Transition to Fall with Stitch Fix

Welp, it's happening guys. Summer will soon come to an end and Fall will be here. Not that Central NY got the memo. It's been pretty Fall-like here all week.

I was initially going to do a 6 month follow up for Stitch Fix to show you all of the items I've kept since starting with them back in February, but then had more fun turning all of the Spring/Summer items I got into Fall transition pieces.

I figured that would be a much better post. Don't you agree?  So here we go.. Fall transition style with all of my Stitch Fix keepers.

For those of you unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, it is a monthly clothing subscription where you get a personal stylist to send you 5 pieces according to your profile. You have the opportunity to write your stylist a note each month further customizing your fix. You pay a $20 styling fee each month to receive the fix, which is then deducted from the cost of anything you keep from your fix. If you keep all 5 items you also receive a 25% discount. Pretty great right? If you have interest in trying out the fix, I would appreciate it greatly if you used my affiliate link.

Fix 1: February 2017

My first fix was pretty great. I did not keep everything, but I did do a full review on my first fix. Make sure to check it out to see how I styled everything then in the winter verses my keeps for Fall transition.

I paired the Gilli Hilda printed aline skirt with my hubby's purple polo top and a pair of purple converse sneakers to bring together this back to school outfit.

Also from this fix I kept the 41Hawthorn Aiton grommet detail blouse. I paired it with a pair of bootcut jeans and boots. Perfect for those mild days that turn into chilly nights!


Fix 2 - March 2017
 
Fix two came at the best and worst time. I did not write a post on this one as I was dealing with Cal. If you don't remember Cal, that was the kidney stone I was passing. Lovely right? Anywho...
 
I kept two pieces from that fix. The two have become one of my favorite outfits. This beautiful Pixley blouse with elephants and a pair of Just Black skinny jeans in this beautiful turquoise color. This outfit just works for all seasons in my opinion. The rich color of the jeans takes this into Fall. You can add a pair of riding boots and a scarf to really get that Fall feeling!
 
 
Fix 3: April
 
For my April fix I specifically asked for pieces as I was going to a wedding in May and needed some options. It was a casual wedding in the PA mountains. In May you can either get 100 degrees or 50 degrees depending on the day. I asked for Maxi dresses, a cardigan, and a spring jacket. This is the fix where I was so impressed with my stylist that I requested to keep her moving forward.
 
Here is what I kept:
 
This Wisp Pamala maxi dress was gorgeous. I ended up wearing this to the wedding as it is a bit dressier, but can also be dressed down. It is the perfect Fall dress, with its bright oranges and navy blues. This dress would be perfect with a denim jacket and a pair of boots.
 
 
 
I also kept this comfy Loveappella Carlita maxi dress and Absolutely Acada hooded cardigan. Together they are taking me into Fall. During the day I can wear it to an outside event and cover up with the cardigan as it gets chilly throughout the evening. 
 
 
Fix 4: May 2017
 
May's box was a miss for me, but I did ask for a romper and this RD Style Bryanna romper showed up. I did not blog about this box as it was underwhelmed and a lot of the pieces did not fit properly.
 
I paired the romper with a scarlet red cardigan and black wedge booties. Such a cute back to school outfit. I think this is one of my favorite outfits for the Fall!
 
 
 
Fix 5: June 2017
 
I have to admit, this last outfit isn't as Fall, but it does have some rich oranges and yellows and it does make me think of Fall. I have been rocking this Pixley Palacio scoop neck tank and Kut From The Kloth Roxanne drawstring linen shorts. Just for fun I added some red Keen sandals that have some similar colors in the accents. I can see myself wearing this right into September while the weather figures itself out.
 
 
 
Fix 6 - July 2017
 
I absolutely loved my July fix. It had so many Fall colors and I was not able to keep everything I wanted. I did however blog about the fix with photos of all the items for your viewing pleasure. I kept the lovely Octavia Brooklyn crossbody bag that easily transition into fall. The beautiful teal color is amazing and screams Fall to me! This bag will sure get a lot of action.
 
 
 
So overall I have had a pretty amazing experience with my first 6 months of Stitch Fix. I have already received my August fix and can't wait to share with you this 5/5 fix! That's right, I'm keeping it all baby! Stay tuned for photos next week!
 
So what do you think of these Fall transition outfits using my fix keeps? I sure had fun photographing them so I hope you loved them as much I do!
 
Namaste!
 
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Why taking some time off the "social media grid" is not selfish



By midmorning on Saturday I had come to conclusion that I needed a vacation from my social media platforms. I was running late to my yoga class that I was teaching and the only option I had to get in touch with my students was via Facebook. I sent them each a message letting them know I was running behind and left it at that.

I arrived at my class exactly 30 minutes late to a room full of no one.

I quickly checked my phone and realized people had only just saw the message and probably came to the class thinking I just didn't show up. I felt crushed. I felt like an irresponsible person.

 I sat in silence for about 10 minutes when the thought came to me. I needed to get my priorities straight and a big part of that was disconnecting from social media and taking more to phone calls and face to face time with people.

I sent message off to my students asking for their phone numbers (the place I teach only asks for email on the registration sheet). In the future I would call everyone to let them know if there was a problem before they made the trip to the class.

Once I had the messages sent, I uninstalled Facebook from my phone. I had previously uninstalled Twitter as my phone was getting full and I don't use Twitter half as much as Facebook.

I made the decision that social media was too distracting and wasn't always reliable. From the moment I removed the app, I began to think about all of the other things I needed to achieve for the day. I did find myself  checking my phone for the first hour, but after that the habit seemed to pass.

I had a massage and then went a bought myself lunch. After buying lunch I went into a few stores. I bought myself a nice plush blanket for the fall and winter months and I headed home. I had the day to myself as R was out of town for the day.

I made myself a hot cup of coffee and downloaded a new book on my Kindle and cuddled up on the couch with my new blanket (yes it was chilly enough at one point to do this!). It was nice knowing I was controlling my own feelings of the world at that moment.

There was no social media to sway my thoughts. I didn't have to scroll across the latest Trump drama or see a friend ranting about something that was probably important for them at the time but would also probably realize later that it was silly to post.

My feelings and thoughts were in the then and now and the only one who could change them at that point was me.

I enjoyed the New York State Fair yesterday without distractions from my phone. I was with my friends and her kids and I had so much fun interacting with all of them then messing with my phone. My husband was impressed that I was able to control not being on my phone all day. I was proud too, but a part of me knew already that it wouldn't be hard.

I continued to live off the "social  media grid" through last night around 7pm. I did sign in to check my Yoga page messages to make sure I didn't have any issues I needed to respond to and I signed back out.

I think I am going to continue to keep myself off of social media, other than to do work stuff. I will post for my blog and keep up with my yoga page, but other than that I am going to focus on other things. I am going to get other things done first.

After 31 hours of being off the grid I realized, I didn't miss much. If someone needed to get in touch with me, they did. When I scrolled through my feed quickly I didn't see anything so important that I felt I missed something. It was pretty magical.

Now to continue this week as this coming weekend I am literally going off the grid to the mountains of North Carolina where they may or may not be any form of cell service.

Bring it on!

Namaste.


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Currently: August 2017

It's been a little heavy around here lately, so I thought since it's the last Friday of August, thus in my mind the last Friday of Summer, I would do a lighter post. I haven't done a "currently" post in a while so what better time then today?

Currently, I am...

Watching: Younger. I have to say, I am obsessed with this show! I watched it the first season but for some reason stopped after that. I just binge watched the whole series up to current, and I love it!



Reading: Ehh. I'm not going to lie, I have 2 book checked out from the library and another 2 I bought on my Kindle that I am at a standstill with. I really wanted to read You Are a Bad Ass at Making Money by Jen Sincero. I have it checked out and it is just sitting there. I need to get my butt in motion!

Excited for: I am going away next weekend with my best friend. We are taking a girls weekend in the mountains of North Carolina at a boutique hotel with spa. I am beyond the moon excited because there is scarce cellphone service and no televisions in the rooms. I am so ready to disconnect and just relax, read, and take in nature. Of course the blogger in me will take photos and share later for you all.

Wearing: It has been a little chilly here in central NY the last week. I have enjoyed wearing leggings and comfy hoodies. Fall has been in the air and I couldn't be more excited about that!

Loving: I am really loving my blogging tribe. They are so supportive and even when I'm down they are here giving me virtual hugs and sending all the love. You know who you guys are! Muah!

Eating: So I have been on this Cheerios kick. Like I just can't get enough of them every morning. I don't know what's happening to me. I am reverting back to being a kid.. but when I think about it, I didn't love Cheerios when I was a kid. LOL

Relaxing with: Hot baths full of essential oils. My body has been under some cray cray stress lately and I when I sit in a hot bath with lavender, peppermint, wild orange, and clove, I feel like all my worries, stresses, and aches go away. It is probably the closest thing to heaven you can get on earth!

Putting off: I am not 100% sure why I have been putting this off, but I have all these photos done to write a Transition into Fall post. I was so excited when I took the photos and I even edited them. The post was supposed to go up last week and here we are at Friday and still no motivation. Next week for the win?

Disappointed in: I have been loving my Stitch Fix box each month, so I decided to give Trunk Club (This is my referral code btw) a try, mostly for the fun of trying on more clothes. I worked with my stylist and even approved my trunk, and nothing fit me correctly. I am not saying this was their fault, I think I just overlooked some stuff on my end. I did love a pair of shoes though that I am going to keep and I will give it one more shot.
 
 
Looking forward to: My massage tomorrow! I can't wait! I need this kind of relaxation. I am hoping by Monday I am feeling better and am back to myself.
 
 
So that's a wrap! I am so glad it is Friday and I thank you all for coming along on this ride with me! Happy weekend friends! See you back here on Monday (hopefully with that Fall Transition post I keep putting off...).
 
 
Namaste!


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Rituals for change

Do you ever get the feeling that you're trying to hard, and nothing gets done?

Welcome to my life.

I have been on this spiritual journey this year to help me feel more grounded and centered in my everyday life. There is just one tiny little problem.

I feel even more lost today than I did 8 months ago.

Why is that I wonder?

Me, being the person I am of course had to do some research and thinking on my own about all of this and have come to the conclusion that once you start a journey like this you open up new channels of thinking.

I have had so many great ideas and new inspiration come to me through this journey, but now I am lost on how to implement them all.

I have gotten many signs alerting me that I am on the right path and that I need to continue to move forward. Sometimes you get the response you need to let you know you are on the right path, but it is up to you to figure out how to continue the path.

This is the part that I find most frustrating. I am forever grateful for my life and the things I have, but I get so stuck on moving forward on my ideas. I have a new website sitting there with 1 post and I have yet to move forward with it.

Why is that I wonder?

I'm afraid of change? Maybe I am afraid of success more than I am of failure? That question has not been completely answered for me. As I mentioned on Monday about the solar eclipse, I am onto a new 18 month life cycle where I have set intentions of moving forward in these changes. Since the eclipse I have felt physically and mentally drained.

I can only hope this is a sign that things are moving within me and change is finally on it's way.

In the meantime I am going to make an effort to meditate everyday and practice more self care. A massage is scheduled for this weekend and I've sat for 10 minutes in mediation this morning. Here's to opening that thought process and moving forward.

How do you feel when you get lost? What are your rituals to get you back to center?


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Setting good intentions

Today is the day. The solar eclipse we have all  been waiting for. Today means a lot of different things for different people. Some are only into it for the science. Some just think it's cool. For others, they use this as a day to set good intentions for the next cycle of their life.

What do I mean? Well if you follow astrology and believe in the energy and power of these events, this is a pretty powerful day. It is believed that when the eclipse happens we are setting ourselves up for 18 months. We need to be prepared to live the intentions we set today. An old cycle is coming to an end, and if  you aren't sure what is ending for you, you need to look back 18 months.



For me, I know what is ending for me. It was a very difficult 18 months, and just yesterday it literally hit me out of nowhere how much has changed, for the better from 18 months ago. I believe in this with all of my heart. I can see the cycles in my own life. Whether they are in my head or actually occurring, I guess I don't know.

I do notice my moods and performance in everyday life changing with the stars if you will. Today I need change. Today I am looking towards the sky and the energies for the next cycle of my life. I can not let myself stay down after my insanely hard week last week.

I don't want to let myself or others down by living in the negative. I need to honor those who have passed by living the best life I can live. I need to continue their missions to make this world a better place.

So grab those eclipse glasses, and maybe some stones, or sage, or anything else that helps you set good intentions and embrace today with pure love and positivity. Your 18 month into the future self will thank you.

Namaste.

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The day I coudn't find my breath

The air became so insufferable, I could hardly breathe. My chest was tightening and I felt like I was losing control. Time stopped and I could not get a grip on reality. The moment lasted a lifetime. My focus zeroed in on death. Why death? Why was your name attached to the word death?

It became silent. Was I just punched in the stomach or was I shot? I couldn't tell. I should probably seek medical attention. I must be severely wounded. Where am I? Everything is different now.

That's when I felt it. The tears streaming down my face like a warm summers rain. I felt comforted and like I was drowning all at the same time. The warm tears flowed down my face as I became aware of my surroundings again.

You are gone. How is that even possible? You were just here yesterday showing us what a bad ass leader you were! You were radiant as the confidence flowed off your body. I couldn't see you, but I could hear it in your voice. You spoke with such ease.

Today my eyes are swollen. The tears continue to come. How could someone so young, compassionate, funny, amazing, be gone so soon? You had a life time ahead of you. You had many more speeches to make. You had so many more peoples lives to touch.

This was Allie every single day. Kindness.

Your last month of life was challenging for you, but you took it with a grain of salt. You smiled. You laughed. You joked about your bad luck. But no one could see this one coming. How could we? The universe played one not so funny joke on us. They made a mistake.

We were supposed to get together next month and have that drink that reminded us of paradise as we sat outside on the patio, laughing about work, life, and anything else that came up. We were all supposed to be there.

Sweet gentle soul, you have impacted my life more than you could know. I hope I told you daily how much I appreciated every thing you did for me. I have 10 minutes before I need to be to work and I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can sign in knowing you won't be there to tell me some funny story about your cat, or how diet chocolate shakes aren't really food at all.

Please God, the universe, my angels above, give me the strength to get through this horrible time. As I stare through these swollen eyes and breath through this stuffy nose, remind me and everyone else that life is so damn precious. We all get in these places where we don't feel like we are enough.

Allie reminded me daily that I was enough. She reminded me that even on my worst days that I could do this. Today at work her presence is unknown. But today I know she is sitting with me holding my hand, reminding me that I could do this. Reminding me that she believed in me.

7 months was not long enough for this friendship. 27 years was not enough for her life.

Rest easy my beautiful friend. Your soul will forever be in my heart.

Namaste.

**I do not own the photo I posted above. Through tears I saved this because it reminded me of my dear friend. If this is yours, thank you for making this. It truly speaks volumes for the beautiful soul we lost.**



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The Boss Babe Next Door Link Up: Vol 1.

Today is the day (with a few bumps in the road! Oh technology!). A new link up is born! For those of you who are new to the blog, this link up will be a monthly link up that will occur on the third Wednesday of each month. It is a link up for entrepreneurs  to link up their latest projects, collaborations, sales, etc.



I want to share the love. Please make sure you are sharing the love as well. These should be blog posts, not just links to your business. Also share with your friends! The more people who know, the more people you can show (your business too!), and the bigger we grow!

No rules other than if you share your business, please share the love and visit someone else's page!

Each month I will be featuring a business!

Thanks! Have fun!



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Announcing new Link Up!

Bonus Tuesday post! So remember when I announced there would be a new fabulous link up happening? If you don't, you can read that here. I also decided to have a little contest on naming the link up since I am horrible at those things. If you missed that you can read that one here.

Today I wanted to announce the winner of the little contest and reveal the new graphic for the link up which starts tomorrow!

This link up is to share the love of entrepreneurs and all of their projects and products! The blogging community is amazing in sharing the love, and a lot of us are entrepreneurs so why not share? This link up will happen every third Wednesday of the month. You can share projects, sales, new products, etc. Just be fair and show your fellow neighbors some love too!

Now for the name and graphic.. I want to congratulate Charlotte from My Pixie Blog on winning the naming contest! She will be the first one featured from the link up! I will reach out to go over all the details.

Now here is the name and graphic.. 


I hope to see you all linking up tomorrow with us! Please feel free to share! Thank you for all of your suggestions and help on this! You all mean the world to me!

Happy Tuesday!
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Ziplining

Some weekends I feel like I am stuffing too much into 2 days and by Sunday afternoon I am exhausted. This weekend I am coming off a high of sorts. I had so much fun and even though it did tire me out, it was a different type of tired.

On Saturday my mom had a birthday and she wanted to go ziplining. Now a little back story. Me and my mom went ziplining in Montana a few years ago and we both loved it. When I asked her what she wanted to do this year for her birthday and she said ziplining, it didn't completely surprise me.

We went to Camelback Mountain Adventures in Pennsylvania. It was a little over an hour drive from my parents house, so  it was the best option for us. We got there around 4pm and we were able to zipline twice and the weather was excellent. Camelback was amazing and the staff was super helpful! I recommend it if you are looking for some adventure and are in the area!


My first ride was so freeing. I felt like I could leave behind any stress I had as I soared through the air. My landing was not so graceful, but that's okay. No one got hurt and that's all that matters. My mom went down before me and she had a blast.

On my second ride down I wanted to take video of my mom ziplining down. I had my phone aimed at her and at the end I realized I messed up the video and did not get the video I wanted, but I ended up getting this random photo of my self.

 
Although I am sad I didn't get video for my mom, I am so excited that I got this one by complete accident. My mom is zooming down in the background. She may be a blur, but she did it and she has proof of her own. She got a great photo too.
 
I have to admit, I get so wrapped up in everyday life that I forgot that you can have fun at any age. Age doesn't define you. If you want to have fun, have fun. Jump off the platform. Soar through the air and just let go!
 
Happy Monday Folks!
 
Namaste.



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What's Up Weekend - 8/11

Happy Friday lovelies! I am over the moon excited that the weekend is here. Speaking of moon, in case you didn't notice, there was a full moon this week. If things were a little cray-cray that's probably why! Anyways, I feel like I accomplished a lot this week. Let me discuss why..

One
I officially got myself back to the gym. I made a plan and I stuck to it. It feels good to have met that goal. My poor body was in desperate need of a good workout, and I feel like I gave it a good one. I don't feel sore or overworked, but I feel good about it. I already feel like I have more energy. Maybe it's all in my head, but hey, I'll take it!

Two
I was featured for the second time on Stitch Fix Reviews. That is so exciting for me. I am in no way a fashion blogger, but to be featured along side those ladies was amazing. I am so blessed to have had that experience.

 
 
Three
I am so close to sharing my new website with everyone! It is looking great and I am so excited for it. I have learned a lot about Wordpress through this journey and have done a majority of the work myself. This is such an accomplishment for me. My patience runs out real quick, so for me to sit down and figure all of this out, is a super win!

Four
This weekend is my mom's birthday and we are going zip lining! I asked my mom back in March what she wanted to do and originally I wanted to take her to a fun hotel in NYC. She said yes and then later said she didn't want to do that because NYC is too hot in August to be walking around. So she said, "I want to go zip lining!" Okay! I am hoping the rain holds off, but if it does, that's where you can find me this weekend!

Five
I went live for the first time on my yoga business page. I am starting a weekly live chat to talk about yoga and essential oils. I am hoping this will ease the anxiety that some people have about trying yoga for the first time. I want to be able to answer questions and let people know that yoga really is for any body type. It was such a rush to go live and talk! Can't wait to see where it leads!

How was your week? Share in the comments!

Have an amazing weekend!

Namaste.


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Love, Life, and Link Ups!



Guys I need your help! Remember how I mentioned a link up for entrepreneurs to share their business/stories/projects/etc? If you don't, check it out here.

Anyways I need help naming it! The first link up is a week from today and I'm still stumped! If I pick your name and you are an entrepreneur, I'll feature your project first!

 So excited for this link up. I think it is super important to support your fellow 'neighbor'. Blogging has been in my life for over 3 years and I can't say enough about the community who has helped me along the way by sharing or giving advice.

That's what I want this link up to be about. I want to have a space for people to post blogs that are ideas, looking for advice, highlighting their hard work, or any other beneficial recognition thst needs other people's eyes on it.

That's where you all come in. We could build this community through this monthly link up. You can ask the community to look at your post, page, business page, etc and ask for help.

What do you say? Are you with me?! Let's make one big giant love/share/support fest!

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The Weight Issue

After a busy weekend of new babies, outfit changes, and food shopping I have come to the realization that I need to lose some weight. Yes a subject most women hate to talk about, but indeed it is time I face the facts. I'm overweight.

During my work week, I swear a lot of leggings and comfy oversized shirts. When I had to put on actual pants this weekend, like jeans, they were pretty hard to get on. I wanted to cry, but it was that moment that made me decide it was time to make some changes.

Many years ago when I was going to the gym regularly, I was working on a 10/10 schedule. I would spend 60 minutes at the gym broken up to 10 minute increments between cardio and weights. I would do three sessions of cardio in between three sessions of weight lifting.

This may not work for everyone, but honestly I get bored really easily. My attention span when it comes to working out wanders quickly. Working on a 10 minute incremental schedule like this helps me keep to the hour I planned and keeps my body guessing on what I will do next.

I did this routine last night for the first time in 7 years and it was awesome. I was able to commit to the whole hour without ducking out after 30 minutes. That has been my routine whenever I go to the gym lately. I barely break a sweat and I'm ready to go home.

I am planning to keep a schedule as follows:

Monday: 1 hour at the gym: 10/10 routine
Tuesday: 1 hour at the gym: 10/10 routine
Wednesday: Teach 1 hour yoga class (50% rest)
Thursday: 1 hour at the gym: 10/10 routine
Friday: 75 minute yoga class as a student
Saturday: Teach 1 hour yoga class (50% rest)
Sunday: Rest

I am going to follow this schedule for 4 weeks and re-evaluate and make tweaks. I am confident following this schedule will show me some results by that 4 week mark. I am not planning to lose weight quickly, but I am confident I will notice a difference by then using this schedule.

On top of exercise I have already upped my water intake and cut out soda and juice. I went food shopping yesterday and stocked up on lots of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and healthy snacks. I feel very confident about all of these changes and can't wait to reap the benefits of all the hard work!

Do you have a routine you follow to stay on track?

Have great week!

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