Oops I did it again...

Okay sorry for the horrible Britney Spears reference but I got another trunk. Just to catch you up. Trunk Club is a completely free service powered by nordstroms where you get a stylist to send you items that might look great on you! 

Here's trunk three. 

I had only asked for bras and then when I got my trunk preview I told my stylist to just throw some more things in the box. Cardigans, sweaters, and flats. She did just that, just not sure how much I loved them, which is okay too. I still love the thought of clothes shopping in my house!  But needless to say I didn't get to approve or disapprove of any other items other than the bras since they were the original items. 

Would love to know your thoughts! I included the prices on my price sheet as well as the name of the item. The one great thing about trunk club is that if it goes on sale online at Nordstrom.com (as most everything does) while you have your trunk they price match! Woo hoo! And you get 10 days to decide (or see if it goes on sale). 

I actually really like this shirt but I feel like it looks a lot like the coral button down chambray I kept in my last trunk. I'm just not sure how much coral I need in my wardrobe. Although I do love it! Mixed media v neck tunic $58.

This cardigan!!! Oh how I love it! Long cardigan by Bobeau $58.  First of all those that saw my last reveal know this is my color!  It's super soft and I just like it! She also sent me the black v neck shirt underneath ($29) and I love the shirring on the sides! But it's still a little tighter on the tummy than I like.

Three quarter length sleeve cardigan by halogen $46.00. This was just okay for me. Nothing particularly wrong just nothing great either.

I really loved this cardigan so I threw it over this tank. The tank (boho lace trim tank by Carlson $39) is cute as a tank but I don't think it's great on me. Kinda like a tent and it's almost see through. I think in another color I could have appreciated it more.

Stripe v neck sweater by Carlson. I didn't think this was flattering at all but I wanted to like it. And these NYDJ white flare jeans $134. I'm short so I tucked these under as if I was going to get them hemmed. I'm just not sure I can embrace the flare leg Jean trend again. And I just bought white skinnies before I started doing trunk club. 

Eadda leather flat by lucky brand. $58.95. Reasonably priced and I asked for gold, tan, or brown flats so these definitely fit the bill but there's something about the fit on the back of my foot I don't like. But I could absolutely use these.

Felicia flat by Sam Edelman. $99.95 

These were very interesting and I like that but they kinda reminded me of house slippers. And I don't think I would pay $100 for flats.

Excuse my face! I was trying to figure out what the heck this was! This is the "cuff sleeve cotton blend knit tunic by Carlson" $54.00. I almost didn't mind the oversized ness but those sleeves! They are weird.

I also recieved some more bras because the ones in my last trunk were not the right size. And again I'd rather try bras on in my own home than go bra shopping. 

Let me know what you think! Anything worth keeping? 

Be brave and struggle well! 

Brandie 

Trunk club review: Trunks 1 and 2

So... I did this new thing. I was added to a stitch fix group where women were asking each other if there was something LIKE stitch fix but without the stylist fee. Enter>trunk club. Trunk club is sponsored by Nordstroms. So it's all Nordstrom clothes. The price point is higher but it has its benefits. No stylist fee, 10-15 items per trunk, and you get 10 days to decide. Shipping is free both ways and they don't charge you until after they get the trunk back and confirm the items in it. You get to preview your trunk and select items you KNOW you hate or are out of your price range and ask them not to send them.  Also, you speak directly to your stylist at length by phone or email. I hated my first trunk but loved my second. And since it's a free service what do I have to lose? 

I asked my stylist to please not send me anything over $100 (I have been told of items in the thousands) and that I was a clearance rack shopper. She asked one item I might be willing to splurge on, and I told her great fitting jeans (which due to some weight gain is next to impossible). 

Here is trunk number one. I returned everything in it. I might have kept one pair of jeans if I could have afforded them and the had been like a smidge bigger in the waist. After receiving all these items I went in and changed my top sizes to bigger because everything she sent me in this trunk was a medium and I usually wear a large. 

Your trunk comes in a box that actually looks like a trunk! 

It's all packaged up neatly! 

This sweater had cute potential but that hem. It kinda looked like a craft project. These boots are okay but I have gray booties and I felt like my feet looked a little clown-ish in these. 

This sweater fit well but I couldn't get over the two tone. And I didn't feel super cute in it. I also have the rag and bone jeans in this pic and most others too. These were the jeans I liked. 

I like the way this sweater looks in the picture but it had a wear zig zag print on it that was reminiscent of the early 90's but I did like the color. 

The hem on these jeans was just weird. And they were an odd length and didn't fit well. 

I really liked the color of these and they are Paige premium which I have been dying to try and while they were super stretchy, they were too tight. 

Again the cute jeans! This sweater was probably my favorite but it just hung off me, was one you have to wear something under, and there was just nothing special about it. It was just kinda boring. 

This sweater was okay until I realized it had weird high side slits. 

I shudder at this picture. It's awful. I was so excited about this jacket/blazer/cardigan! And then I tried it on and it made me look soo round! Umm...no. 

I hated this jacket in the pic. I thought no way am I going to like that. But then I put it on and it's soooo cute! But it was too small and I have no idea where I would have ever worn it too. 

I had a rough start with trunk club. It took my stylist a long time to get back with me and after I got my trunk I felt like she wasn't listening to me at all. Like why did I fill the stylist profile out!!?! But I left very real and honest notes on my feedback. She immediately sent out a second trunk as soon as my feedback was returned and before my trunk had even been picked up from my house. And I loved the items she had picked. I honestly wouldn't have tried again based on my first trunk experience had I had to pay for the service. 

Here's trunk number 2. I still have a week  to decide. So help a sister out! Tell me what you like, and what you hate! 

All pretty and wrapped up! 

Addie took all the pictures that follow! 

I really like this tank. It's flattering. I wasn't super excited about the print but I do like it. And it's relatively inexpensive. It's a nicer material so I feel like i can throw a cardigan over it or wear as is depending on the weather and dress up or down. 

I love chambray and i love that it's in style so when I saw this in my preview I was excited about it! But when I put it on I was underwhelmed. I felt like a tent and it's almost maternity feeling the way it's cut and the length. 

This shirt has a grandma-Esque print to it and is too short and hangs weird. 

This shirt I was the MOST excited about and oh my goodness it didn't disappoint. The material is like the butteriest denim I've ever felt! It's heavy and feels like super high quality and it's a coral pink, one of my favorite colors! 

I love the long sleeves on this dress but it made me look so round in the middle and wide. And I think it was a little aging. I wanted to like it. 

Same story with this dress! I liked in in the picture but in it looks older than I am and makes me round in the middle. 

I never can find a great maxi so I was excited to see this one coming. I loved the material it was made out of but it was SUPER long and I know I can get that hemmed but even the neck line felt a little 80's prom to me. 

This dress is all kinds of wrong. It's the wrong length. It's the wrong style. I look HUGE! It's just bad bad bad. It was almost the most expensive thing she sent me. 

This dress!!!! I LOVE it! I felt so cute in it! And it's such a pretty color! But what shoes? 

I also requested bras. I recieved 5. I hated some and liked some. But I hate bra shopping so having them sent to me was AWESOME!! 

So those are my trunks! 

If you would like to try it and want to sign up with my stylist you can sign up with this link. www.trunkclub.com/invite/USQ3UG

And IF you ever kept anything you recieved in your trunk I would get $50 trunk credit. 

Let me know! 

Be brave and struggle well! 

Brandie 

Stitch fix #5

So I had all but given up on stitch fix and they sent me a coupon code for my stylist fee because I hadn't ordered so long and I thought, "what do I have to lose?" So here goes need your opinions!! 

It looks like there are a few keepers! And on the stylist card I have almost all the items to style one look like my stylist says! Yay! 

Shirt number one. It's like a half shirt half sweater thing. It's super comfy but I feel like it cuts me weird and it's a little long. 

Shirt #2 I kinda love how this drapes and I love the color. 

Sweater: I'm not sure how I could not love this! 

Skirt: I kinda like it, and I kinda don't. I think it's a tad long. But I like the print. 

Jeans: boyfriend cut jeans. Super comfy I'm just not sold on the fit. 

Wanna get your own fix? Here's my referral code! 

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4875861

Tell me what you think 

Struggle well and be brave, 

Brandie 

"Better get right with the Lord", wait, what?

I am a Christian. I love Jesus. People think these are the endtimes... and maybe, they are. But over the last few weeks I have seen several people in my facebook feed say "Better get right with the Lord". I realize this is an effort to promote the Kingdom and right living... but I feel like it's doing more harm than good for His Kingdom.

You see we are already Holy and Blameless because we are God's Children. As a follower of Jesus Christ I'm already viewed, flawless and perfect in God's eyes. This isn't a free pass to live my life any old way I want. I think we are always on the pursuit of Righteousness and to be evermore like Jesus. And when we have real relationship with him that's what we want to do, it isn't work! But I read this a couple times and I started thinking "Oh, Crap! am I right with the Lord?"

There are so many "Christians" that have a hard time with their spiritual walk because they feel they have to be perfect in order to pursue God. I think this "better get right with the Lord" statement perpetuates that thinking. I'm never going to be good enough, I'm never going to live my life perfectly. If I could do that, I wouldn't need Jesus. I'm never going to be a "model Christian" at least to those that know me best. But here is the GOOD NEWS, I don't have to be! Christ died for my sins, the ugly, the angry, the impatient, all of it! It doesn't mean I live my life just doing those things because Christ died for me to do it, because He didn't. It's not a free pass, He died to forgive me. And he will but I have to have a repentant heart, and that comes from saying "Look, I messed up, but I don't want to live in that place anymore, I don't want to be that person anymore! I want to be better! Help me to be better!" You see the attitude is that the sin is still yucky in my life, even though God sees me as perfect.

I also think that saying to someone "you better get right with God" implies you have it all together. We all have junk. Sometimes our junk is just not as apparent as others. And pointing someone else's junk out is hurting our witness. Be who you want your friends to be in Christ. Quit accusing others and just work on you. Then God will work on their heart by seeing your example. (Probers 27:17). And I think there's that whole planks and specks thing. (Matthew 7:1-5) Just sayin. 

I can't "get right with God" in one moment. It's a process. No one is EVER right with God in the sense that we aren't going to mess up, but as a Christian we are Right with God. When we accept Jesus that's all that God sees, the Jesus in us. 

Stitch fix review number 3 and 4.

So... I ordered my third fix. Super ecstatic about receiving it and then I opened the box and went through each piece just praying there would be one thing in there I would love. See I hadn't even paid my stylist fee because I had some referral cash...yes!!! And I really didn't want to waste that credit on ....nothing. I was super bummed because I didn't like anything but I decided no matter what I was going to try it all on anyway. It didn't help. I still hated every single piece. Well disliked one, hated all the others. And the one I disliked was more for price point than anything else. So here it is fix number three: 

Are you with me? I feel like somewhere along the lines I morphed into a 40 yr old. The dress was okay but it was $100 and while nice dresses cost that much, and stitch fix's clothes seem to be extremely well made, I'm still nursing and don't really have many places to wear a dress to, so I didn't feel I could justify that. 

I was so sad and at the encouragement of some Facebook friends I contacted stitch fix and they stated they really wanted to make me happy and would style me again without the fee! Okay! I mean how could I say no? 

So...I rescheduled my fix immediately and anxiously awaited my new fix just knowing that they would send me some pieces that matched my awesome personality ;) but alas this box wasn't that much better. However, I did at least feel like she tried. Somehow they have construed me as someone who dressed much older. But hey she looked at my Pinterest and sent me the exact shirt I had pinned. So there was some effort and I can't be mad about that and I did find one piece I liked! So here it is fix number 4:

I kept the gray shirt. It's fun. It's young. It's versatile. The black jeans are like maternity meets straight legged jeans meets jeggings. They are pretty strange. The floral top I actually really liked but I feel like it was a little too long and just a tad moo moo ish. The blue top was the one I had pinned on Pinterest it has a pretty cool stud detail that I liked but when I got it, it was one of those shirts that has a cami and then the sheer top over and I 1)already where too many layers due to nursing and 2)those types of shirts just aren't my friend. But I appreciated the thought. And the olive

Blazer. It was definitely better than the other blazer I was sent but it just didn't work for me. I looked even bigger and since I'm already bigger on top I just felt like I was emphasizing that more. 

So there it is my last two fixes. I think i might give it one more try. I love the idea of stitch fix so I really want it to work. 

If you would like to give it a try even after my very honest reflection. Here is the place to sign up :) https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4875861

Stitch fix review number 2

So... I was soooo excited to get this fix I could hardly contain myself! 

I told my stylist I was going to the beach and I pinned stuff to my stitch fix board on Pinterest and I felt she really took both into consideration. All the tops she sent me were warm weather, thin material to help me stay cool this summer! I really appreciated that! 

When I got my fix I tore it open and looked at the card and thought seriously! This is the best fix!! I'm keeping it all, I just know I'm going to love it! Everything she picked was so cute and my style! Amazing how after just one fix that happens. :) 

Here's my style card she sent me: 

Unfortunately, I had to try things out. Let me say this in her defense, in extremely critical of myself so I think that comes into play here as well :) 

She sent me these awesome lace shorts that are made of cotton so I would stay cool along with an elastic waistband, can we say hallelujah!!!!! And then picked out this coral print top to go with them because I had told her on my Pinterest how much I LOVE coral :) 

(Um...er... Excuse my no makeup and crazy hair--but honesty I look like this 90%of the time)

I loved both but I felt there was something about the shorts just a tad bit off and the arms of shirt were a tad big. 

But she totally got me in making sure all my shirts hung off me! Thank you Allison! 

2nd top: 

This navy blue knit tank with really cool wide straps. This shirt is super comfy and I love wide straps! I hate when my bra straps are showing when I'm trying to wear a tank. But all in all it's a basic navy tank. And again for some

 reason the arm holes were a tad big. 

3rd tank:

Also in my Pinterest board I said I like floral, and I do if done right, I feel like this shirt is so right! It's probably my fav. I love  that it's dark, it hangs nice, it's interesting, and so girly with that crocheted bottom! Arm holes on this are a bit big too but not by much. 

4th and final tank: 

I kinda love the color block on this tank and it's made of a silky material. However, the top white section is almost completely see through and I'm not about that life. But other than that I love it. 

So: what do y'all think? What's your favorite? What should I keep? What should I for sure send back? Leave me comments either on here or fb and let me know! I have decisions to make :) 

And if you are interested in scheduling your own fix please use my referral code, I get a credit! I would so appreciate it! https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4875861

Struggle well and be brave

Brandie 

Stitch fix review

So... I did this totally awesome fun thing! I stitch fixed!!

I consider myself pretty frugal and usually shop only off the clearance rack. However, I have been scouring the internet learning what I can about capsule wardrobes. I am not a super fashionable person (like I would wear my pjs everywhere if it was acceptable) but I WANT to be fashionable! A capsule wardrobe is the idea that you have a limited number of things per season in your closet and it has to be things you LOVE! This is the best way to figure out what YOUR style is. And then you decide what you need to add to it for the upcoming or current season.

So I decided I wanted to do this, but I wanted to have quality pieces. Enter stitch fix --> I'm terrible about picking things out that actually look good and fit on my body. Like seriously I tried on 9 pairs of jeans at nordstrom rack the other day and still walked away without a pair of jeans. I have seen review after review of people doing stitch fix and getting well fitting jeans the first time. I figured I would give it a shot and you can do it up to once a month or as infrequent as you like. You pay $20 for your stylist fee, you fill out a stylist profile, they pair you with a stylist, they handpick things just for you and then ship it to you. You try it on, and then they send you a postage paid envelope to ship back the things you don't like. If you decide you want to keep anything your $20 fee applies towards the cost of the items. Completely risk free!

It was so fun and exciting! I couldn't wait to see what my stylist had picked out for me!

The box comes all packaged up so pretty!

It includes a note from my stylist, A postage paid envelope, and card that shows you how to use the items they send. 

The first item they sent me was this layering necklace. I'm not huge on accessories but I did try it on just to make sure! (That's me being open to possibilities) 

She sent me this striped layering tee and cargo type vest. Since I'm picking items for my spring capsule I chose not to keep this layering tee (you know since I live in Texas) and I didn't love the way I looked in the tee alone. I thought the horizontal stripes made me look wide. She sent me the vest as a way to camoflauge the tummy and while it worked and did make me appear longer it was just a tad too small to actually button. 

Let's talk about how much I LOVE this pink shirt. But it was also a tad too small (and I was SOOO sad). I did however keep the jeans I tried on. While they are something I would have NEVER picked out for my self (they remind me of granny jeans) they made my rear look better than I think it normally does and they were so comfortable! 

So there you have it! My fix. 

I can't wait until the change of season (that's when I'll update my capsule) to have another fix sent! 

If you want to fill out a style profile and help this momma out with some fix credit (for you using this link to sign up) please do that here: 

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4875861

Remember be brave and struggle well

Brandie