JMT - Day One

July 24, 2015
0 miles
Yosemite National Park

My sister Courtney and I flew into Fresno, CA late yesterday, took a shuttle to our hotel and spent the evening repacking for our upcoming trip. We had been preparing since February to hike the John Muir Trail together, a 221 mile trail that ran through the heart of the Sierras in central California. I had hiked the JMT in 2013 when I did the Pacific Crest Trail, but it had been such an amazing part of my journey that I couldn’t wait to do it again.

It had been a long process to get to this point: we had tried for two weeks to get permits, faxing in our application multiple times daily in order to get one of the coveted 45 spots per day that were allotted to do the trail. We finally secured a permit – and one to climb Half Dome – and began our planning in earnest.

While Courtney arranged transportation and hotel arrangements, I bought and packaged all our food drops and planned our daily itinerary. By the time July finally came around, we were tired of all the planning and just ready to be out on the trail for three weeks! Now that we were finally here we couldn’t wait to get started.

Today Courtney and I had breakfast at the hotel before catching the bus into Yosemite. The drive took a few hours, and the road was so serpentine that we ended up getting quite car sick, but the drive was beautiful, nonetheless. I had never been to Yosemite valley, having only skirted the edge of it when I was here in 2013, and I did not have very fond memories of the place. I remembered days of hot, humid afternoons and lightning storms, trails that were unceremoniously brutal, and the worst of it: being constantly covered in a swarm of biting mosquitoes. Yosemite, at the time, had felt like punishment for leaving the beauty of the PCT.

This year, however, Yosemite proved my memories wrong. The beauty of the valley quickly blew me away. The looming Half Dome and El Capitan dominated our views, and every corner seemed to have another waterfall to gaze upon.

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Courtney and I picked up our permits in the ranger station and then set up our tent in the backpacker’s campground nearby. Since we had the whole day to enjoy the valley, we wandered around soaking in the sights and doing a few smaller hikes around the area. Since it was mid-summer, the valley was flooded with tourists, but despite all the people, it didn’t diminish the beauty of the park. The weather was perfect and I hoped it would stay that way – a late winter storm had blown through the JMT last week, and I heard a lot of hikers had gotten rained out and stuck in the freak snowstorm. This week, however, was looking perfect and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Stitch Fix #2

Alright boys and girls, it's that time again... another Stitch Fix box!
If you've never tried Stitch Fix, check out my first post for details.


Renee C - Melisa Skirt: $48

I've been itching for a good pencil skirt, but I wasn't sure this was the one I wanted. The pattern wasn't really my style, and though it was super stretchy-comfortable, it also hugs my curves a little... too much? Plus, I couldn't figure out what I would wear with it.
While I was debating on all these probably-going-to-return-it decisions, I discovered a salmon-colored shirt in my closet that remarkably matched the skirt exactly. Paired with a wide belt, the skirt suddenly looked adorable.
Ok, Stitch Fix. You win again.

Verdict: Kept


41Hawthorne - McAdams Beaded Neckline Blouse: $58

Oh, I'm sorry Stitch Fix. Did I forget to fill out the part of my style profile that lists me as a pasty, pasty white girl? I must have, otherwise you would not send me a white tank top that does literally nothing for my complexion. Ugh. And I thought wedding dress shopping made me look pale.
Also, who in their right minds wants a see-through $58 white tank top?? Ok sure, the detailing would be cute for layering, but if you're going to layer it and cover it up, just go to Target and buy a cheap tank for $7.
In Stitch Fix's defense, this is the first item I had no trouble saying "hate it!" so they've been doing pretty darn good at nailing my style. Sometimes you gotta hate a shirt or two, because otherwise I'd be broke. True story.

Verdict: Returned


41Hawthorne - Dita Sleeveless Ponte Dress: $68

Confession: I really like this dress. It fit just right and the pinky-purple color is just my style. But somehow, despite liking it, I couldn't convince myself to keep it. Why? Is it because the neckline is boring and the top looks kind of like a sports bra? Is it because I have 10 other dresses in my closet that closely resemble this one? Or is it just because this dress is missing that little bit of "intrigue" that makes it uniquely different and worth $68?
Sorry, cute dress. 

Verdict: Returned


Romolo - Austin Mini Spoon Drops Necklace: $34

When Tanner first saw this, he cried, "they look like spoooooons!"
Good job, hubby. That is, in fact, the name of the necklace!
Also, let's just announce right now that I'm a sucker for any necklace Stitch Fix sends me, apparently. I love me some jewelry and it's always the least expensive thing in the box, so if I keep it I don't lose my $20 styling fee... win win.

Also, here's your chance to see the Dita Sleeveless dress without any accessories. There's just no hiding that boring neckline. Sigh. Sorry, dress.

Verdict: Kept


Market & Spruce - Alan French Terry Asymmetrical Zip Cardigan: $68

The fabric of this cardigan is sooooo soft. Like those jersey knit sheets that feel so nice. And when you pick it up, it weighs like 5 pounds, so it's like a snuggly winter blanket that you just want to wrap around you and take a nap.
Unfortunately, this cardigan was WAY too big. Like, voluminous. The sleeves went past my fingertips, and I have long arms. And there was just too much fabric. I couldn't keep it from looking baggy and frumpy, so back it went. It goes well with the dress though, right?

Verdict: Returned


If you feel like you want to try out Stitch Fix, I encourage you to sign up with my referral, by clicking here. It gives me a little bit of credit to spend on my next fix, and that ensures I don't look like a total hobo in normal life. Thanks, you're swell! :)

Stitch Fix #1

If you feel like you want to try out Stitch Fix, I encourage you to sign up with my referral, by clicking here. It gives me a little bit of money to spend on my next fix and ensure that I don't look like a total hobo in normal life.


Daniel Rainn - Soloman Blouse: $68

I wanted to love this blouse, I really did. I mean, it's super cute, right?
The first time I put it on, it felt so baggy and weirdly fitting that I immediately nixed thoughts of keeping it. But then I kept trying it on, and taking photos, and pairing it with pants and necklaces, and I started to really like it.
Unfortunately, in the end, it had a few key things going wrong with it that sealed my decision:
- It is really volumous in the front. It's hard to tell in the photos, but it felt like a maternity shirt, and as I am not pregnant, that's not really the look I was going for.
- It is quite tight across the shoulders. The fabric has very little give, so I felt like my arm movements were very restricted.
- It looks very similar to a lot of other blouses I own, and I bought those tops for much less money. Sorry, pretty top.

Verdict: Returned


Market & Spruce - Aleah Heather V-Neck Dolman Top: $48

When I first put this top on, I was like, THERE IS SO MUCH FABRIC WHAT. I had no idea what to do with it. Was it a shirt? A poncho? A Batman cape? What?
But since I had my entire closet at my disposal (a real perk of shopping in the comfort of your own home!) I fussed around with it, paired it with a tank top, necklace and quirky belt, and it ended up as an outfit that I really liked.
Plus, the jersey fabric is SO soft and comfortable; it was definitely the kind of thing I wear on a daily basis. And the price wasn't too astronomical...

Verdict: Kept


RD Style - Vivianna Open-Draped Knit Cardigan: $98

I love cardigans. I don't think I own enough of them, so I was stoked when I received one in my first box (though I shouldn't be surprised... half the photos in my Pinterest board are cardigan outfits...)
Though I loved the pattern, color, and drape of this cardigan, there were a couple of nit-picky details that nagged at me:
- The sleeves are really tight, and I am not someone who wears long sleeves very often. On the rare occasion I do wear long sleeves, I have to be able to roll them up. It bugs me to eat dinner feeling like I'm trailing my shirt in my food. Plus, I'm on the move a lot at my job and get overheated very quickly. But I was almost willing to overlook that, except....
- The back of the cardigan is much higher than the front. Seriously. It looks really weird. It hit right across my butt, which made the whole outfit look awkward and bulky from the back. If only I could stand with my back against the wall all day, this might just be the perfect cardigan. Alas...

Verdict: Returned


Liverpool - Collen Straight Leg Jean: $78

I absolutely hate jean shopping. I have a small waist and wide hips, and it is the WORST trying to find pants that don't gap, fit around my bum and are actually long enough for my long legs. I usually succumb to those $20 jeans at Old Navy because they fit well enough and I don't mind as much when they fall apart in five months.
So when I got a pair of jeans in my box, I had a moment where I self-righteously scoffed, "HA!" that someone who had never seen me could possibly pick out a pair of pants for me.
And lo and behold....
They fit.
Like a glove.
Ah, beautiful, stretchy,  dark-washed jeans. I love you.
And yet....
When filling out my style profile, I checked both "wide leg" and "straight leg" as types of jeans I wear (and did NOT check "skinny jeans." My hips ain't never gonna pull those off.) But after prancing joyfully around the house in these jeans (trying to talk myself into the $78 price tag... good pants are worth it, right?) I suddenly took a look in the mirror and realized I had made a mistake.
I am not a straight leg jean girl.
I have the classic "pear" shaped body, which means I'm small on top and wide through my hips and thighs. Unfortunately, once you get past the thighs, my legs taper down into small ankles, which makes me resemble a spinning top. (Or one of those 1950s cartoon women with the wide middles and tiny, pointed toes.) That being said, skinny jeans and straight leg jeans only serve to accentuate the pitfalls of my hips and ankles. I would have been better with a nice wide-leg jean, which helps balance the shapes of my lower half.
In the end, I decided that if I could receive jeans that I ALMOST really loved, then for sure I would someday receive some wide-leg jeans that I REALLY loved. So for now, I will wait.

Verdict: Returned


31 Bits - Zita Large Beaded Necklace: $38

I thought this necklace was ghastly when I first opened it.
I don't have very many pieces of statement jewelry, but I specifically put it on my style profile because I want more in my collection. I love how statement necklaces look with a really put-together outfit. It can make or break a look. But I'm horrible at finding just the right pieces, so I was hoping for some help.
I thought this one was a bit overkill -- it was super long, super chunky, and not quite my color. But the more I played with it, the more I fell in love with it. It went with EVERYTHING in my closet. And made all my outfits 100% more interesting.
It didn't take long to realize that I was definitely keeping it.

Verdict: Kept


Bloggy Facelift!

Helloooooo readers!

Wow, was that like, an epic hiatus or what?? There has been so much going on around here that I just can't keep up with it all. But I'm excited to share it with you, one blog post at a time.

First of all, though.... did you notice anything different about my blog? It got a sweet little makeover! Er... should I say... BIG makeover. Like, I've been working day and night designing this thing for weeks. And it's still not complete. You can click around and explore, but be forewarned that a lot of my old blog links are broken. When I moved my blogger site over, all my old URLs didn't follow, so I've been tediously mapping each of them to redirect to the new page... you can imagine how fun that is. So hopefully in time everything will work 100% again (or close to it) but until then, hang in there! All the blog posts are still available, you just might not be able to get to them via the old links. And speaking of tedious URL mapping... anyone know a shortcut for how to do batch 301 redirects?? You would be my hero. Forever.

Anyway, I'm hoping new blog posts will keep my mind off all the tedious bits of making a new webpage... (I'm no web design genius, trust me, so I'm doing everything the slow-self-taught way) and overall, I'm pretty excited about the possibilities of this new site. It's gonna be awesome, folks.

In the meantime, have you seen my shop lately? I've been updating on my Facebook page, but in case you missed it, there's all kinds of great new stuff! Stickers.... calendars... new holiday cards... Black Friday sales galore! In fact, today is the last day of my Black Friday to Cyber Monday sale, so take advantage of the BOGO deals if you haven't yet!