Welcome to the Wolves Den

After we totally teased you with a partial tour of the house, we kinda fell off the map.  So sue us.  Nobody pays us to do this blog.  (YET.  Beyonce, I'm looking at you.)

But we have good reasons.  Besides being chronically sleep deprived, we have been doing some pretty epic work/home juggling with my sweet mama out recovering from surgery.  And in the midst of it all...we were doing a den renovation.

So here's what's going to happen.  We're going to do this mostly with pictures.  We'll sprinkle in some context here and there but honestly, everyone just wants to see the goods.

The room we're dishing about is on the backside of our carport.

The house was built in 1962 but this den addition was done sometime in the 1970s.  The seller (who grew up in the house) told us they used it as a rec room.  It had a ping pong table in it for years.

I imagine their friends used to sit on the built ins by the window and yell "far out!" and "groovy!" after a good play.

Orange. Wood paneling. Bronze blinds. Old built-in desk that was de-laminating from old gas heater. Weird light fixture that may have been pieced together from an old wooden ship from the Civil War era.  A popcorn ceiling (the only one in the house) that Nick's dad got rid of for us.

And back when we mentioned an interior window we removed from Carter's room, you saw a glimpse of the den.  

Carter's side of the wall got prettied up fast but we had a big white blob on our dreamsicle orange wall for nearly 6 months.  No, it didn't give me panic attacks.  Why do you ask? 

We spent a few months saving up and then selling virtually everything that was in the den.  It had become the catchall for the random furniture that we didn't have a place for in the house.  So I made a list, gave it to Craig, and bank rolled that ish to help fund the reno.

We borrowed our friend's truck and made a massive Ikea trip. The ensuing 3 hour drive home was fairly stressful since we had our hazard lights on the entire ride on I-40.  The next morning, we put our enormous couch together.

Baby shown for scale. 

And then we put a call out to our Community Group to help us with the heavy labor.  Have we no shame?

The gas heater came out, as well as the upper corner of wood paneling.  We used what was taken down and replaced the panel where the heater was.  (If you're wondering why we didn't remove all of the paneling, there was no gyp board behind the panel and it would have been a severe undertaking to prep the room.  Uh, no thanks.)

Existing froo-froo chair railing came down.  (The profile was too ornate in our opinion, so we decided we'd put back something simpler.)

The original built in that smelled like an old man passing gas through an onion was the next to go.

As our dear friend Kenneth put it, "what they lacked in craftsmanship, they made up for in nails."

BYE, SUCKA!

One cool find from the demo was some of these old game cards.  I'll be framing those and hanging them at some point.

Zippy!

The carpet under the built in needed to be patched, as did the area under the storage bench at the windows.  Luckily, we saved the carpet we ripped up in other areas when we refinished the wood floors and we patched those areas.

To deal with the high gloss sheen on the panelling, we had to sand it with a palm sander.  So everything got protected and our gal Lindsey went to town.

And then we added back some "moulding" @ the transition.  It was basically a 1x3 topped with a 1x2.   Elementary, my dear Watson. 

We installed some of our new Ikea cabinets and counter (since we loved the IDEA of a built in desk area but not the current implementation).  No pictures of that as Nick and I tackled most of that together late at night and documenting that process was low on the priority list.

Then came time to get our friends super high.

Once the panelling was sanded, it needed to be primed to give it that extra tooth to ensure the latex paint would stay put.  So we bought an oil based primer and invited our CG over again for some fumey fun.

Also primed the windows and all the trim.  That was arguably the most time consuming.

Once the priming was done, we were actually ready to finish the room.  We installed hardware on the cabinets.  We painted the new chair rail, all the primed trim and window work a fresh white.  We painted the walls.

I got progressively more calm as the orange bit the dust.

We installed new vinyl floor by the back entry.  I bought pillows and new custom cut white blinds.  We replaced the Ikea couch legs with some baller new ones from Etsy that instantly made the couch feel more expensive.  I reupholstered the ottoman with fabric from Premier Fabrics.  We added some steel hairpin legs to the new media unit that houses our cable, modem, DVDs, etc.  

Cat photobomb coming atcha.

Nick used some of the wood from the built in to make wood caps for the couch to put martinis, bellinis and Diet Cokes.  (We are fancy on a regular basis.)

And then hung some of my Raleigh art and family photos.  And voila.  We were "done."

Ready?

Wait for it...

Want to see it?

We felt this was important to see before we revealed.

Let's remember the before.

And see the after.

Mucho mejor, amigos.  And now, since I promised not to be wordy and I've typed upwards of 500 words, I'll let the pics do the rest of the yappin'.

Banner is not a permanent fixture...it's just leftover from C's birthday party this past weekend.

Remember before?

Cat door added to the left cabinet so they can do their...business in peace.

Butcherblock counter.

Carter's zone.

As per usual, this room still has some work.  I'm going to hang some curtains.  We're going to do some hand drawn wallpaper on the long TV wall above the chair rail.  We'll put some organization in the desk cabinetry to house crafts, files, sewing machine, etc.

But if we don't stop at some point and call a room "done," we don't get to ride the high of completing a space.  So for now...it's done.  We're pleased with the transformation.  I considered saying "pleased as punch" but I'm not familiar with the metrics of punch.  It's quite possible our pleased state actually exceeds punch.  I don't know, I'll do some Googling and get back to you.

The Epitome of Lazy: A Guest Post.

You know how when one of your friends starts smoking crack cocaine and you say to yourself "yeah! I'm going to try that too!"  I don't know, I assume.  I'm not that familiar with drug culture.  In any case, friends don't let friends do drugs.  But friends DO get their friends addicted to Stitch Fix.  And after I blabbered on and on about my obsession, I got another friend to drink the Kool Aid.  

AND SHE BLOGGED ABOUT IT!  Or, rather, she sent me an email that said she'd be honored to guest post on OUR blog about it.  And who am I to deny her the pleasure of knowing FOUR people are reading your thoughts and musings?

Katie is an old college friend of Nick's (but she isn't OLD like Nick...she lived with Nick's sister Mandi).  She and her husband, Kentucky, live in Richmond with their son, Quinn.  We actually just returned from a lovely OBX trip with them two weekends ago.  Things got nuts, y'all.  We went to the beach, put together puzzles, and were all in bed by 9:30pm.  

Q and Carter mostly just hung around without pants and ate goldfish.

Tangent aside, and now that I've written a thousand word intro, here is Katie's blog:

After reading a couple of Sarah's stitch fix blogs, I could not resist any longer.  I had to have my own special clothes box ASAP!  

At the end of May, I spend quite a bit of time filling out my profile only to find out that my shipment wouldn't be at my door until July 21st!  WHAT?!  However, time flew by and before I knew it, it was Christmas in July =)

The first item I saw when I opened the box was the Cherrie Stone & Hammered Teardrop Earrings.

 

  

I immediately was disappointed because I checked a box saying I did not want accessories, so I was confused!  However, the earrings were "totally me," but I felt like I already have too many earrings as it is.  And at $32, I feel like they were overpriced (Francesca's or Marshall's would be wayyy cheaper and just as cute).

The first clothing item in the box was the Ventura Chevron Print Keyhole Detail Tank, modeled below with assistance from my 2 year old son, Quinn.  

I absolutely love the color, style, and fit.  However, the material is extremely thin and at $48, on a teacher salary, it just wasn't going to happen.  

The next clothing item was the Filbert 3/4 Sleeve Popover Blouse. 

Note from Sarah: she's a bombshell in this blouse.  Good job, stylist.

Let's be honest, I don't wear a lot of "blouses."  I'm a Kindergarten teacher. I would have never picked up this top in a store, but I am totally in love with this BLOUSE.  I want it in every color possible.  It's lightweight, but quality material.  I can wear it to school, out on the town, and even dressed up as a pirate!  It's $58, which I would consider a lot for a top, but I just can't resist.  SOLD!

The next item was the Joshua Colored Ankle Jean.  

The reason you are not seeing these actual pants on my body is because it was just not pretty.  At all.  I could put them on, but I had a muffin top and a plumber's crack all at once.  NO GO!!  But I do love the color.

The last item was the Freddy Sleeveless Chiffon Dress.

I liked this dress, but I felt like it was kinda plain.  I know I could dress it up with a colorful necklace, but I still felt like it just wasn't anything special.  Not at $68!

So, looks like I will just be buying the BLOUSE.  I will definitely be stitch fixin' again though.  And hopefully, I'll be allowed another guest blog spot.  

***My husband took all the photos.  He never asked where the clothes came from or how much money I spent.  He kept saying "what is this for?"  and kept repeating, "It's for Sarah, just take the picture!"

Ladies-take note: your husbands will fully support your StitchFix habit if only for the sheer fact that they don't understand what it is or how it works.  God bless their souls.

And that's it.  Good job, Katie.   Welcome to the dark side.  As her official enabler, if y'all are interested in trying it for yourself, use this link and she'll get the referral credit.  Notice that her box looks pretty different from the stuff I've gotten so there's something for every one, every size.  And if it's between pretty clothes and crack...I'm picking clothes 99% of the time.

I swear I do things other than StitchFix.

I realize it might seem like all I do these days is order clothes via the internet and have fashion shows with my iPhone.

Let me assure, you...I WISH that were all I'd been up to.  I'll be posting soon about the bedroom renovation we just knocked out for my sister and our new brother in law.  They're currently honeymooning it up in St. Lucia and I'm sitting at a 50 year old built in desk that smells slightly geriatric and pushing the hair I haven't washed in four days out of my grill piece.  Oh look, there's a cheerio in my hair.

Trust me: my life is not as glamorous as you might think.

But I'll tell you...Stitch Fix is fun and it makes me feel like I still have some semblance of class.  And you guys, this box was ON POINT.  As in, I'm keeping all five items.  (PROBABLY.  Unless there's some grand decree from the six of you that read this that I look ridiculous in one of the items.  In which case, I may have already decided to keep everything and it might get really awkward when I run into you at the Harris Teeter and you have to pretend you like my threads.  Look, I tried to warn you.)

Here's the important part that you should know about the success of this installment fix: I requested the same stylist as last time.  If you remember my last review, I remarked that some continuity with stylists would help us build a relationship.  A wardrobe romance, if you will.   So I asked for Blake again and she and I got to know each other.  We follow each other on Instagram (her kids are beauties!) and we've emailed a little bit.  We're pretty much virtually braiding each other's hair, we're such besties.  So I think that helped tremendously.  It's important to mention though, everything she sent was still a surprise.  There was no "do you like this shirt?" or "can you jam out with this necklace?"  But in our various interactions (Pinterest being key), she was able to see into the depths of my soul.  But in a less creepy way than I'm making it sound.

On to the goods.

Kensie Jeans: Sophie Distressed Skinny Jean- $88

Let's get this out of the way since they're in every picture you're about to see.  The idea of going jeans shopping to dress my post-baby bod gives me the heeby jeebies.  I am TOTALLY okay with the fact that my hips BC (Before Carter) are gone and never coming back.  My body is different now, and I'm fine with that.  But dressing my new hips, specifically with jeans, seemed like a nightmare.  And full disclosure: I still wear maternity jeans.  Not the full front panel kind, but the elastic waist kind.  Because seriously, if you were given the option of wearing elastic pants that looked like regular people pants...do not front and pretend you wouldn't do it, too.

Confession aside, I'm fully aware that it is in my best interest to rejoin the non-pregnant world (given that my son is ten months old) and put on my big girl pants again.  These jeans are distressed, and the first thing I thought when I pulled them out of the box was "which curmudgeon relative of mine is going to ask if I paid for holes in these pants?"  Truth be told, I like the "I just got caught in a wicked briar patch" look and so I'm owning it.  They've got some stretch so they fit over the widest part of me, and they're really great quality.

They're a bit more expensive than I would normally pay for jeans, but this saves me the trouble of going out and trying on 15 pairs.  They just arrived at my door!  That's worth the premium.

(The other thing I want to get out of the way is that the very worst part of doing these reviews is the pictures. Therefore, I decided to wear my sleep mask or a hat to block the unimportant face part of the picture so you can focus on the clothes.  Plus, my sleep mask is adorable.)

41 Hawthorn Carson Front-Twist Sleeveless Blouse: $58

Notice my new saucy jeans.  Yes, Dad, I paid for the rips.

My new BFF Blake and I had a conversation about our definition of coral.  I defined it as the "color of my dreams."  Truth be told, this shirt is a little more on the peach side, but I still like it a lot.  She described it as a "pretty pop color."  That's an understatement because I'm pretty sure I actually take on radioactive glowing qualities when I wear it.  But I like it.  It's unlike anything I own, have tried on, or even seen in stores.

Flattering, I know.

Pixley Aislinn Honeycomb Collar Necklace: $32

A better up close shot of the shirt color and THE WORLD'S PERFECT NECKLACE!

I do not have words strong enough to express my love of this necklace.  Surprisingly, I don't consider myself a particularly girly girl when it comes to jewelry.  I like graphic, simple pieces and nothing fluffy.  This necklace hits on all cylinders as far as I'm concerned and I can wear it everywhere.  Even to sleep.  With my cute night mask.

Alternate Apparel Troy Dot Print Racerback Tank: $44

This is where things got tricky.  I like this tank.  I briefly wondered if my breasts might fall out the sides because of the way it was cut, but I got past that.  But at $44 for a basic racerback tank...well that was a little pricey.  But when you buy all 5 items that you're sent, you get a 25% discount.  For my box, that equated to over $62.  So I essentially got this for free by loving the other 4 items.  And I'm ok with that because I definitely liked the general vibe of this tank.

To answer your burning question: I'm drinking an Angry Orchard Apple Ginger Cider.

I debated mentioning this, but Bestie Blake said in her note to me that I came off as edgy and adventurous to her.  She's so great.  Anyway, her interpretation of edgy is a galaxy print...which is what this is.  And I like it.  But I'm not sure I'll ever look at it and not think of little boy underwear from 1985.  Not that I wore little boy underwear or ever saw any of it...but that's the first thing that came to mind.  Weird, right?  Whatever.  You were thinking it too and now we can both have a laugh next time we sip moscato together and I'm wearing this.

And finally:

Le Sample Kahlo Embroidered Solid Tank: $48

Yes, that is a sombrero and yes, that's the best way I could think of posing with it.

So pretty, right?!  It's a little longer than a lot of the shirts I wear, but it doesn't COMPLETELY cover my money maker.  (JK you guys, I'm not a prostitute.)  The detailing on the front is just...lovely.  It's the only way I can describe it.  And the back has that racerback cut so it's flattering on the back side, too.  

Don't forget, Nick helps run this blog too..  

And that, as they say, is a wrap.  I have to check out tomorrow so if you have any major issues with any of the things I'm keeping, let me know.   Via pigeon carrier.  It's my preferred method of communication.

I'll definitely be fixing again in the future but think I might give my brain and my budget a rest for a while.  You should try it out though.  If only to give yourself a legitimate excuse to wear a sombrero around your house.

StitchFix #3: My Journey in Style Growth

Brace yourselves as you're about to see a lot of pictures of me in the bathroom.

I should rephrase that. You're going to see me taking pictures in the bathroom.

Okay, strike that.

Nick wasn't here, so I had to take my own pics and we only have one full length mirror in the house.  So in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, you can get a sneak peek of what our guest bathroom looks like. It is currently painted a weird shade of green that casts a creepy shadow on all the outfits. 

The box was scheduled to arrive on Friday, and we were leaving town for the holiday weekend on Thursday evening. I, of course, had a mini panic attack knowing it would be sitting waiting for me for four days.  Being the impatient person that I am, I looked online to see what I had been sent. Nick calls this cheating, I tell him to bite me. They don't actually show you pictures of what they've sent, they just list the items. Have they sent dresses? Shirts? Accessories? I had to know.

I skimmed the list and immediately my eyes were drawn to one particular item.

Under Skies Lora Embroidered Denim Vest.

Exsqueeze me?  Baking powder?  Had I somehow reverted to my sixth grade self, obsessed with bedazzlers? Was I a gay cowboy? Was I some long lost member from The Outsiders?

Extremely puzzled by the choice, I instantly turned to Pinterest for help. Was this a thing? Were people wearing denim vests?

It turns out, they are.

I found some pinspiration that felt modern and fresh.

Look at the versatility!

I can easily carry it into the cooler seasons.

I will never be as cool as Gwen Stefani but a denim vest is a good start.

So that was it.  I was going to keep that vest.  I was excited.  I was ready.  BRING IT ON. 

Four excruciating days later, we returned home and the box was mine to open.  One thing I hadn't done well in the past was styling the clothes in the box the way they suggested.  I couldn't see the forest for the trees.  So I took a bit of time to pull out shoes, pull out jewelry and really get a feel for the clothes.  I was already evolving stylistically.  Stacy London would be proud.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

I already liked her b/c I like chicks named Blake.  Plus, she talks like me.

First of course, is the denim vest.

This is my "not bad" face.

The embroidery detail.  Which you may never see due to my crazy hair.

Ok, I might just be convinced.

I was pleased with the way it looked and imagined the different ways I was going to wear it.  And then I looked at the price.  IT WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM IN THE BOX!  At $68 it seemed a little too much for a trend.   A quick search of Target.com found me a vest at less than half the cost.  Will it be as good a quality?  Probably not.  But it turns out I wasn't as brave as I'd thought because I just couldn't commit.

Moving on.

41Hawthorn Marie Abstract Chevron Elastic Waist Dress

Please believe, it is super awkward taking pictures of myself.  I don't understand how or why people take legitimate selfies.

A close up of the pattern/color.  I'd say this is pretty accurate.

I love the way this dress fits.  And the shape.  I could wear this to work in the summer (which is always hard to find something cool that's work appropriate).  And I can put a denim jacket with it and dress it down well into the fall season.  Here's the thing: I don't know that I love this pattern.  I'm not a baby pink person so the color is kind of throwing me.  And the pattern is so abstract.  Which is totally counter to my preference for structure.  Who knew I was so straight laced?  But perhaps I should be pushing my style limits here.  Looking at the pictures, I wouldn't say the colors are particularly flattering on my pasty complexion.  

Readers' input required.  It's $58.  What do you think?  I need your honesty.  And some doughnuts, if you're in a particularly giving mood.

On to a piece I am definitely keeping, the Papermoon Sadie V-Neck Embroidery Detail Tank.

WINNER!

It's loose fitting (and therefore forgiving around my post-Carter midsection) and it's my power color.  You have one.  I have one.  It's the color you wear and know you are rocking.  I was pleased as punch when I saw this in the box and the fit sealed the deal for me.

Detail @ the V.  I'm absolutely telling people I hand stitched this.

My cat digs it.

I used to be heavy into cross-stitching back in elementary and middle school (which makes my denim vest wearing make more sense now, I'm sure) and so part of me has a soft spot in my heart for the detail on this shirt.  At $48, it's versatile enough to work in a variety of places in my life.

Now to something that absolutely didn't work. The $54 41Hawthorn Franklin Striped Side Gathered Short Sleeve Shirt.  If you'll remember from my previous posts, I specifically said I didn't want striped pieces.  They were too reminiscent of my maternity clothing and this one was just that, in more ways than one.  I actually thought this was a maternity shirt when I first pulled it out.

BOO.

Child, please.

I mean, does this, or does it not look almost exactly like the maternity shirt I wore when Nick and I took our "We Love Raleigh" pictures?  Only fuglier and more striped?

I have to say I was really disappointed to get this one.  But we all make mistakes and sweet Blake was just off base on this one.  It's kind of a shame you don't get the same stylist each time.  I realize that would be super hard to make happen since they have so many customers but the consistency of one stylist might have helped avoid this disaster of epic proportions.  (No, I'm never accused of speaking in hyperbole.  Why do you ask?)  Needless to say, this biotch was stuffed back in the return bag immediately.

And finally, the Daniel Rainn Hydie Geo Print Crochet Detail Blouse.  At just $34, this one was quite promising as the modern pattern and color combo of corally red, black and aqua was right up my alley.
 

I got tired of seeing my own face.  Crop tool activated.

The crochet detail at the shoulders and back was borderline hooker.  But I was ready to take that risk.

The problem was the size.  It was a small, but it definitely fit wide and loose.  As in, I looked a bit like a flying squirrel when I lifted my arms.  And it was even worse when I turned to the side.

Could I easily hide the fact that I'd eaten an entire Easter ham all by myself? Sure.  But is that really what stylish wardrobe is about? If I had loved the other 4 pieces and this was a border piece that, with the discount, would have been free...then yes, I would have worn it.  Maybe tried to belt it or something.  But as it stands, I'm only keeping the turquoise tank.  Unless a surprising number of people I trust actually like the dress, too.

So was it the best box?  No, not really.  But I legitimately think I grew a little in my style boundaries as I considered things I'd never pick up in the store.  And I did keep something I really do love.  And the whole process is still super fun to me.  I totally intend to order another fix for next month.  You oughta do the same and tell me how it goes.   I love reading other people's reviews.  

So that concludes this Fix review.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have a ham to tend to.