Sunday (Mom) Styles

The day after a night of cry it out is never a good day.  Last night was day 2 of the 40th or so round of cry it out since he’s been about 6 months old. We never get far because it’s only been since winter we’ve tried and the entire house has been sick pretty much all winter. Obviously I’m not a total monster so I don’t want him to cry when he’s sick.  And I wasn’t going to do anything when we went on vacation.  So here we are again except now he’s 10 months old and can stand at the rail and reach for me while he sobs. It’s awful.  But even more awful is me waking up every 2-3 hours to feed him and waking up trying to function the next day.  I love that kid and his cries make me want to throw up but I cannot function this way. The first night wasn’t terrible.  It didn’t feel good to hear him cry but he only woke up twice and fell back asleep after about 22 minutes (going in to reassure after 3, 5, 7, and 7 minutes).  Last night wasn’t bad either – a few sounds early on and then one wake up but took just as long to go back to sleep. Who knows what will happen tonight?

The other obnoxious thing about this morning is that I drank regular coffee yesterday which I almost never do and I’ve noticed that when I do that I wake up even more tired the next day. So this morning on top of feeling exhausted because of the baby, I felt foggy because somehow that one jolt of caffeine (okay two jolts) was enough to make me NEED it again this morning.

I suggested that since we had no clean dishes we should go out for breakfast.  We did. This is what I wore:

Except this is me after returning home so I had taken off my lululemon cape which I had spilled coffee on and then gave to the baby as a blanket in the car.

This glorious picture was captured by my daughter. The baby was coming over to eat my shoes. Why are you wearing that hat? My son asked me. You look like a farmer!

The hat is from JCrew about 3 and a half years ago. I don’t have a link to the hat but I do have a picture of me wearing the hat three years ago.  Yes those are pigtails. No I was not in costume (Kind of seeing the farmer reference now…):

Blazer – The oversized blazer from Everlane. I love this blazer – can you tell? I should probably get another jacket so I don’t wear this one every. single. day.

Shirt – Dolman top from my first Stitch Fix box. Apparently I didn’t mention brands in that first review so I have no idea. I know it was a good deal and I wear it constantly.

Jacket – My varsity jacket from high school. For Volleyball. I have worn it a handful of times – always a little self-conscious of the mustard yellow sleeves.  But now I think it’s kind of awesome and it’s getting me excited for my 15 year reunion coming up!

Jeans – Joe’s The Charlie high rise skinny ankle in Tania

Shoes – No. 6 5″ pull on shearling clog boots on high heel in molasses/hazel. I got these shoes last year when I noticed a few moms wearing them at school. I liked them and being me immediately had to have them.  They took a LONG time to break in and I still wonder if I shouldn’t have sized up even more. As it is I can only wear them barefoot or with stockings. Still they have broken in at this point and I live in them all winter on not wet or snowy days when it’s too cold to wear flats.

Bag – The Somerset mini backpack. My latest go-to bag fits a few odds and ends for the kids, my phone, wallet, small notebook, bottle of water, and whatever random things I grab on the way out. I am tempted – very tempted – to get the larger size too.  That way I wouldn’t also need to carry a diaper bag. At this point, great as my diaper bag is, I don’t need the pull-out changing pad (the kid’s getting changed on the floor or seat of the minivan) or the multiple pockets to hold various baby accoutrements. I’m not quite ready to get rid of the diaper bag…it’s just that I’ve been carrying one or another for the past 5 and a half years…

I realize that the last time I did a Sunday Mom Styles I laid out all my clothes so nicely and took pictures.  I just didn’t have time or energy to do that tonight.  I’m frankly impressed I had time or energy to do anything aside from sit on my tush and watch Divorce.

And now I’m going to sit on my tush and watch Divorce.

Until next time.

A different day, A different subscription box

Today I asked myself several very important questions:

1. How can I motivate myself to clean the garage?
2. Will I ever be able to look at a cookie and not want to eat it?
3. How can I get in shape without going to the gym and while doing everyday mom things like pumping and cutting cucumbers into the shape of a dog?
4. Is 8 too many disinfectant sprays to buy at once?

The answers to those questions are not in this post.  This post is about Wantable – another subscription service.  I just can’t wait for Reviews on Tues.  It is my goal to one day have a new subscription box of some variety to open every day of the week.  (No I’m only kidding of course. Once a week would be fine.)

Wantable is, to quote them, “an online lifestyle service for busy people on the go. Providing distinctly unique products tailored to your individual tastes, needs, and wants.” There is a $20 styling fee that is applied to the price of an item if you choose to keep one AND if you keep 5 or more (of the 7 they send you) you get a 20% discount. Win! The process is similar to Stitch Fix and Trunk Club in that you fill out your style and size profile and click through a bunch of clothing options indicating items you would not like to see and ones you would like to see in your box. I wish they had an app for android but alas they do not.

I received my box:

And opened it:

I was fairly pleased with the look of this box.  Not the box but what was inside the box. Everything had promise.  Everything was the kind of thing I might pick up for myself if I were meandering through a store. The trouble of course is touching things and trying them on and seeing what I look like in the mirror. I once read (I can’t remember where) that you should never touch anything in a store because the moment you touch it you are some high percentage more likely to buy it.  Well we’ll see.

Eventually I was able ran up to my closet to try everything on:

Elbow V-Neck Dolman by W. by Wantable 

I love the dolman top – obviously. I just purchased a very, very similar one from my Stitch Fix box. Since I don’t need another black dolman top this one is getting returned.  Plus it was a bit sheer.

1. Printed Pleated Shell Top Black/White Floral by Supply + Demand 2. Heather High Rise Crop in Bilbao Wash by Articles of Society

The floral Supply + Demand shirt had me confused for a little while.  I like it. It’s a pretty shirt.  I thought it looked fine (you be the judge) but I just thought it didn’t go beyond “meh” for me. I feel like if I’m going to spend any amount of money whatsoever I have to be moved beyond “meh.” I knew that if I were going to dinner I wouldn’t put on this shirt so it has to be returned.

The Articles of Society jeans that I have on in the second two pictures are okay if a bit snug but I just don’t need them.  I need boyfriend jeans.  I could use boot-cut. But I do not need another pair of jeans this tight around my legs. Returned.

Long Sleeve Slub Scoop Back V-Neck in Avocado by W. by Wantable

The slub W. by Wantable shirt in avocado (I urge you, if you ever see an avocado this color do NOT eat it) – this was clearly not a winner.  I’m not the type to let my bra straps hang out and the neck line was just not working for me. Perhaps it was just huge? Because it did not look on me the way it did in the picture. Whatever the reason it was not a nice fit for me. This will be returned.

3/4 Sleeve Surplice Jumpsuit by Lauren Helena

The Jumpsuit – I actually really like this. I got into jumpsuits during my third pregnancy and am always looking for good ones that aren’t maternity (I still break those out sometimes…) and this one almost fit the bill. It just wasn’t perfect.  It was a bit plunging but a smaller size would have been too small and I wouldn’t wear a shirt underneath. Sadly, despite the fact that overall I like this a lot, it’s a return.

Ponte Fit & Flare Dress by Q&A

The dress.  It’s just a no. It’s just a flat out no. Perhaps I’m the wrong age to wear this style? Or maybe the wrong size or height? I don’t know the answer. I just know it’s a no for me. Even my pretty red shoes couldn’t jazz this up for me. Look, I couldn’t even show my face in this one. Return return return.

High Waist Josefina Boyfriend in AGM by 7 For All Mankind

Last but not least the boyfriend jeans. Finally. Something I like and want to keep! Let’s ignore the dirty mirror and the fact that I clearly took this picture on a different day from all the others. The jeans are what I’ve been looking for – a bit looser than all the ones I currently own and they get slouchier with a wearing or two (and then tighten back up with washing as all jeans do.) I really like them. Keep.

So that’s my Wantable experience.  You should try it – It’s worth a shot!

Reviews on Tues: Trunk Club

I am in serious trouble. I enjoyed Stitch Fix. I thought it was entertaining to get a box of clothes in the mail. I basically liked the clothes that were sent to me and ended up keeping one shirt. Trunk Club is a whole new ballgame.

Trunk Club is a Nordstrom company so the clothes are all brands you would find at a Nordstrom store.  I love Nordstrom. When you sign up to receive a trunk you fill out a profile and take a quiz which informs your stylist as to your likes and dislikes, styles you would wear and would never wear, what you need the clothes for, your sizes, etc.  I was able to choose from a few options to indicate that this trunk was for a “wardrobe refresh.” I also sent a message saying specifically that I have many basics and casual clothes and that I was looking for items to fill in – something with color, something trendy, something that I wouldn’t necessarily think to buy, and something I can wear on the town (rather than in the minivan).

A few days after I ordered my trunk I got a message with the items that would be delivered to me. This is different from Stitch Fix which simply mailed out 5 items.  I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of getting the message ahead of time – after all – part of the fun of the whole thing is the surprise of opening up the box. After I saw the message I quickly changed my tune. First of all I didn’t realize there would be so many items in the trunk – 11! And I was able to decline more than half which were either not my style or something I just didn’t need.  I was specific when I declined each item as to the reason so that my stylist can understand what I’m looking for better. A few days later when I received notification that the trunk had shipped I was able to see what had been included in the end and I was excited – it all looked much better.

So yesterday. The trunk arrived and I was SO excited.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me when it comes to this stuff – I’m like a 12 year old at an *NSYNC concert 20 years ago (No idea who the 12 year olds are giddy over these days…) – I ran into the kitchen with my box and my husband was there to capture the moment:

The kids were upstairs having a bath so I had just enough time to open the box before they came down. First you see this:

Then you see this:

I even got as far as doing this:

and then the kids were downstairs screaming about who was the best listener during bath/who gets to choose the show/what’s for dinner/whatever.

I did a fashion show during dinner which I’ll take advantage of now since I’m pretty sure the four of them will burst into flames if I do that kind of thing when they’re older. I had a good time though so there’s that.  But I had to wait until this morning to try everything on in front of the mirror.  Here’s what I got:

Victor Silk Blouse rag & bone

Rumpled Satin Blouse Vince Camuto

Vanessa Zip Front Bouse rag & bone

Thatch Tank rag & bone

Ruffle Neck Blouse Wallis

Le Color High Waist Skinny Jeans FRAME

Classic Ex-Boyfriend Chambray Shirt Madewell

Paris Rocks Fringe Calfskin Suede Crossbody Bag Longchamp

Cherita Off the Shoulder Top Paige Denim + ‘Bridget 33’ Bootcut Jeans DL1961 + Cling Stretch Bootie Stuart Weitzman

I wish I knew how to behave when taking pictures of myself.  Do I smile? How do I position my feet? My legs? My arms? My hair? My eyes? Literally every part of my body I scrutinize before taking the picture and still these are the poses and facial expressions I end up with. I ask you.

Well it’s safe to say I’m screwed. I loved everything in the box. It is all right on target in terms of my style and what I asked for.  I could pick any one of these shirts to wear out to dinner, the bootcut jeans would be a great alternative to the skinny jeans I have, the boots are beautiful and fit like a glove.  I mean I don’t know when I’ve tried on shoes that went on easier and felt better to wear in recent history.  The black jeans with all the rips are not something I would typically try on but I have to admit I loved them.  My kids were like – wait a second – your jeans are broken.  And I was like – no that’s actually how they are supposed to be.  It’s called fashion.  They were like – they were MADE that way? But I digress. The bag – I LOVE the bag.  In fact that whole outfit I put together with the chambray top, black jeans and bag – I’m a little bit obsessed with it.

But I really studied each item and had to decide whether it was really worth it.  These brands – rag & bone, Paige Denim, Stuart Weitzman, Longchamp – I mean this stuff is not cheap.  If I bought the whole box I was looking at over $2500! I’m pretty sure I could go back in and alter my profile to receive things at a more reasonable price point (and, by the way, a few of the items were definitely reasonable) but I really wanted to get super nice things.  So I said okay, if I’m going to spend $350 on a shirt it better be the nicest shirt I’ve ever worn and also the most practical and flattering.  It should tick all the boxes.  And I found that with that criteria I was able to knock out a few things right away.  I love the rag & bone tops – the long sleeve silk one from the first picture is beautiful but just doesn’t fit right. The Zip Front blouse is so pretty and different but again – it just didn’t feel or look exactly right when I lifted my arms or put up my hair or any number of other actions I do to determine how the sleeves of any given shirt fit.

The Boots are beautiful but completely impractical.  I’m not buying black suede boots nearing the end of winter, right before the rainy season, for bust out retail.  And that’s the OTHER thing.  I love these boxes.  I think it’s so much fun to look through it all and try it on.  But if I’m going to buy a Madewell shirt, shouldn’t I just go to Madewell and wait for a sale?

The bootcut jeans are cute but too big and too long. The Bag is gorgeous but again – a suede bag? I’m afraid I’ll spill something or mark it up with pen or it’ll rub against my jeans and get discolored.

I forgot to take individual pictures of the ripped up jeans and the off the shoulder top.  The jeans I’ve already said I love and the shirt I really liked too.  My husband liked that shirt the most so that’s always a no-brainer.  Unless I thought something was totally heinous, if he tells me something is his favorite or he absolutely loves something I’m going to get it.

Final verdict:

Victor Silk Blouse – return

Rumpled Satin Blouse – return (loved but too big and too see-through)

Vanessa Zip Front Blouse – return

Thatch Tank – return (not worth the money)

Ruffle Neck Blouse – undecided (inexpensive and a pop of color but not super exciting)

Chambray shirt – probably keep

Le Color High Waist Skinny Jeans – Keep

Bootcut Jeans – return

Off the shoulder top – keep

Cling Stretch Boots – return

Crossbody bag – probably return

All in all I am very pleased with Trunk Club and definitely feel like the stylist “gets me” better that the Stitch Fix stylist.  Whereas Stitch Fix was just ever so slightly wrong in some nameless way everything in this trunk right to a T. The question is – should I continue to do it? Or should I just walk into Nordstrom and go shopping every few months?

What do you think? Am I making the right decision? (It’s not too late – I have another 3 days to decide!)

Sunday (Mom) Styles

Everything about this snow has been perfect. It didn’t start until yesterday when we were already home for the evening.  It was beautiful when it fell and beautiful this morning with the glowing 7am light. Best of all it’s not freezing or treacherous so we were able to keep our plans to go to breakfast with the family. In fact it was so lovely out today I didn’t even wear a real coat. Welcome to the first edition of Sunday Mom Styles. Today I’m wearing this:

The Oversized Blazer in Herringbone from Everlane

V-neck boyfriend sweater in heather camel from J Crew

Long sleeve crew neck t-shirt in white slub cotton from J Crew

Supersoft Supima® v-neck t-shirt in shale blue from J Crew

 

The Charlie high-rise skinny ankle jean in Tania from Joe’s Jeans

 

Classic II short boot in chocolate from UGG

 

Round Fleck sunglasses in tortoiseshell + copper gradient flash lenses from Ray Ban 
+
Vintage Fred Hayman crossbody bag in Cognac

The trick is layering and of course wearing cashmere to breakfast with 5 children 5 and under (including my nephew), one of whom clings to me with a vise grip when he’s not otherwise busily shoveling berries and pancakes into his mouth. And then white.  White is my go to “color” for shirts because it’s classic and clean looking. Except when you have children and then it’s classic and dirty looking. If you look closely at the picture of the white shirt you can see several stains from breakfast. I was smart enough to take off the dry clean only sweater but that left vulnerable the white shirt onto which the baby rubbed a large piece of sausage and subsequently spit up.

JCrew by the way – I love it for my basics. The short and long sleeve t-shirts are comfortable and fit well and although I might be able to get them cheaper somewhere else were I to pay full price I refuse to buy them unless they are on sale since literally every other week there is a sale for either 25 or 30% off.  After awhile they tend to get those little holes in the fabric down toward the bottom – no idea why – but I understand that tends to happen to many brands. The sweater I love too and have in two colors – heather grey in addition to heather camel. The cut is boxy but not unattractively so, the cashmere feels great, isn’t as expensive as other cashmere I’ve seen and wears well.

The blazer from Everlane is relatively new to my wardrobe (under 2 weeks) and I’ve already worn it 3 times now that we’ve had some warmer days when a winter coat wasn’t necessary. I’ve gotten a few compliments on it including from my mom and sister – so that’s always nice. I can always count on them to give me the simple truth about whether something looks like crap or not (as opposed to my husband who also tells me the truth but through man-colored glasses which just aren’t as critical as the female type.

I recently switched my VIP credit cards and cash into the Fred Hayman bag. It’s so much easier than carrying around my regular bag which is a bit heavy for every day use and also makes me nervous that I’m going to ruin it by throwing in all the mom paraphernalia I’m accustomed to carrying. It’s just too nice of a bag to swing around in the minivan all day long. This way, I have my small crossbody and if I have the kids and their required accouterments with me (or just me but with a book, pens, water bottle, snack or whatever else), I can throw it all into my tote from the Chip and Joanna Gaines line for Target (Hearth and Home with Magnolia).

I’m tempted to not even discuss my sunglasses.  One day we made a family trip into NYC and my husband and I each got a pair of Ray Bans.  Great, reliable sunglasses in classic shapes that are stylish but not too extravagant. They are the kind of sunglasses I’d be very disappointed if they broke or if I lost them – as I did, as I’ll explain – but they aren’t so crazy expensive that I’d cry. So as I said – I did lose them. I looked all over the place and I just figured I must have dropped them out of my bag because they were nowhere in the house. I was so annoyed with myself. Some weeks later I just happened to find myself at the Sunglass Hut at the mall. Correction – one of the Sunglass Huts at the mall (can you believe they have two? One, I learned, is over in the high-end wing and sells Chanel. I went to the other.) The very friendly saleslady said the magic words – buy one get one half off – and so I ended up getting two pairs which were pretty similar but not identical to the ones I lost. Fast forward a few months – I found the missing sunglasses.  They were hiding in the car between the seat and the door and somehow, miraculously, never fell out. So I now have 3 pairs of nearly identical sunglasses that I alternate. I love them all.

As for the fact that I look shockingly clean – there’s a story behind that too. When the kids woke up and broke out of their gates at some point in the 6s this morning I decided to pretend otherwise and hop into the shower – yay! – and I even dried my hair using my new Buttercup Blowdryer from Drybar. It was on sale the last time I was in getting my hair blown out and I find it hard to resist a sale. Which was my reasoning for getting the shampoo, conditioner, and brush at the same time.  I know – I am ashamed. I’m sure I could get a comparable brush at Target for much less but I was involved in a Drybar product frenzy and did I mention the sale? And by the way the Southern Belle shampoo and conditioner smell amazing, as do all their products.  I don’t always dry my hair at home – who has time? But it does look (and smell) nicer when I do.

The goal is comfort + a little bit of style + you have 4 kids?

So what’s your Sunday Style?

Reviews on Tues.

I’m finally purging my closet.  There are items in there that haven’t fit me since before my first child was born.  It’s time to go.  Maternity wear, nursing tops, 3 sizes too small J Crew shorts that really, really won’t ever fit me again – gone.

I find I have a uniform these days.  Jeans and a neutral top. Short-sleeve tee shirt in warm weather, long-sleeve tee shirt in cool weather, neutral colored sweater in cold weather. I recently went to J Crew to fill in – tee shirts in white, gray, olive green and navy. Dark jeans, black jeans, a cashmere sweater. So I got the staples – the bread, flour and rice of my wardrobe, but I’m still missing the delicacies.

So I decided to try Stitch Fix – the personal shopping service that sends a personalized box of clothing and accessories to your doorstep every month.  I love clothes, shopping, shopping for clothes and I thought it would be fun to see what they sent me – if I hated it the worst that could happen is I’d send everything back and lose $20. It’s a fun concept.  I love the element of surprise – what will I pull out of the box this month? I like that I can write notes to my “stylist” to get her to “know me” better.  If I have an occasion coming up I can specify that in my notes.  If I hate wearing yellow I can ask that the color not be included in my items.  I was curious and so I signed up, filled out a lengthy profile, and waited until my first box arrived.

I told some fellow 3s moms about this and they told me they wanted to know all about it.  I’m not sure if they knew quite how involved in my experience they would all become, indeed, how involved you would all become. What follows is my first experience with Stitchfix.

The box arrived February 8th and looked just like a box.  Giddy as a kid on the first night of Hanukkah I took my box and ran upstairs to my closet to try it all on.* This is what I found inside. *Wait. Did anyone think it was slightly weird that I’d just be able to drop everything and run up to my closet to try things on? Yeah. That would never happen.  Truly, I got the box, brought it inside and stared at it for hours until P did homework, the kids had dinner, and I got them in bed. Finally – let the fashion show begin!

I was pretty happy – folded up it looks exactly like clothes I would wear.  Come to think of it, not folded up it looks exactly like clothes I would wear.  Love the purple boots, love the jeans, love the black and white of the shirts and dress (despite momentarily wishing they had sent me something colorful, I remembered that I actually only seem to wear shades of black and white or the most boring colors these days..)

I tried on each item starting with the shoes.  I don’t have a picture of me trying on the shoes because 1) I forgot and 2) They didn’t fit and 3) When I remembered that I hadn’t taken a picture I decided that no one needed to see me shoving my foot into a too-small boot like an ugly stepsister or something….So I’m sure I could have exchanged the boots for a bigger size but it so wasn’t worth the hassle. Returned.

Next I tried on the black shirt. I’ve since learned this is called a dolman shirt. The more you know.  I have a few thoughts about what you’re about to see – see if you can guess:

If you said – “that came straight out of your closet” you’re right.  If you said “what’s going on with your arm in the second picture?” you also win.  Finally, if you’re wondering if this is my first time taking pictures of myself in clothes I’m trying on – yes. It very clearly is. See the bent knee in the first and second pictures? I clearly am trying to take a decent picture….but back to the clothes.  I love this shirt.  It’s slouchy and comfortable and, as I said, basically could have been yanked from my closet (there I am standing in my closet – if you look closely at the shelves you’ll probably see something similar).  And because you can never have too much of a good thing, the shirt is a Keep.

Next up, the black and white shirt.

Look! I figured out I can stand a bit closer to the mirror to get a better shot of the shirt.  And I took my hair down for this one just for some variety. So I like this shirt – it’s me.  I can see myself wearing it to…. and then also….. or maybe when I go…..

…and that was my problem with this shirt. I like it but I just don’t see myself wearing it.  It’s the kind of shirt I would buy in a store thinking it’s great for when I go to a board meeting or out for dinner but when it comes time to get dressed for the board meeting or dinner I always without fail choose something different.  Plus I wasn’t wild about the material – it felt a bit cheap. Returned.

The penultimate article of clothing was the dress:

You’ll notice I’ve now put my hair into a third hairstyle (if you can call it that.) Now I’m not loving my body these days (YES I have 4 children YES the smallest is just 9 months YES I’m still nursing him NO I don’t hate myself YES I know what a gift it is to carry and feed these babies NO I’m not ashamed of my body – I just am not thrilled with the way I look right now) and this dress does nothing for me. I feel like a shapeless blob in a pretty garbage bag.  It’s pretty. I like the design. I like the concept.  I just don’t like me in it. Returned.

Finally I tried on the jeans.  Now I have to admit I almost didn’t try them on so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep them. Since losing enough baby weight to be able to fit into normal jeans (but not enough that I fit into my old jeans) I have purchased three pairs of jeans. All of them have been dark wash high waist skinny jeans.  These fit the mold exactly. At least I’m consistent and my stylist certainly got that right.  But I’ll be damned if I was going to keep a 4th pair of the exact same jean. Nevertheless here I am (the shirt is just a shirt)

If I hadn’t just bought 3 other identical pairs of jeans I would have kept these.  But I did buy 3 identical pairs.  So, returned.

And there you have it. My very first Stitchfix box.  My analysis? It’s weird.  It’s all my style but 3 of the 5 items are things I would normally buy but regret and one thing is so me I literally already have 3 exact items.  The shirt was worth it because I paid a $20 styling fee no matter what and if you buy an item you get to subtract $20 from the amount so the shirt came out to a whopping $16. Worth it.

The problem is, I was sort of hoping to get things for my wardrobe that weren’t staples but were more exciting or maybe even (gasp!) trendy! Well, there’s always next month.  And because I have an addictive personality and sponsored Facebook posts are dangerous in the wee hours of the morning, I will now also be getting boxes from Trunk Club and Wantable. It’s okay though because one of them doesn’t have a styling fee…

So I’ll keep you posted. And in the meantime, what other subscriptions boxes should I look into? 😉

xoxo,

Gossip Girl

just kidding.

Until next time…