Gisèle, Age 8

(For Gisèle at age 7, click here.)

1. What is your favorite color?  "Green."

2. What is your favorite toy?  "Ay-yi-yi... so many to choose from!  I think, yeah.  I think my favorite toy is cars."

3. What is your favorite fruit?  "Hmm.  What's the plum & nectarine thing again?  Aprium."

4. What is your favorite tv show?  "Fetch."

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  "Wow.  Umm... like at my school?  At my school, I think it'd be... I like eating breakfast for lunch like where you eat pancakes for lunch." 

6. What is your favorite outfit?  "Wow, this is hard.  Ok, my favorite outfit... can you give me some ideas here?  Ay-yi-yi.  I like comfortable & cute outfits, I can tell you that.  Cause the thing I wore for my girls day was comfortable & cute & I really liked it.  My favorite outfit is... I can't think of anything!  I put different outfits together, ok?"

7. What is your favorite game?  "Ok... game... Sorry, the Doodle one... I think the Doodle one is pretty funny.  I like Doodle & Sorry."

8. What is your favorite snack?  "My favorite snack... well, I like those cheese little cow things, and I also like bananas as a snack."

9. What is your favorite animal?  "Elephant."  

10. What is your favorite song?  "Brave."  {Moriah Peters}

11. What is your favorite book?  "Umm... Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher.  I also like Junie B. Jones."

12. Who is your best friend?  "Can I have it plural?  Michelle, Amecia, Madison Howell, Vivian, Jillian, Leilani, Angelina, Sophia, Ilana, uhh... wow, that's techinically all the ones I can think of!  Oooh - Kenley!  Kenley is my friend."

13. What is your favorite breakfast?  "I think my favorite breakfast, I think this is where I got it from - umm, that place we went for Mother's Day and that place in Louisiana, they're puffy and they usually don't have anything inside and they're covered with powdered sugar... and I also like waffles & chicken."

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  "Well, during fall, I like to jump in the leaves and rake them up.  That's what I like to do in fall.  In winter I usually like to stay inside, so I'll leave winter out.  In summer, one of my favorite things to do outside is go to the pool.  And spring, in spring I like to go outside, find more snails for my collection, build forts out of sticks... that kind of stuff."

15. What is your favorite drink?  "Milk."

16. What is your favorite holiday?  "Ay-yi-yi, so many to choose from!  I looove Halloween, especially Thanksgiving, too... I like trying new things at Thanksgiving and I like all the gravy!  Is my birthday included as a holiday?"

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  "I like to take myself to my bed."

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert?  "Let me think here.  I like the cakes you make.  Well, I technically like everything you make, Mom, so it's kinda hard."

19. What is your favorite dinner?  "I like having meatloaf.  I also like having macaroni & cheese for dinner.  And I like having enchiladas for dinner."

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?  "An author or a famous singer or both, cause some famous singers like Jamie Grace write their own books, too."


Gisèle, you are an amazing 8 year old.  It's so fun to watch you grow, and I can't wait to see what's ahead of you!

Venice, Italy - 12/30/00

12/30/00

My head still isn't all the way better and now my tummy feels funny.  I hope it's all better tomorrow.  We're in Milan now.  Went all the way to the airport and were told we didn't have a reservation at that Holiday Inn.  Went back to the station and then took a taxi to the hotel.  Bed now.

 

Stitch Fix #13

Stitch Fix is a personal shopper service that I've enjoyed for a while now.  (I hate shopping for clothes for myself!)  You pay a $20 styling fee for each Fix, and 5 items are sent to you.  You can request certain kinds of items, and they're sent based on a sizing & style profile that you fill out beforehand.  You can even request a certain price range for each type of item ("as cheap as possible" for jewelry, $50-$100 for pants, etc).  The $20 is applied to anything you purchase from your Fix, and if you buy the entire box you get a 25% discount.  (If you don't buy anything, you lose the $20.)

This was July's Fix.  After June's disappointing box, I was really, really hoping for a good one!  I had requested the same thing as the previous few boxes - easy summer tops (no ironing) that would show off my waist.

The first thing out of the box was Market & Spruce's "Belvedere" Knit Top ($44):

 Yay!!  The fit was great.  I especially loved the v-neck - not too deep, and just the right width.  Jamie said it made him dizzy, but I was really cute under a colored cardigan.  Keeping!


Next up was Renee C's "Naya" Knit Top ($48):

This was just... eh.  I didn't love the big print (the... butterflies? across the bust & tummy?), the cut didn't do anything for me, and the colors were dull.  No, thanks.


My next possibility was the "Shenley" Mesh Detail Knit Top from Loveappella ($48):

This was a great color, and I really loved the mesh detail on the shoulders and upper back!  The material, though, was just too stretchy and it was too tight overall.  I thought about requesting it in a larger size in my next box, but there was no guarantee that the stretchy material would fit me any better in a larger size.  I told Jamie that, if I can get to a point that I have no unwanted lumps & bumps, I may request it again.  For now, it had to go back.



Next up, Market & Spruce's "Elaine" Ikat Print Pocket-Front Knit Shirt ($44):

I was surprised by how much I liked this!  I'm not usually a fan of ikat print, but I really liked this one in the bright pink and navy.  I had a loose, flowy fit, but somehow still had shape, so it wasn't tent-like in the least.  Keeping!


The final shirt was the "Montgomery" Cross Front Knit Top by 41Hawthorn ($48):

Another flattering top! This is ruched on the sides, and the faux-wrap front is high enough that I don't have to wear a cami underneath.  Yay!  Keeping!


I was so happy to get a good box after the previous one.  I kept 3 out of the 5, and really wanted to keep a 4th one.  (I pushed my next box back a few weeks later than scheduled since I was keeping so much).  I thought the stylist, Lauryn, did a great job paying attention to what I had requested, so I asked her to style me for my August box, as well.  That should be arriving in just a few days, and I can't wait to see if she does as well with that one!

If you'd like to try Stitch Fix for yourself, I'd love for you to use my referral link.  (If you order a Fix, I get credit to my account!)

Venice, Italy - 12/29/00

12/29/00

My head is really spinny right now.  I don't know why, but I'm really having problems.  Today we walked all the way down to the Piazza di San Marco & went in the Basilica where St. Mark is buried.  We also went up a clock/bell tower - good view, but cold.  Have to go.

Venice, Italy - 12/28/00

12/28/00

Last night was a couchette on the train.  If I remember, I'll write all about it tomorrow.  Today was our first day in Venice and I'm exhausted.  Going to bed before 11pm!

Stitch Fix #12

Stitch Fix is a personal shopper service that I've enjoyed for a while now.  (I hate shopping for clothes for myself!)  You pay a $20 styling fee for each Fix, and 5 items are sent to you.  You can request certain kinds of items, and they're sent based on a sizing & style profile that you fill out beforehand.  You can even request a certain price range for each type of item ("as cheap as possible" for jewelry, $50-$100 for pants, etc).  The $20 is applied to anything you purchase from your Fix, and if you buy the entire box you get a 25% discount.  (If you don't buy anything, you lose the $20.)

I'm behind on posting my Fixes.  This one came back in June.  I also have July's to post, and just got notified that my August Fix has shipped!

For Fix #12 I had the same request I've had for the last few boxes - easy summer tops (no ironing) that would show off my waist.

The first one up was Market & Spruce's "Corinna" Striped Dolman Top ($48):

This was just okay.  The bottom half didn't fit well, the sleeves were a bit tight (and too long for a summer top), and it was a bit itchy.  Usually I like dolman tops on me, but this was a "no."


Next, the "Walli" Knit Tank from Skies are Blue ($48):

This was a big, fat "no" since it made me look big and fat.  Uh-uh.  A tent-like shirt is the furthest thing from "showing off my waist."


Next, I tried on Market & Spruce's "Nolen" Printed Detail Henley Tank ($54):

(Sorry for the blurry pics!)  The detail on this was really pretty, and I loved the colors.  The collar, though, was very, very stiff, and the knit material was so thin and stretchy that it was not flattering on my bum.  I would have kept it, though, had it not been for the uncomfortable collar.  And the price tag.  I didn't want to look down while wearing it because it kept poking my jaw.  Sending it back.


Next was Papermoon's "Marisol" Mixed Material Knit Top ($44):

This was so cute from the back (loved the polka dots!), but it didn't work from the front.  The material was so thin that I had to wear a cami underneath and, though the picture may not completely show, really hung in an unflattering way.  Reluctantly saying "no."


Last up was Pixley's "Evo" Multi-Stripe Knit Henley Top ($48):

I loved the stripes and the tabbed sleeves, but what were they thinking?  The button front is fake.  So those buttons pulling at the bust can't be opened - they're just there pulling.  Why??  And the cream color didn't work well with the other colors; it really washed me out.  Nope.


So this box ended up being a disappointment.  I kept nothing, and lost my $20 styling fee.  (Luckily, next month was better!  That post - my July box - will be coming in the near future!)


If you'd like to try Stitch Fix for yourself, I'd love for you to use my referral link.  (If you order a Fix, I get credit to my account!)