Stitch Fix February

It's that time again-Stitch Fix mail for February has arrived.  Apparently box #15 was the winner as I kept all five items because I loved each of them, and they fit perfectly.

What is Stitch Fix?

It is a styling service that for $20 (which gets credited towards any items you keep) you get five items hand-selected for you by a stylist.  You fill out a style profile and link a Pinterest board, so your stylists know what you like.  If you are interested in trying out this service, please use my referral link as I can get credit for sending you their way.

After a slightly disappointing box in October, I have taken Steve's advice for the last few fixes and requested fewer specifics.  He was right, my boxes have been better than ever.

This months pictures make me a little sad because two days after they were taken, we got the biggest snow storm of this winter, and now my yard is under a foot of snow with supposedly more coming.  Photo credit goes to Potumus, who also helped style each outfit in this post.

*********************

I have been on the hunt for another pair of colored jeans since I got a fuchsia pair in Fix #2 and a dusty rose pair in Fix #11.  These mint ones will be the perfect addition.

Potumus and I decided to follow Maha's advice and pair it with the dolman top.  I don't own a dolman nor do I think I have ever gotten one in a fix before.  Clearly I was missing out because this top is the softest most comfortable top I own.  I can't wait to wear it to work next week.

The jeans are the softest pair I have ever tried on.  I imagine this is what seals or otters feel like.  They are longer, and I may decide to have them hemmed, but we will see.  I paired this with my Merrell Sandals.

Level 99 Giovanni Straight Leg Jeans $108 KEPT
Market and Spruce Corinna Striped Dolman Top $48 KEPT

*********************

I asked for something tunic length as I have a pair of black pants from The Loft that I adore wearing to work, but they really need something tunic length to wear on top.

I was not disappointed with what Maha sent me; plaid, tunic, and teal.  What else could a girl want?  I especially like that I can layer a tank underneath if the weather is cool or not as the weather warms up.  I paired this with my teal jeans and fuchsia Sperrys at my daughter's suggestion.

Fun2Fun Ottoline One Pocket Tunic $48 KEPT

*********************

After some consideration of my wardrobe this winter, I realized that I need to expand my dress pants selection, so I requested a pair of dress pants too.

Once again I was not disappointed.  I don't own high waited anything, so these were a welcome change.  In addition they are made of an interesting fabric and don't have a button or zipper; they look like leggings on top, but the style card says trouser, so they are trousers.  I know that wearing these to work all day would not be an issue.  I paired them with a holiday sweater (my friends thought that was the item I got and said I should send it back) and my black flats.

Margaret M Emer High Waited Trouser $98 KEPT

*********************

I wasn't super excited about the last item because I had a top very similar to it already, but if you didn't have a black and white polka dot blouse, this is a good one.

I paired this top with my dusty rose jeans I mentioned earlier.  I layered it over a black tank, and it is lovely.  Honestly, I kept it because it was cheaper to keep it than return only this one item.

Daniel Rainn Koda Split Neck Blouse $68 KEPT 

*********************

My first 5/5 box.  I am still reeling from the cost, but Steve assures me that I deserve it and need to continue building my wardrobe for work.

I haven't decided what to ask for in my March fix, and I have some time as our school band has a Disney trip coming up, so I pushed my next Fix back a couple week until the end of March.  Any suggestions on what I should ask for?

Be sure to follow my Pinterest Stitch Fix Board:

Follow Sarah's board Stitch Fix Board on Pinterest.

If you are interested, please use my referral link as I get a credit for letting you know about Stitch Fix.

I would love to know more about you in order to help you more: Do you Stitch Fix already?  What brought you to my post?  What kinds of pieces should I try in my wardrobe?

f881f5f6c2895b5fedd61f1c89c044c78cbddca66778926d25

Spinach, Pear, and Smoked Gouda Salad

What is better than crunchy greens, sweet fruit, and smokey cheese?  Not much in my book, which is why this simple salad and dressing make the perfect lunch or a tasty precursor to any dinner.

The salad ingredients:

Spinach

Sliced Pear

Smoked Gouda

Rinse your greens, in this case spinach, first in cold water.  You can buy the pre-washed stuff in the bag, but the bunches are usually less expensive and haven't been treated.  Spinach can be sandy, so sometimes I will soak it in a bath of ice water.  Then dry; you can use a spinner or just let it drip on a towel.

Next core and thinly slice the pear.  I only used half a pear for this salad, so the other half was quartered for Schmurtz's lunch the next day.  Top with sliced smoked Gouda cheese right before serving to prevent the salad and cheese from becoming slimy.  I sliced the Gouda, but you could shave or shred.

Dressing Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

1/4 Teaspoon of honey

Whisk together.  I did this in a measuring cup before transferring to the dressier table service.  I also prefer to allow each person to dress their own salad as little or as much as they like.  

Both of the girls loved it, and there was even enough for me to take for lunch the next day.

Premium balsamic is worth its weight because a little holds a big punch.  This is the balsamic we used.

 

We received a sample of the balsamic vinegar used in this post for review and use in a recipe, but all words and opinions are 100% our own.  This post contains affiliate links from which we will earn a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting our endeavor if you choose to shop.

House Autry Chicken-Fried Steak and Country Gravy

Breading your steaks before frying can hold in juices while adding a crunchy texture.  In addition it helps in the making of country gravy.  House Autry chicken breading makes one mouth-watering chicken friend steak.

Each and every dinner should begin with a collection of your ingredients.  I used House Autry chicken breading to coat my steaks.

After pounding the steaks until they are about 1/4 thick and timing the excess fat (this is more for my picky family than necessary for cooking), I soaked the steaks in buttermilk.

I then rolled each steak in the House Autry breading.  I only used about half the box, so we have some to use next time as well.

Typically I place the breading on a plate and place each steak individually on the plate, flipping it once, and making sure to cover every face of the item I am breading.

A screaming hot cast iron skillet with 1/4 inch of oil is the best way to fry the steaks and make the gravy.  After cooking each steak for 3-4 minutes on each side, place the steaks to drain.

Before starting the gravy, drain any excess oil from the pan leaving only the drippings.  Add your flour and cook for two minutes while scraping up any bits still left in the pan.  Then add your evaporated milk and cook on low until it thickens then salt and pepper to taste.

I paired our chicken-fried steak and country gravy with roasted potatoes with peppers, cheesy garlic bread, and steamed broccoli

This dinner was simple enough to please my girls while fancy enough for my wife, who likes something a little fancier when I am home to cook.  The leftover gravy was fabulous on biscuits for breakfast.

#southernCraftedGoodness 

 #HouseAutryMills

I have received a complimentary game to review.

 The opinions here are 100% mine!

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Teenager School Day Birthday Gift

Our middle daughter, Potumus, turned fifteen this week.  I wanted to do something very special for her.   She just finished her first semester of high school and had some great successes and some struggles.

I teach at the same high school where she attends, so I had a time advantage making something happen at school since I am there all day, but every teacher I know would gladly help you celebrate your child's birthday the same way--just ask.

During secret Santa week for the staff, one of my coworkers sent our counselor a soda an hour for the whole day.  I decided to steal this idea for our daughter.

I arranged for every teacher during her seven-hour day to have a gift for her at the start of class.  Every one of her teachers was more than willing to participate.

First

A bag of homemade Valentine rice crispy treats.  There were enough for her to share with her friends at lunch.  Apparently they were more excited about this than she was.

Second

A bag full of jewelry from Oriental Trading Company with a note to share with her whole class.  I knew this would take a few minutes out of class, so I checked to make sure that was okay.  While our shy one wanted the teacher to help pass them out, I know she enjoyed the appreciation from her classmates, who I saw later that day wearing the beads.

Third

She is always thrilled when our Nature Box arrives, so when we got our box last weekend, I made sure to order a couple of times that I knew she would love and set them aside.  I wrapped up the dark chocolate berry trail mix for her.  She must have enjoyed it because I never saw the bag.

Fourth

I wrapped up her favorite beverage, root beer, so she would have one to enjoy during her passing time and lunch hour.  I also got her another one that night at dance class.

Fifth

Every year when we visit Mackinaw Island I buy an extra large bag of chocolate covered popcorn.   Then I hide it and eat it all.  While what I have linked isn't the same as that from the island, it is the best I can get this time of year.

Sixth

This one was easy: her favorite chips- sour cream and onion Pringles.  

Seventh

 I texted her teacher the night before (once again these are my coworkers, so I have their numbers) and asked permission for the final hurah: cupcakes for the whole class.

I just received a new silicone cupcake bundle and thought this was the perfect opportunity to try it our.  I had a six-muffin silicone pan years ago, but I threw it out because after several uses it was grossly stained.  It was also super flimsy and needed a cookie sheet underneath it to prevent spillage.  The new pan was wonderful.  I did not bake directly in it, but I used cupcake papers.  The pan was very sturdy and washed up beautifully in our dishwasher.

The night before her birthday I was up late making over thirty cupcakes for her last hour Freshman Academy class.  I filled all three muffin pans that I had, so I could bake them all at once.  When they were done, I set them out in our enclosed entry to cool, so I could frost them sooner.

One of the best parts of this whole gift was getting all her teachers in on it.  By the time last hour rolled around and I showed up with three pans of cupcakes she was grinning from ear to ear.  Even the wrestlers who were competing that night took a cupcake for later.

If you have a teenager, I would certainly recommend creating an all day birthday gift.

This post features the following product:

 I have received a complimentary sample of this product to review.

 The opinions here are 100% mine!  This post contains affiliate links.

Happy 15th Birthday Potumus

In honor of her 15th birthday today, a poem I wrote over 8 years ago for my little girl. Inspired by those ABC books about places, events, and people, it was written during my summer at the National Writing Project Tip of the Mitt.

Potumus

A_____, the name we chose

Beautiful baby now growing up

Curious about the world around her

Determined to do on her own

Everyday a new discovery

Forever in my heart

Girly-girl through and through

Her beauty and smile warm my core

Intelligent she is becoming more

Joy and bliss are her companions

Kind and temperate is her world

Love always be with her

My world has changed since her appearance

Never will anything harm her if I have the power

Optimistic are her little blue shining eyes

Pursed are the crimson lips when she is upset

Quite the little princess we tell her

Rooms filled with books and toys

Sundresses, flip-flops, and bows

Together we walk hand in hand

Undeterred is she from her wants

Voice rings as she has discovered music

Woman, Wonderful Woman she will become

Xtraordinary

Youthfulness abounds

Zoos, museums, nations, and nature I share with her