Stitchfix #5 - Is The Stitch Fixed!?

Well ladies and gents, I caved. After my last Stitchfix, I emailed customer service summarizing my complaints and letting them know I was canceling. They responded by offering a credit to try again. So I figured why not give it a last ditch whirl. 

Haley delivered. She seriously nailed it. Integrated every request I had with thoughtful comments about how each item addressed previous issues I had mentioned. This was as close as I've come to keeping everything and still haven't pulled the trigger on returning things. As of now, I plan to hold on to the two tops and return the dress, necklace and pants. Not without a lot of hemming and hawing though.

The box arrived Tuesday night and I got home late because of a work event, but dove right in. I immediately fell in love with this Madeleina Embroidery Detailed Tank by Renee C. Don't tell me it's hideous because I wore it to work on Wednesday! 

Next up was this coral Twist Front Dress by Under Skies. Dresses are really hard especially with this latest "fit and flare" craze. This dress really worked. Like actually flattering. Super comfy and at $58, a pretty great deal for a versatile summer item. However, the body in it didn't really work/doesn't work out and pays for it with a pot belly. I was uncomfortable because of that. I can't imagine wearing spanx to work on a hot summer day or running around holding my breath and sucking it in for an entire day. I think I have to send it back. Sigh.

I really, really love the Tazo Mixed Print Floral Tank by Pomelo! It fits perfectly and has colors I normally wouldn't pick. The Bella Boutique Macy Delicate Crystal Tassel Pendant Necklace (seriously, does its name need so many words?!) was nice, but I have similar items and wasn't sure I wanted to invest in another. And these pants! I've been looking for a pair like this. Nice cropped length, basic grey. They were pretty flattering and comfortable but the waist was kind of flappy and I feared that given their material, they might stretch a lot. Plus, they were $108, a bit much for such a casual pant.

I'm so pumped with this latest delivery. Do I re-enlist?! 

Ignoring The Elephant In The Room

The elephant, in this case, takes the shape of men in blue shirts frittering away the best opportunity they have had in two decades to win a championship. No more about that. Instead here is this gem from our week of dog sitting. The cutest three faces sadly looking at me as I got ready to leave the house this morning. Adorable. 

Ah! Rangers! OMG! Can't Even!

I've refrained from going wild on here about the Rangers. I can no longer contain myself. If you've been under a rock the last few days or are like the rest of America and uninterested in hockey, they beat the Montreal Canadiens and advanced to the Stanley Cup FINALS. The FINALS. A chance to win 4 games and hoist the Stanley Cup. I realize this is not exciting to most people, but for me, it is unreal. Absolutely unreal. Especially given how bad they were for much of this season and how no one, NO ONE, predicted they would be Eastern Conference Champs. Bear with me over the next two weeks as I withstand nail biting, ulcer inducing, pillow punching anxiety prior to, during, and after each game vs. LA. Regardless of the outcome, I am proud of them and proud to be a fan. So until Game One on Wednesday, I'm going all middle school and collaging my obsessive passion for all the world to see. #CleanSlateGrabIt #BecauseItsTheCup #LGR

A Poem For A Thursday

This poem popped up in my Writer's Almanac email today. The Writer's Almanac is a daily radio show of poetry and historical interest pieces, and the newsletter delivers it all to your inbox in case you don't have the chance to catch it live. I'm enrolled in a few listservs of daily poetry and this one seems to most consistently deliver poems I enjoy. No exception here with another nice reminder of the importance of keeping things simple.

The Want of Peace
Wendell Berry

All goes back to the earth,
and so I do not desire
pride of excess or power,
but the contentments made
by men who have had little:
the fisherman's silence
receiving the river's grace,
the gardner's musing on rows.

I lack the peace of simple things.
I am never wholly in place.
I find no peace or grace.
We sell the world to buy fire,
our way lighted by burning men,
and that has bent my mind
and made me think of darkness
and wish for the dumb life of roots.

Stitchfix #4 - The Breakup Box

What is that expression? All good things have to end? My journey with Stitchfix came to abrupt stop yesterday with the arrival of box #4. As you might recall, it was getting a little iffy last time when I returned all 5 items from my last fix. The nail in the coffin was these:

I'm not quite certain what "Emma" was thinking. Maybe these are uber trendy for this season but even if a crystal ball from the fashion future pegged stonewashed denim cargo shorts as a must have for the next century there is no way I would ever wear them. Never. No. Just no.

I still got excited when I saw the box at my doorstep and will admit that I love the concept of having a secret little present shipped to me. But it's no longer worth it. While I've liked most pieces, sizes and fit have been a struggle. This time I had a new stylist who was excited to have selected these items for "my trip." She mentioned it twice on her note to me as justification for the pieces and the funny part is, I'm not going on any trips and never included anything about a trip in my profile or feedback. So now I have these amazing denim cargo shorts and just no where to wear them!

This fix included two shirts, a pair of skinny jeans, the dreaded shorts, and a necklace. The Adora Skinny Jeans in "canteloupe" were pretty awful...bright, nearly florescent orange that someone hip to the jive might be able to pull off, but not me. They're pictured in the photo of the necklace below. I was excited to get a taste of their accessories with the Bella Boutique Claire Sterling Silver Tassel Necklace but at $58 with a strange blend of silver and gold, it wasn't quite what I wanted. And unfortunately, yet again, I got a really cute top that is just too big. The Laine Hi-Lo navy blue shirt with the cutout detail really was kind of cute, but as you can see, the arm pit area did not quite fit. I kept the Cosette Top by Ezra. Nice comfy knit shirt in a neutral gray fancied up a bit with the crochet detail.

As I mentioned in my feedback and message to customer service, the sizing stuff just isn't worth the hassle anymore. I would rather browse through Nordstrom Rack or even Target and pick things I'm really comfortable wearing that are flattering. I am glad I tried it and can imagine that it works well for other people, but it turned out not to be my jam. Adios Stitch Fix!

A Poem For A Friday

Tiny poem, tiny blog post. Tiny amount of thoughts other than sweet, simple, nice. Yay Merwin. Have a great weekend!

By The Front Door
W.S. Merwin

Rain through the morning
and in the long pool a toad singing
happiness old as water

(Overdue) Scenes From The Weekend

People (so many people...so many) are going to get sick of "scenes from the weekend," especially when they barely change as we near the summer of weekly treks to the lake. It was amazing to be back and not have to deal with ice, snow, water and/or heat issues. It was beautiful weather so we spent a lot of time on the deck and saw a few fishermen and kayakers, a nice change from the snowmobiles and snow drifts. It's hard to believe the pond was frozen solid and surrounded by three-foot high snow stacks just over a month ago. It's nice to have it back!

Merwin LOVES the deck. His birds-eye view makes for easy hunting of chipmunks and other critters and occasionally he "deck dives" in pursuit. Crazy animal. And then the sunsets. Beautiful both Saturday and Sunday nights, making it particularly challenging to head home and face the looming week of work. However, I always know we'll be back!

Clothes...I Hate Them

I hate clothes. Not because I'm a nudist at heart. Oh heck no. But because selecting them and feeling good about them is torture. I've always wanted a life uniform and firmly believe that men's attire is where it's at. A shirt, a pair of pants, add a tie if you're feeling creative, repeat. For women, there are too many options. And how on earth, after all these years of clothing, have they not figured out how to make some sort of consistent size scale??? 

It was a wardrobe malfunction kind of morning. Season transitions always have me in a tizzy with chilly mornings and warm afternoons. What's the best shoe for this temperature? Are people still rocking boots, will my feet be cold in flats? My lightweight coat is 6 seasons old and wasn't cool 6 seasons ago but after months of piling it on, coatless feels exposed! Nothing fits well right now (cheers to the oncoming bathing suit season because that is a boat load of fun when you feel like a stuffed sausage) and I am so sick of each of the 122 cardigans in my closet.

It all comes down to my inability to make good choices when purchasing clothes both in terms of selecting "cool" pieces and things that flatter. That insufficiency is never more clear than when getting ready each morning. Maybe everyone feels this way, but I hate everything I have and have no clue how to combine items to make an "outfit." Even if I replicate suggestions from the interwebs, things just look bad on me. I'm half tempted to torch everything and start over, but I'm afraid I would find myself in the exact same place yet again. Ideas? Suggestions? Help!

Super Secret Birthday Trip

I never thought I would be able to pull it off, but the super secret surprise birthday trip was a success! I had planned it nearly two months ago when I learned the Cardinals would be playing the Cubs in Chicago the weekend before Simon's big day. My mom encouraged me to book it as well as keep it under wraps during the planning.

If you know Simon and if you know me you know that this was no easy feat. Three minutes after I told him to reserve the weekend, he checked the Cardinals schedule and asked if we were going to Chicago. Wind out of sails. However, since then and as a result of some serious trickery, he 100% believed we were off to the Bahamas. Lucky for me, his baseball team is way more exciting than pina coladas on the beach because otherwise he might have been a wee bit disappointed.

I knew I was in the clear last week when I saw him buzzing around packing shorts and tropical shirts, which I secretly replaced with sweaters and Cardinals gear. We made it all the way to the plane's gate before he learned our destination which was precisely how I had envisioned it!

He'll kill me if I recap without mentioning food, which had provided the most anxiety leading up to the weekend. Usually when we travel, he tirelessly researches restaurants, makes reservations weeks in advance and is meticulous about ensuring food is the centerpiece of our journey. I was lucky to have a crew of advisors who really hit the nail on the head both with eats and sites.

When we arrived at the Acme Hotel in River North, the hotel staff led us to Quartino, a buzzing Italian restaurant right down the street. Amazing. We shared a delicious burrata and beet salad, paparadelle with braised beef in a red sauce, and veal meatballs (Simon ranks them in his top two meatballs ever!) Saturday morning before journeying to Wrigley, we snagged a brunch reservation at Frontera Grill, one of Rick Bayless' famous spots. The Mexican Pastry Basket was the highlight with gooey cheese danish and a ridiculous warm, buttery brioche coated in a crunchy sugary shell. Unbelievable.

The game (and the "Chicago dog") were trip highlights despite the loss. That evening, a crew of 6 Milwaukee relatives showed up at our door bearing wine and Alaskan beer. A nice surprise for Simon and fun to keep our cocktail hour tradition alive in yet another setting before jetting off to experience deep dish pizza.

Sunday morning, a knock at the door revealed our longtime buddy, Leah, who we worked with in NYC and has since relocated to St. Louis. She flew up for the day, which we kicked off with a scrumptious brunch at Sable. This was our first experience with a shared plate breakfast situation, so we split the chicken and waffles, ginger scallion fried rice and eggs, pork-belly egg and cheese, and a few pastries. Stuffed! 

We headed across the river to board our boat cruise hosted by Becky of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. She serenaded us with facts and figures about Chitown's architecture as we floated along, admired the skyscrapers, and enjoyed some afternoon cocktails. Then we headed down to the Art Institute for a lunch date with my college friend Ginny and her family. Fun to see them and to admire the sites of Millenium Park. Leah headed back to O'Hare (boo but enormous kudos to her for joining the adventure) and Simon and I hopped in a taxi to Blackbird.

How to describe Blackbird? I can't even. It was so good. Simon declared it one of the best dinners he has ever had. It's funny because in general, things were simple, but their combinations created really intriguing dishes that were just amazing. Like the garbanzo bean puree with crispy falafel and egg yolk caramel or the aged duck breast with dried parsley root, brussels sprouts and yogurt. Dessert was bizarre but delicious-- dark rum cheesecake with pineapple shaved ice, caramelized puffed rice and mustard (what?!). They also surprised him with some birthday cake ice cream and a dollop of chocolate decadence. Superb meal before calling it quits on the Midwest and reuniting with a happy Merwin in Boston.

This blog post is now officially longer than the trip itself. Long story short (too late) it was a really great time. Thank you to those who offered their advice and made guest appearances. Simon continues to rave about Chicago and I'm pretty tickled that it all worked out! 

A Poem For A Friday

It is always thrilling to come across a new Merwin poem and this one did not disappoint. Elegy for a Walnut Tree appears in Merwin's new collection, The Moon Before Morning. I have a blog with the man's name in its title and yet I barely knew he had a new book. Bad fan! Anyway, I'll be heading to the bookstore on my lunch break to pick it up. In the meantime, enjoy his words. I love his words!

Elegy for a Walnut Tree

W.S. Merwin

Old friend now there is no one alive

who remembers when you were young

it was high summer when I first saw you

in the blaze of day most of my life ago

with the dry grass whispering in your shade

and already you had lived through wars

and echoes of wars around your silence

through days of parting and seasons of absence

with the house emptying as the years went their way

until it was home to bats and swallows

and still when spring climbed toward summer

you opened once more the curled sleeping fingers

of newborn leaves as though nothing had happened

you and the seasons spoke the same language

and all these years I have looked through your limbs

to the river below and the roofs and the night

and you were the way I saw the world