First Stitch Fix! Whatya think?

If you don't know what Stitchfix is, please educate yourself here.

Okay, now that w'ere all on the same page, Jeremy hooked me up with my first fix for my birthday -- I have a hard time biting the bullet just for the heck of it, but a birthday seemed pretty rational. 

You guys. You gotta do it. I filled out a very detailed profile about what I like, what works for me and what doesn't, what sizes I wear, and what I'm looking for this season. The box showed up today with 5 items hand picked based on my profile, along with style suggestions. Keep what you like, send back what you don't. And the 20 bucks you spend to get the box goes towards anything you want to buy. 

Some of you had asked for a review of what I received so here it is. Please ignore the nasty mirror and awkward expressions. It's just part of the deal, okay? You'll have to help me decide what to keep! 

1. Blue and green arrow blouse -- love the colors, texture, style. Can wear it with jeans or dress it up. So this one's for keeps. 

2. Heather grey zip up -- I'm totally in love with the style of this although I don't know how well I'd be able to dress it up. Maybe if I owned one collared shirt (which I don't) I'd try it out. But! It's so soft, really well made. The pockets make it feel a little bulky around my midsection (not crazy about that) but I think I may be overanalyzing here.

3. Striped sweater -- I don't own many sweaters because I'm not crazy about em, honestly. I love the pattern and colors of this one. It gets kind of flowy at the bottom and I can't decide if that makes it feel stretched out. 

4. Navy striped cardigan -- Love this one, I don't have much that looks like this and it fits really really well. Usually I don't go for stuff that's super long like that but I'm diggin' it. 

5. Last item was that beautiful turquoise necklace. I really love it, but unfortunately it's a little above my budget for jewelry. Admittedly, I buy the cheap stuff and it works.

SO -- What's for keeps, friends? Help me out here! 

If you are looking for some new duds for springtime, I really would try it out. You can start your profile here. Ready, set, go!

Potato Leek Soup

I normally don't share recipes on here, but this one has gotten us through this crazy winter and beyond. It's simple, delicious, (relatively) healthy and, well, it's my favorite. So there.

Adapted from a Food Network recipe (gasp!) here's what you'll need to stock up on:

2-4  Leeks

2   Bay leaves

2   Tbs of butter

2  (or 10) strips of bacon

1/2 c   Dry white wine

5c  Chicken stock

4-5  Potatoes, diced

1/2-3/4 c Heavy cream

Pepper, thyme and salt to taste

1. Rinse and chop leeks, set aside

2. In a large soup pot, melt butter and add chopped bacon. Cook 5-6 min.

3. Add chopped leeks and cook till soft

4. Add wine and bring to a boil

5. Add chicken stock, potatoes, season and bay leaves

6. Bring to a boil

7. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 min, until potatoes are cooked. 

8. Puree soup in blender. Add cream and adjust seasoning to taste.

Enjoy!

Wife Life // the next 25

Jeremy wrote me a birthday card last week. Other than the fact that it was possibly the most ginormous birthday card I've ever received, it said something that stuck with me. At the end of it he wrote,

"here's to the next 25." 

Now I know I just turned a quarter of a century old and that's a big deal, according to my mother. But, I feel like I've crammed a whole lot in so far. There have been some really great seasons of life, so many transitions, so many countries, so many roommates. I have celebrated my birthday with lots of people I love. But a very small number of them have been around for all 25 of them.

What I guess sort of dawned on me last week is that this man, my husband, my roommate, my friend, my world-renowned chef, my comic relief, my pastor, my love, my family…God willing, he will be by my side for all them -- the next 25 and beyond. That's like my whole lifetime so far plus more! I'm kind of blowing my own mind, can you tell?

When you're at the altar and you say your promises and you put your rings on it's hard to put into perspective what forever means. I think I just got my first dose of it. And even when this life is over, there's most on the other side. What a true blessing it is to know another's soul. To spend the rest of your life knitting yours to his and learning what that bond is between our God and his church. 

So friends, here's to the next 25. May your soul be more joyful with another alongside it. Mine sure is.

25

Three cheers for a great birthday weekend full of flowers, fabulous food, favorite people and several extra hours of sleep. See that down there? That's the breakfast that was waiting for me Friday morning upon waking up. I told you I'm spoiled. Dear 25, it's gonna be a good year.