cold shoulder top, which is a style I loathe. I also wasn't a fan of the colors, or the long/bell sleeves as it's summer. It was a super soft, comfortable fabric, though. This was sent back.

The higher priced items of Nadine West's offerings line up with the rates of Stitch Fix's lower priced items. The big difference in my opinion is the approach to styling and quality. If I was younger and trendier, I might appreciate NW more, but what I realized right away was that SF's more thorough questionnaire (including links to your social media so they can "get" you leads to a better styling experience avoiding rookie mistakes like choosing colors and styles I'd never wear. 

For younger people looking for some fun, affordable new pieces, NW can definitely be a solid option, but for me, a 30-something professional looking to spruce up my work wardrobe, this first shipment wasn't the right fit. I felt like an adult trying on clothes in the junior's department.

Just like SF, NW does allow feedback (though again, not as thorough) on all pieces in the shipment, so I have shared my thoughts and will have one more shipment come to see if the styling service does evolve.

If NW does look up your alley, feel free to use referral code KP6Y-Z8WE-U59V when you sign up. I hear there's a little incentive in there for you.

Did you like anything in my shipment? Having seen mine, is Nadine West a service you would try? Let me know in the comments!

The second leg of our California vacation showed me just how diverse the California climate is. We left the moderate temperatures of Sonora to head to the central coast to visit a friend in Morro Bay. Weather reports said it would be overcast and chilly in the low 60's, so I dressed warmer for our destination.

I should have dressed for our drive. Much of it was through the San Andreas fault (we even passed the intersection of James Dean's fatal accident which Sean's friend said still sees accidents to this day) which was crazy hot. We'd enjoyed driving with the windows down until this point, and even with the AC cranked up, it literally felt like my pants would catch fire. We had to pull over at a rest stop for me to change into lighter clothes (and buy cold bottles of water as ours in the car had heated up).

Things rapidly cooled down as predicted once we hit the coast. These few days consisted of waterfront wildlife watching and beach combing. It was so fun to see otters and elephant seals and just relax before hitting the road again for our last long drive of the trip.