Get Your Fix On!

StitchFix, of course.

Jenny introduced me to StitchFix. She told me about her experience and I signed up. I got my first shipment Monday night and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED EVERYTHING in my shipment. It made it so hard to choose just one or two items instead of buying the whole shipment (too close to Christmas for that).

Before I reveal what was in the box and what I kept or didn't keep, here is a brief description of what SF is and how it works. From their site to my blog...

What is Stitch Fix?

Stitch Fix is a fun and easy way to keep your wardrobe up-to-date. We get your style and size preferences, then send you a package of stylish goodies to try on at home, in your closet, with your favorite jeans and heels.
How does it work? Explain it to me step by step.

• Sign up for our beta - Get on the List!
• We'll send you an email when we're ready to style for you. There might be a little wait - we want to have awesome inventory ready for you!
• Fill out our fun style survey. We'll find out about your size, style and wardrobe needs so we can pick fabulous clothing and accessories for you.
• Enter your payment info and pick a date to "Get your Fix" - it sounds obvious but a lot of people forget to schedule. You can schedule your Fix to arrive during a particular week. We can't guarantee a specific day.
• Yay! We'll send you a package (free shipping!) with 5 clothing and accessory items picked just for you. We'll charge the $20 styling fee the day package ships. That styling fee is applied as a credit toward the purchase of anything in that particular shipment.
• Try everything on at home - do a little fashion show for your friends, partner, pets...
• Keep what you like - we'll charge your credit card - send back what you don't. Shipping is free!!
• Repeat the scheduling process as often as you'd like! 
• Whatever you decide to keep, the $20 styling fee is subtracted from your order. If you keep the whole order, you get 25% off - bazing!
  
  
   If you have more questions, you can read their FAQ answers.

Y'all - it was seriously so exciting. As I was trying things on I was jumping up and down and yelling and Hyatt thought I was losing my mind. I was..... losing my mind with amazeballs clothing. It was like the lady who picked my clothes (her name is Brittany) knew my inner thoughts about what I would love. Amazing.

Ok - so now for my shipment and my picks.

First up was this gorgeous grey Mystree - Fleur Button Front Cardigan. I am really embracing grey right now and have been for about a year. I think it was all the time I spent in Australia where everyone wore grey and black and that was it. Anywho - this cardigan was $78 (before the $20 styling fee credit). It's so soft and has angora in it too. Beautiful and they even include possible ways to style it - perfect. These people are geniuses.

Moving on to item #2... Spun Scarves by Subtle Luxury: Electric Batik Scarf. I almost died when I opened the package and saw this scarf. Matter of fact, I ran into the kitchen imitating a dancing fairy with the scarf wrapped around my neck. Seriously, you should have seen it.

No picture of me wearing it but that scarf has all my favorite colors - purple, green and yellow with some teal mixed in too. The sad, sad part is that this scarf is $58 buckaroos. For all its gorgeousness, I really can't justify spending $58 on a scarf. I don't think I can justify spending more than $10 on a scarf - it's just not in me. I wish it was - show me the money and I'll show you a new scarf I would buy. Sigh

The next item, a really pretty and dainty Kendall Sheer 3/4 Sleeve Blouse by Collective Concepts. I really liked this 3/4 sleeve blouse - it was very light and girly and I've been trying to add a few more pieces like this to my wardrobe. But it was $58 so I faced a big decision. Did I buy or not (hint, I reveal my purchase at the end)?

Moving on to another cardigan that came - this Sinead Drape Pockets Open Cardigan by Ya at a very welcome price of $48. Every part of me wanted to keep this cardigan but it was long and made me look 4'9" instead of 5'4" so I had to send it back although if it was a little shorter, it would be hanging in my closet. Sorry the picture looks so awkward - it was so long it hung over the edge of my bed where I was taking the photos. It was cute though, trust me.

Last but not least, another beautiful, dainty blouse by Daniel Raim - the Hyden Loop Trim Silk Blouse. I thought the color and material were gorgeous but when I put it on, it looked like a maternity top because it was tight around the bottom and very flowy and big in the middle. Buzzard ain't preggo and would prefer not to look that way, so it had to go. Adding to the reason to send it packing was its $75 price tag - if I had looked amazing in it, maybe I would have bought it but not as a maternity top that I won't be needing for 3-5 years.

In hindsight, I should have taken pictures of me wearing these but they'e already back in the mail and headed to CA for return. Next month, I'll modify my strategy.

Although I wanted to keep the whole order I only kept one thing - can you guess which one???

Ta-da! Here it is - the Mystree - Fleur Button Front Cardigan. I LOVE IT - I adore how it has a collar that doesn't go into a v-neck and is sort-of structured. The final test - Ninja saw me in it and said I looked great. Cha-ching.

 (Sorry for the worst clothing picture ever)

Yes, I spent quite a bit on a cardigan. Don't judge me - I paid off a credit card this month that I've been paying on forever so I feel like this is my reward. Counterproductive? Yes. Do I care? No.

So there ya go - the Stitch Fix situation. If you want to sign up for StitchFix which you DEFINITELY should please please please use this link below and I will get $25 credit towards my next order (which would help me buy that gorgeous purple scarf).

http://stitchfix.com/users/signup/?referrer_id=3028140

I hope you guys enjoyed this non-ag venture on the blog. I will likely do this with future Stitch Fix shipments. If you want to join, don't forget to use my link above!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

PETA @ the Kansas State Fair

I'm going to the Kansas State Fair this weekend and I'm pretty excited about it. I haven't been in about 4 years (where has the time gone?) and I am also very excited to see a particular booth....

As you probably guessed from the title, I'll be stopping by the PETA booth. If you haven't seen this news yet, it reports that PETA cannot show its graphic and very highly likely, false, undercover videos on large screens so that people will be drawn. I agree with the judges decision because if I was a parent, I would want to control what my children could watch and showing a graphic video on a large screen would prevent me from doing that. And here are some of his thoughts:

In rejecting the group's request for that restraining order, Marten said restrictions imposed by fair officials were minimal and did not constitute any significant infringement on PETA's free speech rights. However, Marten declined to dismiss PETA's lawsuit, as the state had requested.

Marten noted fair officials are not preventing PETA from showing its undercover video. Instead, he said, this could be as simple as turning a TV screen away from the public flow down the aisle

Just to clarify, I am going out of pure curiosity. Not to rile anyone up, cause a ruckus, rock the boat or upset the fruit basket. I just want to know what their goals are and perhaps how they decided on the Kansas State Fair as a venue for outreach.

Has anyone out there ever had a conversation with animal rights activists or extremists? I'd love to hear you experiences!

Oh and although yesterday I said that that is wasn't a fashion blog (because it's not and I'm rarely put together) I did put another outfit today. Mainly because I'm working on one of my 101 in 1001 goals this week and that requires skirts/dresses which requires a little more planning than a top, plain pants and flats. Which is my usual get-up. I'm very exciting and like to take risks (sarcasm intended). Without further ado...

Blazer: Maurices

Blouse: The Buckle (many moons ago), similar

Skirt: Banana Republic clearance at factory store, similar from PiperLime but no tie front

Shoes: Maurices(many moons ago), similar from JCP

Necklace: some wild safari thing with a tiger head from Charlotte Russe, similar

Steer horn bracelet: R.M. Williams (Australia), similar

I have a few favorite fashion blogs, if you have a spare second you should check them out!

Wimmer Wimmer Chicken Dinner - Sheridan is so stylish and cute, it's ridic

Uber Chic For Cheap - this girl puts together outfits from affordable pieces and also posts sales and hairstyles

Farmer's Trophy Wife - you can send in requests for outfit building and she whips them right up! Also finds affordable stuff and great decorating ideas too!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

And the winner is.........

Winner winner chicken dinner free boots from Boot Barn!

So the entries have been tallied and it's time to announce the lucky name who is going to take home a pair of boots from Boot Barn.

But first, some fodder. I wrote down all the names of the commenters in numerical order as they came in; between the two blog posts, there were over 80 entries! Thanks for reading and checking out Boot Barn's style.

I was really excited to be able to give away a pair of boots - I really love my Shyanne boots and I know that Hyatt likes his Cody James black square toes a lot too. I would like to once again thank Rachel from Boot Barn for her support in this giveaway - you rock!

Ok Ok - I used random.org to select the winning number - here's proof of which comment number won

 

And number 39 corresponds to.......

Anna Wagner! Congratulations!

Anna - please email me your mailing address along with the size and style of Shyanne or Cody James boots you want!

Thanks to everyone for joining in on the fun - I need to find some more fun stuff to giveaway!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~  

Stepping out of my comfort zone in new Boot Barn boots!

I’ve been a very traditional boot owner for about 25 years. My first pair of boots were some round toed soft pink Justins that I outgrew before the age of two (I hate pink but my mom thought they were adorbs). Every pair since that has been round toed until 2005 when I joined the square toed bandwagon. Today, I have no less than six pairs of boots, none of which are too extravagant, fancy or girly.

Enter pair #7:  Shyanne boots from Boot Barn. Not as wide as my other boots but still a square toe nonetheless - #winning.

I have to admit I was skeptical to stepping outside of my comfort zone, but after trying them on and wearing them with both khakis and jeans I’ve got to say they look pretty dang sharp.  See what I mean?

I’ve worn these boots on several different occasions over the past three weeks and I have to say I have not been disappointed. They look great with jeans or khakis; I doubt I’ll ever wear them with a dress, but I am sure they would still look good (any volunteers to borrow my boots and sport a dress?) and even though they have a bit of an elevated heel, they are super comfortable to walk in. Additionally, they have some cushion on the inside so I’m confident that if I were wearing them for 12+ hours/day at a rodeo or stockshow my feet wouldn’t get sore or worn out. 

These are the Shyanne Butterfly Inlay boots (they also come in brown and pink). 

Look at the awesome turquoise details – I don’t know many ladies that don’t like turquoise. The lesson I've learned in this whole experience is not to be close-minded about anything. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and found something new that I like!

You all know what is coming now, don't ya!? If you want to win a pair of these sweet boots all you have to do is enter:

1. Follow Buzzard's Beat and leave a comment including which pair of Cody James or Shyanne boots you'd choose if you won
2. Like Boot Barn on Facebook and leave a separate comment 
3. Follow Boot Barn on Twitter (@bootbarn) and leave a separate comment
4. Follow me on Twitter (@brandibuzzard) and leave a separate comment
5. Blog or tweet about the giveaway and leave a separate comment. (Make sure to include @brandibuzzard and @bootbarn in the tweet)! 

THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY JULY 11 - SO DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE BLOG!

I know that many of you who entered last week will probably want to enter again, and that's fine, you'll still need to comment. This is my first giveaway and hopefully I'll figure out some way to make it more 'user-friendly'. Any suggestions on that?

Update: It's been brought to my attention that some people don't know if they're eligible to win. The only people who cannot win are other bloggers who are giving away Boot Barn boots. All others are fair! 

Good luck!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Looking Sharp in His Square Toes!

About a month or so ago, Rachel from Boot Barn approached me about reviewing some boots and then giving away a pair on my blog. I am super pumped to have such a great product to promote for my first giveaway! I thought that since I had finished my Master's that I would be able to celebrate by giving away a pair of boots - woot! Ninja received a pair of Cody James boots and I reviewed a pair of the Shyanne (post next week) and we both love them! They're so comfortable and look really great with jeans and khakis. This post is the Ninja's review - read on to find out how they measured up and how you can enter to win!

I’ve always been the kind of guy who, when forced to dress up, is most comfortable in a tweed
jacket and khakis with a pair of brown boots. However, as I get older I am starting to realize I may need to branch out in the fashion world. My wife Brandi seems to think that colors beyond the Dwight inspired earth tones and mustard would be a good start, and she tells me I look particularly good in black. Having only brown boots is an issue when attempting to address this fashion situation, so when Boot Barn offered Brandi and I each a pair of boots, I jumped at the chance I could finally have some black boots as well. I picked a nice pair of Cody James Stockman square-toed boots and they just came in the mail last week, so I thought I would try them out for a few days.


Although I needed Brandi’s approving glance to know that they looked the part, I definitely liked
the white stitching, square heel, and simple pattern of the boots. After wearing them for a few days, I was surprised to find how comfortable they were and they didn’t take as long to ‘break in’ as other boots I’ve purchased in the past. I am particularly glad that while they still had the look of having a traditional leather sole, it seemed like there was more cushion in my step than in some other boots I’ve worn. All in all, I call these black boots a success, but now I just need to get a black belt and some other clothes to match them!

Thank you very much Boot Barn for your support!



Here's how to enter

1. Follow Buzzard's Beat and leave a comment including which pair of Cody James or Shyanne boots you'd choose if you won
2. Like Boot Barn on Facebook and leave a separate comment 
3. Follow Boot Barn on Twitter (@bootbarn) and leave a separate comment
4. Follow me on Twitter (@brandibuzzard) and leave a separate comment
5. Blog or tweet about the giveaway and leave a separate comment. (Make sure to include @brandibuzzard and @bootbarn in the tweet)!

You'll be able to do the same thing next week when I share my thoughts on the Shyanne boots! That's a total of up to ten entries! The winner will be chosen using a random number generator from www.mathgoodies.com

Good luck!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

101 in 1001 Update

Ok, it's been quite a while since I last gave an update on my 101 in 1001 so I thought I'd do some blog filling and catch you up.

Since my last update, the goals I have completed are:

5. Go to bed before midnight every weeknight for two weeks -
  This was really hard because I'm a night owl but I managed to pull it off by scheduling it the same time as Ninja's project when I was getting up at 5-6 every morning to weigh, sort or slaughter pigs.
38. Consolidate/forward all email accounts down to 2
24. Refrain from purchasing any item of clothing, accessory or footwear for 1 month - today is one month since I purchased anything and I am in Perth currently and likely won't buy anything while I'm gone soooo... success!
51. Muster the courage to play blackjack in a casino - preferably win - Only won about $20 total and then lost it all back but still, yay me. This was in Calgary when I attended the ILC 2011.
59. Find the perfect cocktail dress - color insignificant I may have gone overboard - I now have two. A grey one and a black one. Here is the black one:

At my bff Rebecca Tokach's wedding (rehearsal dinner) with two great guys. This picture doesn't do the dress justice but you'll have to trust me on this one.

57. Scuba dive somewhere exotic - Great Barrier Reef 7/2011

This is me and the hubsy after diving the Great Barrier Reef. To read more about that trip, click here.

69. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the SAME DAY - Lamington National Park - 6/2011

I'm not an early bird, so this was difficult but it happened on our roadtrip with Andy, Mandy and Kristen to Queensland. Read more about that trip here and here. This was in Lamington National Park - I didn't get a sunset picture but take my word for it that I was awake for that occasion.

70. Attend an opera, symphony or musical - Love Never Dies 9/2011

Ninja took me to see this opera the day I got back from the states. Read more here.

25. Eat 5 exotic/uncommon foods (Thai seafood 4/12/2011, Tofu Steak 5/2011, Kangaroo 6/2011, Crocodile 7/2011, Octopus 7/2011)  -- Crocodile is chewy but good. Octopus is mediocre, at best. KANGAROO IS FREAKING AWESOME - as good or better than venison.

and these are the goals that are currently in progress:
9. Celebrate one of life's little achievements once/month for 12 months (1/12)
12. Watch 5 movies that Ninja loves that don't interest me (Apocalypse Now, Papillon)
27. Call /visit my grandparents once/month for 12 months (3/12)
29. Attend 6 of Kristy’s sporting events/school events/4-H stuff - (Bourbon Co. hog show, Bourbon Co. beef show - these were on separate days so they are separate events)
49. Pay off my small credit cards - Maurices, Victoria's Secret
55. Face 3 fears (claustrophobia 7/2011, heights 8/2011)
58. Create a wardrobe I love. (This is defined as a closet full of clothes I am equally happy to wear).  This will be complete when my closet is full - it's currently about 1/2 full ;)
68. Purge and donate old clothes from closets at least three times (1- 7/2011)
72. Learn how to make Grandma’s fried chicken, chicken n’ noodles and divinity candy  -- Grandma taught me how to make fried chicken and I practice the art when I got back to Aus. The Ninja loved it and I must say it was purty tasty.

77. Volunteer once/month at a breadbasket, food pantry or other comm. service 6 times (5/2011 - Red Shield Appeal;)
79. Donate 25,000 grains of free rice through Freerice.com (4010)85. Say 'I love you' EVERY day for entirety of 1001 days
88. Attend church once/month for 12 months (6/12)90. Read the books from this list98. Post every day for 1 month on From Oz to Aus - I've posted 22 days in a row - another 8 days and this one is done!
In summary:
Goals completed- 14  (it seemed like a lot more than that)
Days until end of 1001 - 824

Feedsack Giveaway

No, not here. I am not artsy craftsy in the least bit (well, I wish I was but God didn't bless me with sewing skills or patience) but my blogger friend and fellow agvocate Crystal Young, over at Crystal Cattle, is having a giveaway. Her friend, Sarah, from The House That Ag Built, has provided a feed sack bag to be given away! I used to have one of these and I absolutely loved it! They are really eye-catching and very durable. This isn't a picture of the exact bag but it gives you an idea of what one looks like. Great aren't they?!

Would you like to enter? I thought so - head on over to Crystal Cattle and check out the giveaway rules (the actual bag is pictured there). I would wish you all the good luck in the world but I'm hoping to win myself so..... I'll wish you a little bit of good luck.

Just out of curiosity - how many people out there would participate in the steps required to win a giveaway on Buzzard's Beat?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Image from here

Fashion Forward Farmer

I'm not super fashionable -- most days I wear jeans, boots and a t-shirt...sometimes even a dressy t-shirt.  But what I do know is that today's farmer can be couture while shoveling manure and feeding cattle.

 It's snowy and muddy outside so you'll definitely want some good, waterproof barn boots.  How about these?

Women's Bogs - they come in fun colors like green paisley, chocolate flower, sky and autumn.

Don't feel like wearing the same ole same ole brown coveralls? No problem. Check out these colored coveralls from Rod's

Now you're a fashion forward farmer! So go throw on some work gloves, grab a shovel and get to muckin those barns!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~