LOFT Fitting Room Reviews & Getting Settled

I feel like it's been an eternity since I've gone shopping, but I'm happy to report that I'm still keeping a lid on the spending.  On today's excursion, I spent $9 on a pretty necklace that was 40% off - my $15 birthday discount.  I think all of the time off work for the move has made me feel like I'm back on leave and has curbed my appetite for spending money.  Anyhoo, on to the reviews!

Re: sizing - I'm starting to size down on most items nowadays due to recent weight loss.

Striped Bow Necklace 3/4 Sleeve Sweater, PXXS, $36 after 40% off promo

Stripes, sequins and a bow - it was like all of my current crushes all wrapped up in one garment.  The arms are rather snug on this sweater but the torso is loose.  I sometimes wonder if retailers (LOFT / J. Crew) do this so that you look slim while giving you room to eat a good meal.  I rather liked this sweater, but wondered if there were too many trends going on to wear in subsequent seasons.

Verdict: No for now, but would consider on further sale.

Crewneck Cardigan, XS, $27 after 40% off promo

I'm still searching for a good red-orange cardigan and the funny thing is that they all photograph well, but look kinda wonky with my skin tone in real life.  This was another one of those cases.  I liked the fit - everything was slim-fitting without being tight anywhere.  I would buy this in a different color if I needed one.

Verdict: No, color doesn't work on me

Animal Spots Print Long Sleeved Dress, 00 (I think)

I feel like this shift fit me much better than the one from J. Crew here.  The thing I didn't love about it was the puffy sleeve at the wrist.  I feel like a regular sleeve would have been more in keeping with the sleek lines of the dress.  It's also a bit too short for my taste - I prefer more of a just-above-the-knee length.

Verdict: No 

On to the personal part (feel free to tune out because this is wordy!) of getting settled:
We are officially moved in, but not completely settled in our new place.  We've gotten rid of approximately 2/3 of the boxes so far and I can't wait until everything is put away.

Some funny things I found out about myself during this move: 1.) I kept light bulbs in 4 different places (kitchen, office, dining room, and loft) but was only aware of one (kitchen) until a week ago.  2.) I kept an empty bag of Twizzlers from an 8th grade movie date (holy cow, that needed to be thrown away decades ago). 3.) We had little kid toys in every single room of the house.  Most notably, I found a giant lego block under my bathroom sink. 4.) We have an impressive amount of batteries that need to get recycled.   Time to invest in rechargeables only! 5.) Back in Ohio, all of our drives - to work, restaurants, and the mall - were 30-55 minutes away.  Here in CA, most things are about 15-20 minutes away and we are now feeling whiny about going any farther.

L) Our life in boxes

R) "Camping" on the floor.  The kids had fun.  Our backs did not.

Rolling my way to suitcase organization via Jean's nifty tip

I heard the mountains will green up with winter rain.  Do you see that black speck on the top left-hand side of the mountain?  That's a cow.  Imagine my surprise when I heard a "moo" while taking out the trash.

 Eating out in SF:

The line to this place is crazy!  Loved the "animal style" cheeseburger though and will definitely be back.

A partially eaten stuffed crab claw (dim sum) the size of my fist from Koi Palace.  I could never be a food blogger bc I often devour said food before I have a chance to take a picture.

Baked Egg Custard Bun

Egg Yolk Lava Bun 

Yummy Japanese food - that Bento box was the size of my toddler

Celebrating my birthday with a Chinese Fresh Fruit Cake

So aside from the 5 hours I spent at the DMV, I'm loving SF so far :)