Get Moving: Wiskii Active

I'm a stressed out person, always have been always will be.  It's just part of my nature but that doesn't mean I have no control.  People cope with stress a variety of ways and many of them are negative like smoking and drinking too much alcohol which seem like they're relieving stress but in the long run not only cost lots money they also wreck your health which only adds more stress.  When it comes to stress management, one of the very best things I've found which has only benefits and no harm is exercise.

Life changes in so many ways, but what never changes is that life is stressful.  Whether it's work or raising children or managing finances, life is stressful thing.  It's better to just acknowledge that and plan accordingly than to be caught off guard.  The best way to do that is just to make exercise a part of your life.  At certain stages in my life I have had lots of time to exercise.  Right now I'm in a stage where I my time is so limited that I have to make exercise a priority.  If not, I can tell that the my stress levels lead to poor sleep quality, which leads to irritability which leads to more stress and so this ugly downward spiral begins until I deal with my stress properly.  

Exercise doesn't have to be hard, it just has to engaging for your mind, body, and spirit to really feel the full effects.  Personally, I try to do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) involving a combination of cardio, weight training, and flexibility at least 2-3 times a week.  But if that doesn't work out, I know I can always get in a walk several times a week, usually in the evening, to help me de-stress and sleep well.

No matter what form of exercise you choose, it is so important to have the proper active wear and that's why I'm so excited to partner with athlesire brand WISKII Active.  WISKII designs their active wear to be highly functional by workout fabrics like LYRCA and NILIT so that you have maximum movability combined with a buttery soft feel that gives you maximum comfort.  And now you can save an extra 15% off your purchase with my code BLEU15.

But, WISKII goes a step beyond function and also focuses on form.  Their clothing is designed to be very chic and stylish like this Flex Sport 3/4 Sleeve Crop Top that has padded cups for function and the cut outs at the shoulders for a sexy chic look.   As much as I love this mesh window in these Training Mesh Leggings, the thing that surprised me the most is high waist with the criss-cross top.  This feature makes my waist look longer and leaner and gives me some nice tummy support. 

Even though I have made exercise a regular part of my life for the past 18 years of so, I'm still a real person, not a fitness influencer.  I'm over 40, I've had two children, and my body has imperfections.  There are lumps and bumps and places that aren't as perky as they used to be, but all my body insecurities melted when I put on WISKII.  These clothes make my body look good, and with over 4 fittings from sketch to store to ensure the perfect fit, is it any wonder that they make me look and feel amazing?

My decision to put my health first, to deal with my stress in a positive way has had the been one of the best decisions of my life and has had such a huge impact on how I deal with the difficulties of daily life.  Putting these clothes on actually motivates me to get moving and press on with my fitness journey in spite of my busy schedule and WISKII just made this journey much more comfortable and infinitely more chic.  

Shopping Info: Women's Training Mesh Leggings in Royal Blue-$79 and Flex Sports 3/4 Sleeve Crop Top-$65 from WISKIIActive.com Use code BLEU15 to save 15% off your purchase

Sweater Weather: MAK Sweaters Outfit #2

Ah yes, sweater weather is upon us and this year I am more prepared than ever for the change in seasons.  Normally I wait for the weather to determine when I change out my wardrobe, but as this part of the country has rather indecisive weather, I more often than not change things out a piece at a time.  This method leads to an over-flowing closet with pieces for all weather and it has not served me well, so this year I decided to do something different.

Every year I feel like the seasons pass without me getting around to wearing most of my lovelies season clothes.  After about two years of whittling down my wardrobe, the only items left in my closet are the things I absolutely love and never want to part with.  After so much work at curbing spending and cutting the less loved items, it's even more frustrating when another year passes and I haven gotten around to wearing my seasonal favorites.  It sometimes feels like I keep wearing the same things over and over out of habit or closet overload. 

So this year instead of waiting for the weather to determine when my wardrobe rotates, I took matters into my own hands.  I spent the last few days of August sorting and organizing my clothes into the four seasons.  Everything but the autumn clothes got folded up, put into sealed tubs with silica packets to keep moisture away and lavender sachets to discourage moths, and was then toted out to the shed for storage.

Instead of being overwhelmed by clothes for every occasion, I now have a very manageable amount of clothing that are for this season only.  I'll wear everything for three months and then pack them away and bring out my winter things at the end of November.  One of the great things about the seasonal wardrobe system is that it's based on colors and fabrics, so even if it's a warm day I can still wear a beautiful lightweight fall sweater like this cotton blend heart pullover from MAK.

I wear my MAK cardigans and sweaters year round and have been wearing MAK sweaters for the better part of ten years.  I adore them!  Options on lengths, colors, and styles, they have something to suit any style, mood, or season in which I find myself which is why I am a loyal MAK customer.  In fact, I still have and still wear most of the cardigans I bought from MAK almost ten years ago because they have held up to wear so nicely.

And thanks to this new system, I know that all my lovely MAK sweaters and other clothes will get all the wear they deserve.  Since we're on the topic of closet clean organization, let's keep it going.  I'm going to devote at least two more posts to my new organizational system because it has helped me so tremendously, so I hop you'll join me for those.

Shopping List: YEMAK Women's Pullover Heart Knitted Sweater-$21, Skirt and heels are old from ModCloth, Beret is old from Japan

Finding Quiet: Wiskii Active

Between parenting teens, working, and trying to have a functional homestead, I usually find myself extremely stressed most of the time.  I know I'm not unique in this way, most people are trying to wear all the hats and be all the things and struggling just to keep their sanity.  That's why it's so important to carve out time for peace and quiet in all the chaos.

Hiking, stretching, yoga, those are all great ways to calm your mind and relax your body and just generally find quiet in the busyness of life.  This morning it's a combination of all three just to really maximize my free morning.  With such a full schedule it's harder these days to get out and do activities like this, which is why I put them on the schedule and keep them as I would any other important appointment.

Since I'm combining my exercises, it's important to have active wear that can multitask too.  I'm so excited for my collab with Wiskii.  Wiskii Active is where fitness meets fashion with chic activewear.  And you can save an extra 15% off your purchase with code BLEU15.  For my light exercises this morning I chose these High Waist Flare Leggings which are buttery soft and fit like a second skin and of course I had to choose this soft purple of Taro Ice Cream.  

These sets aren't just the most comfortable active wear I've ever owned, they're them most stylish too.  Wiskii uses performance fabrics like Lyrca and NiLit for stretchy body sculpting styles that give you full range of motion.  But, these clothes aren't just function, with over four fittings in the design process to ensure the right fit, these clothes feel like they were custom made for me.  I also love all the design choices like the scalloping along the top of these leggings, it's such a lovely feminine detail, and the high waist doesn't squeeze or restrict.  Instead I can do any exercise from active hiking to gentle stretching in comfort.

With light padding and these mesh straps, the Victoria Corset Bra (the name alone sounds like this bra was made for me!) is elegant, comfortable, and functional.  I love this style, and just like the leggings, this bra feels like a second skin.  The best part about this bra is that unlike most sports bras, the Victoria Corset Bra doesn't smoosh my chest flat, it actually makes it look great.  So, while I'm searching for calm in the chaos, I can finally do it in style with Wiskii.

Shopping Info:  High Waist Flare Leggings-$79 and 

Victoria Corset Bra-$59 from WiskiiActive.com  Save an extra 15% off your purchase with code BLEU15

For Lamour Day Dress from Ivory Sheep

In light of my recent post about the shocking lack of decent customer service at some of the major companies in the world, I thought it only fair to bring a balanced view to the discussion by highlighting one of the places I shop where the customer service is outstanding, IvorySheep.

Based in Ontario, Canada and founded by highschool sweethearts Michael and Mackenzie, Ivory Sheep is for everyone who marches to the beat of their own drum.  Not just for black sheep, but for the those who feel like they're even the odd ball among the black sheep, the Ivory Sheep, if you will. That's the sort of train of thought that speaks to me very personally.

Ivory Sheep carries top brands like Selkie, Maison Amory, and Love Shack Fancy, but their customer service is where they really shine.  Mackenzie inspects every piece they get in stock to make sure it meets their quality standards.  That is a great comfort if you've ever read some of the horror stories from people who got dresses with holes or stains and couldn't get a refund.

The first time I ordered from Ivory Sheep, it was a Selkie pre-order and I didn't really know what to expect.  As the weeks slipped by I began to get nervous, so I sent an email to Mackenzie on a Saturday morning, not expecting a response from customer service until Monday afternoon.  Within minutes she had replied and reassured me that pre-orders were still in the works and not to worry.  She then asked for the date by which I needed the dress, so I told her, thinking it was far enough away that she didn't need to worry about it.

More weeks slipped by and the date approached so I reached out again.  Pre-order production was still moving at a snail's pace, but she told me she'd do everything she could to get it to me in time, and true to her word, she reached out to Selkie and asked them to ship it to me directly to save time so that I could have my dress when I needed it.

All I could think after reading her messages was, "Wow, it's nice to know there are people like this in the world, who will go the extra mile, not because they have to but because they care."  I've been a loyal customer ever since.

There were only a couple of things that tickled my fancy from Selkie's Paper Moon Collection (by the way, Paper Moon has been one of my favorite movies since I was a little girl, so it only seems fitting to have a dress or two from this collection), but this For Lamour Day Dress was definitely at the top of that short list, followed by a surprise crush on a dress I didn't even notice right away.  More about that dress on the way.

For now, though I do adore this dress and I am ever so grateful to IvorySheep for being a place that I can trust in a world that sometimes seems rather short on ethical businesses and kind people.  Keep up the amazing work!

Shopping Info: Selkie For Lamour Day Dress-$252 from IvorySheep.com

Sweater Weather: Mak Sweaters Outfit #1

Fall is almost here and it's time to break out the layering clothes in all the autumn hues.  It's no secret that I love cardigans.  They're a year-round wardrobe staple for me.  My go-to brand is and always has been MAK Sweaters.  I've been a loyal customer for the past 10 years or so, 8 of which are featured here on the blog beginning with my second ever blog post and continuing through the years up to today.

I was so delighted when MAK offered to send me a bundle of sweaters to ring in the cooling temperatures and I practically squealed with delight when I saw this orange and black cat print cardigan sitting right on top.  Oh, they know me so well!

Right away, I put together this little fall look with my plaid trousers that I bought at Unique-Vintage's Extra 40% off Sale Items event.  They only cost me about $17, so naturally I bought one pair in every color and I'm glad I did, because MAK sent over several sweaters that will look great with this trousers and I can't wait to style them all.

I'm doing a proper unboxing and try-on over on the YouTube channel at 10:00 a.m. today, so head over there if you just can't wait to see what MAK sent.  If, on the other hand, you're the kind who loves suspense, then by all means keep coming back as I post all my MAK looks over the next couple of weeks.

Shopping Info:  YeMak Cat Print Cardigan-$25, Unique Vintage Black Windowpane Rogers Pants-$29

Foxy Throwbacks

I'm always moving forward with the blog, going to the next outfit, the next post.  I rarely look back even though my most popular photos were taken years ago when ModCloth still had their customer gallery.  Every time ModCloth sent out a survey, I would ask and beg them to bring back the customer gallery, but they never did.  Eventually they stopped being this whimsical, original shop and became just sort of like everyone else. 

This post isn't really about the slow, painful end to my love affair with ModCloth, rather it is about looking back at past favorites.  It's not quite autumn yet, but it's also not too early to get in the spirit, so I thought I'd devote a few posts to my favorite foxy prints starting with this fox dress from ModCloth.  I've worn it many times and styled it many ways and it has a place in my closet still.

If you've not been following the blog since 2016 when it started then you may never have seen my natural hair color, but here it is, and with no fringe....except now my hair is mostly gray, so this was a rare moment captured before time and stress turned my hair to salt and pepper.  I've been doing red for five years or so, but truth be told, I miss being a brunette and I think I'll return to brown hair after the autumn colors have faded.

Mind Control

Life is nothing if not a balancing act.   At an unprecedented time of self indulgence across the board in thoughts, words, actions, finances, food, it may be difficult to see the need for temperance, but I assure you that the motto "all things in moderation" will bring you greater happiness than endless gratifying of our wants.  

Everyone has their thing.  You know, the thing they spend way too much time, money and attention on.  For me it's clothes, for others it's tech or food or sports or success, but we all have something that tempts us.  The very best definition of temptation that I have ever heard was just this:  a temptation is a perverted promise meaning one that never delivers.  Although as a side note, I would say that in our current culture, most people have more than one thing; they are in fact out of control in most areas of their lives.

For me, the temptation whispers that if I buy a certain dress I'll be feel happy, beautiful, fulfilled and I'll never want another thing besides that.  But, when it arrives, it's just a dress and even if I feel those things they quickly wear off leaving me to begin the search again somewhat poorer and more desperate than before.  All temptations work this way.  Eating a rich dessert doesn't fix self hatred.  Getting plastic surgery won't fix self confidence.  Having an affair won't fix a marriage.  Playing ten rounds of golf won't make work less of a grind.  But, we tell ourselves, if I could just get this one thing, then we would be happy, we would be complete.  But it is simply not true, and we all find out the hard way.

The good news is that while some people are born with a more temperate nature than others, everyone can develop self-control through repeated practice.  Self-control is like a muscle that gets stronger the more you exercise it.  The more you exercise it, the easier it becomes to practice self-control.  In a world filled with so much indulgence, people are unhappier than ever, because they have failed to learn the simple lesson that more doesn't equal happiness.  Moderation brings fulfillment; self control brings peace.  Happiness comes when you are whole and complete, fulfilled and at peace with yourself.

It's perfectly fine to have things that you enjoy, but when they begin to take first place in your life, you know these actions are out of balance, but actually the best place to begin practicing moderation and self-control is not with your actions but with your thoughts.  Thoughts are the father of actions.  If you can stop the wrong thoughts, you can prevent the wrong actions.  

Everything you do is the result of thoughts.  You may not be aware of how much you are thinking, fixating, and obsessing in your thoughts, but it's worth it to spend some time analyzing what you spend your time thinking about.  No one wakes up one day and has an affair in the same way that no one wakes up one day and drops $75,000 on a sports car.  No, it is the result of much time spent thinking, fantasizing, and planning before any action takes place.  If we were to stop our thoughts the minute we have them instead of dwelling on them, they would not lead to actions which then lead to our detriment or demise.  

If you want to lead a balanced life, begin with what you think.  Pay attention to your thoughts, write them down at least daily and reread them analytically to see where you are out of balance or even engaging in thinking you know is just wrong.  If you're writing down things you'd be ashamed to show anyone, then you absolutely know it's wrong.  But it doesn't have to lead you down a wrong path.

It is far easier to stop a thought than to correct an action, and it's a far happier life when we live thoughtfully, honestly, and in moderation with all things.

Shopping Info:  Aliexpress Dress, Empress Flats