#1. Marley Lilly is the most fun place to shop online.

I am not sponsored by Marley Lilly, nor am I an affiliate. This does not make me any money to say this. I just love this place. You can order anything monogrammed from Marley Lilly, and it does not come all the way from China! This stuff is monogrammed for you, in South Carolina.

When I first found this site, I may or may not have spent quite a bit of time pinning and wishing.

This store has the CUTEST stuff!!!

I’m a wee bit obsessed with monograms:

It may sound silly, but frilly touches like my monogrammed initials on my jacket and my hand bag do help brighten my day!

I don’t think I had ever ordered a single monogrammed thing before I found online stores who do it. Why? Well, I love the look of it, but we move a lot, so I do not know the places to go anywhere I live to find services like this.

Also, it just looks expensive, you know?

What I LOVE about this online store is that you can find pretty stuff for good prices. Everything is so cute, completely affordable, and I can order it from anywhere, without leaving my house.

#2. Etsy shops are essential for finding things that are super personalized.

Let me show you a few of the other adorable things I found on Etsy!!!

#3. Yes, I use Amazon just as much as everyone else. It is less personal, but it is obviously practical.

Here are a few cute things currently for sale on Amazon. (December 2023) I actually am an Amazon affiliate, so I do collect advertising fees when you order from my Amazon links.

I like this watch. It is on a deep discount for Cyber Monday. Unlike Fitbits and Apple watches, you do not have to constantly recharge this good old fashioned watch.

Okay, and this one is my favorite Amazon find:SaveSave

Where are your favorite places to shop? I would love to have more ideas to find affordable things.

The post 3 Fun Places to Shop Online appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

I was especially eager to open my Stitch Fix box this week.

That little box of goodies was shuttled straight upstairs where I placed it in Caleb’s room, so I could do an unboxing video on Facebook Live. (All other rooms were either occupied by my family or have terrible Wifi reception).

As soon as I got my make-up on, I was called to help a son with a math assignment. Then there were second grade papers to take a photo of and upload. Emails and phone calls came in related to the boys’ schooling. I had to run to the school to pick up science materials, and before you knew it, it was time to make them lunch. Lunch soon led to more tech help, and by the end of the day I was way too emotionally beat up to do a video. I had done my face so nicely that day too.

The next day I was not nearly as prepared. All high hopes for my day were replaced with more realistic ones. I put on eyeliner and mascara only and not even contacts, but by golly, I got my Facebook Live Stitch Fix video done! (Update: Sorry! I deleted that page, not realizing how much I would lose, so it is no more.)

I was annoyed at getting three different grey tops.

This sort of thing has never happened to me before, and I have been using Stitch Fix for three or four years. It is a hit or miss thing, letting someone else pick out your clothes for you!

But this is very much the perfect year for trying a shopper service like Stitch Fix.

So I purchased two items from the box and sent the other three back in the return envelope they send you with your box. Then I went online, told them what I did not like, and I ordered another box. That’s right. I am giving them one more try in helping me with my winter wardrobe. I asked for the same things I did last time: accessories and cozy clothes. We shall see if they get it more right this time.

Here is what the clothes looked like on:

Which do you think looks better? Tucked or untucked?

I actually do think this shirt is cute, but I did send it back. Three grey shirts is not what I want. Hard years need colorful clothes to help cheer us up!!

Yet another black and grey shirt, but this one just fell right on me. It is SUPER comfy, and I thought it was flattering from all angles. That is a keeper. Sorry these photos have such terrible quality. I did not realize how bad they were until I uploaded them.

If a shirt makes you feel good about yourself, you keep it.

Now do not let that first pic fool you. I am not into false advertising. This top only looked good on me from that one angle. Otherwise, it made me look like giant walking hips. So, no thank you. Back to Stitch Fix you go.

Maybe I could have salvaged this shirt by ripping off the bottom eight inches, like Trinny does. But it was not worth it for an ugly colored top with drawstrings. Bleh.

So what do you guys think?

Would you have kept all those grey tops? Do you crave color as much as I do right now? 2020 demands brilliant color, I think. It brightens your day.

I will keep you all updated when I get my next box. Maybe it will be a whole lot better. Here’s hoping!

If you would like to give Stitch Fix a try for yourself, click here to get $25 off your first box of clothes. That code applies whether you buy one things or five, does not matter.

For more Stitch Fix Posts, see below:

Stitch Fix Review for Summer 2020

Stitch Fix: Yea or Nay?

The post Stitch Fix Winter 2020: I Hope You Love Grey appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

This was probably my tenth or so Stitch Fix box, and shorty shorts aside, this box was an exciting hit. This box had two adorable tops, two dresses that fit perfectly, and a terrible pair of Daisy Dukes.

Since Alan was working from home on Friday, he was able to take photos for me. He was quite helpful and actually gave me input as to what I should keep. His favorite dress was the blue flowered one. John David agreed. The only thing Alan and I disagreed on was the shorts. I did not take a photo of me in the shorts because me in those shorts is not happening. Only a man would be like, “Yes! Yes, wear the shorts! They’re perfect for when we go to the creek.”

Every woman knows when her time comes that she no longer looks good in Daisy Dukes, and that time arrived for me quite some time ago. Actually, thighs have always been my thickest area, and I have never felt comfortable in little shorts. I live in cropped pants or capri pants in the summer. Those are my uniform. I am a firm believer in wearing what is flattering more so than what is currently trendy.

Here are all the outfits. I am no model, friends, but I did put on eyeliner for this. A little foundation would’ve been helpful. But hey, what is a pandemic good for if it’s not an excuse to wear less make-up?

The bra question

I mentioned in the video that I normally don’t wear shirts like this because I do not do strapless bras, nor do I have any other types of specialty bras that I wear for longer than a two hour wedding or such. However, I noticed wearing a sports bra with this top almost worked perfectly. What is needed is simply a racer back style bra, so I went online and found one on Soma and ordered it. It was on sale, had five-star ratings, and came in tons of colors and sizes, so that sounds pretty perfect. Click here to order one for yourself. No, I don’t work for them and won’t make money if you buy it. Maybe I should look into that though…I’m always looking for more advertisers…

Alan and John David both liked this dress best, and that is why I am keeping it because really I wasn’t that impressed. Yes, it fits perfectly, but the material is only okay. I will probably wear it to church, whenever we finally get to go back to church.

This one is my FAVORITE. I am wearing this shirt at this very moment. It’s lightweight but not see through, and the material is super cute. Love it!

This is the kind of dress that I LOVE, and Alan and J.D. were like, “Yeah, it’s good, but not as good as the blue flowered one.” I don’t care. I like it best and will wear it more often. Maybe clothes that aren’t body-hugging are to me what hoodies are to middle schoolers…they just feel safe and cozy.

I have to wear my Clarks sandals with everything. Those in the photo are the ones I ordered especially for my plantar fasciitis. It was getting much better. Then last week I decided I could walk the whole block in my Clarks flip-flops, you know, because I was feeling so good I decided to behave like an idiot. Three years ago I toured all of Israel in Clarks flip-flops and felt great. This year I cannot even walk a mile in tennis shoes. Feet problems are no joke.

So how much am I keeping from this Fix?

All in all, this Stitch Fix box was an enormous mood booster for me. Even though I may never wear the shorts, I am going to keep the entire box. Why? Well, the way it works is they subtract 25% off your order if you keep it all. The amount that I save keeping the shorts is ten dollars more than I would get back if I returned the shorts. It is literally cheaper for me to keep it all than to send one item back.

Biggest change I noticed from this recent Stitch Fix:

The prices seemed to have gone down. Normally, a whole box adds up to right around $200. This time my entire box was only $155, after the discounts. That is a significant difference, in my opinion. I don’t mind paying it either because shopping is tricky with the coronavirus restrictions. Places aren’t doing returns or opening fitting rooms, and with Stitch Fix you know what fits, and returns are super duper easy.

My best tips for getting a great fix like this:

1. Fill out every little question they ask you on your sign-up forms with as many details as possible. Tell how you like your clothes to fit you, what your problem areas are.
2. Make requests. If you know you need shorts but don’t want to end up with shorts like the ones I got, tell them you want shorts with at least a seven inch inseam. If you never wear dresses, make sure you specify that. Tell them what you know you need more of.
3. If a top they send you is super cute, but it turns out to be too baggy or small, you can exchange it for a different size. Write that on your online check-out after you have tried everything on, and send in your exchange in the free envelope they provide.
4. Make a Pinterest board, pin outfits you like, and include the web address to your Pinterest account on your Stitch Fix profile. My stylists have mentioned looking at my Pinterest boards and website.
5. Take the style surveys on Stitchfix.com. I take them for fun every now and then, but it helps build a profile of my preferences.

A new Stitch Fix option I used this time:

What I really still needed in my wardrobe is more summer bottoms, and what I love to wear most are cropped pants. While I was surfing around the Stitch Fix site after putting in my order, I noticed that you can now click on items you have purchased and order the items they picture to go with them. I clicked on my navy top, pictured above. They paired it with a classic looking pair of gray capri-length pants. It even looks like they have a sleek tab waist that may be elastic. Even though they cost a little more than I would normally order, I ordered them! I know they will match most anything, and every single time except for once the pants they have sent me have fit perfectly.

From the Stitch Fix website, once your in your profile, click on “Shop”, then click on “complete your looks.” It will display an entire outfit to go with each item you have purchased. Pretty cool, huh?

All right, I am off to do some house cleaning. Let me know if you order a fix for yourself and what you think! If you would like to learn more about how the process works, see my very first Stitch Fix review here.

The post One of My Best Stitch Fix Boxes Ever I Kept it All!! appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

****Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through my site, I do receive advertising fees.****

What is Stitch Fix?

Stitch Fix is a clothes shopping service. They send you a box of 5 clothing items. You buy only what you’d like from the box. You normally pay a styling fee of $20, but if you buy the items in your Stitch Fix box, they subtract that $20 from the price of your clothes.

If you buy everything in your shipment, it’s all 25% off!

For more information on the specifics, check out my First Stitch Fix Post.

Want to see what I got in my 2nd Stitch Fix Box?

This lovely necklace, which is navy and teal, so it goes with almost everything I wear!

These fuchsia pants! I paired these brightly colored trousers with a solid Lula Roe Irma top and the necklace from my box.

They do send you coordinating pieces, but the top to go with these pants was a sweater, and it was HOT that day. Here’s the sweater. It was finally cool enough to wear it this week:

Stitch Fix sweater. Note the fringe sides.

The sweater is so cozy I didn’t even wear a shirt under it, which is rare for me. I cannot stand an itchy sweater.

I enlisted John David’s help for this next photo, and he’s 4, so it’s a little fuzzy…

I’m a big fan of this top!

Here’s the selfie-non-fuzzy version:

Yes, okay, I own a selfie stick. Caleb bought me one at the Dollar Tree for Christmas one year.

My FAVORITE ITEM in this Fix was this dress. I received so many compliments on this adorable dress.

Yes, I pared it with cowboy boots….because who doesn’t love a good cowboy boot.

My helper

I can already tell you this dress will be something I wear over and over and over again because it’s cute, flattering, and comfortable. 

This is such a fun service, both for clothes lovers and the shopping avoidant alike. I once again purchased the entire box. Yes, I kept all 5 items. Wouldn’t you?  When you figure in the 25% off, it’s like getting the most expensive item in the box (the pants) free. Plus, there are no shipping fees, only tax.

Click here to try it out. Tell us about your Stitch Fix experience in the comments below and leave any questions you have.

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The post Stitch Fix Box #2 appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

***Disclosure: This post does contain Stitch Fix ad links. If your purchase through these links, I do receive compensation. However, all the clothes were purchased from my own pocket, and opinions are my own.***

“Stitch Fix, yea or nay?” was a question I posed to my blog’s Facebook page a month ago. Before I even tried it out, I wanted to hear some feedback to know if I should bother. Most everyone seemed to think I should go for it, but I was warned that it’s not super thrifty.

For a few years now, I’ve heard my sister-in-law as well as my friend Hillary talk about how much they like Stitch Fix. I’ve seen my favorite blogger, Crystal Paine, do unboxing videos from her Stitch Fix shipments.

So what is Stitch Fix exactly?

It’s a service that provides you 5 new clothing or accessory items in each box through the mail. Each item is hand-selected for you personally by a Stitch Fix stylist. You decide how often you get the box. You can choose just once, every few weeks, every couple of months, quarterly, etc.

Clothes are something I LOVE, but I never actually signed up because I was afraid it would be a gigantic money pit. Also, since I do love clothes and shopping, I didn’t feel like I needed someone to do my shopping for me. You know what I mean?

How can we know they will choose affordably cute clothes and not just tease us with beautiful clothing that we cannot even afford and have to send back anyway??

Well, wonder no longer. I’m going to give you more information here than even Stitch Fix probably wants me to give you, so you can make an informed decision.

First, let me tell you about the Process.

Answer as HONESTLY as you possibly can!!! Telling them you wear a 10 when you actually need a 12 will help no one. This is not a fantasy questionnaire. hehehe! I’m only saying this because these are the things I had to tell MYSELF when I was answering these questions.

There are about 25-50 questions, but they are all multiple choice, so no need to panic. Halfway through, I realized I should take screenshots for you to know what to expect:

One time only!

You can’t see it in the above photo, but there is also an option to get a one-time box.

Tell them more about you!

They give you an option to tell your stylist more about yourself. Use this!!! I was very specific. I told her I needed more tops, that I love trouser-style pants, and I even got specific on the fact that having 4 babies left me with a pooch. Therefore, please no spandex-tops. Ha!! I even specified that I wear a smaller size shirt if it is super blousy or peasant style.

Also, include your Pinterest profile name if you have one!! You can go on Pinterest and create a board of clothes you like—any clothes at all that you like. It gives them an idea of your taste.

My stylist, Becca, not only viewed my Pinterest boards, but she actually referenced them in the note.

This was my note from my stylist:

FEES!!!!

Okay, let’s talk about the fees. Am I saying there is a service fee? Yes, I am. It’s $20. That’s  part of what kept me from signing up for forever!!!

But if only I had known! If you keep any of the clothes Stitch Fix sends you, they deduct the $20 from that item. Ohhhh!!! See, I did not know that.

My First Shipment

Don’t skip the note. (Like I did.) This note includes your message from your stylist and your style suggestions. The envelope also includes the prices of each item, as well as how much your total will be after your discount(s) are applied.

These were my outfit suggestions:

The item in the middle of each block is the item you receive. Then the items off to the sides are styling suggestions.

There was also a pair of earrings, which I will show you below (keep going).

Did I like everything I got in my box?

….Well, actually I did! It was a home run, but I did not expect that. Please don’t expect that you will love everything you get in every box. There’s no way.

My box was full of beautiful clothes that I would have bought for myself if I had found them at Kohl’s. Totally.

But did they fit??

Believe it or not……

And my FAVORITE part….

Okay, yes, it all looks awesome, sure, but…

How much did all of this cost???

In MY opinion, their prices are inflated to pay the shipping and the stylists. There is no shipping charge on top of what you pay, but there is still sales tax.

Was it affordable??? It was moderately affordable to me.

I could have gotten just the elephant shirt for $48, minus the $20, so $28.

Both shirts were $48 a piece, more than I usually pay.

The dress was actually reasonably priced, in my opinion. $68 is reasonable for a dress. If you were only buying the dress from this box, it would be only $48.

The earrings were $28. $10 to $20 would have been more exciting.

Like I mentioned before, you are also paying for the service.

The only item I felt was way over-priced was the pants, at $88, I was like “Whaaa???”

Oh!!! One more thing about the prices!!

When you answer those initial sign-up questions on StitchFix.com, they ask you your price range. I marked “as cheap as possible” for everything EXCEPT for pants. That may be why my trousers cost more. It’s important to me to have high quality pants. I can’t explain it.

So how did I choose what to get?

I could have bought 3 of these Stitch Fix items for $104, but that’s not including the dress. Finding dresses that fit me well is difficult, so I wanted to get the dress. That would have put me at $172.

4 for $172 (no pants)

or all 5 for only $190 (including the pants)……You can see why I chose to just buy it all! 

If you buy everything in your box, you get a 25% discount plus your $20 styling fee off.

I did the math, dispersing the discounts in my head where I so desired…

That made it like I was getting the tops for $38/piece, the earrings for $28, the dress for $68, and the pants for $18…..the way I did the math!! You could distribute the dollars however you want. I did it that way because if I sent anything back, it would have been the pants.

…So Stitch Fix? Yea or Nay???

I’m going to have to go with “Yea!!!”, BUT since I bought all of it this time, I had to move my next Fix further out. It was super simple to switch from “every other month” to “quarterly”.

This will be a special, quarterly treat that I will be looking forward to.

What about you? Do you need help choosing new outfits? Want to give it a whirl?

Click on the photo below to give it a trial run. Let me know how it goes!! Already tried Stitch Fix? Comment below to tell us what you thought!

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The post Stitch Fix: Full Review & How it Works appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

My Wedding Dress…..and the Kiss the Bride moment. Yes, this is a photo of a photo. It was 2002.

Wedding dresses.

I won’t say I’m obsessed because I don’t think about them ALL the time. Instead, I would say I’m fascinated with wedding dresses. 

Pretty often I find myself headed over to Kohl’s (because I actually am obsessed with Kohl’s). Do you know what is super close to Kohl’s in my town?

David’s Bridal.

I pass it, and I want to go in. I want to go in, and try on all the dresses.

And it’s an unrequited love. You can’t just go into David’s Bridal and try on wedding dresses when you have no intention of buying one. That’d be a good way to tick off some sales ladies.

I don’t want to buy one, as I have no use for one.

But I just want to drool over them, try 10 or so of them on, and feel like the Queen of the Day. Is that so wrong?

I can’t just put on my own wedding dress. There was that unfortunate incident. We talked about that here. My mom and I lost our wedding dresses in the same fire.

Even if my dress hadn’t died (and yes, okay, wedding dresses are special enough to die), I would not be able to fit it. The thing was tiny. Shake my head. I was obviously not finished growing yet.

Even if I did have a reason to buy another one, for say a 25th wedding anniversary vow renewal or something, I wouldn’t want to. Have you seen how much they cost now? It’s insane! I paid $450 for mine, before alterations, way back in the day.

Why would anyone pay $5,000 for a big white dress to wear one day, when that could pay for a whole Disney vacation? (for 2 people) No, thanks. (especially considering I’m already happily married…)

And yet, I still just want to look at them and wear them. I love to watch Say Yes to the Dress. Over and over. (You should see the boys’ confused looking faces. “Why are we watching this? Why is she crying?”)

Yes, I enjoy that show. Sometimes I even CRY at that show. Is it ridiculous? Yeah. yeah. I can’t explain it.

my cousin, Amber, with her groom, Cale, so beautiful and happy

Family friend, Sarah. Do you remember the girls who used to help with the boys for days while Alan was in Afghanistan? They grew up!

So, I just want to say, for the record, my name is April, and I love wedding dresses.

I love to watch shows about them, drool over them in bridal magazines, and I day-dream about wearing them.

Who’s with me in my wedding gown love? Anybody?

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