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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

Best. Day. Ever.

Some people dream of meeting their favorite actor, musician, or athlete.

Bookworms? Their rock stars are authors.

I first met Mary Kay Andrews (FYI, that’s a pen name…her real name is Kathy) back in the Savannah days. You can read my blog post about it HERE. All you really need to know is that I’ve read every single one of her books and she literally makes me laugh out loud.

If you haven’t read MKA and want to, start with Hissy Fit. It was my very first MKA book and remains my favorite.

We’ve stayed in touch on Facebook over the years so when I heard she was going on a book tour to celebrate the release of her new book, I knew I had to find a way to see her.

A few weekends ago I threw the Howell crew in the swagger wagon and we headed to Gaithersburg, MD for the Gaithersburg Book Festival.

Spoiler Alert: It was rainy and nasty and cold. And my hair rebelled like nobody’s business. BUT it was totally worth it because I got to hear my favorite rock star speak.

In her books she portrays her heroines as spunky and funny as hell. And in person? Yeah, she’s the exact same person. Funny, sassy, slightly inappropriate, and kind. My spirit animal.

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She invited us back to her hotel to catch up and we ended up going to dinner. Conversation touched on subjects such as Donald Trump, Savannah, the military, fathers, and wine. The usual. 🙂 She could handle all five of my maniacs and that’s a BIG plus in my book. See what I did there? Hahaha!

 

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My favorite part of the whole experience was watching her invite the girls to take off their shoes and jump on her hotel bed. And then she joined in.

What an incredible human being.

Thanks for being you, Kathy.  Thank you for rescuing me from scary days when I just needed an escape from reality and your characters were just the thing to help me white knuckle it through a deployment or a not so great day.

Thank you for making me laugh and giving me the gift of your books. And your company. The Howells love you!!!

 

xoxo

S

My Big News

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I’ve never sold anything. ANYTHING. I’ve been offered plenty of pretty great gigs and I’ve said no, because if you know anything about me you know I’m all about authenticity. I never monetized my blog, even though I easily could have back in the day. I never monetized my Instagram.

I flat out refuse to share something or recommend it unless I love it.

That said, I’ve been a Thirty-One junkie for a really long time. I love organization more than almost anything. Being a professional organizer sounds like heaven to me.

Running this family smoothly makes me feel like a professional organizer sometimes. HA!

I use 31 for my books:

Stephanie Howell // Thirty-One Consultant #thirtyone #thirtyonegifts

 

For my craft supplies:

Stephanie Howell // Thirty-One Consultant #thirtyone #thirtyonegifts

 

My planners and notebooks:

Stephanie Howell // Thirty-One Consultant #thirtyone #thirtyonegifts

 

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My diapers:

Stephanie Howell // Thirty-One Consultant #thirtyone #thirtyonegifts

My laundry

My groceries

My purse

My wallet

My toiletry bag

All 31.

 

All of our European trips were packed in Large and Deluxe tote bags. Not even kidding.

So…let’s just say it was a natural progression for me to become a consultant. I would have become one in Italy, but it was against the law. So I had to wait.

 

What does this mean?

No I’m not going to talk about it all the time. No I’m not going to be that out of control/over the top direct sales friend we all have. The one that doesn’t even ever ask how you are anymore…it’s just always a pitch? No thank you.

I am just going to be sharing my passion. And if you don’t like it I’m totally okay with you passing over those posts.

I also really, truly love what Thirty-One stands for. I especially love Thirty-One’s partnership with Girl Talk.

Girl Talk’s program is twofold: high school Leaders have the opportunity to share their experiences as positive role models. And middle school girls have the chance to learn that they are not alone in the issue they face and that understanding, kindness and compassion can be the foundation for better relationships with others. Research consistently reveals that grades 5-8 are the most formative years of a young person’s life. We believe that the lessons learned in Girl Talk contribute to girls becoming more confident, service-minded women with better relationships. Girl Talk also helps women become stronger leaders in the work place and more effective as parents.

YES YES YES.

Stephanie Howell // Thirty-One Consultant #thirtyone #thirtyonegifts

My consultant page is here.

My first party is here!!!

My special FB group is here.

My 31 IG account is here.

 

I am looking for hostesses to throw fun online parties. If that sounds like something you’d be interested I’d be so happy to help you! Just email me at stephaniehowell8@gmail.com.

 

I also would love to hear what kind of organizational ideas you’d like to see here.  Just leave me a note in the comments!

Thank you so much for letting me share my happy news.

 

 

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Stitch Fix #32 Review // May 2016

Hey sweet ladies!

It’s been a L O N G time since I’ve done a Stitch Fix review. I’ll be honest…I’ve had some duds and some disappointments, including a stylist sending me size zero skinny jeans the month after I had Cora.

SAY WHAT? That is not even remotely close to my size. Not even in the same time zone.

Anyway, I really loved my box this month so I thought I’d share.

Stitch Fix Review // stephanie howell #stitchfix

Here’s the insert that came in my box:

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And here is my receipt…I’m not terribly picky about prices as I don’t shop often and prefer pieces that will last a while. I find that if I buy inexpensive clothing I end up spending more in the long run because I have to keep replacing the items. I prefer to spend a bit more on classic pieces, because I know I will wear them for a long time.

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Here’s what was in my fix this month.

 

1. Market & Spruce Garrity Tie Back Knit Tank Top // $44

Here’s the first top I got (and loved). I felt like finally my stylist listened to me. Please NO clingy tops in the stomach, flowy is good. Classic is good. I like classic. Classic means I would have worn it ten years ago and that I will want to wear it ten years from now.

Here’s the front:

 

Market & Spruce Garrity Tie Back Knit Tank Top // via Stephanie Howell #stitchfix

and the back, which was my favorite part.

Status: // Kept it. No Brainer.

Market & Spruce Garrity Tie Back Knit Tank Top // via Stephanie Howell #stitchfix

 

 

 

 

2. Pixley Vicente Embroidery Detail Top // $48

I loved this one the second I took it out of the box. It is soft and the embroidery (feathers!!) is stunning. Another top that didn’t cling to my tummy. I tried it on and fell even deeper in love.

 

Status // Kept it. Will love forevah.

Pixley Vicente Embroidery Detail Top // via Stephanie Howell #stitchfix

 

 

3. Gille Kamile Knit Dress // $58

This one is so crazy comfy and so flattering. The color is quite pretty, too.

Here’s the front:

 

Gille Kamile Knit Dress // via Stephanie Howell #stitchfix

and the back:

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I really did love this dress.

Status // Sent it back. More than two items just wasn’t in the budget this month.

 

 

4. SeaVees Legend Lace Up Sneakers // $78

 

I actually had a version of these pinned to my Stitch Fix Pinterest board. Side Note: If you aren’t pinning items for your stylist, do it NOW. It’s the easiest and most effective way to truly share your taste/style with your stylist.

These were cute but y’all. I have a size TEN foot. I looked like I had giant bananas on my feet.  Not attractive.

Status // returned.

 

 

SeaVees Legend Lace Up Sneakers // via Stephanie Howell #stitchfix

 

 

 

5. Kut from the Kloth Kate Boyfriend Jean // $88.

Ehhh. These didn’t fit great. I’m in between sizes and a size down might have been better, but let’s be honest. I don’t really need a pair of capri jeans that don’t really fit me for 90 bucks. And it’s a pet peeve of mine when brands spell their names with “k” instead of “c”. I just can’t handle it.

Status // Returned. Obvi.

Kut from the Kloth Kate Boyfriend Jean // via Stephanie Howell #stitchfix

 

That’s it for this month. I am getting a box about once a month right now and I think I’ll keep doing it this way for a bit. There are some other subscription services I’d really like to try, too…so we’ll see.

 

Happy Monday Loves!!

xoxo

 

Simple + Chic Scrapbook Layout // Complete

Hello loves!

I know it’s been AGES since I’ve shared anything craft-related. As a matter of fact, you might be staring at this photo right now and wondering if you are in the right place. HA!

Yes, before we left Italy I actually found some time to make something. And oh, did it ever feel good. So good. Like riding a bike, it all came right back to me.

I never shared the layout here so today seems like a good time.

Complete // via Stephanie Howell

 

When all else fails, I stick with a classic Stephanie Howell formula.

Centered photo/photos

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Floral Border

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Bow

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Journaling around photo

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Oversized Titlework

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Pure Happiness.

 

Oh, that bow is made out of washi. I cut a piece of washi in half and tied it like a bow. The center is an enamel dot.

That’s about it for today, hope you didn’t all faint of shock, hehe!

 

xoxo

American Observations

American Observations via Stephanie Howell

  • It is loud.
  • It is bright.
  • It is super overwhelming.
  • The roads are huge and the drivers are slow.
  • It is cold everywhere.
  • The portions are enormous.
  • Servers come to your table a lot and we feel rushed almost everywhere we eat.
  • Ice water is delicious.
  • There is an app for everything.
  • There are too many choices.
  • People don’t seem to look up from their phones.
  • Much less cigarette smoke.
  • I miss the coffee.
  • I love the convenience.
  • People randomly engage/talk to me less.
  • I love Target and go 4x a week.
  • I really dislike Starbucks.
  • I miss affordable produce that is naturally free of any chemicals.
  • I don’t miss the inefficiency.
  • People are more impatient here.
  • I can’t get over the fact that mail comes right to my door and I can get anything from Amazon in 2 days.
  • I forgot about tax.
  • The cars seem huge.
  • It’s nice understanding what everyone says, all the time.
  • I walk MUCH LESS.
  • I miss hearing and speaking Italian.
  • I LOVE being able to run the washer, dryer, dishwasher and oven without tripping a circuit breaker.
  • It seems like there is excess everywhere.
  • I can find clothes that fit me again.
  • I really missed Chik-fil-A.
  • I can text anyone in the country for free and I don’t have to pay for each voice mail!
  • Gas is cheap.
  • Gelato is ridiculously expensive.
  • I feel like a newborn American baby.