Stitch Fix #12 - March 2016

Spring is here!  So is the pollen however.  Even so, I was able to take my pictures outside today with the beautiful trees blooming behind me.  My fix was also late this month.  I heard that there were warehouse troubles, so my fix came today instead of Friday.  I was a little bummed, especially since my photographer is now out of town!
 
For those of you who have never heard of Stitch Fix or want to know more about it, here's a quick run down:

Stitch Fix is a service that will send you five articles of clothing (or purses, scarves, jewelry, and now shoes) picked by a stylist at whatever interval you choose based on a style profile you fill out about yourself.  You pay a $20 styling fee for each box, but that money goes toward anything you keep.  So as long as at least one item works for you, there's nothing to lose.  And if you keep all five items, you get a 25% discount.

You don't have to sign up for a certain time period between fixes.  You could try it one time and never get another fix or get another one 2 years later!  There's no cost commitment until you schedule a fix.  When the box ships, that's when you are charged the $20 styling fee.

You can create a Pinterest board dedicated to your style and put the link in your style profile so that your stylist can see what items you like and why.  I love when I receive something I actually pinned or something very similar to a pin on my board!

This month is my 12th Fix.  Here is what I wrote to my stylist:
I want Ashley or Anne to style me! Would love some colored chinos and some short sleeved or sleeveless tops...it's already springtime in Georgia!

Anne was my stylist, and she listened my requests and delivered.  Here's what I received in my fix this month:

(1) Level 99 Patrick Chino Pant $108

These pants are SO soft!  They fit me well, and I feel that the color will match a lot of different tops.  They seem a little short on me, but I think that is only because I am not used to fitted pants--most of mine have been flared or boot cut until lately.  They have a tiny slit on the inside of the ankle and the cutest little button on the side pockets.

I tried them on with the Daniel Rainn blouse from Fix #4.

They seem to go well with either heels or flats, and I'm pretty sure they are a keeper!

(2) Pixley Panorama Henley Blouse $48

When I cheated and looked at the items being sent to me this month, I wasn't really excited about this one. 

Anne also suggested paired all these tops with my Just Black skinny jeans from Fix #7.  I'm kind of torn about this tank.  It may be a keeper just due to cost reasons if I keep everything else.  It looked very sheer before I tried it on, but I am able to wear it without a tank underneath which is a plus.

(3) Fun2Fun Genna Split Neck Top $44

I love this top because it is so lightweight and made of a non-silky material. I tried it on with my Dear John shorts from Fix #3 and also with the chinos from this fix. 

I feel like this shirt is very me.  I didn't take a close up of the pattern, but it has little flowers all over it.

(4) Skies are Blue Ortega Open Knit Perforated Cardigan $48

This cardigan is such a pretty color.  I like that it is solid and the perforations are a nice added touch.  I tried it on with my Le Sample tank from Fix #2 and some white pants.

I also wanted to see how it would look with dresses, so I tried it with the Brixon Ivy dress from Fix #9.

I think it will go with a lot, especially since it is solid.  It will also make a good layering piece for work.  I feel like the price is pretty good for this piece as well.

(5) Papermoon Mula Knit Tank $38

I love me some tank tops.  This one has a cut little cut out in the back.  It is high low style, so it will cover more of my rear.  I tried it with both skinny jeans and shorts.  The colors aren't my favorite, and I'm never one to grab horizontal stripes as a first choice, but this item also has a decent price.

 I think the biggest factor in this fix will be whether or not I keep the chinos.  I basically would get one item free and another next to nothing with the buy 5 discount.  So what do you think?  Are they all worth keeping?  Leave me some feedback in the comments!

And if you feel like giving Stitch Fix a try (even just 1 time!), please use my referral code by clicking here!  I get a small credit, and you get a box of new clothes to play dress up with!  Thanks for reading!

Maria at Crazy Together is hosting another link up!  Visit her page to check out other blogger's Stitch Fix posts!

My Triathlon Journey: Part 1

A good friend of mine signed up for a sprint triathlon last summer and a few months later did an olympic triathlon.  After a lot of thinking, I decided that triathlon may be my new thing.  I've been a runner for at least 10 years, but I don't like long distances.  I've done one half marathon and don't care to ever do one again.  I love running 5Ks and the occasional 10K, but that's about the farthest I want to go.  I think it's because I like variety.  I started working at the hospital as a PRN pharmacist and loved that I could be working in a different area every day.  Monotony is not my friend.

So I started researching triathlons.  The first one I looked at was at Lake Lanier since it's so close to home, but I realized it was the day after my Disney World vacation.  So I kept hunting.  Finally I found the perfect beginner sprint triathlon for me.  It's Ramblin' Rose.  The race I signed up for is in Charlotte, so it's not too far from home.  It's a little less than sprint distance.  The swim is 200 yards, the bike is 8 miles, and the run is 2 miles.  Best part--the swim is in a pool!  I have been swimming all my life and grew up around water, but I don't know how to swim properly.  I take spin classes at my gym at least once a week, and as I said before, I've been running for a while.

So I did it.  I signed up at the end of 2015 since there was a discount code.  I was thinking, "Oh it's only $75," but boy was I wrong.  I didn't realize how much equipment is involved in training for and actually doing this thing

I started thinking about purchasing a bike.  I haven't had a bike since I was living at my parents' house.  I figured I didn't need to rush to get one since I get plenty of practice with riding and using those muscles at the gym.  My birthday is in February, so when my family asked what I wanted, I just told them "money for a bike."  I went out with my husband and daughter to Performance Bicycle one Sunday because we were in the area, and I figured I should start looking since I know NOTHING about bicycles.  No one paid us much attention until my daughter brought a small bike crashing down off the shelf.  Everyone was fine, and someone came to help us after that.  The guy asked for my price range, taught me a little about bikes, and gave me some examples to go home and research.  The number of brands and materials and types of bikes and shifters was quite overwhelming.  A few days later, I went to a smaller independent shop called Suwanee Creek Bicycles by myself.  The couple who owns it were very friendly and informative, and a few hours later, I left with my bike.  They had one brand of bike at the store, but I was able to choose from a flat-bar type or a road bike or "the other room" where the prices were much more than my price range.  I went with the road bike, and we spent lots of time practicing in the parking lot and even took a quick spin around the neighborhood.  I decided it worked for me, and had it custom fitted to my measurements.  I added pedals and picked a helmet, and I was good to go.  Here is my new baby, the Fuji Roubaix 1.3:

We had to make a spot to hang it in the garage.  I equipped it with pedals that are flat on one side and able to clip into on the other.  I've taken it around the neighborhood on a few 6 to 8 mile rides and am practicing with all the gears I have available.  Here are some pictures of my pedals:

I'm still working up the courage to use my cycle shoes and clip in.  I know I'm in for a fall at some point, so I'm not rushing that day.  Plus, someone on a triathlon Facebook page I am a member of gave me some good advice.  She said it may not be worth using my cycle shoes during a sprint since it will take time in transition to change shoes.  Good point!

Ironwilled, my triathlon page was selling some extra tri kits, and they looked really cute, so I wanted to order one.  The brand was Coeur, and I have no experience with them.  They sell women's sports clothing and the tri shorts have a "seam-free chamois."  I did some research and found a store that sells their clothing.  Since I had no clue what size I would be, I took the family out to Endurance House before a dinner in Alpharetta.  I met one of the owners, and she gave me some advice as well as helped me to find a good fitting Coeur pant.  Since I knew I wanted to buy the Ironwilled kit, I purchased a short and matching running top that were on sale so that at least I would have two pairs of these awesome shorts.  Here are some photos of both sets:

And here is the inside of the shorts:

This large thighed girl wishes they were a little longer, but they do not ride up during my rides, and so far I have had no problems.  Now I'm just trying to take my bike out at least once a week and maybe expand my horizons beyond my neighborhood.  I will probably take my bike on our vacation to Hilton Head but I need to find some sort of rack for my Rav4.  I'm telling you, this race is getting expensive!  I'm also toying with the idea of signing up for 1 or 2 more sprint triathlons this summer.  We'll see.  I'm starting swim lessons and will write more about that later.  Stay tuned for the next installment of my triathlon journey!