Fall 30x30 Challenge: Days 25-30

I'm participating in the Fall 30x30 Challenge, where you pick 30 pieces from your wardrobe and mix them up for 30 days of outfits! You can see the 30 pieces I picked here. And, now, we are at the END OF THE MONTH!! YAY!!!

Ok.... time for some honesty.... I spent days 24-30 on a Caribbean cruise and wore absolutely NONE of these boring winter clothes!! LOL! Here's what most of these days looked like:

So what did I learn from this challenge - at least for the days I participated? I could definitely get BY with a WHOLE lot less than I have in my closet. Yes, it's possible. But is it fun? Not really! These pieces starting feeling very repetitive by the middle of the month and OMG!! I can't WAIT to start wearing all of the other goodies that were taunting me all November!! 

Great job everyone!! This was such a fun experience and I look forward to trying it again with all of you sometime soon! :D  

Fall 30x30 Challenge: Days 19-24

I'm participating in the Fall 30x30 Challenge, where you pick 30 pieces from your wardrobe and mix them up for 30 days of outfits! You can see the 30 pieces I picked here. Here are the combos I rocked on Days 19-24! 

Day 19:
UofL game!
White Splendid tee
Cheetah coat from Golden Tote
Juicy Couture jeggings
Calvin Klein thigh high boots
Louisville themed pearls

DAY 20:
Yep, top over a dress, as we've discussed before... this is a unique feature of 30x30 craziness LOL!
Aztec sweater
Target shirtdress
Target neon knee highs
Frye boots

Day 21:
Old Navy Scarf
Live Love tee
Target Striped Cardigan
J. Crew Boyfriend Chinos
Crystal All-Star high tops

Day 22:
American Apparel v-neck tee
J. Crew dream cardigan
H&M scarf
Abercrombie neon pink jeggings
Gap sparkle flats

Day 23:
UofL game day - football AND basketball!
Cross tee
Seven for all Mankind red pants
hair flair ;)
Calf hair Christian Louboutin booties

DAY 24:
Phillip Lim for Target tuxedo top
Juicy Couture jeggings
Birdcage headpiece from Nordstrom
Sigerson Morrison for Target flats

This is the home stretch!! One more week and we can call this a wrap. Here's hoping I can get creative and get 6 more outfits out of these clothes. I'm pretty over them at the point!! LOL! Continued good luck everyone!! 

Fall 30x30 Challenge - Days 13-18

I'm participating in the Fall 30x30 Challenge, where you pick 30 pieces from your wardrobe and mix them up for 30 days of outfits! You can see the 30 pieces I picked here. Here are the combos I rocked on Days 13-18! 

DAY 13:
(This is the kind of weird stuff I wear sometimes that all of the kids in my life love! LOL!)
Denim dress
Target sweater coat
Target tights
Jimmy Choo Uggs

DAY 14:
Juicy Couture cashmere hoodie
Saint Grace tee underneath
Bauble Bar necklace
J. Crew Boyfriend chinos
Brown Uggs

DAY 15:
Louisville basketball game
Puella top
Bauble Bar rose gold necklace
Red Seven pants
Dolce Vita short biker boots

DAY 16:
UL football game outside at night! BRRR!
Louisville hoodie
True Religion bleach splatter jeans
Target wedge sneakers
(there was LOTS of outwear involved in this outfit's final look! LOL!)

DAY 17:
Puella dress
Target chiffon star scarf
Target cropped neon tights
Gap flats

Day 18:
American Apparel wired scarf
Elephant sweatshirt
Seven Rocker Flares
Crystal All-Star high tops

These six days took a little more thought than the first twelve, but still cruising along okay! I'm the first to admit, though, these clothes are starting to get on my nerves!! LOL! Twelve days to go! Can't wait to see how everyone's mixing it up!! 

Tortellini Soup - A Secret Weapon Recipe!

It's been soooo cold and miserable here in Louisville already. We've even had bits of snow??? OMG. This is supposed to be such a long and harsh winter and it's got us already craving some fab comfort foods. 

This recipe for Tortellini Soup is one of my family's favorites! It's nourishing and delicious and a super easy and inexpensive way to feed a crowd!! It's also sneakily high vegetable and low fat. 

Ingredients:

* 3 cans of chicken broth
* 2 cans of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
* 1 can Rotel
* 1 small pack Buitoni refrigerated tortellini
* 1 small can white chicken, drained (optional)

Cans, cans, cans.
Lots of soup labels for the collection box at school! 

Easy cooking:

Put chicken broth, diced tomatoes and Rotel in soup pot. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions, until tender. If adding chicken, put the drained chicken in and let it heat for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!! 

The tortellini will float on top. I kind of scoop up tomatoes to dump on top to keep the pasta submerged a bit while it's cooking.

We always serve it with warm crusty garlic bread!

Modifications:

* The recipe can be multiplied, based on how much you want to make and how big your soup pot is! ;) I usually double it so that we have leftovers to reheat for a few days. A double batch works well with one large (20 oz) package of Buitoni. 

* I usually keep an extra can of chicken broth to add to the leftovers if it's not liquid/soupy enough.

* We like our food kicked up a notch - or twenty! - so I usually use the "hot" Rotel instead of the original.

And that's it! 

Hope you enjoy!! :D

Fall 30x30 Challenge - Days 7-12

I'm participating in the Fall 30x30 Challenge, where you pick 30 pieces from your wardrobe and mix them up for 30 days of outfits! You can see the 30 pieces I picked here. Here are the combos I rocked on Days 7-12! 

DAY SEVEN - channeling my inner Chi Chi!:
Cross Tee
Abercrombie hot pink jeggings
Dollar store headband
Dolce Vita short biker boots

DAY EIGHT:
Frilly white top
Gorjana & Griffin scarf
Juicy Couture jeggings
Jimmy Choo gold boots

DAY NINE - UL basketball game with the fam:
Puella dress
Red Seven pants
Cardinal flair! ;)
Christian Louboutin booties

DAY TEN - cheer competition out of town:
Old Navy teal sweater to rep the team colors
True Religion beach splatter jeans
Zebra UGGS, also repping the team!  

DAY ELEVEN (sorry for the dark pic!):
Target Shirtdress
Old Navy Faux Fur Vest (not one of my pieces, but it's outwear! ;)
Missoni for Target tights
Brown UGGS

DAY TWELVE:
American Apparel Nirvana tee
J. Crew dream cardigan

Necklace by Louisville jeweler Summer Eliason
Seven Rocker flare jeans
J. Crew studded suede flats

These six days took a little more thought  than the first six, but still cruising along with what feels like plenty of options! Can't wait to check out what all the other lovely ladies wore this week! Now, on to the next six days everyone! So far so good!! 

Stitch Fix November 2013 Box Review - Stitch Fix #1

I received a $20 Stitch Fix gift card in my October PopSugar box and I was excited to finally give this company a try!

Stitch Fix is a clothing service that sends you a box of pieces selected specifically for you by a stylist. You try everything on at home and mail back the pieces you don't want within three days in a pre-paid mailer. There is a $20 styling fee, which can be used as a credit towards any of the items you want to keep. If you keep nothing, you are out the $20 fee. If you keep everything, you get it all at a 25% discount (and then -$20 for the styling fee).

Stitch Fix has a very extensive questionnaire that covers everything from sizes and body measurements to price points and lifestyle. There is a form for you to review each item received and give your stylist comments and feedback, with the goal of Fix's becoming more and more tailored to your preferences over time! 

Now, on to what I received in my November Fix! Here's first looks:

My first thoughts? The stuff was packed up beautifully but... OMG... this is such a drab and boring color palette. And MORE black and white and stripes???? I just went through this with my October Golden Tote. Maybe I'm alone in this philosophy but I feel like cold weather is already depressing enough without dressing in depressing clothes all the time, too. Ugh. Well, part of the game is trying everything on regardless because sometimes you find something you never expected to love! On to the individual pieces! 

Kensie Jeans Johnny Skinny Jeans, $88

and 

Honey Punch Payge Striped Cross-Back Sweater, $48 


 

This sweater was a super thin and soft fabric. For November? Um, no. It really feels like a lightweight beachy kind of coverup, especially since the back is majorly drapey and open, but, then again I would never choose this color combo for summer. I actually saw some Fix's online where people received this sweater in summer boxes in lighter colors, so who knows. Idk... just not for me, I guess.  

The Kensie jeans are super stretchy and cropped to the ankle and I love them. They would be a keeper but I purchased a similar pair in LA in September and don't need another pair of navy jeans. I gave feedback that I'd love to have them in a bright, fun color! 

LA Made Elowen Colorblocked Sweater Tunic,  $68

OMG, all of this stuff is SO dark. Look at my pictures - even with all the interior lights on AND the camera flash it's hard to tell what's what. Ugh, need some color in my life. 

Anyways, this sweater. 100% viscose. Seriously. It gave me the heebie jeebies just picking it up and I cringed putting it on. It has that synthetic fabric thin weave slinkiness like some sleazy old man would wear... does that make sense?? Gross. And, just FYI, the thing is NOT "LA Made," it's made in China. Pass.

Oxmo Fletcher Open Front Cardigan, $118

Well... I do love a good sweater coat. This one had a nice weight to it and was super cozy on. The thing was just SO boxy and shapeless, though, and had no tie or belt or closure of any kind. I can see how people lose themselves down the muumuu path and I really try to not let myself buy things that are just completely shape-hiding and dowdy (unless it's avant garde, of course, then anything goes! haha). 

41Hawthorn Brentwood Jersey Top, $68

Okay, a cute top for jeans is something I can work with. The cut and style is interesting and the fabric is super soft and something I can see myself reaching for again and again. After my gift card/styling credit, keeping this one cost me $48. 

So, I kept one out of five. If I had kept everything, my total cost, after the 25% discount, would have been close to $300. It's not that the pieces were horrible as much as they were just uninspiring, you know? I provided TONS of feedback on my box and I will give this service at least one more go! I'm curious what I'll receive next time and hopeful that things move in the right direction! 

If you would like to try Stitch Fix, please use one of my referral links! Thanks, doll!! 

** And, PS, I am participating in the Fall 30x30 Challenge and technically not supposed to buy any clothes this month. I had already ordered this box before I committed to that so I'm thinking that technically it doesn't count! LOL! 

Fall 30x30 Challenge - Days 1-6

I'm participating in the Fall 30x30 Challenge, where you pick 30 pieces from your wardrobe and mix them up for 30 days of outfits! You can see the 30 pieces I picked here. Here are the combos I rocked on Days 1-6! 

DAY ONE:
Target shirtdress
Little Miss Matched knee socks
Nordstrom headband
Chloe riding boots

DAY TWO:
Dance mom tee for competition day
Puella tee underneath
Seven Rocker flare jeans
Sequin Converse

DAY THREE:
Aztec print sweater
Live Love tee underneath
J.Crew Broken in boyfriend chinos
Aeropostale wedge sneakers

DAY FOUR:
Target sweater coat
The Giving Keys Inspire necklace
Urban Outfitters cowboy tee
Abercrombie & Fitch jeggings
Chloe riding boots

DAY FIVE (cameo by Boo):
Puella dress
Target tights
Frye platform boots
* I wore this to volunteer at school and all the kids kept saying "you're so TALL!!" hahaha

DAY SIX - UL Basketball game:
Vegan Leather top over
Denim dress
Frye Platform Boots

These days were easy - everything was new and didn't require any remixing at all! This is going to become more and more challenging as the month goes on but so far so good!!