Worth Collective Dress Review

As part of my Low-Buy year, I am trying to shy away from shopping so much in general, but I have kept some room in my budget for the occasional purchase.  After hearing the buzz in one of my FB groups about Worth Collective, I decided to head over and see what they had to offer.  I found two pretty little dresses that I wanted to try and then found a 20% off promo code to sweeten the deal.  So, let's dive in to a few key features about Worth Collective.

1. Shipping.  My order shipped the following day and arrived within the week.  Already we were off to a good start.  Also, orders over $175 ship for free.  Pretty much buy two dresses and you'll get free shipping.  My order was minimally packed, so if you hate all the plastic bags and wrapping, you should know they put both dresses into a single bag.

2.  Sizing.  As far as size inclusivity goes, I tend to save that term for shops that offer XXS ~ 6X.  While Worth Collective offers XS to 3X on many styles, there are also plenty that only have Small through XL, so I can't exactly say they're size inclusive but I do appreciate that they're trying.  Believe it or not, many shops out there don't offer anything outside of Small ~ XL.  You won't really see them featured here on the blog, because they never carry my size.  Having said that, I ordered XS in both dresses and they actually fit extremely well, so I'm happy.

3.  Purpose Inclusivity.  This brand does something I really love, and that is that they recognize that you may want a beautiful dress for all the various roles you may play in your life.  From a woman of any age who loves to wear a pretty dress, to pregnancy/bump friendly styles, to the need for clothes that accomodate the way your body continues to change during nursing, motherhood, and beyond into the menopause years these dresses seem to be versatile in their design to allow for a changing body.  One way this is accomplished is through the liberal use of elastic throughout.  I cover this topic more in the video below.

4.  Quality.  So far, I have washed, ironed, and worn these dresses and they've held up beautifully.  The prints are lovely and the fabric on the Mary Elizabeth in particular is very nice.  I love that they have so many 100% cotton dresses (which are also 100% cotton lining!).  Synthetics are dead.  They're hot, itchy, and uncomfortable.  Natural fibers are where it's at.

5.  Price.  On my first order, I found a 20% off promo code through sites like Retail Me Not, and then as a thank you, I was emailed another promo code after my first order.  I'm not affiliated with this brand, so this is something that is potentially open to all, and definitely is what helped me make the decision to-buy or not-to-buy each time.  Dresses here range from $78 ~ $198, with most dresses falling at about $150 or less.  It does seem a little high to me, but with free shipping and a promo code, it feels about right.  I chose the Mary Elizabeth because it reminded me so much of the Selkie Day dress but at 1/2 the price and it has pockets!

In summary, I'm very, very happy with this shop.  Are there some things that could be improved?  Yes, but just a tiny bit.  Over all, I think they're doing a great job and I'm happy with the whole experience.  In fact, I decided to use my thank you promo code to get a couple more dresses, one of which you've seen in my Dark Cottage Core post, the other you'll see in my upcoming posts.  My video review is posted below.

Outfit Info:  Mary Elizabeth Midi Dress in Blue from Worth Collective, shoes are old from Charlotte Russe.

Slow(er) Living

For most of my adult life, I made a commitment to getting up early nearly every morning and working out for 30 minutes first thing.  This past year has been the exception to that as I wake at 4:30 a.m., shower, dress, and am out the door no later than 5:30 a.m.   Sure, I've tried to work in an evening walk or stop at the gym on my way home, but I am really not an evening workout kind of person, so I haveb't been consistent with it and it's starting to show.  For me, working out has meant the difference between feeling good and pulled muscles, stiffness, losing flexibility, and poor sleep quality.  That's right, I've pulled more muscles from inactivity than I ever have from being consistently active.  So, my goal for this morning, was to once again begin working out as many mornings as possible.  It's the new year after all, and a time when most of us start thinking about making some positive changes.

Yes, today was my day.  It was going to happen.  And then I slept in.  Because I didn't have to go to work, so for once there was no rush.  And since this past year has been so exhausting, Mr. Bleu and I have developed a Saturday/Sunday morning ritual of making coffee and sitting in the sunshine, indoors or outdoors, where ever that may fall, and catching up on the goings on of our week and the future plans of the coming week, and I'm not in a hurry to give that up.  So, Ok, I had to compromise somewhere, because when I say that I've been in pain for the past few months of inactivity, I mean, it has been excruciating at times.  I chose to have our morning coffee and then have a late workout instead.  I hoped to follow suit the next morning, but this time all I got accomplished was coffee time.

Workout time is important, no mistake about it.  But, I'm also beginning to realize that coffee time is super important too.  I think I've reached a balance by simply making room for two of my favorite things in my life.  Ok, maybe I am working out less, but maybe it's time to slow down a bit and make room for some peaceful quiet mornings too.

As Happy as an Elf

I start the holidays each year with great expectations but somewhere in all the busyness some of the important things can easily get lost in shuffle.  Last year, tired of not getting to enjoy the holidays with my own family, doing some of our most beloved holiday traditions like making cookies for friends and neighbors, I decided to opt-out of some community events.

The result of a less busy December was that we felt less rushed, less stressed, and just generally enjoyed the holidays more, which is why, this year, I decided to do the same.  Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly loved serving my community, and I felt guilt both from my own conscience and from the people I had to call and tell I wouldn't be available this year.  The pressure was on so much that I nearly gave in, but then I realized that I'm not the savior this holiday is about.  It really doesn't have to be up to me to do it all.  So, I decided to stand my ground by sitting this one out.  

I really didn't need to worry, because without me, other people stepped in to fill the roles that I was absent from.  And with fewer obligations, I was able to bring back the holiday traditions that have been missing from our Christmases for the past few years.

 

I know the holidays are all about giving to others, but sometimes, it's ok to step back from the world at large and just be present for your immediate family and friends, just take the time to think of them and make the most of the time you have with them.

Shopping Info:  Unicorn Dress, Red Fishnet tights from WeLoveColors.com

Christmas Colors

Christmas is the one time of year when it's perfectly acceptable to society and our retinas to wear red and green together, so I intend to make the most of it and absolutely wear the heck out of all my Unicorn Defends print dresses.  

Red and green are directly opposite on the color wheel which means they are a very harsh combination to our eyes to take in, but at the time of year when the world is so devoid of any other colors, I guess it makes sense to combine the things that really standout.

It's so interesting to me how I wear this dress throughout the year and it's just a regular green dress, but add a red petticoat and some red accessories and suddenly all the reds in the print standout and it's the perfect unconventional holiday dress.

You may remember this dress from earlier in the year when I did a little alteration to take it from a sugarfrill style to a plain puff.  For Christmas, I think the sugarfrill is perfect because it's a little over the top as so many good holiday dresses are, but for me personally, no regrets about taking away the lace.

I am excited for the holidays and once again bringing out all my beautiful dresses to add to my own enjoyment of the season.  I hope you have some beautiful pieces that you enjoy wearing at this special time of year and if you're feeling the Christmas spirit, leave me a comment below telling me about your favorite holiday piece that you own.

Shopping Info: Unicorn Dress from ZJOAN, Margot Flats from VIVAIA

One Quiet Day

Yesterday I did absolutely nothing.  That's right.  Mr. Bleu and I were in total agreement that after all things we've had filling up our schedules lately, what we really needed most was a day of rest.  No cleaning house, no grocery shopping, no mowing the yard, no visiting friends, not so much as a date night.  We.  Did.  Nothing.  And, it was perfect.

I started my day of nothing on the preceding evening by going to bed at 8:00 p.m.  I know that's crazy early, but I was crazy tired both physically and emotionally, so I decided that even if I didn't fall asleep, I would just go in my room, lay down and look out the window until I did fall asleep.  As much as I would like to say that I was soothed into dreamland by the sounds of nature, that's not how it went at all.  Yeah, I was immediately out like the literal and proverbial light.

Ten blissful hours later, I woke up with nothing demanding my time, so I didn't get up.  I lay there for another half hour or so, not sleeping, more like thinking with my eyes closed.  I might have gone on that way for another hour or two more but even with the windows closed and the A/C running, I could hear the frantic squeals of a mama pig and eight piglets whose breakfast was long overdue.  So, I did get up.  

Once the animals were fed and quieted again, I spent the morning strolling around the yard with Mr. Bleu discussing improvements and the garden with neither of us intending to get around to any of it until another day.  Then we had our coffee and I had a couple of these amazing almond flour banana muffins I have been making each week as a healthy start to my day when I don't have time to make a bigger meal.  But, Mr. Bleu, seizing the lull in our schedule, took the time to make himself blueberry Dutch baby pancakes with homemade lemon curd.  It was amazing and I wish I had waited.

As for the rest of the day?  I spent some time in a mineral soak, got some sun to help keep my immune system healthy through the inevitable and seemingly endless winter, made my favorite meal for lunch--homemade pizza with a homemade vodka lemonade, and I managed to work in an afternoon nap and a little evening meditation and prayer time.

Today of course, we're both back to work doing all the things we didn't do yesterday and getting caught up before another busy week begins.  Unfortunately putting off work means it's still there waiting for another day and usually with a little more added from the delay.  And yet it seems so much easier to tackle these tasks when we're fully rested and refreshed.  

Shopping Info: Floral Lace Up Corset Dress-$34.20 from Cider in sizes 0-10  Rose Pattern Corset Dress in Plus Sizes 12-26