I have gotten a few stitch fixes and so far, am pretty happy with it!!

The details (again) in case you didn't see my last post about it and wanna know what it is:

You go to stitchfix.com and you create your style profile. (there's currently a waitlist, but it's not long at all!) Then the Stich Fix stylists hand pick 5 items for you to try on. They send the clothing pieces directly to your house, you try them on and decide what to keep (if anything) and then you send back what you don't want. Easy peasy.

• There's a $20 styling fee, which you can use toward your order. (that's awesome!!)
• If you keep all 5 items you receive 25% off your order.
• You choose your price range
• The more feedback you give on the pieces sent to you, the better they get over time. So be sure to be very specific to your stylists so that they can send you things you'll love.

I got some seriously good stuff this time and truly, I want it all. But alas, I can not keep it all, even though I would get a 25% discount if I did. But nope, I will indeed choose 1, maybe 2 things. So that's where you come in.

So here we go.  These are the Stitch Fix items I got this week. And as always, don't mind my icky iphone-in-the-mirror selfies, the lame hand-on-the-hip poses. And the photobombing by my 3 y/o. ;-)

Item #1: Bracen Floral Print Ruched Tank
My thoughts: At first I wasn't sure. I like the pattern and everything, but I am always really weary of wearing form-fitting things. Mainly because I am still working on my body-after-baby, although, those oreos I've been eating probably aren't helping ;-) But actually this top is pretty flattering, a lot more so than I had expected. Which leaves me wondering... should I get it?!

Item #2: Luci Braid Detail 3/4 Sleeve Knit Top:
My thoughts: Again, wasn't too sure about this top, but after putting it on, I really really like it. It's really comfortable while maintaining a "dressy" feeling about it. I love the way it fits, too.

Item #3: Kinlie Floral Aplique Cardigan:
My Thoughts: I like this. Don't love it, but I definitely like it. The little flowers are beaded, which makes me nervous. How well will this hold up? Plus, my little kiddos might get curious and start picking at the beads. I thinking this might be a "NO" just because of that.
Item #4: Maggie Cutout Rope Detailed Tank:
My Thoughts: I like this. It's flowy, which is totally me. I won't feel self-conscious in it at all. I also like that I can layer a tee underneath it. And, I can tuck it in if I want. Andplusalso, it's navy blue... I love navy blue. This might be a winner. Oh and my buh-dunk-adunk looks huge in this photo. lol

Item #5: Gillian Top
My Thoughts: LOVE this. Totally my style. Why? Because it's super laid back and casual. Comfort will win me over every single time. Plus the color is really pretty and springy/summerish. Definitely getting this.

Okay so that's it for this Stitch Fix. I think they NAILED it this time. Everything fit perfectly and I liked it all. What do you think?? Gimme your opinions! And hurry up cause I need to send back everything I don't want in the next day or so! Thanks!! ha ha.

If you're interested in signing up for Stitch Fix, here's an invite for you!! 

 

I think this might be the most important aspect of blogging. You probably agree, right? Because if we are talking about Blogging For Ourselves, we should never be anything but genuine.

But the thing is, we know that people are reading our posts (or at least we think they are!), we know people are thinking and judging. So I think that a lot of times, subconsciously, we might all tend to filter just a little bit. And that's not always a bad thing, I mean, everyone needs a filter. But I think the problem with that is sometimes we come across a lot different than we really are.

An example: I have been told that I come across shy and soft spoken on my blog. Well, that's actually kind of laughable because I am anything but soft spoken. I can be a little quiet when I'm in a large group of people I don't know, but I wouldn't consider myself shy. Insecure? Maybe. Shy? Not really. But I make a very deliberate effort to be tasteful and kind when I'm blogging, and I really think that those are attributes that match my personality in real life as well. I've also tended in the past to hold back my deep down, genuine opinions. And apparently, this makes me come across as being "shy." I guess I feel like it's okay, and in fact I should, filter out my overactive opinions sometimes. There is no reason why I need to word vomit all of the things I think about, in the exact way I'm thinking them. Most times, that would just come out all wrong and end up rubbing people the wrong way. Especially considering that it's really hard to tell someones tone of voice through writing.

So I think the question is: how do we find a balance between being our genuine selves on our blogs, but still remain respectful and considerate? The answer is GROWTH. As we grow as people and writers/bloggers, I would hope that we are maturing, and finding ways to express our opinions and thoughts in a kind way. I treat my blog and my readers the same way I would treat any of my friendships, and that is with respect. Yes, this blog is essentially for ME, but there are people that read here, as well as the fact that my kids that will read this at some point down the road, so with that comes a responsibility to be not only genuine, but to do it in a respectful way, and set an example. You know what I mean?

Obviously there are people with different tastes when it comes to the blogs they frequent. Some don't mind reading profanity and never-ending sarcasm and cynicism. And in fact a lot of people find it refreshing when people and brutally honest, and that's totally okay. When you come down it, being brutally honest is being genuine, too. But, for me personally, that's not my cup of tea and since I don't prefer controversy, I usually stay away from blogs like that.

So the bottom line is that being genuine doesn't necessarily mean letting it all hang out all of the time! It means drawing a line between being genuine & going overboard and being abrasive. Personally, if I want to keep my blog meaningful, I try not to cross that line. My integrity is something I value so much, and I do not ever want to compromise that.

But that's just my two cents.

What do you think??

 

You may have noticed that I haven't done any "room tours" of Bennett or Easton's rooms. The main reason is because I am a  S L A C K E R  when it comes to designing and decorating. We are just now finishing up with Bennett's room, and he's 3 years old. lol. And don't even get me started on Easton's room.

Part of me wonders if it's even worth it to "finish" their rooms because we're going to have to do more shuffling around in the next year when we eventually combine their stuff into one room. We aren't exactly sure when a good time would be to have the boys share a room, but I know it will be around when Easton turns Two.

So since that's a year away-ish, I decided to at least follow through with a couple of the projects I wanted to do for Bennett's room.

The first thing to note is that his room is a boring beige color. First reason for that is because when we bought the house, Bennett's room was purple and Easton's room was royal blue -- so we just hurried and paint the bedrooms neutral colors before we moved everything in. Second reason is that I'm indecisive when it comes to paint color. So there's that. Beige walls it is. I've actually wanted to paint horizontal stripes in there but the more I get to thinking about it, the more I'm not sure it's worth the hassle. Ya know?

I didn't stick to a theme or any specific matchy color scheme. But I did create what I like to call a "classroom corner" for him, including his very own school desk. :-) I just don't want Bennett to outgrow his room so I chose to keep things basic and simple. Anyway, here's what Bennett's room looks like!

Everything you see here are personal items. Except the white alphabet print was a gift, and the sign that says "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves" is a free download from Collected Blog.

So that's pretty much it for Bennett's bedroom!! It may not be Pinterest worthy but it ain't no thang. All of the decor was actually pretty cheap and I'm happy with how everything came together!

 

I have confession to make.

I never had braces as a kid or teenager. Ever since my baby teeth fell out and my adult ones came in, I've been blessed with straight teeth. But I'm honestly a very rare case.

My older sister, however, had the whole get up - braces, head gear and then a retainer. And I was not nice to her about it. I think I probably called her every mean name I could think of.
"Brace Face", "Metal Mouth", "Foil Face"...etc. Yah, I wasn't nice. But I mean, I was only 10 years old so gimme a break ;-)

It wasn't just my sister, though. Almost everyone I knew growing up had braces, it was kind of the "norm" I think. Most all of my friends had braces, I remember that specifically because of the things they couldn't eat while they had them. Things like gum, caramel, popcorn, really gummy or chewy candies, or even really hard candies. Truthfully, I was always very thankful I never had to get braces. I mean, wearing clunky metal brackets on my teeth did not sound appealing whatsoever.

As a Mother now, I always hoped I'd pass on my good teeth genes to my boys, because I didn't want them to have to deal with the discomfort of metal braces. But here's a secret! Even if they end up needing to get their teeth straightened, I've just recently been introduced to an amazing alternative to metal braces.

If you wanna know more... click here!!