Fix #5 from Stitch Fix - September 2014

Yes, it's that time of month again...Stitch Fix delivery time! It is always exciting getting the email that your Stitch Fix shipment is on its way to your house.

Note: For those unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, please read my first Stitch Fix Review for the details of the service. Also, if you'd like to read up on my previous fixes, choose #2, #3 or #4 to read all of my reviews.

Isn't this exciting? What's inside???

I was pretty excited to get this new box because I desperately needed some new jeans, and the Stitch Fix peeps had added a new 'jeans' section to their fashion questionnaire. The only pair of pants Stitch Fix had sent me was in my very first Fix back in May...and they fit terribly. So, I was hopeful that this time around with new questions about sizing and style they would get it right, and I'd have a pair of new pants in my wardrobe.

I also asked for patterned cardigans, since I really loved the navy-and-white striped cardi they sent me in my very first Fix. Most of my cardigans (of which I have only a few) are boring. Very little color. I needed a boost in that area.

Plus, I was still on the lookout for a red top to replace one that had been culled from the wardrobe (as I mentioned last month).

Now, anyone who has read my other reviews knows that I am a believer in Stitch Fix. I love the service. I've been happy with the pieces I've been able to add to my wardrobe. My fixes were getting better and better. Then August came, and I felt let down. I only ended up keeping one item...everything else was not good for my body type or was just ill-fitting. I chalked it up to chance. Not every box is going to be a home run. It was a blip in an otherwise positive experience.

Then came my September box. I am not so happy today. In the new jeans sizing questionnaire, Stitch Fix asked specifically for the style of jeans you wanted. They had 4 choices: skinny, straight, bootcut, or trouser. I know my body. I gave skinny a chance, and they failed big time. Not for my body type. I have also experienced trying on straight jeans, and they never work either. I wished they had 'curvy,' but I know that kind of cut is sort of a new thing that you don't find in every brand of jeans. So, I chose 'bootcut' and 'trouser.' I also gave my waist measurement. You will see in my list of items why I am not happy with my latest Stitch Fix box.

McKenzie Westmore as host of Face Off

When I first opened the box and took out the stack of clothes, I was very excited to see RED JEANS. I have been wanting a pair of red jeans ever since I saw McKenzie Westmore wearing a pair on the show Face Off. I also noticed this was a bigger box than usual with a lot of bulky items.

If you look at the stack, there's something very patterned and cool on top, two pairs of jeans (red and dark), another red item and a sweatpants-colored item at the bottom. I wasn't too thrilled about a gray item in the box, but the sight of TWO pairs of pants (and a red pair to boot) got me pretty jazzed up. With this new jeans questionnaire, I was certain at least ONE pair would fit me. I'd given them my preferences, my waist size, my weight, my height. What could go wrong?

I took out each item one at a time and hung it up on the back of my bedroom door before I tried anything on. As is usual for me, I never open up the style cards or the price list until AFTER I try everything on. I want to be in love with something because of how it fits and looks on my body, not because of the price.

1) The first item I pulled out of the pile was the Edmond Chevron Print Henley Shirt by Pixley for $54.00. I instantly loved this item. The print was bright and happy. The style was fun with elbow-length sleeves and a button tab. I knew this was a winner right away when I saw it at the top of the stack. I've seen this top before in other Stitch Fix boxes, and I was very glad they sent it to me.

 Then I tried it on. It fit like a dream. So flattering. Soft fabric. Everything about it was love, love, love. Several of the colors included in the print match other items in my wardrobe, including a pair of brown jeans, a pair of tangerine cropped pants, and a purple cardigan. I knew this was going in to the KEEP pile.

 

Isn't it cute? Funny how you can just spot something sometimes and KNOW it will look great on you. Sadly, this was my last bit of happiness on this unboxing day. A gray cloud was heading my way when I tried on the next items in my box...

2) I actually tried on the Jake Slim Boot Cut Jean by Just Black for $88.00 when I tried on the henley shirt for the first time. Stitch Fix sent me another style of Just Black jeans in my May 2014 fix. They were a size smaller, as I recall. When I saw that this was one size bigger, I had hopes. The words 'Boot Cut' also made me feel like this would work out for me.

 I liked the dark color. I had a hard time seeing the 'boot cut' styling, and the legs (in the thigh area) looked awfully skinny...but you don't know until you try 'em, right ladies?

I wish I had a better picture of these. They look okay in this photo. I think the dark color does not show the tightness of the pants from the knees up. I did take a photo of the waist and how it was probably 1/2 inch too small, but it was not pretty, so I deleted it. The whole problem with these pants was the thighs/hip area. I would've been okay with a bit of a tight waist, if the rest was Comfort City, but that was not the case. I believe the word 'slim' in the description of these pants is deceiving. I thought they meant that the boot cut at the bottom was slimmer and less bell-shaped than most boot cut pants, but really, I think they meant the leg styling. It was quite narrow and even with stretch materials, it didn't work for me.

For a younger woman, this might have been okay. In fact, someone in her 20s might want super-tight pants like these. However, I am in my 40s. I am not trying to look 'young.' I am trying to dress my age, and super tight jeans really is not the style I'm going for at this point in my life. Also, these jeans cost $108. If I'm going to pay $108 for a pair of jeans, I'd better look dang amazing in them. REJECT.

3) I moved on to the dreamy red jeans. When I read the description tag, I was really worried. These were the Kayla Skinny Jean by Margaret M in red for $108.00. Oh my. Skinny. HELP ME LORD! On the hanger they looked very awesome. The right shade of red that I was looking for.

No, the off-center thing was not meant to be artistic. I'm just too lazy to crop this photo!

These were lovely, lovely pants. But the skinniness of them was frightening after my attempts at wearing a 'slim' pair of jeans. As most of you know, I try EVERYTHING on...even when I don't think it's gonna work for me. You just never know, right? Well, I should've listened to my inner self-sizing projections and just dumped these pants into the return envelope.

Oh my God. I cannot believe I posted the horror that is this photo. This is probably the worst-fitting pair of pants on my figure that I've ever tried on in my life. As I explained to my teenage daughter, I have had pantylines before...but never on the FRONT of my pants. Yes, the FRONT. Front pantylines!?  It burns my eyes. It actually was even worse than the semi-blurry photo reveals.

The weirdest thing about these pants was that the waist fit perfectly! I loved the waistband. In fact, it could've even been 1/4 inch tighter for my taste. But the hips, legs, knees, etc. made me feel like an encased sausage. Holy hell what a nightmare. I ripped off these pants as fast as I could and tossed them on my bed. I was never going to achieve McKenzie Westmore red jean awesomeness. It was just not meant to be. REJECT.

 4) Next, I moved on to the red blouse that was included with this box. I had asked for a red top in August (which didn't work out), and I thought I'd give Stitch Fix another shot at it with something from their fall wardrobe choices. I really should've left well enough alone and let them surprise me with something. Instead, they sent me the Filbert 3/4 Sleeve Popover Blouse by 41Hawthorn in Burgundy for $58.00.

I actually liked the look of this blouse on the hanger. I wasn't 100% sure the red was the right red for what I had in mind. Honestly, that was the biggest worry I had when I saw this blouse. That, and the fact it looked very similar in style to the Pixley henley I was keeping. However, strange things happened when I tried on this blouse.

 I posted two pictures, so I could explain the issues I had. First, the picture on the left...it fits pretty well. I liked the way it looked on me. It was possibly slightly too tight across the bust, but not bad. The color was a good one on me. Now, the problems. See the photo on the right? There was this strange sleeve detail that was irritating to my arms. I could feel that hitched up piece of fabric on the back of my upper arm. It felt sort of like when you get a sleeve caught up in a jacket...you want to pull it down and fix it. However, the sleeve was permanently stitched like that. The other oddity were the epaulets on the shoulder. I tried to take a picture of them, but none of the photos turned out well. The shoulder line of this shirt sat on the back on my shoulder, rather than straight across the shoulder line. Therefore, the epaulets sat on the back of my shoulder. It was bizarre. I am not sure why the epaulets and shoulder were not lined up properly, Maybe it was just my massive shoulders? I don't know. But due to those two facts about this shirt it was a REJECT.

5) The last item was very very weird. I think I have seen a similar style of cardigan in other people's fixes, but you really don't understand the strangeness until you encounter it for yourself. This was the Alan French Terry Asymmetrical Zip Cardigan by Market and Spruce for $68.00.

 

It looks kinda cool on the hanger, doesn't it? Sort of like a motorcycle jacket, but made out of comfy sweatshirt material. Not so fast! First, I was not very pleased with the color. A dull gray. I'd asked for fun patterns. This was neither a pattern nor fun. My husband has pointed out that I have maybe too much gray in my wardrobe, and it can come across as a bit depressing. However, I was willing to give it a shot. 

All right. Two photos again, so you can see different ways of wearing it. On the left is the cardigan fully zipped. First, this cardigan has a very bad zipper. It doesn't slide smoothly at all. Second, as you can see in the photo, when you zip it up you end up with this weird piece of floppy fabric under the zippered area that has no place to go, but to create bulk around your body and weird lumps. Also, you end up with a strange piece of fabric sticking out below where the zipper begins that makes no sense. I was ready to reject this puppy after that left photo was taken. Unflattering, bulky, weird. There were also VERY long sleeves on this sucker. Not necessarily a bad thing, but just noticeably long.

Then, I looked at the style cards. See how they have the cardigan open in both photos?

So I thought, maybe the zipper is just a design element, and the cardigan is meant to be worn open. So I unzipped it and did a reassessment. As you can see in the above right photo, it looks better this way. It happened to be really cold in my house yesterday, so it felt good to wear something warm and layered. It also looked good with my new henley, so I kept it on all afternoon. I wanted to get a second opinion from the daughter and spouse before I completely dumped it.

When my daughter got home, she pointed out that the zipper being on only one of the lapels meant that it sagged weirdly and made the whole 'open' cardigan not work or look nearly as even as the style card implied. She was right. REJECT.

That's a 1 out of 5. How depressing!  You should see the size of the return envelope for this one...it was SO huge, the bag ripped open at the tear line, and I had to seal it shut with packing tape. YIKES!

I have never felt so misshapen and un-thin as I did when trying on this box of clothing. This dialed back my self-confidence a couple of notches. I declared to my husband that I was just going to tell Stitch Fix no more pants, and that I could do a much better job of finding pants that worked for me. I wrote some pretty scathing comments about each of the rejected items and put in big capital letters that I do not want anything SKINNY or SLIM ever again. In my notes for my next fix (arriving September 30th) I asked for no pants and just long-sleeved dresses, colorful cardigans, skirts, infinity scarves, and fall tops.

Although I will continue the Stitch Fix service because it works for me to some degree, my excitement and enthusiasm is starting to wane slightly. I'd really rather get 3 out of 5 items, at least, in a box that I love. Only getting 1 is depressing. Only getting 1 and having to try on pants that are not meant for your figure makes it even worse.

Here's to hoping my next box is a better box. I asked for a stylist that knows how to style a 'hard-to-fit' woman in her 40s. We'll see what they come up with.

If you are interested in trying out Stitch Fix, please feel free to use my referral link below. Honesty: I will get a $25 credit for your trouble. Thanks.

Try out Stitch Fix!

Totally off topic...but if you are a reader of paranormal romance, please consider entering my Book Giveaway contest which runs through 12 am September 15th!

Review: The Fresh 20

I like to cook. I am not some Food Channel chef with amazing knife skills and creative cooking talents, but I do like to prepare tasty foods for dinner and consider myself to be better-than-average at spying a good recipe when I read one.

However, I am not good at meal planning and making detailed shopping lists. My typical weekly shopping trip consists of buying meats I'm familiar with and knowing that I can figure out what to make with them when the time comes. Occasionally, I will have one meal idea in mind. For example, I might think, "oh, I should make burritos this week," and then I'll make sure to buy the ingredients needed to make that happen. I will also scan my brain for items I know I have stocked in my pantry to round out the meal: rice mixes, salsa, beans, etc.

On a typical weekday, at 4 or 5 o'clock, I rack my brain trying to think of something to make. Sometimes, I have to quickly defrost some meat if my workday runs over and my original game plan falls apart. What mom hasn't scrapped meal plans for something easy like grilled cheese or a quick soup for a group of hungry kids and one hungry husband?

I didn't really want to take on the job of fixing my system, because it sounded like work I wasn't interested in doing.

Enter 'The Fresh 20.'

The Fresh 20 is a menu planning / grocery list / food budgeting service. For about $5 per month, you receive a weekly menu plan with 5 meals, a detailed shopping list, and calorie/nutrition content for each item on your menu. They issue a new menu every Friday, and you can sign up for Classic recipes, Gluten-Free recipes, Dairy-free recipes, Kosher recipes, Vegetarian recipes or 'recipes for two.'

What I Love:

1) Each week you are only buying 20 items (thus, the name 'Fresh 20') - mostly from the meat and produce aisles.

2) I have learned new techniques and how to prepare new vegetables/fruits I may have never eaten before.

3) Menus are seasonal, so you are typically spending less money on your produce.

4) Waste is a thing of the past! If you stick to the menus, you rarely end up with any unused produce in your fridge.

5) They don't use processed or packaged foods. You make all the dressings, marinades, etc. from items in your pantry (they supply you with a list of basic pantry items you need on hand to complete the recipes).

6) I have branched out my cooking into many new areas I never would've picked on my own.

7) It has made my shopping and food prep so much easier!  Walking into your kitchen every evening, knowing you will have instructions and help plus all the foods you need for making a quality meal is a wonderful feeling.

8) Meal times are a lot less stressful for me. I can enjoy the process more when I have a plan set out for my family. 

9) Most menus employ a re-use feature that I find very awesome. You cook meat one day and save half for another meal. Or you cook a vat of brown rice early in the week for use later in two meals. It is very economical and time saving.

What I Dislike:

1) Sometimes I really don't think my family will like some of the funky flavors, so I have to substitute occasionally to satisfy.

2) Some of the meals are a little 'light' for hearty eaters. Many times they will only include a meat and a veggie with no bread/starch component. I have learned to keep easy sides on hand to add to a meal in case it looks like there might not be enough food.

3) You cannot size up the recipes. All recipes (except for the 'for two' menus) are geared toward feeding 4 people. And I would say they are mostly geared toward 4 light-eating people with no teen boys anywhere in sight. I have 5 in my family, so I am always having to buy a little more meat or adjust portions and hope it turns out ok.

4) The fifth meal in the Classic menu is always meat-free. That is NOT okay in our house. So many times I have added meat to the 5th meal or I will not make the 5th meal at all because it doesn't look like people would like it.

My Conclusion

One of the recipes I'm trying this week!

Overall, The Fresh 20 has been a great thing for my household. I have discovered some delicious recipes that I never would've chosen on my own. I have learned how to roast fresh corn, make homemade pesto, create delicious marinades, cook different types of fish, and craft homemade salad dressings with tons of flavor and freshness. I also have gotten to taste new flavor combos with middle eastern and asian spices - everything I've made is incredibly flavorful and nutritious. It makes you feel good to serve your family healthier food!

To maximize my family's enjoyment of the meals, I have scrutinized a few weeks' worth of menus and skipped the ones that really did not suit our family's tastes. If you buy a year's worth of menu planning, you have access to the menu archives. I highly recommend if you join that you take advantage of that option and download ALL the menus you can. Look through them for the food that looks most interesting to you. Don't feel badly if one or two menus don't sit well with you and you feel you need to skip it. Also, don't be afraid to substitute different meats or fish, if your family is not into ground lamb or halibut.

This service is great for those who want to save time and energy shopping and meal planning. However, I think it is also a boon to those who aren't strong in the kitchen. The instructions that come with the meals is so very informative. You learn a lot about techniques and cooking times with the menus.

For someone who may not be into meal planning, give The Fresh 20 a shot. This review is purely from my own perspective. I was not paid for this review. I will not receive anything in return for a positive review. I just really liked the service and wanted to spread the news.

Book Giveaway!

Hey, everyone!  I have something exciting for you today....a Rafflecopter giveaway!

First prize is a signed copy of my book THE NINTH CURSE. If you want to find out more about that book, click here: K J Gillenwater's Author Page for The Ninth Curse.

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Please feel free to spread the word. The contest entry period runs for 3 weeks. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fix #4 From Stitch Fix - August 2014

I am having a lot of fun sharing my Stitch Fix hauls with my blog readers. Thanks for stopping by to look at what they sent me, my thoughts, and what I decided to keep. If you want to know more about Stitch Fix read my first unboxing post from May 2014. That gives you the low-down on what the service is all about, the costs, etc.

Jen Aniston's Lady Guns

After my July fix, I let my stylist, Shay, know that I was looking for a red top (I used to have one I wore all the time, but it got dated and worn, so it had to be culled about 2 years ago from my wardrobe and I have yet to find a replacement.) I also wanted some tops with sleeves, as I keep getting sleeveless items. I don't mind sleeveless tops, but they do take some planning to wear (the right bra, do I have a t-shirt tan, etc.). Also, I am not 100% in love with my arms...I don't have Hollywood lady guns, so it's not my favorite body part to show off. Therefore, I asked for some tops with sleeves of some kind. That was about all the directive I gave.

My box arrived early today, which rocks because that means I can wear something new! Here's a pic of my box once I opened it up:

It had some very cool prints, which is what I love about Stitch Fix (getting me to open my mind about interesting prints). I also saw a flash of bright red!

This time around, I decided to hang everything on a hanger to get a good photo for the blog. Below is each item with pic, name and price. I also noted at the end of each description which item I kept and why. Just a reminder, I never look at the prices until after I've tried everything on, just to make sure I'm choosing based on what I actually like rather than how cheap or expensive an item is.

Here's the styling card that came with my fix:

1) The first item I tried on was the Hamberg Paisley Print Henley Blouse by Skies Are Blue for $54. I liked that this blouse was airy and light for summer. I also appreciated that it had sleeves. The print was interesting, too. I had high hopes for this blouse. Stitch Fix included a nude tank for use with this blouse and another I will mention later in the post. I appreciated that!  The tank, actually, was super awesome...stretchy and of better quality than the tanks I have. I grabbed my favorite pair of Levi's bootcut jeans to wear with the blouse.

I really wanted to like this top. It was different than anything I had in my wardrobe and was not something I would've picked out for myself. However, once I got it on, it was a little too tight in the bust area for my comfort. Also, the elastic around the elbow-length sleeves was really uncomfortable.

I imagined what that would be like after a day of wearing it, and was worried it would bother me. Especially on a hot day...I was imagining sweaty hot skin being tortured by tight elastic. I have relatively wide shoulders and that didn't quite fit right either. Overall, the look was not flattering on me, so it went in the 'NO' pile. GOING BACK.

2) Since I had the nude tank on, I decided to try on the next blouse, which also had a see-through quality. This was the Dolly Crochet Trim Floral Print Blouse by Collective Concepts for $64.00. This had cute fluttery cap sleeves, which I really liked. The color was a good one for me: navy. This also was something I wouldn't have picked off the rack to try on, so I was excited to give it a whirl.

Sadly, when I tried it on, it created Droopy Boob Syndrome. You know those tops that just create this illusion of your boobs being low on your chest, which makes it appear you need a better bra? Yeah, not flattering.

Droopy Boob Syndrome Alert!

I was really disappointed because everything else about this blouse was cute. The fluttering cap sleeves, the interesting floral print, the light quality...I was bummed that this didn't look as good as I hoped it would. Oddly, from the side, it looked much better. If I could've only walked around sideways, maybe this would've been a keeper.

See? Isn't it better from the side?  But I will mostly see myself from the front and would only be looking at the droopy boob problem in front, so...GOING BACK.

3) By this point, I was getting sad face from the 2 duds in my box. I had such a great box last month, that I was hopeful August would be my first 5 item keeper!  But, no, the sads piled up. The next item I tried on was the Natasha Front Pocket Sleeveless Blouse by 41Hawthorne for $54.00. My stylist mentioned in her note to me that this was the only red top she could find for me.  I wasn't happy it was sleeveless, as I asked specifically for no more sleeveless, but I am sure Shay was torn between fulfilling my request for a red top and the note for no more sleeveless. She did the best she could under the circumstances.

I have seen this top posted in other fixes online (yeah, I obsessively read other blogs and Stitch Fix hauls. It's a sickness). I really was not that wowed. Knowing what I needed a red top for, I knew this would not fit the bill. It was sleeveless. It was flowing instead of more form fitting. It had a very deep v-neck. But I try everything on! So I went for it.

Not so great. It was very loose fitting and just not that interesting. I was looking for something with more pizzazz. This did not work. Also, unfortunately, the fold wrinkles in the fabric made for this really weird impression that I am about 4 months pregnant. I am sure if it were ironed that would go away, but it gave an additional negative perception that made the whole thing a definite 'no' in my mind. GOING BACK.

4) Now I was really panicking. Was this going to be the first box where I hated everything???  No, Stitch Fix, no! Don't do this to me!!!!! My next item was the Alyson Abstract Print Piping Detail Dress by Andrew Marc for $138.

Overall, when I pulled this out of the box, I really liked the dress. I am a big fan of abstract prints. It had denim on the shoulders and back of the dress, which made for some interest. So I did think maybe this dress would work. I do like to dress up for church and for dates...I wasn't 100% happy it was sleeveless, but the print meant it could be paired easily with a jean jacket or cardigan. I threw it on.

The picture below makes it look like it fits perfectly. Trust me when I say it did not. Looking at the pic, yeah, it looks all right. It shows off my waist and the shape of my body, which is a good thing. However, what you cannot possibly see in the photo is how tight that sucker was on ye olde derriere!

I frequently have that problem with form fitting dresses that don't have enough stretch to them--and the material for this dress was pretty thick and not that stretchy. Baby got back. That is why finding pants for me is a chore. And dresses of this type.

 If I walked in this dress, the bottom would ride up because of the junk in da trunk. It just wasn't gonna happen. Plus, when I saw the price of the dress at the end of this process, there was no love lost. $138 was very pricey for me unless it was the most amazing dress on planet earth. GOING BACK.

5) People, my heart was crying at this point. 4 out of 5 items. All terrible failures. Please don't fail me, Stitch Fix! Please!!!!  I moved on to the last and final item in my box: the Montgomery Chevron Cross-Front Top by 41Hawthorne for $48. This was probably my favorite item when I looked at everything in the box. The color is spot on for me - cobalt blue. That color looks great with my skin tone and hair color, so I was very very hopeful.

 I also liked the ruching and the thicker 'strap' area of the sleeveless top. I know I said no more sleeveless, but this would not cause the bra issues I've had with some of the other sleeveless tops I've kept in the last few months. I wasn't sure how low the crossover was going to go, so I was slightly worried.

Thank goodness I had no need to worry! This top fit great. I loved it immediately when I put it on. I have many other items in my wardrobe that will go with this top, so I know it will get a lot of use.  I know it looks a little bunchy around my waist, but that really is only in the photo. It covers very well across the top, so no need to worry about exposing too much chest. Arm holes are great, so nothing peeks out there. Ruching covers the problem areas some of us have. All-in-all a winner!  I was also pleased to see it was the cheapest thing in the box! KEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was probably my worst box yet. But it was bound to happen. I'm hopeful next month will be better as we are moving into fall and some new looks should be out there. I desperately need some new jeans and pants, and since we will be getting out of the hot weather, I'll be looking to invest in a few pairs.

I forgot to mention that I was so so sad that I couldn't keep the nude tank they sent me for use with the more see-through blouses!  It was a great quality tank that fit perfectly and had this neat stretchiness. If you are interested, the tank is by Sugarlips. I think I'm going to hunt them down on the internet and order me a few. Really great tank top!

Even with the pile up of 'no' items, I highly recommend this service. Just so much fun to get a box of clothes on my doorstep every month. So far, I think my experience has been a very positive one with quite a few things added to my wardrobe. If you are interested in trying out Stitch Fix for the first time, you could use my referral link below. To be all up front and what not, I would get a $25 credit. No pressure, but I include it with every fix review in case someone's interested.

Try out Stitch Fix!

Thanks for stopping by and please comment! I'd love to hear what you all think of my newest Fix.

UPDATE: Added link to nude camisole top from Sugarlips. Very inexpensive ($14) and very nice quality.

Hair Secret: Goat's Milk Shampoo Bar

I wanted to share this with the world because I have long suffered with fine hair. Since the early days, my hair was too fine to use barrettes, scrunchies and clips successfully.

See the scrunchy in the ponytail? Cute, right? Girls had tons of scrunchies to match their outfits. If I put one of these in my hair, it would slide right out. Or I could get the scrunchy tight-ish, then over the course of the day, my ponytail would deflate. It never stayed high on the back of my head like the picture.

I had to skip all the great 80s hair trends because my hair would not take a perm, would not achieve height with the use of Aquanet, and would not do anything at all if cut short! I had a few perms. They would last for about a week. Yes, a WEEK. Then, all the curl would be gone. I'd be left with slightly damaged hair, which gave me a bit more body, but not the riot of curls I was looking for.

If I added too much hairspray or mousse to my hair to try to get the awesome hairstyle below, the products would weigh down my hair. I'd end up with a limp mess by about noon. Never getting the mega-80s hair I so desired.

Well, you say, why didn't you go short? Lots of cute short hairstyles in the 80s for women. Remember Princess Di? Even Madonna chopped off her hair and went short. Unlike the lady below, my hair looks worse when shorter. Limp strands of fine hair, turning into a static mess in winter...it was not pretty. Sure, I could use the curling iron to add a bit of something to my hair, but it never lasted. Then, I still had the problem with mousse or hairspray weighing down my now short hair.

So, this example to the right of a cool, short 80s 'do? Never happened for me.

For years I battled my fine hair. I tried numerous 'body' shampoos and 'light' conditioners that promised not to weigh down your hair. I had hair stylists recommend different hair products that were suppose to give body or volume...never worked. By my late 20s, I decided to just work with the hair God gave me and find a way to be happy with it. I did find the ideal length for me: somewhere between shoulder and chin. Too long, it got straggly. Too short, and I lost what little volume I had. Eventually, I discovered that a very layered cut worked well. But I still had those 'flat' hair days where I felt like I was all head and no hair. It was depressing.

However, last Christmas a beautiful shipping error changed my life. I ordered some goat's milk products from a small company that my mother-in-law recommended to the husband. I like goat's milk lotion, and they also had a nice lip balm. So, I ordered some for Christmas.  The little company accidentally sent me someone else's order...a box full of goat's milk shampoo bars. The company, realizing their mistake, told me to just keep the delivery, as it was their fault. I thought that was cool and decided it was worth a shot to try out the shampoo and see what it was like.

All of you limp-haired beauties out there, let me be frank: THIS STUFF WORKS! My hair went from limp and sad to volumized!

When you wash your hair using a shampoo bar with goat's milk, you don't get that slick 'clean' feeling you are used to with regular shampoos. Instead, your hair will feel a bit rough and sort of coated. Don't fear! This is good. This is what gives your hair body!

I thought for sure this feeling meant I did not wash my hair enough, and it would end up limp and sad at the end of the day. Not true!

This sensation is what gives your hair the body you want. I now have this interesting texture to my hair that was never there before. My hair has lift and is super clean. It was a miracle. I will never go back to using regular shampoo again.

Another fact is that for most of the year, I don't need any conditioner at all. Just the Goat's Milk Shampoo Bar. I have not had a problem with dry hair or static at all. The only time I used conditioner was in the winter months...and I live very far north where you have very cold, dry weather.

If you are dealing with lank, fine hair, you MUST try this. There are any number of small businesses out there making goat's milk products. I will give a link to the place I buy from so that you have a resource, but you are certainly encouraged to find your own local goat's milk producer to see if they have a similar product.

FYI, my husband also uses the shampoo bar...he has completely different hair than I do. He also loves the way his hair is manageable, but not too 'fluffy,' as he calls it. If he uses something with too much conditioner he gets ridiculous puffy hair. So, this bar is for every type of hair, not just fine hair. I just wanted to give you the benefits for fine hair sufferers, because I know what a nightmare it can be to live with such thin, fine hair.

I may not be able to sport the 80s hair I wanted back in the day, but the texture and appearance of my fine hair has been greatly improved using the Goat's Milk Shampoo Bar.

Here's my resource: Udderly Fresh in Hamilton, Montana

My favorite Shampoo Bar from Udderly Fresh is the What On Earth Shampoo Bar ($5). I think for my husband and I, a shampoo bar lasts about 5 to 6 weeks. I even cut off a sliver for traveling!

If you are a fine hair sufferer and give the bar a try, please let me know what you think in the comments.

Get Your Free Copy Starting Today!

Just a quick post to remind everyone that BLOOD MOON will be available as a free download from today (July 17, 2014) through next Monday (July 21, 2014). Here's a link right to the Amazon page:

FREE Kindle Download of BLOOD MOON

Please spread the word. Thanks!

My Email Handle is Quite Popular

Many, many years ago I created a Google Mail account. I chose the simplest email address that I could think of at the time. Google Mail was still working on its old 'invitation only' model for email (Yes, I'm that old all of you millennials!), so I had no problems getting the email address I wanted.

I had been cruising along with that email address with no problems, except for all the spam that accumulates and the advertisements that clog up the system (even after I 'unsubscribe' from as much as I can). However, in the last year an unusual thing has happened: I am receiving random strangers' emails.

Here's how it started:

Last summer, I was notified via email that I would be receiving 'job search' updates to match the criteria I had selected. Trouble was, I did not create this job search for $7.50 an hour Walmart-type jobs in North Carolina on Snagajob.com. I think the name associated with this email was "Karin Gillenwater" or something similar. I ignored it.

Not more than a few hours later, I received another email from Taco Bell or McDonald's thanking me for applying for a job and that they would 'get back to me soon' about my application. I felt badly for "Karin Gillenwater" who had mistakenly given them my email address and hoped she could figure it out before she lost out on a job. There was no way for me to contact this person or let any of these sites know of the mistake as they used 'no-reply' email addresses to communicate.

I thought this would be a one-time boo-boo. I was wrong.

About 3 months ago, I received an email for another Gillenwater with the first initial 'K.' This was even sadder. It was a job offer a husband was sending to his wife! The attachment included the location of the job, salary and benefits information. Yikes!!!!  I immediately emailed the man to let him know about his mistake.

Yesterday, I received another one of these emails. This time for "Kyle Gillenwater" from Blizzard. This person had paid for an expansion pack for World of Warcraft. Inside the email was a code the guy needed to activate his expansion pack. Oh, my!

This was also from a 'no-reply' email address at Blizzard. Feeling badly for this person who spent $19.95 of his hard-earned cash for the upgrade, I went to Blizzard's website thinking I could contact someone about the error. All of the avenues wanted my 'Login ID,' which I did not have, since I was not a Blizzard customer. Eventually, I found my way to a trouble ticket area. I gave them my information and a phone number, and about 15 minutes later someone called me back. The customer service agent told me that he would find another way to contact the customer who had purchased the expansion pack.

Goodness!

To all the "K" Gillenwaters out there, please type your Google email very carefully! I am getting to know way too much personal information about a lot of you out there.

UPDATE 12/17/2014:  I just experienced a new mistake! This time I was contacted twice by "Speedy Cash" about a loan someone named "Kelsey Gillenwater" had taken out. The first email from early December was one thanking Kelsey for a payment of $48.50 from her bank account...it also included her loan number. I immediately emailed the company and told them they had the wrong email address.

I received another email from Speedy Cash just this morning. They were unable to debit Kelsey's bank account for the next loan payment. Oops.  I called the company this time to get the email address removed. They actually argued with me for a bit about it; then, I mentioned the word "spam" and some other things. The customer service guy put me on hold and eventually got back to me and told me my email address had been removed from that account.

Good luck, Kelsey!  Hope you can get your loan payments straightened out!

UPDATE 1/8/2015: I am having fun keeping a running tally of all the weird emails I receive. Here is a new one: football coach! Yes, I received an email this morning from a guy applying for a job as a Defensive Line Coach at Furman University in South Carolina. Attached was his resume and a very nice cover letter for the head football coach at Furman. The odd thing was, the person to whom he was sending the resume & letter did not have my last name. It was a completely different name...so I am mystified how this ended up in my email inbox.

I suppose this doesn't quite qualify as a 'mistake' in the same way as the others who were contacting a different 'K' Gillenwater. But I thought it was worthy of adding to my collection of misdirected emails.

Darryl, I hope you are successful in your job search!