1934 Cadillac

Since it is Thursday, I thought I'd do a little throwback post from my wedding.  The timing is pretty good too because tomorrow marks 10 years ago that Pat and I got engaged.  

I got married fairly young.  Pat and I were both 22 and had graduated college less than a month before our wedding.  It was obviously before the days of planning a wedding on Pinterest.  I had never really thought about planning my wedding.  In fact my knowledge of anything wedding related was limited.  I had hardly even attended weddings at this point.  We were the first kids from our families and friends to get married.  I really didn't know what I was doing when I was planning all the details.  I was pretty easy to please with everything because I didn't really know what I wanted to begin with.  

However, there was one big splurge that I really wanted, and I was so lucky that my parents gave in for this extravagance because it is a part of the wedding that I won't forget.  When we were looking at limousines, I saw that one company had a 1934 Cadillac as an option.  I'm not a car girl, but the classic beauty and vintage detail was exactly what I wanted for my wedding day.  We were already getting a limo to transport the wedding party, so this would be extra money.  My parents were already so generously paying for our wedding, and I felt terrible to ask them for anything more.  My parents knew how much I wanted this car to be at my wedding though, so they decided to go for it.  It was a beautiful car, and it allowed me and Pat to sneak a quiet moment together on the way to the reception.   

Despite my apathy toward many of the choices during planning, this was one that really represented me.  It was one of my favorite details from my wedding.  Thank you again, Mom and Dad, not only for the 1934 Cadillac but also for a beautiful and very special wedding day.    

Weekend Recap and Vent Session

We had a really nice weekend. Although since Pat had to work Saturday day, it kind of felt like a one day weekend.  And of course we had plans for that one day.

Sunday we attended mass at our new church.  If I'm being honest, I will confess it's been a while since we went to church mostly because it's been hard to get the kids to sit through it.  Our new church is fairly small inside, and unfortunately there is no crying room.  The boys are finally able to sit quiet and still through most of the mass, and right now Leah is young enough to get away with some talking during the service.  However, I can see that pretty soon she's going to be the one making attending difficult.  I am so happy that we were able go as a family though.

After church we were meeting Pat's friend at the local zoo.  It is a very small zoo in our town/city.  Although it is small and only has a few exhibits, I think we will be getting a lot of use out of our membership.  Inside the zoo there is a splash pad for the summer.  I cannot wait till it is warm enough for that.

Because it is still cold here many of the animals weren't out, but the boys loved it none the less.  Check out these two meerkats.  Meerkats always remind me of the prairie dogs we loved to watch in Oklahoma.

Oh wait, now there are three!

And if that isn't the prettiest little bird/owl I've ever seen, I don't know what is.

After the zoo we headed out to Friendly's for lunch.  All the boys love going there, especially my hubby.  

While it was a fun Sunday, it ended on a sour note. As I was putting Leah to bed, Pat came up and told me that Sammy, our pug, was on the deck and his foot was bleeding. I run down stairs, and sure enough it seems he has cracked his toe nail at the base of it. The last time this happened do you want to know how much it cost? $645. You can read about that time here. My stomach is in my throat thinking about it because I have been trying so hard to save money for a big house project we are planning, which just seem to be getting bigger and more expensive every day.
So Sammy will be going to the vet today.  And we still need to find a local vet.  I hope I can say this trip is much less expensive than the last one.
That brings me to my vent. I am feeling frustrated and overwhelmed lately. I keep telling this to my husband and he just isn't getting it. Right now I feel maxed out on the responsibilities I can handle. I am doing what I can, but I still feel like things are falling through the cracks. I am getting bitter because Pat never seems to be around. He works during the day. One night a week he has class.  Now work is also taking part (or sometimes all) of his weekends, and it seems whenever he isn't working he's trying to have a social life. The little things at home are not getting done, liking trimming Sammy's nails. When I bring this up I either get a nod of the head (which I consider a blow off) and nothing else or he'll say "tell me what I need to do". The problem is that I cannot keep track of it all. I think I've reached maximum capacity trying to hold it all together.  I cannot tell Pat what to do because I can't keep track of EVERYTHING, and I'm beginning to feel like a failure.

So that is how my Monday is beginning.  I guess it can only go up from here, right?

Clarifying and Updating My Opinion on Stitch Fix

If you saw my last post about my experience with Stitch Fix then you know I was a bit disappointed.  However, I do want to clarify a few things about that.

I think the idea behind Stitch Fix is incredible.  The combination of convenience and personalization is exactly what any shopper would appreciate.  I also think that overall the cost of Stitch Fix is pretty fair.  I understand that the business model has the additional cost of shipping (possibly both ways) that needs to be accounted for.  I would expect to see some of that represented in the price of items.  I do not expect to be finding a cheap deal through Stitch Fix, but rather quality clothing that truly works for me at a fair price.

My disappointment came when I found pieces from fixes on the internet from boutique stores for half the price.  I am willing to pay a few dollars more for the convenience and service, but there is a limit for me.  After realizing this, I lost some trust in the company and began to wondering if I was getting what I was paying for.  

However, this weekend I received an e-mail from Stitch Fix addressing the issues I raised in my blog.  I am impressed and humbled that the CEO took the time to address my concerns.  Since I raised my issues in a public manner, I think it is only fair to pass along some updated information to you here too.   This is what I learned:
With regard to the price discrepancies in the items I found online, I was told that they have adjusted the prices of the items that I pointed out in my blog and are looking into other items from that brand.  Most of the items they carry have a standard set price (MSRP) that most retailers follow.  Sometimes, however, the smaller brands do not provide that set price, which is what led to the pricing issue I encountered.  In addition, Stitch Fix watches the prices of the other main retailers and tries to match markdowns when possible.  Stitch Fix is doing its best to make sure that this does not happen again.  

I feel a lot better to know that it was not the intention of Stitch Fix to charge a high price on an item being sold elsewhere for less.  And I will say that in my research I have found that what I was told about a standard price among retails to be true for many of the brands Stitch Fix carries.  Here is an example:
Kut from the Kloth--polka dot chambray shirt

via

This shirt is the same brand as one I've seen in many fixes, and the above one is from Dillards.  At Dillards it is $68, which I believe is on par with Stitch Fix.

Has this information changed my opinion of Stitch Fix?  Somewhat.  I think it is commendable that they have adjusted their prices to be competitive.  After all, shopping through Stitch Fix you not only get clothes, but also an experience of trying on several items at home and styling them in different ways before buying.  If you can have that experience AND competitive pricing, then I do believe that it is a good deal.  Will I try Stitch Fix again?  Possibly.  I will not write them off just yet, but I will still comparison shop.  My money is too important to me to be wasteful with it.  Over all, I guess I wanted to share that despite a bad experience, I absolutely think Stitch Fix is on the right path.  A company that takes the time to read a little blog like mine and address the concerns I raised in a post is a company that values its customers and obviously provides good customer service by wanting to make sure the customer is happy.