At first I was fascinated by the wreckage...I'd never actually seen anything like it before, and I just wanted to take pictures of everything...typical me.   But the more times I went in, the more unnerving it became. The more it sunk in that this is it, the house is really gone.   By the final time I went inside, I just wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible, because it just felt so ominous inside.

  Before I left though, I had to take a few moments to look around and just take it all in one more time.  I stood in the kitchen and saw it as it was before, with my family there. My grandmother at the stove, my grandpa at the kitchen table.  Myself as a child, using a stepladder as a chair and eating my dinner off of the pull-out cutting board because there wasn't room at the table.  

  And even the big yard outside, which still looks the same,  but I knew I wouldn't likely get to visit again. I could see my brothers and I as children playing with our cousins,  games like "Beat each other up" and "Man Hunt."     



  And of course, I will always remember my grandparents waving goodbye from the porch door or the big picture window, as they did every time we'd leave after a visit.

  I had to take it all in one more time, and say goodbye. Its so sad to think that I won't ever get to visit the house again.  Part of me kind of felt like it would always be there for me.   And if its hard for me, I can only imagine how difficult it is for my mom and my grandpa, who spent so much of their lives there.





  You never think that this sort of thing could happen to you, or to your family, but it can. It does.

 And because I don't want to leave this on such a sad note, I thought I would close with a couple photos of some happier times at the house.  :)






     I will miss this old house, but it will stand untouched in my memories and dreams. 

I found that good ol' Stitch Fix box in my mail again!  It always brightens my day. This time I had requested black cropped pants and summer tops.  So what did they send me?  Well, I'll show you, just as soon as I explain what Stitch Fix is again, for the folks that don't already know.

Stitch Fix is like your own personal stylist/shopper.  You fill out a style profile with your sizes and preferences, and for a $20 styling fee, they send you a box with 5 items hand picked for you!   Try them on, send back what you don't want to keep, and the $20 fee you paid goes toward your final purchase...you do lose it though if you don't keep anything.   If you decide to keep all 5 things, you get an additional 25% off!    The items are a bit on the pricier side...so far mine have ranged from  $28-$98, with most things falling somewhere in the middle.

Oh, and you can get a box as often or as little as you'd like!

It's really convenient if you're like me and aren't able to go out clothes shopping very much, or if you're not good at putting outfits together.  They always include a styling card with ideas on what to wear with each item!

Anyway, onto this month's fix.
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Market & Spruce Mori Top
I actually like everything about this top except for the print. It just struck me as kind of "Momish" looking, lol (but you ARE a mom, Kim!!)  If it were a solid color or a different print I'd probably want to keep it.  Actually, looking at the pictures now, I'm almost tempted to keep it because it seems to make me look slimmer! ;)





Papermoon Wynn Front Pocket Blouse
First, disregard my crazy hair...I didn't know it was windy out.
I didn't like anything about this top.  Not the print, not the style. And as soon as I pulled it out of the box I was thinking, "Why did they send me another long sleeved shirt when I asked for summer tops?

Margaret M Emer High Waisted cropped trousers
I was really excited to see these pants in my fix!  I'd been eying them for a while and had pinned them once or twice on my style board.  They're kind of strange looking before you put them on...kind of a stretchy material with no buttons, zippers or pockets. But they look pretty awesome on.   I only wish they had back pockets, and that they were just a teensy bit shorter. For cropped pants, they're not that cropped.



Pixley Misty Scarf Print Ribbon Strap Blouse
I wasn't really feeling the print on this one.  A little to "LOOK AT ME!!"   





Caramela Bellatrix Lace Detail Cardigan
I got this one in a previous fix, in a darker blue color.  I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now in the new color.  Mostly I think its the drapey material down the front that I don't like.  But anyway, once again I was wondering why they sent me this?  The note from my stylist said it was for "those breezy summer nights," well, maybe for the rest of the world...not here, it's still dang near 100 degrees at night. :)



So the verdict?  I'm pretty sure I'm keeping the pants.  If I had the money, I might have kept the first top too, but I don't, and like I said, I wasn't totally sold on that one anyway.

Want to try out Stitch Fix yourself?  I'd appreciate it if you'd use my referral link! It'll give me  a small credit toward future purchases, and I could use all the help I can get! ;)    https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3988708


 Til next time!   <3