Trying something new... Stitch Fix!

*No one paid me for this post, even though they should have, and everything written and expressed are my own thoughts.

I do a lot of reading at night. Not the "War and Peace" kind of reading but more like reading my favorite blogs or cruising Buzzfeed for an hour or two before I start drooling on my pillow. A little while ago I came across a blog that was talking at this service out of San Francisco called Stitch Fix! It's a styling service that sends you 5 custom tailored pieces to your house....you try them on at home, keep what you like and send back what you don't want.

What makes this better than going to the mall and shopping yourself? (like I need to spell this out for any of you) Well you get to try different brands that you may not be able to find in your local mall AND you don't have to deal with people...ANY people, No HORRIBLE dressing room lighting that make you look anemic and the temptation of those god damn Annie's Pretzels! DAMN YOU Annie's Pretzels and how good you smell.

How this works...you go to the site, Stitch Fix, and fill out a profile. They ask you a lot of questions of what you like, what you don't like, who you are, could they have your first born child...so on and so on. After that you pick a price point of what you are willing to pay for the pieces, I said between $50 - $75. Next up schedule a date for your "fix" and for $20 (which goes toward anything you want to keep) they send everything right to you!

I got my first one today

and I have to say I was impressed. I really liked it a lot actually. I would have NEVER picked any of the pieces out to try on but I really liked trying on something new. They had a large colorful chart of outfit ideas with each piece with staples you most likely already have at home. They give you work friendly ideas as well as more casual ways to wear the pieces.

This is what I had in my box....

Hard to see everything and didn't want to bore you with a picture of each item but in short...

- Dark wash stretchy skinny jeans ($80)
- FUN dress (double lined...VERY important here in New England in the winter time) with a scoop neck ($78)
- Lined Blazer ($68)
- Long sleeve blouse ($28)
- Pair of earrings that almost looked like coral (you know, the stuff you find in the ocean) ($38)

Every piece was under $80 and seemed like nice quality as well. Each piece also had a small tag and cheat sheet on it as well.

I have to say I was really skeptical at first but I figured, "Hell I have thrown $20 at REALLY bad ideas so why not try this!". I really loved it and would/am totally trying it again!

So if you want to keep everything...they give you the $20 credit towards your purchase as well as 25% off the total. If you don't want to keep any of it or just certain pieces you send everything back in pre-paid bag and off in the mail it goes! When you "check out" online you do need to fill out a small questionnaire that helps customize your next fix even more. 

I will let you know how my next one goes but I think it's something I could see myself trying once in awhile as a little "pick me up". In my 30's I have come to realize that I LOVE getting things (ANYTHING) in the mail that isn't a bill so bring it on Stitch Fix. Let me know if any of you try it and what you think!

Well off to pack, going to NH this weekend to see this guy before he leaves for Brazil!

Sunday Adventures

Last week was a really long week. A really long week that has involved going to a few states in 24 hours to hug some great friends (which I wouldn't trade in for anything), work (always exhausting) and dealing with the gold damn gold iPhone that I purchased at 4am. As I currently sit here typing I am on hold with Apple trying to retrieve all of my ring tones. This is my 5th phone call to this company and my 2nd phone call about this. And to make matter much worse there is some horrible John Mayer song is playing while I am on hold. (I am so thankful it's not on a loop or my ears might start bleeding). *SIDE NOTE....STILL waiting to get this fixed....no ring tones in sight! I had a slight ring tone problem and use to have about 30 of them. One for each group of people that would call me as well as a few old stand bys. I mean who doesn't want to hear "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" from Thanksgiving until Christmas?!?

Sunday morning, we (everyone except Arizona) gained an amazing extra hour of sleep or in my case cleaning and online shopping because my natural rhythm missed this memo and I was up at 6am doing back flips out of bed. I started a knitting project, drank some coffee, ate a piece of last night's homemade pizza, put the dishes away and thought to myself, "Wow! It has to be like 10am.....looked at the kitchen clock....NOPE! It's 8:15.

....This next part played out so much differently in my head then it did in reality.......

Alex was still sleeping like the dead and I did what anyone would do.....opened the bedroom door, got a running start and threw myself on the bed. (i.e. Supermanned on top of him) He thought someone was trying to violate his manhood in his sleep and almost karate chopped my head off. The upside to this is even in his sleep he has reflexes like a cat (robbers beware) the downside to this....I almost walked away from this cute little Sunday morning experience with a black eye and a broken jaw.

While he was still wiping sleep from his eyes I began the onslaught of "So what do you want to do today?!" without taking a breathe "Can we go on an adventure?!?!" "Can we do something REALLY fun!"

Without missing a beat he goes, "Sure! I think it's resturuant week in Newport? Wanna go?"

YES! Yes for two reasons. 1. I love Newport Rhode Island in the off season. It's peaceful but everything is still open. And 2. There is an AWESOME consignment store called Wish that I am just in love with. Plus it was pretty much sleeting and nasty out. I knew we weren't going to do anything worth writing home about around here so BRING IT ON Newport!

Also I have been DYING to do the "servants" tour of the Elms. It's one of the mansions on the main drag and they are the only house that you can do the servants tour which is basically like walking through a real live version of Downton Abbey! Sign me up!!!

3 hours later...

- Drove down in crappy weather

- Did the servants tour of the house and have only this picture to show (only part of the house from the back garden)...taking pics while inside the house is a BIG no no....which I found out when my phone almost got smacked out of my hand from our little tour guide who was one lisp and show tune away from singing on top of a grand piano at a drag bar.

- One trip to the consignment shop which I said to Alex as we were walking out of, "Well, we might have to swing by back there after lunch because I need to think about those earrings a little more" And it's MUCH easier to pull the trigger on some Tiffany's earrings after a few cocktails.

And then that brings me to our favorite place to grab a quick, easy and tasty meal in downtown Newport...Diego's...go! Go go! It's great, interesting Mexican and VERY VERY good ritas by the pitcher. Hello!!!!! Can't say no to that.

Lunch....WAS AWESOME! We shared a pitcher of rita, had some awesome tacos and pumpkin flan. EXCELLENT!

On our walk back up to the car we HAPPENED to pass back by Wish again. Alex looked at me and he just knew. We walked into the store and (what I thought was the same gal behind the counter) says hi and greets us.

Me "Oh we are back!"

Gal behind the counter "Oh!" (this is the point when Alex realizes that I have NO clue that it is not the same girl as before and this new friend of mine behind the counter has NO IDEA who I am or what I am talking about)

Me, as I walk around the counter to look at the earrings ONCE more "Yeah I just couldn't stop thinking about those at lunch! Can I see them once more??"

Confused New Friend, "Ummmmm, which ones? The cuff links?"

Me, slightly confused and STILL not getting it, "No no the earrings from last time...the Tiffany's ones!"

New BBF, "Ummm the beans?"

Me, again STILL no clue, "No no the ones I was just looking at...these silly!" (JESUS CHRIST BETH!)

BBF, who thinks I AM CRAZY, "Oh! Nice! Yeeeeeeeesssss" wink wink wink

Me, without even thinking about, "Oh I really love these but I don't want to pay the $125, would you do it for $100? I would buy them right now!"

Gal Pal, "Well I just put them out and they are brand new. I don't know if I can take that much off right now."

.........She tries to make a phone call to the store owner and I start yapping about lunch and how good it was. How her recommendation about the type of margarita and the app were perfect. (Alex said she was looking at me like I needed to be committed because in her mind WE HAVE NEVER MET)

BBF, before she could even finish hanging up the phone, "You know what....sure $100 it is!"

Me, "GREAT!!!! CHARGE!"

Bought them, left the store (not before exchanging email address with her so I could show her the wonder that is Zappos VIP, how could she not know about this!?) and as we get into the car Alex goes, "So you know that your new bestie behind the counter right now WAS NOT the same person who you saw BEFORE we went to lunch right?!" I go, "NO WAY! You are lying...." Alex, "Nope, totally different girl!"

HOLY SHIT!