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A quick welcome!

Thanks for coming by to visit. I’ve been working on this blog for months and I finally have the nerve to make it public. I hope you enjoy cruising around the site and checking things out. I plan on writing on a regular basis and posting at least once a week. With all that’s going on in the world right now we all need a place to go to escape the noise. I hope you find this to be that place for you…at least for a few minutes. So enjoy…comment and tell your friends to come on by and join the fun.

Shelly

Want a personal stylist like the stars have?

Have you guys tried styling services? For a $20 styling fee (that is applied to purchases) you get a box of 5-7 items to try on at home.  I just dipped my toe in and so far I’m not sold.

 I tried Wantable after reading a lot of great reviews. The first box was totally off. There were things in the “Edit” as they call it that I specifically said I didn’t need. I returned everything but was able to leave a detailed note for my stylist. The next box was right on target. I loved everything but most of the pieces were too small. The brands that they carry (none of which I had heard of) were cut more like a junior plus that a woman’s plus size. The quality of the clothing was outstanding. There was, however, an issue with the return ship date. You are supposed to have 5 days to try the items, but I ended up with only 2 days before they were to be returned. I wrote to customer service and they refunded my styling fee and extended the return window. Great customer service. I would recommend Wantable if you want high quality items at fair prices.

Stitchfix works the same way. They call their boxes a “Fix”. The clothes fit well, and the quality was great. I recognized some of the brands, but the prices were a bit steep. There was a pair of black legging that fit well and were a really nice quality. They were $89 and I felt like I could get Spanx for that price. There was a cute t-shirt, from a brand I did not know, that was $49 dollars. Again, a hard pass. StitchFix’s sizing was more accurate and I had plenty of time to decide if I was keeping anything.

Both services send you a bag to use for returning items you don’t love. You can drop it at the post office or since it’s prepaid you can arrange a pickup from your home or office.

I told you guys that I was going to try shopping for preowned clothes for the Fall. Well, I was looking around on the Thred Up website and it turns out they offer a styling service too! They call it a Goody Box. Just like other styling boxes they ask you some questions about what you are looking for and about your style. For a $10 styling fee (that applies to anything you buy from the box) you get 10 items to try on at home for five days. Keep what you like and return the rest…for free! So, I gave in and tried the Goody Box! It ships in 10-14 days. I’ll do a review of the items I receive. Stay tuned!

Sold!!

I have had a Longchamp tote sitting around for over a year. I really didn’t love so I decided to sell it. After looking at the potential pay out from local reseller Uptown Cheapskate, I decided to check out an online reseller. I decided to try Poshmark because you get to set your own asking price.  I downloaded the app and snapped a few pics of the bag. It was so easy to post the listing. Over 500 people liked the bag and I had 5 or 6 people ask for more details. Within a week I had a buyer at my full asking price which was about half of what I paid for it! Poshmark emailed me a prepaid shipping label. I packed the bag in a priority mail box and sent it on its way to its new home. After the buyer receives the shipment, they can either accept or reject it. If the item is as it was advertised, they accept it and boom you have your first positive rating! A day later I had my money! Now I’m on the hunt for other things that I can sell. Hello, money!

The Sustainable Fashionista

Who is she? She’s that friend we all have who is great at reworking pieces she already has in her closet and always pulls off something spectacular. She’s the friend who hits the thrift store and comes out with bag after bag after bag. She’s the one who rocks that five year old pencil skirt like it’s fresh out of Nordstrom! Could we all be a little more sustainable? Buy a little less and be content with what we have? In 2020 I plan on shopping in my closet more. I plan to revive some older pieces and make do with less. I’m even game to hit up a thrift store or two. Who’s with me?

To be sustainable means “to have a responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources and allow for long-term environmental quality”. That’s a mouthful! To me be being a sustainable fashion lover means using what we already have to it’s fullest and buying less. It also means wearing things that are already out there…thrifting. It can also mean selling or gifting what you aren’t using to someone who will.

I have to admit that I’ve never been a lover of shopping pre-owned clothes. I love the way a brand new shirt looks and smell and feels. Used clothes seem, well, used. It’s also a challenge to find used clothes in my size. I hear that there is a really cool plus size thrift shop in Portland Washington but that’s a bit far. And taking a trip there would increase my carbon footprint so…

Okay, you guys. Time to share a secret. I have this thing. This thing about seeing people in my giveaways! I feel immediately regretful and possessive. I want my blue dress back! True, I hadn’t worn that dress in years but seeing someone else in it brought out the inner child in me. Mine, mine, mine! At least she looked cute in it! When I was younger my Mom used to give my gently worn item to a girl l I went to school with. We rode the bus together and all. So I was constantly looking at that sweater I had loved being worn by someone else. My jacket! My jeans! Ugh…I feel like I’ve been traumatized by it all.

For the sake of the Earth and my wallet I’m willing to wear what I already have a bit longer and not buy so much new. Thrifting? I don’t know if it’s really my thing but I’m willing to give it try. Where do you thrift shop? What have you snagged at a pre-owned shop? Anyone get a deal on something crush worthy? Put it in the comments and tell your friends to come join us!

Audrey would be proud…

Audrey would be proud…            

The iconic red lip. Worn by twenty-somethings and great grandmothers. Anyone, and I mean anyone can rock a red lip. I took me a while to find my shade. Some were too orange and made my teeth look grey and some had too much blue pigment. But once I found my shade I was hooked! A red lip goes with everything from jeans and flip flops to a LBD. The other day I saw a red head with freckles wearing a bold matte red lip and she looked amazing! I love the look on fair skinned ladies too. So promise me you’ll step out of your comfort zone and try a red lip.  Here is one of my favorites and it won’t break the bank.

https://www.maybelline.com/lip-makeup/lipstick/superstay-matte-ink-liquid-lipstick/dancer

Put it on Paper…

Do you guys journal? I’ve been keeping some sort of a journal all my life. I actually had a diary with the little lock on it. I took the key to school with me but I’m certain that my mother could open it with a bobby pin! I’d love to be able to read that journal today. I was probably writing about my crush or how much I wanted to be a grown up. Now I actually have three journals. One is a daily general use journal. In it I record daily thoughts and things like appointments and notes. I used it almost daily (much less during the pandemic). I have a worry journal that I keep by my bed. I write in it when I’m having trouble getting settled at night or worrying in general. The last journal I use is for taking notes on a master class I’m taking.

There are so many good reasons to journal. It’s a great way to get things off your mind. Just putting it on paper can help you be a little less anxious. Perform a brain dump ( yes…that’s actually a thing). Instead of panicking over your to do list or mulling a thought over and over write it down. A dated journal is a great way to reflect on your thoughts and feeling. I’d love to be able to reread some of my journal entries from my teen years. One of the most common ways to use a journal is for planning. You can plan your day, your week or your next five years. Are you always coming up with great ideas? Write them down! Otherwise you’ll forget or neglect them. This can be especially helpful for those creative types.

Do you wake up tense or anxious about the day? Write about how you are feeling and start the day off right. Another way to start (or end) the day is with a gratitude journal. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Sometimes we overlook the little things. Journaling doesn’t just mean writing. You can draw your feeling. Use colored pencils or pens. You don’t have to be a Picasso to journal this way. Remember that your journal is for your eyes only (unless you want to share). Who cares if you can barely draw a stick figure!

Get creative when it comes to journaling. Set aside five minutes at the start or end of the day and go for it. Here are some journal prompts to get you started.

  • What will your life look like in 5 years?
  • Name three things you do well.
  • How can you be more content?
  • What do you want to accomplish today? Why? How?
  • What are your favorite places to go? Why?
  • What five words describe you most?