I thought it would be fun to see what I got from Stitch Fix recently. (I had forgot that I hadn’t turned the service off but just scheduled the shipments to be less frequent.) Here’s what was in my box:
OLIVE GREEN SHIRT
It would look better ironed. I loved the color and style, kind of a Anine Bing look, but I wasn’t sure it was really “me.”
WHITE JEANS
These jeans fit good, felt good. I liked that they had a high-ish waist, some distressing and the drop hem, but I didn’t like how thin they were. I have two pairs of white jeans that are good. Starting to feel so sad/conflicted. My stylist really gets me, almost too much!
WHITE SHIRT & NAVY SHORTS
At this point I dragged my daughter into the decision-making process. She’s so savvy. 🙂 The shirt is so soft. It’s meant to be crinkled, btw. Again, I had to be honest with myself that I wouldn’t wear it. I have four white button downs that are neglected as it is. The shorts fit perfectly, felt comfy and looked great (from the back too), but I thought they were a little too preppy. Also, I have other chino shorts.
SHORT SLEEVE SWEATSHIRT
This top has the cutest sort of pleated sleeves. Its a soft, luxurious cotton that drapes nicely. And I love navy so much.
So that’s the five pieces. I decided since I was spending the $20 styling fee anyway, I was definitely going to keep at least one item. (This is how I talked myself into buying things the last two times. They’re so smart.) And it was at this point that I looked at the prices. I was leaning toward the shorts. But I loved the navy top…which was $148! It’s Joie, a somewhat luxe brand that I’ve never owed before. Ahh, decisions.
So, the next day, I tried them all on again, this time with other clothes, following the enclosed style suggestions.
And there you have it. Hardest decision I’ve ever made. In the end I chose to only keep the navy top. And I’m wearing it right now.
Recently I had a thought, what if I was my ideal weight? What would I eat if I didn’t need to lose a few pounds? The answer came surprisingly quick. I’d eat like a French woman. I’m sure that means different things to different people, but in my mind it was fresh, whole food that is delicious and satisfying with the occasional indulgence. I remembered the book I got from my mom, “French Women Don’t Get Fat.” I decided to finally read it. Author Mireille Guiliano recommends eating a variety of foods, mostly in season, in reasonable portions. Fresh food is preferred to processed and truly enjoying your meals is very important. This is the philosophy I’ve been craving all along. It’s not about depriving oneself or eating diet substitutes. Food is meant to be enjoyed!
Meanwhile, full of excitement and motivation, I finally worked up the courage to tackle a cookbook I received as a gift (in fact I has specifically asked for it): It’s All Easy by Gwyneth Paltrow. I don’t generally use cookbooks because, Google. This book was worth it. It won me over with the fresh-faced photos of GP and the beautifully photographed meals. I remained very skeptical that it was “easy”. After I tackled the shopping for a bunch of ingredients, many of which I don’t ever buy, the assembly was simple. The first thing I tried was chicken tortilla soup. Not only was it easy, but my whole family liked it. Maybe loved it. My picky 9-year-old son ate a meal with multiple green things in it including zucchini. It was such a big hit. I made smoothie bowls, sheet pan chicken, etc.
Both of these books have changed my life. I learned that where I thought I hated cooking, I was just bored. I was constantly buying and cooking the same foods over and over and my tastebuds had lost all interest. In an effort to please my family, I had narrowed our cuisine down to so few things that they were bored too, and hesitant to try anything new. I also learned that the more I cooked, even complicated recipes, the more confident I became and the more fun I had. And of course the more healthy we eat, the more energy we have.
I hope you check out one or both of these books, and try cooking something new. Or buying something new. I find that I don’t put things on the grocery list anymore just because we ran out of it. I plan out a few new meals, a few old standards and make my list from that. I think our food bill has gone down. I use more leftovers and I waste less food. (I’m probably the last person on the planet to figure this out.)
Alright, so I’ve recently noticed just how far down the rabbit hole I’ve gone. It’s to the point that I am pretty much ‘living’ in the UK.
Over the last few months I’ve been reading two books written in a language I struggle to understand: English. All of the British slang and references made them hard to follow at times. While reading these books, I started watching a lot of British TV shows. Soon I was so completely immersed in the culture I forgot that I live in America. I suppose it’s partly my distant connection—both my grandfathers were born in the United Kingdom. So, it’s not surprising that I’ve always wanted to visit.
It started with:
BOOKS
Night of the Animals, by Bill Broun—this is Animal Farm meets 12 Monkeys. Broun is American but has lived in England and some of the language is so English it hurt my brain. But seriously, I really enjoyed this book and found it extra fascinating because I actually know the author.
The Year of Living Danishly, by Helen Russell—I love Scandinavian culture, so this account of a British transplant dealing with the culture shock of moving to Denmark was a two-fer. A completely separate tangent, but this led to me watching the fabulous series Hjørdis and then Rita on Netflix.
And moved on to:
SHOWS
ON NETFLIX
The Crown—I loved this show so much. I want to go back and watch it all over again. Queen Elizabeth’s life when she was young. Claire Foy is so watchable. God, this is the best show since, ever.
Sherlock—Benedict Cumberbatch. I think that’s all I have to say. So amazing.
The Great British Baking Show—my kids got me watching this. They binge watched it to the point that they now critique everything I cook, with British accents.
Broadchurch—I was addicted to this crime drama. Although I didn’t love the dark, violent subject, the characters… they made me want to be there.
ON AMAZON
The Durrells in Corfu—My FAVORITE SHOW which I’m still watching. It’s set in the 30s about an English family who moves to Greece.
Fashion Me Now — I’ve been following Lucy WIlliams’ fashion and travel blog for a while. Listening to her is so strangely hypnotizing. I can’t believe I watched this entire video where she just talks about some stuff she bought.
The Frugality Blog —Alex Stedman, though on maternity leave now, has such adorable and accessible posts that I became hooked right away.
Juliet Kinsman—one of my most interesting British friends, a luxury travel expert.
If you’re looking to travel virtually to the UK or pretend you’re more British than you are, I hope you check out some of these lovely escapes.
I’ve been pondering this topic for a while: What do you do with a fur coat that you don’t feel good about wearing? I’d been wanting a leopard coat forever—faux leopard, obviously. I’ve pinned lots of options:
Then, one day I was talking to my mom and she said she had a vintage fur coat I could have. It was “ocelot”. I pretended to know what that was and then promptly Googled it. I’ll save you a click and tell you: “The ocelot is a wild cat native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central, and South America. Its population is estimated to comprise more than 40,000 mature individuals and is considered stable. Its fur was once regarded as particularly valuable, but legal trade of its fur ceased decades ago.”
My mom said she’d send me the coat, she didn’t wear it and probably wouldn’t need it in California. When it arrived, I quickly opened up the box, took out the massive garment, and tried it on. I knew immediately. I would never wear it … Not as clothes. Not in public. Now what? I hung it in the closet and put off making a decision about it.
Recently, I decided I needed to find it a new home.
I’ve never been really definitive about my feelings on real fur. I feel pretty awful about that statement. It’s as if I don’t want to offend anyone. But the longer I think about it, I can never condone wearing real fur. I can’t even be okay with wearing a fur that was made a really long time ago.
You can’t sell illegal fur. I didn’t want to just take it to the thrift store. After a little research I found a few options: donate it to a museum, to a place that helps the homeless like PETA’s fur campaign or to a place that helps animals like Cuddle Coats.
I contacted Cuddle Coats and arranged to send it off.
I haven’t told my mom.
I thought more about finding a faux fur. They look so cool. But, now I don’t know. Do they?
I’d never done the 10×10 challenge and I guess I thought I wouldn’t get much out of it. It’s funny how different it is to do something in your head versus in reality. This is what I learned from doing it:
A capsule wardrobe makes picking out an outfit lightning fast! In this case, I had 3 bottoms and 5 tops (and 2 pairs of shoes) and a goal to not repeat combinations.
I really prefer jeans to skirts.
It’s okay to wear only your favorite items—on repeat.
I became more accepting of myself. I realized it’s okay to be really casual or not even wear makeup.
I gave myself permission to be cozy and warm. Layered as needed.
Wearing Birks with socks indoors is my new fave.
I have clothes in my closet that I rarely wear that I really like!
My name is Leigh. I am a graphic designer and a photographer. I love minimalism, danish modern decor, clogs, books, and art of all kinds. I strive to live a healthy life and promote sustainability.
My mom said she’d send me the coat, she didn’t wear it and probably wouldn’t need it in California. When it arrived, I quickly opened up the box, took out the massive garment, and tried it on. I knew immediately. I would never wear it … Not as clothes. Not in public. Now what? I hung it in the closet and put off making a decision about it.
