Personal Style - Stitch Fix

I'm not at all a fashionable person.  Not even a bit.  I try from time to time to put together an outfit and put a bit of energy into how I look, but really, I'm terrible.  I wear jeans to work everyday (manufacturing life...) and a nice(ish) top that promptly gets covered with a lab coat, put on safety shoes, and a hair net.  There I stand as a worker bee in a production facility.  No need for fancy anything.  So weekends and evenings are really the only time I ever feel the need to do myself up.  Most weeknights, I'm heading out to see The Boyfriend and if we are staying in I wear comfy lounge around the house clothes.  If we are meeting up with friends for dinner, I wear skinny jeans and a flowy top and maybe a cardigan.  I make an outfit that is fine, cute maybe, but nothing special.  Weekends it's the same thing.

Anyway - I'm really trying to put together a personal style that isn't just "Manufactured Leftovers." which is what I sort of feel like.  I'd love to feel like I know what I'm doing when I get dressed in the morning and that my closet has clothes in it that will enable me to feel confident and presentable to take on the day.  I also want it to look effortless and have the clothes actually fit me.

I'm an odd size.  I'm tall, and proportioned as such.  My arms are long, my torso is long, my legs are long and shoulders are broad.  Putting me in a standard cut shirt is fine.  It covers the parts that it needs to.  However, it probably doesn't come down along my torso as it should.  The shoulders probably pinch a bit.  If it is long sleeve, it will probably look like 3/4 sleeve - or just awkward.  If you put pants on me, they will probably be flood pants.  If you get "cropped" style, they will probably cut off circulation to my calves because without fail they end at the widest part of my calf.  If you put a summer dress on me, it probably will look like a mini dress that is not age appropriate.  If you put a maxi dress on me, I will probably pull it off flawlessly and enviously but who wants to wear a maxi dress???

I'm also a big lady.  No no no , I'm not criticizing my size or thinking anything bad as a result.  But I'm not a willowy 6ft model of a women.  I'm a very healthy size 8.  Which is to say, not the skinny size 2 of most models,  It also means I have some curves, some places of opportunity and some things that don't always look nice if wrapped in snug clothing.

So... I've never liked fashion or shopping for clothes because I always feel like I look foolish in everything.  I have a few things that look nice, a few outfits that I get complimented on, but in general.  I think I look silly and as if the clothes don't fit, because they don't.

So I'm trying Stitch Fix as a way to force some different style into my life that I might not normally try from the rack.  I'm on my 4-5 month now, and it's really been hit or miss.  A few items I really have liked, most of them though I have not.  I might love how it fits, but not for the price, or color, or material.  Or I love all those other things, but cannot button the pants to save my life.  I'll stick with Stitch Fix for a bit longer as I'm getting very firm with my requests and feedback.  Perhaps they will remember that I'm tall and not send me items like were clearly not designed for a person of any stature...

Any tips from anyone on how else to go about this adventure are much appreciated.

March Recipe - Baked Honey Garlic Chicken

So the one resolution I'm actually keeping up with is trying a new recipe a month.  I'm a big chicken, fish, and veggie eater.  Every meal I cook is some combination of those items.  When The Boyfriend is over, I add in starch because he likes rice and has the unfair metabolism of a hummingbird making the calories necessary.  I'm working on getting him off of white rice and into quinoa, brown rices, whole grains, etc.  It's a slow process and one I only win when I do the cooking.  He doesn't complain, but he still buys white rice which is pretty indicative of either a strong preference or blind habit.

This month I was searching on Pinterest for something new and something that wouldn't result in a Pinterest fail.  I came across this great recipe for Baked Honey Garlic Chicken.  Best part was aside from the Panko breading and Sriracha sauce I had everything I needed already (I opted out of the parsley.)  The Boyfriend came over and I started cubing up chicken breasts, egg washing, and breading them.  I realized very quickly that I did not have an efficient way for breading and this whole process took me FAR too long to accomplish.

I also didn't get quite the "crunch" factor I was hoping for from the breading but I think I could accomplish that by raising the heat in the oven for the last maybe 3-5 minutes and browning the edges of the breading without drying the chicken.

The chicken did cook really nicely though, I used three good sized chicken breasts here and we had enough for dinner for two plus lunch for two.  Although the sauce portion was not enough for all that, I'd recommend making this with two chicken breasts or doubling the sauce.

Oh the sauce - so easy and so very yummy.  There is something great about sweet, salty, spicy, Asian flavor combinations.  I really do love this sauce.  It reminds me of sweet and spicy fried chicken you can get at every take out Chinese restaurant, but better because it's fresh and only 4 ingredients.  I substituted garlic powder for the cloves, and would probably go with cloves next time but I was so done with cooking by this point that I cut a corner and regretted it.

I paired the chicken with steamed broccoli and some really dark rice that I picked up on a whim on sale.  It was really starchy, almost sticky and neutral in flavor.  A little salt and some fresh ground pepper perked it right up though!  I drizzled the chicken with the sweet/spicy sauce and forgot the sesame seeds but it still looked and tasted great.  The Boyfriend said it was good too, and even took home a lunch box of leftovers (great indicator of if he actually liked it or was eating it to be polite.)

I think this is a keeper of a recipe!

Notes:  Egg wash all the cubes together, this is much faster!  Then toss with bread crumbs vs trying to individually wash and roll each piece - nightmare!  Use fresh garlic in the sauce, and don't forget the sesame seeds :)

Enjoy!!

Am I Boring?

This is a real question.  Am I boring?  I fear that the answer is yes.  I am boring.  I think I actually bore myself sometimes.

I was asked what I like to do the other day.  My standard answer to that is "I'm an avid cyclist, I work a lot, and I read, spend time with friends, and plan adventures."  The truth is the last two activities are lies now.  I don't spend time with friends because I don't really have many to speak of.  I've not planned an adventure in a long time.  I'm coming up on my birthday and I will for the first time in many years fall behind in my life goal of keeping the numbers of countries I've visited greater than my age.  I feel boring.

So how does one become interesting?  How does someone start doing something that is exciting and engaging and anything that is an antonym to boring?  I thought maybe I should take a class of sorts.  Cooking, drawing, painting, dancing, guitar, archery... I don't know.  But is that really the solution?  I suppose I could find a new hobby by taking a course in something like that which would be nice but I don't think it solves the real problem.

I could study for the GRE and start thinking about grad school and applying for an MBA.  I've always like school and I think I would like having a graduate degree.  Being in Silicon Valley it's a mix of highly inspiring and very humbling.  Seems like everyone around here is the best of the best at what they do, and they are doing very exciting things that they are passionate about.  I miss being passionate about what I do.  Everyone is so innovative and excited about trying to take the world by storm with their ideas.  As I said, it's super inspiring.  It also is a strong juxtaposition to how I feel about my dull life right now.

Highly innovative, fast paced, exciting, and risky vs. whatever the heck it is that I do everyday.

*sigh*

What do I do?

Little Life Improvements

• New under eye concealer - because I was tired of looking tired and I like looking in the mirror and thinking "you look good!" instead of "geeze!"  It's shocking how much more confidence I have when I see that I look decent instead of close to death
• Rearranged the furniture in my office - now I have a fresh view on the day (literally) and a lot more privacy which I didn't know how much I was going to value 
• Climbs on my rides - ok... I hate climbing but I'm slowly getting better at doing it and I like the way my lungs feel when I'm using them.  The rolling hills here in CA are a nice addition to my former flat land rides
• Interviewing - not so much because I want to leave but because it's nice to know I have options
• Baking with moderation - I'm on a hunt for the perfect snickerdoodle cookie and I've learned I like having a few baked goods in the house for a treat.  I indulge more than I used to but those little moments are small things I'm really enjoying.

Just a few of the little things in life that are better than before.

March update

So I'm trying to do better about keeping up my New Year's Resolutions for a full year.  I had 3 key targets this year and I'm already behind (sigh.)

1. Try a new recipe a month - check
2. Read one book a month - behind (sad face)
3. Move more - half check?

The recipe a month target has proven simple enough to keep up with as I'm doing a lot more cooking now than in the past.  My boyfriend is a particular eater so his nuances are inspiring me to try other things and also to perfect some of the recipes I know he will eat and enjoy.  My most recent attempt at perfection is snicker doodle cookies.  Not sure what I'm going to try this month, probably something with udon noodles as I've gotten on a Thai/Asian kick lately.

The book a month goal is what has proven to get be behind.  I enjoy reading for the most part.  It's not a chore or something that I don't like to do.  I am not the fastest reader and I typically would rather spend time with other people or surf the net than sit down to read.  They are not good excuses for why I'm behind, but I'm going to do my best to catch up this month and hopefully be back on schedule by April.... maybe.

The moving more piece is half checked.  I'm doing much better about getting on my bike and putting the miles on in preparation for my metric century in April.  However, I'm not as consistent as I need to be during the week.  I can blame everything from a busy work schedule to early sunsets to lack of motivation and they would all simply be excuses.  I can make time for the things I find important.  Truth is, I like to ride my bike but not as much as I like to make dinner, snuggle with my boyfriend, or even just surf the net and chill out.  It's not a good excuse as there are more than enough great reasons to exercise, but getting myself to commit and go out and move isn't always easy.

On the diet portion of the healthier life, I've slipped a bit.  I've let myself have some Easter candy and cookies (Snicker doodle anyone?) and in general I've let myself have more "cheat days" than I should. But in general I think I'm still more or less on track.  I'll do great for 4 days and then have a day or two of slip, then back to it.  I'm working on drinking more water.  I do that with caffeine free teas and just plan water.  I really like this Good Earth brand tea that makes a super strong, spicy, sweet tea without sugar.  I could drink a few cups a day of that stuff I think.  So working on the 64 oz a day target is the mini goal for this week in regards to the diet.  

How's everyone else progressing on their resolutions?  How can I help?  Did you make any?  You can make March Resolutions instead!

Oh yea - Pi Day is coming up everyone!  Be sure you celebrate your favorite irrational number, unless your's is "e," in which case... you missed it back in February if you're into that type of thing.